Laurence Fishburne left CSI after playing Dr. Raymond Langston for two-and- a-half seasons. His departure in 2011 stemmed from his contract expiring, prompting him to pursue feature films instead of renewing.

Official Reason

Fishburne's deal ended after Season 11, and he chose not to extend it. Producers anticipated this, given his movie-star status—no one expected a long TV stint from an Oscar nominee like him. He shifted focus to films, starring in Steven Soderbergh's Contagion shortly after his final episode aired.

In-Show Exit Story

Langston's arc ended dramatically: he killed serial killer Nathan Haskell in self-defense, leading to his resignation from the crime lab. This twist highlighted his hidden violent side, tying into the character's criminologist background while paving the way for Ted Danson's DB Russell.

Fan and Forum Reactions

  • Fans on Reddit often skipped Langston episodes, calling his quick rise to CSI genius "illogical" or "Mary Sue"-ish, though some defended his professor credentials and self-taught skills.
  • Older forums like TVPast noted his rushed integration and dark intro case, predicting he'd bail for movies—spot on.
  • > "I thought Fishburne would only last 3 seasons before getting bored and going back into movies. CSI is a great show, but Fishburne..." (TVPast user, 2011)

Views split: some loved his intensity, others felt he disrupted team dynamics until DB arrived.

Broader Context

CSI viewership dipped around then (canceled in 2015), and Fishburne eyed other CBS projects. No bad blood—his exit was "peaceful and expected," per insiders. Joining post-William Petersen's Grissom exit was a coup, but films called him back.

TL;DR: Contract up, movie ambitions won out; show wrote a killer sendoff.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.