This week’s Monday pick is Manhunter (1986), Michael Mann’s film adaptation of Thomas Harris’s classic novel Red Dragon. The film stars William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, and Tom Noonan.

Manhunter is one of Mann’s best and it was the first film to introduced the world to psychotic killer Dr. Hannibal Lecktor who would go on to great acclaim five years later in the Academy Award winning Best Picture Silence of the Lambs.

William Petersen stars as FBI profiler Will Graham who is pulled out of semi-retirement by his old boss Jack Crawford (Farina) when a series of grizzly murders occur a month apart from one another. Graham is considered one of the best profilers in the Bureau and Crawford is reluctant to ask him to come back after Graham was viciously attacked and almost killed several years earlier when he apprehended Dr. Lecktor.

For TV shows that run as long as CSI it’s expected that characters will leave the series at some point. Law & Order is a perfect example of this. However, there are rare instances when an actor or actress exits a show only to return later. Usually it’s because they realized the would-be breakout movie career they were aspiring for fell flat.

The latest comeback is by Jorja Fox who played (and will play again) Sara Sidle on the original CSI series. Producer Carol Mendelsohn stated Fox’s original five-episode run has been extended indefinately.  She went onto say:

“We will be seeing a lot more of Jorja,” says Mendelsohn. “The season is about bringing the [CSI] family back together again, so [this] was just a natural. Jorja has been the glue that has really helped to reform the bond of our team.”

“Glue”? Really? It’s been awhile since I’ve watched CSI but I never got the impression Sara was the person holding everyone together. Nevertheless, Sara’s coming back for a lot longer then anyone thought. Hey, a girl has to eat.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, former CSI favorite Jorja Fox will be coming back from the jungle and rejoining the series for its 10th season — at least for five episodes. Last seen in a cameo in William Petersen’s final episode in January when their characters Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom reunited in Costa Rica, Fox will reprise her role as Sara.

“We’re thrilled for Jorja’s return to CSI,” said executive producer/showrunner Carol Mendelsohn in the article. “The viewers and longtime CSI fans will be excited to discover where life has taken Sara Sidle and what brings her back to the CSI team in Las Vegas in our premiere episode.”

According to the article, there are no immediate plans for Petersen, whose character had a romantic relationship with Sara, to return for more episodes. Instead, the shows producers are reportedly making “significant” creative changes to the show to combat a ratings slide after the departure of Petersen.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation returns with new episodes on Sept. 24.