CSI has long become a phenomenon with implications well beyond the TV. The ramifications of the social impact led to laws being changed, trial conduct regulations changed and even actual CSI procedures changed.

As a TV series though, CSI is just average. Sure, it started in full force and ended up setting too high standards for itself. Its spin-offs failed in quality and tried to make up for that in “coolness”, with moderate success.

But the original CSI: Las Vegas manages to deliver plenty of punches and aside from the dominatrix Lady Heather story arc, there are two episodes that stand out of the crowd: Fannysmackin’ (S07E04) and Unleashed (S11E19).

In Fannysmackin, a flash mob of teenagers forms for the purpose of beating up fanny pack travelers, leading to a couple of deaths. LAPD dismantles the group, which leaves the CSI team reflecting over what triggered such violent behavior in these teenagers as one of them had pointed out they were doing it to get some thrills as they had nothing else. Society, parentage, various influences of the growing-up process are blamed until Sarah Sidle notices that everyone seems to blame everyone except the kids themselves. In her words, society and education ensure that everyone has a moral compass with a clear distinction between good and bad but it’s the individual that chooses which path to take.

In Unleashed, a young teen becomes the girlfriend of a popular boy, saving him from the clutches of the local cheerleader group lead, drawing the squad’s animosity. As the girl gets pregnant and her boyfriend supports her decision to keep the baby and stays by her side, the cheerleaders mount a cyber bullying campaign using fake videos, manipulated images, build hate websites against her. In a moment’s weakness and pressured by his dad, the boy has a weakness moment confessing doubts about keeping the baby, making her feel alone against the mounting pressure … and she kills herself. The CSI manage to save the baby who goes in the boy’s care, while Nick Stokes notices the savagery and brutality of this type of online psychological warfare where the girl had no chance.

Both instances reveal a growing trait of today. Perhaps it is a strange drive to feel superior by beating down others, for you to win, someone else has to lose and bow down. Too much social interaction leads to blending in with the herd, wasting time with people you don’t really like that can drive one away from the moral compass.

Fortunately, there are heroes. In the first, Greg Sanders hesitates but eventually risks his life to save someone. In the second, the boy admits a moment’s lapse and steps up to protect his baby, which he never stopped loving.