CSI: Cyber

[JR98]

CSI: Cyber is the latest CSI show and, unlike previous versions of the show, is focused on the FBI, more specifically the Cyber Crimes Division, based out of Quantico, Virginia. Cyber is also the first CSI to have crimes take place in different cities each episode. The show follows a team of cyber-criminals and federal agents based in the Cyber Crime Division, some of which were "Blackhat" Hackers and some are FBI federal agents. All of their cases revolve around cyber crime, including cyber-theft, hacking, blackmail and any other crime deemed to be cyber-related under the FBI's jurisdiction. The CCD was founded by Avery Ryan and she also runs a "hack-for-good" scheme where she recruits "Black Hat" hackers to her team instead of receiving a prison sentence. She has recruited 3 hackers, Tobin who was found to have sold confidential information and was arrested, and the other 2 are Raven Ramirez and Brody Nelson, both of which are still on the team.

Cast:
Special Agent Avery Ryan (Patricia Arquette)

Avery Ryan was a psychological practitioner in New York when her computer, containing details of all of her clients, was hacked and one of her patients ended up dead. In the search for the killer she found the FBI's Cyber Crime Division. Avery currently leads the team of cyber-criminals and special agents. Prior to joining the FBI her infant daughter died, leading to the breakdown of her marriage.

Next Generation Cyber Forensics Director DB Russell (Ted Danson, Season 2)

DB Russel is the director of the Next Generation Cyber Forensics and is described as a "left-coast Sherlock Holmes". He trained as a CSI and previously worked in both Seattle and Las Vegas as a CSI. Russell was recruited to be the director of the new NGCF that works alongside of Avery's Cyber unit.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Simon Sifter (Peter MacNicol, Season 1)

Sifter works out of Quantico and assists the cyber team on their cases. He worked his way up through the FBI investigating homicides, drive-bys and gang warfere, and has made an array of contacts that are invaluable to the FBI. He acts as the clearing house between the FBI Cyber Division and it's inter-governmental counterparts. Sometime following the first season he vacated his position.

FBI Field Agent Elijah Mundo (James Van Der Beek)

Elijah is a former US Marine and is Avery's second in command. He recently reconciled in his wife, fro whom he previously filed for divorce although they still share custody of his daughter. He is an avid gamer and as such knows of the dangers lurking on the internet. As a field agent, he is much more hands on than the rest of the team.

FBI Analyst Brody Nelson (Shad Moss)

Brody is Avery's latest Black Hat recuit into her Cyber Division. When he first joined the team they were dubious of Brody's intentions but after severing his ties with the world of cyber crime, he proves himself to be loyal to the team. He is shown to be arachnophobic.

FBI Analyst Raven Ramirez (Hayley Kiyoko)

Raven is Avery's second Black Hat recruit and has been with the FBI for almost 3 years. She has become a specialist in social media investigations, international relations and cyber trends. Raven has stated that being cyber-bullied was the reason she started hacking in order to recluse herself from her tormentors. She is a trusted member of the team.

Special Agent Daniel Krumitz (Charley Koontz)

Krumitz is a skilled analyst (Avery states he is the best "White Hat" Hacker in the world) yet is also brutally honest. He is a quick witted introvert and a trained field agent. He has one sister, called Francine. His reason for joining the FBI was because of his parent's murder in a convenience store robbery over 10 years ago, when Krumitz was just 10 years old. . He has strong bonds with both Brody and Avery and is often referred to by his nickname "Krummy".

Spoiler: Episodes

Season 1

Episode 1 - Kidnapping 2.0

In the pilot, infants are being kidnapped by the kidnappers hacking into the baby camera's to see when they are most vulnerable.

Episode 2 - CMND:/Crash

A roller coaster's safety systems are hacked and this causes a crash killing 5 people and injuring many others.

Episode 3 - Killer En Route

A killer has hacked into a car service's app to pick up unsuspecting victims at exactly 5:10 AM and to murder them.

Episode 4 - Fire Code

A new threat allows arsonists to commit their crimes without being traced, by applying a software patch to printers and computers.

Episode 5 - Crowd Sourced

A bomber fixated on revealing the truth about society's over reliance on technology detonates a bomb in a theatre. The team must find the bomb before the bomber's web page reaches 1,000,000 hits.

Episode 6 - The Evil Twin

A woman is dead but her electronic devices suggest she is still alive

Episode 7 - URL, Interrupted

A high school student promises to retaliate after being cyber-bullied by her classmates.

Episode 8 - Selfie 2.0

The team investigate the abductions of women who's Friend Agenda pages are still being updated. Also, Avery helps the sister of her murdered patient cope with her death.

Episode 9 - L0M1S

The team investigate when 9 planes have their Wi-Fi hacked and it is found out that infamous hacker, L0M1S is behind it.

Episode 10 - Click Your Poison

The team investigate when a man is dead after taking medication he bought from a hacked ad on a medical website.

Episode 11 - Ghost In The Machine

A 15 year old boy is killed with the gun he got on an online video game. The team believes Trigger, #7 on the Cyber Most Wanted list, is responsible.

Episode 12 - Bit By Bit

A hacker uses a power outage in Detroit to mask a jewellery store robbery/homicide, but the team believe the gems weren't the target.

Episode 13 - Family Secrets

Avery confronts the hacker who released her patient's information, and Krumitz confronts the man that killed his parents.

Season 2

Episode 1 - Why-Fi

DB Russell is appointed as the new Director of Next Generation Cyber Forensics while they investgate the case of a burglary/homicide committed by someone who hacked the home's security system.

Episode 2 - Heart Me

One of Raven's friends gets hacked by a stalker and frames her for murder and Krumitz' sister, Francine, goes is arrested for killing the man that killed their parents.

Videos:

 

[JKgo]

...Hmm, to be honest I wasn't aware of this show. Maybe I should catch an episode or two, to see if it can hold my attention.

Although, Van der Beek as a FBI suit? Color me a skeptic.

 

[JR98]

...Hmm, to be honest I wasn't aware of this show. Maybe I should catch an episode or two, to see if it can hold my attention.

Although, Van der Beek as a FBI suit? Color me a skeptic.

He's usually the one who goes to suspect addresses with a SWAT team when the rest of the team find the location, usually when the suspect doesn't hide his IP address.

Also, for those that don't know the terms Black hat and white hat (I didn't before watching this)

A White Hat Hacker is someone who hacks for good, like for the government or to test security systems while a Black Hat Hacker is someone who hacks into systems to cause chaos.

 

[JR98]

Just finished the first season and I really like the show.

Spoiler: Season 1 Finale

At the end of the first season Brody Nelson finds the person who hacked Avery 10 years ago and it is found out that he was watching her and hacked every computer she had owned for the last 10 years. He lured her into a warehouse, poisoned both of them with carbon monoxide and then Avery knocked him out, called Elijah and the guy was caught. Really great end to the first season.

 

[JKgo]

...So, I just watched the pilot. It's... hmm. I guess it's average? There were a corny line or two that came off badly, and Patricia Arquette still sounds like she's sleep walking, but there was a moment of potential there.

I'll see the second ep later on and decide if I want to waste my precious free time on this series...

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Yep, another low-quality police procedural - with the added gimmick of Computers Can Do Anything. Pass.

 

[disinfected]

Next Generation Cyber Forensics Director is a mouthful of a title.

 

[TexRex]

A White Hat Hacker is someone who hacks for good, like for the government or to test security systems while a Black Hat Hacker is someone who hacks into systems to cause chaos.

In this instance, that's surely the case, but the terms go way back to the early western movies where the good guys typically wore white hats and the bad guys ended up in the hoosegow or toes-up and bloody.

(See my white hat?)



Also, I really don't see this one lasting.

 

[Grayfox]

I like the show.

 

[JR98]

In this instance, that's surely the case, but the terms go way back to the early western movies where the good guys typically wore white hats and the bad guys ended up in the hoosegow or toes-up and bloody.

(See my white hat?)



Also, I really don't see this one lasting.

Didn't know that, and I just see this as another CSI but with computers, nothing that innovative or new but I still quite like it.

 

[Pseudopod]

I should watch this just to see how many wrongs they make.

 

[JKgo]

I should watch this just to see how many wrongs they make.

...Better get a pen & paper ready.

 

[TexRex]

Something good will make it easier to suspend disbelief--draw you out of real life and into the drama. Something good will do that.

Character-driven dramas on network TV are few and far between anymore; they all either stick to a tired formula established by others or by themselves in earlier episodes--or they don't and they alienate current viewers and fail to draw new ones.