CSI: Cyber

Avery Ryan heads an FBI cyber unit that tackles crimes where the internet is the crime scene. As a trained cyber-psychologist, she leads a small team of agents who combine tech skills with interrogation and profiling to track down perpetrators hidden behind screens. Cases range from online extortion and hacking to murder, trafficking and identity theft, with investigations moving across the surface web, the dark web and corporate networks. Episodes mix forensic analysis, social engineering, and human motives, showing how digital traces and personal behavior intersect without revealing major plot twists or season finales.

The show premiered on CBS in 2015, created by Carol Mendelsohn, Anthony E. Zuiker and Ann Donahue. Patricia Arquette headlines as Avery Ryan, supported by James Van Der Beek, Charley Koontz, Shad Moss and Hayley Kiyoko, and it was presented as a branch of the established CSI franchise.

The series did not earn major industry awards during its run and received limited formal recognition. It was relatively short-lived, finishing after two seasons, and did not secure Emmy or Golden Globe wins.

CSI: Cyber pushed cybercrime into mainstream procedural television, bringing topics like hacking, the dark web and online harassment into living room conversations. A few episodes sparked media attention for their topical scenarios, and the show introduced broader audiences to terms and tactics related to internet safety and digital forensics, even if it never matched the cultural footprint of earlier CSI entries.

Critical reception was mixed, reflected in an average rating around 6.1 out of 10 from user votes. Reviewers often praised Patricia Arquette’s performance and the series' attempt to focus on psychology behind cybercrime, while some criticized uneven plotting and reliance on genre tropes. Recurring themes include privacy versus security, how anonymity shapes behavior, and the practical limits of law enforcement in a connected world.