Three episodes into CSI's tenth season and it turns out that Jorja Fox's five episode return to the show has been extended "indefinitely." According to TVGuide.com, executive producer Carol Mendelsohn has confirmed that Fox's Sara Grissom will be around for many more episodes this season than originally planned.

Thus far, Fox has appeared in the first two eps this season. So there's still three left in her original contract and while it's still unknown how many more episodes she'll be in, you can probably figure on at least half the season.

That can't bode well for Sara and Gil fans. Grissom had a tough time last season without Sara around and I have a hard time believing that they'll be able to sell us a happy relationship between the two of them with Sara in Las Vegas and Gil traveling the world to give lectures.

However, for a show that was once a massive ratings machine, the extreme cast shake-ups of the past few seasons (see: Gary Dourdan, William Petersen, Laurence Fishburne, Fox, and Lauren Lee Smith) has knocked it down a few pegs in terms of viewership. While CSI still does very well in the ratings, signing Fox feels more like a ploy to win back some of those lost viewers. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, but we've said good-bye to Sara once already. Is doing it again really worth a temporary ratings boost?

[Thanks to Chris Fullman for the tip.]