Lombard will play Karen, a woman who’s rushed to the hospital with her husband Frank (George Newbern) when the balcony of their apartment collapses. Once the doctors have a look, they learn her condition is worse than expected, but she mysteriously refuses treatment. The show premieres Friday, April 2 at 10/9c. Lombard’s episode is slated to air in late April.

The biblical story of Esther, the Jewish woman who saved her people when they faced annihilation, is told in this production featuring British actress Louise Lombard in the title role and F. Murray Abraham as Mordecai, Esther’s cousin and foster father. As a girl living under Persian rule, Esther was essentially kidnapped and taken into the harem of the king, Xerxes. The king, taken by her beauty, made her his queen, and as dramatized in the film, she found herself involved in a delicate balancing act between the ruling Persians and her own Jewish people. While this is a fairly elaborate production with a solid supporting cast, it proceeds at a relaxed pace and never quite takes off dramatically. But it does provide a solid telling of Esther’s story, and if considered as something of a docudrama, it’s successful. The story is clearly told of how the king’s chief minister, Haman, had hoped to see the Jews annihilated, but thanks to Esther’s intercession the Jews were able to defend themselves and destroy their enemies (events which are celebrated at the Jewish Feast of Purim). The production does provide much of the period flavor of ancient life, and the major facets of the story and portrayals of the characters coincide with biblical accounts. –Robert J. McNamara

Filmography > Hidalgo

I’ve never seen you really address what happened with Louise Lombard, who left after playing Macy, the team leader, in the “Legend” episodes. I assumed that if the emphasis was moving toward a buddy aspect, she might have seemed like third wheel. And the show doesn’t have a boss character now, so maybe it was thought that this show doesn’t need its own Gibbs, male or female?
Well, yeah, there was a lot of discussion about the best way to take the show. Louise did this amazing job, and her character, Special Agent Macy, still exists. She’s still out there, in my mind. There was a reference—and I’m not sure whether it’s still there or not, to be honest—that she was assigned to Tokyo. And I’m not going to rule out Macy returning, at some point in the future, as a guest or in the story arc. Everything and anything can happen.

Question: A Canadian paper reported recently that Louise Lombard is set to return to CSI this season. Is this correct? —Anne
Ausiello: It most certainly is not. A CSI insider says it “hasn’t been discussed.”