On Mac’s relationship with Peyton:

 GS: At the end of season two, we started discussing storylines that included relationships for season three. Anthony Zuiker added Claire Forlani into the storyline as Peyton Driscoll. We get into things that are unusual for CSI: NY because usually this show is dominated by science.

 Peyton brings something out in him and he likes to become invested in her interests.

 Striking up a relationship with someone in the workplace is not something that Mac would usually do. He’s not used to relationships. He has strong feelings for her and knew her before. They are starting to have strong feelings for each other and they do not know how to manage it.

 Claire is a lovely actress and she does beautiful work. From the beginning, we hit if off. It’ll be fun to see Mac go through something that is different, seeing as how somber and serious he is. We will see some different colors this season.

On Claire’s son:

 GS: As the season goes on, we not only throw a personal relationship on Mac, but we throw someone into the script from his past- a stepson- that his wife gave up for adoption years ago. He’s of age and he’s looking for his biological mother, and he finds Mac during that. Mac tells him what happened and they strike up a relationship. Mac felt like he was moving beyond this tragedy in his life, and then this living breathing symbol of his deceased wife comes back into the picture and he’s not sure how to deal with it.

On “Hung Out to Dry” Episode #304:

 (A serial murderer who leaves his victims in coded t-shirts is on the loose. The team struggles to decode his mythological clues and put their main suspect behind bars.)

 GS: A lot of our tales come from real stories. That story is one that is about a serial killer and those are interesting to follow because you have a ticking clock in those episodes. It’s not a one-time deal. Our goal is to catch this guy before he does it again and he’s using gruesome tactics to kill his victims.

On “Raising Shane,” Episode #311:

 (When Hawkes is framed for shooting a bartender and then later sent to prison, the team takes to the street to set their investigator free. A surprise visit from Shane Casey later explains the death of a man at a peep show and Hawkes’ compromising situation.)

 GS: Mac follows the evidence. If the evidence points to one of his co-workers, he knows that evidence can be incriminating. Yet, he has a personal relationship that points him elsewhere. He has to dig very deep and quickly before something happens to one of his co-workers. That’s one of our best episodes this year.

 On his love life being written into the show:

 GS: I was concerned and interested in having relationships and drama to play and things that are different from the plots and solving crimes. Our show is a procedural crime drama so we had to find a way to add back story and love into it. Our writers subtly plant this into the mysteries we solve every week.

On the current state of the show:

 GS: We are hitting our stride now. The first year was very experimental and in season two we made bold changes that have found their way into season three. Right now, we are all in a good groove and we have settled in. The audience can now watch us progress as a series.

On Mac and Don Flack’s relationship in “Consequences” Episode #308:

 (When a paintball player is found shot to death, Flack realizes that a dirty cop under his supervision could be to blame. Mac comes face to face with his deceased wife’s son; a young man he never got the chance to know.)

 GS: Mac and Flack have a good relationship. Mac is a senior member of the team. Don is a good cop, but there are police units and divisions all around the country and this presents a tug-of-war of how things should be done and Don finds himself caught up in that. Mac is someone who has a lot of integrity in that way. He has a military background. They butt up against it, but they both do the right thing. Don finds a new respect for Mac and learns a lot. In the end of season two Mac saves his life so he can’t be that mad at him.

On being recognized:

 GS: People have recognized me for my roles in Forrest Gump and Ransom, but within the last year a lot of people have come up to me and said that they really love the show. I think our audience is growing. We have a loyal audience that is watching us every week.

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