Spoilers ahead for Episode 7 of CSI: Vegas Season 1, called “In the Blood.”
CSI: Vegas delivered one of its most unusual cases of the week with “In the Blood” when a horse covered in blood (and carrying a bloody boot) led the team on a tricky search for the truth, but it was the ongoing attempt to clear Hodges’ name that may have cost Sara and Grissom arguably their biggest ally for the rest of their case. Max finally went too far in her efforts to help them, and she has been suspended for it. So, what’s next after the suspension, for Max as much as for Sara and Grissom?
Max's change of circumstances could affect the characters on a personal level as well as the case, so read on for the breakdown of the potential fallout!
What Happened To Max
Max unknowingly went too far fairly early in the episode, when she called up the Washoe lab to check in on the case against Hodges. Even though the case had been moved there for the purpose of avoiding conflicts of interest, she wanted her team to know the status during their efforts to find enough evidence to arrest attorney Anson Wix.
Unfortunately for her, Undersheriff Wyatt showed up at the end of the episode to drop the news: she has been demoted and suspended… without pay, because of that call to Washoe. Even though she has crossed lines for this case throughout the season, she demanded to know who gave the order after learning that it “came from on high.” The answer? Anson Wix.
What It Means For Sara And Grissom
Well, the most obvious consequence of Max’s suspension for Sara and Grissom is that they lost their most steadfast ally for the time being, whose position of power meant that they were able to pursue their efforts to exonerate Hodges. Without her help, they never would have gotten far enough to connect the frame job to Wix. Then again, if they weren’t hot on Wix’s trail, Max likely wouldn’t have been suspended, but she is currently out of a job and out of a position to help.
If they want to keep up the investigation that could keep their friend out of prison and prevent far too many convicted criminals from hitting the streets again, they’ll either need to find a way to get Max’s job back for her or work around whoever is put in her place. They can’t follow the evidence if they can’t get to the evidence!
What It Means For Max
Max’s job has been very important to her, to the point that she wanted to share her workplace with her son in “In the Blood” before she learned about her suspension. Losing her position like this has to hurt, both in light of all she had accomplished and in the knowledge that the very man responsible for framing Hodges has managed to get her out of commission for furthering the investigation.
At the same time, if we assume that Sara and Grissom are going to be successful in clearing Hodges’ name and proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Wix was behind the framing, then that could be enough for Max to get her job back. She did still cross the line that was intended to prevent conflict of interest, but still! And there are only three episodes left in CSI: Vegas Season 1, so she could be back in her position within a few weeks.
Only time will tell, however. You can catch new episodes to see what’s next for the investigation now that Max has been suspended, on CBS on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET. CSI: Vegas has not yet been renewed for Season 2, but the ratings have been reasonably strong, especially up against Chicago P.D. in the time slot almost every week. The odds of a second season certainly are not bad!
