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Catherine Willows
| Catherine Willows played by: Marg Helgenberger       ............... | Character Biography | ||||||||||||||||
Character Stats
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| Backstory: |
| Born in Las Vegas on March 26, 1963, Catherine Willows was raised by her single mother, Lily Flynn, a cocktail waitress and showgirl. Lily's unstable jobs caused them to drift up and down the west coast. Catherine never settled at school and failed to excel despite her razor-sharp mind. She left high school and found work as an exotic dancer to support her boyfriend's rock n' roll lifestyle. While dancing, she befriended a regular, Detective Tadero, who got her interested in crime solving and encouraged her to return to school. She graduated from West Las Vegas University in Medical Science, started as an assistant lab tech at LVPD, and worked her way up, under the tutelage of Gil Grissom, to a a CSI supervisor. Catherine was married to Eddie Willows for several years. It was during her relationship with Eddie that she developed a cocaine habit (which she kicked after leaving him). They have one daughter, Lindsey. Eddie was an off-strip band manager who didn’t have an actual job. Although it is never stated outright it is generally believed that he was abusive towards Catherine. She left him after coming home and finding him in their bed with another woman. Even after leaving him it took her some time to file for divorce. Eddie died several years ago after being shot in the stomach outside a recording studio. No one was ever charged with his murder because the evidence was inconclusive. Not long after Eddie’s death Catherine found out her biological father was Sam Braun, a Vegas casino mogul. Unfortunately she found this out during a murder investigation. Several months later she received a check for $250,000 from him. Her father has been involved in two investigations since that time. In the episode "Built to Kill Pt. 2", Catherine and her daughter are victimized due to a grudge against her casino mogul father, Sam Braun. She approaches Sam and asks if he has already had the man who attacked Catherine and Lindsey killed. He never answers because then, that same man approaches Sam from behind. Catherine watches over her father's shoulder as the man raises his gun, and, turning around due to a shout from Catherine, Sam is shot in the chest. He falls to the ground and dies in his daughter's arms. Catherine’s relationship with her daughter has been strained recently. Between the demands of her job and Lindsey’s becoming a teenager this was inevitable. Catherine tried to ease the strain by applying for a position as day shift supervisor but was given swing shift instead which took her away from her daughter even more. Her mother now lives with her, helping to care for Lindsey adding even more strain to Catherine’s life. She does attempt to have a social life but she seems to have a problem choosing men who will treat her right. She had a special bond with Holly Gribbs, the newly hired CSI in the Pilot episode, and was like a mother and a mentor to her. Catherine was deeply affected when Holly was shot and killed. Catherine's delightful humor and amiable nature made her endearing even to the CSI Lab Techs, she is always seen goofing around with then Lab Tech Greg Sanders and with Jacqui Franco, the fingerprint tech. Her friendships with Gil Grissom, Warrick Brown and Nick Stokes seem to be deeper than the rest. Her relationship with Grissom has a long history. They share meals together and confide deeply personal information with each other. Catherine has often made major sacrifices for Nick and have shared things with each other that they haven't told anyone else. Warrick is also there for her in times of trouble, willing to lend a shoulder to cry on when needed. She shares an incredible chemistry with each of these men.  |
| Work: |
| Catherine’s specialty is Blood Spatter Analysis. She has a B.S. in Medical Technology from UNLV. She was recently promoted to Swing Shift Supervisor. (5x09 Mea Culpa) In the past year she returned to the Graveshift. (6x01 Bodies in Motion) She is still a supervisor but her exact position has yet to be clarified. Catherine works from both scientific and intuitive perspectives. Her job puts her (as well as the other CSIs) in danger often. She has been attacked on a crime scene and she also been kidnapped. She has killed a man in the line of duty in order to save the life of Gil Grissom (unloading her gun into Syd Goggle in the process). Her first opportunity to be a supervisor occurred during the Syd Goggle case (she turned it down). The next opportunity came four years later. She requested the promotion only to find out her supervisor, Gil Grissom, had already sent in his recommendation that she be the one to fill the position. She returned to the Graveyard shift after a year and her current position is somewhat unclear other than she is still a supervisor of some sort. She is a CSI-3, co-Supervisor of the CSI night shift, and specializes in blood spatter analysis.  |
| Personal Demon(s): |
| Daddy issues: Catherine's biological father is casino mogul Sam Braun, and her tense relationship with him has factored into a number of key episodes. Braun was shot and killed in the episode "Built to Kill, Part 2", and it remains to be seen if she will see a sizable inheritance from his estate. Relationship struggles: Catherine has a history of less than desirable and fulfilling relationships, including a brief flirtation with Warrick. Single-mom blues: She suffers the pangs of raising daughter Lindsey as a single working mother living in a very family-unfriendly city. Lindsey has had a number of troubled-teen tantrums, especially following her father's death. Dominant Female: She is often at odds with Sara, being that they are the only two women on the team, not to mention tension caused by Sara's relationship with Grissom. In the episode "Cool Change", Catherine warns Sara to stay away, that it's her case and she was perfectly capable of solving it without Sara. |
| Defining Cases/Episodes: |
| Season 1: |
| 1x01 "Pilot"- Catherine and Warrick works a homicide case. Catherine helps Holly Gribbs cope with her first night on the job. We meet Catherine's daughter, Lindsey, and her nephew, Jeremy. |
| 1x02 "Cool Change"- Catherine vows to solve Holly Gribb's murder. She does solve it. |
| 1x06 "Who Are You"- Catherine investigates the case of a rape accusation against her ex-husband, Eddie Willows. |
| 1x13 "Boom"- Nick's career is on the line as his fingerprints and DNA are found on a murder scene. Catherine investigates the murder to help Nick out. |
| 1x18 "$35K O.B.O."- Catherine investigates an accident where the prime suspect is a building. There she meets Paul Newsome, an overly self-assertive District Engineer. |
| 1x23 "Strip Strangler"- The Sheriff removes Grissom from the investigation (after the latter refused to go by the politics of the case) and offers the supervisory position to Catherine. Catherine rejects the offer and saves Grissom from the killer Syd Goggle. |
| Season 2: |
| 2x01 "Burked"- Tony Braun, the son of Las Vegas casino mogul Sam Braun, is found dead in his home, apparently the victim of a drug overdose. In the end we learn that Sam Braun and Catherine's mom had been lovers when Catherine was still six months old. |
| 2x14 "The Finger"- Catherine is ordered by a kidnapper to accompany a man who is to deliver $1 million in ransom to him or else he will kill the man's mistress. |
| 2x17 "Felonious Monk"-Catherine reopens a cold case in which her best friend was murdered, after the man convicted of the crime claims he's innocent shortly before he dies. Because of this, Catherine finds herself at odds with her mentor, Jimmy Tadero. |
| Season 3: |
| 3x04 "A Little Murder"- Catherine is attacked at a crime scene where a man was murdered during what appears to have been a home robbery. |
| 3x06 "The Execution of Catherine Willows"- Fifteen years ago, Catherine helped put a man on death row for the rape and murder of a coed at a nearby college. The man is about to be executed when he's granted a stay based on new DNA evidence. When bodies turn up at the school, killed in identical manners, it's thought the killer might actual be on the loose. |
| 3x15 "Lady Heather's Box"- Catherine and Grissom investigate the death of a women who was involved with the aforementioned two men, all of which lead to Lady Heather. Catherine is faced with a crisis when she has to save her daughter Lindsey from a flooded car and her ex-husband Eddie who was driving the car is found murdered. |
| 3x22 "Play With Fire"- Catherine and Warrick try to determine the cause of an explosion in the DNA lab of CSI that seriously injures Greg Sanders, a lab tech. It is later discovered that Catherine accidentally caused the explosion and is given 5 days unpaid leave. |
| 3x23 "Inside the Box"- A shocking personal detail about Catherine comes to the surface while she investigates a bizarre bank robbery that resulted in a detective's death. |
| Season 4: |
| 4x01 "Assume Nothing"- Catherine gets some troubling news about her father's murder trial. Catherine also helps Nick in his investigation after he jeopardized the case by discussing the specifics, which later turn up on the local news -- giving the murderers insight into the investigation. |
| 4x06 "Fur and Loathing"- Catherine and Grissom are introduced to the "Furry" side of Vegas when a man is found dead on the side of the road, dressed in a racoon suit. |
| 4x07 "Jackpot"- Sam Braun offers Catherine a $250,000 check. |
| 4x08 "After the Show"- A suspect's infatuation with Catherine results in her taking over a high profile case. The case is the center of attention for the Las Vegas media, about a missing model who aspired to become a showgirl. |
| 4x15 "Early Rollout"- Things get personal for Catherine when Grissom talks to her about her evaluation. |
| 4x22 "No More Bets"- Two young men are found murdered after scamming Sam Braun's casinos. Because of her relationship with Braun, Grissom refuses to allow Catherine to participate in the case, leaving the rest of the team to solve the mystery. |
| Season 5: |
| 5x01 "Viva Las Vegas"- Catherine catches her boyfriend, Chris Bezich, in the arms of another woman inside his nightclub. |
| 5x03 "Harvest"- Catherine struggles with being a single parent to her rebellious daughter, Lindsey, who is caught by the police in the Boulder Highway trying to hitch a ride. |
| 5x04 "Crows Feet"- Catherine and Nick delve into the dark world of hazardous cosmetic procedures to keep people looking young. |
| 5x05 "Swap Meet"- Ecklie is promoted to Assistant Director, leaving the Day Shift supervisor position available. Catherine justifies why she is a good candidate to be the supervisor on the day shift. |
| 5x09 "Mea Culpa"- After a murder trial is reopened to explore new forensic evidence, Grissom discovers a previously undetected fingerprint on a piece of evidence during his cross-examination. This oversight is an opportunity for new assistant lab director Conrad Ecklie to put Grissom and his night shift team under the microscope. Ecklie believes that there has been a chronic lack of supervision on the graveyard shift, and splits the team. |
| 5x10 "No Humans Involved"- Catherine assumes her new role as supervisor and quickly finds herself at odds with Warrick when he takes an overly aggressive approach in an investigation involving possible police brutality. |
| 5x22 "Weeping Willows"- After a tough day on the job, Catherine heads to a bar to unwind and has a brief romantic encounter with a stranger, Adam Novak. When a woman from the same bar turns up dead later that night, evidence points to Novak as the lead suspect in the murder investigation. Friction arises between Grissom and Catherine when she fails to disclose her knowledge of the suspect. |
| 5x24 to 5x25 "Grave Danger Parts 1 & 2"- After learning that a member of their team has been kidnapped and buried alive, the two CSI teams come together to try to save one of their own. The LVPD refuses to pay the ransom to save Nick Stokes, Catherine asks Sam Braun for help. |
| Season 6: |
| 6x01 "Bodies in Motion"- The forensic teams come back together under the leadership of Grissom and Catherine just in time to tackle three complex murder cases. Meanwhile, Warrick tells Catherine that he is married. |
| 6x11 "Werewolves"- The team investigates the death of a man with hypertrichosis or "The Human Werewolf Syndrome". Catherine feels so much compassion for the victims sister, Allison, a girl who suffers from hypertrichosis, and helps her come out of her shell. |
| 6x13 "Kiss Kiss, Bye Bye"- A case in forensics becomes a case in Vegas' history when a well-connected, sexy ex-showgirl with ties to the mob hosts a party that results in the murder of one of her guests. The suspects are virtually a who's who from yesteryear, but the case holds a personal connection for Catherine as her father, Sam Braun, emerges as one of the prime suspects. |
| Season 7: |
| 7x01 "Built to Kill, Part 1"- After Catherine and Nick visit a nightclub where John Mayer is performing, Catherine finds herself in jeopardy and must act as her own CSI in order to determine who may be targeting her and her family. |
| 7x02 "Built to Kill, Part 2"- Catherine again finds herself -- and her daughter, Lindsey -- in danger, and begins to suspect who may be responsible. |
| 7x09 "Living Legend"- Evidence in the current killing spree in Las Vegas all point to Mickey Dunn, an infamous 1970’s mob boss who disappeared years ago. Catherine had once been propositioned by Mickey Dunn when she was sixteen years old. Luckily, Sam Braun stepped in and stopped Mickey. |
| 7x11 "Leaving Las Vegas"- Catherine's testimony in court is not enough to convict a killer suspected of murdering his own mother. Novak, with whom Catherine had a brief romantic encounter, is the lawyer who represents the killer and secures his freedom. As a result, Catherine and Nick leave Las Vegas in order to tie the killer to another crime and put him behind bars for good. |
| 7x13 "Redrum"- Catherine agrees to Michael Keppler's unconventional method to find a suspect, despite her reservations about lying to her longtime CSI teammates, who soon sense that something is awry. |
| 7x15 "Law of Gravity"- Keppler tries to conceal his ties to a double murder case that he and his CSI colleagues are investigating. Catherine stands by Keppler and believes in him though it seems that the evidence points otherwise. |
| Deep Dark Secret: | |
"Catherine is an animal in bed!" (Marg Helgenberger, Canada AM interview, 2004) | |
| Trivia: | |
 | |
| Quotes: | |
| "I love this job. I mean... we're just a bunch of kids. Getting paid to work on puzzles. Sometimes there's a piece missing. Sometimes we solve it in one night." (1x01 Pilot) | |
| "We restore peace of mind and when you're a victim, that's everything. Stick with it. At least until you solve your first and if after that you don't feel like King Kong on cocaine... then you can quit, but if you stay with it my hand to god, you will never regret it." (1x01 Pilot) | |
| "Never doubt and never look back. That's how I live my life." (1x23 Strip Strangler) | |
| Dr.Cornfield:"Real shame." Catherine:"I'll tell you what's a shame -- that she was so pretty and perfect and still thought she needed implants." (2x08 Slaves of Las Vegas) | |
| Dr.Cornfield:"Why don't you put yourself in her shoes." Catherine:""Trust me-- I've been in her shoes. I got out of them." Dr.Cornfield:"Oh, yeah, why is that?" Catherine:"They were killing me." (2x08 Slave of Las Vegas) | |
| Catherine(to Nick): "There's one thing you learn on this job is that human beings are capable of anything." (2x08 Slave of Las Vegas) | |
| "I danced, period. And instead of feeling sorry for yourself, think about this. When you were out there planting evidence on a case that you couldn't break, Stephanie's real killer got away. And he's still out there... because you sold the one thing a cop can't afford to sell: Your integrity. So you tell me, between the two of us who's the whore?" (2x17 Felonious Monk) | |
| Catherine:"If I start eating, I will shut up." (2x09 And Then There Were None) | |
| Gil Grissom: "What is normal sex?" Catherine Willows: "Uh, you think it's natural for a grown human to only be intimate with a talking animal?" Gil Grissom: "Well, Freud said that the only unnatural sexual behavior was to have none at all. And after that, it's just a question of opportunity and preference. And evidently, many prefer the feel of fur to the texture of human skin." Catherine Willows: "Well, I like hairy chests, but I'm not about to bop a six-foot weasel." (4x05 Fur and Loathing) | |
| Sam Braun: "I never wanted to involve you personally or professionally in any of my business." Catherine Willows: "Business? You don't have a business. You're a thug in thousand dollar shoes!" (7x02 Built to Kill, Part 2) | |
| Catherine Willows: We're going to need a DNA sample. Lazarus Kane: (takes off shirt halfway revealing shoulder) Dig in. Catherine Willows: No thanks, I prefer saliva. (4x12 Suckers) | |
| Catherine Willows: "Oh, you've been out of the game awhile. The homies they have in the pen these days never heard of you." Mickey Dunn: "That's impossible." Catherine Willows: "No, Mickey, that's life." (7x09 Living Legend) | |
| "There was a murder that was committed in Vegas two days before the Acheson-Curtis murders. I think the same person committed both crimes and I think that person is you. Mr. Guffey, this is how this is going to work. Every time you answer one of my questions, I unbutton a button. Are you ready?" (7x11 Leaving Las Vegas) | |
| David Hodges: You remember your geology. Catherine Willows: Yes! Actually, senior year I took "rocks for jocks", I dated the TA. Warrick Brown: Lucky guy. I'm sure you got an "A". Catherine Willows: As a matter of fact, I did. David Hodges: [to Warrick] You're married? Don't flirt. | |
| Grissom: Hey Cath, got Silk? (Catherine looks down at the bed and picks up the piece of silk.) Catherine: Why yes I do. (Butterflied) | |
| [ Who's talking] : [quote] [in parenthesis, state what episode it is from] |
Videos:
"Dont Cry Out Loud"
Are You Gonna Be My Girl
(Song Was Also In Episode "Dead Ringer)
| Click EasyEdit to add your input, pictures and screen shots. |
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
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| montesrgp | Catherine | 1 | Apr 9 2008, 4:15 AM EDT by Robert1980 | |
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Thread started: Feb 10 2008, 3:09 AM EST
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I think she makes the show. she is cool and always looks great.
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| kathe | Catherine's birthday | 0 | Mar 26 2008, 6:36 AM EDT by kathe | |
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Thread started: Mar 26 2008, 6:36 AM EDT
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If Cath was born on March 26th 1963 that would mean that today is her 45th birthday =)
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| gattirenata | please do not hate me... | 0 | Feb 8 2008, 12:43 AM EST by gattirenata | |
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Thread started: Feb 8 2008, 12:43 AM EST
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but am I the only one who doesn't really like catherine??
I mean... it's not that I hate her, nor i want to see her out of the show... nothing like that... but tehre is something that just bothers me... it's like, she walks and talks like if seh better than everyone else there... ok... i looooooooved catherine when she went there and cleared nick up in BOOM... she had some pretty cool moments (of course, marg is an awesome actress) but still... sometimes she says some stuff, or look at people (not only suspects, but sometimes even her colleagues. maybe I'm mistaken... I don't know... the only thing I really like in what catherine is involved is her freindship with grissom. I know some people think they should be together, etc, but... I think their chemistry work pretty weel for a nice frendship and they should stay like that! |
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| iferleigh | Catherine's birthday | 10 | Feb 4 2008, 5:36 PM EST by blatfink | |
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Thread started: Dec 26 2007, 11:08 AM EST
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hey, how'd it come to be that cath's bday was on march 26, 1963? i mean, was it ever specifically mentioned? i love her, and i've seen amost all the eps (not yet the season 8's) but i can't seem to make my brain remember when her bday was mentioned or if it was mentioned at all...can anyone help?
and remember the ep Living Legend when she was talking about hooking up with mickey dunn but got stood up cause of sam? she said She was supposed to watch Jaws but didn't get to so that's how she bumped into him...and i did some digging (i like old movies) and i found out Jaws was out on 1975...she said she was 16 then so do that math that would show she was born around 1969 or somewhere around that...so where does that put me? can anyone help? if its been discussed already, i'm sorry cause i haven't done some digging here...it just sorta popped in my head to ask you guys... what do you think?
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| Crime_Scene_Girl | Catherine Williows | 0 | Feb 1 2008, 8:18 PM EST by Crime_Scene_Girl | |
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Thread started: Feb 1 2008, 8:18 PM EST
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Catherine is like the hottest woman I had ever seen. She is so cool. Marg looked great for a woman who is going into 50 years old this fall. She looked 10 or 15 years younger than she actually is.
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