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David Hodges (CSI)
Encyclopedia
David Hodges is a fictional character on the CBS
crime drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, portrayed by Wallace Langham
. Hodges has a habit of giving far more information than anyone wants to hear while explaining things and is very afraid of germs.
, was transferred to the Las Vegas crime lab from the Los Angeles
crime lab, where his superiors felt he had an attitude problem. In Las Vegas, Hodges has annoyed his co-workers and superiors, and in the season 3 episode, "Play With Fire", he is one of the employees initially suspected of causing an explosion in the lab where co-worker Greg Sanders
was working and, as a result, injured. Despite being accused of causing the explosion by Catherine Willows
and Warrick Brown
, he vehemently denies responsibility to the point of promising to call his lawyer if taken to case on the incident. He is ultimately cleared when it's discovered that Catherine caused the explosion. In the April 9, 2007, edition of TV Guide
, Langham described his character as a "pain in the ass" who "kisses up" to his superiors. Langham said Hodges considers himself superior to the other laboratory technicians and wants to be like Gil Grissom
. While Grissom was on a sabbatical during the seventh season, Hodges used an alias to sign up for an online class that Grissom was teaching. Grissom, however, appears to find Hodges annoying and often tells Hodges to report his findings to other CSIs or asks him to leave his office. Yet Hodges seems to be under the impression that he's held in much higher regard by the senior CSIs than he truly is and doesn't note his own character flaws (He once told co-worker Wendy
"no one likes a kiss-ass," truly oblivious to how he acts the same way). In "I Like to Watch" Hodges contacts the reality television crew that is following the CSI crew while they investigate a case so they can video tape when he gives his report to Sara
. While doing this, he uses as many complicated terms as possible, and Sara asks if he is all right. Also, at one point during the episode, he sees them filming the DNA lab and says that they should be in his trace lab because DNA is so overrated. These traits become less apparent during season 9, though they are still used for comic relief and he is more often portrayed as someone with poor social skills than a genuinely annoying character.
Despite his attitude, Hodges sometimes redeems himself. In the fifth season
finale, "Grave Danger
", he saves the entire CSI team when he calls them seconds before they are about to open the container that has trapped Nick Stokes and notifies them that Semtex
charges are rigged at the bottom.
In the seventh season
episode "Lab Rats", Hodges persuaded his fellow laboratory technicians to surreptitiously work with him in an attempt to identify The Miniature Killer
. Hodges concluded at the end of the episode that bleach
might be a common factor linking all four murder scenes. Grissom found Hodges in his office inspecting one of the miniatures and, after Hodges explained his conclusions, praised Hodges for his work. Then, returning to form, Grissom again asked Hodges to leave his office.
During this covert investigation, a phone number, linking the four Miniature Killer victims and previous suspect Ernie Dell, was dialed using Hodges' phone (reaching an answering service); Hodges is then concerned that the actual Miniature Killer has his phone number.
At the beginning of the eighth season, David Hodges becomes a main cast member. In the episode "The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp", he tells Grissom he misses working with him on The Miniature Killer cases; Grissom says he misses it, too.
Hodges is also known for having an unusually acute sense of smell, and is able to identify many chemical compounds by their odor alone. In one case, he was asked to verify if a person's stomach contents had traces of cyanide, which has a smell not unlike bitter almonds, but which requires a specific scent-related gene to be able to discern, which Hodges possesses.
Due to a shortage of CSIs at the beginning of season 9, Hodges has been rotated onto the field at least twice—three times overall, counting an appearance on the field in season 8. He is known for his disdain of working on the field. Despite this, he almost lazily discovered crucial evidence in a matter of seconds during one outing.
In "One to Go", Hodges becomes especially upset upon hearing Grissom's departure, telling him that "...the bad guys are gonna win more if you leave." Perhaps because of this, he is unfriendly toward his would-be new colleague, Raymond Langston
, even going so far as to waste Langston's time while making him wait to get trace evidence processed. However, later on in the episode "The Grave Shift", he does state to Langston that he's impressed after Langston demonstrates the construction and detonation of a cornmeal time-bomb made to kill a victim.
At the end of "The Grave Shift", he strides into Grissom's old office—now shared by Nick Stokes
, Greg Sanders
, and Riley Adams
—and places Grissom's infamous fetal pig in a jar on one of the shelves, stating that it "belongs here". He then leaves without a word.
, winning an online auction
for a fictional Three's Company Board Game in the episode "Lab Rats". He is also apparently an aficionado of country-soul singer Willis
; in the seventh season episode "Post Mortem" Hodges is seen dancing in the laboratory to a down-tempo cover of the song "Word Up!
" while waiting for the results of a test.
In a season 5 episode,"Iced", Hodges is revealed to have a "genetic quirk" that allows someone to be able to smell if cyanide
is present, and Doc Robbins
uses this unique ability to test if two victims died of cyanide poison
ing. While many people do have the ability to smell cyanide, Hodges' ability is more acute than most and appears to extend to other chemical compounds besides cyanide
. This talent of his has been used on other cases like that of the dead elderly couple in "The Theory of Everything", to determine if cyanide had anything to do with their death.
Hodges is a go-kart
enthusiast. Jujubes are his gummy candy of choice. Pistachios are his favorite nut because they are "easy to open".
Hodges has a cat
named Kobayashi Maru
, an apparent reference to the no-win training scenario administered to Star Fleet Academy students, as seen in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
and the eleventh Star Trek film. He calls the cat "Mr. K" or "Kobe" in the seventh season episode "Monster in the Box".
In the episode "Wild Life" from season 11, Hodges confesses to Sara he is afraid of birds.
. We see continuous flirting between them in every scene that they share. In the eighth season episode "The Chick Chop Flick Shop", Hodges and the other lab techs, Ronnie and Sara are seen watching a low-budget slasher film in which Wendy played a victim. Ronnie criticizes the genre for featuring stereotypically large-breasted women and Wendy argues that her breasts are not large, but are rather "kind of medium." Hodges, evidently not realizing that he's speaking aloud, adds "but perfect," to which everyone turns around and stares at him. He then attempts to cover his tracks, tacking "-ly adequate" on to the end of his sentence. In the season 8 episode 'You Kill Me", he labeled "Mindy Bimms", a player piece in his CSI board game, representing Wendy Simms as "clumsy yet buxom" (thus causing Wendy to get upset with him when she read it). During the argument that follows she says "To think I might have even..." and trails off.
In the season 9 episode 'A Space Oddity" after bumping into each other at an Astro Quest convention, there is considerable romantic tension, with Hodges repeatedly having fantasies regarding the show with him and Wendy in the main roles. These interfere with his work, something he blames Wendy for. This leads them to argue and bring their feelings out into the open. Wendy finally exclaims "It's good you're having fantasies because it means you're not as oblivious as everyone around here seems to think!". This shows that she has feelings for him. However, Hodges's guilt about his feelings for her interfering with his work prevents him from doing anything about it. He attempts to keep their relationship professional, though the romantic tension remains. In Hog Heaven, he rebukes a suspect who insults Wendy in front of him, demanding that the suspect apologize to her. In return, the suspect headbutts him in the face, causing his nose to bleed, and causing Wendy to chide him. Wendy kisses him at the end of "Field mice".
At age seventeen, Hodges tried to pick up a prostitute
who turned out to be an undercover police officer. Because he was underage, the arrest didn't go on his permanent record ("...because you're three months shy of your eighteenth birthday, so when you phone your Mom to come and get you, it doesn't go on my permanent record.") (Ending Happy)
In Pool Shark, Wendy leaves, not telling him until last minute, leaving him hurt and upset to the point where he hits and starts to drown Henry when he tells him what he did wrong and later mopes around CSI. However, Greg Sanders
arranges "man dates" in which he meets up with David every week to take his mind off Wendy. Sanders and Hodges are usually seen as rivals during the earlier seasons, leading to something of a love-hate relationship: the two would often argue, but in Grave Danger
they were seen playing a board game together and in Appendicitement, the two, along with Nick "kidnapped" lab tech Henry Andrews to take him out for his birthday.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
crime drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, portrayed by Wallace Langham
Wallace Langham
James Wallace Langham II is an American actor. He currently plays the role of David Hodges in the American crime drama television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.-Film career:...
. Hodges has a habit of giving far more information than anyone wants to hear while explaining things and is very afraid of germs.
Background
Hodges, a lab technician with a B.A. from Williams CollegeWilliams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, was transferred to the Las Vegas crime lab from the Los Angeles
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
crime lab, where his superiors felt he had an attitude problem. In Las Vegas, Hodges has annoyed his co-workers and superiors, and in the season 3 episode, "Play With Fire", he is one of the employees initially suspected of causing an explosion in the lab where co-worker Greg Sanders
Greg Sanders
Gregory Hojem-Sanders, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Eric Szmanda. Greg appeared in every episode, with exception of "Blood Drops", "Fahrenheit 932", "Crate N' Burial" and "Too Tough To Die" from season one, "Cross Jurisdictions" from...
was working and, as a result, injured. Despite being accused of causing the explosion by Catherine Willows
Catherine Willows
Catherine Willows is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Marg Helgenberger, who has received two Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for the role...
and Warrick Brown
Warrick Brown
Warrick Brown is a fictional character in the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Gary Dourdan. Warrick appeared in every episode until his death in season nine, with the exceptions of "After the Show" from season four, "Crow's Feet" and "Committed" from season five, and...
, he vehemently denies responsibility to the point of promising to call his lawyer if taken to case on the incident. He is ultimately cleared when it's discovered that Catherine caused the explosion. In the April 9, 2007, edition of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, Langham described his character as a "pain in the ass" who "kisses up" to his superiors. Langham said Hodges considers himself superior to the other laboratory technicians and wants to be like Gil Grissom
Gil Grissom
Dr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by William Petersen. Grissom was a forensic entomologist and the night-shift supervisor of the Clark County, Nevada CSI team, investigating crimes in and around the city of Las Vegas...
. While Grissom was on a sabbatical during the seventh season, Hodges used an alias to sign up for an online class that Grissom was teaching. Grissom, however, appears to find Hodges annoying and often tells Hodges to report his findings to other CSIs or asks him to leave his office. Yet Hodges seems to be under the impression that he's held in much higher regard by the senior CSIs than he truly is and doesn't note his own character flaws (He once told co-worker Wendy
Wendy Simms
Wendy Simms is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Liz Vassey.-Fictional character biography:...
"no one likes a kiss-ass," truly oblivious to how he acts the same way). In "I Like to Watch" Hodges contacts the reality television crew that is following the CSI crew while they investigate a case so they can video tape when he gives his report to Sara
Sara Sidle
Sara Sidle is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by actress Jorja Fox. Sidle is a forensic scientist and one of the core characters of the show, which revolves around a crime scene investigation team from Clark County, Nevada that investigates...
. While doing this, he uses as many complicated terms as possible, and Sara asks if he is all right. Also, at one point during the episode, he sees them filming the DNA lab and says that they should be in his trace lab because DNA is so overrated. These traits become less apparent during season 9, though they are still used for comic relief and he is more often portrayed as someone with poor social skills than a genuinely annoying character.
Despite his attitude, Hodges sometimes redeems himself. In the fifth season
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (season 5)
The fifth season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premiered on CBS on September 23, 2004 and ended May 19, 2005.-Notable cast members:-Episodes:-External links:* at TVShowsOnDVD.com....
finale, "Grave Danger
Grave Danger
"Grave Danger" is the name of the fifth season finale of the American crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada...
", he saves the entire CSI team when he calls them seconds before they are about to open the container that has trapped Nick Stokes and notifies them that Semtex
Semtex
Semtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and in certain military applications. Semtex became notoriously popular with terrorists because it was, until recently, extremely difficult to detect, as in the case of Pan Am...
charges are rigged at the bottom.
In the seventh season
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (season 7)
The seventh season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premiered on CBS on September 21, 2006 and ended May 17, 2007.-Notable cast members:-Episodes:-References:...
episode "Lab Rats", Hodges persuaded his fellow laboratory technicians to surreptitiously work with him in an attempt to identify The Miniature Killer
The Miniature Killer
Natalie Davis is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Jessica Collins....
. Hodges concluded at the end of the episode that bleach
Bleach
Bleach refers to a number of chemicals that remove color, whiten, or disinfect, often via oxidation. Common chemical bleaches include household chlorine bleach , lye, oxygen bleach , and bleaching powder...
might be a common factor linking all four murder scenes. Grissom found Hodges in his office inspecting one of the miniatures and, after Hodges explained his conclusions, praised Hodges for his work. Then, returning to form, Grissom again asked Hodges to leave his office.
During this covert investigation, a phone number, linking the four Miniature Killer victims and previous suspect Ernie Dell, was dialed using Hodges' phone (reaching an answering service); Hodges is then concerned that the actual Miniature Killer has his phone number.
At the beginning of the eighth season, David Hodges becomes a main cast member. In the episode "The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp", he tells Grissom he misses working with him on The Miniature Killer cases; Grissom says he misses it, too.
Hodges is also known for having an unusually acute sense of smell, and is able to identify many chemical compounds by their odor alone. In one case, he was asked to verify if a person's stomach contents had traces of cyanide, which has a smell not unlike bitter almonds, but which requires a specific scent-related gene to be able to discern, which Hodges possesses.
Due to a shortage of CSIs at the beginning of season 9, Hodges has been rotated onto the field at least twice—three times overall, counting an appearance on the field in season 8. He is known for his disdain of working on the field. Despite this, he almost lazily discovered crucial evidence in a matter of seconds during one outing.
In "One to Go", Hodges becomes especially upset upon hearing Grissom's departure, telling him that "...the bad guys are gonna win more if you leave." Perhaps because of this, he is unfriendly toward his would-be new colleague, Raymond Langston
Raymond Langston
Raymond "Ray" Langston, M.D. is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Laurence Fishburne. He joined the show in the ninth season, after the departure of Gil Grissom, played by William Petersen...
, even going so far as to waste Langston's time while making him wait to get trace evidence processed. However, later on in the episode "The Grave Shift", he does state to Langston that he's impressed after Langston demonstrates the construction and detonation of a cornmeal time-bomb made to kill a victim.
At the end of "The Grave Shift", he strides into Grissom's old office—now shared by Nick Stokes
Nick Stokes
Nicholas "Nick" Stokes is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by George Eads. Nick has appeared in every episode except for "Blood Lust" from season three, "Jackpot" and "Butterflied" from season four, "Committed" from season five, and "Spellbound"...
, Greg Sanders
Greg Sanders
Gregory Hojem-Sanders, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Eric Szmanda. Greg appeared in every episode, with exception of "Blood Drops", "Fahrenheit 932", "Crate N' Burial" and "Too Tough To Die" from season one, "Cross Jurisdictions" from...
, and Riley Adams
Riley Adams
Riley Adams is a fictional character in the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Lauren Lee Smith. She appeared in 22 episodes during the ninth season, starting with "Art Imitates Life" and ending with "All In".-Biography:...
—and places Grissom's infamous fetal pig in a jar on one of the shelves, stating that it "belongs here". He then leaves without a word.
Personal life
Hodges is apparently an avid fan of the 1970s TV sitcom Three's CompanyThree's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
, winning an online auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
for a fictional Three's Company Board Game in the episode "Lab Rats". He is also apparently an aficionado of country-soul singer Willis
Willis
-People:*Bailey Willis, American geological engineer who worked for the United States Geological Survey *Bruce Willis, American actor; played David Addison in Moonlighting and John McClane in the Die Hard films*Chris Willis, American singer...
; in the seventh season episode "Post Mortem" Hodges is seen dancing in the laboratory to a down-tempo cover of the song "Word Up!
Word Up! (song)
"Word Up!" is a funk/hip hop song written and originally recorded by Cameo in 1986. Due to its heavy play on American dance and R&B radio, as well as music video play on MTV , the single became the band's most well-known hit.From the album of the same name, "Word Up!" was Nick's first US Top 40...
" while waiting for the results of a test.
In a season 5 episode,"Iced", Hodges is revealed to have a "genetic quirk" that allows someone to be able to smell if cyanide
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
is present, and Doc Robbins
Al Robbins
Dr. Albert "Al" Robbins M.D. is a fictional medical doctor in the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by actor Robert David Hall...
uses this unique ability to test if two victims died of cyanide poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ing. While many people do have the ability to smell cyanide, Hodges' ability is more acute than most and appears to extend to other chemical compounds besides cyanide
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
. This talent of his has been used on other cases like that of the dead elderly couple in "The Theory of Everything", to determine if cyanide had anything to do with their death.
Hodges is a go-kart
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
enthusiast. Jujubes are his gummy candy of choice. Pistachios are his favorite nut because they are "easy to open".
Hodges has a cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
named Kobayashi Maru
Kobayashi Maru
The Kobayashi Maru is a test in the fictional universe of Star Trek. It is a Starfleet training exercise designed to test the character of cadets in the command track at Starfleet Academy. The Kobayashi Maru test was first depicted in the opening scene of the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan...
, an apparent reference to the no-win training scenario administered to Star Fleet Academy students, as seen in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...
and the eleventh Star Trek film. He calls the cat "Mr. K" or "Kobe" in the seventh season episode "Monster in the Box".
In the episode "Wild Life" from season 11, Hodges confesses to Sara he is afraid of birds.
Relationships
In past seasons, the character has had an interest in Sara, but she has never given him any reason to believe she shares his feelings. Langham said Hodges has a crush on fellow lab tech Wendy SimmsWendy Simms
Wendy Simms is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Liz Vassey.-Fictional character biography:...
. We see continuous flirting between them in every scene that they share. In the eighth season episode "The Chick Chop Flick Shop", Hodges and the other lab techs, Ronnie and Sara are seen watching a low-budget slasher film in which Wendy played a victim. Ronnie criticizes the genre for featuring stereotypically large-breasted women and Wendy argues that her breasts are not large, but are rather "kind of medium." Hodges, evidently not realizing that he's speaking aloud, adds "but perfect," to which everyone turns around and stares at him. He then attempts to cover his tracks, tacking "-ly adequate" on to the end of his sentence. In the season 8 episode 'You Kill Me", he labeled "Mindy Bimms", a player piece in his CSI board game, representing Wendy Simms as "clumsy yet buxom" (thus causing Wendy to get upset with him when she read it). During the argument that follows she says "To think I might have even..." and trails off.
In the season 9 episode 'A Space Oddity" after bumping into each other at an Astro Quest convention, there is considerable romantic tension, with Hodges repeatedly having fantasies regarding the show with him and Wendy in the main roles. These interfere with his work, something he blames Wendy for. This leads them to argue and bring their feelings out into the open. Wendy finally exclaims "It's good you're having fantasies because it means you're not as oblivious as everyone around here seems to think!". This shows that she has feelings for him. However, Hodges's guilt about his feelings for her interfering with his work prevents him from doing anything about it. He attempts to keep their relationship professional, though the romantic tension remains. In Hog Heaven, he rebukes a suspect who insults Wendy in front of him, demanding that the suspect apologize to her. In return, the suspect headbutts him in the face, causing his nose to bleed, and causing Wendy to chide him. Wendy kisses him at the end of "Field mice".
At age seventeen, Hodges tried to pick up a prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
who turned out to be an undercover police officer. Because he was underage, the arrest didn't go on his permanent record ("...because you're three months shy of your eighteenth birthday, so when you phone your Mom to come and get you, it doesn't go on my permanent record.") (Ending Happy)
In Pool Shark, Wendy leaves, not telling him until last minute, leaving him hurt and upset to the point where he hits and starts to drown Henry when he tells him what he did wrong and later mopes around CSI. However, Greg Sanders
Greg Sanders
Gregory Hojem-Sanders, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Eric Szmanda. Greg appeared in every episode, with exception of "Blood Drops", "Fahrenheit 932", "Crate N' Burial" and "Too Tough To Die" from season one, "Cross Jurisdictions" from...
arranges "man dates" in which he meets up with David every week to take his mind off Wendy. Sanders and Hodges are usually seen as rivals during the earlier seasons, leading to something of a love-hate relationship: the two would often argue, but in Grave Danger
Grave Danger
"Grave Danger" is the name of the fifth season finale of the American crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada...
they were seen playing a board game together and in Appendicitement, the two, along with Nick "kidnapped" lab tech Henry Andrews to take him out for his birthday.