Marg Helgenberger Returns As Catherine Willows For CSI 300th Episode

Marg Helgenberger was part of the CSI family for 12 seasons, and on Wednesday she will return to help the show celebrate its 300th episode.

Helgenberger will return to reprise her role as Catherine Willows, helping the CSI team solve a cold case that has eluded them for 14 years. In the episode, the team encounters a murder with the same M.O. as the suspect from 14 years before, and Helgenberger will appear in some flashbacks before joining the team in the present day.

“We will flash back 14 years to seminal moments that show Catherine, Nick, Sara, Greg and Ecklie as they were, [and how that] informed the evolution of the characters now,” said executive producer Don McGill. “It’s going to be a really fun episode, very emotional, that honors 14 years of CSI.”

Marg Helgenberger was a pivotal part of the show and a fan-favorite as Catherine Willows, and the show’s producers said it was important to bring her back for the show’s milestone.

“We were just really excited to have Marg come back because, obviously, she’s such an important part of the history of CSI… And she was super excited,” McGill said. “It was kismet!”

In an interview with TV Guide, Helgenberger spoke about some of her most memorable episodes. She recalled “Fur and Loathing,” the fifth episode from Season 4, in which the team investigated the case of a man dressed as a raccoon found dead by the side of the road.

The episode also delved into the world of “furries,” people who wear animal costumes for fun. Helgenberger said it was a learning experience.

“I didn’t know much about this world, so before we shot the episode, the director and I went to an event where people came wearing tails,” remembers Helgenberger. “A lot of the extras we used were actually into that. God bless them.”

Marg Helgenberger makes her return to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation for the 300th episode, airing Wednesday at 10 pm EST.