The Curtis story concludes when he attacks Jo. Frank arrives on the scene and Ali is killed. The reveal as to what happened in the courtcase with GHB levels is solved,to no great surprise.
Jo (Sela ward) is thrown against a mirror and hovers between consciousness, as a man walks around the room, which we know can only be Curtis (Jason Wiles) and throws bullets around.
48 hours earlier Jo spots a man outside the courtroom, who is revealed as Frank (Michael Weston). Serena (Jenn Proske) is distraught over Curtis walking free. Jo is adamant they will get him. The Senator (Jeffrey Nordling) asks how she can say that. Jo isn't involved in the case and "the case still fell apart." That's a damning indictment against Lindsay (Anna Belknap) and her skills if ever there was one, ha.
3 years ago Washington DC, a flashback to Jo meeting the Senator and Serena. He doesn't want any press involvement that's why he called in the FBI. Serena was drinking and blames herself. Present day Jo gets out the evidence and Mac (Gary Sinise) reaffirms she can't be on this case, but she can check on the DC evidence with Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo). This is personal to her.
Ali (Beau Garrett) rants to Flack (Eddie Cahill) who mentions the inconsistencies in her statement. Physical evidence is needed otherwise they only have her testimony. There's no way for her to drop the charges now. No wonder she was having a case of cold feet. Danny comments on there not being much evidence to look at on the DC cases.
3 years ago Jo wasn't going to let Frank stand around whilst she processed Serena, how embarrassing and humiliating would that have been for the Vic after her ordeal? Jo insists it's not Serena's fault. She can recall Curtis's face. Present day, Jo meets Frank after he calls her. He's working in the private sector at Rothwell Labs. He covered up processing the DNA in the Serena case. Jo isn't willing to take the blame for what he did even back then.
Lindsay retested the cut on Ali's face using immunochemical testing and the wounds were sustained a few hours before she was processed by her. Ali is lying about everything. Now didn't I say that last episode? Flack and Lindsay investigate Ali's murder, as her DB is found in Central Park. Lindsay also has to brag to Flack that Ali done it to herself. Flack: "She didn't do this to herself." Oh what a witty retort from Flack, showing Lindsay was wrong on both counts, cos she didn't punch herself in the face either.
Flash to Curtis being acquitted in DC. He comes into the precinct and will only talk to Jo and she video records their conversation and he mentions it's so he doesn't beat himself up and claim brutality. He admits to having sex with Ali but didn't rape her. Probably giving Mac the final clue he needed . Curtis questions Jo about her alibi since she had motive to kill Ali. Why do suspects always try to turn it around on the CSIs? Can't they see how pathetic that sounds?
Sid (Robert Joy) processes Ali and finds an unknown piece of trace in her hair. Lindsay can't even phrase a simple question now when she asks Sid if he's "seen someone punch herself in the face." Not successfully he replies and Ali would have to be strong. Adam (AJ Buckley) finds dermal tentacles on Ali's coat. Her real job was as a pharmaceutical rep. The company was developing time sustain capsules and Ali worked for the same company as Frank, Rothwell Labs (small world), which Jo just happens to arrive in time to hear.
Frank calls Jo when they arrive at his apartment with the intention of ending it all as he blames himself and Flack doesn't get to him in time outside. Photos of Curtis are plastered all over his wall. Mac calls it an obsession. Danny discovers credit card receipts from hotel bars and Hawkes (Hill Harper) notices equipment and chemicals to manufacture GHB. Hawkes posits Frank could be working with Ali and they set up Curtis - but Frank had forensics experience and so would know the levels of GHB to use and think Frank killed Ali.
Jo was close to Frank once and doesn't believe he killed Ali. Sid finds he was using chemicals without gloves or a respirator. Hawkes discovers a conversation recorded on Frank's phone between him and Ali in which he tells her she should have figured out the right levels of GHB before she dosed herself. Good that Hawkes broke the case with this to prove Frank is innocent of murder and wasn't involved in the set up, as well as disproving Lindsay's absurd theory that Ali punched herself. Curtis's prints were on the containers in Frank's apartment and found in the trash by Frank, as shown in the photos he took. Danny analyzed a single hair found in Curtis's car and matched it to Amanda (Erica Piccininni).
Lindsay shouldn't be let loose in the lab alone as she bashes various items against dummy skulls to find the murder weapon, she may end doing herself an injury ( Sid asked was she planning on punching herself, earlier? ha.) She IDs the trace as pink ivory and Mac recalls the Senator and his fancy umbrella from last episode. The Senator and Ali were both in the same places at the same time. The Senator believes he should have just gunned down Curtis himself. Ali panicked and he killed her.
Jo talks with Amanda who kept a wine glass from the attack and she goes with her to retrieve it. Curtis has beaten her to the punch, oh bad pun and knocks out Amanda and Jo. He then empties Jo's gun of bullets and talks about intentional mistakes and smashes the wine glass. Jo got too close and she reaches for the gun, adding people who end up shooting themselves forget the bullet in the gun chamber. She reloads another bullet and shoots again.
Oh wow can't believe what I wrote in my review for 8.8 Crossroads was correct; as Morgan Brody said in CSI, "I love it when I'm right." Ha. It's just so believable and conceivable that everything the Senator did, would do, for his daughter. He couldn't just sit by and let it go when Curtis got away once and since he found the chance to frame him for the rape of Ali, he would take it. That much was apparent, he wanted to see justice done for Serena, only he went about it the wrong way. So much for having Lindsay on the case. She just didn't do anything.
As for her telling Adam to "Shut up" and not make her regret bringing him along to help process the CS was uncalled for. Who died and made her boss. She's no expert at her job and neither does she treat Vics with the sympathy and respect they deserve (going back to season 7's Vigilante episode.) Her telling Flack and Sid about whether someone could punch themselves was nothing but showing off and smacked of smugness. Also in the Vigilante episode Lindsay had that entire conversation with Hawkes in the lab about having to do their jobs and treating the suspect who carried out the rapes as a Vic. But here she hardly exhibited any sympathy towards Ali, who was now a murder Vic; irrespective of what she may have done in the past. Lindsay was just out to prove her point.
Jo telling Frank she's not to blame for the events in DC and the case going awry was delved into a bit too much, since it was already said in the last episode. Almost as if Jo had to justify her actions to everyone over and over. Frank came to her with evidence in the manila envelope when he met up with her for breakfast and cos of the recriminations, she refused to listen and he would have provided her with photos and other info on Curtis. He probably wouldn't have killed himself either, which was an easy way out for him after the evidence he collected. It wouldn't have made up for his past mistake, but would have gone some way in helping him come to terms with his mistake which cost the trial and led to Curtis preying on other Vics. Glad to see that Jo did have something nice to say about him when he died.
Jo being beaten up by Curtis was too close for comfort. Just as Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) shot her abusive ex Frank in 2.21 All Access, she fired three shots, the third one killed him. Here Jo does the same thing, a bit of an easy cop out on the part of writers, but what can you do? That happening to a CSI isn't pleasant to watch, especially one as well liked as Jo. Well it saved the cost of a trial when she shot him. When the Senator asked Mac what he'd do if it happened to his daughter, he doesn't reply. Whereas we know the views of the others, Danny, Hawkes and Flack from season 7's Vigilante episode (who'd have known back then this episode would have such an impact on future CSI:NY episodes) they all had opinions on what they'd do. Mac remains silent and tactful. He can't really answer that, not in his position.
Adam got two scenes this week, so much for Lindsay berating him. Danny and Flack not much to do this episode and Mac took a backseat too. Shame Jo went to the apartment alone but she had to be the one to end this case and get the final say. Touching scene at the end when she rests her head on Mac's shoulder. Serena turning up to see Curtis in a bodybag, bringing her some closure too.
Jo's computer screen in flashback also had Post -It notes on it. Nice to know some things never change.
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