After viewers waited years to see any intimacy between Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle, CSI: Vegas promised a sweet moment between the duo in one episode promo and failed to deliver on this. Despite its characters having some sweet chemistry, it is fair to say that few viewers come to the CSI franchise in search of romantic viewing. By and large, the long-running procedural series (and its many location-based spinoffs) are beloved by fans for providing grisly whodunit mysteries.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, the relationship between Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom is one of the sweeter elements of the many CSI series. Beginning way back in CSI season 6 (although the subject of fan speculation even earlier), Gil and Sara’s tumultuous relationship history could give The Conners’ Ben and Darlene a run for their money. Over the years, the pair have been dating, engaged, separated, estranged, and finally married.

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However, despite their on and off relationship being central to the overarching story of CSI as a series, the show has rarely focused on romantic or intimate moments between the duo. Gil has gotten more romantic screen time with his former fling Lady Heather than Sara – so, understandably, many long-time viewers were excited to see Sara and Gil share a kiss in a promo for CSI: Vegas’s “Long Pig” (episode 4, season 1). The rare moment of intimacy between the duo was highly hyped after being seen in the episode’s promo, but the kiss was missing from “Long Pig” when the outing aired. While misleading trailer editing is not a problem unique to the procedural franchise, this instance did leave many CSI viewers let down.

CSI: Vegas showrunner Jason Tracey excused the cut by saying that the finale would set up an even more meaningful payoff, but the issue that many had was less with CSI: Vegas removing the scene and more with the choice to keep the moment in the promo. The series finale did offer a dramatic reunion for Gil and Sara, which made the decision to cut the earlier kiss more understandable, as their eventual return to one another’s arms was arguably more impactful without the rare intimate moment happening a few episodes earlier. However, what irritated some viewers was the promo promising a scene it never delivered, an issue CSI and many long-running franchises often run into.

In an era when trailers are scrutinized and speculated upon (with 2022’s Scream reboot not even releasing a promo until four months before release to avoid spoilers), it is frustrating for a show as big as CSI: Vegas to tease a moment that is absent from the episode being promoted. The practice of baiting viewers with the promise of a dramatic scene that never occurs is a cheap tactic that a series as big as a CSI spinoff does not need to engage in, making Sara and Gil’s missing kiss a major misstep. While the CSI: Vegasseries finale still kept many fans happy, the show’s promos proved misleading and disappointing for many faithful viewers.

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Cathal Gunning
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Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies and TV online since 2020. His obsessions include The Simpsons, Stephen King, the Scream series, and the horror genre in general. He has spent more time thinking about Stranger Things than the writers of Stranger Things, and he has never seen a Star War.

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