I've been cyber-researching some things for a transcription of a Kathy Reichs documentary, looking up Entomology stuff, and I found something very cool.

The episode of CSI called "Sex, Lies, and Larvae", number 110, from season one, which originally aired on December 22, 2000 ( according to this source CSI Episode Guide has this listed as the synopsis ::

Grissom and Sara investigate when the body of a woman is found in the desert, covered with insects. Grissom uses entomological evidence to discover the time of death. Unfortunately their prime suspect - the husband - was out of town at that time, and to Sara's dismay it looks like he is getting away with murder. Meanwhile Warrick and Catherine try to find out who stole a painting. Nick deals with a missing person case when a woman's car is found at the bus station.

Now then....

compare that to this real-life case I found information about at this source :: Visible Proofs

Insect testimony
On September 21, 1986, the decomposing body of a 26-year-old woman was found inside a foul-smelling carpet near I-95 in Greenwich, Connecticut. Blow fly larvae were feeding on, and moving in and around, the body. Pale and dark brown blow fly puparia were recovered, along with 4,000 larvae, for laboratory study.

An autopsy revealed that the victim, Sylvia Hunt, had been stabbed 15 times. Forensic entomologist William Krinsky determined from climate and insect evidence that blow flies had deposited eggs on the corpse seven days earlier. The carpet pattern matched one in the room occupied by a suspect. The insect and carpet evidence helped convict him of first-degree murder.

For those who have seen "Sex, Lies, and Larvae", this should strike you as very relevant, and quite possibly, the exact case this particular episode of CSI was based on. Certain details were changed for the CSI episode, but what strikes me as important is that insect evidence is what got the conviction in this case, just like on CSI ( we didn't see the actual trial, but were led to believe that the insect evidence would lead to the conviction.)

I love it when we can actually SEE how real these shows actually are.

--Jen

Great find, Jen! It makes it so much creepier to find out these cases have such relevant real life parallels. It always amazes me that the CSI writers come up with so many storylines - particularly when you consider the spinoffs and the novels aswell. In a way, its such a shame that they have so much material based on real life!

I watched the ep 'Sex, Lies and Larvae' not long ago, and loved it! Notably for the Grissom and Sara content; both in terms of GSR and insight into both their characters (Gris and his bugs, Sara getting angry at the husband..)

So very sad and true, Steph.

One of my all-time favorite Sara Sidle moments! You can just FEEL her emotions and her righteous anger. Even though we can't really condone the fact that she confronted the suspect so unprofessionally, we, ourselves, would have a hard time not reacting in a similar way, given those circumstances. And I really think it shocked Grissom to see her react so vehemently. He needs to be shocked more often, in my opinion, though. :lol:

--Jen

Exactly! I love when the characters act exactly how a real person would, like when Catherine looks genuinely freaked out by some of the weirder suspects, or even Angela ("Can i, as the only normal person in the room, say...eww!")

Another fab Sara moment was when she answered back to Ecklie (Nesting Dolls). That guy is so unbelievably annoying, he was just asking for it! I would have done exactly the same :P (and as a bonus, it led to some quality G/S time and huge insight into her past!)

I totally agree on that, too, Steph! Sara told Ecklie what we, and most of the people at the crime lab, were thinking! Still, it did lead to some difficulties and added drama between Gil and Ecklie, but hey... that's a good thing and I, for one, would love to see more of it in this coming season. Grissom and Ecklie haven't had a real argument in too long. :P

--Jen

There was an episode of Forensic Files or some other Court TV show, A&E show, or Discovery show that really reminded me of a CSI episode. Both I can't remember now, but I remember telling Gary that it was similar to CSI.

The only big difference was the resolution of the case.

Well "I Like To Watch" was almost exactly like the rape case in NYC on Halloween of 2005. All CSI did was add the gas to knock the girls out and the foot fetish. Everything else was basically the same which kinda pissed me off that they couldn't find ONE original idea. I mean I wouldn't have minded if they based the eppy off of that case but they basically just played it out word for word. It just really pissed me off.

i have an opposing viewpoint on that whole thing. I like the fact that shows like "Bones" and "CSI" use real-life cases in their shows. Because quite often, as the saying goes, real-life is often stranger than fiction anyway. Plus, it makes the forensics that much more credible to me.

In my opinion, they can use their creativity in the way the characters react to these cases. Bones has done a slightly better job on that than CSI, but then again, each show has its own focus. "Bones" is going to err on the side of more personal stuff, CSI is most likely always going to err on the side of more forensics/ procedural stuff. Both writing teams know that they can't make all viewers happy all the time, so they walk a fine line between those two extremes.

--Jen