A new character is introduced for part of this season. Petersen requested time off to return to the theater, so they needed someone to fill that space. Liev Schreiber was the perfect addition as Mike Keppler, a crime scene investigator from Baltimore. Keppler is an interesting character with an intriguing storyline. He also brought a different dynamic and friction to the group; I was sorry to see him go after only four episodes. There are many other great guest stars in Season Seven including Roger Daltrey (it is very appropriate that he finally makes an appearance since his vocals have covered the opening credits since the debut of the show with The Who’s “Who Are You?”), John Mayer, Ned Betty, Ally Sheedy, Kevin Federline and Danny Bonaduce to name a few.

The crimes are always at the forefront but there are intimate moments with the characters that further their development and continue to form a bond with the viewer. The romance between Grissom and Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) continues and is finally unveiled to the rest of the team. What I like about the show if that they give you a glimmer of the characters personal lives but it doesn’t become like a soap opera. The main characters are never completely free from harm, which makes them vulnerable. In the season opener, Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) is slipped a date-rape drug and ends up naked in a run-down hotel room. Later in the season Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) is brutally attacked by a group of thugs and in the finale Sidle is pinned under a car thanks to the miniature killer.

Numerous commentary tracks are provided in the season collection. Naren Shankar, Executive Producer and Co-Writer, and Ken Fink, Co-Executive Producer and Director, discuss “Built to Kill, Part I”, “Sweet Jane,” and “Living Doll;” Richard Lewis, Director, and Dustin Lee Abraham cover “Fannysmackin;” Martha Coolidge, Director and Matthew Mungle, Make-up Effects Artist, walk through “Living Legend;” Richard Catalani, Writer and Technical Adviser, and Lewis dissect “Law of Gravity;” and Brad Tanenbaum, Director, and Sarah Goldfinder, Writer, along with all of the lab techs chat about “Lab Rats”. All of these commentaries are extremely production heavy and provide the thoughts and ideas behind the scenes and storylines.