CSI: NY - 7.13: "Party Down" Review

A truck with party-goers crashes into the river with all on board and the CSIs investigate to find one malicious killer is behind the crash, just to exact his own revenge.

A party goes awry when the truck it's being held on crashes through a barrier and falls into the river.   CSI:NY's version of Titanic (1997) on a truck.   Mac (Gary Sinise) arrives on the scene and looks at the survivors.   Jo (Sela Ward) watches the truck being lifted out of the river.   Jo comments there were probably about 20 people inside.   Mac notices they had a lucky escape through the escape hatch in the roof of the truck.    There are two dead.  A DB is revealed inside.   Mac: "Make that 3."   Flack (Eddie Cahill) calls it a truck party gone bad.   Mac calls him Don and not Flack here.   Trucks are being converted into nightclubs now, the new fad.   Jo says the truck was meant to be stationary.   Two cabbies saw it through the barrier.   Thought it was the two workers who saw the truck, didn't think the two cabbies were that close to the river.   Flack guesses the driver must have got out and ran away.

Mac: "Crashing this party wasn't an accident."  Hawkes (Hill Harper) and Lindsay (Anna Belknap) process the truck.   Lindsay finds the keys to the truck in the glovebox, but the water has removed any biological trace.   The truck was hotwired.   The cannister without the label contains acetylene.   The hatch was wielded shut.   The work was shoddy so it was broken open otherwise there would have been more casualties.    Lindsay disappeared for a long time, then I spoke too soon and she was back!

The survivors are questioned at the precinct and one guest says to be there you had to be noticed, meaning it wasn't a party for losers, to put it bluntly.   Flack asks who threw the party?  She found out about the party from someone at work.   Chris (Carter MacIntyre)  didn't even realize the truck was moving until it crashed.   None of them realized they were on the move, talk about being caught in the moment!  Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) asks if they knew anyone at the party?  No one noticed when the door was closed.   Chris broke through the hatch to let everyone escape.    The backdoor was closed.   Flack says they'll find who did this.   Danny asks if they knew the host.   Abigail (Marla Sokoloff) calls Chris a hero.   One of the survivors, Neil (Michael McMillian) says when he escaped and got to the surface he felt he was reborn, when he took his first breath of air.   That was a clue.

Sid (Robert Joy) conducts an autopsy on Cameron who had river water in his lungs and stomach, he drowned.   Hawkes notices that the second Vic, Brett had his throat crushed from the impact of the truck.   The third Vic, the female died of hypothermia and must have been in pain.   Her prints are in AFIS from a DUI charge, as Victoria Enzo (Deja Howell).    Her father is Carmen Enzo, (Paul Ben-Victor).    Head of the Sanitation Workers Union.   Jo believes Victoria could have been a target.   Mac recalls he betrayed his Union members so it could be retribution on the part of one of them.  

Mac questions Carmen and tells him they don't have a suspect yet but are making every effort in the case to catch the killer.   Victoria could have been targeted because of him.   Mac: "Not everybody cares about the rules."  Like Mac does.   Flack tells Mac about Jessica (Alexa Havins).   She was meant to be at the party and not Victoria.   She received an invite but had to work late at the bar.   No one else could get in after 12 midnight so she couldn't arrive late.   Of course the truck wasn't going to be there later on.  Mac adds no one was getting out either.   They question the survivors on who else was personally invited, thus leaving 4 survivors and 4 potential suspects.   They need to find a connection between them.   Each one of them holds a picture of the events.

Jessica doesn't recognize anyone.   Chris noticed Abigail at the party, but not before.   Abigail doesn't remember anyone either.   Neil  tells Mac his parents taught him to look past physical appearances (another clue.)  Which Mac calls being a good thing, but it doesn't work for everyone though and especially not in today's world, where looks are everything.   Well it's the first thing you notice about someone!  Danny believes it must be someone with a grudge.  Neil recalls getting phonecalls in the middle of the night and hearing a man's voice.   Funnily enough he was the only one to hear a voice.   Cos Chris got calls too, but no one said anything.   Abigail recalls the garbage cans were rifled through, years ago.   Danny says Jessica's car was broken into but nothing was stolen.   Jo believes it could be the work of a stalker, but just one.   A stalker is obsessed and he only has one object of his intense hate and obsession.

Adam (AJ Buckley) processes the invitation.   The paper used was vellum and the ink was Japanese and it contained human blood from the artist who made the invite.   Her name is Aiko (Haviland Stillwell) and she has a record.   They check out her 'exhibition' to question her and Jo calls themselves "the art police."  Flack ogles the women in her exhibition and asks one of them, "How you doin'?"  Jo has to drag him away!   Good to see Flack back into looking at women; as he used to do that in other seasons.   Remember when he had to interview a woman, he would always look at them in a certain way.   But not the female suspects though.   Jo calls her by her actual name, Wanda and she's an ex-con.   She uses her blood to verify the authenticity of her work.   A man paid her $20,000 to make 4 invites.   Flack asks for a description, but beyond, dark hair, and stutters; she doesn't give much of one.   Jo asks her to sketch him.   Wanda comments she makes men nervous, he didn't like to maintain eye contact with her.   That was another clue.

Mac shows Neil the sketch of the suspect and come on, it was so obvious the sketch matched Neil, he was staring Mac right in the face.   The shape of his face was round and chubby.   But  Neil, thinking he was clever, alters the sketch to look like someone else.   He posits he saw a man on the street with that description staring at him.   Notice out of all the suspects/survivors, Neil was the only one who really recalled anything and tried so hard to be helpful.   A sure sign of guilt in CSI: Miami, when suspects are too helpful and cooperate.   Jessica looks at the sketch and knows him.    She calls him Johnny, (Brian Collins).   See

Neil wasn't so clever, since he altered the sketch to look like John and Jessica recognized him.   Providing another piece of the puzzling connection between them.   She and John were engaged and met senior year in college.   She saw him again three years ago, but he became possessive and needy.  He called off the engagement.   He began following her, just to make John into a convincing suspect.   Did anyone think to question why John's behaviour had changed.   No, it was because he was being stalked and so he became paranoid to the point of isolating himself, as Mac says later.   Flack calls John a choirboy.   Danny comments it's a big leap to a murder.

Chris interrupted a man breaking into his locker, but didn't see him.   Mac feels their lives are all connected.   Checking out John's apartment, Danny finds dried blood.   He comments on the deadbolts in his apartment and says he was afraid.   Mac calls it living in social isolation.   Mac lifts the newspaper on the window and sees Carmen outside.   Mac is taking care of the case himself but will let him know if he finds a suspect.   Carmen replies not if he finds him first.   Danny checks out the blood to find it was from two donors, both male.   Matched one profile from the dark hair in the blood to John.   He is found as a DB by the coastguard.  

Sid says he was in the water 24 hours and there's something inside his head wound, which he calls evidence of penetration trauma.   Jo comments from his clothes that he must have been a guest at the party and wanted to be noticed.   There's an invite in his pocket, but Wanda only made 4.   So one of the survivors is lying.   Sid removes the object from his head.   Lindsay processes his boots.   John was being harassed.   Danny surmises he surprised someone at his place.   Flack adds they fought and he got away.   Lindsay reveals the boots have the same pattern as was found on the driver's door of the truck.   So the driver was trapped inside.   Mac thinks he saw the driver and went to save him, but he killed John first.   Hawkes identifies the truck as having a Demon Dog for a hood dummy.   One of the horns was embedded inside John's head, that Sid removed and was the murder weapon.   Danny accuses Jessica, but her alibi checks out at the bar.

Flack recalls "Dragonlady" Wanda telling them the man stuttered.   So it's not Abigail.    Leaving Chris and Neil as the main suspects.   Chris doesn't  believe himself to be a hero and he doesn't want the attention.   He hates publicity.   Neil's parents died in an accident and Mac asks if he got help for that.   Neil responds by saying there's nothing wrong with him.   Mac never said there was.   Neil flinches when a policewoman comes in with water and he doesn't take the glass from her, then drops it on the floor.   (Fancy giving someone who's just come out of the drink, a glass of water!)

Women scare him and make him nervous.   So Jo questions him.   She wonders why someone like Neil got an invite to a party, since he's just an average nobody.   "A loser, the kind that women like her don't know exist."  Jo isn't better than him, but she's not a killer.   She said something similar to the killer in Do Not Pass Go, when she said she would do anything to protect her family, except she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she had killed the wrong person.

Mac tells him he was plotting revenge for years and his inheritance helped pull it off.   Only he didn't reckon with the CSIs on the case, even though obvious clues were missed this episode.   The connection was Neil.   He tutored Chris who never invited him to any party.   Abigail grew up across the street from his family and was his best friend until she left him.   Jessica didn't even know his name, but they found the poems and the sketches, and the photos with John.   Neil says he deserved to die, so did Jessica, But did the others.   He stutters now.   Mac will make sure he spends his time in solitary confinement.   See John's face was much thinner.   He saved Neil and he killed him.   Jo tells Neil he was his own enemy.

Did they also forget about Carmen and his threats of revenge here.   There's always a gun in the crowd when the scene is shown like that.   Carmen shoots Neil and is arrested.

Thought this episode was a bit sloppily written in places and not up to the usual CSI:NY standard.   Especially with Mac not noticing the resemblance between Neil and the sketch of the suspect.   Not remembering Carmen would exact revenge when they just walked Neil out.   How Neil was the only one to actually hear a man's voice on the prank calls and the only one to see John.   Also this episode took place more in the precinct itself than the lab.

They usually have illegal gambling on such trucks so they can move around, but here it was converted into party use.   Great to see Flack knowing the lowdown on these fads, but perhaps he probably asked around, cos you wouldn't expect to find him in such a place.

The title was self-explanatory of course and having a pun in there too!  In CSI:NY season 2 opener, Zoo York,  Mac notices a truck parked outside, where the man inside was a mobster and the uncle of the Vic.   He gets in on Mac's investigation of the case .   The killer subsequently disappears and Mac knows the uncle is behind the disappearance and the killer's probable death.   But the uncle gets away.   Mac promises to get him one day.   Here it was quite similar, Carmen got his retribution but got arrested afterwards.

Oh incidentally in this same episode, Zoo York, there was a character with the last name Danville, who was a killer and they gave that surname to Jo.

The Closer 7.8 "Death Warrant" Review

Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) and Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) meet with an inmate in prison and Brenda is leered at.  Gabriel hates being here.  Brenda adds, "without a gun too."  They meet with Ray Diamond (Jon Sklaroff) who is a pro per, i.e. he represents himself and he wants to give them info on a hit in exchange for a deal.   Problem being he lied about a previous hit.  The murder hasn't happened yet.  He gives them a case number he's memorized.  It concerns Robert Curtis, (Andrew Polk) the banker for the Garcia cartel.  DDA Hobbs (Kath E Mazur) is the prosecutor.  Pope (JK Simmons) doesn't want them investigating since the city can't afford to and it's an LA County case.

Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) comments on how high powered prisoners aren't able to have access to calls etc.  Flynn (Tony Denison) says they've been investigating the Cartel for years.  Tao (Michael Paul Chan) adds Curtis is their banker and manages all their money.  Fritz (Jon Tenney) believes they can use Curtis's testimony to track the Garcia's money.  Brenda finds ways to keep on the case by asking Raydor (Mary McDonnell) to investigate the complaint made by Ray of being beaten by the LAPD.  Raydor can interview him.

When Raydor arrives, Ray is found dead.  Stanton (Sean Carrigan) tells her how they all like to kill people inside and Raydor asks how he could have been killed in such a facility.  Coroner's assistant Kendall (Ransford Doherty) says he was stabbed at least 6 times so how could he have told them he wasn't beaten up.  On the surveillance they see Ray was visited by a female and she kissed him.  Raydor wants to watch the video again and see them exchanging a kite.  Her name is Maria (Lea Loren) and Buzz (Phillip P Keene) says she's half Ray's age.  Provenza (GW Bailey) replies, "the heart wants what the heart wants."  Raydor focuses on Ray telling her about the high speed chase he was involved in and so she still has a case.

Gavin (Mark Pellegrino) arrives and shows them his billing hours.  He needs to interview the entire team.  Raydor says he's here cos of the leaked info.  Gavin defended Flynn and Provenza steals his punchline.  Gabriel asks if this has been cleared with their Union reps. Taylor (Robert Gossett) offers to go first.

Hope tells them the hearing is in secret in a police sub-station.  Fritz thinks someone could know about it seeing as the Cartel has sources which the judge doesn't.  Brenda wants to join the security detail and if she's going, then Fritz is too.  Brenda adds last time a murder wasn't prevented, they were sued.

Taylor has nothing to add to the deposition and Gavin asks what the detectives said when they returned.  Gabriel said it was a lousy day which he explains ended with them letting off a murderer.  Gabriel's name keeps cropping up a lot and clearly he wasn't happy with leaving Turrell alone out there, even though he was  a murderer.  Also he's the first one to ask about Union reps and everyone is asked about him.  As if the writers are focusing our attention on him being the mole, which is unlikely.  I mean he saved Brenda last episode and he was one of the first people she met when she arrived in season 1.

Curtis likes Brenda but not Fritz.  The Cartel runs a business and Brenda adds they also kill people.  Brenda asks about Maria who is on Garcia's payroll.  Nick (Brian Howe) his lawyer says he shouldn't be questioned without him.  Liked Brenda's bright pink shoes.  Now where was I  Raydor calls to tell her Maria is on Alvera St, the location of he hearing and is driving around.  Brenda doesn't want her to lose her.  Raydor: "why would I lose her?" Hope wants Nick to represent Curtis at the hearing and Fritz goes with them.

Tao has nothing to say either and no one spoke to him.  Though he says he told the lawyer something, which we don't get to hear.  In fact there's plenty we don't get to hear in the questioning, cos it'll probably give something away too soon if we did.  Sanchez has his own questions for Gavin, as does Flynn when he asks what happens if an officer finds small bills, is he obligated to look for the owner?

Curtis is the only one who knows where the Garcia's money is kept.  Maria picks up a passenger. Hope is shot at through the coffeeshop window and Fritz saves her.  How did they know where she was?  It had to have been Nick.  The passenger makes a run for it and Raydor shoots him with a bean bag gun.  Tao found money and photos of the location of the hearing in Maria's car.  The team have a new found respect for Raydor after her shooting demo and so do we.

Why go after Hope when she could be replaced with someone else?  Brenda tells Curtis he wasn't the target and Nick told Curtis the address of the hearing.  He denies it since all the cartel are in lock-up, they knew the location since Nick was there as his counsel.  If they killed Curtis they wouldn't get their money.  Nick was trying to get Curtis into jail and Curtis signed off on the money.  Nick told him what to do with the money  so he's part of the criminal enterprise.  Which means Nick isn't protected by privilege.  Fritz arrests Curtis as Curtis confessed he gave money to Maria.

They need to get Nick and Brenda tells of how she put a man on the street.  He already knows of Turrell and claims she isn't different from him.  Nick wants a deal.  Brenda says he paid Maria and she can arrest him on 14 counts of murder.  She's not bothered about the money but only about the people who were almost killed, including Fritz.  She can send him to lockdown.  Where Brenda adds, "when you see Turrell in hell, you ask him what I wouldn't dare to do."  Hope says she can put Nick in protective custody.

Buzz says Brenda did speak to him and asked him for Ding Dongs.  Provenza is asked if he discussed the case with anyone outside Major Crimes and he doesn't answer.  He instead says the questions imply one of them is cooperating with Turrell's attorney and he finds it insulting.  As does Brenda.  Taylor concludes there's a leak in the Division.  Gavin posits everyone here all talk to each other about everything, so if everyone talks about it, everyone knows.  SO they should tell Goldman if the case gets to court Gavin will win.  So now everyone knows about the leak.

Hope offers to put Nick in protective custody and yet he was the one who wanted her dead and he knew where she was.  Though Maria probably could have followed her when she left the hearing.  Was this meant to be in stark contrast to Brenda and not keeping Turrell in protective custody when she knew what would happen to him.  Brenda does threaten Nick and mentions Turrell and what she did, which the team find intriguing.  Also she doesn't really care what she says or does at this point since she almost lost Fritz and he was more worried about Brenda getting hurt.  Ah true love.

Still we are kept hanging concerning the mole.  Isn't the whole point of the mole's purpose defeated now that everyone knows and Gavin declares he will win regardless of anything Goldman can do.  Yet we are still kept hanging as to the leak's identity.  Catchy title as Brenda signed off on Turrell's death warrant when she released him and here she's willing to do the same thing to Nick.  Again without hesitation, so much for mentioning being sued for not preventing a murder this episode and in a few earlier ones too.

CSI 12.20 "Altered Stakes" Review

The scene opens at a baseball game between the CSIs and LVPD Vice.  DB (Ted Danson) tells Finn (Elisabeth Shue) he brought her here for the team.  Where was Sara (Jorga Fox) I have to ask, would have thought since she was the one who worked with Carlos (Enrique Murciano) in his first appearance in season 10.4 Coup de Grace that she would have been in this episode too, but no, they chose to keep her out of this one.  I know CSI  makes a habit of having actors miss out an episode or two, but sometimes it just gets  a bit too full on. I like to see all of the cast every week.

Finn knocks the ball almost out of the park and stops to flirt with Carlos at third base.  She'd like a rubdown later for her leg.  DB suggests "maybe a cold shower."  Nick (George Eads) gets a call from Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) and as they don't have 9 players to play, they must forfeit the game.  Just as Henry (Jon Wellner) is about to bat.  Nick thinks Henry's been saved by the call.

DA Melvoy (Larry Poindexter) comments on Det Sam Vega leaving behind his dirty laundry and the Carl Bowden (David Atkinson) case is being overturned.  Nick recalls Bowden beat and killed a boy in the alley.  Vega apparently beat him into confessing.  They can't use any of the evidence subsequently obtained and need new evidence.  Nick adds they lost the game too. I'm glad that Nick gets these cases to investigate, cos apart from being one of my fave CSI characters, he also gets to captivate with his emotions and how seriously he takes his work and how much catching criminals means to him.  He really shows his sympathy and empathy for the Vics.

Finn tells DB she didn't feel any pain until she saw "that cute guy on third."  To which I will add there are plenty out there who will agree!!  Come on, it's Enrique!!  DB says he's a cop...so?  Nick opens up to DB and tells him he liked Vega and didn't think he was dirty.  DB: "No one starts out that way, but once you are, you are."  Nick recalls Vega questioning Bowden and he left the room.  When he returned Bowden had a cut lip and Vega alleged he came after him.  Bowden then confessed and led them to the body of Robert.  Nick didn't tell anyone what happened, it was about trust.  The killer is in prison and his mother got to bury her son.  DB's words of wisdom are that she would have got to do that eventually and the evidence would have led them to the killer.  DB: "...see if forensics could do what the police couldn't."

Greg (Eric Szmanda) ran the DNA and matched it to Robert's toothbrush.  They found the DB.  There wasn't any trial.  So Finn adds the evidence box remained closed.  DB takes the evidence off the board which isn't available: the confession, the autopsy and the DB.  Finn says they've worked with less.  DB wants to check out the alley.

Nick recalls the bloodpool near the dumpster (I'm thinking they would have had photos to document all this evidence) and a cinder block with blood, the murder weapon.  Greg matched the urine to Robert.  There was also the presence of low blood spatter. DB deduces he must have kept hitting Robert.  An eyewitness in the car saw Bowden leave the alley but without a body.  His car wasn't found.  Nick remembers a chemical smell, like a solvent, superglue-ish.

Carlos wants to work the case and asks Brass for permission.  IAB cleared him and Vega was his step father.  He needs to do this and Brass lets him work it off the record.

Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) comments the trip to the alley by DB was to jog Nick's memory.  Greg mentions how Grissom taught them by the Socratic method.  With DB Morgan adds, "by the time you figure out what was happening, it's already over."

Bowden's car was in Impound for 7 years and was towed two blocks from the alley.  Brass notices it has front end damage.  Carlos finds it was involved in a hit 'n' run.  So Robert's DB was never in the car.  Seems they keep coming up with obstacles.

The chemical is identified as octo cyanoacrylate known as 'Invisiskin,' a liquid bandage.  This was found on the cinder block.  Bowden was a mechanic.  Ben (Brett Rice) his former boss recalls Bowden was a hothead and he had access to the shop and the keys.  Morgan talks to another mechanic (Justin Klinger) and looks at his hands.

Nick posits Bowden needed another car and Greg has brought in a customer's Buick.  Hodges (Wallace Langham) listens to Italian opera after his trip to Italy with his mother and speaks Italian to Morgan about Italian being the language of love.  Notice how Morgan and Hodges always speak about such things so openly.  He finds the same chemical on the leather steering wheel of the car.

Henry tells Nick he was at the batting cages with Finn and he was looking forward to batting.  So Nick asks if this will affect him doing DNA work for him.  The blood results were degraded, a 1 in 43,000 result.  The eye witness died 2 years ago.  Melvoy says they still don't have enough evidence.  Nick knows Bowden should have gotten life for the killing and DB says he'll do it again.  But he didn't think about how he might have done something similar in the past at this point.  Nick wants to collect reference samples from Bowden.  Bowden has been beaten up in prison but he always picks the fights, leading to the clue about looking for past cases with similar MOs.

Finn finds the case they think is the one.  A random attack on a female jogger in the park who was beaten with a log and the officers recalled a chemical smell.  But someone else was already convicted for the crime.  What no one's heard of innocent Vics being convicted.  April (Susan May Pratt) identified David, (Myk Watford) her best friend's husband.  He had wood splinters in his hand and was seen burning something in his yard. Nick is more interested in the chemical smell.

DB turns off Hodges' opera music when she speaks with him and  Nick finds Bowden's credit card was declined on the day of the attack across the street from the park.  Carlos asks Nick about Vega and wants the truth about him.  Nick replies there was no code of silence and he knew him to be an honest  cop.  Cos he sees the best in most people. Maybe he didn't want to know about the real Vega and Carlos mentions the same thing.  He wanted to be like him when younger.  Nick thinks he was a good guy and he was trying to protect him.  Bowden was fired on the day of the attack.

Finn wants to hear David's side and April insists David attacked her.  David wanted to talk to her about his wife.  He stacked firewood for the children and burned rags from the garage.  He doesn't think Finn believes him either.  Finn: "I never said that I didn't believe you."  Hodges found the trace of chemical on the log, meaning David never handled the wood or no sample was taken from the contaminated piece of the log.  DB tells Melvoy they've won cases on 'specks of evidence.'  The physical evidence contradicts April's claim.

Doc Robbins (Robert David Hall) explains there is a physiological explanation for the brain damage and she suffered repeated blows to her head.  In her traumatized state she could have misinterpreted who she saw.

Greg talks to the dog's owner, Ms Fowler (Kali Rocha) who found April.  Maggie, the dog swallows things and she kept the keys she swallowed. The dog interrupted Bowden from killing April.  Nick finds the keys fit Bowden's car.  DB says they should "arrest the dog for obstruction."  Bowden is arrested as soon as he is released.  Nick asks if he enjoyed his moment of freedom.

The LVPD finish off the match and Finn whispers to Henry that he's being watched by a girl.  Leading the CSIs to win naturally!  Leaving Finn to flirt some more with Carlos.  Oh how many wished they were in her place?!

In CSI episode 3.2 The Accused Is Entitled, errors in forensics from Grissom, well alleged errors cos hey Grissom never did anything wrong, lead to his mentor arriving on the scene for the defence and the CSIs having to re-assess the evidence.  4.4 Invisible Evidence concerns a bloody knife recovered at the CS being ruled inadmissable and the CSIs have 24 hours to come up with new evidence before the murderer is released.  In The Execution of Catherine Willows, a wrong man could be behind bars.  


CSI likes such episodes where the evidence is in conflict, where errors may have occurred  and they have little time to remedy the outcome.  Still as long as it's done in a good way I don't mind watching them.  This episode was particularly interesting as it focused on Nicky and also on Carlos, though not as much and had some character moments, which always add dimension to a show. Nick always gets emotional in most of the scenes where he's reminiscing or talking of a particularly sad subject which affects him profoundly, shall I say and that's one of the many facets that I love about him.

Also this is the first time such a case has been re-opened with newcomers, DB and Finn which also made it different.

Doctor Who Season 7 Trailer

So did everyone catch their Doctor Who fix for the next series of the show in the special trailer.  Amazing wasn't it.  So many clues to leave us still guessing as to which one of the 'Pond's will be killed off and how.  No the pic of the Doctor (Matt Smith) carrying Amy (Karen Gillan) reveals nothing.  I mean Rory (Arthur Darvill) didn't even look shocked.

At least we have Daleks, yay!! in the first episode Asylum of the Daleks.  He gets to taunt them, "You've got me.  What are you waiting for..."  Rory asks who killed the Daleks and the Doctor replies: "Who do you think?"  Then "Dinosaurs in space," 'there aren't any...'  Some sort of 'Transformer type cyborgs.'  Rupert Graves (aka Inspector Lestrade from Sherlock) is shown as an 'Indiana Jones' sort of character.
The Western episode entitled, A Town Called Mercy, wonder if that has anything to do with the Doctor.  Weeping Angels also return.

Plenty to see, can't wait for the first five episodes this August.  As well as the usual Christmas special later in the year.

Don't the cast look great, Matt's got a haircut but must retain his quiff for this role, you know for as long as he plays the Doctor and River (Alex Kingston) in a hat, though it's not a Fez! Ha.

The artwork revealed by the BBC  for the new series is awesome!

Merlin 4.3 "The Wicked Day" Review

The carnival comes to town for Arthur's (Bradley James) birthday and he's not very impressed.  Arthur: "you have the mind of a child."
Merlin: "I'm more intelligent than you."  Arthur's gift is a set of knives.  Uther (Anthony Head) doesn't want to talk about matters of court on his special day and he remembers his son's birthday.

At the celebration, Arthur is tied to a wheel and knives are thrown at him.  He's right up there with an apple in his mouth, like a roasting pig, as if anything would happen to him, he's one of the stars of the show.  There's sedative on the apple and Arthur did look afraid, as Merlin (Colin Morgan) tells him as much.  Arthur visits Uther and Merlin notices Arthur is trouser-less.  Arthur is attacked  but of course Arthur can't fight, so Uther fights in his place.  Getting mortally wounded in the process - but manages to kill the assassin.  So wow that was a quick recovery, Arthur seems fine now the fighting is over.  Arthur won't let Uther die and Uther responds, he's "been ready for some time."  Arthur will make him proud by being a good king.  "I've always loved you."  Oh he finally admits this after ruing over Morgana (Katie McGrath).

Gaius (Richard Wilson) says he has internal bleeding so it's only a matter of time.  Agravaine (Nathanial Parker) rides to Morgana to inform her of the good news.  Morgana has now gone all Goth in her attire and make up.  Arthur is devastated.  He tells her after Uther's death, the kingdom will be weak and she can chose her moment.  That isn't saying much about Arthur and his ability to fight her or be king.

Gwen (Angel Coulby) attends to Uther for Arthur, who can't watch him die.  People hold a vigil for Uther and Merlin finds all this hard to accept.  Arthur thinks magic will help.  Merlin wants to go into his '80 year old' act again and if he can help, then Arthur will change his mind about magic.  Yep he sure will, just becoming like Uther in the process.  Then Merlin won't have to hide anymore.  That's easier said than done.

Gaius warns he's playing a "dangerous game" which is true, since things go awry.  Merlin tells Arthur of the old man in the forest and he can use magic.  Of course Merlin would say yes.  Then Arthur has to blab to Agravaine and he recalls magic caused his mother's death.  This is Uther's time.  SO he can go running off to Morgana again.

They ride to the forest and Merlin wants to stay outside.  Arthur thinks he's afraid, "scream like a big girl if there's any trouble."  Merlin must change into his older self under the guise of needing to pee.  Think this is getting  a bit old.  Merlin the elder, sneers at Arthur who broke his pot, calling him a "clumsy fool."  He knows why Arthur is really here.  "I know more than you can possibly comprehend."  He wants to live in peace - where magic is accepted - that's his price for Uther's life.  He already knows things will go wrong and he claims things will be different when he's king.  They will meet at night.

Hey he pretty was active for an old man!  Merlin is still in the bushes.  Arthur comments there's something very wrong with Merlin.

Gaius questions if something goes wrong, then what will become of Arthur's attitude to magic?  Merlin thinks this may be his great destiny.  Morgana wants to cast her own spell with a talisman to place around Uther's neck.  Thus the healing magic will be reversed and Uther will die.  Agravaine says he will be destroyed which is exactly what she wants.  This is also Agravaine's revenge on Uther.

Gaius uses the same excuse of Merlin being at the tavern again when Arthur comes looking - when Merlin told him he's got a weak bladder.  Now Merlin the elder needs to rest and be carried by Arthur, milking his position for everything he can get is old Merlin.  He was taught by Uther never to trust magic and now he's using it to save him.  Merlin says magic is around him and has been used more times to save Arthur than he knows.  Merlin wants to show "magic ca be used for good."  Depends on who is using the magic doesn't it.  Merlin: "I hope one day you will see me in a different light."

Uther's condition worsens and he dies and yet no one saw the charm around his neck.  Merlin is astounded at what is happening.  Parts of Merlin sound like his younger self when he speaks. Perhaps that's just shock. Gaius finds the charm and posits Uther had no chance.

Merlin knows it was Morgana and she's not happy since Arthur will take over.  Agravaine tells her he will look to him for counsel and he'll make sure Arthur fails.

Arthur's not to blame.  Uther spent 20 years fighting magic and he should have known better.  He was arrogant and this caused Uther's death.  Merlin thinks perhaps nothing could have saved him.  Arthur: "I've lost both my parent's to magic.  It is pure evil.  I'll never lose sight of that again."  As Gaius warned Merlin, he made things worse.

Arthur keeps vigil for Uther.  Merlin blames himself.  Gaius tells him Morgana killed him since Uther's spirit died when she broke his heart.  Hoping Arthur's reign will bring peace to the land.  Arthur needs Merlin now more than ever and when he's king.  Merlin waits for Arthur outside and he didn't want Arthur to feel he was alone.  Merlin's a loyal friend.  Arthur thinks of food like Gaius and Arthur is crowned king.

It came as a bit of a shock the way Uther was killed off and perhaps they could have cut down on the humour a litle bit even if it was to detract from the sombreness of the episode.  Uther is dying and Merlin and Arthur are busy cracking jokes.

Also Arthur finds out about his mother's death at this point in time.  Again maybe it could have been revealed another time or under different circumstances.  Not to mention Uther didn't want Arthur to ever know of this!  Still it reinforces why Arthur will come to hate magic even more.  Not only was magic responsible for taking his mother from him, but it was also responsible for his losing Uther.  Mind you Morgana was to blame here and with his mother, it was Uther.  There was significance in Uther dying a day after Arthur's birthday.  He was afflicted on his birthday and his mother died when Arthur was born.

Other happenings in this episode was Merlin telling Arthur to use magic in the form of his older self, Dragoon. Especially since Merlin and Gaius know of Agravaine being in league with Morgana.  Merlin could have attempted to heal Uther in secret.  Even though Merlin acted this way in the hopes of showing Arthur that magic was good and helpful.  Gaius showed very little regard for his old friend and king and didn't give a second thought to him losing his life or that he was dying.

This episode wasn't very well written since the main protagonists were reduced to cold, uncaring shadows of themselves.  Effectively being portrayed as heartless as Morgana in some scenes.  Odin's assassin was after Arthur and that was completely forgotten about.  Also Morgana not wanting Gwen to be queen, but her killing Uther ensured this very outcome.

Gaius mentioning there was peace in Camelot hopefully now Arthur is king, but there is peace for over 20 years as a result of Uther which was instigated by Uther so he was a good king in that respects.  So much for Gaius saying he hopes there will be peace when Arthur is crowned.  The entire coronation was rushed, something which was meant to have been an important part of the show, as was Uther's death and subsequent period of mourning.  This episode could have been better.

CSI 12.19 "Split Decisions" Review

A man plays a slot machine at a casino and leaves his seat.  A woman replaces him and wins.  Shots are heard and the same man is shot by another wearing an orange shirt.  Yeah, you're going to commit a crime, so make sure you're donned in a bright colour so you're easily identified.  Which was the whole point of the exercise here.

Cue Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) and Nick (George Eads) who search for the shooter.  The casino is meant to be in lockdown.  Archie (Archie Kao) hacks into the surveillance cameras leading Nick and Brass to the killer, but it turns out to be a woman.  He's spotted elsewhere, but when they arrive, he's disappeared into the hotel rooms.  Sara (Jorga Fox) thinks she's cornered him, but it turns out to be Mitch (Larry Mitchell).
Gladys the casino winner tells Finn (Elisabeth Shue) the gunman had a bloody nose.  The Vic is Dr Dennis Kiel (Vaughn Armstrong) and his cash and credit cards are missing.  David (David Berman) finds he was shot once and there are no exit wounds so the bullet is still inside.  Blood drops are also near the DB, which belong to the killer.

DB (Ted Danson) and Finn re-inact what could have happened and find the second bullet in one of the slot machines, since two shots were heard.  This has to be transported back.

Nick and Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) do a search of the rooms and a bikini clad woman, Shelley (Sonia Rockwell) opens the door.  Nicky doing a 'Flack' (Eddie Cahill) from CSI:NY here in ogling her.  She was waiting for the man to return.  She spent the night with him and even made a video.  Sara and Brass find the Doctors son, Avery (Jackson Pace) in his room.  His father had won $800 at the slot machine, hey Gladys won $4,000.  Sara notices the computer which they need.  That was a clue.

Doc Robbins (Robert David Hall) finds the Doctor's liver is chopped to pieces, calling it "chopped live.r"  He also finds bullet fragments and the jacket; as well as an hourglass shaped object.  Finn finds the same from the slot machine.

Nick and Morgan continue their search and this time, Lee (Andrew Keegan) answers the door.  The man in the photos is his roommate and he acts suspiciously.  Nick finds size 13 shoes which belong to him.  His name is Jordan (Christopher Maxwell) and Nick wants to take Lee downtown and tells him to get a jacket form the closet, where they find Jordan hiding out.  Jordan claims he's not in the photo.  His alibi checks out as he's seen coming back from a game with Lee.  But Archie also finds him on camera with Shelley.

Henry (Jon Wellner) discovers the blood from the casino matches Jordan, as does the condom DNA.  However the prints on the wrapper aren't a match.  The shooter and Jordan could be identical twins.

Morgan finds Jordan was the only child born on that date and checks his financial records.  The man with Shelley is identified as Xavier, (Joshua Desroches) who is found in a hotel room in bed with twins.  He didn't kill the doctor either.  Someone was pulling our leg with this episode and having lots of fun in the process with all these clues and misinfo!

Both Jordan and Xavier won free trips to Vegas.  Finn suggests they use antibody profiling, since that's her speciality, to determine who fired the gun, but the blood samples aren't a match.  The twins were born to different families at different times.

Jordan's mother, Vivan (Stepfanie Kramer) arrives, a lawyer who tells them she had IVF treatment and the doctor was at the same clinic.  He took the remaining embryos and instead of destroying them, he gave them to other families.

Finn solves the bullet mystery discovering they were 'No Rico' bullets, so the gun most likely belongs to an air marshall.  Another child is found, Kevin )Joshua Desroches) and he has had air marshall training.  He is found dead in his room, the result of an OD.  He's left a suicide note on computer.  There's that pesky computer again and who else had one in his room - Avery.  So he has to be a suspect, since they have had child killers in this show before, but also cos of the computer found earlier by Sara.

Doc Robbins finds Kevin had a blow to his head and the pills were already in the Scotch when the bottle was forced into his throat.  DB thinks the twins must have left some DNA behind somewhere.  They think the Vegas trips were booked by the doctor and he withdrew large sums of money from the bank to pay them off as they had such miserable lives.  Whose fault was that - life is after all what you make it.

DNA on the bottle leads to Avery.  He's another child.  They're all brothers and Avery arranged the trip.  He forced Kevin to drink form the bottle but he didn't kill the doctor.  That was Kevin and he was left to take the fall as the other two split the money.  Avery claims his mother was the only one who loved him and his father was cold towards him.  He refuses to turn on the twins and prefers to take his chances in court, since they are his only family.  He went to elaborate schemes just to kill his 'father' when in a few years he'd have left home anyway.  The twins may have been his family, biologically, but he didn't really know them and they left him to take the blame and walked away with the money.

Stepfanie Kramer whom you may recall from Hunter had a very brief role in this.
Brass: "I'm not, like impressed with her story."
Sara: "...she's a defence attorney, she's not a criminal."
Brass: " don't see the distinction."
Everyone telling Archie that at least he knows it's the same suspect he's looking for, when Archie is fed up of his face!

Have to say, CSI has vastly improved in most of its storylines this season which is good for a show running 12 years and now 13.

So Eddie Cahill...

Eddie Cahill keeps a low profile, but when he does get out and about, gotta spread the word!  Even if it is just in pictures!!  Like this one of Eddie on the TCAs red carpet.

Man he looks cute! Roll on season 9 CSI:NY...

Desperate Housewives - 7.17: "Everything's Different, Nothing's Changed" Review

Bree tries to make Andrew see he's an alcoholic. Renee wants to throw her Spring Fling party, even if it's distasteful in the wake of Beth's passing and Gaby wants to come, until she realizes she shouldn't have the party after all

Mary Alice: (Brenda Strong) "We can never know the moment our lives are about to change forever...enjoying a glass of wine, tending to our aches and pains and then when we least expect it, the moment comes."  Paul (Mark Moses) and Susan (Teri Hatcher) each receive calls at the same time, but each with completely different news.   Paul learns of Beth's (Emily Bergl) death and Susan learns she has a kidney donated by Beth; who is still on life support.   Mary Alice: "There are moments that change our lives forever, but not always in the way we might expect it."

Mary Alice: "The women of Wisteria Lane look for any excuse to celebrate...a bottle of champagne...a new dress for turning 39 again...so when my friends heard about Susan's good fortune, they just couldn't resist."  Gaby (Eva Longoria) shouts out, "Congratulations...kidney" to Susan in the hospital.   The doctor calls this a sad day.  They're surprised about Beth and feel sorry for her now, when it's too late.

Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) is passed out on Karen McClusky's (Kathryn Joosten) couch, drunk and refuses to believe or accept he's an alcoholic.  His partner's given up on him.   Renee (Vanessa Williams) prepares for her Spring Fling party.  Beth wasn't invited to the party as she's a clinger, she'll stick around for months, is Renee's opinion.   Gaby's bought a new Versace dress for the event.  Renee thinks it could be a tribute to Beth.  Would you believe, Renee is even shallower than Gaby.  Susan attempts to comfort Paul with the thought that Beth lives on .   Paul doesn't accept she's dead and wants her to stay that way and Susan doesn't deserve her kidney, she "gave her nothing in life." Well it could be said, neither did he.   Only grief.   He drove Beth to shoot herself, with his behaviour and rejection.   The doctors tell Mike (James Denton) that the legal documents are binding but the hospital won't sanction an action against a grieving husband.

Mike wants to take Paul to court, but Susan refuses, it's Paul's decision, not theirs.  So what about Bree (Marcia Cross) when she found out Beth had signed donation papers but Paul refused to give her the kidney, why didn't Bree step in like she intended to.  No she's busy asking Andrew for help dropping off donuts to an AA meeting.   No one needs to know they're related.   Andrew introduces himself as Elvis, accompanied by the glib comment of, "that's another reason for me to be mad at my mother."

Tom (Doug Savant) introduces Glenn (Ron Melendez) who asks Tom to be CFO of his company, he can't leave Carlos (Richardo Antonio Chavira).   Lynette (Felicity Huffman) insists he accept the job offer.  "Integrity got a better offer from Glenn and turned into prosperity." Andrew talks about the problems with his control freak mother and calls her "Attila the Mom." Bree goes on the defensive.   The residents of the Lane don't want to attend Renee's party and neither does Gaby now.   Bree says it reminds her of Mary Alice.  Renee still pushes ahead as she's had the party for 10 years now.   Gaby thanks Renee for "making me the compassionate one."

Susan thinks Beth killed herself so Susan could have the kidney but it doesn't make sense.   No it wouldn't since she could have still had the kidney without Beth doing that.  Mike reminds Susan it was Beth's final wish.   Lynette, up to her usual antics, attempts to seduce Tom into taking the job.  He still refuses.   He should tell Carlos about the offer and see if he matches it.   Felicia (Harriet Sansom Harris) has Beth declared dead.  Paul refuses to accept she's dead, as we know.  Felicia: "We both know what killed her."  So Paul can't use her anymore.   Their "hate has finally found a victim." Beth loved him and he spurned her.   Paul believes she can recover.

Alex (Todd Grinnell) tells Bree he works, whilst Andrew does nothing but drink.  Drinking helps Andrew get through he day and we know Carlos will find out about his mother's 'accident'.  Bree confides in Andrew about Beth and how she let her walk away when she knew something was wrong.   That's not going to happen to Andrew.  Alex left Andrew.   Carlos insists Tom is valuable to the company but he can't offer him a raise.   Lynette says the company doesn't have any profits since Carlos takes them.   Lynette has to be the one who has to push Tom so that he moves on and doesn't remain stagnant.  Carlos would take the job offer.   They now fight over the job.   It's always about money with these two.

Renee throws her party and Gaby is surprised at the turn out.   All of them wearing "cheap, poly-cotton blend." Renee won't feign sadness.   Beth "did it to herself."  Everyone has pain but Beth didn't care who she hurt.   Renee, really talking about herself lets Gaby know her mother killed herself.   Renee isn't into hugging and refuses to let her death define her.   She chooses life over death and the party is her way of expressing that.   Lynette test drives an expensive car and leaves it parked in Carlo's drive.   Tom is loyal to someone who doesn't care about others, in her effort to convince him to take the job.  He finally relents and accepts the new job.  Lynette confesses to yet another manipulation and Tom loves driving the car.   Paul changes his mind about the transplant.   Susan was horrible to Beth so why did she do this for her?  Paul replies Beth loved people and not because they deserved it.   He cries.

Mary Alice: "There comes a moment when our lives change forever...the moment we admit our weaknesses; the moment we rise to a challenge, the moment we accept a sacrifice...let a loved one go and sometimes the change in our lives is an answer to our prayers."  Felicia gets humanitarian release cos of Beth and now she's going after Paul.  Well she doesn't exactly thank Beth for her sacrifice.   So how come Mary Alice isn't more sympathetic towards Paul in her narrations.

A bit of a routine episode this, so really nothing much has happened, so we think.   But as the title suggests; things have changed for Susan receiving Beth's kidney, Paul admitting Beth is gone.   But there's also  just more manipulation on Lynette's part,  so nothing's changed there and Felicia being released so she can get up to her vengeful tactics all over again.  Then there's Renee admitting her secret about her mother and Andrew attending AA.

Jared Padalecki and Family

Jared Padalecki and Genevieve were out and about at the Vancouver Food Truck Festival, on 29th July 2012 together with their son Thomas.  Who is just so positively cute.  Thomas has his dad's nose I think! At only four months old, he's fast becoming a sweetie heart breaker, following in his father's footsteps already.

It was great to see the couple out, most celeb couples usually hide away and hide their babies away too, waiting for six figure sums before any photos can be published.  At least it's great to see not everyone is like this and Jared and Genevieve are down to earth and can share their family time with others.

Jared also posted a photo of Thomas on his Twitter page showing him dressed in his USA T-shirt to show support for the USA Olympics team!  The caption read: "Thomas has some Olympic pride :) GO USA!!!!"

Awww...

CSI:Miami 10.2 "Stiff" Review

Ryan (Jonathan Togo) is already at a call out and is waiting for Natalia (Eva La Rue) to arrive.  A male DB has been found in his cabana.  Ryan notices the panama hat floating in the air and tries to take a photo of it.  Unfortunately when he shows it to Natalia all you can see is Ryan's reflection and she says as much.  Derek (Brandon Beemer) suffered multiple head trauma from a mysterious object and this murder weapon isn't found.  Natalia looks at the cheques and finds they were all from women and he used them to pay his hotel bill.  Turns out Derek was a gigolo: so how many of those could they squeeze into a Miami episode.  He's been seeing many women but the hotel owner, Hector Romero (Jordi Molla) claims he didn't know what he did and was only interested in getting his money but claims he isn't a pimp.  Knew his daughter, Luisa (Martha Higareda) had something to do with this as she lurked in the background.  Well come on, it's obvious considering he had many women, he had to have at least someone he had deeper feelings for; or claimed to.

Natalia's Hummer acts up and she can't get the alarm/siren to stop.  A man offers to fix it for her, Joe (Eric Winter) then asks her out to dinner and she gives him her card.  He's not put off by what she does.  Natalia accepts without knowing anything about him and only last episode she was complaining about the near misses she's had over the year. You see, she goes for his looks.  Which is exactly what this episode is about.  Women getting their fulfillment from handsome men.

The last woman to see Derek was Gretchen Cambridge (Julia Campbell) and she wants this kept from her husband, Steven (Brian McNamara).  He was in Idaho on business, but you can bet he already knew about her and was around too.  That's apparent too in many other episodes.  She also claimed her husband was away on business.  She was seeing Derek cos he made her feel good and even said she was too old for him but still went ahead.  Tripp (Rex Linn) doesn't want to keep it to himself but Natalia says they were here for a donation.  "We'll collect later."  Which they did, collect the suspect that is.

Delko (Adam Rodriguez) teases Ryan about the hat and Ryan comments he'll never live it down.  At the lab, Walter's (Omar Miller) already heard about the hat but after a bit of ribbing, he says there's a logical explanation for it.  He finds it floats in the glass tank when propane is introduced and Ryan recalls the the propane valve for the fireplace.  He calls Delko but his phone is miles away from him and on vibration too.  Aren't you supposed to keep your phone with you at all times, especially when at a CS.  He then calls Horatio (David Caruso) who rushes to warn them.  Delko notices something's wrong and as he tries to warn Calleigh (Emily Procter) there's an explosion.  Cue Calleigh leap backwards with hair flying everywhere.  There goes their evidence she says.

Later they attempt to salvage what they can and she finds a scorched piece of paper and the valve is also recovered.  By law the propane must have an additive to it so it can be smelt but Hector didn't do this since it was too costly so he will be charged with negligent homicide.  Analysis of the paper leads to an Emma Davis (Samantha Whittaker) and it was her parking pass for the high school she works at.  She was with Derek as it was her first time and she heard him arguing with another man when she left.  He was angry with Derek stealing her from him.  The other man being Joe.

ME Tom (Christian Clemenson) finds the injury to Derek's head didn't kill him but he was left open to the effects of the propane which entered his lungs and caused him to suffocate.  Well either way you can say he still wouldn't have survived.

A chase ensues with Natalia in hot (ha) pursuit of Joe, who is another gigolo working from the hotel too.  Notice Natalia remove her flat heeled shoes when she gives chase but at the CS she was wearing heels.  Tripp knocks him down with the car.  Joe didn't kill Derek and white trace is found on him which Walter thinks it dandruff.  How's that for an image killer, ha.  This turns out to be plastic flakes found in snowglobes and Calleigh finds there were traces of water and glycerin which is what makes the flakes float.

The women also used to give them gifts as Joe tells them and Natalia and Walter trawl through the massive amounts of receipts from Derek's clients.  One receipt is from a shop in Paris where the snowglobe was purchased by Gretchen.

A search of her house leads to Delko finding traces of a sticky substance on the garage floor and also a hammer which was used to smash the globe.  Then disposed of in the garbage, what he couldn't find anywhere else to throw it.  She confesses to killing Derek as she knows it was really Steven.  He saw the two of them together when he got back early and he confronted Derek and wanted him to leave her alone.  He refused, Steven then saw the snowglobe and got angry, repeatedly hitting him over the head with it.  He thought she had bought the globe for him.  Steven still loves her.  Isn't it always the way in these shows, what they couldn't talk about their feelings, so why were they still together?

A piece of leather is found in the valve, which belongs to a shoe and Luisa is suspected.  Her shoes haven't got any leather missing, but Horatio notices the frostbite on her toes from where she kicked the valve.  Didn't know you could just kick it in like that and only suffer frostbite!  Luisa was seeing Derek and fell for him but he refused to give up his work.
Ryan watches the hat float again and this time Walter has it suspended on string.  Love the continuation of their funny antics from season 8.

Everyone's 'nicking' the ol' text on screen these days from Sherlock and here there's text floating around when Walter and Natalia go through the records, to show you what they're looking at.
Ryan: "what are you, 8 years old?"
Walter: "7."
CSI:Miami likes its sexy teaser episodes, for example see season 1's Breathless where the DB was a male stripper, though usually it's the women who are portrayed as such.

As for the title to this episode, double entendre there, me thinks for all ye with one track minds, ah!!

Without A Trace "Nickle and Dimed Part 2" Review

Sam (Poppy Montgomery) tells Jack (Anthony LaPaglia) about her plan to go undercover at Everymart, so she can find out about Colleen (Audrey Marie Anderson).  Jack tells her when she says she’s done she must leave there.  Sam rents Colleen’s motel room and sticks her gun under the bedside cabinet.  She finds one of Jake’s crayons.

Martin (Eric Close) lists the residents of the Glen Capri motel.  Danny (Enrique Murciano) finds that the drug mule Elizabeth used to work at an autopart store.  The supervisor Burdick (Tim Kelleher) doesn’t recall her.  She was found dead in the river.  He also finds bank deposits were made of large amounts of cash twice before she went missing.  She wanted to make more money so he told her about Barr.  She was to deliver a package for him but he hasn’t heard from Barr for a week now.

Sam talks with Amy, (Mary Matilyn Mouser) a girl who used to play with Jake.  She saw a man and heard him mention Deke Barr (Sung Kang).  John had a cell phone and called before Colleen went missing but hasn’t since then.  Jack thinks there must be other recruiters.

Sam now goes to work at Colman Dyecast where she meets Howie (Jerry Kirnion) and Joanna (Mo Gaffney).  She tells Jack about her work and he rubs her shoulders.  He gives Sam a pot plant, she’s to take it out of the window if she’s in trouble.  Sam sits with Amy.

Howie talks to Barr at work.  She gives Jack a licence number.  Joanna might be a mule.  Social services has put Jake with his father.  Sam asks Jack if he finds Colleen’s body whether he’ll pull the plug on this investigation? Barr’s alias is John Burns with a record for armed robbery, assault.  Jack calls him too low level to be picked up.  Sam asks Joanna to lunch.  She lives in a  trailer with her boyfriend and he takes her money for beer.  Sam calls Martin and tells him she’s tired.

Sam has a flashback to when she was little and wanted to catch fireflies at night with her mother, (Lilli Birdsell) who doesn’t let her.  Sam doesn’t want to sleep in the dark.
Deke and Niran (Boyuen) are connected to Burns.  Jack wants Danny to have their photo incase he runs into them.

Sam calls Viv (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) Joanna wasn’t at work today.  Viv and Martin find her at home beaten up.  Martin delivers pizza to Sam and gets a call.  They’ve found Collen’s body in the river.  He gets a picture message on his phone: an ink stamp from Colleen’s hand.  Jack wants Sam to come in now as he’s handing the case over to the locals and the DEA.  She must collect her things from work. She finds Howie is looking for a replacement for Joanna and on the pretext of needing more money asks Brian (Alex Skuby) for work.  Howie says he can help.  She meets Jack and tells him this case is just based on paper trails.  He tells her it’s not her decision to make.  She accuses him of not trusting her.
Martin is agitated over Sam going undercover.  Danny stakes out the bar.

Sam thinks of her mother when she found her at the bus stop after she’d run away and takes her back home.  She says it’s not up to her and Sam must come home.  Burns makes contact in 2-3 days.  She’s to make a delivery to Port Jeff for $800.
Danny watches a waitress at the bar: Meredith Kim.  Jack says Sam should’ve called last night and he's also angry.

Joanna turns up at Sam’s motel.  She takes her back to the trailer to pack and attacks her boyfriend.
Meredith says she was given $1,000.  She saw Collen at the bar and wants protection.  She was short and paid only $350.  She agreed to pay more later and with interest.  Keit has Colleen followed. Danny tells her Colleen also had a son.

Kiet takes Sam from the motel and she manages to knock the plant out of the window.  Danny gets footage from a convenience store camera which has footage of Sam being aducted.  Viv talks to Amy who tells her about Joanna.  Viv says Sam got made.  Sam is beaten up and insists she’s not a cop.
Martin and Jack question Burns.  One of his men was watching Kiet.  Martin gets angry and loses his temper.  He directs them to a warehouse where Danny and Viv find drugs.

Sam is taken to a car yard.  She hits Kiet with a piece of metal and runs for it..  Martin and Jack shoot Kiet.  Jack goes to Sam’s side whilst Martin can only watch but rides with her in the ambulance.  Danny goes to see Sam being taken away. Jack pats Viv on the  back. Sam gives amy her plant and calls her mother in Kenosha.
Sam: “If you really cared about me you wouldn’t have told the boss I could lift 80 pounds.”
Jack: “I didn’t, I told him you could lift 150.”

Jack: “Unfortunately don’t think Colleen’s coming back from this.”  Just like the other drug mule.

Sam: “Nothing to stop me from going to bed early.”
Martin: “I’ve been getting a lot of sleep too.”  Yes no surprise there then.

Sam: “Green peppers you remembered.”  He’ll remember all about food.

Sam: “You know if we didn’t have a history you would let me do this no questions asked.”
Jack: “This has nothing to do with our history.”  A lot about their past in this episode and about Sam and Martin too.  It would have been better if we could have had more about Sam’s past than just a flashback to her wanting fireflies. Also running away from home didn’t add anything to her character we didn’t already know from season 1 episode?? Victory for Humanity when she told Jack this, we just got a visualization of it that’s all.

The ink stamp was the Ying and Yang symbol.

Viv: “If you’re so concerned why didn’t you pull ther out when you had a chance?”
Jack: “because I don’t make decisions based on fear.”    Wasn’t his decision in the season 1 finale based on fear when he went in to trade places with Sam because he feared for her life.

Martin gets a chance to eat again in this season!
Sam should’ve known she was probably being watched to check if she was on the level or not instead of engaging in such an obvious display, but then again she could just be someone who knows how to look out for herself and not necessarily be a cop.

Martin: “I’m just worried about her.”
Danny: “I know you are.”  That’s an understatement, the entire office probably knows by now, well if not, Jack also suspects something especially when he so eagerly volunteers to ride in the ambuance with her.
Viv: “It was a tough call to make.”

So much for Sam going undercover in episode 6 and this one as she’s been on TV too.  In seaseon 2 epsiode 5 Copycat along with Jack when he feigned resignation from his job, only to get a transfer in the season and return.  You can’t say criminals have a short memory – what about those with high IQs, and intellect – or do only the dregs of society commit crimes and peddle drugs.

So Sam was telling the truth when she said she’s from Kenosha in season 2’s Doppelganger.

The Closer 7.7 "A Family Affair" Review

Taylor (Robert Gossett) introduces Detective Ortega (Roxann Dawson) from the Phoenix PD to look into a case for her.  That of  a19 year old woman and she's concerned about the coroner's ruling of an OD which she says can't be true. It's of her daughter, Sedona and she wasn't an addict, but a diabetic and drugs use increases the chances of a specific disease.  Her Tox screen was determined as being positive for drugs and  her husband, Drew (Newton Wimer)was the last one to see her alive.

Sedona called her two years ago but Ortega's husband answered and hung up.  Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) comments it's not unusual for escorts to end up this way.  She was rather insensitive given the relationship of the deceased.  Pope (JK Simmons) on Brenda telling her Sedona was a  prostitute.  Hollywood Division brushed her off and she's her mother also.  Pope wants to humour her.

Raydor (Mary McDonnell) reviewed the team's statements and has questions for Sanchez (Raymond Cruz).  Pope wants Brenda to convince Sanchez to speak with Raydor.  It's difficult for Brenda to humour so many, but Pope does it all the time.

Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) gets the evidence from Sedona's hotel.  Flynn (Tony Denison) has her purse, a receipt.  Tao (Michael Paul Chan) interrupts saying a small purse is called a clutch.  Ortega wants to view Sedona's DB and notices there's only one injection site.  Morales (Jonathan Del Arco) explains the needle marks are from her use of insulin and she was clean for drugs; she was a first time user.

Sanchez takes Ortega and Buzz (Phillip P Keene) back to the room and finds chips, a ticket from Vegas and a note but no signs of drug use.  She had college ID and a GED on the wall.  Her daughter was beautiful.  Sanchez finds syringes and asks for their serial number to compare to the ones they found. Didn't he have a notebook to write in.  The syringes aren't the same.

There was drugs in the needles and someone talked her into using.  She was an escort for Dynamic Goods, which Tao explains wouldn't look suspicious on married man's credit cards.  She was working for a modelling agency who hire out escorts for the rich.  Owned by Linda (Karen Austin).  Sanchez indicates to Gabriel not to show Ortega Sedona's photos on the website.  The note he found was from a Dimitri.

Brenda wants Fritz (Jon Tenney) to join her in interrogating Linda who is accompanied by her lawyer (Christopher John Fields).  Fritz can charge her with interstate prostitution in Vegas and take her into FBI custody.  Linda says Sedona was working part time and had a date with a first timer whose name she will find out.  Brenda agrees not to use the info to prosecute Linda.

Drew was an addict and threw Sedona out after she made adult films.  Bazenr (Adam Hart) was a drug dealer and Sedona was paying Drew to leave her alone.

When they arrive to arrest Drew a shoot out ensues and all the suspects end up dead.  Gabriel has to save Brenda from being shot at.  She then gets blood on her face from Drew.  Provenza (GW Bailey) says "I feel terrible about the fishtank but I'll cry later."  Sanchez finds drugs at the scene but they need to find the needles before the police arrive.  Raydor arrives at the CS and comments Brenda must be rattled.  She didn't discharge her weapon.  Raydor hopes this doesn't lead to another lawsuit.  She then asks how badly Brenda wants the needles and the ambien, which have the same lot numbers.  Taylor says they don't have enough evidence to close the case.

A hit on Sedona's DNA reveals her father was Randolph and he's dead.  Sedona was adopted by Ortega and was looking for her biological family.

Sanchez tells Raydor that Brenda offered Turrell the chance to revoke his immunity but he refused.  He lived in a bad neighbourhood and he didn't have any problems dropping him off at home.  He can't recall what Gabriel said in the car, but he can remember Turrell murdering a man and his grandson.

Spencer (Jonathan Scarfe) has an alibi and made a $50,000 withdrawal, which was the cost of the drugs. Sedona would have inherited $33 million.  Taylor asks how they can turn this evidence into a murder charge.  Well with Brenda on the case, you can bet she'll find a way to trick, I mean, talk the real killer into confessing.

Sanchez asks Brenda, "Do we have anything to get Turrell killed?"  Since either way he would have been killed.  The only gaps he can recall are Turrell committing double homicide and Sanchez would do it again and get sued for it too.

Brenda asks Spencer where Sedona's money is.  He didn't want her to embarrass the family.  Brenda says she'll ask Drew all this and get his story.  Pope tells her Drew's dead and she replies she'll just say Sedona's dead husband told her.  Sanchez asks how Spencer knew Drew took drugs?  He gave Drew ambien to knock her out.  Brenda didn't tell Spencer of the OD so how did he know?  He replies Sedona didn't deserve the money and he confesses to paying Drew off to kill Sedona.  Idiot, he fell for it cos Brenda told him the first one to speak won't get the death penalty.  Ortega asks if Sedona asked Spencer for money but she didn't.  She feels she let her down cos she gave up on her.  Sanchez says she came though for Sedona.

Raydor opens Brenda's drawer of goodies for her.  Then asks after she dropped Turrell off what happened, since Sanchez refuses to tell her of Gabriel's conversation.  Turrell's family attorney knows of the conversation but Raydor doesn't.  Gabriel asked  Brenda if they should stick around and she replied no.  Raydor: "...that's a lawsuit."  How does the attorney know what Brenda said.  "Somewhere in your Division, you have a leak."

So starts another saga in this final season which is really hotting up now.  Raydor finally gets confirmation of what she suspected all along, that Brenda took Turrell home since she knew his gang would kill him.  A bit of a routine case here, since all the real drama was going on with Brenda and Sanchez not answering Raydor directly, of course he wouldn't.

Raydor appears to be on Brenda's side one minute like getting her that attorney, at least telling her to get one and then she blackmails her into letting Sanchez speak to her.  Showing she wanted confirmed what she already knew all along about what happened when they dropped him off.  Knowing Brenda would turn to her drawer for a choc fix she opens it for her, but Brenda doesn't bite (ha.)  Brenda finally tells her what transpired and Raydor informs her of the leak.  After Brenda has worked so closely with her team for seven years, it's hard to imagine any one of them could be the mole.  Brenda trusts everyone, aside from Taylor, she just doesn't like him, but he doesn't appear to be the leak.  Will it turn out to be anyone on her team?

CSI:Miami 10.1 "Countermeasures" Review

Horatio (David Caruso) dreams of Marisol (Alana De La Garza).  We know he's "in that place" since she's dead and she wants him to return. (Reminded me of shades of the Requiem episode from NCIS.)  Horatio watches over the edge of the pier and dives into the water to rescue Natalia (Eva La Rue).  He notices the backseat being pushed by Natalia and manages to drag her out.  After being rushed to hospital, they both leave in their search for Toller (Callum Keith Rennie) and Randy (Ethan Embry).  For a moment before they leave Natalia thinks she sees Randy, yeah he'd really show up at the hospital!

Renee (Natasha Henstridge) informs Horatio that Toller has found a buyer for the printing plates.  Calleigh (Emily Procter) speaks to Randy's son, Austin (Maxim Knight) and he knows if he tells her where his father is then he'll be arrested.  He trusts Calleigh and she tells him someone else will be hurt if they don't find him.

Randy is found by the lifeguard tower.  The CSIs have to play their usual macho "heroics" and demonstrate their 'heavy handedness' towards suspects, which doesn't make them any better than the suspects.  As I said all the way through season 9, I don't like where the writers were taking the characters as each one of them showed a blatant disregard for treating  their suspects so roughly.  Here even Natalia gets in on the act by pushing Randy's head onto the table.  He informs them Toller is making a deal with someone involved in ATM robberies and Horatio recalls Leo Kendry; (Mark Hengst) who works with Ricky Galindo. (Will Rothhaar)

The CSIs arrive too late to catch Toller but arrest Leo when Walter (Omar Miller) notices Ricky's car has a Garra Rufa fish inside, leading to the spa, Leo and the printing plates.  Toller made off with a cashier, Melanie (Rachel Brosnahan) who will become his next Vic.

At the service station, Melanie tells the clerk the man will kill her and he believes she is in trouble, alerting the police.  She provides him with a $100.  She takes something from the store when she leaves and as they zoom onto the camera footage they notice it's a phone, which Toller uses to call Randy

Randy calls him back to arrange a meeting at the train yard: a bit of a silly place to meet and why have the team hide out on the other side of the tracks when they know trains will not only obscure their view but also get in the way of their operation.  Toller wants the necklace Randy found whilst in prison.  He realizes he's been set up and escapes.  Delko (Adam Rodriguez) can only blame Randy for Toller's escape.  Yeah blame the other guy for your own ineptness.

Walter and Calleigh look through the evidence from Toller's first killing and Walter suggests they should analyze his clothes as this wasn't done the first time.

Natalia talks to Ryan (Jonathan Togo) about her feelings of being locked in the boot/trunk and not being able to do the job.  It reminds Ryan of the time he was shot with a nail gun in season 4's Nailed, he felt the same but he reminds her a friend told him he could get past that. That being her.

Walter's test on Toller's clothes finds traces of soot from a landfill site, so this is where he kills his Vics.  Melanie is forced to wear the necklace which belonged to his mother, as we're shown a flashback of how his mother led him onto a killing path.  They always have  a 'mother complex.'  He wasn't able to kill his mother for her brutality but he's exacting that revenge onto his Vic's.  He forces Melanie to shout, "Jack, I'm ashamed of you."  He ignites the accelerant just as the CSIs arrive and makes a run for it, again.  Chased by Horatio and Delko.

He's eventually cornered by Horatio who is clearly in agony.  Delko was a bit slow getting there considering he was right behind Toller, what took him so long in catching up.  Horatio once again flashes to Marisol and he must leave her to finish his work.  She's not ready for him to be here with her yet.  Pangs of CSI:NY season 8 finale Near Death with Mac (Gary Sinise) and Claire (Jaime Ray Newman) when she told Mac this wasn't his time and he had to go back as he's still got plenty to do.

Horatio also kisses the photo of him and Marisol in one scene which he keeps in the Hummer.  Renee asks who Marisol is as he said her name in the ambulance and he reveals he lost his wife who was murdered.  Perhaps Renee will be there to present him with some closure.  He tells her he's not okay and doesn't tell anyone else he was thinking of Marisol, not even Delko.

Austin wants Calleigh to adopt him and his sister but this job takes up her time.  What about when she has children of her own or hasn't she thought of that?

Natalia mentions the close calls she's had over the year, as did I in my season 9 reviews.  There was so much that was so over the top in this episode, that you had to suspend disbelief.  Horatio and Natalia leaving hospital on their own volition and discharging themselves after their harrowing ordeal.  Natalia "acting out" her anger on Randy.  She's meant to be afraid after what she's been through and that scene was in stark contrast to the one with Ryan.  They were meant to be able to reach Toller and yet they just watch the train roll by and well, just watch it some more.  Delko says, 'let's move in' just as the train arrives, ugh.

Sorry but if this is the best they could do, no wonder cancellation was the end result.  CSI:Miami showing how it was a poor shadow of its former self in seasons 1 and 2, which were exciting and interesting, fresh and full of characterization and not a trace of police brutality about.  That's what made the show what it was and what made me like it.  But not anymore.  It really lost direction over the past years.

CSI: NY - 7.12: "Holding Cell" Review

The suspected murder of a man investigated by a Barcelona detective, hinders Mac's own investigation. Was it really murder or suicide? Lots of secrets in this episode.

A man out clubbing is later found dead in his apartment.    His body is later processed at the CS by a man, with Mac (Gary Sinise) observing.   He is Hector Vargas (Jsu Garcia) from the Barcelona Police Crime Lab supervisor.   Jo (Sela Ward) has been to Barcelona in 2004 to help under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, when she was at the FBI.   Mac lets him photograph the CS.  The Vic's girlfriend, Natalia (Melina Lizette) found the body and the Vic's mother, Eva Martinez (Karina Lombard) is a diplomat.  Hector notified the NYPD ten hours after the DB was found.   Jo translates his Spanish when Hector promises to find whoever killed his nephew.

Mac asks him to leave his CS.   The Vic's father was killed twelve years ago in an accident and Hector questions Mac  if his relative was killed elsewhere, would he investigate.   Mac wouldn't jeopardize the investigation.   There's always a 'but' coming when Mac's asked one of these questions, or something moral or ethical.

Flack (Eddie Cahill) has twenty five of his men searching the alley for the murder weapon.   A neighbour heard the Vic and his girlfriend fighting and she ran away.   Hawkes (Hill Harper) finds a crystalline particle on the floor and bloody shoe prints matching the Vic.   Natalia is at the Spanish Consulate.   Mac asks Hector, "...anything else you're hiding from me."  Well, yes there is but he's not to know just yet!  Jo says they need to process and question Natalia.   Mac tells him the crime was committed here so there's no question of jurisdiction.   He knows they don't have a warrant.   Mac doesn't want to leave as they'll have a chance to go over her alibi.   Er, they could have already established an alibi by now.   Jo also tells him the Treaty works both ways and they can refuse to cooperate with any info they discover.   (That's why the Treaty is called 'Mutual'.)

Natalia apologizes and wishes to talk.   She found the door open at the apartment and saw Miguel (Reynaldo Pacheco).  In the flashback when she finds his body, the knife is still on the floor, so only she could have taken it.   We don't think the murderer, if there was one, would have returned to steal the knife.   So that was a clue.   Miguel promoted a club last night.   Hector calls her a witness and not a suspect.   Natalia called his mother and told her as it was the right thing to do.   Mac asks why she didn't call the police.   His mother asked her to come here and she'd take care of everything.   (Like she did with her husband.)

Sid (Robert Joy) examines the DB.   The COD was three puncture wounds to the abdomen.   Just as he practices his 'stabbing actions'  with the knife, in walks Lindsay (Anna Belknap.)  The first two wounds were made with the blade facing up and the fatal wound was made with the blade facing down.   He had multiple abrasions on his back, like bedsores.   Lindsay notices the burn marks on his shirt.

Mac examines the CS photos with Hector.   He doesn't believe it's a homicide and at least doesn't want to call it that yet.   Since there was no forced entry and no call for help.   Earlier on, when Hawkes said there was no forced entry, Flack mentioned that didn't mean there wasn't anyone there and here Mac believes there was no other person there.   Well, he could have known his would-be attacker and let them in.   Miguel was alive after he was stabbed and was standing over the phone, bleeding out.   Hector mentions his defensive wounds.   The killer could have dropped the knife and picked it up.   Mac comments the cast off from the blood is smeared, all the blood drops are gravitational and there's no signs of a struggle.

Hawkes examines the crystalline particle and Adam (AJ Buckley) the burn mark on the shirt.   Adam asks Jo what the best way to tell someone who's never done anything wrong before, that he may have messed up.   He found sulphuric acid and formaldehyde on the shirt, which is Marquis Reagent, used for drug testing.   Mac walks in, getting Adam all flustered, since the messing up he was referring to, was meant to be done by Mac.   Adam: "Act normal."  So he pretends to finish the punchline for a joke.   Jo tells him Adam wants to ask him something, ahh spoilt sport.   Mac asks him why, without answering.   He didn't spill any reagent there, but Jo says Adam has a point and in walks Lindsay again looking smug as per usual.   Really that's all she did this entire episode.    Adam so nervous about telling Mac he's messed up, but of course he hadn't since he doesn't get things like that wrong.

Tox results from Miguel revealed the presence of Clonazepam.  There was no alcohol in his stomach contents and yet the reading was high.   Lindsay says he inhaled it.   He was at a club, which Flack and Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) just had to check out!  Danny remarks he saw this on an episode of The Jetsons once.   Flack: "I'm not a doctor but that can't be good for you."  The bouncer tells them Miguel had an argument with Leo (Kavan Reece).   Leo sees them coming, cos Flack shouted NYPD too early and there's a shortish chase scene.   Flack shouting "Excuse me" to the clubber when running!  Flack says he has five seconds to let her go, when he holds a woman at gunpoint.   Lots of counting down by Flack, this season.  

Danny tells him the last time they did this, he had to fill out forms, call an ambulance and he got blood and brain tissue on him.   Flack and Danny had to be at the club and get in a short chase scene too.   It's almost expected now and is second nature to see them enter such a scene together.   Flack asking Danny if he wants to go for a proper drink afterwards, cos he's not into any of these fads they've come across over the seasons.   No, our Flack's down to earth and normal!  But hey, Lindsay won't let Danny go for a drink, unless she tags along.   Some witty banter from them and from Flack during the interrogation scene later.

Jo uses eye drops and says Leo could've set the club on fire.   He's got sulphuric acid in his bottle, i.e.  Marquis Reagent.   She checked out his website where he sells drugs which he claims are better, but it's just a scam.   Miguel had chemical burns on his clothes in a splash pattern which suggest there was a struggle.   Miguel didn't want him dealing on his nights.   Mac believes Leo.   Hector says pill testing is supported in his country.

Hawkes finds the crystalline particle contained Indium and Gallium - glass used in solar panels, but there were none in Miguel's place.   Hector's sister wants to take the DB now as she doesn't want anyone knowing what really happened.   (She also looked down and away, indicating she's hiding something.)  Hector convinces her to leave the body for now as she'll have to return him later anyway with an exhumation order.   Sid points out the new evidence discovered after embalming: ligature marks around his neck, which are linear.   He was strangled from behind.   Mac says someone tried to kill him before.

Jo and Lindsay talk to Natalia about the marks and Lindsay is rather judgemental, when she remarks, snidely, Natalia didn't notice the marks around her boyfriend's neck.   He had a name, Lindsay!  Natalia was in Madrid at her sister's wedding and her alibi checks out.   Flack tells Hawkes the knife was found in a dumpster twelve blocks away and the blood stain belongs to Miguel.  Hawkes is later a bit dumbfounded in the lab as nothing make sense in this case; all the bloodstains belong to the Vic.  

When along comes busybody Lindsay with her Spanish line about "small strokes fell great oaks."  She's teaching Lucy, so Danny comments so they can talk about him without his knowing.   Had to get a mention of Lucy in just incase we forget she's around.   Adam finds a microscopic bloodstain on the glass, belonging to Vern Jackson (James C Victor) a homeless man.   Danny: "Wow, even the homeless are going green."  Actually, the homeless would be green already since they don't have much of anything!

Vern doesn't know Miguel.   Danny tells him his DNA was found inside the apartment.   Flack jokes Miguel invited him to share Paella.   A food reference from Flack, since as Eddie said in an interview, "Flack loves his food."  Hence several foody references from Flack over the seasons!  Including this season's Do Not Pass Go episode;  when he said his first words were "cake and cookie."  Danny says he was looking for solar panels and Flack tells him he has too many priors, he followed him home and killed him.   Vern was paid by Miguel to kill him.   Another comment by Flack where he says Vern came up with that excuse so when they find money on him, he'll already have a reason for having it.   He strangled him, not stabbed, but he couldn't go through with it after all.   Another change of heart when it came to helping Miguel.

Hector admits to Mac that Miguel's father killed himself.   He was found in the pool but the determination was inconclusive.   Later it was ruled an accidental death by drowning.   Mac thinks history could be repeating itself.   They examine the CS again.   Miguel stabbed himself and was walking around.   He wanted to die but couldn't ask for help.    The orientation of the wound indicates the knife fell to the floor.   Only half gravitational blood spatter is found on the blade and his prints, suggesting Miguel dropped the knife and picked it up due to the Clonazepam.   He was self-medicating for depression.   The knife was moved.

His mother doesn't believe Miguel killed himself.   Miguel told Natalia what to do.   He thought if people knew the real Miguel, they would think him weak.   Mac says he was hiding what he really felt inside.   She staged the scene but returned and was too late.   Just like Vern couldn't go through with killing him too.   She took the knife, which is why it was still there in her flashback.   Miguel discovered his father's body in the closet and his mother moved it.   Mac doesn't believe there was any shame in what he and his father endured.  Natalia couldn't force him to go on living when he didn't want to.   Thus the title: Miguel's body was a prison from which he wanted release and this was the only way he knew how.  

Mac tells her to "justify your actions however you need to" but she must remember she tried to stop him.   His mother tells Jo about the same look Miguel had in his eyes just like his father and asks her what she would do if it was her son.   Jo would hold him and never let go.   Which she does to her daughter, Carmen (Andrea Ramirez).   Jo's compassion showing again, always great to see in a CSI character.

Mac actually being understanding at the end when he reassured Natalia she did the right thing when she went back and tried to stop him.   Hinting at 'assisted suicide' and possibly euthanasia - that had Miguel been ill he'd have been able to take his own life or had help in his attempt of doing so.   Though it is still illegal in many countries to help people commit suicide for health reasons and otherwise.   Again an episode where there were no killers, but they were Vics and plenty of them: those he left behind and Natalia was right - suicide is selfish.

A disturbing episode for something like his suffering to go unnoticed and his mother ignoring his symptoms and his cry for help, until it took Jo to wake her up to her own daughter, by saying she'd hug her son and never let him go.   That's so typical of Jo.   She really has her work life and personal life balanced, especially when it comes to being a mother.

Desperate Housewives - 7.16: "Searching" Review

The women help Susan in her search for a kidney, whilst she attempts to celebrate her wedding anniversary early. two matches are found, but both are desperate to donate. Gaby competes with Lee in the parenting stakes.

Mary Alice (Brenda Strong) : "The suburbs are full of parents...each has their own style: disciplinarian, smotherer, and negotiator.   One thing they all have in common is they love to judge the parent next door."  Lee (Kevin Rahm) appears to be forcing Jenny to practise the violin.   Gaby (Eva Longoria) believes you can't force children to do things, is she speaking from her past experience where she does force the girls to do things, or where Carlos (Richardo Antonio Chavira) always has to 'force' Gaby to do things she doesn't want to.   Lee says Jenny told them she wanted to learn the violin and Mandarin too.   Lee asks what Juanita (Madison De La Garza) is doing by herself for the school talent show.   "Each parent has their own style but deep down they're all afraid they're doing it wrong."

Mary Alice: "There are many things that bring us pleasure; baking, donating to charity - but may not be enough to give our lives meaning without someone to love."  Beth (Emily Bergl) returns home with shopping.   Paul (Mark Moses) is mad at her.   She's told her mother, Felicia (Harriet Sansom Harris) she's in love with him.   Paul admits he killed her mother's sister.  They're both betrayed now.  

Gaby picks tap for Juanita to perform in the show.   She says "anything worth doing is hard."  The Reverend Sikes (Dakin Matthews) pays a visit to Bree (Marcia Cross) who notices the more 'lavish' her treats she bakes for him, the more she's done something wrong.   Bree feels like Job.   Everything has been taken from her and asks what she can give to others.   Lynette (Felicity Huffman) loves the smell of the twins; she misses them as she packs away their things.  

Susan's condition is deteriorating and she's told to do the things she wants to do, sooner rather than later.   Dialysis isn't working for her and she was given a free parking pass by her doctor's receptionist.   Gaby asks how long it's good for, week or a month.   Oh so tactful, as usual.   Bree reassures Susan that people care about her, but she can't ask anyone to make a sacrifice for her.  Bree will do the asking.   Mrs McClusky (Kathryn Joosten) refuses point blank to donate and Lee is worried about the scarring, as he wants to go shirtless.  

Renee (Vanessa Williams) wants a baby, a boy, as she wants more meaning in her life.   She can adopt one and work a child into her life.   Lynette suggests babysitting Paige.   Susan wants a normal day out with Mike (James Denton) and he leaves the picnic basket on the roof of the car, thought Susan was the ditzy one!

Juanita informs Gaby she's always quitting, but she's competing with Bob (Tuc Watkins) and Lee.   Bree throws a brunch where the guests have to be tested as potential donors for Susan.   Carlos calls it an ambush.   Beth tries to make it up to Felicia who disowns her, especially as she didn't get Paul's admission on tape or in writing.   She's going to live a lonely life.   If she gets to that point, since it was obvious why Paul gave her the gun last week when he threw her out.   Some mother Felicia is, only interested in herself.   Gaby sees how awful Juanita is in the routine, when she says she finally nailed the finale.   She hides her tap shoes so she can't take part.   Thus Juanita's hard work going to waste.   Jenny messes up in parts of her violin solo, but Bob and Lee applaud her anyway.   They're proud of her, she always gets part of it wrong.  

Funny Carlos didn't come to see Juanita in the talent show.   Again it takes someone else to wake Gaby up and she wants Juanita to perform now, well, only after Jenny made mistakes.   She couldn't see for herself that it didn't matter if Juanita messed up.

 Two matches are found for Susan: Bree and Beth.   Tom (Doug Savant) thinks Renee might surprise Lynette at babysitting, yeah and elephants fly.   Renee brings Paige to the same restaurant on a date.   Tom changes his mind, she's not good at this.   She then gives Paige to a waitress to look after, so Lynette pays her too, to 'lose' the baby.  Lynette tells her that being  a mother means making sacrifices, just what Mary Alice narrated in the last episode.   Bree speaks with Beth and I was about to say, why doesn't Bree donate her own kidney, which is what she wants to do, but Beth also feels she needs to make amends, just as Bree is going through a dark time too, but not as dark as Beth.   I mean she's on her own, Keith (Brian Austin Green) left her, but she still has her family.

Renee buys Paige a star ornament, all very baby unfriendly!  She's not cut out to be a mother.   Mike berates himself for coming to the woods, she's dying and he can't help her.   Well at least someone took my advice from last time and have Mike spend time with Susan.   Susan tells him she's fighting everyday and wants to see MJ (Mason Vale Cotton) grow up.

Mary Alice: "Our lives are brief, that's why it's important to search for meaning in...daughter's smile, in the warmth of our friends...make lives meaningful by making a great sacrifice."  Beth goes to the hospital with forms and wants to donate to Susan, where she shoots herself.   Well that was coming as I said, and also since Zack (Cody Kasch) said Paul was responsible for Mary Alice killing herself and if he denied that, he can't deny being responsible for Beth's suicide.   He left her when she needed him the most in his own bitter selfish way.   Paul told her he was incapable of loving, well he was right.   Which makes my say if this is what was on Beth's mind, it's a shame she didn't shoot Paul.   However that just shows she was the better person out of Felicia and Paul, who are more alike than they care to admit.

There was Lynette worrying about Paige and Susan worrying about MJ, whereas Beth's mother didn't want anything to do with her as she couldn't help her in her schemes; showing the contrasting characters in the show, but the regulars always shine anyway.   Even Gaby came good in the end.