CSI: NY - 7.6: "Do Not Pass Go" Review

Several calls to the parents of a missing teen, lead to the discovery of a decomposing DB on a rooftop. Ultimately leading to a woman out for revenge for the killing of her fiance.

A couple at an abandoned building are given directions on where to find their son.   The wife, Elizabeth Harris (Helen Slater) tells her husband, Charles (Thomas Calabro) to do exactly what the man said to find their son, and to put his hands on the railings.   I knew that was to cover over any prints or evidence that may have been left behind.   They find a decomposing DB in the car on the rooftop, which they believe to be their son, Jeremy (Zachery Spicer).   Sid's (Robert Joy) out of the morgue again, in another difficult retrieval of the DB.   He says the COD could be anything from a few days to a few months.   Shouldn't he have said TOD? Hawkes (Hill Harper) believes due to the weather, the humidity, etc, this will prove difficult.

Jo (Sela Ward) has to cover her nose due to the putrid smell given off by the DB.   Mac (Gary Sinise) comments on it being "a perfect place to commit a murder."  Lindsay (Anna Belknap) is on the scene again with Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) getting to be too much of an occurrence.    She finds partial prints on the door handle.   Danny finds the rooftop is clean and will now have to check the stairwell, he can manage 738 stairs.   Lindsay asks if he can imagine finding his child like that.   What a question to ask from her, imagine asking that to begin with, let alone thinking about it, which is exactly what Danny doesn't want to do.   Especially since it's not the first time they've come across such a scene.  

Flack (Eddie Cahill) tells them the parents made the call, they were looking for their son.   The building is deserted.   The original owner was was a drag racing and boy toys fanatic.   An anonymous voicemail told them where to look.   Mac dreamed of owning an old car too, but adds finding a DB in one, "wasn't an option."  Yeah that's really funny! I say sarcastically.   Elizabeth said Jeremy's been missing 7 days, they offered a reward and got several calls.   Charles tells of the instructions they received and Elizabeth wanted to follow them.   Sid lets Hawkes have the tails of the DB and have to remove it "band aid method."  I.e a short.  sharp pull.

Hawkes comments on the level of decomposition being too much and so Sid suggests they need to examine the bone marrow, for DNA purposes.   He finds a tattoo on the DB.   Mac notices a girl in the lab and follows her when she wanders off.   She's Ellie (Sydney Park) Jo's daughter.   She doesn't like it here and wants to go back to Virginia.   Jo calls themselves the three musketeers, along with her brother, Tyler.  So when do we get to see the fourth musketeer, Jo's ex (David James Elliott) ha!

Adam (AJ Buckley) analyzes the voicemail and Mac hits him on the shoulder to ask him what he's found.   The call was made from a pre-paid phone and the Sim card is no longer active.   They trace the steps of the caller as the Harris's were told to do.   Mac asks why they had to go through so many obstacles.

Sid shows Jo the findings, such as the tattoo which he enhanced to find a leprechaun with a basketball.   Jo thinks it's a version of the Boston Celtics mascot.  Lindsay struts in, with basically nothing again, but looking so pleased about it too, in that the partial prints on the door handle of the car belong to the Harris's.   Jo says there's a second Vic and it's not Jeremy.

Danny identifies the DB as Craig Anderson (Paul James).   Hawkes adds they were studying at NYU.   Mac needs to find the connection between the two.   Hawkes comments on there being no trauma on the DB, no strangulation, no clothes were torn.   So the COD must be poison, but the Tox screen was negative so the poison must be rare and exotic.   Mac believes the crime to be personal and asks why the Harris's found the DB?

It was nice the way they showed Flack walking past the window, when Jo was talking with the Harris's and then had to talk with Craig's mother, Mrs Anderson (Stephanie Venditto).   Flack's been so sympathetic of late - which is great to see lots of character development on his part and though he's dealt with Vic's relatives before, due to his own personal trauma, he knows how to relate to them just that little bit more and exactly what to say.   Plus Eddie gets to show a different side to his character in Flack.  He tells Craig's mother that Children aren't meant to die and there's no right way to act.  

Flack recalls his own first words were "cookie and cake."  His mother said that finding his killer won't bring Craig back, which is true but it will give her some sort of closure and justice at the same time.   Flack advises her against seeing Craig as it's "not how you wanna remember him - don't - not where it counts."  You don't say goodbye where it counts is what he said.   Where it really matters, in your heart.   Ah, don't you just wanna hug Flack/Eddie!

Charles wants to see Flack and tells him they had another voicemail, giving him the address of where Elizabeth went alone.   Mac tells Jo it's the transportation building.   Flack adds it's where "tired old street signs go to die."  Jo sees smoke and tells them they're on the wrong floor.   Lindsay wasn't there with them now, but of course had to arrive later to gather evidence.   SO who's looking after Lucy?  Danny no doubt.

Jo and Mac listen to the second voicemail.   Elizabeth was told to set fire to the place.   Mac says all of their instructions were to destroy evidence, which is what I said at the beginning.   Jo recognizes the service apron as she once worked in a burlesque bar, as she tells Mac when she was an undergrad.   Mac asks as a bartender, she didn't say that.   Wouldn't Mac have recognized the apron anyway, considering the number of bars, pubs etc they've been to, personally and professionally.   So what was the big deal, just to give Jo a chance to be mysterious with Mac.   Well it peaked his curiosity.

Hawkes analyzes the remains of the burned snakes.   Jo lets Mac know she was a weekend accountant for the burlesque club.  Lindsay finds the blood on the apron didn't belong to Craig or Jeremy.   Jo comments the mutation in the DNA is uncommon and the blood belonged to Ryan,a bouncer,  he was shot and killed in an unsolved homicide.

Mac just can't stop being so abrupt towards Adam who finds the Sim card was used once and the voicemail was left from a second phone.   The phones were bought at the same time.   The third phone number is traced to a bar which Lindsay recalls was where Ryan worked..   Mac hopes Flack and Jo "are thirsty."  Surprised Lindsay didn't go there either.   The number of appearances she's been making in the episodes, Danny has just been relegated to the sidelines this season, in particular.  

Jo tells Flack she can think of a less intrusive method of finding who has the phone, by calling it.   Which kind of defeated the purpose, since when they realized it was the bartender, they stood around watching him for ages.   Yeah, always the way so we can have a Flack chase (minus Danny)!  Well at least we got one with Flack!  Great slide under the truck, even if it was a stuntman.   Flack's not done that before.   Jo makes the bartender run into a dumpster.   Then a HI-Five between Flack and Jo.  Something no one else would've done, not Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) or Lindsay or Mac, even.   He ignores Adam when he wanted to 'hi five' mac in a similar way.

The bartender, Reuben (Chad Todhunter) denies killing anyone.   A friend wanted him to make the call.   Mac shows him the evidence bag with the bloodied apron inside and then with his torch in hand, he notices a UV Riker's stamp on the back of his hand.   Jo believes he's telling the truth, he can tell them who did it.   Flack says she "should've put him under the dumpster."
Mac comments he's "just visiting jail."  Hence the title of the episode, Do Not Pass Go from the boardgame Monopoly.

Danny discovers Reuben was visiting with a female inmate, Allison Scott (Maite Schwartz) she was engaged to the Ryan.   Mac believes they've found the motive for the murder.   Two college guys were thrown out by Ryan and he was later shot in the back.   The blood on the apron was from him as Allison couldn't let go of him.   Hawkes comments Jeremy and Craig had weak alibis but they didn't shoot him.   The neurotoxin from the snake venom caused paralysis.   Danny states they were trapped inside their bodies and couldn't move or talk.  

Jo tells Allison she lured them there and poisoned them.   She tells Allison it was a tragedy that Ryan died and if that happened to her family, Jo would hunt them down so they could feel her pain.   She couldn't live with herself if she killed the wrong person.   Allison didn't have enough to ID the shooter.   She couldn't be sure who it was.   Jo asks where Jeremy is so his parents can have closure just like she did with Ryan.   But Allison's closure turned to hate and vengeance.   She didn't show any remorse or even flinch at the possibility of having killed two innocent people.   Such was her grief, she didn't grieve though, all she saw was hate and assumed they had killed Ryan.   Coincidentally she was arrested right about now for drugs.

Jeremy is found still alive and Flack asks Mac how he survived.   Mac coming up with a scientific explanation that he had slow metabolism of the poison.   If he's asking for his personal opinion, then science had nothing to do with it.   In other words, it was God's work and probably a miracle.   In earlier seasons, it was mentioned Mac used to go to church.   Now it's not said as much but the implication was this is what he believed, that it wasn't a science explanation that saved Jeremy, but a religious one.

Flack: "It's too bad they all can't have a happy ending."  No CSI cases hardly ever do, aside from the criminal being caught.

Jo tells Mac she adopted Ellie as it was love at first sight.   her mother was arrested for a double murder and Ellie would have wound up in the system.   Mac doesn't join them as he's "already had heaven on a bun for lunch."  Jo bonds with Ellie and the comparison is that she's as devoted to her family as the Harris's were and especially Elizabeth.   In not giving up but doing everything for her son.

A serious and sad episode, with some funny moments too.   Jo bonding with Ellie and showing what a great mom she is.   Also bonding with Mac, to the point where he reads Jo's file just to see who Ellie is.   Also bags of character stuff for Flack, since in the past, he's mostly shown dealing with suspects, harshly, mockingly.   Though he was one of my faves from season 1 and onwards, it's good to see him evolve and he just gets better and better and more comfortable in his role as seasons pass.   He hasn't been stagnant and used only as an ancillary character to the others, or as a foil for Mac, on past occasions.   Pity Danny isn't given the chance to shine, now that Lindsay's on his case 24/7.

CSI 12.17 'Trends With Benefits' Review

College party with plenty of suspects, you'd think but apparently there turned out to be not that many in the end.  One dives into a pool like the Vic, Pete who dived over the bridge.  The opening was reminiscent of a CSI:Miami episode, as that's where such parties are usually shown.  Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) tells DB (Ted Danson) an anonymous tip gave them the location.  The bridge is a suicide spot for the university and was closed down.  Which was a clue for later.  Finn (Elisabeth Shue) finds shoe prints at the base of the lamppost, a beer bottle smashed on the ground.  Pete (Shane Coffey) didn't jump.  DB: "Maybe someone pushed this kid over the edge."  More like he was pushing people over the edge.

David (David Berman) stumbles down the edge whilst making his way down to the Vic.  Pete was at the Theta Delta party and he doesn't have a phone, which Nick (George Eads) points out is unusual.  He suffered anti-mortum bruising on his face and a crushed skull.  Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) posits he didn't fall off the bridge.  Nick thinks he could have been pushed by the same person who fought with him.  Finn takes candids as DB calls them, shots of the crowd since the killer may have returned to the scene, like Charlie (Brandon W Jones).  He tells DB the photo is trending. It was posted at 3.57 by Voyeur4U, so the person who posted knew about the DB beforehand.  Charlie thinks the killer may have wanted to "post and boast."  Finn: "good theory, must run in the blood."

Doc Robbins (Robert David Hall) finds he suffered a beating, lots of it and contusions but no defensive wounds.  Morgan says he was assaulted at 10pm and there's no blood on his clothes.  Nick and Greg (Eric Szmanda)  found his bloody clothes but his room was empty.  DB tells Finn to make herself at home in his office when she pours his coffee and sits on his desk.  Archie (Archie Kao) runs an ISP trace on Voyeur4U and goes though the photos from the party.  Morgan finds Pete was openly gay and kept a Vlog (video blog) like a Perez Hilton on campus version.  Jonesin4 sent him some violent posts and Archie narrows down that Voyeur4U was Pete's own account.  He traces the GPS to WLVU campus and to the third floor.  Here they find Jonesin4, aka Sebastian and he has Pete's phone.  Nick asks if Greg thinks he's the killer. Greg: "think we have a strong connection."

Sebastian (Ivan Germaine De Leon) admits he's also gay and he was at the bridge. He found Pete and took his phone, later he called them anonymously.  Nicky loses his cool in that scene.  Pete had the campus dirt and said as much in his Vlog entry that he would be revealing this.  Photos of Brooke (Chelsea Kane) are found with Pete arguing at the party.  Brooke tells Finn and Morgan Pete could be cruel and Jake, (Beau Mirchoff) her boyfriend tells them Pete wasn't liked and he warned Brooke about him.  Greg finds Pete's things but not his computer.  Pete got an A+ for one of his papers for phone hacking, from Tom Laudner, (Paul Blackthorne) his professor.  Greg says he has a tabloid TV show where he harasses celebs.  Greg would know this, recall he had those gossip mags etc from earlier seasons where he'd know everything about celebs.  Such as in The Accused is Entitled.  Also Greg used to hide porn mags around the lab, just thought I'd remind you of that, ha.

DB visits Laudner and he boasts of a "safe environment for students".  Yeah about as safe as you can get with a letch professor around!  He mentions the "haves and have nots" just as Stella did in CSI:NY episode A Man A Mile.  He calls Pete his student, not his employee so he didn't want him digging the dirt on anyone.  Claiming Pete had his secrets.  Laudner: "hope you return the favour for an exclusive."  See the end.  Nick finds a flashdrive in Pete's clothes and DB wants a knife like Nick's.  He used that last time too didn't he to cut open the football in Brain Doe when DB was there.  I want me one of those touchscreen computers!  Pete was hacking e-mails and photos too and in Jake's file Nick finds a photo of Jake with Sebastian after recognizing his tattoo on his arm.  Jake stole Pete's computer and Pete hacked Jake's phone to steal the photos.  DB promises if he cooperates then the photos will be buried in evidence.  Brass reluctantly agrees.  Jake gives them his DNA.  Sebastian texted him after Pete was dead and he wanted the photos so took his computer.  Didn't Jake think he'd have kept copies of everything!

Greg brings in Pete's remote digital receiver and Archie finds it's still getting a signal and the live feed shows an office, which is apparent it's Laudner's.  Charlie brings DB lunch made by his wife and DB goes for the salt and vinegar crisps, cos clearly his wife doesn't let him eat those as he gets salad.  Finn, meanwhile rifles the fridge for lunch but doesn't find anything good.  Charlie comments on Finn being a drag last time and DB tells hims second time's a charm, and Charlie adds that his mother isn't the only one who worries.

Brooke knew about Jake's "sexual confusion" which made him a perfect boyfriend for her re her purity vow, which is important to her.  She was with Jake all night but it was all innocent.  Their argument was over Laudner and Pete wanted to be like him.  His next Vlog would reveal the truth.  Archie hones in on a  poster via the signal which is "Celebrities Indisposed," Greg positing the office belongs to Laudner, well it wouldn't be anyone else's.  Nick finds the camera on the bookshelf pointing towards the couch.  Greg discovers a bloodspot and the carpet had been cleaned, as well as multiple donors on the couch.

Laudner tells DB 38 women are enrolled in his class and anything that happened was consensual. He doesn't see this as a scandal.  DB: "I hate it when a suspect blows a hole in a perfectly good theory."  Which doesn't make him  a killer.  Nick wonders if DB is letting Laudner get to him, which DB replies is besides the point.  Nick thinks Pete saw something Laudner didn't want him to and DB thinks perhaps he didn't take no for an answer.  Finn and Morgan take DNA swabs from the students on the basis of finding some epithelials under Pete's nails which they didn't disclose to the public and they fell for  it.  One of them says the pretty girls get an 'A' and it's no secret.  Finn tells Ashley (Melissa Farman) she was assaulted and claims she killed Pete.  She was there to jump, see the suicide reference at the start, and he came, but not to help her.  She saw his phone and tried to take it and he fell.  Finn knows it wasn't her fault what Laudner did.  But Ashley refuses to testify.

Brass posits the DA will only file charges with witness testimony, so Laudner is free to do it again.  Greg finds the prints on the lamppost belonged to Ashley, ranging from 5-8'.  DB: "have to take our victims as they come."   So who posted the news about Laudner on the Net, one of the students, it had to have been cos the CSIs wouldn't do something like that.  Charlie shows DB the story is trending and Laudner is suspended.

A case which wasn't really new or different, CSI:Miami has covered quite a few about hacking, paparazzi, trending photos on the Net, gossip etc, and so has CSI:NY.  So Laudner got suspended that's not really punishment for someone who deals with the sordid side of celebrity.  Some would say certain celebs warrant their behaviour plastered everywhere.  The ordinary public may get embarrassed at such behaviour if it was exposed on a social networking site but in the main someone like Laudner who showed absolutely no remorse at sleeping with his students, even if it was consesual will not be affected by it.  All in all, he'll just get a book deal out of it.  Now that's not justice or punishment.


Sara and Hodges were absent this episode.  No need to explain the episode title.  Everything's trending these days be it good, bad or boring!

Without A Trace 3.5 American Goddess Review

American Goddess Lynette Shaw (Elizabeth Berkley) 30.  Bookkeeper at a restaurant.  Weight 152 pounds. Height 5’8” 13 surgeries over 3 months and gym 1200 calories a day diets. 120 hours.  Collagen injection.  Cheek augmentation.  Skin dermabrasion.  Brow lift.  Laser refinishing.  Face lift.  Chemical peels.  Liposuction.  Upper lip implant.  Rhinoplasty.  12 porcelain veneers.  Neck lift.  Chin implant.  Tummy tuck.  Breast augmentation.  Diet and work regimen.  Laser mole and freckle removal.  Liposuction of thighs and knees.  Buttocks augmentation.  Elbow lift.

Lynette was crowned American Goddess; an opportunity of a lifetime and never felt better.  A woman heckles her, she looks like a freak, she’s plastic pieces.  She disappears from her trashed dressing room.

2 Hours Missing
Bruce Kaplan (Evan Handler) was her manager for 6 weeks.  She didn’t have any problems with stalkers.  There are prints on the door knob.  Danny (Enrique Murciano) doesn’t watch such rubbish.  Maria lets Jack's (Anthony LaPaglia) daughters watch.

3 Hours Missing
Martin (Eric Close) watches her tape.  Viv (Marianne Jean Baptiste) says there were no complaints filed with the NYPD concerning stalkers.  Martin thinks it’s about Lynette.  She’s never had a boyfriend.  Guys will hit on her and she’ll think she’s hit bigtime if someone buys her a drink.  The show made her a star.  Angie Bowman (Katharine Powell) brought charges against the show.  Lynette told them Angie was bulimic and gave her the number for Crestview.  Crazy people make for good TV.

4 Hours Missing
Sam (Poppy Montgomery) and Danny check out her apartment.  Danny tells Sam about one of his old girlfriends going on about being fat.  Sam finds a receipt for the cleaners who have her dress for stain treatment.  There was a message on her answer machine from a man who called 3 times.

5 Hours Missing
Jack finds Angie was angry over being disqualified.  But she didn’t have any problems with Lynette.  She dropped the lawsuit and attended Crestview.  They had lunch together and she showed her her engagement ring.  A man asked for her autograph and asks why she couldn’t get her ears done?  Lynette then became obsessed with her ears.
She’s also obsessed with asking out a man and went on the show because of him; for him.

Bruce is Lynette’s mother’s fiancé and say Lynette was hospitalized for depression 5 years ago.  Her mother, Irene (Cristine Rose) didn’t want her on the show.  Lynette wanted a promotion at the restaurant as a hostess but didn't get it as she wasn’t pretty enough.  Her mother got her eyes done.  Danny can’t believe her mother told her she wasn’t pretty.  Sam finds naked photos of Lynette in a magazine stand.

Sam gets the dress from the cleaners and her hotel keycard.  Viv says forensics found the prints on the door belong to Paul Pfeiffer, (JD Walsh) a patient at Crestview and he called her apartment.

6 Hours Missing
Paul tells them they’re not dating.  They’re friends and wanted to talk to her in her dressing room.  He’s always been there for her and she’s moving on.  She was beautiful no matter what.

7 Hours Missing
Lynette had  a crush on Dr Singh (Kris Lyer).  She saw him for a consultation as she wanted her ears done.  She was his best work.  But he told her no surgeon would operate for fear of a lawsuit because of the amount of surgery she’s had already.

9 Hours Missing
She ate at Casadora’s so her guy is probably someone who worked there.

10 Hours Missing
 Shirley tells Danny Lynette had eyes for the manager, Hal (Brennan Elliott). They weren’t dating.  Lynette wanted him to cater for a party and asked him for a drink.  She told him about photos of her Playboy shoot in advance but he didn’t meet her.
The photographer was Bruce.


24 Hours Missing
He took her photos and came onto her.  He was her part time manager.  He could get 20 years to life for kidnapping and 5 years for lying to the FBI.  He only lied because she’d tell her mother.  He’s already told her.  She says Lynette threw herself at him.  She came home 7:30 so she had it out with her.  Lynette tried to tell her it was Bruce so he slapped her for lying.  Danny says she may have been raped and if her mother had bothered to ask she’d know this.
Sam shows photos to the hotel clerk.  Paul was at the Litton Hotel bar.  They were meant to watch a movie so he followed her there.  Paul confessed he loved her and Lynette turned him down.  She wanted to be with someone else all her life.  Danny watches the interrogation.  The hotel clerk identifies the man as Hal.

28 Hours Missing
Hal says he wasn’t interested in her.  There was semen on her dress.  Hal calls being with her a horror story.  The night was okay but the next day she told him she’d change for him.  He was disgusted with her.  Danny says all she wanted was to be loved and everyone in her life rejected her.  He says the surgery didn’t change her life and thinks she trashed the dressing room because she couldn’t take it anymore.  She was trying to escape.  Danny remembers Shirley told her about getting half price liposuction in Queens.

30 Hours Missing
Lynette underwent surgery yesterday and had everything undone.  Dr Varrick (Gregory Wagrowski) was meant to send her to the Recovery center but she didn’t check in.

31 Hours Missing
Viv finds Varrick was arrested 5 years ago in North Carolina after a patient died on the operating table.  He has no licence to practice in Queens.  His credit card was used in Chinatown.

32 Hours Missing
Danny and Martin find her and Varrick.  She asks for Paul.  Danny tells Paul Lynette’s in hospital and  should see her.  He gives a dirty look to Hal.  Lynette suffered an allergic reaction to the anaesthethic and wasn’t taken to hospital because he didn’t have a licence.

Sam tells Danny he won’t be so tough on those girls now.  On her video Lynette says nobody sees her on the inside.

This episode: a commentary on reality shows and how they can go too far.  Seems Lynette was messed up in several ways, falling for the wrong man, needing a man in her life, saying she'd change for them.  No woman should have to do or say things like that ever.

Danny: “I don’t watch that crap.  Do you?”
Jack: “My wife lets my kids watch it sometimes.”
Danny: “Well that’s good if you want your daughters to think plastic surgery’s the answer to everything.”  You’d think Maria would be more responsible as a parent.

Martin: “This girl is so desperate to be loved.  Before American Goddess  she was invisible – now she’s a celebrity.”
Viv: “for 15 minutes.”
Viv: “So we’re looking for a scumbag in New York City.”  That’ll narrow the search down!

Danny: “This girl takes Fit’n’Thin.  Equals high maintenance.  Usually comes with a cat, a fat best friend and a daddy complex.”
Sam: “Your compassion is overwhelming.”
Danny: “Look all I’m saying is life’s too short.  I dated a girl that takes this stuff – she used to spend her days talking about how fat she was and then she’d spend her whole night in front of the refrigerator scoffing down cold pizza.”  Here they don’t give him a very positive attitude or opinion towards these girls and that changes at the end. Thank goodness, Danny can't be that shallow.  He can say life’s too short but he wasted a lot of his when he was younger going off the rails, so to speak.

Danny: “maybe it’s blood.”
Sam: “according to you it’s pizza sauce.”
Isn’t it always the case that women get turned down for jobs because of their looks first and their qualifications second!

Danny: “You told your daughter she was average.”  Even her mother doesn’t think much of her own daughter so who would.

Danny: “I never suggested you had done anything to her.”  Well, not killed her, at least.

Martin can’t keep his hands and eyes off of Sam!
Viv’s desk is still empty of any personal effects.

Wasn’t Paul Pfeiffer, the character name, Kevin’s best friend in The Wonder Years?

Viv has her hair done in the scene she visits with the doctor.
Jack: “They want you to pose for Miss November?”  That’s a sexist comment coming from Jack and so soon after he takes his job back.

Danny: “I mean you’ve gotta admit if I could’ve gone there, I would’ve gone there.  Couple of Scotches, you bang the American Goddess – I mean that’s a story right?”
Danny: “was it a long night?”  Danny doesn’t know what he’s talking about because he would never treat a girl like that but men like Hal are a dime a dozen and would!

Danny: “I was just thinking that in the 12 hours before Lynette went missing she was rejected by her mother, her best friend, the man of her dreams and her plastic surgeon.  I mean, all this girl ever wanted was to be loved.  I mean that’s why she went on that damn show in the first place.”  Paul didn’t reject her.

There wasn’t much media coverage over the missing American Goddess. Again Danny was on a case where it affected him where he criticized Lynnette’s mother for taking the diet supplement then learned what her life was really like – but didn’t feel outrage or disgust towards her since he commented on her mother calling her average to her face.
Sam: “Guess you won’t be so hard on those Fit’n’Thin girls now – huh?”

This episode was directed by Tony Goldwyn; who played the twins Rick and Greg in season 2 and season 3.  Also better known as the murderer in the movie Ghost and more recently seen in ABC's Scandal.

Someone should have pointed out Danny’s watch!  In the space of this episode it went from his left wrist in the apartment with Sam, to his right in the interview room, with his bangle now on his left wrist. At the restaurant it was on his left wrist now.  On the scene with Lynette’s mother his watch is on the left and then with Hal it’s back on the right and then back on the left gain.  When he finds Lynette and the doctor at the end it’s now on his right wrist and when he tells Sam about Lynette at the end it’s on his left wrist.  If anything else, at least you can now tell which scenes were filmed in which order and what days!  Yes I'm very observant like that! ha.

This episode was especially "ripped from the headlines" from the Fox reality show, The Swan.

Supernatural - 1.19: "Provenance" Review

Sam and Dean look into the case of a killer coming alive from a portrait and killing. Sam meets a girl he likes and Dean encourages him to go for it, in Dean fashion.

A family portrait is seen and there's a knife on the table.   In the painting the father faces to his left.   A couple have bought it and the father has moved position in the painting.   The knife is missing from the table also in the painting.   The candle goes out in the bedroom.   The couple have been stabbed.

Dean (Jensen Ackles) gets the number of yet another chick in a bar and Sam (Jared Padalecki) reads the headlines in a newspaper about the couple having their throats slashed.   Dean talks of LA TV scouts, rock stars, army majors and Sam tells him he can get his own dates.   There aren't any prints or murder weapon found.   Dad (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) investigated three murders in 1912, 1945 and 1970 in Upstate New York.   They all had the same MO.

Dean is hung over and is asleep int the car wearing his shades.   Sam beeps the car horn and shocks him.   Sam doesn't find a thing to show it's a haunting, just that it's a violent crime and the house is empty.   They go to an art auctionhouse and outside are parked the cars of the wealthy, 'The Krip' is the number plate on a Rolls Royce.   Then we see Dean's Impala with a rusty number plate.

At the auction, Dean eats yet more food.  "I'd like champagne please."
Sam: "He's not a waiter."  The portrait is back to normal now.   They meet Sarah Blake ( Taylor Cole) and Dean has to get his hands on more mini quiches.   Sam wants to see the provenance of the painting and her father tells them to leave.   Sam is attracted to Sarah.   Sam's done an art history course which is good for meeting girls.   Back at their motel, Sam explains a provenance is a certificate of origin which is used to track the history of the object, in this case the painting.   Sam says Dean can get her to write it down on a cocktail napkin and Sam tells him "Pick ups are your thing."  He'd rather Dean go.   Dean: "It wasn't my butt she was checking out."

Sam needs to take one for the team.   Sam takes Sarah to dinner.   Sam found it difficult to find the words to ask her out.   The waiter gives Sam the wine list, showing just how difficult it is for Sam since he hasn't been with anyone since Jess.     She asks for beer and studied art in school.   She doesn't think he's a loser.   Her mother died a year ago and she went into a shell and she hasn't been on a date for a while.   Sarah: "What about you, you're a reasonably attractive guy, why aren't you out and about."  Like Deano, ha.

Sam tells Dean she gave him the provenances and he left, Dean is surprised he didn't con her.   Sam: "get your mind out of the gutter."  Dean knows he's into her.   It was painted in 1910 and the owners were murdered.   It could be haunted or cursed.   Dean: "either way it's toast." More foody references from Dean, okay not intentionally.   They break in and steal the painting and burn it, Dean calls it doing the art world a favour.   The painting reconstructs itself and goes back into the frame.   Dean can't find his wallet which will have his prints, his fake Ids etc.   Conveniently, he drops it more like, cos he's not clumsy.   Sarah watches them when they return.   Dean finds his wallet and says they're sticking around, leaving Sam alone with her.   Sam notices the painting and it freaks her out.   Sam doesn't want her to sell it again.

Dean suggests they need another way to get rid of it.   Sam mentions in the lore of haunted paintings it's always the subjects that haunt them.   'Father slaughters family' read the paper headlines.   He ruled the family with an iron fist and he was a barber, using a straight razor.   Isiah Merchant (Linden Banks) was his name and he had an adopted daughter, Millie (Jodelle Ferland) and it was rumoured his wife was leaving him.   All the family were cremated.   In the photos of the family, Isiah is facing forward.   Sarah's father is selling the painting and Sam notices the painting has changed, at least the position of the people.  Other things in the painting must have changed too.   Sam: "Like that DA Vinci code deal."
Dean: "I don't know, I'm still waiting for the movie on that that thing."

Dean says they need to see the painting again so Sam can get some "more crush on your girlfriend." Sam tells him to drop it. Dean comments they're both consenting adults and then Sam wouldn't be so cranky.   It's about Jess, Dean doesn't know what it's like to lose someone like that, but he wants to see Sam happy.  "God forbid, have fun once in a while."  And we all know what Dean's definition of 'fun' is.  i.e.  chicks.   Sam says there's no point since they'll leave anyway and it's only partly about Jess.

He calls Sarah but the painting is already sold;  the buyer, Evelyn is also killed.   Sarah turns up at her house and they break in.  Isiah is facing forward in the painting again.   Sarah saw the painting move and Sam is trying to stop what's killing.   He doesn't want to see her hurt, she's scared but won't hide.   Dean: "Sam, marry that girl."  Isiah's head is facing sideways again.   Of course he's not the one doing the killing and it's almost as if Isiah is trying to point to who is.   Sam thinks the killing is done at night.   In the painting the razor is closed, but in the book copy, it's open.   Sam calls it a painting in a painting.   Dean has to go to the family crypt alone and finds the one with the Merchant name.   Sam tells her they don't get paid for what they do.

It's a tradition that when a child dies, their favourite toy is preserved.   Dean only finds four jars but he had three children so Isiah is missing.   Dean searches the death certificates for Isiah.   Sam removes an eyelash from her face and tells her to make a wish, hey we used to do that when younger, didn't know people still did that.   Sarah believes there's something between them but Sam doesn't think it's a good idea, "when people are around me they get hurt."  Physically.   He tells her about Jess and Mom.   Sam: "It's like I'm cursed or something - like death follows me around."  She calls him sweet and archaic.   Sam can't go through that pain again.

Dean finds people were ashamed of Isiah and he was buried somewhere else.   Finding out where, he digs up his bones and Sarah comments, "They're uncomfortably comfortable with this."  Dean salts and burns his bones and will stay here so Sam can make a move on her.   Dean turns on the radio to the song lines, "I'm in love with a girl...I can't do without."  Sam and Sarah go for the painting and the little girl and the razor are missing from the painting.   They get locked in the room.

 It was her all along and Isiah was looking down at her as a warning, which is what I said.   Dean says he needs to repel her with something pure, like a poker and Sam attacks her with it.   Sam says there's nothing left to burn.   Sarah mentions at the auctionhouse they handle antique dolls, dolls were made in the child's image back then and used real hair.   Dean goes back to the crypt and finds it difficult to shatter the glass so shoots it, which would've been quicker.   But who needs quicker when Sam can play hero and save Sarah, or at least attempt to save her.   Then Dean's lighter stalls, as usual.   He finally gets to burn her doll and she returns to the painting.  

Dean found the country archives, Millie was adopted and her real family were killed in their beds.   Sam: "Some people are just born tortured." A personal reference perhaps. "So when they die their spirits are just as dark."  Well this part wasn't.   Sarah wants the painting burned.   Dean: "I'm the one who burned the doll, destroyed the spirit, but don't thank me."  Ahh, well we'll thank him.   Sarah doesn't believe Sam is cursed.   He may come back and see her.   Sam goes back to kiss her.   Dean: "That's my boy."

So they find a haunted painting and Sam finds a girl he thinks he could be happy with and Dean pushes him into it, seeing as it's a long time since Jess.   Sam tells Sarah what they do and that he thinks he's cursed, so much for the whole Dean told a chick what he did back in 1.13 Route 666.   Now Sam's done the same and she wasn't even shocked by any of it.   Guess it's better to experience first hand, what they do as it's more believable, than just talking about hunting.   The question of what they'd do if they found someone and wanted to settle down naturally arise, only it wasn't mentioned here by anyone, as Sam asked back in 1.13 Route 666.   Sam will never go back to see Sarah and don't expect she would have waited for him anyway.

'The Krip' on the licene plate was an allusion to Eric Kripke of course.

Desperate Housewives - 7.11: "Assassins" Review

Paul recovers in hospital as the police investigate who shot him. Susan receives news she needs a kidney and Lynette finds out Tom cheated on her with Renee.

Mary Alice: (Brenda Strong) "Something happened in the suburbs last week, a man was shot outside his home; detectives were called.   The police had many suspects in the shooting of Paul Young (Mark Moses) but his wife had only one."  The police question the neighbours and Bree (Marcia Cross) tells them she's an expert marksman, if she shot him, he'd be dead.   Lynette (Felicity Huffman) would send flowers if he's dead.  Beth (Emily Bergl) questions Felicia (Harriet Sansom Harris) as to whether she shot Paul.   But she wouldn't kill him before she got the chance to prove he killed her sister.     Felicia bribes the guard for a phone and calls Mike (James Denton) whom we 're meant to believe was the one who shot Paul.  

Mary Alice: "...something we need to be reminded of when life goes wrong - we need to to pull ourselves together...life will get better, unless it doesn't."  Susan (Teri Hatcher) needs a kidney transplant as her remaining kidney is deformed.   She refuses dialysis.   Gaby (Eva Longoria) tries to bribe Juanita (Madison De La Garza) with a doll for her birthday.   Which appears to work until Gaby looks on her phone and stares at the photo of Grace (Cecilia Balagot).   Juanita asks why she has her photo and then storms out, at least she didn't throw the doll to the floor.   Susan tells Renee (Vanessa Williams) she's not going to be the one to tell Lynette about her and Tom (Doug Savant) Renee is.   Renee relays Susan's sentiments to Tom, that her friendship with Lynette isn't real until she tells her.   Tom panics.   Renee doesn't need to tell her, "sometimes being a friend requires you to lie."  Yeah for their own good; or his here.   Didn't he think that now Renee is in town and in the same neighbourhood that something like this would get out.   It's Wisteria Lane, there are no secrets.

Keith (Brian Austin Green) replants Bree's garden after the riot.   She comments how she's drinking out of a bottle now, just like Keith.   Complete slob, what does she see in him, soon she'll be a slob too.   A classy slob if there is such a thing, ha.   But maybe not so soon, since she throws out Keith's stuff that she doesn't like and won't fit into her decor, like his lava lamp.   Keith: "My stuff is clumsy."  Orson (Kyle MacLachlan) returns to stay with Bree on the pretext Judy kicked him out.   Keith reluctantly agrees to him staying.   Like it's his place and besides he should know Bree wouldn't kick Orson out if he needs help.   But he has to be here for a reason.   Orson remarks on Keith's cologne but he doesn't wear any, no, that's just B.O.  (Body Odour)  Yuk!  Bree isn't in a rebound relationship and Orson can't understand why Keith would want to change her since she's perfect.   Too perfect at times.

Gaby and Carlos (Richardo Antonio Chavira)  take Juanita for therapy.   Carlos only wants to make her better, whilst Gaby secretly pines for Grace.   Well, she's not exactly Gaby's saving grace.   Gaby says she took her doll shopping.   Cos at the first sign of trouble everyone turns to retail therapy!  The therapist advises them to "remove Grace from their life."  The detectives inform Paul that every one of his neighbours have an alibi, and want to question Beth.   Paul refuses as she's not a suspect and she's the only one he trusts.   Well that'll change.   (She's not exactly Mary Alice).

Carlos insists on throwing Grace's photos away but Gaby wants to prolong the agony and talks about putting them in a safety deposit box, that way neither of the girls will find them.   Carlos puts his foot down, accusing Gaby of not protecting Juanita and he doesn't want Grace's name mentioned again.  Lynette and Renee are described as being in sync together by a potential client and Renee bursts into tears when Lynette brings her a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies.   She loved them in college.   Nice timing Lynette.   Rennie admits she and Tom had a one off thing, the weekend Lynette was away with her parents.   That's when they were engaged, but they had broken up.   Lynette asks Renee not to tell Tom she knows.

Gaby doesn't acknowledge Grace at Juanita's birthday party when one of the guests asks if she has anymore children, but she doesn't seem to acknowledge Juanita either, remaining distant from her and not joining in.   Tom claims to have had a rotten day and Lynette gives him some hot chocolate, scolding his mouth.  Then secretly smirks.   Oh she's vicious in that 'butter wouldn't melt in her mouth' way.   Keith thought Bree was making Sloppy Joe's for dinner and he and Orson engage in a food fight when Keith refuses to put on a shirt and doesn't know who Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando) is either when Orson comments he didn't know Stanley was coming to dinner!  (From A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).   Thought everyone knew Stanley.   Judy tells Bree Orson dumped her since he's still in love with her.   He insists Bree''s changed and Keith's made her different.

Gaby gets a doll that resembles Grace, oh now we're going down the, substituting love for a daughter to a doll phase, from Gaby, What is she 12.   Susan collapses when she takes MJ (Mason Vale Cotton) for ice cream in the hospital cafeteria and asks the others to help Mike with MJ if anything happens to her.   She agrees to have dialysis.   Mike denies he had anything to do with Paul's shooting, he was only considering Felicia's offer, so who shot him?  Beth, that'd be ironic.

Mary Alice: "Something happened in the suburbs today...detectives were called in and they soon learned this man had enemies - some he was not even aware of..."  The detectives question Paul about his mother-in-law, Felicia.   Paul lies saying they've resolved their issues...  cos now he knows, he'll have plenty to scheme about, especially with Beth.   Hey maybe he already knew about Beth and they both planned the shooting to get Felicia off his back.   Since Paul seems to know an awful lot about everyone, why would he not know who Beth really is.   Or maybe he married Beth as some sort of revenge against Felicia.

CSI: Miami - 9.6: "Reality Kills" Review

A reality show star is murdered and all roads point to one of her co-stars, with Horatio racing against time to save a teen's life, suffering from a coma after taking bad drugs.

CSI:Miami seems to be obsessed with celebrity and reality-based episodes, there's one in almost every season.   Delko (Adam Rodriguez) patrols at a reality show: The Boroughs' party.   He's on crowd control as there are five parades, so it was amazing he was able to call for back-up when Horatio (David Caruso) arrives.  There's Gabe (Michael Carbonaro) from Queens, Tou Shea (Vanessa Lengies) from Brooklyn, advertizing her tanning spray, okay, publicizing it.   Zachary 'Guns' Rittner (Matthew Florida) is from the Bronx.  

Fireworks go off, which Delko mistakes for gunfire.   How long's he been on the job now.   He notices a man in the crowd with a gun and aims at Courtney (Kristen Renton) who appears to be high or drunk and she falls from the balcony.   Delko engages in a chase after the suspect.   The best chase scenes are covered in CSI:NY and no one can beat our Flack (Eddie Cahill) and Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) when it comes to chasing suspects! Horatio drives up and stops the suspect in his tracks.   Which is becoming a regular occurrence now.

The man was protesting against Courtney's hair care line and wanted to send her a message with pellets in the gun representing the blood of animals.   Horatio: "If I find out you're lying, the same won't be said of me."  In response to the man saying he didn't fire a shot.   Shea insists there are no secrets between any of them on the show.   Ryan (Jonathan Togo) thinks the man may have something to do with Courtney's death and Shea gives them their hate mail.   Ryan comments on the Statue of Liberty ice sculpture, which is a clue, as was the tanning spray.   Makes them miss college.   Almost picking up on the jokes and banter from last season between Ryan and Walter (Omar miller).

ME Tom (Christian Clemensen) good to see him back though he didn't do much.   He doesn't pick up any traces of the COD on Courtney.   Calleigh (Emily Procter) notices blood in her ear.   Well she had to find something since she hasn't been doing much lately aside from hiding behind set pieces.   Calleigh tie your hair!  The blood isn't from the fall.   Her tympannic membrane is torn.  The fall didn't kill Courtney but she suffered a stab wound, penetrating her ear and which didn't stop until it reached her brain.   A unique blade with certain measurements was used.   Calleigh tells him she knows where to start and yet she never left the lab.  The others had to search the suspects for such weapons.   Ryan enjoyed searching Shea.   Ryan: "I'm not paw-raping you, I'm just searching you." Horatio is determined to find the murder weapon.

On TV Zachary said he'd shut her up, but that was for the cameras.   Gabe's pocket knife is taken.   Shea insists Courtney was her friend and you know the old saying about having friends like that and not needing enemies.   Ryan tells her it wasn't  a ploy for the cameras since Courtney is dead and takes her nail file.   But it was for the cameras though.   Delko says according to the show, they all had motive, again that's all it was, just a show, as Zachary tells him the show had nothing to do with "actuality."  That sets Delko off on his rant and throwing his weight around and ever since he returned to the show that's all we've seen him do.   Ryan isn't  a fan of the show but he does his homework.   Delko discovers luminol doesn't show any blood on the knives etc.

A man attacks Gabe.   Cue another chase scene, this time with Ryan in tow.   Gabe doesn't know the man.  Wilson (Matt Gerald) is arrested but he claims he didn't kill Courtney.   Gabe tried to kill his brother, Tyler (Jacob Tudela).   He sold him drugs and now he's in a coma.   The doctor tells Horatio the drugs in his system hasn't been identified and the wrong therapy could kill him; he only has hours.   Horatio: "I'll get you an answer." Natalia (Eva Larue) and Walter check out the hotel room.   Walter remarks "our murder weapon just vanished into thin air."  Well at least he was on the right track.  Natalia thinks it's personal so they should look into Courtney's past.   Her real name was Megan Rauche and she was from Connecticut.   Ryan brings in some show footage.   He was researching.   Walter adds he means "avidly catching up on the season."  So he does watch the show, but then that's to be expected of Ryan.

 Courtney and Zachary were arguing over the baby.   Ryan has to point out she was hiding her stomach so she's pregnant.   Giving the expectant mother line to Calleigh.   Why didn't Tom find this out, I mean even if he found COD to be the stabbing in her ear, he didn't carry out a full autopsy on Courtney.   Zachary denies ever being with her.   He's studying to be join a seminary and become a priest.   Now it's Calleigh and Natalia's turn to cast aspirations and accusations on suspects and hold them guilty.   Natalia asks why he's "all with the buff." They too don't understand or seem to grasp TV isn't reality.   Calleigh is shocked he might actually be a virgin (cos she's not, ha.)  She's basing her decision on looks now.   Does it necessarily follow that if you're good looking, you're into every woman and have to be promiscuous.

James Read (Edwin Hodge) is Courtney's husband.   He was in a room across from Courtney and they had to keep their marriage secret under her contract.   They found a broken vase and lamp in his room, which Courtney threw at him, for doubting the baby was his.  Calleigh and Ryan were particularly harsh with someone who has just lost his wife and baby.   Especially when they don't have anything by way of evidence to back up their guilty theories.

Delko, trying to be tough and play boss too.   Gabe thought he sold Tyler ecstasy, like that'd make it better.   He has a supplier, Hannah Beckstrom (Marina Benedict).    Natalia's up on her stats on the murder of pregnant women as the top COD.   She and Walter search for the murder weapon.   Walter gives her the lowdown on 'Lady Liberty'.   He took the tour.   Her crown has 7 spikes and one under her torch.   They could have referred to Walter paying a visit to the NY crime lab, that would've been nice.   Natalia notices someone broke off the the ice spike.

 See Walter found what the weapon was, and it melted.   She thinks the sculpture may help them.   Hannah denies selling drugs.   She has marijuana in her bag and sold them for someone else.   She doesn't know what's in the drug.   Horatio just seems to be threatening everyone with long prison terms this episode.  She names her seller as Arthur Martinez (Randy Vasquez) who owns a bar.   Tripp (Rex Linn) asks for the names of his patrons or credit card receipts.   Horatio notices footprints on the pool table and shoots at the ceiling, causing drugs to fall through.

Tyler crashes just as the drug is being analyzed.   Natalia and Ryan examine the sculpture and Ryan thinks the trace could have slid down to the base of the sculpture.   That's Ryan and Walter solving the case then, whilst Delko was engaging in macho posturing.   Natalia identifies the sparkly substance as DHA used in spray tanner.   Shea in the flash is shown as breaking off the spike and it's clearly her, but after the case has been solved.   CSI:Miami usually used to show suspects in their clothes and used to give their ID away earlier on their flashbacks to the crime in question.

Courtney wanted to leave the show and Shea didn't want the show to end.   She was an MIT graduate and hated her job.   No one noticed her until the show.   Ryan thinks she should have paid off her loans by now.  She was just being greedy and fame got to her head.   But no one's watching her now.   Ryan asks "is this real enough."  Danny in CSI:NY episode, Personal Foul said something similar.   (He said he hopes what the woman did was worth it, same diff, ha.)  Wilson thanks Horatio for saving Tyler.

Horatio had a machine gun to put the fear of God into Arthur as he didn't have any time to lose when a boy's life was at stake.   But we know that's something he would do.   The machine gun would cover more of the ceiling than little normal pistol bullets.   As demonstrated by Harm (David James Elliott) in an episode of JAG, when he shot up the JAG courtroom ceiling to prove his point.

Horatio in this episode at the beginning, was believable he could be there since Delko called it in and the carpark was the only place he'd go to.   Though which carpark was anybody's guess.   It was too obvious he'd be there, just as in the second episode of the season.   That's why chase scenes should not be attempted in this show.   An episode which as I said earlier on shows the obsession with reality shows, no matter how lame or cheesy, this was a send up of Jersey shore; if you're into that kind of thing.

NCIS - 7.23: "Patriot Down" Review

Continuing on with Gibbs' storyline about killing Pedro, Abby finding out and confronting him with it. We get more insight into who is behind wanting to see our Gibbs get his just desserts.

A man on horseback, which I knew was Gibbs (Mark Harmon) finds a DB on the ground.   He's then held at gunpoint.

4 Days Earlier:  Tony (Michael Weatherly) comments on the graduates' "alcohol-induced purple haze." On the Baltimore PD, every graduate threw up, which he calls good times.   Yes Tony if you say so.    McGee (Sean Murray) calls him Hendrix.   Ziva (Cote de Pablo) thinks he graduated too soon.   Ziva is also about to graduate.  McGee asks what she's done her degree in.   Ziva says she's got her naturalization interview, it's "how an alien becomes a citizen."  Tony: "I know what it is ET."  Referring to it as due process.   Tony saying Ziva graduated from "English as a tenth language" was funny.    Gibbs mentions the eighth letter of the alphabet.   Tony tells Gibbs it's 'G'.   No, it's 'H' for homicide.   How could he get that wrong.   Vance (Rocky Carroll) tells them TV is covering the Annapolis graduation so they should keep their investigation low key.

They investigate a burnt DB.   McGee likens the smell to mesquite.   Tony asks him who he thinks he is, Bobby Flay.   He doesn't like smores.   (Well smores were mentioned in Michael's earlier show, Dark Angel)  Tony loves smores.   McGee was in the Webelos.   Was that like those Weeble toys you used to get, they would roll but not fall over.   Okay I know it's not.   Tony to McGee: "Zip up, your inner geek is showing."

Ducky (David McCallum) mentions Christopher and the "sand between toes." And AA Milne.   The DB put up a fight as there are broken nails.   Fire won't generate the necessary temperature to burn.   Tony: "thank you Wee Willie Webelos."  Ducky will rehydrate the digit with saline, to plump up the finger.   McGee uses his scanner to ID the DB as Laura Macy, from NCIS:LA.   Well when last we saw her, she only appeared in the NCIS LA intro episodes.   Cue flashback.   Gibbs: "Marine, agent, daughter."  She was in Marseilles up until 4 days ago.   What's with the 4 days in this episode.

Vance says this happened on his watch and he wants all the files.   Ducky talks to Macy about who do it, whether it was about work or was a result of work.   A serrated knife was used to sever her neck from the spinal cord, as in a professional hit.   Fire was set in NCIS jurisdiction since it all leads back to Gibbs.   Abby (Pauley Perrette) has questions for Gibbs.   The last call on the phone was made to  Kaylen Burroughs.  (Courtney Ford).   Allison (Rena sofer) arrives on the scene, knew she wouldn't be far away.   Gibbs tells her the pass only gives her limited access.   Bell is mentioned and Mexico wants their DB returned.  Gibbs says he was just a drug dealer.   Gibbs refuses her dinner and beer.   She thinks he's avoiding her.

Tony and Ziva on the ship and Tony hones in on the foody smell.  "I'm more than I eat.   I'm Italian."  Ziva: "Jews and Italians are similar that way."  Agh, they gave Ziva a typical American expression here, when she uses "that way," instead of saying something along the lines of "in that way."  Tony pronounces the dish as "flaan," it's flan.   Kaylen denies knowing Macy.   Abby examines her laptop and finds the casefile is incomplete.   Kaylen refused to testify on the rape charge.   Tony says she was on liberty in Marseilles.   Her shipmates, Capetanos (Joseph Williamson)  and Wachter (Ryan Caltagirone) were on liberty too.   Ziva tells Tony that Kaylen was attacked and Tony replies she's a witness in Macy's murder.

Vance approves the return of the DB to Mexico.   Alejandro (Marco Sanchez) was in awe of Abby and she tells Vance she needs more time to check her files.  Making excuses here.   Vance is looking forward to her report.   Allison stands behind Vance, just like she did with Bell in the photo.   McGee met Macy once.   Gibbs calls her a good, outstanding agent, when they visit her mother.  Everything's all about Gibbs and his past here and Allison is there so we think she's connected, but she's just a red herring, darn.  Her mother let a military man check Macy's files.   Some of them are missing and naturally it would be Gibbs' file from the Camp Pendleton investigation, where Macy was the MP who investigated the case.   So Macy was killed for covering up what Gibbs did in Mexico, in shooting Pedro.

Tony's eating!  A US civillian, Tyler Hammond (Nick Niven) was in the bar with Kaylen.   His father, Randall (Richard Burgi) runs a construction company.   Tyler was beaten up by Capetanos and Wachter.   Tyler says Kaylen is lying and he only witnessed the rape by one of her own.   Ziva says she would torture and castrate them.   Tony: "spoken like a true - almost American."  A rape kit was taken from Kaylen but there aren't any results.   Tony checks Capetanos and Wachter's locker and they admit to beating Tyler, but they didn't assault Kaylen or kill Macy.   So that leaves Tyler.   Gibbs talks with Kaylen and tells her not to call him 'sir.'  She admits it was Tyler and Randall.   He doesn't want anyone getting away with it since "it's about truth, about a dead NCIS agent...about someone getting away with murder until now."  That's a reference to Gibbs and his past action in there.

Abby finds the kit is contaminated and Gibbs asks for the results anyway.   She comments he's doing his "Gibbs' thing" to get a confession.   Abby knows about Gibbs' history with Macy and they need to talk about Mexico.   Flashes to Mexico, to Franks.   McGee says Macy was an MP at Pendleton from January '91 to February '92, that's when Gibbs was also there.   Now McGee kind of knows but he doesn't put two and two together.   Gibbs needs to call Franks to leave but he wouldn't really be so gullible to get caught out like that.   He fought off PMCs before.  Gibbs leaves a message for him: Rule 44: first things first, hide the women and children.

Gibbs tells Tyler they have his DNA.   He admits he raped her but didn't kill anyone.   Vance watches Gibbs.   Ducky says the pattern matches an army knife.   He asks who would be hurt most, like from a single bullet in Mexico.   Gibbs knows what he means.  Knows what he's lived with for 20 years.   Someone wanted it to come out and is forcing Gibbs' hand.   Soldiers are at Frank's place.   Allison hasn't spoken with Bell.   Gibbs believes this is about Bell using her to get to him.   She denies everything.   It's not for Gibbs to decide if Bell is a criminal or a murderer.   Allison says he's a patriot and it's her job to defend him.   Gibbs wants her to be honest with him once.  

Jason Paul Dean, (Dylan Bruno) an army ranger, matches the sketch Macy's mother described of him; which matches the footage from the disposable phone store; he stole Macy's notebooks.   Abby puts the lab in lockdown and confronts Gibbs.   There's evidence in her report that Gibbs killed Pedro.  He didn't talk to her about it.   Gibbs didn't have to.   She doesn't believe anyone needs to know the truth, she'd "do anything for you."  Gibbs replies he "only ever needed you to do one thing."  That's her job.   He tells her it doesn't have to be different this time.   She needs to send in her report to the task force and he shouldn't have to tell her.   Vance says Allison represents Bell's firm  and he has a legal right to question her when national security is concerned.   She cares about Gibbs.   Bell has info on Gibbs.

Gibbs doesn't need a welcome to Mexico, he's been here before, and he retired here too in seasons 3/4.  Dean killed Bell, the DB Gibbs came across in the beginning.   Gibbs asks who he's working for? Cue cliffhanger for the season finale.   At least this story is close to being finished.   A shame they killed off Macy, I mean she wasn't in either show, but she was the one with links to Gibbs and she covered for him, much in the same way Allison will help him next episode.   It would have been good to have had Allison behind it,  one way to get rid of her, but she's Gibbs' friend instead.   The title could also be a reference to Gibbs.   Can't help but think Allison was referring to Gibbs when she mentioned the patriot line.  

Kaylen is a petty officer and yet she wears the uniform of a Chief petty officer.   This episode kind of reminded me of the season 8 JAG episode The Killer, where Harm (David James Elliott) and Manetti (Tamlyn Tomita) investigated a serial killer.

Supernatural - 1.18: "Something Wicked" Review

Sam and Dean hunt for a witch who kills children and it's all about Dean's inaction in the past coming back to haunt him when he was left to look after Sam, as he always was.

Fitchburg, Wisconsin:  A girl is abducted by a scary figure through her window.   Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) argue over the coordinates sent by Dad (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).   Dean thinks they're being sent there cos it's something worth killing.   Dean: "...I'm the oldest.  I'm always right." Sam notices the time and how there aren't any children around in the playground, but there is one child there.   Sam and Dean ask a woman (Erica Carroll) about the children and how children are getting sick.   The parents think it's something contagious, well they were right, cos it was catchy.   Sam doesn't want to use the fake ID at the hospital as it says bikini inspector on there.   Dean: "All about confidence Sammy."

Sam introduces himself as Dr Jerry Kaplin and Dean sniggers when the nurse (Stacee Copeland) asks for ID.   Dean notices an old woman in the wheelchair and an upside down cross on the wall.   Dr Hydecker (Adrian Hough) was about to call the CDC.  Think it's pneumonia but the children aren't responding to antibiotics.   It only spreads though families with children and one sibling after another, which should have set alarm bells ringing.   Dean talks with a parent, Mary was affected and Bethany was next.   The window was open the second time round but was closed when she was put to bed.   Dean thinks something opened the window.   There aren't any EMF readings and Sam finds a handprint on the ledge outside the window at their house.  

Dean has a flashback to the same print.   He calls Dad but he doesn't pick up and he's left Sam with Dean again to look after.  Dad tells him to watch out for Sammy.   Dean: "Shoot first asks questions later."  That's where he learned to do that.   Dean realizes why Dad sent them here, he needs for Dean to finish the job.  Sam surmises it's a Shtriga (Jeannie Brockway) and Dean doesn't know much.   He tells Sam that Dad hunted one in Fort Douglas about 16 years ago which Sam doesn't remember.   Dean believes the Shtriga is the same one from before, the one that got away.   Dean however tells Sam nothing about what happened.

They check into the motel and Dean asks for "two Queens."
Michael: "Yeah I bet."  Dean asks what he said.   He pours milk out for his brother and Dean flashes to feeding Sam.   Dad will come at night and Sam hates Spaghetti Os.   Dean hasn't had any cereal but he gives it to Sam.   Sam searches for info on the Shtriga and finds it originates from Albania.   Legends date back to Ancient Rome and it feeds on spiritus vitae: breath of life force essence.   It prefers children as they have a stronger life force.   Dean says it's vulnerable when it feeds.   Sam asks if there's anything else and again Dean doesn't tell him.

It adopts a human form when not feeding and is usually an old woman and that's how the legend about old crones began. The addresses when marked on the map reveal the hospital as the centre prompting Dean to recall the old woman who was too obvious (missing the doctor seeing as he also works at the hospital, so it could have been any of the staff.)   Dean looks at her and she asks "Who the hell are you?"  She sleeps with her eyes open.   She wants the cross fixed and has asked four times.   The Shtriga appears at the motel and takes Michael's (Colby Paul) brother, Asher.    Michael blames himself and he should have closed the window, but that wouldn't have made any difference.   Dean being a big brother also knows how he feels.

Dean drives their mother, Joanna (Venus Terzo) to hospital and comments he's going to kill it.   Sam's discovered the same thing happens in other towns, like Ogdenville and North Haverbrook, which if anyone is familiar with the Simpsons will find these towns are mentioned and are on the Simpson's Monopoly board as monorail stations.  It appears every 15-20 years.   Children fall into comas and die.   Sam looks at the photos of the doctor at the bedsides taken in 1893 and discovers it's the same doctor Hydecker at the hospital.   Doctor tells Dean, "Nothing's more important to me than these kids."  Oh stop trying to be clever.

Dean tells Sam they can't shoot him in the hospital and he doesn't have his gun, he has to eat.   Sam: "Getting wise in your old age Dean."  Dean says they'll use Michael as bait as it'll come after him tonight.   Sam doesn't think that's a good idea.   If he disappears it'll be years before it returns.   Dean blames himself and Sam is angry Dean's been lying to him from the start.   Dean has another flashback.   It was their third night in a rubbishy room and he needed air so he left Sam alone in his bed.   When he returned he saw it trying to feed on him and he was too slow, he couldn't shoot it.   Dad fired but it escaped.   Dad was angry and he couldn't find the Shtriga.   Dad didn't talk about it again, but Dean says: "He looked at me different  - which was worse."

Dean regrets disobeying an order and almost getting Sam killed.   That's why he's such a stickler for orders and it's not just cos he wants to do the right thing by Dad, but disobeying almost lost Sam as a result.   So it's not just that he wants to be like Dad as Sam used to say.   They can't use one of them as bait as Sam suggests, since it has to be close enough to feed.   Michael said it had a black robe and thought it was a nightmare.   Dean: "Sometimes nightmares are real."  As we know from their world.   Dean doesn't know if Asher will get better but they have to kill it, it's what they do.   Sam apologizes for giving Dean hell over following orders and now realizes why he does it.   Dean: "Oh God kill me now."  In another one of his outbursts so they don't have to get  all touchy feely.

Dean sees it come in, he fires at it and it grabs Dean, throws him against the wall and takes Sam.   Dean fies through its head and shoots three times.   Michael is fine and so are the others.   Hydecker hasn't come in today at the hospital.   Sam: "Michael will always know there are things out there in the dark, he'll never be the same.   Sometimes I wish I could have that kind of innocence."   Dean: "If it means anything, sometimes I wish that you could too."

An episode delving into their past once more as children and why Dad was so protective of Sam.   But he depended too much on Dean looking after Sam all the time and how he would just dump Sam on Dean to watch over him.   Dean had to grow up before his time.   At least we get an explanation why Dean follows orders so much cos to him, Dad knows best, which isn't what Sam believes.   Now he knows better too.

The old woman's room at the hospital is 237, which is the room number in movie, The Shinning.   Also used again in the season 2 episode Playthings.   Erica Carroll who played the nurse at reception also played a nurse in the earlier season 1 episode Faith.

CSI: NY - 7.5: "Out of the Sky" Review

Robbers steal precious gems from the apartment of a lawyer. Said gems ending up doing a virtual tour of NY City, leaving a wake of bodies in their path. Danny deals with someone from his past.

Lawyer, Roland Carson's (Gregory Harrison) apartment is robbed by two assailants, whilst one of his clients, Melvin McGrange (Moe Irvin) is attempting to give him his gun for safety.  Carson's bodyguard, James Belson (Coby Ryan McLaughlin) attempts to take them on and is shot.   Melvin goes for his gun and injures one, but is fatally shot.   Belson would have seen the intruders on the surveillance anyway, so it's unlikely he wouldn't have called the police and take on two armed intruders like that; unless there was more going on here, as is always the case.

Flack (Eddie Cahill) introduces Carson as a  "scumbag lawyer" which he prefers to call him.   Belson survived and is at the hospital, he was Danny's former partner when they were on patrol.   Flack: "apparently he's working on the other side now."  They stole $5 million worth of gems.   Mac: (Gary Sinise) referring to the safe as, "it's not so safe after all."  Another of Stella's (Melina Kanakaredes) lines, well  Mac had to say it as she's no longer around.

Lindsay (Anna Belknap) processes the CS by herself; finding 2 bullet casings, sand.   Melvin had 8 entry wounds and GSR (Gunshot Residue) on his hands, with a spent .45 casing nearby.   From his gun.   Flack notices the surveillance cameras in the building.   Carson demands the gems back from Mac and he tells him his 'assignment' is finding the killers, he should let Mac do his job.   Mac: "We work every case equally hard." Carson fears he may be next if he doesn't get the jewels back.   Mac's retort: "We'll  work that case equally hard too."

Lindsay shows Jo (Sela Ward) the video footage, where the suspects wore LEDs to hide their faces.   They were infra red LEDs which aren't on the market yet.   Jo sees the robbers as pros.

Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) drops by the hospital to see Belson, and tells him he's married with a child.   Don't know how many times that's going to be rubbed in now, we won't be forgetting that in a hurry.   Writers missed out, unforgivably,  on a potential opportunity to make Danny shine in this episode with his story, since he was away from Lindsay and yet it was as if he never left her side.   Belson saw the intruders on the surveillance and got shot.   He didn't see their faces.   Danny doesn't have any plans to retire anytime soon.   Flack finds the helicopter was hired for a private pleasure tour but wasn't returned.   Danny tells him Belson will make it.  

Flack never knew him, but says, "gotta wonder how an ex-cop goes over to the dark side working for a sleaze like Carson."  Danny thinks he was a good cop (aren't they all until things happen to them.)  He just came across bad luck and we get a flashback to Danny and Belson on patrol on a felony carstop.   Flack: "Constructive possession, one of my favourites."  Danny heard a noise in the patrol car but Belson never saw the gun dropped in the backseat, which was later used by a suspect to shoot two officers on the nightshift.   Belson couldn't take the flak (ha, no pun) and resigned.

Flack and Danny getting to discuss the case - again and talking about Belson.   No chases this time around, but we did get to see them out on the 'streets' together.   Flack has a penchant for white shirts this season.   As does Danny, who wore them last season, along with their little jackets.   Just a little NY fashion expose from me.

The helicopter is located with one of the robbers inside, dead.   He bled out.   Hawkes (Hill Harper) takes photos.  The LEDs were still on him.   The strap broke off the bag.   The sand isn't the same as the one found in the apartment.   Danny: "We follow the money."   He makes a mould of the car tyre treads.   Hawkes finds a nano chip when he examines the bag in the lab.

Adam (AJ Buckley) finds it's a tiny tracking device, if there's another chip with the same signal, they can find it and the signal from the other chip is in the building.   Well it would be.

Sid (Robert Joy) mentions the victim of a mugging and Mac finds the chip on the sole of his shoe.   He inadvertently picked up the chip on his shoe.   That's no way to talk about a DB Mac, when he asks, "who the hell is he?"

Jo gets a match from Melvin's gun to a Logan Peele (Austin Priester) a heist man.   Mac sees the sheets on the associates of Peele and refers to them as career criminals, the Vic in the morgue isn't one of them.   Jo didn't get to do much this episode either.

Hawkes finds no wallet or ID and the only thing that links him to the robbery is the chip.   They know how he died, comments Sid, a single gunshot wound to the head.  He was bruised in a fight and a knife mark on his throat.   Hawkes finds another minute particle lodged in the knife mark.   Sid analyzes it to be epithelium.

Lindsay strolling in like she's so pleased with herself again, no knocking, just waltzes right in asking what they wish for.   This is an investigation Lindsay!  Mac's comment, "I'm wishing there was a point here."  Normally he goes along with her but not this time and so he shouldn't, considering he's abrupt with Adam all the time.   She found bacteria and algae which is common in stagnant water and a penny.   Mac comments the Vic made a wish and it came true, the second bag was dropped and it was the luckiest day of the Vic's life, as Jo puts it.

Adam's analysis of the sand reveals GSR trace and Danny gives us the clue when he says it was nowhere near the gunshot.   He finds pollen in the treads.   Adam poses the dilemma, ethical and moral, of what Danny would do if he came across all that money.   Danny would give it back, of course, but Adam would keep part of it.   Danny tells him people get hurt if you keep things that don't belong to you, which in essence was the premise of this episode.   Hawkes gets a hit in CODIS from the suspect's fingernails, to Arnold (Mike Foy).

Flack asks him about his bad habits.   Arnold didn't kill the Vic, he stole money from him but not his gym bag.   Flack calls him the 'dumbest mugger' "those were some valuable gym socks."  Flack sees a blonde standing in the station and asks if she's okay! Jenny Harper (Melissa Ordway) is looking for her missing boyfriend, Heath (Justin Baldoni) who was coming in to return his findings.   He left her a garbled message on her voicemail.   Flack wants to have it analyzed.   Heath found the bag when he was making a wish at the fountain in the park.   Flack thinks he "was lucky to have a girlfriend who pointed him in the right direction."  Heath saved her life.   Flack understood what she was going through and was sympathetic towards her, reflecting his own feelings at losing someone close.   Still at least we got to see more of Flack this episode.

Adam tells Mac about the call he made with his ass one day, when the buttons get pressed accidentally.   He talked about his girlfriend, and Mac tells him that's why she's his ex.   Mac as per usual, isn't amused with Adam's digressions or analogies.  Mac treating Adam with such indifference again, if that's the right word.   Not that he's still not forgiven him for jeopardizing the "integrity of the lab," to the point where Adam is never going to get over being flustered everytime he has to talk to Mac.   He doesn't talk as casually and openly to Mac as he feels he can with Hawkes and Danny.

Danny tells Jo about  the flowers, which aren't native to New York and there's a nursery near to where the helicopter was found.  He and Flack find two DBs in the car, the pilot and the second gunman, shot execution style.   Lindsay surmises that Heath was killed 8 hours ago and the two gunmen, both brothers were killed 12 hours ago.   The brother's lawyer was Carson and all three were shot with the same gun, a Sig Sauer owned by Carson.   Carson tells Mac just about everything, except for denying the crimes.   That was a bit risky seeing dangerous criminals in his apartment.   He threatens Mac and the City with a malicious prosecution lawsuit..   He refers to earning more in a day than Mac does in a week.   Well he was being paid by the proceeds of crime.   (Remember back in season 1's Tanglewood episode, where Stella actually spelled out how much she earned!)

Hawkes finds the bullet pulled from Belson was deformed in such a way it would have been if he had been wearing body armour.  Hawkes test fires the gun to get the same deformed pattern, that's why there was GSR in the sand, as he was shot through a sandbag.   Mac believes he was shot to avoid being labelled a suspect.

Jo thinks they'll be able to trace Belson's movements on his computer.   Danny didn't even think of the possibility it could have been him.   Mac adds you don't know what someone is capable of even if they are old friends.   Luck had noting to do with his actions.   Which also reverts back to Flack in a way, when he shot Angell's (Emmanuelle Vaugier) killer.   That's digression from me.

Adam deciphered the voices, one of them asks, "where is it?" before shooting Heath.   He took his phone to locate where Heath lived.   Mac asks what Belson could want from him.   Perhaps all of the gems weren't recovered.   A bit of a hole in this plot line, considering even after Carson had identified the gems and that a ring was missing, it still didn't occur to Mac that it may still be there - at Heath's place, seeing as how the chip got under his shoe.   That's what Belson thought.

Danny tells Belson his reasons for doing what he did doesn't justify the killings.   It doesn't matter whether Danny had been in his place that night.    For a former policeman, Belson wasn't that bright, leaving the sand behind on the floor.   Danny taking him in so he could continue giving him a peace of his mind.   The differences between Danny and him, Danny was a better policeman and a better person than Belson, no wonder his wife left him and moved miles away.

Flack checks up on Jenny.   Wouldn't turn Flack away from my door!

Jenny throws the ring into the fountain - wonder who's going to find that then?

This episode was not so much about luck, but more like Murphy's Law which states  "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." The robber being shot, the bag falling and landing in the fountain.   Right when Heath was there.   Taking the bag, keeping the ring.

No one asked at the end why Belson did go to Heath's apartment, after Mac said he was looking for  where he lives.   Did they not question why he was there.   Wasn't it to finish the job off and go after his girlfriend, she didn't see him, so she couldn't ID him, but more particularly because she had something he wanted.   That's what was heard on the deciphered phone message: Belson telling Heath he had something of his.   She seemed surprised to find the ring under the pillow..

As for suspects it could only have been Carson or Belson, since Belson knew all the low down on the security and his clients, as he tells Danny.   Also when he said it could have been Danny in his place that night, which led to his resignation.   However, Danny's been through so much in season 1, such as the episode, On the Job, after he shot the policeman and had to endure the "wrath of Mac" over it and IAB.   Danny has made mistakes of his own in the past, which haven't changed him as a person, he's learned from them.

Anyone could see the flashback was a recent addition, Danny had the same goatee and hairstyle he has now, which he didn't have in season 1.

Desperate Housewives - 7.10: "Down the Block There's a Riot" Review

The final episode before the Christmas break sees a riot erupt on the Lane, that's never been done before. Tempers flare, fights galore, bullets sound and anger rages; it's not too long before people get hurt and Paul gets his comeuppance.

Mary Alice (Brenda Strong) "We know what they look like, we know how they dress  and we know how they behave.   Yes we can all recognize the wrong kind of people and when we see them coming, we do what we have to do to protect ourselves."

Paul (Mark Moses) is getting the parolees to fix up the house.   He wants them living on the street where everyone's so friendly.   The women all need to gather support from the others so he can't buy up the last house he needs.

Mary Alice: "My friends went to work trying to stop Paul Young...he didn't care.   He should have...he knew what the ordinary men and women will do to protect themselves from the wrong type of people."  Lots of people packing heat this episode, but of course we don't get to see everyone's faces, that'd lose the mystery and effect.

Mary Alice: "...a woman departed - news of her disappearance would spread and the sound would be deafening."  But a "young man in love had plans to make some noise of his own."  Keith (Brian Austin Green) proposes to Bree (Marcia Cross) but before he can actually get the words out, Bree stumps him with a proposal of her own.   Ain't that the way Bree, always has to interrupt first.   She wants him to move in  ith her.   It's too soon to contemplate marriage.   Keith thinks he can use this as a "tiny napkin ring."  It'd be a hoot how her friends will gossip about her 'living in sin.'  Obviously Bree wouldn't do something like that but then that's the new Bree, a marked difference in her character.   She wouldn't drink, she wouldn't live in sin, or believe in sex before marriage etc, but she does just that now.

Lynette (Felicity Huffman) is approached by the Hydrangea Circle Homeowner's Association for help with getting the halfway house removed.   (The names of these streets must drive people potty, if they're all named after flowers and plants!)  He can scare the hell out of the person opening up the halfway house.

Susan (Teri Hatcher) chats with Mike (James Denton) and how he misses her, he even put boobs on a snowman and the only female he's seen had antlers.   She tells him about Tom (Doug Savant) and Renee (Vanessa Williams) but he suggests she not tell Lynette.  Gaby (Eva Longoria) cries over losing Grace (Cecilia Balagot) and Juanita (Madison La Garza) asks her why.   Gaby forbids her from playing in her bedroom and to not wear her expensive jewellery.   Juanita liked her better when she was crying.

Lee (Kevin Rahm) confesses to Lynette that he didn't know what Paul was planning.   Paul watches from his window and tricks him into selling his own house, so he has the final vote he needs.   Lee thinks Mitzi (Mindy Sterling) has sold her house and so prices will plummet.   Bob (Tuc Watkins) thinks Lee made the right move in selling since everyone on the lane holds him responsible.   Lo and behold, who turns up, none other than Mitzi.   She wouldn't "screw over" her neighbours.   And boy are they right royally screwed!

An episode full of propositions and proposals from left right and centre.   Gaby has to speak with Lynette as she's the only one who's lost a child.   She tells her to write a letter to Grace, but not to send it out.  Her therapist told her this and it worked.   Not surprisingly, Juanita reads the letter, as she never does what she's told and hides under Gaby's bed.   She and Gaby have a falling out and Juanita runs away, after pushing Gaby to the floor.   She's not her mommy.

Richard (John Schneider) attempts to discourage Keith from marrying Bree.   She only wants fun and he's just a "distraction." Paul announces the Mayor of Fairview is bestowing him with an award for Outstanding Public Service and all his friends should come.  Carlos (Richardo Antonio Chavira) asks what this service is?  He has the necessary votes to open the halfway house.

Renee mistakes the schoolbus and the children for 'creepy characters' who were staring at her.   Susan lets Tom know she's aware of Renee's love for him and their weekend in the past; but Tom loves Lynette.   Renee was "forever ago."  Susan thinks he should get Renee to leave.  Couldn't keep her mouth shut, as usual.   Keith wants Bree to wear his ring if marriage is only a formality and they'll be married eventually.   He needs more commitment from her.   See, once upon an eon ago, Bree would be in Keith's position and demand a commitment from the man in her life.   He repeats Richard's line of him only being a "diversion" and how they're not meant to be together.

Lynette takes up the Hydrangea Circle offer of help and thinks they'll be organizing a peaceful protest, with slogans and embarrassing the mayor.   After an ex-con enters Bree's house  by mistake, Richard gets the chance to rescue her from him and kisses her.   So what was said a few weeks ago by me, actually happens.   Bree tells Keith about this and when he confronts Richard outside, one of the protesters thinks Keith is an ex-con, starting a fight, which escalates into a full-blown riot.   Lee packs a gun.   Bree shoots her gun to stop them attacking Keith.   Juanita hides out in Lee's and Bob's car and they're attacked.   Gaby rescues Juanita, but they leave behind Lee and Bob; so much for neighbourly spirit!  It's up to Lynette to come to their help by shouting he's her neighbour!  Lynette accuses Paul of all the trouble and he replies,sarcastically, that the residents were supposed to be better than ex-cons.

Renee tells Susan she's here to stay and they get separated by the crowd, leading to Susan being trampled.   She's unconscious when Tom and Renee find her.

Mary Alice: you "could no longer hear the screams of frightened bystanders...cries of help from the injured...just footsteps of a man who had finally pushed them, who had betrayed them...the silence was broken by what the neighboours would say sounded like that of a gunshot...Paul knew it was the sound of revenge..."

This was the Christmas cliffhanger and it came as no surprise that Paul would be shot, with so many guns around, the question now being who really did it.   My bets on his wife, Beth (Emily Bergl), but you never can tell with this show.

CSI: Miami - 9.5: "Sleepless in Miami" Review

A man in a dream state calls for help and is found in the Everglades along with a DB. he claims he was killing himself. The DB turns out to be a severed head. Is he guilty of murder? Events turn out to be close to home for Natalia.

A man unaware of what he's done calls and reports his own murder in the Everglades.   Horatio (David Caruso) naturally is on the case.   They find a head buried.   Jason (Shawn Hatosy) thought he was killing himself.   Horatio questions him on how he knew about the burial.   He thinks it's a dream.   Horatio: "the dream is over."  Natalia (Eva Larue) collects trace from him.   ME Tom (Christian Clemenson) is distraught as only the head is there and not a complete body.   Walter (Omar Miller) arrives funny comment in tow, "Sleeping Beauty still thinks he's trapped in a dream." He found his car.   It's heard to dream and drive, well Natalia will prove him wrong, kind of.   Jason remembers two dreams, one where he was standing on the dock and throwing a trunk in the water with a DB inside.

Walter has to accompany him and Jason wanders off, recalling throwing something in the incinerator.   Walter finds the hands.   ME Tom can now hope to solve the mystery of how he died.   Delko (Adam Rodriguez) questions Jason, surprisingly he doesn't judge him guilty yet and doesn't think he did it.   Natalia disagrees, the hair found on Jason matches the Vic.   Now it's Natalia's turn to be judgemental and she accuses him of building  a "dream defence."  There's no consistency in their characters anymore.  Natalia's outburst makes him ask for a lawyer.   Natalia is adamant he knows everything cos he did it.   Delko attempts to explain he could have overheard.   Natalia's ex used the same defence, which is why she's got a bee in her bonnet.

Natalia asks Travers (Christopher Redman) to run the hair.   He can only determine whether the hair came from the head or the body.   ME Tom finds the Tox screen comes back negative, but someone wanted him dead.   He was right.   He discovered hesitation wounds and asks for fabric softener, which he uses to hydrate fingerprints.  A match to Brandon Garrett (Jordan Murphy).   Tripp (Rex Linn) visits his wife with Horatio and another funny line from him about not looking like one of their customers.   His wife, Stacey (Merle Dandridge) tells them they weren't having any problems and she keeps touching her necklace, which she calls honouring the dead.   They were divorcing and she's spiritual.

Ryan (Jonathan Togo) and Delko check out Brandon's place and finds it devoid of furniture upstairs.   Ryan also locates  the primary CS as the bathtub using luminol.   A magic fish is found in the bathtub.   Ryan refers to it as a psychic trick, meant to read romantic mood and reacts to sweat.   The name on the fish reads Elena (Beth Littleford) who calls herself a healer.   She reads Ryan's aura which is green.   He's having money issues (doesn't everyone).   She advises him to rub some oil on his forehead and he'll come into money soon.   She touches the fish to read the aura, over-acting, and tells them it belongs to Jason, one of her clients.   Ryan tricks Jason into admitting the fish belongs to him and Natalia tells him the hair came from Brandon's body so he was in contact with him.   She accuses him of killing again, just cos she's hung up on her ex doesn't mean she can treat suspects in that way. Jason recalls being in Brandon's house.

ME Tom finds peticule hemorrhaging on the lungs indicating he stopped breathing suddenly.   Walter tells Horatio Stacey's rich and withdrew money, mentioning snail venom, which is a clue.   Stacey and Peter (Stephen Amell) were having an affair, if you could call it that.   Horatio's "Oh boy" when he and Delko realize what the noises are a sign of!  She saw a psychic to get pregnant.   Peter's surprised, she didn't tell him.   Walter points out an oily substance on Ryan's forehead!  Natalia is sure everyone is lying and Horatio believes Elena holds the key.   Prompting Natalia to come up with the idea of going undercover as a client.   Horatio agrees.   Like no one else could come up with the idea.

Elena notices Natalia's hearing aid and makes her talk about her ex.   She still harbours feelings about her ex.  She makes Natalia breathe into a candle.   Horatio arrives outside and he and Ryan notice Natalia is missing, taking her car with her.   Horatio recalls the GPS in her car and track her to an abandoned warehouse.   Natalia thinks she's in the lab and sees her ex.   She shoots at him, but she's really shooting at Horatio and Ryan, who manages to subdue her.   At the hospital she recalls she went to Elena's.   Ryan says Elena made her as a cop, well she was useless, playing about with her hearing aid like that, so much for going undercover.    She was hypnotized and that's what happened to Jason.   She apologizes, Natalia was also drugged.

Elena's stash of money is found at her house and Horatio predicts she'll return for it, which she stupidly does.   She admits to killing Brandon, she didn't mean to and Stacey wanted him dead.  She thinks she killed him without actually touching him.   Ryan agrees with Walter that they've got noting on Elena or Stacey other than her casting a spell.  ME Tom hears the symptoms Brandon suffered and the numbing began in Brandon's hands, allowing him to examine the hands for entry wounds.   He's so excited about his work,  he examines for neurotoxins.   He was poisoned, his muscles were paralyzed.   This wasn't apparent in the Tox screen  thus he needed to know the symptoms.   The venom was from a cone snail, which is a natural anaesthetic.   A four-pinned prong was used and the killer's hands would have been irritated from the venom.

Obviously it had to be Peter who killed him for Stacey, oh put away the lot of them.   Horatio posits he used a dead fish to extract the poison, which is what Jason saw in his dream, as well as the magic fish.   Stacey is also being charged.   Natalia says they'll help Jason.   Ryan and Horatio put back Natalia's firearm.   No one must know she fired at them, especially Natalia.   Ryan puts money into a vending machine and money falls from it.   Knew that was coming.   No one would believe this, he says to himself.

Some irony here then as Stacey wanted a psychic to kill her husband and yet there was Peter right before her eyes, who was ready, willing and able and did in fact kill him.   Also you'd be forgiven for thinking the opening "dream sequence" was some sort of an homage to Alfred Hitchcock.   He was big on such dramatic, or mind-boggling sequences in some of his movies.   Spellbound (1945) is one that springs to mind, where Gregory Peck plays an amnesiac who gets visions of death and someone being killed, which are triggered by things which seem ordinary to everyone else, such as fork marks on a white table cloth.  The killer appears to have e blanked-out, masked face; similar to the appearance of Natalia's ex.  

How come Natalia recalled so very little about her 'hallucinogenic' actions, whilst Jason recalled so much, conveniently forgetting who she actually shot at, wonder if she'll recall it later on.  Even though he said he had more than one dream.

Anyway, Natalia being in such a vulnerable state still over her ex, wasn't the obvious choice to go undercover; she was susceptible to hypnotic suggestions.  (Obviously Calleigh (Emily Procter) couldn't go.  As for breathing in from the candle; it could have been any noxious substance  she was inhaling.    Ryan's never-ending money woes  seem to always get an airing and with Elena's predictions holding true for him, not that he'll tell anyone, appears Ryan seems to be into this whole psychic gig, especially since he told Delko about the magic fish.   Then again he's probably done a lot of research into it, just like his reality shows; celebrity articles in magazines etc.

Not the first time CSI:Miami has delved into such a case and was in familiar territory in the season 7 episode Head Case where a man was found walking the streets covered in blood.   He also faced jail time, even though he didn't kill anyone, knowingly.  However this episode concentrated on sleep deprivation and its effects.  Delko empathized with the suspect telling Ryan they shouldn't jump to any conclusions.   Empathizing more so with the Vic as he too wanted to regain his memories after his near fatal shooting.   Was directed by Sam Hill too, as was this current episode.  

In CSI:NY episode 6.16 Uncertainty, a man is found wandering the streets, axe in hand and Flack (Eddie cahill) doesn't know what to make of his story when he tells him he was swimming with seahorses and being attacked by clowns.   He wasn't into drugs.   The shower curtains had the seahorses and he had been drugged by LSD and he was innocent of murder.