The late, great William Friedkin had a resume packed with iconic movies, including the horror classic The Exorcist and the action-packed crime thriller The French Connection. But he also helmed more than a few episodes of TV, including the 200th episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, “Mascara.” Getting a director of Friedkin’s caliber was a big deal in more ways than one.
While CSI had previously seen Quentin Tarantino direct the harrowing Season 5 finale “Grave Danger,” Friedkin’s ability to shift from genre to genre made him a perfect fit for CSI‘s grisly cases. On top of that, he’s previously worked on television shows such as The Twilight Zone and Tales From the Crypt. Surely he’d make the 200th episode of CSI worth watching. Unfortunately, “Mascara” has ended up being memorable in CSI franchise history for all the wrong reasons.
What Is ‘CSI’s “Mascara” Episode About?
“Mascara” begins when a young woman is brutally murdered by a masked figure at a Lucha Libre match. Once the CSI team is called to the scene, Dr. Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburne) is shocked to learn that the victim is one of his former criminology students, who wanted to follow in his footsteps as a CSI. It also features some stylized directing choices from Friedkin; the opening features a series of cascading drums as a victim runs from the masked killer, culminating with him snapping her neck. A Lucha Libre match feels as adrenaline-packed as an actual wrestling match would, full of colorful masks and intense combat. Even the opening is special, as it features a title screen promoting “Mascara” as the 200th episode.
Even though Friedkin brings his own unique style to “Mascara,” the story itself feels extremely lacking. Despite the big reveal that the killings are part of a series of murders that started years ago, the plot thread is never explored any further. “Mascara” also puts a major focus on Langston, which isn’t surprising considering one of the victims was his students, but the rest of the CSI team feels like they’ve been pushed to the side. It also felt like it was too early to expand on Langston’s past; up to that point, he’d only been in eight episodes, and the departure of Gil Grissom (William Petersen) was still fresh in fans’ minds.
William Friedkin’s ‘CSI’ Episode Is One of the Lowest Rated of the Crime Series
Neither viewers nor critics were kind to “Mascara,” as it’s one of the lowest-rated episodes in CSI history. IMDb’s user reviews range from fans calling it “dreadful” and “a big heap of trash”, with most of the criticism directed at the seemingly glacial pace. James Chamberlin was far more direct in his review for IGN: “After two hundred episodes, I say it’s time for CSI‘s producers to take another look at their policy for milestone episodes,” as he argued that it would be better if these episodes actually felt “special.”
Someone in the CSI writers’ room must have read Chamberlin’s review, because the 300th episode “Frame by Frame” would feature more involvement from the whole CSI team, a more compelling case, and flashbacks that tied the whole story together. The reception “Frame by Frame” received was a stark difference from “Mascara”, as it remains one of the best-rated episodes in CSI‘S run. But it begs the question: shouldn’t Friedkin have received a story that was worth his talents, especially with such a milestone in CSI history? It’s especially baffling because Friedkin and Abraham did actually get the chance to work on one of CSI‘s most emotionally harrowing episodes.
William Friedkin Previously Directed One of the Most Compelling ‘CSI’ Episodes
“Mascara” wasn’t William Friedkin’s first time directing an episode of CSI. He previously helmed the Season 8 episode “Cockroaches,” which was also written by Dustin Lee Abraham. But unlike “Mascara,” this episode features a compelling story that centers on one of the original CSI cast members: Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan). When the team is drawn into a hit-and-run that turns out to be a murder, Warrick ends up getting in over his head when he confronts a mob boss. On top of that, Warrick is struggling with personal matters, as his wife divorced him, and he was starting to slip into substance abuse.
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This leads to some intense moments throughout “Cockroaches”, including a confrontation between Warrick and Nick Stokes (George Eads) when Nick catches Warrick popping pills, and a shocking cliffhanger where a girl he spent the night with is found dead in his car. Friedkin stages the sequences in “Cockroaches” for maximum impact, making sure that the arguments between Warrick and the rest of the team are just as intense as any crime scene. “Cockroaches” would also kick off a series of events that led to Warrick’s death, which would greatly impact the CSI team leading into Season 9. But it also highlights all of the untapped potential in “Mascara.”
William Friedkin Gave ‘CSI’s William Petersen His Big Break
Though William Friedkin only directed two episodes of CSI, he had a lasting impact on the series thanks to one of his most acclaimed films, To Live and Die in L.A. While that crime thriller is probably best known for showcasing William Dafoe‘s creep factor, it was also the big break for William Petersen, who plays Secret Service agent Richard Chance. Petersen would be a major fixture in CSI history, playing lead Gil Grissom for nine seasons; he and Jorja Fox would return for the final CSI series CSI: Vegas. “The only reason I have this nice house and any success I’ve had in Hollywood is because of Billy. I’d still be knocking around somewhere in the Midwest trying to land parts in plays, if it weren’t for him,” Petersen said after Friedkin’s death. Given that Friedkin helped launch his career and kicked off one of CSI‘s more compelling story arcs, he definitely deserved a 200th episode that was more memorable than “Mascara.”