Beloved CSI Star Sets First Major TV Return After CBS Franchise’s Ending

Published Sep 16, 2026, 6:22 PM EDT

Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour.

One of the original stars of the hit CSI franchise is heading back to CBS to appear in the second season of Boston Blue.

The Donnie Wahlberg-led series returns to the air on October 9, as Boston Blue deals with the aftermath of the May finale, which saw Detective Lena Silver undergo surgery after being shot, while her boyfriend's fate remains a major mystery. Meanwhile, Danny Reagan wanted Maria Baez to move to Boston.

There are new additions coming to Boston Blue this fall to shake up the storylines, including a CSI alum. Helgenberger has been cast as Sarah Silver's estranged biological mother, Gwen Silver, according to TVLine.

The recurring role will see the unpredictable Gwen head to Boston with a specific agenda in mind, catching her daughter off guard. Gwen might have a charming personality, but she and Sarah have a complicated dynamic, which will be on full display in the second season.

This marks Helgenberger's first major TV role since the CSI franchise came to an end two years ago. Playing Catherine Willows, she was a part of the cast that helped kick off the very first CSI series in 2000 alongside William Petersen, Jorja Fox, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Eric Szmanda, Robert David Hall, and Paul Guilfoyle.

Helgenberger left CSI during its 12th season in 2012 but came back as a guest star two years later and then again for the series finale in 2015. The hit procedural led CBS to air multiple spinoffs, including CSI: Miami, CSI: NY and CSI: Cyber.

Then after a five-year hiatus, in which no series was on the air, Fox and Petersen reprised their roles as Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom for CSI: Vegas, which served as a revival of the original show but with mostly new cast members. Helgenberg then took over as the lead for the final two seasons.

When CSI: Vegas went off the air in 2024, that seemingly served as the end of the CSI franchise, with longtime producer Jerry Bruckheimer saying just last year that there aren't any plans at the moment to greenlight another series.

Outside of CSI, Helgenberger's other credits include Bad Boys, Erin Brockovich, A Dog's Journey, The Tommyknockers, ER, Intelligence, Under the Dome, and All Rise.

Helgenberger knows what it's like to be a part of a long-running CBS franchise, which she's doing all over again with Boston Blue, which is a spinoff of Blue Bloods. After 14 seasons, CBS canceled the series partially because of how expensive it was to make and so that the network could make room for new content.

Boston Blue then made its debut almost a year after Blue Bloods aired its series finale, with Wahlberg reprising Danny Reagan from the original series. His co-stars are Sonequa Martin-Green, Ernie Hudson, Maggi Lawson, Gloria Reuben, Marcus Scribner, and Mika Amonsen.

Aside from Helgenberger, Will Estes will make a guest-starring appearance in Boston Blue season 2 as his Blue Bloods character, Jamie Reagan.

Boston Blue season 2 premieres Friday, October 9 at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS.

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  Donnie Wahlberg

  Danny Reagan

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  Sonequa Martin-Green

  Lena Silver

Boston Blue follows NYPD officer Danny Reagan as he transitions to a role in the Boston Police Department. Partnered with detective Lena Peters, the eldest daughter of a notable law enforcement family, the series explores their collaboration within the dynamics of Boston's criminal landscape.