Nick Stokes
Encyclopedia
Nicholas "Nick" Stokes is a fictional character on the CBS
crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, portrayed by George Eads
. Nick has appeared in every episode except for "Blood Lust" from season three
, "Jackpot" and "Butterflied" from season four
, "Committed" from season five
, and "Spellbound" from season six
.
George Eads is one of only three actors to have been part of the main cast for every episode of the show. The others are Marg Helgenberger
and Paul Guilfoyle
.
to Judge
Bill Stokes and Lawyer
Jillian Stokes. Nick is the youngest of seven siblings, and throughout his childhood he stood out through athletic and academic potential.
Nick attended Texas A&M University
, where he pledged at a fraternity, as revealed in the Season 1 episode Pledging Mr. Johnson. After leaving college, he joined the police department and took a job with the Dallas crime lab in Texas
, where he specialised in hair and fiber analysis.
Due to his parents' academia, Nick felt that he could never live up to their potential, so he decided to leave Texas
and headed for Las Vegas, Nevada
. In Vegas, Nick found that he could be his own man and in 1997, joined the successful CSI team under the leadership of Gil Grissom
.
Nick, overall, is shown as having had a happy childhood and as being close to his parents. In the season five finale "Grave Danger
", it is revealed that his father's nickname for him is "Pancho", and he in turn calls his father "Cisco" (a reference to the central characters in The Cisco Kid
). In that episode, his boss, Gil Grissom, later uses the "Pancho" nickname to calm Nick down while they are trying to rescue him from a coffin that has been rigged with explosives. Nick's father is also shown to be a judge, as referred to by Grissom in the same episode. Nick's mother is a lawyer, and Nick is the youngest of seven children . He has at least one brother, as mentioned in the Season 3 episode Revenge Is Best Served Cold.
In the 2009 episode "Bloodsport", Nick tells Langston, "I'm from Austin
. I grew up playing football."
that he was molested at age nine by a last-minute replacement female babysitter. Although it is never again directly addressed in the show, the manifestation of the trauma
can be seen whenever the character has trouble investigating crimes against children, especially during the episode "Gum Drops". He has a natural empathy
with the people affected by the crimes he investigates, unlike most of his colleagues who prefer to keep an emotional distance.
Nick is shown to be quite fluent in Spanish
. Hence he frequently deals with cases involving Hispanics and the Latino community.
Despite being one of the more well-adjusted members of Grissom's team, the character has personally been the victim of a number of crimes during the course of the series: having had his car (and all the evidence inside it) stolen ("Rashomama"); having been kidnapped and buried alive, then subsequently eaten alive by fire ants ("Grave Danger
"); held at gunpoint more than once ("Who Are You?"); stalked by Nigel Crane ("Stalker"); and thrown out of a second-story window ("Stalker"). He was also accused of killing a prostitute, Kristy Hopkins before learning that he was framed by Jack Willman, the pimp who truly killed the prostitute ("Boom"). In the Season 5 finale "Grave Danger
", he was kidnapped and buried underground in a glass coffin rigged with explosives. He became a victim of a car bomb during a police funeral in the Season 11 opener after just recovering from a gunshot wound. In "Targets of Obession" Nick becomes the personal target of teenage bomber Jason McCann and is forced to shoot him in self-defense.
During the sixth season of CSI, Nick grew an ill-advised moustache
, but soon got rid of it.
A sort of running gag
throughout the series seems to indicate that whenever Nick gets with a woman, misfortune befalls someone else. In "Boom", he sleeps with a prostitute named Kristi Hopkins, and she is murdered some time later. In "Built to Kill, Part 1", Nick and co-worker Catherine Willows
go to a club together. Shortly after Nick hooks up with a woman at the club, Catherine is drugged and abducted. In "For Gedda", during breakfast with the team at a diner, Nick eyes a pretty waitress and stays behind to get her number while Warrick Brown
leaves. Shortly after, Warrick is murdered. It is often mentioned that Nick is something of a ladies' man. However, the only onscreen romance over the course of the series was the brief affair with Kristi.
Nick has shown to be an emotional person through the series: He cried when being held at gunpoint in "Who Are You?", broke down and was on the verge of committing suicide
when buried alive in a glass coffin in "Grave Danger
", and broke down once again in "Turn, Turn, Turn" when discussing the death of the victim with Raymond Langston
, and how he should have seen the danger signs over the year he had known her, and done something to prevent it. In "Meat Jekyll", Nick was shot by Charlie DiMasa ("Dr. Jekyll"), sent to the hospital, has made a recovery as seen in the Season 11 opener, which Nick is seen almost dying (again) because of a bomb at the funeral for an officer gunned down the same night as Nick, which was partly his fault. Throughout the episode "Shock Waves" he is seen struggling with the pain of his gunshot and he suffers a mental breakdown when the suspect pulls a gun, which causes Nick to fire his gun so many times he had to reload, but the suspect is already dead, and Catherine is the only one to stop him. He was barred by the officer's family from attending his burial, which was then turned into an explosive crime scene, causing the CSIs to look for the killer. Nick has been struggling emotionally as Catherine attempts to comfort him with how she handled losing Warrick and by suggesting that he sees a therapist and gives him the card of a therapist that works for LVPD and at the end of the episode he is seen calling the therapist after a long look at the infamous fetal pig.
In the episode "Unleashed" Nick helps deliver a baby after the mother has committed suicide. While questioning the father, Nick shows brief glimpses of anger. After learning she was cyberbullied into suicide, he finds them and has them arrested. He comments that the 11 million people who watched the video shouldn't have, leading to her death.
. Prior to Warrick
's death, the duo were good friends and Nick even sets up a college fund for Warrick's young son. In the episode "Appendicitement", he colludes with Greg and Hodges in "kidnapping" and taking Henry out for a birthday treat. He is defensive of his colleagues, as shown in "Fannysmackin'" where he takes his anger out at a bystander upon seeing Greg beaten up. He shares a good-natured relationship with former supervisor Gil Grissom
, almost that of father and son, or mentor and apprentice. When new CSI Ray Langston takes his first case, Nick acted as his right-hand man, giving him tips and helping with investigations. He is occasionally seen being mildly flirtatious with Catherine Willows
, his good friend and co-worker who becomes something of an "older sister" figure to him.
In "The Grave Shift", after Catherine turned down the offer to move into Grissom's now-vacant office, she offered it to Nick, who accepted, after some thought. He in turn decided to share the office space with Greg Sanders
and Riley Adams
, who are shown unpacking alongside him. Additionally, Grissom's infamous fetal pig in a jar has been placed in there as well, by Hodges
. During the tenth season premiere, Nick is promoted to Assistant Supervisor on the Grave Yard shift after Sara advises Catherine that she needs a number two. Nick is also seen dealing with tarantulas, and is shown taking Grissom's old tarantula under his care.
Nick's promotion, however, gets compromised after the CSIs tried to apprehend the escapee and dangerous Nate Haskell in Los Angeles in Cello And Goodbye. Nick and Ray Langston are both apprehended by LAPD for going beyond their jurisdiction when Nick used his gun to apprehend Haskell and eventually, when Ray is accused of killing Haskell and his partner Tina, who are responsible for the attacks on his ex-wife Gloria and her new husband, on which Gloria survived the attack. On the season 12 premiere, Nick returns from a work-related trip to find that he has lost his office to new CSI supervisor DB Russell (played by newcomer Ted Danson
). Nick is still angered that Internal Affairs had removed Ray (who is said to be back in Baltimore, Maryland with Gloria) from being a CSI. Throughout, Nick's work ethics are questioned by the new supervisor and his suggesting to a cop to go easy on a suspect has cause Catherine to loudly vent about her demotion and about the CSIs going rogue in Los Angeles. Their heated conversation was interrupted by DB's text for them to go to breakfast on him.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, portrayed by George Eads
George Eads
George Coleman Eads III is an American actor, best known for his role as Nick Stokes on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.-Early life:...
. Nick has appeared in every episode except for "Blood Lust" from season three
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (season 3)
The third season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premiered on CBS on September 26, 2002 and ended May 15, 2003.-Notable cast members:-Episodes:-External links:* at TVShowsOnDVD.com.-See also:...
, "Jackpot" and "Butterflied" from season four
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (season 4)
The fourth season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premiered on CBS on September 25, 2003 and ended May 20, 2004.-Notable cast members:-Episodes:-External links:* at TVShowsOnDVD.com.-See also:...
, "Committed" from season five
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (season 5)
The fifth season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premiered on CBS on September 23, 2004 and ended May 19, 2005.-Notable cast members:-Episodes:-External links:* at TVShowsOnDVD.com....
, and "Spellbound" from season six
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (season 6)
The sixth season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005 and ended May 18, 2006.-Notable cast members:-Episodes:-External links:* at TVShowsOnDVD.com....
.
George Eads is one of only three actors to have been part of the main cast for every episode of the show. The others are Marg Helgenberger
Marg Helgenberger
Mary Marg Helgenberger is an American film and television actress known for her roles as Catherine Willows in the CBS drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and as K.C...
and Paul Guilfoyle
Paul Guilfoyle
Paul Guilfoyle is an American television and film actor. He is currently a regular cast member of the forensic television drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation where he plays Captain Jim Brass.-Early life:...
.
Background
Nicholas "Nick" Stokes was born in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
to Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Bill Stokes and Lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Jillian Stokes. Nick is the youngest of seven siblings, and throughout his childhood he stood out through athletic and academic potential.
Nick attended Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, where he pledged at a fraternity, as revealed in the Season 1 episode Pledging Mr. Johnson. After leaving college, he joined the police department and took a job with the Dallas crime lab in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where he specialised in hair and fiber analysis.
Due to his parents' academia, Nick felt that he could never live up to their potential, so he decided to leave Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and headed for Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. In Vegas, Nick found that he could be his own man and in 1997, joined the successful CSI team under the leadership of Gil Grissom
Gil Grissom
Dr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by William Petersen. Grissom was a forensic entomologist and the night-shift supervisor of the Clark County, Nevada CSI team, investigating crimes in and around the city of Las Vegas...
.
Nick, overall, is shown as having had a happy childhood and as being close to his parents. In the season five finale "Grave Danger
Grave Danger
"Grave Danger" is the name of the fifth season finale of the American crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada...
", it is revealed that his father's nickname for him is "Pancho", and he in turn calls his father "Cisco" (a reference to the central characters in The Cisco Kid
The Cisco Kid
The Cisco Kid refers to a character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in the collection Heart of the West...
). In that episode, his boss, Gil Grissom, later uses the "Pancho" nickname to calm Nick down while they are trying to rescue him from a coffin that has been rigged with explosives. Nick's father is also shown to be a judge, as referred to by Grissom in the same episode. Nick's mother is a lawyer, and Nick is the youngest of seven children . He has at least one brother, as mentioned in the Season 3 episode Revenge Is Best Served Cold.
In the 2009 episode "Bloodsport", Nick tells Langston, "I'm from Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. I grew up playing football."
Professional life
In the 2001 episode Overload, Nick confides in Catherine WillowsCatherine Willows
Catherine Willows is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Marg Helgenberger, who has received two Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for the role...
that he was molested at age nine by a last-minute replacement female babysitter. Although it is never again directly addressed in the show, the manifestation of the trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
can be seen whenever the character has trouble investigating crimes against children, especially during the episode "Gum Drops". He has a natural empathy
Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...
with the people affected by the crimes he investigates, unlike most of his colleagues who prefer to keep an emotional distance.
Nick is shown to be quite fluent in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. Hence he frequently deals with cases involving Hispanics and the Latino community.
Despite being one of the more well-adjusted members of Grissom's team, the character has personally been the victim of a number of crimes during the course of the series: having had his car (and all the evidence inside it) stolen ("Rashomama"); having been kidnapped and buried alive, then subsequently eaten alive by fire ants ("Grave Danger
Grave Danger
"Grave Danger" is the name of the fifth season finale of the American crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada...
"); held at gunpoint more than once ("Who Are You?"); stalked by Nigel Crane ("Stalker"); and thrown out of a second-story window ("Stalker"). He was also accused of killing a prostitute, Kristy Hopkins before learning that he was framed by Jack Willman, the pimp who truly killed the prostitute ("Boom"). In the Season 5 finale "Grave Danger
Grave Danger
"Grave Danger" is the name of the fifth season finale of the American crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada...
", he was kidnapped and buried underground in a glass coffin rigged with explosives. He became a victim of a car bomb during a police funeral in the Season 11 opener after just recovering from a gunshot wound. In "Targets of Obession" Nick becomes the personal target of teenage bomber Jason McCann and is forced to shoot him in self-defense.
During the sixth season of CSI, Nick grew an ill-advised moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
, but soon got rid of it.
A sort of running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
throughout the series seems to indicate that whenever Nick gets with a woman, misfortune befalls someone else. In "Boom", he sleeps with a prostitute named Kristi Hopkins, and she is murdered some time later. In "Built to Kill, Part 1", Nick and co-worker Catherine Willows
Catherine Willows
Catherine Willows is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Marg Helgenberger, who has received two Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for the role...
go to a club together. Shortly after Nick hooks up with a woman at the club, Catherine is drugged and abducted. In "For Gedda", during breakfast with the team at a diner, Nick eyes a pretty waitress and stays behind to get her number while Warrick Brown
Warrick Brown
Warrick Brown is a fictional character in the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Gary Dourdan. Warrick appeared in every episode until his death in season nine, with the exceptions of "After the Show" from season four, "Crow's Feet" and "Committed" from season five, and...
leaves. Shortly after, Warrick is murdered. It is often mentioned that Nick is something of a ladies' man. However, the only onscreen romance over the course of the series was the brief affair with Kristi.
Nick has shown to be an emotional person through the series: He cried when being held at gunpoint in "Who Are You?", broke down and was on the verge of committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
when buried alive in a glass coffin in "Grave Danger
Grave Danger
"Grave Danger" is the name of the fifth season finale of the American crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada...
", and broke down once again in "Turn, Turn, Turn" when discussing the death of the victim with Raymond Langston
Raymond Langston
Raymond "Ray" Langston, M.D. is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Laurence Fishburne. He joined the show in the ninth season, after the departure of Gil Grissom, played by William Petersen...
, and how he should have seen the danger signs over the year he had known her, and done something to prevent it. In "Meat Jekyll", Nick was shot by Charlie DiMasa ("Dr. Jekyll"), sent to the hospital, has made a recovery as seen in the Season 11 opener, which Nick is seen almost dying (again) because of a bomb at the funeral for an officer gunned down the same night as Nick, which was partly his fault. Throughout the episode "Shock Waves" he is seen struggling with the pain of his gunshot and he suffers a mental breakdown when the suspect pulls a gun, which causes Nick to fire his gun so many times he had to reload, but the suspect is already dead, and Catherine is the only one to stop him. He was barred by the officer's family from attending his burial, which was then turned into an explosive crime scene, causing the CSIs to look for the killer. Nick has been struggling emotionally as Catherine attempts to comfort him with how she handled losing Warrick and by suggesting that he sees a therapist and gives him the card of a therapist that works for LVPD and at the end of the episode he is seen calling the therapist after a long look at the infamous fetal pig.
In the episode "Unleashed" Nick helps deliver a baby after the mother has committed suicide. While questioning the father, Nick shows brief glimpses of anger. After learning she was cyberbullied into suicide, he finds them and has them arrested. He comments that the 11 million people who watched the video shouldn't have, leading to her death.
Relationship with colleagues
Nick is shown to be affable and gets along well with his colleagues, even the occasionally annoying HodgesDavid Hodges (CSI)
David Hodges is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Wallace Langham. Hodges has a habit of giving far more information than anyone wants to hear while explaining things and is very afraid of germs....
. Prior to Warrick
Warrick Brown
Warrick Brown is a fictional character in the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Gary Dourdan. Warrick appeared in every episode until his death in season nine, with the exceptions of "After the Show" from season four, "Crow's Feet" and "Committed" from season five, and...
's death, the duo were good friends and Nick even sets up a college fund for Warrick's young son. In the episode "Appendicitement", he colludes with Greg and Hodges in "kidnapping" and taking Henry out for a birthday treat. He is defensive of his colleagues, as shown in "Fannysmackin'" where he takes his anger out at a bystander upon seeing Greg beaten up. He shares a good-natured relationship with former supervisor Gil Grissom
Gil Grissom
Dr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by William Petersen. Grissom was a forensic entomologist and the night-shift supervisor of the Clark County, Nevada CSI team, investigating crimes in and around the city of Las Vegas...
, almost that of father and son, or mentor and apprentice. When new CSI Ray Langston takes his first case, Nick acted as his right-hand man, giving him tips and helping with investigations. He is occasionally seen being mildly flirtatious with Catherine Willows
Catherine Willows
Catherine Willows is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Marg Helgenberger, who has received two Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for the role...
, his good friend and co-worker who becomes something of an "older sister" figure to him.
In "The Grave Shift", after Catherine turned down the offer to move into Grissom's now-vacant office, she offered it to Nick, who accepted, after some thought. He in turn decided to share the office space with Greg Sanders
Greg Sanders
Gregory Hojem-Sanders, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Eric Szmanda. Greg appeared in every episode, with exception of "Blood Drops", "Fahrenheit 932", "Crate N' Burial" and "Too Tough To Die" from season one, "Cross Jurisdictions" from...
and Riley Adams
Riley Adams
Riley Adams is a fictional character in the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Lauren Lee Smith. She appeared in 22 episodes during the ninth season, starting with "Art Imitates Life" and ending with "All In".-Biography:...
, who are shown unpacking alongside him. Additionally, Grissom's infamous fetal pig in a jar has been placed in there as well, by Hodges
David Hodges (CSI)
David Hodges is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Wallace Langham. Hodges has a habit of giving far more information than anyone wants to hear while explaining things and is very afraid of germs....
. During the tenth season premiere, Nick is promoted to Assistant Supervisor on the Grave Yard shift after Sara advises Catherine that she needs a number two. Nick is also seen dealing with tarantulas, and is shown taking Grissom's old tarantula under his care.
Nick's promotion, however, gets compromised after the CSIs tried to apprehend the escapee and dangerous Nate Haskell in Los Angeles in Cello And Goodbye. Nick and Ray Langston are both apprehended by LAPD for going beyond their jurisdiction when Nick used his gun to apprehend Haskell and eventually, when Ray is accused of killing Haskell and his partner Tina, who are responsible for the attacks on his ex-wife Gloria and her new husband, on which Gloria survived the attack. On the season 12 premiere, Nick returns from a work-related trip to find that he has lost his office to new CSI supervisor DB Russell (played by newcomer Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
). Nick is still angered that Internal Affairs had removed Ray (who is said to be back in Baltimore, Maryland with Gloria) from being a CSI. Throughout, Nick's work ethics are questioned by the new supervisor and his suggesting to a cop to go easy on a suspect has cause Catherine to loudly vent about her demotion and about the CSIs going rogue in Los Angeles. Their heated conversation was interrupted by DB's text for them to go to breakfast on him.