Who keeps murdering Mac Taylor?
In the 100th episode of CBS’ “CSI: NY” (Wednesday at 10 p.m. on WBZ, Ch. 4), someone is targeting people with the name of Mac Taylor, the detective played by star Gary Sinise.
While researching the episode, the show’s writers found 39 Mac Taylors (and variations thereof) in the New York metro area – Macdonald, Mackiyo, Machiavelli, Mackinley, Mackendra and other variations.
Chris Daughtry (“American Idol,” making his acting debut), Rumer Willis (daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore) and Scott Wolf (“Everwood”) play characters named Mac Taylor. Rapper Nelly and retired NFL player Marshall Faulk also appear.
In the script, the 39 sharing a version of the name were narrowed to 23 Mac Taylors, 15 of whom will be featured on the show. The two killed early in the episode are murdered in different ways, according to writer/executive producer Pam Veasey. The first victim is fatally shot and the second dies after a fall – or push – down a spiral staircase, Veasey said.
“I’m settled into the idea of doing a series now,” said Sinise, who has been on board since the show premiered in 2004. “I’m getting used to one character, and I didn’t think that far ahead. I knew it was part of a successful franchise, and the other two were doing so well, but I had no idea if this would succeed.”
Sinise enjoys playing Taylor because the ethical cop is so different from some other roles he’s assumed.
“I played some bad guys, some less than honorable people,” he said. “What I like about Mac is that he’s a very straight shooter. He’s honorable. He just wants to do what’s right.”
Julia Ormond (“Legends of the Fall”) makes her first appearance in this episode. She signed on for three episodes and doesn’t know where her arc is going.
“I have no idea if I will be killed or run over by a bus,” Ormond said. “I don’t even know which way we are going. This is the first time I have done something where I didn’t see the script first.”
Ormond says she took such a chance “because it is such an established series.”
“CSI,” a cottage industry for CBS, was “already a strong franchise” when Veasey launched the New York version. She acknowledged she was worried about this being the third show. During the 100 episodes, the writers have whacked victims by such imaginative means as stabbing by swordfish, trampling by crowd and kissing by poisonous lipstick.
“This makes you very aware of accidental death,” she said.
Especially if your name is Mac Taylor.
