The Exception?

Over the weekend I remembered that the original CSI (Las Vegas) features Lawrence Fisburne, African-American actor, as a main character. He plays Dr. Ray Langston, who joins the CSI team just as night shift supervisor Gil Grissom retires. Grissom was considered the main character and received a majority of the show's screen time. The timing of Langston's arrival paired with Grissom's departure indicated that Langston would play a major role on the show.

Now, I do not watch this show on a regular basis, but from the few episodes that I have seen Langston is certainly a key character. I saw the first episode that featured Langston, and despite his future as a main character there were elements of tokenism during the show. One example I noticed was how Langston is judged for being a nice dresser. Below is a preview for this episode, the season 9 opener. Take note of the other CSI's initial impressions of Langston (especially at :20!)

For those of you who watch this show regularly, can Langston truly be considered the exception to the apparent tokenism in network TV dramas?

But more importantly, to the general public, how did CBS set up your initial perceptions of Langston? Was he portrayed more as token character or as a main character?