Construction Workers, Gladiators and Vikings, Oh My!

Two guys fight at a construction site until one of them grabs a jackhammer. It looks like one of the guys gets jackhammered until construction worker pulls away to reveal blood. Cue Mac and Hawkes, who confirm it is blood. Flack tells us the fight was a good ole fashion Brooklyn fight between laborers and scabs. They X-Ray the concrete slab to find a body underneath. Paced on it’s position, the victim was buried alive.

CUE THE WHO!

NEW YORK! The crime lab techs cut through the concrete to get to the body as Lindsay takes pictures. And Mac stands around looking…intense? I’ll go with intense. Stella arrives and says the scabs have been getting threats from the striking workers for weeks. The site manager locked the gates but this morning they were open. Lindsay thinks a vehicle broke it down.

At the lab, Sid and Hawkes chisel the body out of the concrete while X-Raying the body as well. They chip away slowly but surely as his face is revealed. Sid pulls something out of his mouth. Mac notes that John Doe took a beating but Sid says COD is suffocation. Mac wants John Doe’s description compared to the records of the site workers. Lindsay tests chain strengths while Hawkes and Sid continue chipping. Hawkes gets fingerprints, Lindsay gets trace. So does Hawkes.

Stella goes to find what Lindsay found out. The perp couldn’t drive anything smaller than a SUV but the tire tracks were made by tires used on sports car. The trace on the fence seem to point to car paint except there isn’t a solvent. So Stella thinks of a push bar. The women think there are two cars. Meanwhile, Adam discovered Hawkes’ trace is Christmas in Hollis, Queen. It’s enhanced marijuana. Adam couldn’t find a comparison to any of the workers, but he found someone who bought marijuana in New Jersey. He gives Hawkes the address.

Flack and Danny go down a skivvy hallway as loud music plays. They knock, wait and then bust down the door. No one is in the apartment and the couch is watching TV. They think the perps jumped the victim in the apartment until Colby Jenkins walks in with pizza. He says he stepped out for toilet paper…before Flack points out he doesn’t have it. Colby lights up and says it’s legal because of his brain cancer. Or at least his medical records say. Danny asks who the victim is. Colby remembers watching TV with John Doe…watching Muppet Babies with “The Gladiator.”

Hawkes brings Mac down to Sid’s lab. John Doe is dressed as a gladiator.

Hawkes examines the gladiator outfit, pulling out a glass shard. Sid focuses on the man in the outfit. He has a puncture wound in his arm. Sid pulls out trace. The Gladiator died forty-eight hours ago. He had bleeding on the brain, probably from the beating. Mac notes that The Gladiator’s hands looked like they beat people up. The guy also had injuries common to boxers. Mac notes that something seems familiar. He was a fan of an amateur boxing champ, who dressed as a gladiator. Joe “The Gladiator” Carthage was rumored to have retired and possibly become an alcoholic.

To the gym! Mac asks the trainer to confirm if John Doe is Joe Carthage. Trainer agrees. He was great until he was put into a coma. He couldn’t fit anymore once he woke up. He had no enemies, worked as a bouncer.

Stella does research on Carthage as Lindsay says the bone fragment found in the wound isn’t even human. Lindsay wonders why Joe was fighting. Mac goes to ask about Joe at work. The co-worker praised him for just doing his job and doing it well. She recalls an incident where Joe stepped in as some patrons got grabsy with the waitress. The patron threatens Joe. The co-worker was grateful to Joe. Flack drags the patron in as Stella squares off with brother. Apparently, their grandfather has a record. He wonders if they were living up to the family name. They are cocky until Stella reveals that their car has the same tires found at Joe’s burial site. Flack thinks they beat him up, dressed him as a gladiator and buried him. The brothers sober up and say that while they have to live up to the family name, they know better then to fight a guy dressed as a gladiator. They just bragged to their friends.

Danny backs up the brothers’ claims. Their Camaro couldn’t have done it. Right tires, wrong tread. They are all talk—they have no criminal records and are on the Dean’s List at Hofstra. I was a Dean’s List student. The glass Hawkes found has advanced technology used by several businesses, including one that folded in Manhattan. Danny and Hawkes go and find signs of struggle. And blood. Whoever beat up the Gladiator tried to spackle the evidence. Danny notes the cameras all pointing at that wall. Hawkes sprays it with Luminal, Danny turns the shades on the windows and the wall glows. They process the scene with Adam’s help.

At the lab, everyone mobs Mac. Hawkes and Lindsay confirm the abandoned office is the crime scene. Adam says that the bone is whale bone while Lindsay says that an indent was made by a Norse sword. Lindsay pulls up footage and says a Viking killed the Gladiator.

This is starting to sound like a high school football game.

We see a Viking fighting a lumberjack. Is this the Halloween version of Fight Club. It’s Blood and Guts Bawling. Lindsay says it’s supposed to be all for show and no one is not supposed to die. Mac wonders why Joe would take the risk. Adam is going though the footage from the security cameras. Flack and Stella go to where the IP address led them—to Branson, the promoter of Blood and Guts Brawling. Branson doesn’t meet most of his fighters. He just arranges the fights, tweets the locations and everyone shows up. Branson has the fight and says it looked good. Everyone was alive at the end. Branson says Joe wasn’t like the other fighters. He was just eager to fight. Flack arrests him for organizing illegal fights.

We see the Viking vs the Gladiator. Joe lands a blow, so does the Viking. Joe gets the upper hand. Viking pierces Joe with his helmet—hence the whale bone. Joe wins with the Viking surrendering. Joe tells him they had a good fight before enjoying his victory. Joe could’ve fallen unconscious later and the person he was with could’ve panicked. They need to ID the Viking.

The landlord lets Mac into Joe’s apartment. Mac spots a bag under the bed. He pulls out red boxing gloves, red boxers and a red sign saying “Wanna Fight?” Next, Mac finds pictures of Joe and his trainer as well as Joe in the ring. Mac’s mind plays memories of Joe’s victories in the ring.

Adam’s at the lab, going over Branson’s phone. Hawkes goes over the concrete for more trace. He finds gold? Adam finds an Erik Overson. I think he’s the Viking! And I’m correct. He only has a few misdemeanors. But there is no connection between Overson and Joe as well as Brooklyn. Overson comes in and swears that Joe was alive when he left him. Mac says they have proof of felony assault. Overson says he didn’t know about Joe’s condition. Mac gets a call. Hawkes finds a pendant given only to trainers of amateur boxing champs. The trainer buried Joe.

Mac goes back the gym with the trainer’s pendant. Mac asks about Branson and if the trainer knew that he recruited Joe to his fighting league. The trainer was asked to convince Joe to fight to save his gym. Branson showed up the office and texted the trainer. He discovered an unconscious Joe. He called the trainer, who says he’s gone. So the trainer and Branson buried Joe. The Viking has a defense—an accident. But trainer doesn’t—he committed murder. Trainer says that for one brief moment, Joe had his dignity back and let him live again. Mac reveals that Trainer buried Joe alive. He was only in a coma-like state. Unis come in to arrest the trainer as Mac looks on. He sees a shadow of Joe, in his glory, in the ring.

Next week: Little kid vs Skivvy Adult. Who will win To Tell the Truth?

Breaking Out is Hard to Do

The show starts with a bus pulling into a prison. A priest talks to an inmate in an orange suit. Hawkes arrives—the inmate has requested that Hawkes be a witness to his execution. Hawkes talks with the inmate, Reggie. He tells Hawkes he has “her” eyes. Hawkes is confused. Reggie just wanted him to be there. Hawkes is still confused. Reggie gets shackled as they let him out. Hawkes asks what Reggie wanted to tell him. Reggie tells him he killed Hawkes’ sister—Maya.

They strap Reggie down. They prepare him for the lethal injection. Hawkes watches. It hits seven o’clock and the warden gives the nod. The cops watching start to exhibit some strange symptoms. The first shot is given. One cop goes down and the other tries to help. Hawkes runs in. Blood is leaking from the cop’s mouth. Hawkes begins CPR but then calls it. They escort Reggie back to his cell. Hawkes looks at him.

Cue the Who!

Hawkes takes pictures of the dead cop with his phone. He then calls Mac. Hawkes tells him someone died—just not the inmate. Mac and Hawkes think cyanide poisoning. Pennsylvania cops and CSIs are on their way. CSI isn’t planning a spin-off, right? Anyway, the two think Reggie’s behind it—a murder on Death Row gives him a stay of execution for the investigation. They figure he has help on the inside. And we see a cop hold up a guard, ordering him to open cell 17. Shots are fired, alarms blare, cells open and Hawkes rushes to the scene. He finds another dead guard. Hawkes goes to find the state trooper while the warden orders a lock down.

Meanwhile, Hawkes runs into a madhouse. Brawls, toilet paper, and guards running around. Hawkes spots Shane Casey. He’s like “Wha?” before an inmate rushes him. He spots the guard and Shane talking. The song fits perfectly. Back in New York, Stella and Flack are concerned. The riots have made the news already. If they know Hawkes is in law enforcement, he’ll be the next victim. Reggie tries to help Hawkes, swearing that he didn’t kill the guard—he was prepared to meet his death. Hawkes follows Reggie as police swarm the prison.

Mac tries to get Hawkes out as Danny leads Lindsay and Adam in. Adam notes that Shane Casey is in the same prison. Danny finally admits that everything got stolen way back in autumn. Danny only found his grandfather’s dog tags but not his badge. The print went to Shane Casey. Adam is amazed. Mac comes back to reveal that getting Hawkes out is low on the state troopers priority list.

Back at the prison, Hawkes pushes Reggie against the wall in revenge for his sister’s death. But he lets the guy go and Reggie runs back in. Hawkes calls Mac. The gang gives him their support. Hawkes notes that he saw Shane Casey. Flack tells him to hang in there. Hawkes is asked if he trusts anyone inside. Hawkes says no. Reggie returns with an orange jumpsuit, saying it’s his only chance to survive. Back in New York, Mac enlists his team to break Hawkes out of prison.

Hawkes is still not up on trusting Reggie, not since he killed Maya. Reggie asks if Hawkes wanted to know how it happened. Hawkes says she was a drug addict and he knows those situations. Reggie tells him that his sister was clean when he met her, he wasn’t. She tried to help him but when he was high, he killed her. He lied to the police, saying it was a drug deal gone bad. He regretted it every day and said that Maya always talked about Hawkes. Reggie asks Hawkes to accept his help for Maya.

Hawkes calls in the middle of the “Break Hawkes Out” pow-wow. Reggie reveals they are in cell block B and sneds a picture of the riot. Stella goes to send it to tactical. Three guards are down and the others are in cells. They tell him to lay low. He says no and there’s still a murder to investigate. The others are like: “Wha?” Hawkes says he doesn’t think it’s Reggie but no one rules out Shane Casey. Hawkes ends the call as some inmates drag the Warden in. They ask who Hawkes is and Reggie says he’s been in solitary. The inmates let him have a pop but Reggie stops him, saying that the Warden is their leverage. Hawkes agrees and gets the inmates to lay off the Warden. They leave and Hawkes asks to see Shane Casey’s cell. Hawkes reveals his true identity to a guard. He gives him a device to help him. Hawkes finds Casey’s cell. Except that hallway’s on fire! Hawkes asks about his escape plan. Hawkes requests that it pass Shane’s cell. Mac agrees.

Hawkes and Reggie run as more toilet paper flies. “Stop the panic” the music says. I like it. The gang in New York continue to plot his escape. Reggie and Hawkes look for an air duct. He kicks in a wall and climbs in. Reggie follows. Because it’s not a prison break unless someone’s climbing through the air duct, right? They get to cell block G and finds Casey’s cell. Hawkes goes through his stuff while Reggie keeps guard. Hawkes tells him about Casey’s beheaded girl hanging from the ceiling fan. Hawkes finds a peach pit, which canbe used to make cyanide. Now he has to figure out how Casey knows the guard. The New York gang tells Hawkes to get to the kitchen. But then there’s Casey.

Casey taunts Hawkes. The doctor says that everyone knows that Shane’s brother was guilty. Shane says he “sweetened” the blood-thirsty guard’s coffee. Hawkes tells him to let him go so he can hurt him. Shane says he has an appointment to keep. Reggie is like, “Wha?” Reggie tells Hawkes the cells are escape proof.

In New York, Lindsay and Danny are worried about Hawkes. Lindsay tries to tag Hawkes’ guide so tactical and tag him as “non-hostile.” They realize it is Reggie. They wonder why Reggie wanted to talk to Hawkes. Danny calls Hawkes and asks about Reggie. The two learn about Hawkes’ sister and her death. They are surprised and even more so when Hawkes reveals he’s in Casey’s cell with a con and a tracking device. Danny tells him that those batteries run out a lot. Hawkes realizes that it’s rechargeable, filled with sulfuric acid. He and Reggie break it open to use the acid to weaken a bar or two. Reggie asks to just to break out.

Shane meets with his state trooper contact, who has an NYPD uniform. And I guess Danny’s badge. Reggie and Hawkes continue to try to get out of the cell. Hawkes unscrews a pipe to use to pop it out. Reggie’s impressed. The two try to squeeze out. Hawkes makes it through. Reggie gets through but broke a rib. He picks up the pipe as Hawkes goes after Casey. Oh, lookit, Danny’s badge. Casey asks his friend how he looks. The friend is quiet but gives him a gun. I half expected Casey to shoot him.

Hawkes spots an empty room. Meanwhile, Flack is surprised about Hawkes’ sister. Flack and Danny say they were forthcoming about their siblings but Lindsay says she knows about wanting to bury the past. Mac says tactical is ready to move. Hawkes spots his contact, who reveals that Casey is holding the contact’s family hostage. Casey shoots the trooper as Hawkes and Reggie approach. He leaves.

Hawkes comforts the guard, missing Mac’s call. The trooper reveals that Casey’s partner is his former cell mate, who has the trooper’s family. Hawkes promises to get them back and closes the trooper’s eyes. Meanwhile, Reggie fights Casey. And it looks like Reggie is beating an officer. They get ready to fire as Casey pounds him. He raises his pipe and they shoot. They surround Reggie while Casey pretends to be Danny. They capture Hawkes, thinking he’s an inmate. He yells about Casey, but he walks off as Hawkes is cuffed. He sees Reggie’s body and is shocked.

NEW YORK! Danny brings Hawkes in. Stella hugs him, followed by Lindsay, Adams and Flack. Mac tells them that the family is safe and the Warden was released from the hospital. A BOLO is out for Casey but he’s still loose.

NEW YORK! Hawkes pulls out a box from his closet. Oh, hey, guess he got a new place. He pulls out pictures of him and Maya. We cut to a graveyard. Hawkes is there, carrying flowers. He lays them on his sister’s tombstone. He apologizes and tells her about his life.

Next week: Nothing new.

I enjoyed this episode. It was exciting, watching Hawkes try to escape and the gang trying to help him two states away. I am over Shane Casey, though.

Hide and Seek

And CSI:NY is back!

NEW YORK! Stella walks in slow motion through a traffic jam as some yellow police tape flutters menacing in the wind. She crosses it, pauses and looks as if she thought she heard or saw something. She goes into the building the tape is in front of as the show tries to be a horror film, complete with lone yellow balloon. Watch it pops. This lighting does not favor Melina at all. She spots more yellow tape, crosses it and tries to turn on the lights. Gee, they’re out. She spots some sort of red drink seeping into the carpet, red dressing dripping off a piece of lettuce and then—a sound! She pulls her piece and approaches a cabinet. She puts her gun away as she spots a scared little boy. A shadow passes behind her and she gives chase as a storm kicks up. She calls for back-up.

And gets hit. By a truck. Oh, Stella. The person from the other car gets out and the woman tries to help Stella out. But then she disappears as…

It is revealed to be a bad dream on Stella’s part. You’d think she’d dream herself some better lighting.

CUE THE WHO!

LADY LIBERTY! Sad music plays as we return to Stella, looking forlornly out a window. Mac comes to jar her from her vigil. She says she’s waiting for the results of an autopsy and Sid banished her for hovering. She tells Mac that the victim is Marina Garritto, the sister of a missing 8 years-old boy in a 15 years-old case. She would call Stella like clockwork every Monday asking for updates, trying to generate new leads. Stella couldn’t take her call the past Monday because she was busy. Marina was then rushed to Trinity Hospital the night before with a gunshot wound. She was DOA.

And Sid rules her death a suicide. Stella flips out, refusing to believe that Marina committed suicide. She storms out of the lab, leaving Mac to apologize for her behavior. Sid’s disappointed too. He remembers the Garritto case, informing us that Marina and Luke were twins. Stella put Luke’s DNA in the database in hopes it would match somewhere. But nothing came of that either.

We see Marina, alive, talking about waiting for her brother.She believes he’s alive, waiting for them. It seems she’s talking to a support group, I guess. She imagines he’s alive, but she always sees him as 8 years-old.

Hi, Lindsay! She and Danny as well Hawkes try to help Stella. Lindsay suggests that it’s odd that women use guns for suicide. But Hawkes found a suicide letter sent to family and friends. She also closed her bank accounts, made a donation, set her affairs in order. Everything suggests that Marina committed suicide. Stella doesn’t believe so. She recalls meeting Marina a few years back when the woman came to report her brother missing, bringing his hat for DNA. Stella talked with her and knows that she would not give up.

NEW YORK! Hey, is that Mac’s Mystery Brunette from the St. Patty’s episode? Adam meets her and flirts, informing us that she’s an ER doctor. Mac meets her and dismisses Adam, taking Mystery Brunette to his office. She brings a delivery of Marina Garritto’s clothing and gets to look at the crime scene. She’s surprised that Marina’s death was ruled a suicide. She mentions instantaneous rigor and says she was in the Air Force reserves, serving as a doctor in Afghanistan. She and Mac have military in common. Mystery Brunette says that she noticed Marina’s hand clenched as if holding on to something for dear life when she died.

Stella is excited to hear this, thinking it means Marina struggled before she died. She was grabbing on to something to save herself. But what? And why?

Stella goes to Marina’s apartment, where she has a wall dedicated to her brother’s case. Stella goes to a closet, finding clothes. She sees a picture of Marina and Luke as children. Flack couldn’t find any witnesses though one guy thought he heard something, called the police. Flack thinks that Marina shot herself, regretted it and tried to get help. Stella thinks that Marina was shot, struggled and tried to get help. They both agree the phone was what Marina was clutching, but the why they disagree on. Flack notes that there is no sign of forced entry and mentions everyone has a Marina Garritto. Stella asks him to keep looking and he agrees. She opens a closet and a guy pops out. Stella and Flack pursue him to an indoor pool. She spots a broken…something…before getting hit on the head and falling into the pool. Flack, in the lobby, hears a shot while we cut to Stella struggling in the water with the guy. Her gun rests on the bottom of the pool. They continue to struggle. Until we see blood. Flack shoots at the guy, hitting his leg. Completely unconvincing acting, there, buddy. “Ow.” Right. Flack goes after Stella.

This is the seasonal “Stella’s in danger” episode, isn’t it?

We see Stella getting treated before cutting to Marina again. She remembers her mother crying, the police, an ice cream truck. Luke’s bike was on a stoop but not Luke. Marina says it was hard that she looked like him and was a constant reminder of what her family was missing. She said she hated her face and her mother died a year later. We cut back to the present as Mystery Brunette treats Stella. Mac goes to visit and Stella protests sick leave. They reveal Stella’s attacker was Marina’s step-father. Stella believes that Marina found Luke’s killer—the step-father.

Adam gets to go to the pool with a skimmer. He finds a yellow pillow, blood…and then we go to Marina’s body. She touched something she was allergic reaction. Hawkes is surprised Sid called him down for a second opinion, but Sid’s a little uncertain. Hawkes tries to cheer his friend up. Sid asks after Stella, glad she’s okay. Meanwhile, Lindsay’s back at Marina’s apartment. He picks up a rather disgusting French fry, which isn’t a fry. She runs a test on it, finding that it is furniture foam. But just that one. The rest are french fries. Lindsay found GSR on the foam. She has an idea, telling Hawkes to get Adam to bring the yellow pillow. I’m thinking homemade silencer. And Lindsay proves it. Mac tells the gang that Marina was murdered. No one committing suicide worries about muffling the sound. He went back to the apartment to get the other pillow because he over-thought things—he was worried people would connect the missing pillow back to him. Stella though knows they have to put a gun in Tony’s hand.

Danny goes over Marina’s clothes, watching some fabric shrink before his eyes. Meanwhile, Adam tracks the gun used back to a robbery but by a different person. They think the Step-Father got it from him. Mac puts pressure because he knows the Step-Father will skip town. Danny calls his wife over to watch the Amazing Shrinking Material. It is material only sold in Step-Father’s textile business. It was made with nickel, causing Marina’s rash. And it was what Marina was clutching too as she died. It was a clue to her killer, which uncurled as she cooled and was collected by Mystery Brunette as clothing.

We go back to Marina, saying how she saw her Step-Father kill her brother after Luke mouthed off. She kept quiet because she was afraid her mother wouldn’t love her anymore and eventually, she just forgot.

And is ANYONE going to remember that Flack shot Step Father?

NEW YORK! Stella goes to Danny. He and Flack believe Step-Father’s using forged documents to get out of Dodge. They go to pick him up as Stella discovers a letter from Marina. She tells Stella she remembers everything, a repressed memory coming back to the future triggered when she went back to the scene of the crime.

At a bar, Step-Father gets antsy. He gets fake documents, then meets Danny and Flack. He protests it was an accident as Danny continues to read him his rights. Meanwhile, Hawkes leads a team down to Marina’s childhood home. Stella says Marina figured it out. Flack and Hawkes discover a locked trunk. Stella says that Marina was going to let the search for her brother go. Her letter was mistaken as a suicide letter because she was dead, it was a letter saying she was going to let her Step Father go. Meanwhile, Flack and Hawkes found Luke’s body.

Stella goes back to Sid and apologizes. Stella reveals that Marina was going to move to Boston. Meanwhile, Flack calls his “Marina”—Mr. Brennan. He asks to meet with the man in hopes of generating answers. And Mac finds Stella asleep on the couch again, tucks her in and leaves.

Marina recalls thinking that Luke was hiding their secret place, a cabinet. But he wasn’t. He was hiding in a place she would never find him.

Aww.

That was actually pretty interesting. It was a nice touch to keep cutting back to Marina’s letter and nice way to work in Mystery Brunette.

Next week: Hawkes had a sister? And now he needs to be saved from prison? Again?

Quote of the Episode:

“We’re not always right but it’s always because we’re wrong.” –Hawkes to Sid

Axe-Wielding Maniacs Storm New York!

NEW YORK! And we see some typical New York traffic, complete with crazed guy running around wielding an axe. Okay, it’s not so typical but the sad part—we New Yorkers actually wouldn’t blink. We’d honk, curse the guy out for disrupting traffic and drive away only to call our friend like, “Dude, there’s an axe-wielding psychopath on Church. You should totally go check it out!” Anyway, the axe-wielding maniac gets tased so Mac and Don get to go check out his hotel room. Turns out he stole the axe from the fire emergency box nearest his room. The two detectives follow a trail of blood to find—the set of some Columbia grad’s final film.

CUE THE WHO!

NEW YORK! Now Danny’s been called to the scene along with Hawkes to take pictures while Axe-Wielding Maniac gets processed by Stella at the lab. Umm, what’s up with Hill Harper’s hair? Anyway, Axe-Wielding Maniac tells Don that clowns were trying to kill him. Okay, the guy was found running in his underwear wielding an axe on a NYC street and now he claims he was tortured by clowns, who stuck a gun in his mouth. Has anyone decided to test him for drugs? Anyone? Don does have a gun—a water gun filled with tequila. Don suspects drugs. Thank God, it isn’t just me. Axe-Wielding Maniac—AKA James—doesn’t remember much, but he doesn’t remember taking drugs. He does remember being underwater, seahorses and starfishes. He tells Don to ask Mark. Don reveals that Mark is dead, along with everyone else at the “Happy 21st Birthday, Axe-Wielding Maniac” party.

Stella and Mac also think he’s on something, something hallucinogenic. My vote’s for LSD. They reveal he could go into states while revealing he’s a science geek over at Chelsea University. His phone registers 11 missed calls from a Sara and a birthday call from his parents, including dad encouraging him to put the books down and go have a drink—or maybe ten. Mom says no to that and that they’ll be home on Friday. Won’t they be surprised!

Danny and Hill Harper’s Hair are still at the hotel. He’s found the first victim—a girl. Danny predicts the guy rushing for the bathroom was number two and the guy next to him was number three, but Hawkes says they have no proof that the girl in the blue dress wasn’t number 2. They do realize there’s a gap on the wall—someone was standing there.

Sara comes down and is shocked to see James high. She tells Mac that Mark and the other guy were his best friends. She doesn’t know the girls. Mac finds it odd that she wasn’t at his “Happy 21st Birthday, Axe-Wielding Maniac” party. She says James didn’t much care for birthdays and would much rather study. Umm, why? (By the by, 29 days till my birthday!) James gets violent as Don and Danny find out he really was attacked by clowns. They were his buddies, shooting tequila in his mouth to start the 21st birthday festivities.

Danny goes to inform Hill Harper’s Hair that they ID-ed the girls and both have priors for drug use. He also doesn’t think they went to Chelsea University. James’ pants had shampoo on him. Danny and Hawkes discover that James did not create the gap in the blood spatter but Stella also notes that his clothes do not have enough blood on them for him to be the killer. She and Danny go to visit Adam, who has created a mock-up of the death. Stella asks about the bathroom door. Danny says it was open, but based on the recreation, there should be blood on it. There isn’t, so it must’ve been closed.

Stella and Danny go to the bathroom. They discover a blue shower curtain with seahorses and starfish on it. Stella realizes that during the murder, James was tripping out in the shower. We get a taste of that before we cut to commercials.

We go back to James, who has a trip watching a fly and yeah, your recapper is TERRIFIED of bugs, so I’m not watching right now. Mac comes in to end James’ and my torture. James is lucid enough to know he didn’t kill his friends but is surprised to learn he took LSD. Mac reveals that the friends did it too, party of the usual 21st birthday festivities. Y’know, up until the axe murderer showed up. Mac decides to connect to James using science. James wants to see Sara but Mac puts it off. He asks for James’ help. He’s studying his hand like a little baby just discovering it for the first time. James doesn’t remember the girls but he does remember seeing everyone dead. He picks up the axe and begins his LSD-fueled axe-wielding rampage on the streets of New York. He seems to get violent, but Mac waves off a concerned uni. James curls up, scared and Mac goes to comfort him.

Stella reminds us, again, that Mark and Daniel were partying with James because he turned 21. And, once again, the boys didn’t know the girls before that night. And once again, they were all killed by an axe. Hawkes is still trying to figure out the bite mark on James. He doesn’t remember it. The gang didn’t leave much of a trail but Adam pulled a picture off one crushed phone. It reveals a picture of the boys with a group of geriatric girls. They reveal it was an assisted living house and the boys played Bingo with the old-timers. One even won--$25,000. *Jaw drops* Don and Danny realize the money is gone and one old geezer really wants them gone. Ohmigod, it’s a real life Walter!

Stella reveals that James was bitten by Calvin Moore. He was arrested for assault. He took down two officers…and he’s only 3 foot 9! And once again, we hit the halfway mark of the episode and no Lindsay. Seriously, does someone in the Power that Be have something against Anna Belknap? Danny and Don go to watch Calvin beat someone up. He says he was paid a grand…to fight James, but not to kill them. He’s surprised to hear they’re dead. Calvin bites James, but in the end the Birthday Boy wins. Calvin doesn’t think that the boys were high. He also tells Don and Danny that the girls weren’t there yet. So where did they come from and who brought the LSD?

Mac takes James for a walk, complete with orange juice. James swears he didn’t take LSD. Mac believes he didn’t take it voluntarily. He thinks that his friends wanted to loosen him up, make him the life of the party. He distracts James by asking about his paper. He’s writing an open letter to Albert Einstein. As Mac quotes Einstein, James looks like he’s in love. However, when someone bumps into the two, James bolts. Mac pursues.

New York! Mac is still in pursuit, when he spots James’ taking down someone’s poster. The guy tries to stop James, Mac pulls the guy off and then James throws the lamest fake punch ever. I could be more realistic than that! But the poster does remind James that he rode a bull in a bar. So Don goes to the only club in Manhattan with a bucking bronco (seriously?) and the bartender confirms that the boys were there. And that James did ride Pedro, up to level 4. Then he fell off. She doesn’t think they were high and neither were the girls. They ordered the shots and may have put something in the boys’. The bartender reveals that they met the girls before they entered the bar. Don calls Stella, who tells him to meet her at a cab place. They had a run-in with one.

Danny and Stella can’t believe a driver saying that the lamppost came out of nowhere. The driver does remember the boys but he’s silent about the girls. They threaten to lock him up for reckless driving when he reveals that he let the one of the friends’ drive. Danny discovers a security camera. It reveals they just picked up the girls off the street. Stella thinks the girls probably drugged the boys to get the cash. She discovers one of the girls put a gun in her purse and Stella thinks something happened in the building they came out of.

Don and Danny talk themselves into a foggy apartment. They ask the guy about the girls. He knows they’re dead but he heard about it through his grapevine. They want to know why the girls shot him. He doesn’t know—he gave them money and food. And probably the drugs. He orders the two cops out. And I was right, he gave them the drugs. They deal for him. Or they did before they shot him. Hawkes reveals the DNA on the axe matches the Drug Dealer. So, he’s our axe murderer? The cops storm the apartment but only a young woman remains. Stella demands to know where Rufus, Drug Dealer, is. We see him and his bodyguard watching Mac and James. As Drug Dealer takes out his guns we go to…

Commercials!

Seriously, show, what do you have against Lindsay?

NNEW YORK! James and Mac are still in peril. Until Mac spots the danger. He drops his soda and pulls his gun—in slo mo, of course—and proceeds to have a shoot out with Rufus and Bodyguard. James picks up a dropped gun, remembering who the axe murderer was. Mac pleads with James not to do it and Rufus tells him to listen to Mac. James reveals that Rufus killed his friends, yes, we know, James. Mac still tells him to put the gun down. He does so and Mac orders Drug Dealer on his knees so he can cuff him.

Stella comes out of interrogating the woman found at Rufus’ apartment. Turns out the girls wanted out, move away from NYC. Rufus didn’t want that. He even ruins a good dinner, he’s so angry. That’s when he gets shot and the girls run away. Rufus’ grapevine tells him that the girls were in the hotel room. Mark and Daniel were just collateral damage. James was saved by the fact he decided to have his trip in the bathroom. They were just “wrong place, wrong time.” James has survivor’s guilt. Mac tells him that not even Einstein could’ve predicted it. Of course, Mac. Einstein was a scientist, not a psychic. Anyway, Mac tells James to reach out to the people who care. And who should come through the door—his parents and Sara. Aww.

Next week: Lindsay! I saw Lindsay! Anyway, someone doesn’t have the luck of the Irish next week. Which makes sense as St. Patrick’s Day isn’t for another TWO weeks.

So, an interesting episode. It might have been a bit more suspenseful if they didn’t exonerate the Axe-Wielding Maniac before the fifteen minute mark, let him hang for a bit. Also, whoever wrote the episode needs to work on it a bit. Audiences do not need to be hit over the head with facts we’ve already learned. And I still want to know why there was no Lindsay. And what is with Hill Harper’s hair!

No quote of the episode, but Don’s freak out about the clowns comes pretty close.

Ready, Set, EXPLODE!

Two cars race down a track. Red car pulls ahead of yellow as the crowd goes wild. Yellow pulls ahead of red, red unleashes his speed boost. Come on, someone hit the wall—you know people only watching car racing for the accidents. And it’s CSI:NY, someone has to go in flames. Even if it’s an “exhibition, not a race.” Red pulls over for a pit stop, as does Yellow. Red’s driver shares a look with a woman in black while Yellow‘s driver is revealed to be Danica Patrick. Red pulls out exchanges a glance with Danica, who…Now there’s the explosion! Can I call it or can I call it? The emergency crews break out the fire extinguisher to use on Red’s driver before the car completely explodes.

In comes, Mac to inspect the scene. Flack approaches—Mac apparently likes Red’s driver, Davi Santos. Santos may have been protected by his suit, but he may get taken down by smoke inhalation. Flack revealed that Santos was receiving death threats. And a replay of the explosion leads us to…

The Who!

New York! Hi, Lindsay, I missed you last week. She takes pictures as Mac interviews the guy who employs Davi (also known as Antonio Sabato, Jr). Stella takes the Crew Chief. Davi and the guy were supposed to retire the previous season, but Davi talked him into one more year. Crew Chief praises Davi and Liza Grey (Danica Patrick) for being great drivers—which is why it was more an exhibition than a race. Mac wants a closer look at the car but the owners are a bit hesitant to give it up.

Mac wins though, of course, as we see the car get loaded into the NYPD garage. Adam works with the Detectives Messers as Lindsay reveals she loves racing. Adam only does it on Playstation. Adam reveals there was a fuel leak—he found Petrol everywhere. Lindsay guesses the car itself was the bomb. Danny knows it’s time to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Meanwhile, the racing organization wants the races to go on and is threatening the city, who in turn is threatening Mac. Stella goes to check to see how Hawkes is doing with the threatening letters. He knows the same person wrote the same letters, but the paper and ink are all common. They note the progression of the letters as getting more and more serious. The computer matches the death threats to a letter sent to a Congressman. Josh Weaver is spit out.

Weaver says he can’t blow up a car. He just writes threatening letters. Weaver’s brother and his family was killed by a drunk driver, who got away scot-free and uninjured. He was also coming back from a race sponsored by the organization Davi and Danica race for. Weaver’s alibi is his anger management group. Weaver just wanted Davi off the road as a victory—hurt the organization by scaring it’s star.

Danny, Lindsay and Adam continue to patch up Humpty Dumpty. It’s a great montage—CSI is always good with these. Lindsay even uses my Humpty Dumpty joke, but they are missing a wire. The gasoline is bullet proof but the fuel line has been sabotaged. However, the tools used weren’t the right ones for the job. Two theories emerge: A. The person wanted to throw the detectives off (Danny) or B. They just didn’t know what they were doing (Adam.) But Danny finds a fingerprint.

New York! We go back to the racing track where Flack and Mac talk to part of Davi’s race team. He says he inspected the car and everything was fine. He didn’t tamper with it, even if he is the heir apparent to Davi’s spot. Flack asks about where the drivers go to the bathroom while Mac gets a message about an upcoming press conference regarding the exhibition. Flack and Mac check the truck, noting signs of forced entry. Mac finds a piece of coat snagged on the door. Flack is certain the car was the target as Mac orders all the tools to be bagged and tagged.

Hawkes find traces of oil with it’s special blend. It belonged to Danica’s car. The last time she and Sabato raced, he pushed her into the wall. He was fined, she was sent to the hospital. The exhibition was her first time back. Hawkes find footage of her getting out of the hospital where she threatened Sabato. Flack and Mac go to talk to her at a photo-shoot. Mac compliments her on her recovery after the accident. Flack asks her about her threats—she chalks it up as usual sporty dirty talk. Mac says they find a piece of her uniform—she says she just wanted a peek at the car. She noted that he had been going downhill since the accident and she wanted to see if his engine had been tweaked. She took pictures, which Mac confiscates.

Lindsay gets to go over them as Mac hangs up on someone. Stella says they are still processing the tools Mac bagged and tagged while running down Danica’s records. The media keeps hounding Mac since he advised the Mayor to postpone the race for 48 hours. Stella mentions that Sabato is out of surgery and asks about Mac’s racing obsession. He even admits to winning a soap box derby as a kid. Stella finds it adorable. He says it was a desire to go fast. But Sabato’s injuries are sobering. Stella gets a call telling her that Sabato is conscious.

Stella meets up with Crew Chief as they spot Sabato with his wife. He starts to code as the medical team begins to shock him. Tanya, the wife, mentions that the day was long overdue while Stella and Crew Chief look on in shock.

New York! Tanya is in shock. Stella consoles her—so Sabato didn’t make it. Tanya comments that he didn’t belong to her and that his murder was “poetic justice.” She said that dying was the only way for her husband to retire. She flashes back to him saying he couldn’t retire because of all the rumors of him losing his edge. He says he always comes home alive to her and smile. Tanya also noticed a change in Sabato after the accident.

Lindsay is still going over the pictures as Danny gives her some specs. Danny notices that the line is still intact and Lindsay says that clears Danica as she was giving an interview right after the pictures were taken—no time to tamper with anything. They go back to the car. Sabato has ended up on Sid’s table. Hawkes catalogues Sabato’s many, many injuries from racing. Shrapnel from Singapore 400, broken bones from Portugal 400 as well as Rio. Hawkes finds a second-degree burn on Sabato’s back, caused only by prolonged exposure to an open flame. Hawkes notes that it’s a miracle Sabato lived as long as he did, explaining Tanya’s statement.

Lindsay and Danny point out where a generator was and a new engine. It recycles energy. As the car turns, kinetic energy is stored and the driver presses a button located by the steering wheel. Instant turbo boost. Lindsay explains how the mystery yellow wire was used to turn the engine into a bomb. Sabato kept pressing his turbo boost and then went boom. Mac deduces it can only be a member of the pit crew.

Stella finds Tanya going to visit Crew Chief. She stays for a half hour, then returns to the 12th floor while he leaves. Mac zeros in on him as a suspect while Stella zeros in on an embrace shared between Tanya and Crew Chief.

New York! We zero in on a picture of Sabato and Crew Chief. Mac accuses him of murder. He asks Crew Chief about his relationship with Tanya. Stella has her in another room. Tanya says she went to Crew Chief’s room to get him to convince Sabato to retire. Crew Chief agreed and decided to sabotage the engine. He wanted to throw him off, make him realize he was off his game and finally retire. They just wanted to slow him down, not kill him. He insists it was supposed to short circuit and he didn’t do anything to turn the car into a ticking time bomb. Tanya cries about how their attempt to save Sabato led to his death. Mac thinks something is missing while Hawkes comes down to clear them. He finally finished processing the tools. The print on the wrench used to sabotage the fuel line matched the team owner. Flack brings him in as Mac interrogates him. Even the owner didn’t want Sabato to change his retirement plans. So, he sabotaged the car. He calls murder “looking out for his business.” He and Crew Chief are led out at the same time. Crew Chief tries to attack the owner while Tanya gives the owner the Look of Death.

New York! Mac and Stella are suited up. Danica lends them two cars to race. Mac remembers his soap box derby as he sits in the car. He and Stella rev up as Danica waves the green flag. They take off as we go to black.

I’ve had a snow day today as a blizzard hit New York City. It was great finish to a lazy, white day. If you were in the Tri-State area, be careful out there!

Advice of the Episode:

“Go out there, have fun, burn some rubber.”—Danica to Mac.

Vampires of New York City

Central Park. Winter. Looks like it was after that big snow storm last December. I was in the city when it started. By the time my sister and I went from Times Square to Whitehall, there was a nice coating on the ground and it was coming down fast. One woman braves the cold this time and takes pictures of the part in its white clothes. She gets attacked by a crow but recovers enough to take a picture. She is then knocked down and we see her camera take odd pictures before falling to the wayside. When she lands, she’s dead. The snow picks up again, covering our Snow Queen. Some poor parks department schmo comes by and finds her. He’s pretty unperturbed by it, but then again, if he works for the city, he’s probably seen it before. Flack, Mac and Hawkes show up and rule out burglary gone wrong. Hawkes thinks she bled out but there’s no blood pool. Mac brushes the snow next to her—there’s the blood pool. Hawkes finds a puncture wound, Flack finds the camera.

CUE THE WHO! *Note: They will be the halftime act this Super Bowl Sunday.*

We come back to Snow Queen, being carted away to meet the Awesome Sid. Hi, Sid! Hey, the dad from The Nanny’s going to show up in this! Anyway, Sid studies the puncture wound and he finds a mark that may be a part of the weapon. Snow Queen is still a Jane Doe, so I get to keep calling her Snow Queen for a bit longer! Sid found some dried blood that doesn’t seem to be from the victim.

Meanwhile, we watch a photograph develop as Danny has been locked in the dark room and given the task. Stella interrupts. Danny says he feels old and Stella hopes it isn’t from aches and pains. It’s because Adam didn’t know how to develop film. So, that’s why Danny did it. After slapping Adam. Stella and Danny zero in on a guy they think may be the boyfriend. They decide to use the photos to retrace Snow Queen’s steps. They may find her identity. Flack and Stella immediately start at a fountain…holy crap, this episode was written by Carmine Giovinazzo AKA Danny Messer! Oh wait, that would be his cousin, who has the same name. Confusing. Anyway, back to the crime…Flack finds a tube of chapstick. Stella and Flack continue on and stumble upon an apartment building. Maybe someone knows her there. In fact, the doorman does—her name is Estelle. I shall still call her Snow Queen. He didn’t think too much of Ice Queen not coming home, but figured she stayed with her boyfriend—Keith. Doorman also reveals that Snow Queen was British. He also reveals that Snow Queen also had a late night visitor. A male visitor. An older male visitor.

Mac gets to interrogate Keith. They met in Central Park, aww. He saw Estelle the day before. Mac asks why Keith and Ice Queen didn’t walk in the park the night prior like they do that. Keith says they argued a few days ago and Mac wonders if her late night, older male visitor had something to do with it. Keith says that it wasn’t that, but that Snow Queen was acting weird lately and he wanted to know why. Keith breaks down and thinks he could’ve protected her if he was with her.

New York City at night. It’s always so pretty. Of course, I’m biased. Hawkes tests the dried blood. It was from multiple donors. That’s a big fleck! One of the donors has a rap sheet: Billy James, assault and battery. We go to a tattoo parlor where some chick (?) is getting “Jackson” tattooed on her neck. Billy is surprised to hear that Snow Queen was dead. He has a scar on his wrist, like Snow Queen. He sucks at coming up with an alibi—he was working late, doesn’t remember the time. Flack and Hawkes confiscate his guns.

It’s Maxwell Sheffield and Finola Hughes! Hi, guys! They cry after identifying their daughter. Mr. Sheffield says they spoke to Snow Queen two days ago; she loved New York and she loved photography. We learn that Mr. Sheffield’s mother lived in New York, which is why Snow Queen moved here. They are broken up.

And that’s all we’ll see of Finola Hughes of this episode!

Lab zoom! Hawkes tests Billy’s guns on a pig. He compares the puncture marks to the ones found on Snow Queen. No matches. Stella comes in to reveal that Billy James may suck at alibi forming, but he was telling the truth. Sid waits for Mac in his office, surprising the detective. Sid was bugged by Snow Queen’s scar, it was familiar. It was from a cutting ceremony, part of a cult. Sid delivers his findings: Snow Queen may have been killed by a vampire.

Come on. Really?

Sid continues talking about vampires. Sanguine Vampires—it’s a religion, not just goth kids having fun. Wait, didn’t CSI: Mothership already do this a bajillion seasons ago? CARMINE’S COUSIN! Be original. Sid can use the world wide web and thinks Snow Queen was part of a blood exchange. Mac realizes that so was Billy James and Maxwell Sheffield. Just because he was in that Disney movie, “Mom’s Dating a Vampire”…Sid is fascinated, Mac wants to solve his case.

Flack is relieved that Snow Queen has a bed, not a coffin. Imagine if they were investigating Abby from NCIS? Hmm, Gary Sinise vs. Mark Harmon. Anyway, Danny wonders why people turned to vampirism and is probably making a note for when Lucy hits her teenage years. Danny is surprised to find a used role in the fridge. So, he develops it. Stella and he spot Billy and an unhappy Keith. There was an older guy there and Snow Queen was by him in one of the pictures. Perhaps he was Snow Queen’s late night, older male visitor. Stella spots something in the picture and hypothesizes it might be the murder weapon.

I’d like to point out it’s been a half hour and Lindsay hasn’t shown up yet. Where is she, show?

Anyway, Mac intercepts Mr. Sheffield at the Regent Hotel. He shows Maxwell some pictures but Mr. Sheffield insists he doesn’t know anyone. So Mac inspects his left arm. He wants to know more about the scar and his “faith.” Mr. Sheffield reveals the older man is named Joseph. They met at a haven many years back—a safe place for the vampires. Joseph is a master and was keeping an eye on Snow Queen, as a favor to Mr. Sheffield. He reveals that when he and SNow Queen talked, she did sound off. Worried. He talks about the scar coming from a small, silver object--

“An ankh!” Danny reveals. Stella backstories that it’s the Egyptian symbol for life and death. Fitting.

New York! In the snow! We zoom into a haven. Some woman is with Joseph, probably about to join the cult. DON’T DRINK THE KOOL-AID! He sterilizes her arm and I think this became a goth thriller. What have you been reading and/or watching, writer? And did Joseph just compare himself to a god? Anyway, he cuts her, the others look on vaguely interested. Flack and Danny storm the meeting. Flack leads Joseph out, making sure he won’t bite. Danny picks up the ankh/murder weapon.

Now it’s Joseph’s turn in the interrogation room with Mac. Joseph owns a blood bank. Irony? And why is the episode filled with Brits and everyone approving on vampirism either British or a goth? Someone’s been watching BBC America on Supernatural Saturday again, hasn’t he? Joseph says he only cared for Snow Queen and we see her joining the cult, a very erotic scene. When Joseph says he’s deeply disturbed by Snow Queen’s death, Mac says, “You are deeply disturbed. I’ll give you that much.” ZING!

Hawkes tells Stella that Danny found Snow Queen’s missing ear part in Joseph’s fridge. Eww. Hawkes goes to study the ankh. He runs all sorts of tests on the thing and comes back: with Snow Queen’s DNA amongst a million other donors. Snow Queen’s blood is still recent and the ankh matches the puncture wound on Snow Queen’s neck. Mac and Hawkes are like “Yes, we got him!” And then Danny comes in to reveal that the ear part indicates it wasn’t Joseph. Mac figures it means Joseph had some help.

Seriously, where is Lindsay? I guess this was one of Anna Belknap’s episodes off?

Clouds! Zoom down into New York. Someone pulls up our key players: Snow Queen, Joseph, Keith, Billy and Mr. Sheffield. Stella and Danny want to add Dracula. Mac does try to keep an open mind. Joseph claims that the ear part was planted and is threatening to sue. Mac stares at Hawkes’ neck, then his wrist. They found Keith’s DNA on the ankh, but no scare on his wrist. He was only in one picture and the chapstick could’ve fallen out while he was running out of the park.

The writer’s studied his crime drama formula: Suspect #1 leads to Suspect #2/Red Herring #1 leads to Suspect #3/Red Herring #2 back to Suspect #1/The Guilty Party.

So back to interrogation! Keith and Mac talk again. This time, Mac asks about the haven. We go back to Snow Queen’s initiation. Keith stares at Joseph’s intimate gestures, Snow Queen’s erotic reactions. Keith thinks Joseph stole her from him. He was disgusted by the Sanguine Vampires. Mac thinks he took out the frustration on Snow Queen, attacking her in the park. He bit her ear and set up Joseph. Keith insists he was trying to save her. He pleads ignorance. Mac doesn’t like it as an excuse.

Mac goes back to the park to talk with Mr. Sheffield. He gives him Snow Queen’s last pictures. Where did they put Fiona? Mr. Sheffield loves his daughter’s work and as Mac walks out of the park, he sees Snow Queen taking pictures as Keith gets his mug shot taken. When did this become Cold Case?

Next week: Danica Patrick?

It’s been a while since I’ve recapped CSI: NY—laptop woes and then I never just got around to it. But I’m back! This was a pretty good episode, even if it rips off CSI: Mothership and Lindsay was a bit lacking. Not even an explanation. But whoever did the visuals was great and really got the beauty of the city during the winter.

Quote of the Episode:

“I guess you guys don’t want NYPD tattooed on your arms, do you?” –Billy James to Flack and Hawkes.

Eleventh Hour Had Mercury in Fridges, CSI:NY Has Pipe Bombs in a Van

Adam is playing street hockey with his friends, making fun of some girl’s boyfriend whose shot he just blocked. Adam chases after the ball as a white van explodes…ADAM! NO! And then a house explodes…is this CSI: NY or a Michael Bay movie?

Credits!

Adam comes to and sees the crime scene. A friend tries to make sure Adam is all right but all Adam can hear is cries for help. As the girl with the camera begs for someone to call for help, Adam and his friend pull someone from the wreckage. Sirens wail in the background as the FDNY pull up. Mac and Hawkes follow quickly. The guy Adam saved was the only one home, thankfully, as Mac takes care of Adam. He can’t help Mac much, just explaining the van and house exploded. The victim, Felix Redmond, is upset and wants to know what happened while Hawkes tries to calm him down. Felix explains his wife is with her parents.

The FBI approaches Flack, saying they will have to work together. Flack agrees as Mac searches the van. A kid with a camera is sent back inside while Stella brings a clue from a neighbor’s house. They realize they are dealing with a pro. Mac and Stella do math while Flack and I stare at them, confused.

Lindsay asks Danny if they need help but he rules it out, saying she’ll do enough when the crime scene comes to the lab. Apparently, Lindsay is going back to Montana to visit her mom so she can see her daughter pregnant. Lindsay looks forward to the day she can do that if her baby is a girl. Danny replies that no boy is getting near his daughter—there was no doubt he’d be a strict dad.

Back at the crime scene, Hawkes is surprised Felix walked away after his house collapsed. Mac tells them a story of other bomb victims who walked away. They figure Felix wasn’t the target and if something was supposed to happen on the block. Stella finds a busted pipe while Hawkes documents the remains of the white van. Mac and Danny divide and conquer the house—one upstairs, the other downstairs. Or what’s left of it. They try to put everything together, but we haven’t reached the second commercial break. Danny finds a victim under the debris, surprising the two.

NEW YORK! Our dead victim ends up on Sid’s table as he preps her for autopsy. He finds an injury to the back of her head with something inside. She died from a severed spinal cord, Sid tells Lindsay. He also confirms their vic was in the house. He also tells her that while he usually has strange evidence, he doesn’t. Lindsay wonders who she is as Stella brings Felix down to identify her. He breaks down, saying she wasn’t home.

Turns out it was his daughter, who was supposed to be at school. Mac doesn’t know why that street was chosen, unless someone on the block was planning to bomb somewhere else. They wonder if they are chasing after a terrorist or terrorists. Lindsay and Hawkes do some science. Lindsay finds two pipes are the same and they hope it will lead to a manufacture. Danny finds out the perp rented the van but uses the GPS to track down the guy who rented it last—Michael Elgers. He looks like a skinhead. Danny agrees. Elgers last arrest was on Francis Lewis Blvd…Hey, my aunt lives on there. Of course, Francis Lewis is very long, so it could be anywhere. Mac wonders if Elgers was aiming for the synagogue on the corner.

Flack drags the skinhead in for some talk. Elgers swears he didn’t mean to blow up anything. Flack, unsurprisingly, doesn’t believe him. Elgers says he remain silent until Flack mentions the van. That throws Elgers, who swears it wasn’t him. It’s not his signature, he argues, asking for a lawyer. Flack leaves but Elgers asks to know the race of the victim. Flack just says she’s dead.

Stella is down in the garage, finding a digital watch. They figure it was a trigger and the bomb was meant to go off when it did. Mac finds something inside the van, calling Stella over. Burn marks on the side, show that the van was reinforced on one side so the blast would be forced out the other. They realize that Felix’s house was the intended target.

NEW YORK! We see some workers working, at Felix’s business. People offer condolences over his daughter Alison. He says he’s still trying to figure out what happened. Felix says he deals with e-garbage, electronic stuff we throw out. Stella tells him the news that his house was the target. He’s shocked. Stella thinks it might be the contract he just got from the city. He rules it out. Stella offers her sympathy again and leaves.

Adam returns to the lab as Hawkes hails him as a hero. Adam is just glad to get away from the interrogations of FBI, DHS, etc. Hawkes gives him stuff to do and he’s actually happy. Hawkes joins a briefing on The Purists, eco-terrorists. I’m thinking CBS missed an opportunity to pair this with Eleventh Hour’s Minamata. They deal with anything that could harm the environment. Just property damage, no deaths. And while they claim responsibility, no charges have been filed. One of the members of the Purists was attacked by Elgers, cleared as his signature didn’t match. They figure Elgers was being set up, but unsure why The Purists would bomb a house owned by a man who recycles for a living.

We go to a club where a guy blows a cork off a bottle. Mac sees the display and shows his badge. The club is apparently “eco-friendly.” Mac asks about Felix but Teddy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Mac calls him a terrorist while Teddy argues he is doing his duty as God’s creature. Oh boy. Mac is just as incredulous as Teddy leaves.

Stella asks Adam what went through his mind. He replies nothing much, except for some kid beaning him in the head. He also feels bad because he can’t give them anything. Meanwhile, Hawkes finds a partial on the van’s rearview mirror. It belonged to Alison, surprising Mac.

NEW YORK! Mac views a protest, spotting Alison amongst the crowds. She was a member of The Purists, but they can’t figure out why she went after her father’s house and why she was in the house. Danny though is distracted by Lindsay. He tells Mac about his proposal and subsequent rejection. They have a heart to heart. Mac regrets not having children with his wife due to his doubts. Now he’s telling Danny not to let his own get in the way of happiness. It helps Danny and Mac tells him he’ll make a great father.

Stella searches the Chinese town Adam found. It has a lot of e-waste, apparently. The pictures aren’t so pretty. And it doesn’t look just like e-waste, but regular waste as well. Stella tells Adam that he may have found the motive. He sees a picture and remembers he saw her before the explosion. Lindsay brings Mac enough evidence for a warrant on Teddy Mayhem. They interrupt him in the middle of a planning session, saying people will be in his building. He burns it as Mac takes him in.

Stella shows Felix some of his business containers. One that ended up in China, which is illegal. And filled with e-waste comprised of dangerous chemicals. Mac doesn’t think it’s not worth a bomb to dealing with a cheat. Teddy’s too cynical to believe the government will help, though Mac says they are catching the corrupted ones. Stella, in the other room, catches Felix’s dirty business. People being paid to dismantle the e-waste full of the dangerous chemicals. Mac does wonder about Alison. He tried to show her the truth, but she didn’t believe him. Alison was trying to warn her dad. Hello, cell phone? But Teddy thought she didn’t have enough time and wouldn’t get hurt. Stella tells Felix why his daughter was in the house. And that he’s under arrest. Teddy is still smug in the other room, saying there are others. Mac tells him that they will get them.

Danny brings a confused Lindsay to the courthouse, saying she has to meet some friends. He brings her to the city clerk and she realizes what is going on. He proposes again, saying they could get married right then. Lindsay agrees. Aww, Monroe-Messer wedding! Stella and Mac are waiting inside to be the witnesses. And then there’s a nice montage of the two of them together. That was absolutely adorable! I’ve loved those two since Lindsay was introduced.

Exchange of the Week:

“No bodies at 3 AM, no double shifts with no sleep, a slice of pizza on the run.”

“Constipation, swelling of feet, tough getting up from a chair, constant urination. Wanna switch?”

“I already have all that. I just want the time off.” –Sid and Lindsay

Next week: Dead drug dealer, dealing drugs made of humans. Eww. And it’s married couple Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson (Wentz).

What do you think of the Monroe-Messer wedding? What about the upcoming appearance of the Wentzes? 

When Pranks Turn Deadly

New York! Some guy gets handcuffed by two cops because he’s either on steroids or doing an impression of the Incredible Hulk. The perp breaks free, punching a cop and climbing on top of Angell’s desk. She lets Flack take a teen into interrogation as she joins the dog pile on the perp. As Bruce Banner is subdued, Flack rushes out, calling for an ambulance. Angell runs in to see Flack doing CPR on the teen. He explains the boy started convulsing. Angell checks for a pulse and woefully tells Flack, “He’s dead.”

CREDITS!

CRIME SCENE. DO NOT CROSS. Danny takes pictures as Flack gives his statement to Mac. Hey, what’s Adrian’s dad doing here? Isn’t he a DA in Cali? Flack goes to talk to Adrian’s Dad about “Mr. Fleming,” who was picked up at wrestling practice in connection to another case. Mac notes a bruise just as Adrian’s Dad mentions it. Flack said he got it when he lost grip on the convulsing Fleming. Adrian’s Dad thinks Flack hit the poor guy. That’s when Flack asks for his union attorney. Oh, Flack.

As the tatters of Flack’s incident report go flying, we see a title card: 2 days ago. The city starts to go backwards as we rewind time. We see some teens snowboarding down some snowy stairs. Good thing for producers it actually snowed Sunday and Monday here in New York City. One boarder discovers a dead foot. Stella finds bloody old Christmas wrapping paper. The same wrapping paper type is found around a dead arm Danny and Hawkes fish out of a dumpster.

Sid puts death the night before with the chop-chop coming after. Sid can’t tell what caused the chop-chop. Lindsay brings in a dead hand, this time it has peeling skin. Danny notes that happens when the body is submerged in water long enough. Sid makes an OJ reference and peels the skin to get prints using the skin as a glove. It comes back to Vince Nelson. Cut to his wife telling us he was the head wrestling coach at Hillside High. There are many awards ALL over the place. Mrs. Nelson says her husband was taking a night class in business so he could open his own school. She was asleep and didn’t notice he didn’t come home until she woke up. Lindsay notes a laptop as Mrs. Nelson cries. Lindsay and Stella take their leave as Mrs. Nelson recalls two men lurking around on the roof. A neighbor checked, noting blood.

They put a pregnant woman on a roof? Stella finds and photographs the blood as Lindsay checks it. We cut to Flack noting that Nelson wasn’t taking business classes. He was hiding something. Mac wants to know what that is. Stella looks at the blood and tells Mac it isn’t human, it’s alligator. Not the old alligators in the sewer legend!

Okay, I spent half a season trying to figure out why the guy in the Eleventh Hour show looked familiar but I didn’t go on IMDb.com ever to check. Finally, during Grissom’s last episode it finally hit me: Rufus Sewell! Thought I’d share.

NEW YORK! We go back to the coroner’s room where Danny makes a Mr. Potato Head joke and Sid recalls how he used to time himself on putting Mr. Potato Head together. I always liked putting the lips in Mr. Potato Head’s nose hole. Sid found an acupuncture magnet, which Lindsay notes is supposed to cure smoking. The spine is burnt, possibly from kinetic energy. Sid also finds sawdust, leaving Danny to speculate it might be a chainsaw that did the chop-chop. So, gets to work hacking away while Lindsay works on the acupuncture magnet. They both get something! Danny: Murder weapon, Lindsay: Finger print.

We cut to a salsa class. A woman is spun right into Flack. Lucky. Bitch. Apparently, she was arrested for prostitution, which is when she dismisses her student. She knows the victim; he was a student. Nelson was learning salsa to surprise his wife for their anniversary. Aww. However, Sheldon starts showing kiddie pornography on Nelson’s laptop. He sent it to several students on his team. Mac looks ready to hurl as Sheldon tries to see if there are more. Flack decides to track down the kid using the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Mac shows the kids who were sent the e-mails. Danny shows the chainsaw was new to the market but none of the kids on the e-mails bought it. Stella comes in to say that Todd Fleming, dead kid from cold open, did a science fair project on the properties of alligator blood.

Angell and Flack go to talk to Fleming, discussing it with the assistant coach. They catch Todd with the alligator blood. He protests his innocence on killing but not being on the roof. They take him out, which he isn’t too thrilled about. We cut to time moving forward and…it’s the cold open with Bruce Banner again. Flack asks Todd about the e-mail Nelson sent. He said it was crazy and no one was supposed to get hurt. At that point, Todd does a fine imitation of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Flack grabs him before running out to request that ambulance. Todd is seen in the background, convulsing and foaming. Did someone take something?

TODD FLEMING! Sid says it was a brain condition. He notes bruises and broken ribs—all caused by Flack’s attempt to save Todd. He’s not sure about the bruise on Todd’s head and says the tox panel came back negative. Mac is adamant Flack did nothing wrong. Angell gets interrogated in one room while Adrian’s Dad continues lambasting Flack in another. It is revealed Flack was alone with Todd while the boy changed into street clothes. Adrian’s Dad tells Flack he can turn in his gun and badge downstairs while he goes on suspension. Flack remembers this is America: innocent unless proven guilty. His record is clean, which Angell says as the other interrogator comments on their relationship. Angell comes out to ask him how IA knows about their relationship. Gossip, duh.

But Angell remains on the case as the happy trio of Stella, Mac and Danny continue working on who killed Nelson. Mac gets a call—dead head has been found! Nelson’s neck is bruised and has a dried speck of blood on it. Lindsay goes at it…I have money it is alligator blood. Anybody? Darn. It matches an ex-con named Johnny Holt, in for sex crimes. Stella goes to visit de-activated Flack. He banters with her then returns to his crossword puzzle. Holt says he’s bleed all over NYC—shot nine times, knifed five times. She asks about the child molestation, but Holt prefers raping adult women. Even the rapist looks disgusted. Holt’s blood, according to Lindsay, was three months old—Holt was in Sing-Sing. They figure the blood was on the pipe that killed Nelson.

Stella and Lindsay visits Mrs. Nelson, who has been receiving nasty calls after the e-mail was released. Mrs. Nelson argues her husband was normal, watched football and forgot their anniversary (think that’ll come up again?) and not a pedophile. Stella and Lindsay keep asking about his access to boys. She asks them to find her innocent husband’s killer.

And it looks like Nelson is innocent—no other porn is found on the computer but a firewall breach was. They figured that’s why Fleming was on the roof—he breached the firewall to download the pictures and discredit his coach for some reason. They go to the apartment and learn Nelson was stupid enough to have an unsecured Wi-Fi connection. They know Fleming is innocent—his alibi was solid—but they recall Mrs. Nelson said there were two people on the roof. Mac notes sawdust missed by Lindsay and Stella due to snow.

Danny tracks the dust to being from a tree commonly found in Flushing, Queens. He and Angell go out to find a Kyle Sheridan, a snowboarder. He runs but Angell tackles him. Danny asks if she wrestled for school, but she responds she had four older brothers. She cuffs Kyle as we go to commercials.

NEW YORK! Danny and Mac show Kyle his dead coach’s dead head. Kyle admits to sending the e-mail with Todd. In flashback, he wipes his hand, knocking off sawdust. Kyle did it because Nelson wouldn’t move him up a weight class, wrecking his chances at a much-needed wrestling scholarship. He notes his dad is a court officer, which causes Mac to realize the bruise was made by a baton. It also explains Holt’s blood on Nelson’s dead head. The two get a warrant for the Sheridan household, figuring dad saw son’s e-mails. Stella goes in as Mac and Angell parade through the court house in slow-mo. Hawkes finds a train set with wooden logs—sawdust—oh, and the wrapping paper. Stella finds blood trace. Mac and Angell find Alex Sheridan. Dad was so happy when son made the team. But then saw the pictures and called Nelson. The coach denied the pictures and Sheridan fought him, trying to protect his son. He knew the court system—child molester would get off easy, hard to prosecute for murder without a body. Mac deals the low blow that Nelson WAS innocent and that Kyle sent the e-mails to get even with the coach. Dad’s shocked.

WRESTLING MATCH! Red tussles with blue. Everyone cheers. Red beats blue. Was that Kyle? Everyone celebrates as Mrs. Nelson cries. Lindsay shows up to bring her a bouquet of white roses—Nelson’s way of apologizing for forgetting their anniversary.

NEW YORK! Flack cleans up his desk as Mac comes in. He gives him the good news: he was cleared! Todd was prescribed an anti-depressant and Sid found ten times the amount prescribed in the boy’s system. He OD-ed while Flack let him change, back to the boy. Mac hands Flack back his badge and then invites him to go watch a hockey game.

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

Danny: “I’m thinking Christmas with the in-laws.”

But the Mr. Potato Head conversation was a close second.

Due feel free to share what YOU think should be the Quote of the Episode as sometimes, I don't find one.  

Coincidence? No, Not Really.

New York City! In the morning! And that is one nice engagement ring. Oh, it’s one of those ten minute bridal gown sales that turn into Super Market Dash with no rules and claws. A rush of brides-to-be and their maids of honor storm the show, some with ridiculous headwear on. They fight over the gowns until the woman with the nice engagement ring discovers a dead body. 

Danny can’t believe the whole thing. They notice she is dressed like she was out for a run but Flack says teams dress up so they can identify each other in the melee. The dead bride was arguing over a dress, now covered in blood, with Nice Engagement Ring Girl. 

CREDITS! 

New York! Flack interviews Nice Engagement Ring Girl, named Marie according to her fiancé. Marie says that she struggled with the vic over the dress. The beading on the dress killed her, apparently. Victim is named Laurel Downs, according to her ID in her money-free wallet. Danny notes she has no engagement ring and Stella notes she wasn’t here for the sale. She found Laurel’s race number. 

Was that a shot of St. Patrick’s Cathedral? Mac and Lindsay meet Angell in a rectory converted to loft apartments. A woman is dead in her tube before a stunning stained glass window. Hawkes concludes she was raped, murdered and then put in the tub to wash away evidence. They go over the loft and Mac spots an empty guitar case. Lindsay spots a worm. 

Tub Girl is on Sid’s slab. He notes there is no DNA but proves she was a guitar player. Sid recognizes her as a subway musician whom he enjoyed. He found a glass shard in her head. He says official COD is suffocation, Hawkes recognizes the bruising on her neck. He flashes back to his residency to apparently a girlfriend who was attacked in the very same manner. Mac notes that putting a fist in the mouth to silence his victim’s mouth is the signature of the Gramercy Rapist. Hawkes and Mac fear the rapist is back after an eight year hiatus. 

New York! Danny looks over Laurel’s iPod while I bop to the soundtrack. He finds something in her running shoes and downloads something to the computer. Stella comes back to say that Sid’s ruling is accidental. Danny found Laurel’s workout plan and that she stopped outside of the bridal shop. He figures she knew Marie beforehand but don’t know how. They do know Laurel was a victim of the Gramercy Rapist but Mac rules Laurel’s and Eleanor’s (Tub Girl) deaths coincidences until proven otherwise. Lindsay lays on some coincidence true stories (like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams dying the same day—the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence). 

They work on their cases. Flack runs down Eleanor’s case and gets a lead. Meanwhile, Adam and Hawkes print a homemade guitar slide. Hawkes asks Adam to run DNA off sweat from Eleanor’s shirt. Mac brings in Flack’s lead—a tip line from when the Gramercy Rapist—apparently Hawkes burned up the line. The good doctor admits his ex-girlfriend was a victim. Mac pulls him off the case, surprising Hawkes. Umm, Sheldon, may I mention Lady Murder Sings the Blues?

 Sid goes up to Danny and notes that Laurel and Eleanor are connected. Laurel had Eleanor’s blood on her hands. He then says that Mark Twain was born the same day Haley’s comet appeared and died on the same day of it’s next appearance. Meanwhile, Lindsay notes the worms she found are from Brazil but doesn’t know how it got here. Mac encourages her to sequence it’s DNA. Adam tracks down the DNA to another subway musician.

 Oh, I really hope he’s a red herring. He’s too pretty to be the rapist! He guesses music types for Angell and Mac but they are more interested in what he knew about Eleanor. He says they were friends and he gave her his slide. But he didn’t kill her. At the lab, Danny and Stella realize Laurel wasn’t trying to get Marie’s necklace not the dress. Danny notes Laurel’s rape report says she was robbed of jewelry. It’s the fiancé! I knew he looked skivvy! 

New York! At night! Flack and Stella visit the nightclub owned by Marie and her skivvy fiancé. He says he bought the necklace from some guy in Union Square. Marie lets Stella take the necklace. Lindsay believes the worms come from the killer but they can’t get a warrant based on that. Meanwhile, Adam found Eleanor’s guitar at a pawn shop, pawned by Hot Subway Singer (Trey) and figures he picked her lock. 

Flack and Angell pursues Trey through the subway station until they catch him. He claims he is innocent and he just stole her guitar to buy “something to calm his nerves.” At the lab, Sheldon’s ex Kara comes in to tell her story to Stella. She remembers the rapist went through her stuff and took some jewelry. That includes a ring. Hmm, it is definitely Marie’s fiancé. Why show her Nice Engagement Ring if it isn’t? Kara cries that she tried to forget but she can’t. Stella is the perfect one to console her. 

The missing ring was supposed to be Sheldon’s engagement ring to Kara. He’s still torn up about her. Aww. I want to give him a hug. 

Stella goes through rape reports but none mention missing jewelry. But she figures it might be more cases like Kara who didn’t realize the jewelry was missing. Adam shows the DNA result came back matching Colin, Marie’s Skivvy Fiancé. However, it goes against protocol which leads to a verbal lashing from Mac. He can’t haul in Colin on that as it won’t hold up in court. Hawkes storms out and Stella tries to tell Mac that people can’t turn off their emotions in a lesser version of Sara’s “I wish I was you, Grissom, I wish I didn’t feel anything” line. 

By the way, Grissom leaves tomorrow. I’ll miss him but can’t wait to see what happens when Fishburne joins the cast. 

New York City! Marie’s Skivvy Fiancé’s club is booming. Sheldon watches the place but Mac stops him from going in. He nad Mac have a heart to heart about how bad Sheldon felt over Kara and how he handled the situation. Mac tells him they’ll find something else to get Marie’s Skivvy Fiancé.  So, everyone goes over the old cases. Colin lived in Gramercy Park until his mother died. He came into some money and took Marie to Europe. Lindsay comes back and says the worms found were from Brazil and Colin was in Brazil a month prior. They figure Marie would be their best way to get Marie’s Skivvy Fiancé. 

Stella talks to Marie, who hands over all her jewelry. It is all stolen, Stella knows. Colin comes in and struggles with Stella, who shoots him in a few non-fatal places. He says they can’t prove anything as the camera focuses on a worm in his blood. He’s toast. Sid invites Stella and Mac to visit what they want you to believe is Whitehall Station but take it from someone who has been in Whitehall, it isn’t. They listen to a subway musician, who turns out to be Sharon Little. And they pimp her CD after the show. 

Next week: A dead suspect doesn’t bode well for Flack. Not Flack! 

Quote of the Episode:

“Wow, you been hanging around Lindsay lately, Sid?”

“Hmm, what?” 

So, any stories of coincidence you’d like to share with Sid and Lindsay? I would but I’m more of a ghost story girl.