Desperate Housewives - 7.12: "Where Do I Belong" Review

Susan needs a kidney transplant but not from Julie, secretly expecting it to come from her mother. Beth feigns finding the gun that shot Paul at Bree's house and there's an old face back in town.

Mary Alice: (Brenda Strong) "Gaby's (Eva Longoria) biological daughter was erased and she struggled to cope.   Tom (Doug Savant) had a 20 year old secret...he once slept with his wife's best friend, it no longer mattered to him but his wife felt differently.   That's why she had decided to punish him and torture him and humiliate him...have her revenge before she told him she knew."  Tom rips his pants.   Renee (Vanessa Williams) thinks she made a mistake telling Lynette (Felicity Huffman) about them, well then she shouldn't have but it's too late now.   Lynette thinks what she's doing to him is better than smashing his head and she's not ready to get over it yet.   Since when he apologizes, she'll cry and then forgive him.   Besides no one's getting hurt and he slips on some peanut butter strategically placed on the stairs.   What if one of the children had stepped on it.   Lynette "had developed a taste for revenge and she was finding it delicious." Devious lot these housewives! as we know.

Mary Alice: "We pass by these people everyday - sense their isolation - but we just keep walking."  The Reverend Sikes ( Dakin Matthews) asks Bree (Marcia Cross) to help out Beth (Emily Bergl) but Bree refuses as she's married to a lunatic.   They then proceed to quote Bible verses at each other and the Rev wins by bringing out Bree's guilt as she's shacking up with her boyfriend.   Bob (Tuc Watkins) and  Lee (Kevin Rahm) celebrate at dinner with Carlos (Richard Antonio Chavira) as they are adopting a girl named Eliza.   Yeah that's just what Gaby needed to hear after her ordeal.   They were hoping for some champagne.   Gaby thinks she's beautiful as she's caught in the moment with her photo, Carlos says she's fine.   But she can't cope with her emotions and needs her doll.

Julie (Andrea Bowen) visits Susan (Teri Hatcher) in hospital but Susan refuses to accept her kidney.   Mike (James Denton) tells her she should think closer to home, her mother.   She's set against it as she doesn't want to lose her mind as well as her kidney.   Julie's already told Susan's mother and now it'll be a nightmare for Susan, she'll owe her mother for the rest of her life.   Yes always thinking of herself is Susan.   Renee lets Tom know she spilled to Lynette, cos the guilt gets the better of her too, but the guilt of carrying this secret around for over 20 years just washed over her!  He's been accident prone lately and recalls the gay porn Lynette placed in his PowerPoint presentation.   He tests the brakes just to be on the safe side.   If Lynette wanted to kill him, think she'd have already succeeded by now, ha.  

Bree invites Beth for a get together at her house with the others, saying Beth was never hated and Paul's (Mark Moses) not that bad (a little more fibbing on Bree's part).   Beth says he went to prison for a murder he didn't commit.   Beth shouldn't have to suffer for what he's done.   Aunt Claire (Valerie Harper) arrives with her mother.   Mike tells her of Susan needing a donor and her mother, Sophie (Leslie Ann Warren) wonders who that would be.   Mike suggests Sophie but Susan is adamant she won't do it.   Claire begins to tell her why but Sophie interrupts; they're going away together on a three month cruise; so the timing's not right.

Lynette makes Brownies for Tom with some extra laxative included.   Tom refuses as he had a big lunch and insists Penny (Darcy Rose Byrnes) should have it, forcing Lynette to stop her from eating.   Tom denies it was an affair and it was meaningless.   Lynette is certain they were only taking a break from each other; then one day she had an epiphany.   She chose a path that included Tom in her life and he was sleeping with her best friend.   Gaby returns home with Bree to find doll's clothes strewn all over the stairs.   Bree comments she hopes that Carlos is "not having an affair with a tiny, naked person."  Gaby replies the doll isn't a toy, it's hers and she's something special that can't be taken away.   Then covers herself by adding it's a gift for Bob and Lee.

Susan wonders why Sophie refused to be tested.   There's an 85% chance she'll be thinking her mother doesn't care.   Sophie's sorry for disappointing her.   Claire wants Susan to let her mother off the hook as there are things she doesn't know.   She has breast cancer and is beginning chemo next week.   The cruise is the story so that's why there's no kidney and she didn't want to burden Susan by telling her.

Gaby takes her doll back to the shop and asks if she's weird for being attached to the doll.   Naturally Miss Charlotte (Stephanie Faracy) wouldn't think so.   Gaby feels she needs her and she calms her down.   Miss Charlotte has a doll too and calls her Mrs Humphreys.   Gaby's feelings are normal.   Every doll has a story and her one has a music shop.   Mrs Humphreys is always there.   Her sister passed away, just like Miss Charlotte's own sister did.  "They'll never leave you."  Gaby calls her doll Princess Valerie.

Tom apologizes to Lynette, he never found the right moment to tell her about Renee and then they had the children.   They had beautiful moments together that he didn't want to spoil.   She can forgive him or ruin their lives they've spent together.   Did Lynette cry then, no.   Susan and Sophie make up and she apologizes.   Susan tells her a health scare makes you think what's important.   Sophie knows how they feel about each other and one day they should go on a cruise together, just the two of them.   Lynette forgives Tom when she touches his hand next day at the breakfast table; but she doesn't use any words.

Bree lets the others know she invited Beth over.   Renee refers to her as 'the lady with the bad hair'.   Bree asks why Beth should suffer for the sins of her husband.   Renee tells the others they sound like mean, pretty girls who won't let anyone else sit at their lunch table.   Lynette wanted to be one of those, think she's making up for that now that she's older, ha.   Bree gets flowers but she doesn't recognize the delivery man.   He had a fake beard on!  Renee knows someone who can help Beth with her hair.   Bree reminds them they don't want Beth ending up like Mary Alice.  

Beth sits on a gun behind the cushion and that was planted there.   A .38 calibre.   Now Beth retorts she understands why she was invited here; so they could get her fingerprints on the gun.   Gaby says she was sitting there and she didn't feel anything.   Lynette adds Beth was alone in the room.   Susan reminds Beth she pulled a gun on her on Hallowe'en.   The same gun.   Beth accuses them of setting her up.   Isn't it Beth who's setting herself up.  Oh this plot's getting too weird.   Wouldn't Bree know if there was a gun under her cushion with her meticulous tidying up and she doesn't live there alone either.   Bree thinks Beth's as twisted as her husband.   (And like her mother too.)

Keith (Brian Austin Green) didn't send Bree flowers, no he wouldn't even dream of it, slob that he is, ha.  

Mary Alice: "...don't want to see the sadness in their expressions, the longing in their hearts, the loneliness in their eyes...stop and look at these isolated people.   If we look close enough we might just recognize them."   The flower guy is revealed as Paul's son, Zach (Cody Kasch) that's why the photo was shown in Bree''s house.   Oh boy, is he meant to be another suspect in the shooting of Paul or is he here to help him.

Another Supernatural Love interest For Sam

With the announcement that Sam (Jared Padalecki) is to have yet another love interest in Supernatural, as reported by TVLine, you have to ask why they bother?  Aside from providing a plot line and to continue the show further.

Sam has had many love interests over the 8 seasons of the show, from Jess who was killed and he blamed himself and felt guilty for a long time, then he met Sarah in 1.19 Provenance, but that didn't last and she was never heard from again cos they weren't ready to make that much of a commitment, what with the pitfalls of their 'family business' and all the death and hardship that involved.

Seems Sam didn't get much action for a while.  Along came Bela (Lauren Cohan) and Ruby in season 3 (or I should say Rubys with both Katie Cassidy and Genevieve Padalecki) and there was clamour from the fans.  You see Supernatural fans don't like our Winchesters to be paired up with anybody.  Luckily Bela was no good and there wasn't any romance involving Ruby - the first one - until season 4 when she was replaced by Genevieve.  I personally liked Katie Cassidy as Ruby.  But I didn't like Lisa and Dean's storylines.  It gave Jensen a chance to play Dean as lovestruck and totally committed, but it just didn't fit in with the show.  they get in the way of their fighting spirits and almost always get in between the boys and their brotherly relationship.


Sam's behaviour became a nightmare for Sam and Dean (Jensen Ackles) alike since Ruby was an evil demon and led Sam astray, into all his blood drinking to make him strong and fight demons in a way Dean couldn't imagine.  So after Ruby there was no one else for him since Sam was now firmly established into following big brother's one night stands lifestyle.  Sam was just into instant gratification. Well he had no soul so he didn't care what he was doing, one way or another.

In season 8 Canadian Liane Balaban has been cast as Amelia and she is set to recur.  Many a groan can be heard from fans who prefer to see Sam and Dean single!  Even if they are unavailable in real life! She's seen as a "tragedy-damaged soul" which just mirrors Sam and his past.  We know how tragic their lives have been, filled with heartache and loss, so she's meant to be a kindred spirit in that respects.  Yet we can only hope she too turns out to be evil and no good. hey I'm only repeating what most are thinking.  Perhaps 'soul' is the operative word here and there's more to this than meets the eye.  Considering Sam had no soul for a while in season 6.

Well, let's face it, their lives haven't change and they find themselves in peril everyday, how are they still going to balance life on the road and hunting with a female in tow.  Supernatural is a 'scary' show, or at least was during the earlier seasons when it first began.  It doesn't strike me as being a melodrama in the romantic sense of the word.  There's too much to cover with myths, legends and urban legends, as well as the 'supernatural' element to get bogged down with deep and meaningfuls.

Love has been done on this show and doesn't work. there haven't been any happily ever afters.  Romance has been seen to wreck the heart and mind and maybe the stories, but we'll have to wait and see.

CSI: NY - 7.7: "Hide Sight" Review

A sniper targeting innocent civillians is loose in New York and is identified as a missing person Mac once searched for. A personal episode for Mac. He must be found before he kills more victims.

Mac (Gary Sinise) talks about a sniper loose in the city and proceeds to tear up the paper he was meant to read from.   He's only talking to his lab and not as we were lead to believe at a press conference, which comes later.   An attempt to fool us into thinking he was defying orders.   Mac defy orders, never, well maybe once or twice...As he mentions the sniper we see him in action, taking out another victim.   I like the scene where everyone looked like they were suspended in time as the camera pans around them, anyone was a potential target.   Mac mentions ballistics reveal that shots were fired about 300 yards from a high powered rifle.   The sniper is "precise, determined and leaves no witnesses."

Hawkes (Hill Harper) interrupts Sid (Robert Joy) as he's counting the fragments retrieved from the first Vic.   Hawkes "missed the no vacancy sign outside."  Meaning there were plenty of DBs today.   The second Vic's entry wound was smaller than the first.  Hawkes thinks they can run it through IBIS and get a lead on the shooter.   Sid attempts to remove the bullet from the second Vic, but her head explodes and he is injured.   He'll be fine.   Just as well Hawkes was around.   Jo (Sela Ward) says he'd be blind if it wasn't for his glasses.   The entry wound matches that of the first Vic now and Hawkes found nitroglycerin in the explosive residue.   The sniper is using exploding bullets.

Mac is told by Chief Carver (John Larroquette) in no uncertain terms that he's not to mention 'sniper' at all.   Mac feels the public have a right to know what they're dealing with.   Mac tells the press they don't know if the two cases are related and when broached on the questions of whether they're dealing with a sniper and that's what it appears to the reporter, Mac replies, "Me too."  Mac tells Carver to inform the Commissioner and the Mayor that he didn't utter the word 'sniper'.   Mac always has to deal with so much red tape and hypocritical superiors all the time.   It's amazing they actually let him get on with his job.   There's a marked difference in his character this episode and his approach to catching the sniper.   Usually he's portrayed in just getting the job done, irrespective of the consequences and who may be hurt in the process.   Like episode 4, Sangre Por Sangre.   He was very methodical.

Adam (AJ Buckley) strings the trajectory of the bullets and also users laser stringing to indicate where the bullet was fired from.  Jo and Lindsay (Anna Belknap) are already on the rooftop.   Jo finds a hair from the sniper's arm and Lindsay finds a dead bug on the ground with red blood.   They talk about the people down there as if nothing is wrong and Lindsay didn't come across as being very convincing in her concern for them, compared to Jo, who was that much more feeling.  That shot on the roof (no pun) with the two of them, was so CGI.   Flack (Eddie Cahill) is mentioned but doesn't turn up until 17 minutes into the episode! Ha.  There's no connection between the two Vics.   No Lindsay, what was scary was thinking Flack wouldn't be in this episode at all!

Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) in no scenes with Lindsay this week, yay!  tests the bullets on 'Jelloman'.   (Well they call him that in CSI so I thought I'd continue using it too.)  He hasn't seen bullets like this since 1981.   The bullet explodes just like it did in the first Vic.   He half filled the bullets with nitroglycerin.   He agitates the bullet and it explodes.   Danny was the only one to ask after Sid.   He comments that he's "not happy unless he's looking at dead things."  Cue Lindsay...checking the bug.

They theorize on whether the Vic's could be related (didn't Flack tell them there wasn't any connection he found between them!) Flack appears to still be canvassing, off screen.   Hawkes has to explain people heard several shots being fired, since the sound waves from the bullet would echo off the concrete buildings.   Thought she feigned to know everything!  The bug she found was a cochineal beetle.   Jo finds a hit from the mitochondrial DNA to Michael Reynolds (Austin Michael Coleman) .   A boy who had been missing, Mac spent three years searching for him.   Arthur Francis kidnapped him and he escaped when he was twelve.   This was the first case where Mac questioned whether which of those things was worse, i.e.  finding him alive or not.   Michael wanted to wear his badge.   He has a brother Tom (Mark L Young).   Mac believed either one of them would become a cop.   He was wrong then.

Jo was so sympathetic and understanding here again as in the past, which was refreshing when Jo tells him "there's only so much this job allows us to do."  Kind of a reversal of a few episodes ago, when Mac told her she did everything she could in her old job at the FBI in turning in one of her partner's.   Hawkes doesn't find any address for Michael.   Mac and Flack begin with his last known address.   Flack: "I'm thinking, guilty."  His first words in his first scene this episode and they weren't very charitable.  Mac speaks with Hayley  (Tiffany Dupont) whom be spoke with when she was 9.   Michael used to have nightmares but painting helped him.   He moved out at 18.

Another Vic is shot, he's a male this time, so it rules out any gender discrimination on the part of the sniper.   Mac informs Carver they need to tell the public otherwise there'll be a fourth Vic.   Lindsay sits in front of the computer unable to figure out the relevance of 'Michael Francis'.   Until Jo talks about Stockholm Syndrome, Michael identified with his kidnapper and abuser and took his last name.   Flack and Danny check out the house in the name of Francis and stumble upon a DB, that of Michael.   Flack comments maybe he did everyone a favour and killed himself.   That's been said before.   Danny thinks he died about 48 hours ago so he couldn't have been the sniper.   Flack comments on the futility of Micheal's life, to be kidnapped and then murdered.

Jo identifies the sniper as Tom from the Mitochondrial DNA; since he took the beetle to the rooftop under his shoe after he killed Michael.   Mac has to explain to Lindsay this time that the DNA comes from the maternal side of the family and can include brothers.   Doesn't Lindsay also know her biology now.   Mac goes through Michael's belongings and finds a video tape.   Jo notices how Tom was standing on one side when Michael greeted his parents.   He was neglected and abused.   In killers, neglect is a common form of abuse.   Tom had a pre-existing condition,a genetic anomaly that renders him susceptible to kill.  Hayley calls Mac, Tom's back and thinks he'll come after her, but he doesn't.

Tom on the tape talks of abandonment and his 'life was a hole', whilst Tom looks for another Vic.   Jo tells Lindsay to put his image on the Homeland Security's surveillance  camera footage, which brings up no matches.   She then tells her to try NY Alerts, which will put his image through to every phone in the city.   Lindsay's been here a lot longer than Jo and she didn't think of doing that for herself.   Jo says he'll go for one last kill because he knows he'll be caught.

The woman who called when she spotted him was staring at him for a long time, talk about making it obvious.   Mac corners him on the rooftop and fires at his box of bullets, since he knew he'd never talk him down.   He had to rescue his shot officer.   On the rooftop, Tom repeats the same thing to Mac which he said on the tape, about his life being a hole.

Jo gives Sid a new pair of glasses, with impact-resistant glass.   Mac keeps the painting Michael did with his badge in it, because it meant something to him.   Michael was just a victim of circumstance, whereas Tom was a killer.

It was good in this episode that they found out who the sniper was, or thought it was, but he wasn't identified for certain until later, it made us think it was Michael also.   That it was his brother who was neglected when Michael was abducted but also when he returned.   Another of Mac's cases where he couldn't rescue Michael, showing  Mac is vulnerable as a detective back then and now.   He does care about people, even if it's not always clear and comes across as such in many episodes.   Adam got to go out on his own this episode too, for a little bit.

Season I CSI:Miami episode Kill Zone dealt with a sniper who kills three Vics in the head and then kills two more.   The media appear to be in a frenzy to expose the story.   In NY, there didn't seem to be the same urgency, even after the press concluded a sniper was on the loose.   They must have reported that but everyone was oblivious to his presence, sitting in open air cafes.   So much for Son of Sam being mentioned.   The sniper in CSI:Miami also didn't have a conscience picking off Vics at random.   Same as Tom who was remorseless.

Supernatural - 1.20: "Dead Man's Blood" Review

Supernatural's foray into vampire territory with its own version of the lore. Dad finally admits some truths to Sam and they seem to bury the hatchet when Dean's not around.

Manning, Colorado.   Present Day
Daniel Elkin (Terence Kelly) looks over his journal and papers at a bar.   A woman turns up and says they have dinner plans, not the sort of dinner normal people would have in mind.   She later turns up at Elkin's house.   He gets a gun out of his safe and she takes it.  "Boys we're eating in tonight."  Cue Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) in a cafe.   Sam's looking  for cases.   Dean suggests they could go see Sarah and Sam thinks maybe someday, like never.

Dean knows Elkin's name after finding it in Dad's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) journal.   They drive to Colorado and Sam finds salt inside the door.   Dean: "You mean like demon protection salt or 'oops I spilled the popcorn' salt." Oh Dean...what by the door.  Sam says it's a ring of salt.   Dean finds an empty gun case and blood, together with scratches on the floor.   It's a message; a combination of a PO Box and inside they find letter addressed to Dad.  Well the initials, 'JW' on it, which belong to Dad.

Dad arrives, he read about Elkin and saw them at his house.   He had to make sure they weren't followed and compliments them on covering their tracks.   Dean has to comment on that saying, "We learned from the best."  Elkin taught Dad about hunting and he had a falling out with him.   Dad had a falling out with everyone, it could be said.   They must find the gun, an antique Colt revolver.   It killed vampires and Dean says there's no such thing.   Dad thought vampires were extinct but he was wrong.   Dad adds that most vampire law is crap, they can't be 'repelled by a cross, the sun won't kill them and neither will a stake through the heart'.   The bloodlust part is true for the purposes of our show.   Vampires need fresh, human blood to survive.   They were also people once so you won't know they're a vampire until it's too late.

A couple are abducted from the roadside.   Dad listens to the police scanner.   Dean: "Vampires, gets funnier everytime I hear it." Dad tells Dean to touch up the car before it rusts and he wouldn't have given it to him if he knew he wouldn't take care of it.   Hey that's Dean's baby he's talking about.   Vampires hunt in packs of 8-10 and take their Vics to their nest, where they are bled for days or even weeks.  Sam has criticisms of his own, telling Dean that Dad just told them what he thinks.   He treats them like children and much to Dean's chagrin, who comments on Sam going off at Dad already.  

The head vampire, Luther (Warren Christie) returns to the nest.   The woman vampire, Kate (Anne Openshaw) shows him the gun and tells him she made Elkin suffer for what he did to his family.  "Revenge isn't worth much if you end up dead."  The gun isn't any ordinary gun.   Sam questions Dad again on how he found the vampire's trail.   Sam refuses to get into he car.   Sam: "This is why I left in the first place."
 Dad: "You left when your brother and me needed you.   You walked away."
Sam: "You're the one who said, 'don't come back.   You're the one who closed the door on me...you were just pissed off you couldn't control me anymore."  Dean has to play piggy in the middle and stop them from fighting.   As usual he's always caught between the two.   Vampires aren't afraid of the sun and can only be killed by beheading.   They sleep during the day but can wake up.  

Dad tells of the legend of the Colt, going back to 1835 and Haley's Comet was overhead.   Samuel Colt made a special gun for a hunter and made 13 bullets.   He used 6 before he disappeared and so did the Colt.   Elkin found it and it can kill anything, like the demon.    Once a vampire gets a scent, it has it for life.   Dean is sent to the nearest funeral home for some Dead Man's blood.   So Dad can have some bonding time with Sam, more like.   Dad put $100 into bank when Sam was born for college for them both, every week.   This isn't the life he wanted for him.   He stopped being a father and became a drill sergeant after Mom died, cos he wanted to protect them.
Sam: "We're not different, not anymore.   What happened to Mom and Jess - we're probably a lot more in common than just about anyone," including Dean.   Dad spent the college fund on ammo.   Dean returns with blood.

Dean pretends to have car trouble and Kate stops.   Dean: "I'll pass, I usually draw the line at necrophilia."  She kisses Dean, actually replace kiss for snogs.   Dean doesn't stay with a chick for eternity.   An arrow is fired into her laced with dead man's blood.   Sam can't kill the other vampire, so again, Dean must do the killing for him.   Dad wants them to leave, wanting to go after the demon alone.   Dad: "I don't expect to make it out of this fight in one piece.   Your mother's dead, it almost killed me.   I can't watch my children die too.   I won't."  Almost prophetic this part, as if Dad new what was to come and we were being prepared for that outcome too.   Dean: "What happens if you die and we could have done something about it?...We're stronger as a family, you know we are."

They found Hank's head.   Kate wasn't there and Dean decapitates a vampire.   They'll trade her for the Colt.   Sam and Dean fight and Luther gets hold of Sam.   Dad has the Colt and fires at his head.   It shoots Luther dead.   They ignored a direct order.   Dean posits they saved him.   They are stronger as a family and agree to go after the demon together.

Something was coming in the next episode since there's so much talk of death and even Dean asks what they'll do if he dies.    That's why in a way it was time for Dad to make up with Sam, well as much as he could do.   Seems Deano was left out of that family stuff when he had to get the blood.   Dad only mentions this isn't the life he wanted for Sam, but he doesn't say the same about Dean.   Probably Dean didn't even know there was a college fund for him, seeing as he only started it after Sam was born, so apparently he had high aspirations for Sam and not so for Dean.   Again Sam feels an affinity towards Dad cos of what they both experienced at the hands of the demon, yet more fighting between Dad and Sam,  and Dean's tired of having to be the voice of reason.

There wasn't much in this episode about vampires, felt they were just introduced to explain their own version of vampire lore and to test out the Colt, after retrieving the Colt - to see that it actually works and managed to kill a vampire, but they have no way of knowing if it will work on a demon.

The Closer 7.5 "Forgive us Our Trespasses" Review

Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) tells Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) that Morales (Jonathan Del Arco) has a DB at a funeral home without a death certificate.  All the squad are served with subpoenas.  Including, Buzz (Phillip P Keene) known as Francis B Watson.  Flynn (Tony Denison) asks "why Francis?"  Sanchez comes out and says what Brenda has been thinking all along when he comments, "who cares what happened to Turrell?"  Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) doesn't get served in relation to the wrongful death civil suit and everyone thinks that's strange.  

Flynn thinks Gabriel has already spoken with the attorney: Peter Goldman (Curtis Armstrong) that useless and irritating Herbert from Moonlighting.  Brenda insists they're only interested in her and she doesn't speak to Goldman.  He wants to know the names of the two officers with her and then they can make a deal.  She claims he can't accuse her fellow officers.

Terry (Hal Landon Jr) the funeral director says that Cliff (Peter Breitmayer) was a minister and the family brought him here, in a desperate bid to have him buried before anything inappropriate gets out.  Well that's just obstructing justice, especially since he didn't die of natural causes.  Flynn talks to his son, Chris (Michael Grant Terry) and suggests he can call the MPs to take him. Kendall (Ransford Doherty) takes the liver temperature and deduces Cliff died 2-3 hours ago and has traces of peticui in his eyes, suggesting strangulation.

Gabriel tells Provenza (GW Bailey) he went to church four times a week and should treat his wife, Kate, (Kate Burton) with some respect.  Provenza: "I'm not waiting here until Jesus comes back."

Kate tells Gabriel her husband was depressed and hung himself.   Gabriel gets her written consent to search her home and garage, which was a little too late considering they had already destroyed evidence, like the computers.

Tao (Michael Paul Chan) finds Cliff died at a motel as he traces his credit card and has "not checked out."  Provenza: "depends on your point of view" in relation to the not checking out comment, cos he has checked out, being dead.  A couple are caught cleaning up his motel room and Cliff turns out to be their son-in-law.  Well it appears the entire family is in on the act.

Pope (JK Simmons)  now has exercise equipment in his office, like his own personal gym.  Taylor (Robert Gossett) told him about Goldman and suggests she should get her own personal lawyer as Raydor also told her to do.  See as I said before, Gabriel is always the one who interrupts them both.  Goldman is still hanging around like a bad smell and keeps picking on Gabriel to achieve some dissension in the ranks.  Provenza kind of stands up for him, he's either good or he's a snitch, he hasn't been subpoenaed so he must have done something right, he adds.

Kate says Cliff called her from the motel and she was protecting the members.  Gabriel suggests they let her go and then follow her as she may lead them to the other woman, considering she left behind her undies and shoes.  Sanchez wonders if Brenda said anything to Goldman and his deal.

Morales finds Cliff didn't hang himself, as he flailed about on the floor.  There's red dye on his feet, which Brenda matches to the shoes.  Gabriel: "looks like we found Cinderella."
Brenda: "who turned him into a pumpkin?"

Brenda tells Fritz (Jon Tenney) that Kate thinks she's above the law.  Was that a subtle allusion to herself as well as far as the Turrell case is concerned.  Fritz also thinks she should contact her own attorney as Raydor suggested.  Seems everyone knows about this suggestion but it is for Brenda's own good as she just seems to be in denial over not doing anything wrong.  Brenda says Kate is more worried that people will find out he was a transvestite and is trying to wash the sin away.  That is definately a reference to Brenda and how she wishes this case would go away, but she's in denial as I said.  I was waiting for the Dorothy and Kansas allusion from Brenda as far as the red shoes were concerned.  (Re Wizard of Oz.)

The woman's name was Sindy (Jessalyn Wanlim) and he met her online.  Brenda believes in "thou shalt not kill."  Again that's relevant here not only to the case at hand but also to the Turrell case, she may not have killed him herself but she didn't do anything to prevent it either.  Chris tells her about his father wearing women's clothes and mentions Cliff being into auto-eroticism.  Tao says the "release mechanism" wasn't found, which was to prevent accidental choking.  Taylor tells Gabriel he should call Goldman and talk to him.  Sindy knew Cliff for four years and he wouldn't kill himself.  Kate knew about the dress-up.

Provenza asks what they should say on the depositions and that they should all decide what the truth is.  Tao puts together the family phone records and a lot of calls passed between them.  Sanchez accuses Gabriel of talking to Goldman already.  Which is exactly what Goldman wanted to happen.  Brenda tells them it's all about her.

All the family are brought in and watch the interrogation of Kate.  Brenda asks her why Cliff would kill himself dressed as a woman if he was ashamed.  He called her from the motel and Kate wants her to "leave my family out of it because this is all about me."  That's what Brenda just said to the others.  Kate confesses.  Brenda is going to arrest the rest of the family as accessories to murder after the fact.  Kate called her phone from the motel to give herself an alibi, but it's not Kate who killed him as she already knew what he was doing and even suggested the prostitute herself. She just wanted to keep it all a secret and was in denial over what he was like and what he was doing.

Brenda tells Chris no one called him since Cliff was already dead.  His actions were premeditated. Tao tells him he didn't get a call at the base either.  Chris found his e-mail account on the computer and followed him.  Kate confessed to protect him.  He saved a note from his friend Jeff, when he was at school and his father found the note.  He beat him and sent him into the military.  Then showed the note to Jeff's parents and Jeff killed himself.  Cliff preached at his funeral.  Chris took his belt and killed him.  His mother didn't stand up for him but always for her husband and he thought of killing her too.

Goldman serves Gabriel with a subpoena too and comments now he might know what "it's like to be singled out by your own gang."  Brenda says Gabriel asked to be subpoenaed and eats her usual cakes for comfort and continues this at home, as well as drinking wine.

Brenda says this decision was made by her alone.  Fritz can only say things will get worse whereas she was expecting a word of comfort from him.  He's been subpoenaed too as he volunteered to provide protection for Turrell's mother and sister.  He says Brenda was only doing her job.  She spills wine on the subpoena and asks over, "what have I done?"

Brenda increasingly finds everything coming done on her as if her world is about to come tumbling down over that Turrell case, which it is and The Closer continues to impress with this storyline in its final season.  Lots of religious Ten Commandments references here (as well as the title) which also mirror Brenda's own actions from that past case.  There doesn't seem to be anything she can do about it besides getting her own lawyer which is the only advice anyone and everyone seems to offer.  It wouldn't have helped her knowing that Fritz has become involved in this too as he was going to be her one piece of comfort.

That Pastor was hypocritical and having the nerve to send his son into the military as if that would make him change or his past actions go away.  Though that did give Chris the chance to get away from him.  His mother didn't fare much better just being interested in her husband and outward appearances of normality, morality and religiousness to everyone else.

CSI: Miami - 9.7: "On the Hook" Review

A man fishing attempts to prevent a boy from jumping from the bridge, before he is shot at by a sniper. Horatio investigates and as usual there's more going on beneath the surface.

A man fishing attempts to prevent another from jumping off the bridge and calls for help.   He's then shot at by a sniper.   Delko (Adam Rodriguez) questions Brad (Geoffrey Blake) as if he's in charge all of a sudden.   With Calleigh (Emily Procter) hiding behind the Hummer.   Brad doesn't know the origin of the shots and is taken into protective custody.   Shane (Collins Pennie) insists he wasn't going to jump.   Horatio (David Caruso) points out that the scuff marks on his shoes will match the railings.   Shane had to be involved somehow cos he wasn't shown for nothing.   Horatio doesn't get a very good one liner this time either.  Hey what's going on when he doesn't get to say something witty anymore.   Thinning out in that department then.

Walter (Omar Miller) and Ryan (Jonathan Togo) process the boat and Walter gets one up on Ryan for a change - good to see some of their old banter back from season 8.   Walter doesn't find any grooves on the round, a .223  and their search radius will be at least 100 yards.   Delko goes diving.   Walter tells Ryan to take the swamp and he'll take the rocks cos he's got allergies.   Ryan refuses cos of his shoes so Walter tells him he'll take the rocks and Ryan can take the swamp.   Ryan agrees before he realizes what he just said.

Calleigh has to direct Delko to the rounds under the water and finds the rounds were shot from a larger rifle.   They separated in flight so no grooves were left on the bullet, known as sabots.   These increase the length of the range so they'll have to triple their search area.   She calls Walter with this news and he figures out where the shooter was elevated on a building.   Here he finds the dumped rifle.   Tripp (Rex Linn) and Ryan question Haywood (Lamont Thompson) Brad's former business partner.   He's suing Brad but it's apparent he's not the shooter.   Ryan claims he could do something irrational but as he's clay pigeon shooting, his hands will be covered in GSR.   If it had been Haywood he wouldn't have missed.

Tripp recalls Shane and Tracy (Chelsea Tavares) from when he arrested them for shoplifting.   His probation officer Neil (Jaime Gomez) says Shane's in counselling.   Neil was my suspect straight off.

Calleigh examines the rifle and doesn't believe Haywood is the shooter, as he was inexperienced and didn't know how to use the gun and so he could have left DNA from his eye behind on the glass.   Which matches Dario (Joseph Julian Soria).   Another chase scene with Delko (I won't go into that again after my comments in previous episodes, sufficed to say you know where my loyalties lie when it comes to chase scenes, different show, CSI:NY and characters!)  Horatio just had to be waiting for him around that particular corner again.   Dario isn't into murder.   Brad doesn't know Dario.   Delko says he doesn't have a motive for the shooting which means someone made him do it - considering there aren't that many suspects, that was an obvious statement.

Shane rips apart furniture at home.   A disturbance call from his neighbour is answered by Horatio and Tripp.   Horatio had to say "Shoot Frank."  Shane recalls Brad was on the phone and mentioned Vic, which Horatio immediately differentiates as Vig.   Shane heard that from all the way up on the bridge.   Horatio calls Ryan again (his go-to guy) and gets him to check Brad's phone records.   Leading Walter and Ryan to a building rented by Brad under the company's name.   Brad is a bookie which Ryan knows all about.   See his gambling past never really leaves him.   Ryan knows a lot about this Walter comments, but Ryan says that's "in the past."  Walter doesn't question him further on it.   Such is there relationship, he takes Ryan's word on it.   Walter also finds rice paper in a bucket.   Rice paper is water soluble and it's a way to get rid of evidence, so it's used by bookies for bets.   (Clue for later.)

Horatio prevents Brad from leaving and could charge him with bookmaking now, when he notices a flash from a train.   Seconds later shots rain through the lab.   Never heard a train pass by there before as we do in this episode.

Ryan and Walter check out the station, they're left to do all the grunt work these days, with Delko barely lifting a finger to gather evidence anymore.   Walter again notices the absence of grooves on the bullets.   Ryan thinks they should check the track where Walter finds a piece of wood and Walter comments he's found one sniper today, here goes his second.   Ryan finds pieces from a  hardware store dumped in the trash and Walter gets oil on his gloves.   Ryan finds casings without stria.   Horatio finally in the lab, we know that's him and if you didn't recognize his hands/arms then you'd be surprised to see him there too.   Made a change.  

Horatio puts the pieces together to reveal a gun pipe.   Walter points out the barrel was the wood, door hinge was the hammer, where the spring creates force to activate the primer and the nail was the firing pin.   Ryan says there were no manufacturer's branding explaining the absence of any marks on the bullet.   Horatio posits any mistake will render it dangerous and it's untraceable, until now.   He recalls Shane.   Someone put him up to it.   He has a burn on his arm and he was threatened.   He and Dario were both working for someone.  

Tripp finds they weren't in jail at the same time, but they do have Neil in common.   As I said.   Dario asks for his probation officer, Neil.   Dario was played and threatened he'd find himself back inside accused of drug dealing.   Neil gave him the ammo and the gun but there's nothing concrete to put him away.   As Tripp says it's one felon's word against another.   Shane went to the bridge to prevent the shooting, that was obvious too.  Neil threatened Tracy with jail and Neil provided him with plans to build a gun.   How pathetic was that putting it down on paper and yet he didn't want him to buy a store rifle.   He left the plans in the sink.   It's Mr Wolfe on the retrieval trail again, what's wrong with Delko getting his hands dirty.

Calleigh claims if the pigment is left in the tissue then the forensic light will pick it up and the writing is matched to Neil.  Who  is about to rape Tracy when Horatio arrives just in the nick to save her.   Horatio: "I am loaded with evidence, my friend."  As he points his gun at him.   Then proceeds to throw him out the window to show him what the next 30 years will be like for him inside.   Shane tells Tracy he has to go away for doing something bad.   Horatio puts his shades on in a satisfied pose.

Horatio there to save the day is hardly a surprise anymore, but neither was him throwing Neil out the window.   Hey he could argue Neil resisted arrest.   Point being it's not Horatio's first portrayal of 'crossing the so called thin blue line'.   In an earlier episode in 6.17 To Kill A Predator where a TV show uses a sting operation to expose men who prey on teenage girls, where Horatio catches a man connected with the show about to prey on a girl and approaches the suspect with menace in his face.   He was trying to seduce the teen and here Neil was about to rape her.   In that episode we're not actually shown what Horatio does to him as we fade out.   The episode All In signified Horatio's turning point in his character after he was out for revenge for Marisol in Rio.

CSI:Miami seems to be delving into another era of of action hero episodes and away from the solid forensics.   Delko closely following Horatio's lead in demonstrating such "toughness" too.   Though Horatio's action in calling Ryan to check on Brad's phone records appears to be justified since it's in his interests to find out who the shooter was.   Walter got more to do this episode and it took me to the end to realize Natalia (Eva Larue) was absent!   Viewers may recall Jaime Gomez from Nash Bridges.

Snipers, shootings, chase scenes, seen them all before not only in CSI:Miami but also CSI:NY.   The shooting of the lab was reminiscent of CSI:NY episode 7.21 Life Sentence.  when the lab was shot to smithereens.   Also in CSI:NY 2.6 Youngblood, Flack (Eddie Cahill) and Mac (Gary Sinise) can't work out what sort of a gun the killer used as the blast is unusual.   The GSR pattern doesn't seem to match any conventional weapon until they determine that  a home made gun was used.   Also a sniper in season 7.7 Hide Sight of CSI:NY.

NCIS - 7.24: "Rule Fifty-One" Review

Gibbs is held captive by Paloma from the Reynosa drug cartel and she knows he killed Pedro. Ziva is sworn in as a US citizen, but Gibbs is missing from the ceremony.

Gibbs (Mark Harmon) knows Paloma Reynosa (Jacqueline Obradors) and the quote she uses from Tennesse Williams: about 'all being sentenced to solitary confinement inside our skins for life.'  She asks if he is a 'frank' man.   Referring to "paragons of frankness."  Lots of references to frank here, i.e.  Mike Franks (Muse Watson) .   Gibbs doesn't drink Scotch.   Meanwhile, Tony (Michael Weatherly) is upset Ziva (Cote de Pablo) is becoming a citizen, it can't be happening, "how could they let you in...never been more disappointed in my government."  Ziva passed her exams.   Gibbs isn't at work and she comments it's not "the first time he's run off on his own."  Referring to his 'retirement' at the end of season 3 and early season 4.   Vance (Rocky Carroll) says they need to concentrate on what they're good at.   Tony just loves stirring doesn't he, asking "What would that be?"
Vance replies, "If you don't know, I'm not gonna tell ya."

Tony: "Pretty tasty and cryptic piece of rejection there" from Vance.   Or as some would say, get over it, it's not the first rejection Tony's ever got and it won't be the last.   Ziva noticed it was like the "red headed step child."  She got that saying right, maybe being a newly fledged citizen is rubbing off on her.   Vance says McGee (Sean Murray) was friendly with Alejandro (Marco Sanchez) and wants all the information kept from Allison Hart (Rena Sofer.)  Margaret Allison Hart Esq is employed by Bell.   They found Bell's DB and other DBS were associates of Bell.   San Diego agents will help McGee out.   McGee asks about Gibbs and Mike Franks.   Alejandro doesn't look convincing when he's surprised at Gibbs being in Mexico.   Always said there was something fishy about him.

Cue Gibbs and the mind games being played, when he says it's not the Vic but the method employed for a perfect murder.  He tells Paloma to kill him now cos he's not helping her.   She views him as a valuable federal agent.   Can't force Gibbs to work with her, he asks where her evidence is and for her to prove he's guilty of the crime.   Gibbs: "I know something about convictions.   I get 'em and I got 'em!"  Paloma threatens everyone Gibbs knows, including Mike and Gibbs' ex mother-in-law, his workers and his father, whom she'll deal with in person.   Gibbs posits she's doing him favours now.   She wants him to deliver a package.

Tony and Ziva will go to Mexico.   McGee mentioned Gibbs to Alejandro and he's tracked Gibbs.   Vance questions if Ducky (David McCallum) and Abby (Pauley Perrette) have finished with the Mexican cold case.   Vance touches his eye and winks at Tony.   Who comments Vance and Gibbs have a "wink, wink, nudge, nudge language."  Vance can't green light an op and has to have them pick up the slack.   Alejandro arrives at her villa, he got there easily, so obviously he's definitely involved.   He takes Gibbs away feigning a rescue and then brings him right back to the villa.   He had the task force investigate the cold case.   Gibbs asks if that's a coincidence.   Abby didn't stop the report, Gibbs is "dead certain."  When Alejandro says someone stopped it.  As we know, there are no coincidences as far as Gibbs is concerned.   Alejandro is Paloma's brother.

Ziva renounces her ties to Israel.   Abby hijacks the lift and quotes Rule 44.   Tony asks if someone's out to get her.   Ziva says she told Gibbs to write down his rules (which he actually does.)  The number forties are for emergencies only.   Alejandro doesn't have the report so they have to do things Paloma's way.   Gibbs mentions a riddle about a man in a room, without doors or windows, only a table and a mirror, so how does he get out?  Jason Dean (Dylan Bruno) answers it, by looking in the mirror, you see what you saw.   Take the saw and cut the table in half.   Two halves make a (w)hole.   Gibbs' father taught him that.   Alejandro holds the gun to Gibbs and he tells him to shoot, but he can't.   He's never shot anyone before.   Gibbs never lost sleep over Pedro, their father.

Tony and Ziva find themselves in yet another plane, as they were in the season 6 finale.   Only Ziva didn't come back that time.   Ziva won't get back on the plane without Gibbs, but he's there to meet them.   Tony says they didn't find Mike, but he doesn't want to talk about it.  His family left town the day before.   Tony always questions Gibbs, who replies, it's a "mess I've got to clean up." That's rule 45, paraphrased by Gibbs.   Tony then finds McGee and tells him his new best buddy, Alejandro, threw him out.   Vance tells Gibbs he doesn't need his permission and Tony notices the briefcase on Vance's desk.

Ducky's mind has gone blank and then recalls a golf story, courtesy of Palmer (Brian Dietzen).   Gibbs asks his father (Ralph Waite) to stay with someone else.   Abby finds the bullets match Gibbs' weapon.   Ducky believes this shows Gibbs as a murderer, but he didn't kill the man.   As a scientist Ducky knows he didn't.   Ducky mentions it's not a coincidence that the pattern of the knife matches the one used on Macy, so Dean also killed Bell.   Ziva tells them there's only one way anyone would get Gibbs' gun, over his dead body that is.   As Ducky eloquently puts it, "pry it from his cold, dead hand."  Tony comments tracing stuff on the computer is McGee's work, just like a fish in a shark's mouth picks things out.   Tony: "Dead men don't make phonecalls."  Tony's doing this without him, McGee that is and not Gibbs.

Ziva traces the phone, it's active.   Dean is calling Gibbs.   Gibbs looks at them and Vance looks at Gibbs.   Gibbs throws the phone on the desk and Vance picks it up (so he can plant a bug.) Vance comments he spent lots of time in LA and went on the tour of Warner Bros costumes of Casablanca (1942).   Different philosophies, he thought of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Louis (Claude Rains) from Casablanca.   Gibbs is Rick and Vance hates being Louis, going behind his back.   He orders Gibbs to tell him what's happening.   Saying his life doesn't revolve around Gibbs.  Vance can make a call, and Gibbs replies, "because my life revolves around" Vance.   Dean is on Bell's plane and Alejandro is on the next flight.   Vance changed Gibbs' phone battery.

Abby says Gibbs is sorry, she hates it when he breaks his rule.   Mike's finger was shot off but he's still alive.   Abby: "Superheroes have super IDs."  Allison thought Bell was a good man, otherwise Ducky tells her, she wouldn't work for him.   He wanted to know more about Gibbs and Ducky tells her, now "You're feeling you backed the wrong man."  Allison knows about Ducky's psychology degree.   Vance wants Dean from the plane.   Tony leads the mission and there's a shoot-out.   Pretty similar to season 4 episode with Jenny's (Lauren Holly) mission to get la grenouille.   Gibbs removes a box from the crates.   As if he'd do anything illegal.  Vance comments on the slugs being from a .45, which Mike uses.

Gibbs meets with Alejandro, who sent Dean here, thinking he was in the clear.   But Dean was the fall guy.   Gibbs didn't open the box and quotes Tennesse Williams from Camino Real, "We have to distrust each other.  It is our only defence against betrayal." Oh talk about coincidences, when I wrote my Alias companion, Inter Alias: An Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to Alias, I used this exact quote in my book!  Vance drops by, coincidentally, ha, not.   He's told there's candy in the box.   Abby's report was sent to the task force.   Vance plays back the recording made from Gibbs' phone.   Alejandro didn't say anything to incriminate himself.  Obviously Gibbs couldn't tell him what's happening and thought he could buy some time.   Gibbs trusts Vance and would follow his lead everyday.

Vance: "Worst enemies hide in plain sight." He tells Gibbs about a story with Humphrey Bogart where the director needed him for one more shot on the cafe set of Casablanca.   All he wanted him to do was to look and nod, when Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) wanted to play the Marseillaise, Rick gives him the okay.  "The character makes a commitment, makes a choice."  Vance says the cold case from Mexico isn't his business.   Abby never gave him the report and if something happens with Alejandro Vance doesn't have to say anything.    Vance hums the Marseillaise and they walk off together just like the ending in Casablanca with Louis and Rick, where Louis comments "This could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

Casablanca, one of my fave movies and I was awaiting for this to come up in the show, as I always said that Gibbs and Vance have that sort of a friendship, like Rick and Louis, it's unspoken.   Vance sends Tony to Mexico to trail Alejandro.   Gibbs is in a suit and Allison asks if he believes in right and wrong?  She gives him Abby's report.   Tony and Gibbs are both absent from Ziva's ceremony.   Even Vance was there, well he kind of had to be.   Gibbs and Allison are "both sworn representatives of the law." Gibbs has his own code.   Gibbs didn't want her to stop the report.    He doesn't apologize, there's a rule against it.   She wanted to know who he is/was as a person.   As an officer of the law she can beat his report.

Mike meets up with Tony in Mexico.   He'll take care of Alejandro, he can still shoot with his thumb and calls Tony 'Probie'.   Allison asks why he's a cop.   Gibbs has his rules and he wrote them down.   Flash to Shannon reading Gibbs' Rules, they were her idea.   Rule 13: never, ever involve a lawyer.    Flash to  season 3 episodes 23 and 24, when Mike and Gibbs spoke about his wanting to be a cop.   If Gibbs wants to be a cop, he must "let the old stuff go and let new stuff take its place."
Gibbs: "I think I'd be a good cop."

Gibbs writes down Rule 51: Sometimes you're wrong.   Paloma visits Gibbs' father at the store, he stayed anyway.   I'm sure I mentioned Casablanca in one on my episodes.   Anyway so that's the Pedro storyline done with, but is continued on with Mike gunning for Alejandro and Paloma going for Gibbs' father.  For her it'll be a case of 'an eye for an eye.'  Abby sent the report and it was intercepted by Allison, who decides that it's Gibbs she wants to help now.   Kind of her last good deed before she's kicked off the show, oh that was harsh.

Tony is usually sent out on these missions alone, to take care of business, just as Jenny sent him undercover in season 4.   Ziva must be wondering where both Gibbs and Tony are.   So a lot of things concluded here, like her becoming a citizen.   Rule 13 was also used in 6.7 Collateral Damage.   Rule 45 is: clean up your mess, here Gibbs paraphrases it to say he has to clean up his mess, which Tony tells Ziva  "that's 45 basically."  Allison finally calls Gibbs, "Special Agent" and not "Mr."  Vance mentions his work at NCIS:Los Angeles and also mentions Hetty.

Tony claims Vance winked at him, meaning he gave him the 'go-ahead' to get Gibbs.   Dean used Gibbs' gun to fire into Bell after he was already DB, to make it appear Gibbs shot him, but TOD would discredit that.   He also severed Bell's head and hands to make it difficult to ID him, which he didn't do to Macy.   Darby Stanchfield who plays Shannon, appears to play lots of wives, she was Castle's wife and also played a wife in a season 9 episode of CSI:Miami.

My NCIS An Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to NCIS - The TV Show which you may or may not find interesting, appealing.
It's available here:  http://www.lulu.com/shop/mila-hasan/my-ncis-an-unofficial-and-unauthorized-guide-to-ncis-the-tv-show/paperback/product-20366043.html and at amazon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CSI 12.17 'Trends With Benefits' Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Without A Trace 3.5 American Goddess Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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