Grissom and his team investigate a crime involving a popular actor; one woman is dead in his hotel suite and another is missing. They must perform under not only the media spotlight, but also under the scrutiny of Grissom's mentor, Dr. Philip Gerard, who uses his knowledge of Grissom and the other CSIs to discredit their evidence in his role as hired expert for the defense.

Grissom suspects murder when the body of a dwarf is found hanging from a rope high above a stage in a casino hotel where a convention of little people is being held. Across town, Catherine is attacked at a crime scene where a man was murdered during what appears to have been a home robbery.