The CSIs investigate when a balcony collapses at a viral party, leading to the discovery of a disturbing game being played. Jo's past case: the one that got away, resurfaces in New York.
A teen party goes viral and out of control when a balcony collapses, leaving one dead, Libby (Valentina de Angelis). Flack (Eddie Cahill) calls it "most parents' worst nightmare: someone spills their drink on a new carpet." Continuing, "Welcome to the end of the world as we know it." Wow Flack actually got the end line before the opening credits. Sid (Robert Joy) actually gets out of the autopsy lab to personally attend the DB at the scene. She was asphyxiated. Jo (Sela ward) estimates there were than fifty on the balcony, plus the marble table. Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) collects prints from the table.
Back at the lab, Hawkes (Hill Harper) and Lindsay (Anna Belknap) calculate the stress analysis (could have just put her on the contraption.) Hawkes calculates without the use of a calculator, but Lindsay insists on using a calculator anyway, as if he'd be wrong. The balcony would have held the weight if the marble table hadn't been placed on it and this caused the collapse. Hawkes says whoever brought the table out is guilty of manslaughter..
Flack questions Jake (Blaise Embry) at the scene. Flack: "I know how hard this is losing your girlfriend" but this is beyond an accident. Flack tells Danny no one saw anything (his usual line) or they're not willing to give up anyone. Danny finds a print with an '8' impression which he subsequently finds belongs to Steven at the hospital. Whilst there he also talks with Rachel (Shanley Caswell) who is running the Marathon. She was forgotten about 'til the end and she had to be shown for a reason. If I had a dollar for every suspect I have got right a the killer etc, I would be rich by now.
Flack spots a woman at the precinct and talks and helps her, ahh. She was raped at a hotel bar. He was more understanding than Lindsay ever could be. Her name is Ali (Beau Garrett) and he tells her it's not her fault, which is not what a jury will think, given her 'profession.' She still has all the forensics on her as she didn't wash. Irony being there weren't any forensics found. Mac (Gary Sinise) tells Jo it's her DC rapist, John Curtis, (Jason Wiles) which Flack recognized as her old case. Mac puts Lindsay on the case (!)
Jo gives her pointers which she clearly resents. Lindsay needs to be careful as they need every piece of forensics. He uses GHB on the Vic's, ties their hands behind their back. Lindsay recalls the mistake she made back in season 7's Vigilante episode. This case eats away at Jo. Lindsay thinks it's hard to turn over information to the defence and how Jo feels responsible. Jo corrects her she doesn't feel responsible for the mistake of her colleague. She could only do what she could, which is her job as a forensic scientist, under oath and she hopes Lindsay would do the same thing.
Sid finds the base of the Vic's skull had concentric fractures where the spinal column gave in by force. Libby was strangled. Flack and Mac question Jake who tries to act all innocent. Flack comments "It wouldn't be the first time a boyfriend has ever killed his girlfriend." Yeah he was only one guy as Jake says. Lindsay processes Ali and she's about as subtle as Stella. Curtis drugged her and Lindsay comments he probably had a whole lot of practice. That's right Lindsay, give the details away and mess the case up for Jo this time. She's a prostitute and he picked her up but he already had drugged her before he knew this. He will probably get out of jail.
Jo comments there weren't any contusions on Libby's neck even after refrigeration. If she had worn the necklace it would have left marks, so the necklace was placed on her after she was already dead. They return to the house which Hawkes comments, "Extreme home makeover" and Danny says it reminds him of "Jo's office." They need to locate the primary CS. Hawkes finds a note, "#WORDSRDEAD" as do Jo and Danny. The primary CS was Libby's bedroom. Danny finds the man leaves behind "hashtags" everywhere he goes at every viral party. Hawkes finds his blog. Mac calls him a frustrated writer and Libby probably walked in on him when he was stealing. The precincts didn't make a connection. Mac: "Plus we have Adam (AJ Buckley)." In walks Adam afraid he's done something wrong. The burglar is identified as he posts from the department store posts.
Flack calls him a "mall cop." Danny corrects him, it's "Department Store security." Flack's going to enjoy this. Mickey (Dominic Colon) makes a run for it and Flack and Danny play rock, paper, scissors to see who will chase him on foot and who will drive the car. Flack chases, ha. Funny scene in a long time between the two. Mickey claims he was making a statement with his hashtags. Danny suggests he should stick to burglaries. So how come no one noticed him at the parties? He keeps the stolen property in the wall safe at work.
They find five necklaces like Libby's. Hawkes tests hers for DNA and comes up with two profiles, female. Adam puts together all the footage from the party and there's one girl wearing the same necklace. He doesn't get any thanks and jokingly says he'll be solving his next big crime in the other room. Jo thinks it's some "deadpool game" but Danny says it's more serious than that. The girls are singled out, are made to think they're popular and then take their virginity. They are then rated on the website. Jake was involved in this and Libby rated them. Erin (Juliet Brett) has a necklace and Jo calls them tokens like scarlet letters. Mac calls it a motive for revenge.
Flack and Jo talk with Erin, who just happened to touch her necklace is to appears in full view. She got it from Jake. Flack is texted that the DNA matches Kate. She wasn't at the party but she has a necklace. Libby invited her to her house and Jake was part of it. Adam analyzed the grease Danny found on Libby's bedroom window and he recalls dating a girl who was a runner. So how many girls does that make now? Hawkes says Rachel and Kate are half sisters. See there's Rachel as I said everyone forgot about her. Kate's behavior changed and she found the website. Rachel confronted Libby and lost her temper. She placed the necklace on her cos she should be the one wearing it.
Lindsay finds GHB in Ali's system but no other forensics. Mac calls it enough for a circumstantial case. No one would have believed Ali if she reported it cos of what she does, so that's why he told her his name. Jo listens in when Flack questions Curtis. He ask what it is with guys "like you...to get your rocks off." Curtis worries when he shows her Ali's photo, but why do that when she was afraid for her life and clearly afraid of him? Lindsay apologizes. Jo tells her she does feel responsible. Curtis is arrested but the way he was staring at Jo somethings going to happen.
Mac remains seated throughout this ep due to a leg injury he suffered after the fight scene in 8.6 Get Me Out of Here, where he ripped a leg muscle. The two stories overlapped in a way. One took their virginity playing a cruel game and making fun of people and the other, Curtis is a ruthless, callous rapist who thinks he can beat the system and get away with it forever. Plus there's always a slant on the popular girl storyline.
Jo's and Flack's scene with Erin was filmed in Washington Square Park. The books shown in Libby's house, included John Grisham's The Pelican Brief and Stephen J Cannell's King Con (mentioned in season 2.1 episode of Castle.) What's wrong with the show when they have to bring Lindsay into every case going and especially if it involves a rape case; given her handling of the one from last season, 7.15 Vigilante. She's really not emotionally equipped to handle such a case and yet here she's taken off the other case. Even if she happened to be the only female forensic scientist they had, seeing as Jo couldn't process Ali cos of her past dealings with Curtis. Just to remind viewers, a clip was included from the Vigilante ep where Jo had to give Lindsay a pep talk cos she thought that case was all about her.
Here she does much the same thing in thinking their cases revolve around the detective/scientist involved. Where does she get off talking to Jo like that? She may have thought she was being sympathetic and understanding (gulp) but again she just puts her foot in it, calling Jo "responsible" for the case being mishandled and Curtis being acquitted. Lindsay gave also gave the impression that if push came to shove, she'd wouldn't have given the necessary info to the defence. I for one was happy to see Jo reprimand Lindsay and put her in her place concerning the duties and obligations of a forensic scientist when the right thing has to be done irrespective of the consequences. Mac wasn't around to hear this. Lindsay gets away with too many liberties. She did owe Jo an apology at the end and I'm glad Jo didn't go into any further details; other than saying she did feel some responsibility.
Think Lindsay was expecting an apology for what Jo said. Sorry but Lindsay is still a weak character and should know how to do her job by now, without judgements. Jo told her in the vigilante ep, "Even if good people get hurt and bad people go free but it's what they do. It's hard." Lindsay forgot that. Jo was only reinforcing what Mac tells his team over and over, that the integrity of the lab is always at stake and with it in doubt they will not be able to put criminals away. That they can't so what Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) did back in season 2 Grand Murder at Central Station, when she messed with the forensics when out to catch the said rapist, DJ Pratt.
Let's talk about Flack since I'm such a d-Eddie-cated fan!! Reminding us again of knowing what it feels like to lose a girlfriend - didn't see Jake being cut up about losing Libby. If he really did care about her why this cruel game -preying on hapless, unsuspecting, innocent girls - whose downfall is always wanting to get in with the popular crowd. At least the scene with Flack and Danny was a breath of fresh air.
In the Vigilante ep, there was a sweat ointment which preserved sweat and had female DNA. Here the oil used by runners was a clue which led to Rachel being caught. This ep Lindsay's role was mentioned by Pam Veasey and Zach Reiter in the CSI:NY online chat last September where she, "plays a big role in a 3 episode arc re the rapist that brought Jo to NY from the FBI to the crime lab."
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