"Crime Scene Investigation" begins with a bang

A trailer explosion kills a couple having an affair, a stripper in a large brown paper bag is brutally murdered, and two completely liquefied bodies are found in the trunk of a car. Combine these three violent crimes and you get a day's work for the Las Vegas crime lab and the season premiere episode of "Crime Scene Investigation" (CSI).

"CSI" is the graphically vivid drama about a team of determined scientists and criminal investigators who work in Las Vegas. The sixth season premiere episode, which focused on the three violent crimes, begins the same way the last season ended: spectacularly.

Last season's dramatic ending, in which investigator Nick Stokes (George Eads) was kidnapped by sociopath Walter Gordon (John Saxon), still echoes eerily. Though it was not significantly incorporated into the plot, it was very obvious that the memory of the traumatic ordeals still haunts the CSI lab, with Stokes being extremely strung.

Jerry Bruckheimer ("Black Hawk Down") brings to life criminal investigations by giving faces to those who strive to keep the city safe. Gil Grissom (William Peterson) and Catherine Willows (Marg Helgeberger) portray what it is like to work in law enforcement by portraying the hardships of crime scene investigation. Also starring Gary Dourdon, Robert David Hall, Jorja Fox and Eric Szmanda, "CSI" has a diverse cast that fits together better than a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle. Encountering the abnormalities of Las Vegas such as dominatrices, transvestites, cannibals and people who dress up in large animal costumes, the CSI team has seen unthinkable circumstances

Though "CSI" is famous for its intriguing plot, it is also notorious for the visually explicit shots of wounds and surrounding tissue. If the Emmy's had a category for most gory special effects, "CSI" would easily take the award. These sanguineous interior shots of corpses would make even Quentin Tarantino ("Kill Bill") blush.

If the graphic nature of the show doesn't discourage any viewers, then viewers will soon notice that an enjoyable aspect of "CSI" is that the episode format allows viewers to start watching anytime. This lets viewers enter into the series without seeing any previous episodes, unlike many other programs. Additionally, "CSI" also incorporates obscure facts into the show, such as that gasoline is commonly used as a cheap Botox.

With "Who Are You?" by The Who as the theme song "CSI" has a high music standard. Adding an intense thematic element, the soundtrack is a mix of suspense, anticipation and pure adrenaline that keeps the viewer cautious, yet constantly intrigued.

Many times, television shows go downhill when they reach a certain point, but "CSI" is not an average show. With the freshness of a new program and the experience of an mature one, "CSI" shows that you can teach an old dog new tricks and that an old concept can be perfected to form a unique, albeit graphic, experience.