A call to the police before a murder takes place opens up an investigation where a vigilante appears to be getting their own brand of justice for serial rapist: those that the system couldn't put away at all, or for long enough.
Women work-out at a gym. That was a conspicuous gym, who'd want to work out displaying themselves to any old pervert or weirdo. Not to mention voyeurism! And it was on the ground floor too, that's just inviting trouble. A man outside watches a woman leave and follows her. A 911 call is made reporting a murder about to occur right now, by what sounds like a man, at first. That voice was too mechanical, emotionless and monotone to be an actual voice. Instead of a dead woman, as we'd expect to have been found, it turns out to be a dead man. He was "beaten, bound and gagged, shot three times - it's about to happen..." Flack (Eddie Cahill) reports the call was made at 11pm by an unidentified caller. Mac (Gary Sinise) comments every Vic of the Prospect Park rapist was found within a mile of where the DB was dumped. Flack doesn't see it as a coincidence and all of the trappings were made to resemble the rapist's signature. Mac: "Only this time the Vic is a man."
Hawkes (Hill Harper) matches the prints to the Prospect Park rapist, indicating someone knew who it was. Mac thinks it's a revenge killing; two shots to the groin, one to the head, the killer's sending a message. Hawkes notices the blood pool but no high velocity blood spatter. Meaning the DB was dumped here. Hawkes processes the DB and finds duct tape with a hair stuck to it and removes the rag from his mouth. Sid (Robert Joy) comments he paid for his sins in death. With multiple fractures, broken ribs, a fractured skull. Mac says the head wound is close range. The stippling on his tongue isn't caused by a disease or a medical condition. Under the ALS Sid found traces of UV resin and pepper spray under his eyes. Sid believes "someone gave him a taste of his own medicine." (And he was right.) Mac comments this man wasn't identified as the rapist and the NYPD spent a lot of time on him. He considers it to be the work of a vigilante. Thus the title.
The news report talks of the women being attacked brutally and transported back to his van, where they were sexually assaulted. Jo (Sela ward) questions one Vic, she had nightmares for months and she asks if she has any male relatives or friends. Flack questions another Vic and he tells her a man called 911. No one she knows would have the courage to do something like this. See, didn't see Flack making a judgement when she said that, about whether he deserved what happened to him or not. Unlike Lindsay (Anna Belknap), cue Lindsay! She questions the rapist's first Vic, Kate Price (Lindsay Price). She refers to her as Det. Messer (Up). As soon as she said Lindsay was at her support group, dread struck! This episode went on to focus on Lindsay more than it did on the Vic's and their grief and what they suffered! Kate doesn't ID his photo and she didn't get a gun. Lindsay gave her pepper spray and there isn't a male in her life. She doesn't get out much, but she's the only one who asked Lindsay for a gun.
Adam (AJ Buckley) and Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) listen to the call. Danny thinks he wanted them to know of the murder. Adam says a disposable phone was used. Danny believes there must have been a small window to beat and kill the Vic, Adam should analyze the background noise; which he says is impossible. Danny: "Nearly impossible means is a little bit possible, so go forth and conquer." Jo finds the GCMS revealed high levels of pesticides so he was likely exposed to them. He worked at a pest control company as an exterminator and is identified as Garland Clarke. (Kevin Interdonato) He's been missing. Lindsay found the duct tape at the CS and that used to bind the Vics came from the same roll. Mac calls the killer smart as he figured out who he was, stalked him and told them about it before killing him. Hawkes surmises the he is most probably a she and the hair on the duct tape matches Kate.
Lindsay interrogates her and again, Kate denies seeing him, she was home alone, watching
Letterman. Lindsay tells about the hair on the DB and that this is serious. There she goes accusing her on the basis of one piece of evidence. Judge, jury and executioner all in one is Lindsay. That hair could have come from anywhere and if he's identified as the rapist then it could have been on him or any part of his clothing. Yes even a year later. She tells her of the photos found in her apartment, by Danny. Lindsay: "We thought you were telling the truth, until we opened your desk drawer" and what's this we business anyway. Then Lindsay being surprised she wanted a lawyer, it's due process, she is entitled and how many times was Lindsay going to stress how serious this is. So is what happened to Kate and the others. Annie (Megan Ward) was a public defender once. (Clue.)
Flack tells Danny, the van was found in a loading zone and towed. Garland subdued his Vics and brought them back to the van; dumping them by the navy yard. In the beginning, the news reporter said that the Vics were taken back to the rapist's van, but how could they have preempted this and known already, when the Vics were subdued. SO they shouldn't and wouldn't have any idea of where they were attacked. Therefore this wouldn't have been reported to the police. Hawkes finds biologicals in the van. Danny: "Anyone wanna go and grab a bite after." He should be glad Flack didn't near that comment, loving his food as much as he does. This was not the time or place for that comment! Danny refers to the van as Garland's lair. Flack finds gloves, tape and a pair of scissors, which he used for souvenirs of his Vics; cutting off locks of their hair and keeping them. Only 5 Vics came forward and there are more than 5 hairs. Hawkes analyzes the hair to match to the Vics. Samples match the Vics and Hawkes determines there was DNA on the carpet from when they were raped. Since he took their hair, a strand of Kate's hair could have gotten onto the tape.
Hawkes is angry they've been "wasting man hours hunting a killer who should get a medal for doing the community a service." (Lindsay got a medal in the first episode of this season for shooting Shane Casey - how was that different. Cos she was saving her family; in the line of duty and double standards too.) Lindsay feels the need to remind him they have a body on the slab (oh boo hoo!) Hawkes is surprised to hear she's defending him. Lindsay: "Why, I'm a woman, I should cheer his death." This is one line she always comes up with, that she's a woman, and she's being rather defensive here and she'll use that line with Flack later on! No, you can do your job without displaying feelings as Jo will say and "put them in a box." She says she's a cop first and "doesn't advocate vigilante justice." Hawkes reminds her his girlfriend was raped (the episode Help) she was here and she didn't remember that. No, cos everything's about her. Killing her rapist crossed his mind. Then she comes up with the old reverse psychology argument about how he'd have to treat him if he came into his ER. Which is different since doctors have their code, cops don't have a Hippocratic Oath, which is why this argument is entirely different. And I don't mean they shouldn't investigate his murder, but she's not being objective and only thinking of herself.
Hawkes says she knows Kate, but she doesn't "feel for her." Lindsay replies she does feel for her but she doesn't know her. Whose fault was that. You don't have to know Vics to know what they're like; what they're going through or to feel some sort of compassion for them. Lindsay keeps chopping and changing her reasons, opinions and what she thinks of Kate here. Point is, she couldn't be bothered to get to know her. As for saying she's not Kate's counsellor or priest and she's going to put her away if she's guilty, how self-righteous was that. (Mac's school of thought.) See, Lindsay's changed her tune again and especially at the end when she, hypocritically, gives Kate her card. Should've thrown it back in her face, no seriously, it was too little, too late. What was the aim of the talk and why send Lindsay to give it anyway (other than self-defence with a pepper spray; which Mac and Jo will show doesn't even work on everyone and handing out a leaflet.) That was her compartmentalization of the Vics she gave the talk to; out-of-sight, out-of-mind. She goes on about being a woman, yet the sort of actions she carried out a year ago, you'd expect more from a man.
There's another 911 call and another murder. Flack says the call had the same signature as the first and the phone hasn't been turned off. Danny tracks the signal to the basement garage. Anyone can see that man was dead and yet Mac shouting to him, what would he be doing in such a position for so long. Danny finds the phone under the truck and the shell casing from the CS. Adam reconstructs the technical device found at the CS and puts it together. Jo, Danny and Mac have a conference and Mac thinks the plan went wrong. The pepper spray didn't leave any irritation on the Vic who is identified as Tomlinson (Michael Duisenberg) who was immune to the effect of pepper spray. I was just about to say, Lindsay's missing and half expecting her to burst in and interrupt; when she calls instead using a voice distorter. Stealing the credit from Adam, who was the one who put it together! Mac: "What would be cool is if you were working on those 911 calls, like you were supposed to." Mac tells Adam to reverse engineer the voice and check the 911 call database for the last three years.
Jo asks what elements combine to make sweat ointment which was found on Tomlinson's collar. It preserves sweat and had female DNA. Danny says he "respects their determination" and he "can't say he wouldn't do the same thing in their position." At least someone who, like Hawkes doesn't tow Lindsay's line, but be careful not to let Lindsay know Danny doesn't agree with her! Strange she didn't turn to Danny with her woes. Kate asks to speak with Lindsay, who asks where her lawyer is with such contempt. Kate asks what if she confessed and called it self-defence. Lindsay's adamant no one would believe that. Another body was found. Now Lindsay says she doesn't think Kate killed anyone, but she's covering for someone, just cos the murder took place whilst Kate is in custody. Otherwise Lindsay would have been flogging the same dead horse. Lindsay believes Kate doesn't think she cares about her and the other Vics, but she does. Kate reminds her she recalled her at the talk cos she checked her watch over and over and couldn't wait to be out of there. That's how they all felt.
Jo has to give Lindsay a pep talk. Lindsay wallowing in self-pity by saying she's getting Kate's flak but she didn't even work that case. She regrets not reaching out and helping Kate. Lindsay calls herself a cop but she's not very understanding. Jo tells her about her case at the FBI where DNA was mishandled and the rapist got away. The Vic looked at her in a way she's never been looked at, with "utter contempt." She says again if that happened to her daughter, she'd want him dead. Jo: "Even if good people get hurt and bad people go free - but it's what they do, it's hard." She goes on to add, "We meet these people on the worst day of their lives." Adam matches the voice to a Heather Marist (Eva Mauro).
Lindsay had to accompany Flack to arrest her! Flack notices the pole dancers and says it's good cardiovascular exercise, so he's been told - what's it to Lindsay anyway! It wasn't Danny making the comment! Knew that box was coming - it was that obvious. Flack pulls out his gun and Lindsay had to jump in! and take her down. Flack comments that hit was hard. Lindsay: "what you mean for a girl." (I could scream right about now!)
Flack has to justify his comment, "No, I mean for anyone." Heather tells Jo it took the cops 30 minutes to arrive and she was already attacked by then. Adam finds the crystal chard he recovered from the voice distorter belonged to an earring, bought a year ago and has a serial number, which Mac identifies as an ID using micro-dot technology, put on jewellery so it can be identified. Annie killed them. She worked on Tomlinson's case six years ago and she made a deal. Her boss called her "his go to gal for perps" and she quit. Kate saw him one day and took his photo. Heather didn't tell Kate to go to the cops and they didn't have his description. Heather and Annie fantasized what they'd do if they found him. They waited for him and killed him. Kate admits she feels relief he's dead. Tomlinson only got 5 years because of Annie. Mac agrees he should never have been released but he can't sympathizes. Annie can't apologize for her actions, he got what the system couldn't give them. Mac says that retribution isn't the same as justice. Kate feels responsible for Heather and Annie being arrested. Kate believes she owes them and Lindsay tries to convince herself that what they did was wrong.
It was apparent the 911 phonecall reporting the murder to be was made using a voice distorter. The voice sounded so robotic, surprised no one picked up on that, even Adam until much later on. Lindsay's smug expression when she made the call to Mac using it and her expression didn't change when Mac was telling Adam to get on with analyzing the 911 phonecalls; whilst she stood around. Doesn't Mac see how hard Adam works and yet he still gets the abysmal treatment form him. Then Lindsay with Flack, taking down Heather the way she did - talk about showing off! (She did that in season 6 when she confronted the woman who had a knife on Flack, whom she took down because he hesitated in shooting her. She's only in the show to test me, no really she is!) Then the sexist comment when Flack said Heather hits hard, Lindsay: "...for a girl." And Flack feeling he had to add "...for anyone" otherwise he might get a serving from her. Also her comment when he remarked on the women in the gym - as if she's never stared at another man before.
A support group meeting with Lindsay attending would make me run a mile and what exactly did she offer in the way of support? As Kate said, she kept looking at her watch and that's why she recalled her. So unsympathetic and condescending. Giving Kate her card at the end, what took her so long. She's a year too late and just trying to ease her guilty conscience for not helping her back then and only because Jo spoke about her FBI case and how to deal with Vics. Since Lindsay didn't want the look of "utter betrayal" from Kate and other Vics she's let down in the past. Lindsay's reactions were so forced in this episode, where having Jo as lead investigator would have fared much better and more interesting too. Then Lindsay accusing Kate of being the killer when her hair was found on the duct tape and interrogating her so callously; as a suspect and not as a Vic. Later in the cell, she tells Kate she doesn't believe she murdered Garland when Kate asked to see her. What was that line about her lawyer not being present now. When Lindsay didn't want Annie there when questioning Kate first time round.
Different views and opinions from the CSIs this episode. Jo would kill anyone if that happened to her daughter (as we know her feelings from past episodes and especially from
Do Not Pass Go. Danny convincingly saying if he was in the Vic's position he knows what he would do (no mention of what if it happened to Lucy). Then the scene between Lindsay and Hawkes was wasted when someone else would have injected more emotion into it. She came down as being a hardened cop, firstly and foremostly, saying there's a DB on the slab - she wants justice for him. Much better explained by Calleigh (Emily Procter) in a
CSI:Miami episode, when Ryan (Jonathan Togo) made a similar comment about having to investigate the murder of a criminal, she told him they're CSIs - it's their jobs to investigate the deaths of all Vics. Hawkes understanding what it's like for the Vics since his girlfriend went through it and it ended their relationship. (No one asked what Lindsay would do, or how she would feel if it happened to Lucy and I can tell you now, she wouldn't have any hesitation in blowing the killer away. She wouldn't be so judgemental then.)
Mac's opinion on what Heather and Annie did wasn't justice but retribution. Harking back to the age old debate about whether justice is retribution or revenge. He was unsympathetic in the usual Mac manner, but such thoughts of retribution would have entered his head when he lost his wife.
The premise of the three
CSI shows was given to Jo in the line: "We meet people on the worst day of their lives." Often quoted by Anthony Zuiker and other cast members. They do meet them on the worst day but that should make them all the more understanding and patient, not jump the gun and accuse them of being suspects and deal with Vics and their families in a gung ho manner. Kate following her assailant and taking photos of him is exactly what Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) did in the season
2.23 episode
Heroes. She took photos of DJ Pratt, the rapist who also stalked women before he attacked them. He got away for so long without being meted out his just punishment. Not alluded to here and how Aiden met her demise trying to put him away and the lengths she went to keep her promise and get him off the street. That when it comes to such a heinous and debilitating crime as rape, lives are ruined and it's not so black and white, lines are blurred and it's not easy to condemn point blank, those who feel the need to resort to such action because the law fails them. (Even if it is wrong.) Aptly said by Annie. A bold attempt for this episode to highlight such differing views, but not in handing the emotional crater to Lindsay, too willing and ready to jump the gun, even before all the evidence was in.
Lindsay price played Navy Lt. Pam Kim in the season 3
NCIS episode
Frame Up. She put Tony (Michael Weatherly) on the Herpes watchlist as revenge. (OK not the appropriate time to mention this.) Megan Ward's second appearance in a
CSI episode, the first was in CSI
11.8 Fracked. She would have made a great
CSI character. In the
CSI:NY episode Commuted Sentences, two rape Vics took matters into their own hands when they killed the men responsible. SO this has been covered before. As well as in the
CSI:NY season
1.2 episode
Creatures of the Night, where Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) felt she hadn't done enough to solve the rape and for the Vic either, where she felt dirty and ended up taking a shower.
Duct tape being used from the same roll to bind Vics also done in
CSI:NY season 1 episode
Outside Man.
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