Marg's farewell party begins

The countdown is on.

And I don’t just mean the countdown to the beginning of 2012.

The countdown to Catherine Willows’ departure on CSI is holding at 2… at least for a couple weeks.

The countdown to the (hopefully) numerous stories about her departure is already underway.

We’ve already had one teary-eyed interview for ET (which you can find here)

Now, in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, we get another glimpse of the night that Marg filmed her last scene.



I just had to chuckle at the part where she was nursing the hangover. You’ve gotta love hearing about two of my favorite ladies shooting back the tequila. And where were the cameras for that? Darn. I’m just glad they included the photo of the Cath/Sara hug in this article.

I also had to chuckle a bit at George’s comment on what to think if the ratings really fall now that Marg leaves – “what does that say about the rest of us?” Well George, it basically says that the CSI Powers-that-be keep getting rid of the fun/popular people on the show (Liz Vassey, Louise Lombard, Scott Wilson, Geoffrey Rivas, etc) and replace them with characters who can’t measure up.

As for Marg’s favorite CSI episodes – all are great choices.

This N That - the after Christmas edition

Christmas has come & gone. Technically. I guess for the third or fourth year in a row, my Christmas will actually be on New Year's. However, I've already received the biggest (and best) present - no snow. Yay. In my 40-something years on this earth, I don't think that's ever happened - at least that I can remember.

With the end of the year approaching, thus approaches the season endings for a few of my favorite shows.

-- Monday night was the season finale for Rizzoli & Isles. It was intriguing, It was exciting, and... it pissed me off. Yes, it's true. One of my favorite shows actually found a way to piss me off.

Kind of.

How, you ask?

It ended with angst. And even more heinously - Jane & Maura angst. Oh, the horror.

And I can blame it all on Dickhead Dean, who turned himself into a moron.

1. he is so egocentric that he follows Jane to a site (which Jane had NEVER told him, BTW) where they're trying to trap & detain a killer/arsonist - who also intentionally ran over Maura's mother, Constance (even though he was intending to hit Maura)

2. He doesn't trust Jane enough be in charge of the situation and starts shooting people (Maura's father, Paddy Doyle) after PD had shot the arsonist/killer who was ready to kill Maura. Thus Paddy retaliates and shoots Dickhead Dean, leaving Jane no choice but to return fire at him, thus hitting him in the stomach, before he falls from the catwalk of the warehouse.

3. This leaves Maura pissed at Jane for shooting him, when she screamed not to. -- and it's all because of Dickhead Dean, who invaded their takedown to begin with. Asshole.

I know the books have Dean as Jane's husband, but this show has always been so wonderfully different from the books. And, if they are going to have a boyfriend for Jane, let it be Casey, not Dickhead Dean.

I'm actually wondering if Maura's insistence of Jane not to touch PD is because he may have a broken back or neck, and not because she thinks it was Jane's fault for shooting him. At least that would be some consolation.

On another note: I really hope they don't kill off Paddy Doyle. He's such a good bad guy - and his only crime here is looking after his daughter and keeping her safe. I also want to hear more about the relationship between Paddy and Constance. Since Constance mentioned his name in the hospital, it's obvious she knows him. I'm thinking that maybe they're even siblings... or step-siblings. However it turns out, I really hope Paddy is alive - even if he has to go to prison, they can at least visit him from time to time. As long as they don't do what CSI did to Sam Braun, and ruin a great recurring storyline.


-- and now this Friday is the season 4 finale of Sanctuary - and hopefully NOT the series finale. I really wish we'd hear soon if there is going to be a season 5. I totally adore this show, which I affectionately dub "The Life & Times of Helen Magnus".

This Friday brings the conclusion to the 2-parter, Sanctuary For None. When we left last time, Helen Magnus had just announced on live TV that there were in fact abnormals (monsters) living amongst the rest of the world - and they have been for centuries. Now, we'll get to see the results of Helen's 113 years of seclusion after going back in time to her early days in Victorian Era England.

Biggie (and Kate?) is in the new abnormal Homeland. Will & Abby are with SCIU/FBI, and Helen, Tesla and Henry are holding down the fort at the Sanctuary (and Helen's trying to avoid arrest). I can't wait to see the ending to hear what Helen's agenda has been this whole time. I hope it's something worthy of all the hype.


-- and then there's CSI. And only two more episodes of this show left for me. Yes, I know there are more episodes left in the season, but only two more that will include Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows. When she leaves, I don't feel the desire to be a faithful weekly watcher, but may check in every now & then (probably if I see there's going to be a good Sara story - that doesn't include Grissom)


So, that means my top three shows will be done - at least until summer. Oh, what to do?

Sanctuary 4x12 Sanctuary For None review

It's time for another episode of "The Life & Times of Helen Magnus" (aka Sanctuary)

-- Richard Feliz arrives at the Sanctuary and Helen answers the door.

RF: I’m not coming in.
M: the residents are all secure, I assure you.
RF: there’s only one monster that I’m worried about.
M: please. I haven’t bitten a guest in decades. (he gives her a look) you’ve been flying all night. Let me make you a meal, a nice glass of wine.
RF: see, right there. Feminine charms. Wiles. Beguiling behavior. I will not have it. I will not HAVE it.
M: get in.
RF: right

I’m glad to see Feliz again. His brand of flirting with Magnus is kind of like Tesla, only…less seasoned.

-- Feliz wants out
RF: now, as to why I’m here
H: not the wine?
RF: please, just let me get through this.
H: you want to quit as my banker.
RF: I want to be released from my duties, yes.
H: No.
RF: Helen, when I come here in person, it’s because I’m serious. Plus, you…kept hanging up on me.
H: well you’re here now, at least take a moment to freshen up.
RF: I cannot keep doing this. I thoroughly respect the work you’re doing. The things you’re hoping to accomplish are of epic proportions and I’ve been honored to have been a part of it.
H: but
RF: I quit
H: I said no.
RF: then fire me
H: on what grounds, cowardice?
RF: if that works, yes
H: am I out of money?
RF: no, but it’s what you want me to do with it. I’ve run out of moves, Helen. I’ve done everything I can to hide your money, grow it, put it in only places that you can access, but the cost has been too much, especially with what you’re planning. Now, I adore you, but this has got to be the end of the line for me. I hope you understand.
H: you did come in person
RF: how could I not? It’s you
H: you’ve been a wonderful friend, and a vital ally in this war. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done.
RF: it’s been my pleasure. And if there’s anything you need…one of my villas, a boat, a well-dressed dinner companion…
H: there is one last favor, actually.
RF: no
H: come on. You’re leaving me high & dry, it’s the very least you can do.
RF: What? Now?
H: well, it seems perfect. I think…12 minutes should be enough for me.
RF: I knew I should never have stepped into this bloody house.
He gets out his phone & calls
RF: Andre? Yes, Richard. I’d like you … to execute maneuver Delta Epsilon. Yes, right now. No. this is not a drill. Just do it.
(To Helen)
RF: well, I hope you’re happy. I’ve just shut down Wall Street for 12 minutes. … about that wine.
H: ah

ROFL now we know that Helen Magnus can get anyone to do anything she wants. All it takes is a little bit of flirting….and the offer of wine. Hmmm I wonder what Nikola would say. The ‘12 minutes’ line was cute. It left room for many possible connotations.

Anyway, I’m guessing that Helen was expecting this. She really doesn’t seem surprised. It sounds like she’s got a nice chunk of money hidden around the world yet again. I am a bit curious as to what her plan is with the money. Maybe build a whole new country with the Hollow Earth abnormal?



-- Will to the rescue of an abnormal who’s being chased. He gets overtaken by the others, but is stopped from being whumped by Caleb, one of the most hunted abnormals from Hollow Earth. Caleb says to tell Magnus that she now has a new ally.

Let me just take a moment to laugh. Will is the one with the stunner, yet he gets easily beaten by a guy running past who clips him with a rod/crowbar. I think Magnus needs to give Will a class on survival training one of these days. Although, I must say that seeing Will continually getting whumped is quite funny.


-- Helen arrives in her office to find Nikola already there. He’s wallowing in a huge dose of self-pity (and wine) as he was fired by SCIU.

M: Nikola, what are you doing here?
N: No, I’m not fine, but thank you so much for asking
H: well, it’s barely 9am
N: you’re right, I’m falling behind. (drinks more wine) oh right, I can’t get drunk. The curse of my immortal metabolism.
M: it looks like you’re giving it the old “college try”, though. What’s happened?
N: I was…unappreciated, unacknowledged, and…unhired.
M: you were fired.
N: If you want to get coarse about it, yes.
M: From SCIU?
N: apparently, their ‘bean counters’ were a little more on the ball than I gave them credit for. I believe one chap even had opposable thumbs.
M: Ahhhh. So you were caught stealing.
N: re-appropriating funds. It happens all the time in government work. But also, I think they began to sense that my heart wasn’t really in the job.
M: well, I can’t say that I’m sorry.
N: oh, nice. Just kick me when I’m down why don’t you?
M: Nikola, please. this is hardly the end of the world.
N: no more Mies van Der Rohe Pied a terre, no more bottomless expense account, no more hottie…what’s her face. What else is left for me now but the grape?
M: gosh, I haven’t seen you this depressed since the cravat went out of style.
N: I’m going to work my way through the Rhone Valley by noon? You want to join me?
M: No, I’ll pass. Thanks just the same.
N: your loss. Apres Moi, le deluge.

Oh, Nikola. You’re such the drama queen. I find it a bit amusing that SCIU fired him after going to such lengths to hire him. Maybe they realized he was working with Helen all along. I love Helen’s rubbing it in that he was fired – by SCIU, no less. These two are just so great together. They may be quite flirty between them, but their century-old friendship really shines through in times like this because they can flirt, argue, tease, and discuss in an adult manner. It’s the biggest difference in Helen/Nikola and Helen/Will scenes. Nikola can discuss, argue and whine with Helen as an adult, while Will always comes off as a whiny rebellious teenager against Helen’s motherly aura.

Don’t get me started on THAT subject again.


-- Henry interrupts their fun by telling Magnus that Will’s back with a new intake
M: I have to uh..
N: Go, go. In the end, they all leave me
M: oh dear lord.
Helen starts walking out. Nikola continues his tirade
N: even the pigeons left me. In New York. 1943. The white dove. I loved her. More than the hottie at SCIU.

Is it any wonder that Helen has kept this guy around for more than a century? He’s just so… funny, insane, dry, witty, charming, and … yeah. Life at the Sanctuary would be boring without visits from Nikola.

-- Will has brought Jabal back to the Sanctuary and tells Magnus it was Caleb’s idea, and that Caleb wants their help.
M: if it’s true it could go a long way into stabilizing the 5th ward.
W: IF it’s true. I mean, that’s where the abnormals hang out, but I think he’s got something bigger in mind. Plus, he said he hopes he can count on our support. Yours in particular.
M: did he?

Hmmm I can see the wheels turning in Helen’s brain. She knows something is up.

-- Helen talks to Caleb

C: It seems not everyone wants a peaceful solution.
M: but you do?
C: when we first came up from Hollow Earth, we were attacked. Those who didn’t die were imprisoned. We struck back.
M: you certainly did.
C: I’m not gonna make excuses for what I did, or even try to defend it. I saw the consequences of our actions, and I didn’t like what we became. As one wise surface human once said, “Violence begets violence”.
M: Martin Luther King was a pacifist. It takes far more courage than being a soldier.
C: all I ever had was anger.
M: because of Praxis
C: amongst other things. When Adam Worth offered to overthrow the city, I thought it might be the start of a new age.
M: but you didn’t join him.
C: I know a mad man when I see one.
M: Hmm
C: the idea was to change things. Free our people. Not destroy countless lives.
M: but your war here on the surface, you’re willing to just give that up?
C: all wars end. All I can do is choose how. And when
M: well, it’s as good a time as any to start. … so tell me, what can I do to help?

A Martin Luther King reference. I was hoping for a Helen Magnus story about her knowing him. Alas, maybe we’ll come back to it in the finale. Helen’s got a really great poker face these days. She seems to realize that Caleb is talking a good game, but she must know he’s got some other agenda coming.

And yay for having Gil Bellows on the show.


-- Helen arrives back at her office, she looks around a bit as she goes to her desk. Will comes in.

W: looking for a depressed, Serbian electromagnetic vampire?
M: oh please, tell me he’s left.
W: last seen heading towards the wine cellar looking for something ostentatious yet obsequious.
M: oh good, that should keep him occupied for a while.
W: how did it go?
M: quite well, actually. Caleb seems sincere, and to be honest, what he said made a lot of sense.
W: yeah, well he is a charming, charismatic guy. He’s a killer.
M: you think it’s all an act
W: I’m not saying it’s not a good one.
M: he wants to create a settlement for the hollow earth abnormals here on the surface.
W: yeah right. In whose lifetime?
M: ours. In the 5th ward
W: are you serious? That place has been a war zone for the past few weeks.
M: Caleb believes it’s time for the humans & abnormals to live as one. And I agree.
W: have you & Tesla been…(mimics drinking)
M: in fact, I’ve pledged him my total support. We’re making a homeland for them. Starting immediately.

Oh, Helen – that smirk you ended with tells me that everything is going according to your wild & wicked plan. Now, if we just knew exactly what that was. Okay, so now there’s going to be a Homeland for the underworld population. I wonder if it’ll be overseen by “Homeworld Security”. Is General Jack O’Neill still in charge of that these days, I wonder?

-- Magnus is Skyping with Addison
A: Caleb is a dangerous threat to national security. Now, if you know where he is, I demand you hand him over immediately.
M: why don’t you just send your “shock troops” into Old City and detain him? Oh right, because you wouldn’t stand a chance.
A: you do realize how this sounds?
M: like peace?
A: like insanity. Aiding & abetting a known terrorist is tantamount to treason
M: Caleb wants to end this conflict, as do the other Hollow Earth abnormals.
A: come on, Doc. You’ve been around long enough to know that a leopard can’t change his spots. First piece of fresh meat that wanders by…
M: someone has to make the first move
A: we’re more in the last move business here.
M: oh well, I tried.
A: Magnus, don’t you hang up on me
She clicks him off. Then turns around to Will
M: he’s a very stubborn man
W: you have met him before, right?
M: I was hoping that he might provide us with some assistance. In the very least, give us a wide berth.
W: well, maybe we need to move more slowly, get him used to the idea.
M: nevertheless, in the grand scheme of things, we don’t need Addison or SCIU
W: but it’ll be a lot harder without them.
M: I see you still have your own doubts.
W: I’m just saying it’s a big game change, sometimes people need time to adjust.
M: and while we wait, how many more will die, or be taken prisoner by Addison’s goon squad
W: are you saying a pacifist revolution has no casualties?
M: I’m saying, that there is no point in arguing with him. I’m moving ahead with the Homeland project. Oh, and I’m recalling Kate from Hollow Earth. For the next few days, we’ll need all hands on deck.

Wow. A grown-up conversation with Will & Magnus. It’s been a while. And thankfully, Helen gets the final say, as usual. The Magnus/Addison conversation was cute. “Don’t you hang up on me” Click. LOL

-- Nikola is in Henry’s lab, checking out his new vest shield.
H: whoa, whoa, whoa dude, hi. Hi. Hello. So, when did you get here?
N: Three cabernet & two Cotes Du Rhone ago.
H: so, what’s the occasion?
N: Unemployment.
H: Huh. So you & SCIU?
N: Kaput
H: damn
N: Precisely. I used to have a lab. Much better than this, of course.
H: so, where’s all your stuff?
N: if by “stuff”, you mean my life’s work, my genius made manifest, my exquisite symphony of scientific innovation?
H: yes, yes. That stuff
N: the bastards stole it. Grabbed it all.
H: The bastards.
N: I mean, I can live without a private jet, but all my research, all my latest inventions? *POOF*
H: rat bastards.

Haha I love these two together as much as I love Helen/Tesla. I’m still somehow wondering if Tesla’s firing was yet part of Helen’s plan and that maybe some of the “latest inventions” that SCIU took from Nikola were some booby traps that will make their way to the “evil ones”, where they were intended.

-- Henry excitedly tells Nikola of his latest invention, the shield vest, but Nikola is still wallowing in his own self pity.
H: you should check this out. This thing is so awesome. It’ll take your mind off all your problems.
N: government swine…
H: so, Magnus & Will found this in a cave in Bolivia.
N: It’s Edison all over again.
H: it does some really amazing stuff when it gets near tech.
N: I should have patented my inventions when I had the chance.
H: You’re to listening to a word I’m saying.
N: why must I always be a martyr to science?
H: toaster magpie flummox kumquat.
N: and now, my interstellar death ray will probably be used as an instrument of war.
H: ha. You think?
N: Is that all you have to say to me? Well, I can see you’re no help. As if I wasn’t depressed enough already. (walks to Henry’s shield vest & an electric current goes through)
H: very sad man.

Hmmm now I wonder if Henry’s vest shield will actually work against the interstellar death ray invention of Nikola’s, and be the saving grace of the finale. As much as they’re highlighting this vest shield, you just know it’s going to end up being what saves at least Magnus in the end. Does he have more than one of them?

-- Helen & Caleb are looking at a map & deciding on a location for Homeland.

H: there are a couple of possibilities. These buildings have been derelict for years. But I think we can get them back up to code in no time.
C: I see you’ve chosen the most isolated neighborhood.
H: well, I think the city will be less apt to kick up a fuss. Buying up a few tenement buildings to renovate them & spruce up the area? It’s hard to argue with that.
C: you’re as good as your word. This is perfect. Our people will do the rest.
H: with help. I’m recalling Kate Freelander to assist with the setup.
C: I’ve heard of her. Isn’t she a bit of a wildcard?
H: trust her as you would trust me. With her recent duty in Hollow Earth, she has valuable experience, and a profound appreciation for your cause. …this could actually work, Caleb.
C: that’s the idea.

Is anyone else loving the adult-mannered conversations with these two? Yes, I’m sure it’s just the calm before the storm, but it’s refreshing to have Magnus talking with someone who seems capable of being an equal (even if he’s nowhere near her level)

-- Helen has brought Captain Franklin & a few armed guards to a warehouse to meet Caleb & the abnormals.

H: I want to thank you again, Captain, for agreeing to this meeting. The, uh, escort is hardly necessary.
F: better safe than sorry. Especially if these people are as desperate as you claim.
H: I have a different point of view, one which I hope you’ll come to share.
F: I’m not agreeing to anything yet, except showing up. And I would have appreciated more information up front.
H: you’ve always given me a wide berth when it comes to the things that happen here in the 5th ward.
F: only because you’ve earned it. I don’t understand all that goes on down here, but as long as I can trust you to keep a lid on it, I don’t need to.
H: that’s about to change.

Hey, look. It’s Dr Michaels…er, I mean Venus Terzo. Another Stargate alum comes back to play with Amanda. Sweet. I wish she’d have had a recurring role on Stargate. I loved her in “Frozen”.

I also love her character here. She’s obviously got a lot of respect for Helen, even if she doesn’t know exactly what she does.


-- Caleb & the abnormals arrive for their meeting. The guards immediately draw their weapons.
H: whoa, whoa, whoa. Please, you have nothing to fear.
F: who are these people?
H: our friends. On that, you have my word
C: mine too. We only wished to meet with you face to face.
F: (to her guards) stand down.
H: it’s time you knew the truth about my work, Captain. But I must ask you & your men for complete discretion. In order for this to succeed, we need your support.

I like how Helen has expanded her small circle of people to trust with the knowledge of what she actually does.

-- Helen & Caleb talk after the meeting
H: don’t blame yourself. It’s not over yet.
C: Captain Franklin was far from convinced.
H: she’s also sworn to protect this community.
C: but what she said was true. We don’t have the trained personnel necessary to design, let alone maintain or govern and independent community.
H: but you had groups of abnormals, tribes, who were self-governed back in Hollow Earth.
C: and our leaders & thinkers were the first ones arrested after the uprising.
H: imprison the intelligencia & cripple the revolution.
C: but if we’re gonna show that we’re capable of running our own society, I need them.
H: I sense we’ve reached a critical point in our relationship.
C: we do whatever you think is best. Though, I’ve been told you’re a woman who … knows how to achieve the impossible.
H: oh, you are good

Oh, Miss Magnus, your reputation precedes you wherever you go. LOL So, maybe if the abnormals end up with their own community on the surface, Helen Magnus will be their President & overseer of all abnormal life. That’s what she has been working for all these years, right? She’s basically been an overseer for abnormal life on the surface for a century. It would stand to reason that she’d be their Commander in Chief if they begin a known society now.

-- Will is riding his motorcycle as Addison & his men surround him. Addison tells Will that he’s recalling him back to the Bureau.

Addison is such a great bad guy. He’s always got that cute little smirk – except when Helen hangs up on him.

-- strangely enough, Helen encourages Will to take Addison’s offer
W: it doesn’t matter, I’m not going to go work for the Evil Empire.
H: I think you’re making this sound worse than it is.
W: excuse me?
H: well, this could actually be useful. You working at SCIU, inside the belly of the best, so to speak.
W: Magnus
H: especially now as we come closer to making the abnormal homeland a reality.
W: whoa whoa, are you serious?
H: you could provide us with vital information on Addison’s movements.
W: they’d be watching me like a hawk.
Helen gives him a look
W: you knew. … you knew this might happen. And you’ve been hiding it from me for months.
H: you will know everything when the time is right, I promise, Will.
W: you can’t ask me to do this.
H: but I am

Hmmmm since Helen lost Tesla as a mole in SCIU, she’s sending Will in there. Nice. Remember in the last episode where Will mentioned that Helen surrounded herself with people who would do anything for her. Congratulations, Will. You just proved your point once again.

-- Abby welcomes Will to the office and shows him his desk.
A: this is your desk right here, it’s right by the window…that doesn’t open
W: it’s fine.
A: I know you don’t want to be here. I don’t either. Although, I did always think it would be great to work together, just not like this
W: I always thought you’d end up working with me at the Sanctuary.
A: really? Do you think Magnus would ever…?
W: no. … well, it’s just because we’re together.
A: so, if we…broke up?
W: we’re not gonna break up, so get that right out of your head, okay?
A: right.
W: you know, if Addison thinks I’m going to be his personal stooge, he’s got another thing coming.
A: Will, you’re not gonna do anything stupid.
W: Stupid? Me? Probably.

Yeah, that last line – sums up Will’s four years on this show. Stupid? Yes. Strangely enough, I really, really liked Abby here. Can we keep this Abby, please? Maybe get rid of Will? Okay, I know that’s asking way too much. But I’d love to see THIS Abby working at the Sanctuary with Magnus.


-- SCIU briefing
Will butts heads with Addison, and Addison gives it right back to him, claiming Will’s been brainwashed by Helen. I love Abby’s reactions to Will getting berated and his derogatory comments about Magnus.


-- At a SCIU facility, Helen & Caleb are escaping with a few of the imprisoned abnormals. Some guards come and throw a stun bomb at them. Helen is able to shield herself a bit, while Caleb stands his ground and uses his abilities to throw the guards back, allowing them to continue their escape.

Hey, was that a Goa’uld explosive device? Maybe a leftover from the SG1 days? I love how Helen was barely affected by the blast, yet some of the other escapees took a while longer.


-- back at the bureau, Addison shows the video of Helen & Caleb escaping with the evil prisoners. Will still doesn’t buy Addison’s claim that Helen has gone to the dark side.
A: your former boss lady just hit our detention facility, along with this Caleb character. Some very bad people got loose. Luckily, none of our own were killed.
W: I don’t know why she did this
A: look, the point is, she just burned her last bridge.
W: Let me talk to her. I’ll find out the real story.
A: this must be a wakeup call, even for you. Now look, I know you’ve had a great time playing with vampires & sasquatches, but now it’s time to wake up & get your head in the game. Your first assignment is to arrest & detain Helen Magnus.

Oh, Willy Boy, what have you gotten yourself into now? You know you’re gonna fail this assignment. Addison knows you’re gonna fail. Abby in the background knows it as well. And yet you came back here at the behest of Helen herself. I feel some Will whumping coming on. Gear up, man-child.


-- at the sanctuary front gates, Will’s trying to punch in his code, but it’s not working. Henry talks to him on the intercom.
H: ah, Hi?
W: hey, it’s me. You wanna open up?
H: um,
W: come on, man. Let me in.
H: (sighs) oh,
W: look, there must be a glitch or something, my codes not working.
H: uh huh. See, Magnus retired it.
W: come again?
H: yeah,
W: she locked me out?
H: yeah.
W: are you kidding me? Henry, let me in.
We see Magnus standing behind Henry
H: oh man, I would love to help a fellow dude out, but you know, though she’s the boss.
Henry cuts the connection. Henry & Helen both give big sighs. Helen puts a hand on Henry’s shoulder.
W: unbelievable

Will, you totally got railroaded by the boss. Did you really think she was going to let you back in after you took the SCIU job – even if it was at her request? Poor Henry. I also loved Helen’s reaction as well.

-- Abby & Will are contemplating Helen’s actions
A: it makes no sense. She had to know it would make waves, it’s like she wants us to come after her.
W: maybe she does. The woman’s getting harder to figure out every time
A: you’re not really gonna arrest her, are you?
W: I don’t know. Bringing her in might force her to give me some answers.
A: but she won’t even open the door to you.
W: we gotta draw her out.

Have I mentioned how much I like THIS new Abby? She even seems to have a clue as to what Helen’s trying to do.

-- Helen, Kate & Caleb are walking through the new Homeland place.
H: when the city leaders see what you’re building here, I think they will be very impressed.
C: once they’re done, the district will be open to everyone. Just another part of the community.
K: I see word’s already spreading. People feel safe here. It’s what we hoped for.
H: well done Caleb

The calm before the storm? So how much of a show is Helen really putting on for his benefit. It was great to see Kate again. I miss her weekly presence on the show.

-- in Franklin’s car, Will surprises her & gets in. He ends up blackmailing her into setting up a meeting with Magnus by telling her that with one phone call, he can make her life hell.

Oh Will, are you really stooping that low? I think the boss lady would actually be pleased.

-- Biggie says goodbye to Henry
B: so, you’re out?
H: the homeland?
B: yeah
H: baby on the way. It’s probably not for me. You?
B: oh, I’ve given it some thought. Given it a lot of thought
H: wait a second. You’re not seriously thinking of…
B: I’ve been here longer than you’ve been alive, Henry. Maybe it’s time I moved on.
H: no, no, it is not time. It’s not that time
B: No, you can show your human face outside these doors, walk the streets in daylight
H: so can you, with a hoodie.
B: you’re gonna be a father, Henry. And this new place is where I have to be.
H: so that’s it then, you’re just gonna leave?
B: you know I’ve always wanted to be free. This is my chance. I’m leaving.

AHHHHH No, Biggie. This is a very bad idea. Although, I’m going to believe wholeheartedly that he is doing this at Helen’s request and going undercover into the abnormal community. I will never think that he’s doing this of his own free will.


-- Will’s making his stand with Addison. He says that once he’s brought in Magnus, he’s done with everything – Addison and Magnus.

Riiiight, Will. We’ll see about that. Although, I will admit that I’d love to not have you and your teenage rebellion angst around anymore and having your whiny, grumpy self pissed off because people don’t tell you everything.


-- back at the Homeland, Kate runs into Caleb, who notices her bracelet from Garris. After he leaves, Biggie comes to Kate.
B: Kate
K: hey you. I heard. Bold move
B: yeah, well. Thought I’d give it a try. You?
K: I just came up to help out. Kate Freelander: Hollow Earth consultant
B: then you’re going back down, huh?
K: well, maybe not. If this thing works out, everyone may decide to live on the surface, including Garris, which…is cool with me. Cuz, uh (shows him her bracelet) We set the date. You’re invited, of course. You know, Maid of Honor. (Biggie says nothing) Congratulations, Kate. I’m very happy for you. See, that was supposed to be your line.
B: that sounds nice
K: what is up with you, anyway? You’ve gone all silent & weird, even for you.
B: Go back to the sanctuary. Go back to your man. Your place is not here.

Ooooh. Biggie’s getting feisty. It definitely seems like it’s something to do with her bracelet. Or maybe this was Biggie’s warning to her that something bad is coming to the Homeland and she needs to be out of here before it all goes down. He’s got all of the inside information from the abnormal rebels, so he knows it’s going to be bad. Kate, heed his warning.

-- Franklin is meeting Magnus
M: Captain
F: hey, thanks for coming.
M: you wanted to see me
F: yeah, a few problems came up with the mayor’s office.
M: look, if this has anything to do with the homeland progress, I can assure you that we…
(She sees Will behind her)
M: Will
(She looks back to Franklin)
F: I’m sorry.
M: Bloody Hell
W: don’t run, Magnus. I just want to talk to you.
Helen runs to her car & speeds away. Will yells for Franklin to call for backup.

Oy. Did Will really think that the talking thing was going to work? They’d need a whole platoon to capture Helen. You silly boy.

-- The chase begins
Helen’s car is being chased by Will on his motorcycle. A truck backing out eventually halts Helen’s escape. She gets out of the car to face Will
W: get out of the car
H: you really don’t want to do this, Will
W: you left me no choice. Helen Magnus, you’re under arrest.

Silly, silly boy. At least you’ll be able to tell Addison that you tried. Will whumping is coming your way, buddy. Get ready

-- the standoff continues

H: you gonna restrain me?
W: should I?
H: oh definitely. (she punches him)
W: Magnus, don’t do this
H: Sorry Will.
She punches him again. He returns a punch, which knocks her back. She responds with a kick to the midsection and he goes flying over the hood of the car. Helen gets on his motorcycle & speeds away, just in time to evade the cavalry, led by Abby.

See what I mean, silly boy? The lady is going to win. She uses brains, brawn AND her many lifetimes of experience. And how cool was it to see Magnus on the bike?

-- back at SCIU headquarters, Addison makes a call…to the President… as Will stands by

Friends in high places now, huh Addy?

-- At homeland, Caleb & Helen are talking once again
C: trouble?
H: argument with a friend. … you know, I never thought I’d live to see this day.
C: word is spreading. More are arriving by the hour.
H: and if occupancy continues to grow at this rate, the facility won’t be able to handle the capacity.
C: then we’ll expand
H: well, I think that’s a bit premature. Perhaps we should start diverting the overflow to other sanctuaries.
C: no. this is our homeland.
H: but we may have to start turning some away.
C: we’re making history here. If we pull back, we weaken our position.
H: but if the logistics become untenable…
C: we’ll make it work. We’re not turning any one away.

Hmmm so does Magnus know what’s about to come and trying to keep others from getting hurt? Caleb needs to join the club and realize that Helen Magnus usually knows best. I loved her comment about not thinking she’d live to see the day. After 270+ years, you’d think that it would have crossed her mind at some point that it might be attainable.

-- Biggie arrives in the doorway. Helen gets up to meet him

H: do you have a moment?
B: I should have come to you first. There wasn’t time.
Helen looks back at Caleb, then nods to Biggie to move away from prying ears
H: shall we?
B: I can talk in front of Caleb.
Caleb & Helen look at each other, before she looks back at Biggie
H: alright then. I hope you know that I would never try to stand in your way
B: I do. It just wasn’t…things happened quickly. Felt right
H: so you’ve made your decision?
B: this is my home now
H: of course. (she takes his hand) it won’t be the same without you.
Biggie moves past her and Caleb ushers him away.

Okay, that was definitely just a show put on in front of Caleb to gain his trust. That’s the only thing I’m going to believe for that scene. Magnus/Biggie – you’re going to make me cry otherwise. It’s just a show for Caleb. I mean, think about it. Biggie’s warning to Kate earlier, his telling Henry that he’s always wanted to be free, his less than emotional farewell to Magnus here…it’s all just a show for Caleb. I’m going to keep saying that even if it turns out differently. At least just so I can keep my sanity.

-- Addison finishes his call to the President.
A: How do you coax a large number of abnormals into a condensed area away from prying civilian eyes.
W: Homeland

-- back at Homeland, all hell is about to break loose. Troops rush in to the 5th Ward to seal off & imprison everyone in the Homeland, with the cover of a massive toxic spill.
Caleb: what is this?
Kate: nothing good

Total understatement, Kate.

-- back at the Sanctuary, Henry & Magnus are watching the news
H: holy crap, do you see what they’re doing?
M: dear God
H: they just turned it into a prison
M: of course they have
Helen runs out the door.
H: Doc, where are you going?

Oh come on, Henry. You know where she’s going. She’s going to save the day. That’s what Helen Magnus does. That’s why I love this show so much.

-- Will is still fighting with Addison at SCIU headquarters
A: our immediate cover story about the toxic spill is already in play. If we say the sky is pink, the sky is pink.
W: since when? When did this become a police state?
A: it’s always been a police state, Will, you just never noticed. The point is, we are now in control of this situation again. And Helen Magnus is finally out of moves.
Will sees the news reporter on the tv, interviewing Helen at the scene
W: turn that up
Reporter: …something far more insidious. Doctor, care to elaborate?
A: what the hell is that crazy broad doing now?
M: I realize that what I’m about to say may sound strange, or even frightening…but I assure you, every word is true.
W: no Magnus
M: it’s time the world knew the truth. This district is full of strange beings, who have lived among us for hundreds of years. I call them abnormals. You know them as monsters. And they very much exist.

Ah, yes. The truth is finally out there.

So, does this mean we’ve come full circle with this show? I can’t wait to see what Helen’s plan has been this entire time.

And I really, really wish we’d know if there was going to be a 5th season.


-- on a visual note: I’m really liking the new views of the Sanctuary that we’ve gotten this season. I like the one from overhead, looking towards the water. And also with Will standing at the gate and seeing what’s outside the Sanctuary.




I have a few scenarios for next week’s finale.

1. we know Helen went back in time. Maybe she also found a way to go into the future and see all that was to come, and is continually one step ahead of everything this time.

2. Biggie and Will are still in on the overall big plan and Helen’s having them covertly give her inside info. That’s why Biggie wanted Kate away from Homeland.

3. Helen knew SCIU was going to imprison all of the abnormals in Homeland. She wanted to gather all of the more evil ones together to be captured. That’s why she wanted to stop the rest of them from continuing to come up to the surface, turning them away.

4. Magnus & Addison are both working together for a common goal, but pretending to butt heads through the whole scenario.


I’m hoping this scene with Nikola & Helen is the very last one, and after the human/abnormal war is complete.

So, is it just Nikola & Helen left at the Sanctuary to end things? Maybe if there’s no season 5, this will leave the door open for a spin-off of The Five.

Sanctuary 4x11 The Depths

This episode of “the Life & Times of Helen Magnus” (aka Sanctuary) brings the best of ‘The Bickersons’, ‘Magnus Knows Best’, and ‘A Woman With A (very long) Past’.


Helen & Will head to Bolivia to rescue a rare abnormal from the clutches of SCIU once again – only they’re a bit late. When the SCIU team’s actions end up with all of them being killed, except for Helen (bruised ribs), Will (gunshot) and the feathered serpent abnormal (just a bit pissed off) – Helen stumbles upon some “miracle” water, which brings great healing powers, but a severe withdrawl/crash to follow.

Thus brings the rest of the journey with Helen and Will going through the lows (Will whining/Helen rebuttal) and highs (Will whining/Helen explaining) of the addiction, and a lot of dirty laundry that needs at least some rinsing off.

--
H: we have to keep moving forward
W: fine. Standard operating procedure, Helen Magnus style, I guess.
H: what the hell is that supposed to mean?
W: oh, you know, ‘Once more to the breach, England, et cetera, et cetera.’ No matter how stupid dangerous. I’m saying this is not the first time I’ve been stuck in a bad place with you.
H: I understand how being in a tight space can stress anyone out. I don’t have to be claustrophobic to know that we are under tons of rock with no map. We just have to keep moving.
W: no, no, no, no, no. We have to go back. I need air
H: then keep moving.
W: I’m sick of being the expendable human on the ticket. I’m going back.
H: really? Wow, I thought you were tougher than that. We. Are moving. Forward.
W: Fine. Dammit.

Is it bad that I LIKE the fact that Will is always the “expendable human on the ticket”?

--
H: you’re welcome
W: for what? You talk to me like I’m a child.
H: anger is a great motivator…overcomes fear every time.
W: well, that’s your M.O. isn’t it? Achieve the result by any means necessary.
H: you need to rest, and I recommend silence.

Haha that’s Helen’s way of politely saying – “SHUT UP, Will”

--
W: listen Magnus, about before…
H: you mean when you accused me of recklessly endangering your life?
W: ah yeah, I guess that was kind of childish.
H: let’s just call it withdrawl. … anger, accusations, they’re all just chemical misfires.
W: sure. Blame the water.
H: do you really think I’d risk your life cavalierly?
W: I think you’re so jaded that you need the risk of death to hold your attention. … or worse, you don’t think that death will ever catch you.
H: wow. Thank you for your honesty.
W: even this… we only ever talk when it suits you on your terms, and I’d better get on board or get out of the way.
H: Look, I already apologized for the way I handled saving Abby. Trust me, it won’t happen again.
W: I have no doubt about that.
H: we need to stop talking. Now.
W: this is war for you. Living under combat conditions.
H: imagine doing it for five lifetimes.
W: imagine having one lifetime to do everything that matters to you. Magnus, you could give a hundred years to the sanctuary and still have hundreds more to go. I only get one set of days. I think you need to appreciate what it means if I give them all to you.
Will walks away
H: (whispers to herself) I think about it every day.

If they’re trying to make me dislike Will even more than I do, they’re doing a very fine job of it. Will has this notion that he deserves to be on the same level playing field as Magnus, and – I hate to break it to you, Will – you’re not even close to being in her league, and never will be.


--
W: Magnus, just let me be.
H: you can’t trust your judgement right now
W: oh, and I can trust yours?
H: Yes.
W: Magnus, no.
(she forces him to drink)
H: Will, I…
W: thanks.

I love that she forces him to drink. I’m sick of him being a whiny brat for the moment.

--
H: now that your head is clear, you know that I did the right thing. You’re feeling stronger, your wound is healing again.
W: never felt better.
H: stop walking away from me, please. … I need to rest.
W: we have to keep moving. …okay, fine. You did the right thing. I still get to hate you for it.
H: go ahead. I always do what others can’t. that’s my job. If I had listened to you, Abby would be dead right now, you’d be bleeding out in the corner of this cave system, LIFE IS NOT A BLOODY POPULARITY CONTEST. I could have let her die. I could have consoled you at her funeral, or I could save her…even though it meant risking our friendship, and I did that much, Will.
W: either way, the show must go on. You can’t get close to anybody because you’re just going to lose them, right?
H: would you blame me if that were true?
W: Magnus, what good is your lifetime if you don’t allow yourself to connect with anyone? You surround yourself with people who would do anything for you, and then you turn your back on them when they don’t live up to your standards.
H: that’s ridiculous
W: John Druitt,
H: you can’t even begin to judge that…
W: Griffin, Watson, and now me. Are we all just expendable in your mind? Is that how you cope? … … Ashley.
H: … you bastard.

Yeah, my sentiments exactly, Helen. When is Will ever going to realize how excruciating it is for Helen to live all of these lifetimes and losing all of the people that she has? And then having to go back and watch herself relive 113 of those years and change none of it.

Right now, I really want to give Helen Magnus a big hug.

All I can say is, they didn’t call this episode “The Depths” just because they’re stuck down in a cave far underground. The conversation is getting pretty “deep” as well.


--
H: Not a chance
W: you know, we are ALWAYS going with your crazy schemes. For once, why don’t you try returning the favor? For ONCE.
H: you’re on the downward side of a dose.
W: okay, okay, here we go. Helen Magnus knows best.
H: Will, please. Before we say anything else we might regret… you’re feeling angry, paranoid, have a sip of this. And then we can work out a plan together.
W: Don’t mind if I do

Oh, Willy-boy. Haven’t you learned by now? Helen. Magnus. Is. ALWAYS. Right.
Remember that for future reference, please.

--
H: This is madness, Will. Yes, you may have found us a pathway out of here, but when that withdrawl hits…
W: it’ll be epic
H: it will kill you. And soon.
W: that’s why you have to keep me moving, no matter what you have to do to save me
H: said one junkie to the other.

LOL So NOW Will wants Helen’s help. Jeez, make up your mind, child. You can’t keep insulting her, and then sweet talking her. Sheesh.


--
W: give me five minutes
H: that’s not a good idea
W: FIVE minutes
H: STOP WASTING MY TIME. Get up there. You need to keep moving.
W: ugh. Why me? Of all the cops, profilers, cryptozoologists in the world, you chose me. The 8-year old kid whose mother was killed in a monster attack. That’s not a coincidence, Magnus.
H: come on, keep moving.
W: My Harvard scholarship – that was your money, wasn’t it? All this time I thought I was making my own decisions, but I was already on your damn payroll
H: yes. Yes, I paid for your education, because I thought you’d more than earned it. But I never forced you to do anything. If you had said no to joining the sanctuary, we wouldn’t be here today. Believe me, Will, if I could control life like a bloody chess game, a lot of things would have turned out very differently.
W: I guess we’ll never know the truth, will we?

I love the reference back to the pilot episode, and how Will came to the sanctuary. I also love that he figured out one of her secrets – that she paid for his education.

--
W: oh no, no, there’s no way
H: that’s not you talking. The Will Zimmerman I know wants to be with Abby, and have everything he ever wanted to prove me wrong about living a balanced life. Come on, get up.
W: leave me here. Leave me
H: you can do this.
W: Magnus, you go.
H: that’s not an option. Come on.
W: oh no, no, no, no.
H: I’m going back for more water. (takes the monitor off his wrist) I don’t have any idea how much longer I can keep going.
W: You’re not going to make it.
H: you see, now you’re just trying to piss me off.
W: Magnus….I don’t regret….I don’t regret…regret anything, but please, please don’t do this. Cuz if you do, we’re both gonna die down here.

Wow. Sorry, I just somehow got a strong Sam/Jack SG1 “solitudes” vibe at this point. But I must say, RDA is still much cuter at near-death than RD.

--
W: this remind you of anyone? A certain literary figure?
H: your hero, Sherlock Holmes?
W: a 7% solution.

Awwww now I miss James.

--
W: You know, we could just … declare amnesty. Forget about everything we said.
H: amnesty, yes. Forgetting, no. … look, Will. You need to understand – you were never part of some master plan. I may have a long view of things now, but the first time around I was taking chances just like anyone. When I asked you to come here, I had no idea if it would turn out to be a brilliant move, or a total disaster.
W: … and?
H: many disasters… most brilliant. … I had 113 years of not knowing if I’d see any of you again. What if something I’d done in the past had changed everything?
W: but it didn’t.
H: watching everything unfold again, for better or worse, watching every mistake I made play out again…I had to let terrible things happen, Will, and do nothing to change them. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.
W: well, don’t I feel like the jerk.
H: you didn’t know because I didn’t tell you.
W: because you carry the whole weight yourself.
H: I always have.
W: I’m not your protégé anymore, Magnus.
H: not after everything you said to me in the caves, you’re not.
W: I need to be your partner.
H: ah.
W: and I think it’s time you told me what you’ve been hiding since you got back
H: not yet. … you’ll know when you need to, I promise you. Until then, Will, you just have to trust me.

Awww, ya gotta love Magnus for keeping her secrets. I love when she said she’d grant amesty, but won’t forget. Yes, Will said some harsh things to her – even things that being in withdrawl doesn’t justify – but Will has to learn one day that just because Magnus has survived five lifetimes doesn’t mean that she doesn’t get hurt emotionally at harsh words.

So, that’s the Magnus/Will part of the episode.

Meanwhile, back at the Sanctuary…

Henry is taping a video for his unborn child, Alice/Alistair, and is showing his latest invention – the Full Outer Shell Safety Shield System - F.O.S.S.S.S. Oy. Henry must be taking lessons from Tesla in how to name inventions.

On the first hookup – there’s JUST a bit of a ‘power overload’ problem. (which almost fries him on the spot). On the second try – JUST a bit of a kickback (as he goes flying back on his ass). “Back to square one” LOL Hank.

I love the things he’s telling his kid in this video – like how he never knew his parents, and wants to have this in case the same happens to his kid. I also love how he mentions that Magnus insists on everything backed up on analog, vinyl & paper.



Random notes:
-- “I’d say we have about 48 hours to clear the area, or we’ll wind up answering for this.”
Methinks Magnus is getting just a bit frustrated at going up against SCIU and having to save their butts.

-- Martin Wood really loves to torture Amanda, doesn’t he? Had it been an ice cave they were in, I would have had even more flashes to Sam/Jack in Stargate’s “Solitudes” episode – especially the part where Magnus leaves Will to go back for more water.

-- a Quetzalcoatl mention? Wow. That was another point where my Sanctuary & Stargate fans collided again. One of the SG1 books was based around Quetzalcoatl.

-- Magnus has really taken a whumping this season, hasn’t she? I love how she gets back up and carries on with nary a wince. Although, in the past two episodes, it’s been great to see that she can show some vulnerability when injured or feeling subpar. In the last episode it was when she was in the van when it was knocked over by the bomb blast. In this one, it’s when she shows her withdrawl symptoms.

-- Where is John Druitt and his teleporting capabilities when you need them? There’s no way that I’m believing he’s dead.

-- How many lifetimes is it going to take before the entire world finally realizes that Helen Magnus is almost always right? Moran said she knew about her. Well, she didn’t seem to know enough to believe that Helen knows what she’s talking about.

-- I love that they did a lot of the tiling during the beginning where Helen takes the bullet out of Will. Writer Gillian Horvath mentioned that the episode was about 10 minutes too long, and the bullet extraction scene was about 5 minutes originally, so using the tiling and speeding that part up like they did was so much more interesting to watch.

And even more full-scene tiling when Magnus goes back for more water towards the end. I really like how they’re doing this longer in scenes than we’ve seen them do with the occasional short few-seconds of tiling.

-- Magnus & Will bitchfests are so adorable. I just wish Will would stop his incessant whining all the time. Yes, I know he was in withdrawl during much of the whining this time, but Will’s whining has become as ubiquitous as Robin dropping his pants. However, I love Magnus/Druitt fights much better than Magnus/Will bickerings.

-- “Anger is a great motivator…overcomes fear every time.” How I love the wit & wisdom of Helen Magnus.

-- at least we got a “Bloody Hell” or two in this one as well.

-- Henry Foss, you are SO adorkable.

-- can we just call that miracle water “tretonin”, please?

-- that serpent reminded me of the one in Hollow Earth, the one they couldn’t stare directly at.

-- nice recalls back to the pilot and Will’s backstory – and I figured it would come out that Magnus paid for his education through the years. It was also great to have the references back to Helen’s 113 year seclusion, and how she felt tortured by not being able to change the mistakes she had done originally.

-- “Helen Magnus knows best” DUH.

-- I love that Helen still keeps it all “need to know”, and doesn’t tell Will everything. A lady needs her secrets, and we know Helen has some BIG ones.

-- after the great screen time for Kate & Biggie last week, it really made me miss them even more this week.

-- For some reason, I got a strange “Goonies” vibe during this episode – without One-eyed Willie’s treasure, though.

CSI 12x10 Genetic Disorder

Say hello to Greg Sanders: CSI.

Or maybe it is now officially going to be Greg Hojem-Sanders.

Whatever the case may be, this was definitely the defining episode for Greg as a true Crime Scene Investigator. No more quirky lab rat; No more CSI trainee; No more asking a superior what to do next. This was Greg’s showcase to prove how far he’s come since getting out of the lab as a full-time tech and into the crime scenes bringing his investigative skills to the forefront.

Right from the beginning, Greg made the decision to stay unbiased and not make assumptions until all of the evidence was processed – unlike SOME people (but we’ll get to Brass ‘the ass’ later). I liked how right from the beginning he made sure to keep Super Dave focused on processing the body and not giving more speculation on Mrs Robbins cheating. I like how Greg was hesitant to give any information to Doc Robbins when Doc asked to be briefed as “Doc Robbins: Coroner” and not “Al Robbins: husband”. I love how Greg went to Catherine to ask advice about relationships. I loved the scenes with Greg and Donna Hoppe, the genealogist, and their discussions on Greg’s ancestry. I also loved Greg helping Henry with re-doing the DNA samples. And of course, Greg being all business and not willing to think Mrs Robbins guilty until there was any evidence to support it.

Yes, this was definitely the portrait of Greg Sanders, CSI.


On the flip side, there’s Jim Brass. Yes, for much of this episode, I was calling him “Brass – the ass”. I was expecting him to be a bit skeptical about Judy Robbins claiming her innocence and denying an affair, given Brass’ history of a cheating ex. What I wasn’t expecting was him being as obnoxious about it as he was. I guess with everyone else treading lightly and trying to go easy on Doc, Brass needed to be written as an ass – just to keep everything from getting too sugary sweet. At least Jim made amends with Doc at the end. I’m not sure he’s been totally redeemed in my graces yet, though.

And then there’s Doctor Al Robbins, Chief Medical Examiner for Clark County, Nevada. Yes, the “old radio guy”, Robert David Hall, gave a wonderful performance in this episode. I especially loved that they showed Doc getting out of his prosthetic legs. They’ve only really mentioned that once before – (back in “Snuff”, if I remember correctly) and it was great to see it brought up again. Many people still don’t realize that RDH really does have two prosthetic legs, after losing them because of a run-in with a semi (yes, the semi won that battle)as well as an exploding gas tank engulfing him in flames, but RDH thankfully survived. Because he survived that accident, he decided to take a chance and fulfill his dream to become an actor.

Another highlight in this episode was the appearance of Pamela Reed as the genealogist, Donna Hoppe. I love this woman. I’m not sure if I’ve seen her since she was on “Jericho” a few years ago. She’s also been in both “Kindergarten Cop” & “Junior” with Arnold Schwarzenegger; “Best of Times” with Robin Williams & Kurt Russell, and my favorite – “Passed Away” with Billy Petersen and Frances McDormand.

If you’d have told me that I would enjoy an episode with no Sara (I REALLY missed her in this one), little Catherine, and pissy Brass – I’d have said “it ain’t gonna happen”. However, putting Eric Szmanda, Robert David Hall, and Pamela Reed front & center throughout the episode was the best possible scenario to make it happen. So, thanks to Liz Devine for writing it as such. And it didn’t hurt that I used the Catherine Willows Theory to its fullest as well this week. That’s saved me so many times in the past few seasons. It’s actually become my #1 rule of life – “expect the worst, then you’ll never be disappointed & sometimes nicely surprised.” (the rest of the rules can be found here )

The only complaint I had was that I wish Cath would have had a scene or two with Judy Robbins. I actually didn’t even mind DB’s phone call to his wife (yet again) in this one, since it helped him notice the pruned leaves of the flowers.

On that note, I have to mention that DB certainly has the “Supervisor” role down. Have we ever really seen him get down & dirty and processing a scene? He always seems to be “supervising” and delegating others to do the actual crime scene work.


Okay, time to get down to a few specifics.


-- Greg goes to Cath for relationship advice – in the locker room.
G: hey, you were married. Do you think it’s odd that our genealogist was on Judy’s side of the bed?
C: well, you choose a side early on in a relationship, and you…pretty much stay there. Unless you’re…mixing it up with some…extra curricular. Did you find semen?
G: yeah. Henry’s testing it now. We think that Traxler might have had a briefcase, only Morgan & I weren’t able to find one at the scene.
C: Judy have time to ditch it?
G: I don’t see how she could. She was on the phone for 20 minutes with her daughter. Two minutes later she called Traxler’s cell, and a minute after that, 9-1-1. And they kept her on the phone until patrol showed up. Besides, why would she ditch his briefcase, but not blow out the candles in the bedroom or turn off the … Marvin Gaye?
C: wow. Marvin Gaye? … “Sexual Healing”
G: Why else would you play Marvin Gaye? Well, if that briefcase is missing, it had to be important to someone.
C: you need to find out more about your dead genealogist.


Awww this is what I’m really going to miss the most after two more episodes. Cath & Greg.
Marg & Eric bring such great chemistry, even to simple scenes like this. I love how Greg turns to Catherine in this situation, instead of DB (who continues to wear the big neon “FAMILY” sign on his forehead – or at least gets to mention it once in every conversation)



-- Cath & Doc in the morgue
Cath swabs Docs mouth
D: thank you for NOT asking how I’m doing. David’s been asking every five minutes.
C: well, he’s concerned. As we all are.
D: I know what you’re thinking.
C: well, it’s just…hard enough when someone you love’s in trouble. It’s harder still when you’re dealing with betrayal.
D: you don’t think about that when you have an affair.
C: Judy had an affair before?
D: not her, me.
C: oh.
D: everyone assumes that I can’t… and I wanted to see if I could. Almost destroyed Judy & our marriage.
C: when I was married to Eddie, he would hurt me, and then I would hurt him back, and it was just years of back & forth. That what you think happened here?
Doc’s phone rings
D: Cath, I have to take this, I’m sorry.
C: oh, of course.
Cath packs up her stuff as Doc answers the phone. It’s a lawyer returning Doc’s call. Doc tells him his wife needs a criminal defense attorney, and it’s murder.
Cath looks back at him as she stops at the door.

This is another thing I’ll miss greatly – Cath & Doc. I’m not sure if it’s just the situation of the case, but Cath really seems melancholy throughout these two scenes that she’s had. Is the sadness of her eminent departure starting to bleed through from Marg already? But seriously, there have been two Catherine scenes, and both have referenced Eddie.

The question I have here is – in the Cath/Eddie “hurting” each other talking about affairs, fistfights, or both? I’d put money on the latter. We know Cath’s been roughed up by Eddie, but I can’t really see her getting one over on him in that department, so I’m guessing her “hurting” him was via affairs. And you know, that takes me back to my heavy Cath/Gil shipping days. (oh yes, the PureJoy love still reigns)


A few other notes:
- I like how Morgan reassured Judy that gathering evidence not only can identify guilt, but also innocence. It’s nice to hear that, because it’s not something that usually gets stressed enough on this show.

-- Hearing that they were going to bring in the dayshift coroner, I was hoping they would have brought Jenna back from season 1. That would have been some nice continuity. Alas, we get a new face. I did like her, though. She kind of reminded me of Torri Higginson’s guest role on NCIS.

- The 9-1-1 conversations to begin the episode were funny.
“9-1-1 what is your emergency? … NO I can’t give you directions to the Luxor. Look for the search light pointing straight up. You can’t miss it”
“9-1-1 what is your emergency? … sir, this line is for emergencies only.”
“9-1-1 what is your emergency? … no ma’am, the fire department won’t fish a rat out of your pool… even if it’s the size of a dog.”

-- Greg being the bigger man.
Greg: we need to keep Doc out of here. This will tear his heart out.
Brass: yeah, I’ve been there before.
Greg: well, then again – maybe it’s not what it looks like.
Brass: well, a cheating wife & her dead lover…you see something I don’t see?
Greg: yeah, a crime scene that has yet to be processed.

Now THIS is Greggo all grown up. Isn’t he just so cute & hug-able?


-- and Donna Hoppe instructing her genealogy clients:
“and ALWAYS get permission from the church or the cemetary administrator before you start any grave rubbing”

I actually thought she said grave ROBBING at first. LOL

“you should hyphenate” ROFL

“my gut says – ‘how do we find St Patrick’?” – “have faith, my son.” LOL

Greg & Donna talking about his ancestry reminded me of Greg & Lily and their talk about the Old Vegas history.

I was totally laughing when Donna told Greg that Alrich Magner Hojem was one of the richest men in Edina, Minnesota in the 1900s, and that Edina residents were derogatorily nicknamed “Cake Eaters” because of their wealth. My grandparents lived in Edina for almost 40 years – and they were anything but rich. LOLOL

-- I loved the ending music "I can't make you love me", however, I'm a bit partial to the Maria Bello version of the song.

-- on a final note:
“Cue the banjo music” ROFL classic (just as long as there’s no squealing pig sounds)

CSI 12x09 zippered

Such wonderful Marg goodness, and even some Cath/Sara to give me something to squee about as well. I’ve only waited for… 11+ seasons, but why rush things, right? (yes, that’s sarcasm at its finest)


-- It’s 6:30pm, an hour before the alarm is set to go off, and Catherine can’t sleep.


-- So she does the one thing that you’d expect – if it were actually Sara instead of Catherine – she goes to work.


-- Yes, it’s startling to see that Catherine would rather be at work than at her wonderful house (which we’ll see a bit later), and we hear that it’s because the house is too quiet since Lindsey left to “find herself” – at least that’s what she tells DB as he’s surprised to see her in her office so early.

DB: hey, what are you doing here?
C: I work here. Close to 20 years now.
DB: you’re 2 ½ hours early.
C: My house is too quiet, if that makes any sense.
DB: oh, that makes complete sense. Our youngest has been out of the house now for three months and we’re still wrestling with “empty nest”
C: yeah.
DB: so how is your daughter?
C: Lindsey.
DB: Lindsey, yeah.
C: yeah. Ah, she’s doing…she’s doing really good. She’s doing great, in fact, shes… – according to her emails.
DB: hey, do you do that thing where you call them & then you get this three word text back? (Cath laughs) Doesn’t it make you crazy?
C: yes, but um… this is her time to find herself, you know?
DB’s phone beeps and he checks the message.
DB: okay, you’re on the clock now.

This is what I totally missed in the Ray Langston years of this show. Cath & Gil had these great personal moments. I’m glad they brought them back a bit with “family man” DB.


-- Cath & DB meet Brass at a crime scene. It’s nice to see that DB let Cath drive. (Was that Akers guarding the door? Kind of looked like him, but I couldn’t tell.) They’re at the home of Michael Newbury, who’s an Army Ranger & military lifer. The find lots of bullet holes on the wall, lots of shell casings on the floor and blood, but no body. Cath notices scuff marks and a big cupboard on furniture moving disks. Brass & DB move it and find a hidden basement door. Brass clears it and tells them they need to check it out.

C: No body, no suspects, but if you’re in the market for a murder weapon….take your pick.

Yeah, guns, guns and more guns – and we’re talking the BIG guns.


-- DB has brought Greg onto the scene as DB noticed lots of cartridge casings next to a big blood pool. The bullets mutilated pieces of flesh, which are in the blood pool.

What’s with Brass and his “Rose colored glasses”? LOL They look kind of cool with his tie, though.


-- Catherine & Morgan are processing the bathroom of the house. Morgan finds a bunch of prescriptions in the medicine cabinet
M: which one of these is for OCD? (she sees one that’s written in a foreign language) Hey check this out.
C: oh, looks Arabic. That’s all I got. Took spanish in high school
M: Moi, Francaise. But fortunately, there’s an app for that.
C: of course there is.
Morgan snaps a pic on her phone, and comes up with “Farsi”
C: ex-military, a loner, a room full of guns and medication the Middle East? Who the hell was this guy?

Every time these two work together this season, I’m reminded of Catherine & Holly Gribbs in the pilot. However, thankfully Morgan is a bit more knowledgeable than Holly seemed to be.

-- Nick comes to the basement where DB is processing. DB notes that all of the books on the shelves are about guns and ballistics, which strikes him as odd.
N: leave it up to you to find the books in a room full of guns.

LOL


-- DB had called Xiomara (the new ballistics tech) and she arrives in the basement of guns.
DB: Hey Xiomara – welcome to Xanadu.
X: Wow. This is so much like my dreams, it’s scary.
DB: yeah, let me ask you something before I completely lose you here. (pulls out a shell casing) you recognize that caliber?
X: 5.7 by 28 mil. Rare. Can’t even buy these rounds in the States.
N: You can fire plenty. Someone put seven in our victim.
DB: so, you think any of these could be the culprit?
X: Mmm. Well, as much as I’d love to fire that Italian .38 Troopin Special, or even just touch that million dollar Luger…
N: Jeez, get a room.
X: oh, I’ve got one, and it’s perfect. The only problem is – none of the guns in here use that caliber.
DB: that’s crazy, all this fire power & still no murder weapon.

Have I mentioned lately that I really love this woman? She's got such a great energy

-- Cath & Sara are processing the kitchen, the initial crime scene. Sara has put laser rods in the holes on the refrigerator door. Cath is on the other side of the room.


S: Catherine, who do you want to be – victim or killer?
Cath turns & mimics shooting a gun at Sara.
C: I’ll be the killer.
S: I’ll be the victim. … I’ve got a beer in my hand, standing in my own kitchen. I’ve got every kind of gun six meters that way. (she starts walking) I’m heading that way when I’m shot
C: these laser trajectories are too low. (she moves towards Sara and gets halfway onto the counter until the laser beams fit the right spot) I’ll bet the killer surprised him. The lasers tell us he was well inside before he fired.
S: killer was sitting at the counter
C: Newbury welcomed him into his home.
Sara picks up the pieces of broken beer bottle that were bagged.
S: maybe they both had a beer together.
Sara hands Cath a pink fingerprint brush kit. Cath brushes it and finds the outline of a bottle.
C: so he was killed by somebody he knew.


Awwww I love when these two get to play. And was anyone else chuckling at the pink fingerprint powder? Maybe it was just my shippy Cath/Sara brain that went into overdrive. Remember 2x09 - Then There Were None – the case “in the middle of nowhere”, right before Cath goes on her mini tirade and Sara buys her a candy bar:
C Fluorescent powders?
S Eh, why not? They're in the kit.
C: Protocol's black.
S: Since when do you care about my choice of powders?

And how about when Sara said “maybe they both had a beer together”. That was so “Crash & Burn”.


-- Morgan & Hodges looking into Newbury’s past
M: never married, never arrested & never out of country – except for gulf war 1
H: I think you’re wrong on that
M: I’m sorry?
H: oh don’t be sorry, just be wrong.
It seems that the medicine with the foreign label is for a Middle Eastern parasite.
M: how do you get a Middle Eastern parasite in Mountain Springs?
H: you don’t. It seems our evidence trails contradict each other. Which brings us back to you being wrong.
M: and why am I the one who’s wrong?
H: because the other person is me.
Morgan tells Hodges to test the hair Catherine found in the bathroom drain. She snatches the results from the printer before he can.

Oh Hodges, thy wit is funny. LOL And I like how Morgan plays with him

-- Xiomara tells DB that the bullets from the kitchen match the ones outside with the other blood pool.
X: that caliber’s never been used in a crime in the US, but given the nature of the ammo, I called in a favor of a buddy, who ran it through the military ballistics database
DB: nice to have friends with friends in high places.
X: same weapon was used in a crime scene in Pakistan a month ago.
DB: this gun gets around. What happened in Pakistan?
X: military supplies were stolen and a warehouse guard was shot.
DB: well, plot thickens
X: yeah, and then it thins once you get to page two. The report’s been heavily redacted.
DB: yeah, I’ll say. The whole thing’s blacked out. Oh, I found a word – “the”

Yes, I said it before, but I'll say it again - I really like Xiomara. She’s fun & upbeat. I like a lady who knows her guns.

-- and the Feds come marching in – cute Feds, nonetheless.

-- Hodges & Morgan are giving Catherine their results of the hair. They were able to trace a timeline of where Newbury’s been in the last three months. Iraq, DC, Israel, Belgium, DC again, Pakistan
C: Have guns, did travel.
M: but there are no official records of him going to any of these places. No airline tickets, immunization, State Department records. Nothing.
C: so his passport’s never been stamped, but his body’s been around the world?
DB comes walking past in the hallway & calls to them
DB: extended family meeting now, please.
M: what did he mean by extended?

Haha the family just got a bit bigger.


-- The CSI gang is introduced to Agent McQuaid and Special Agent in Charge Pratt from the FBI.
Pratt: we’re here to help you with the Michael Newbury homicide.
Nick: you mean you’re here to take over the case from us.
Mc: not at all. This case is still under Las Vegas PD jurisdiction, we’re just here to offer our assistance.
Greg: assistance with…what, exactly?
Pratt: That, I’m afraid, is on a need-to-know basis.
Sara: and who decides who needs to know?
Mc: Anyway, we’re really excited to be working with you.
Cath: oh yeah, ditto
DB: hey hey, come on. Let’s play nice.

Hey come on. The FBI guys are cute. I’d love to “play nice” with them. I love Dan Lauria. (Agent Pratt) Last I saw him was on The Chicago Code with Jennifer Beals. And I never watched Melrose Place, so wasn’t really into Grant Show. He’s decent enough, though.

-- DB, Cath & the Fed boys are in DB’s office.


Pratt: you said we’d brief you. Who’s she?
DB: I’m sorry. This is Catherine. And Catherine was me before I was. And I have assigned Catherine to be the lead on this case. Okay? So, what is going on here? I mean, we’ve got a room full of guns, we got missing bodies, and now the FBI. Is this domestic terrorism?
Pratt: we have no reason to believe that Mr Newbury was a threat.
Cath: no, he was a ballistics consultant, right? Yours or the military’s?
McQuaid: What makes you say that?
Cath: oh, I didn’t say it. A strand of his hair did. For three months he’s been jumping from DC to every artillery hot spot on the globe.
Pratt: we can’t really speak to that.
DB: can you speak to why you fellas are so interested in his death?
Pratt: we’re more interested in the weapon that we believe killed him. (shows them a pic of a P90) This is the FN P90. Manufactured in Belgium, currently used by the US troops in urban sweeps of Afghanistan.
McQuaid: it’s an entry weapon. It’s got a lot of power, compact frame allows you to go around corners & sweep stairwells. It’s a bit of a beast.
DB: how the hell did that thing get into Clark County?
Pratt: I’m afraid that’s classified.
DB: yes, of course it is. (he shares a smile with Cath, then turns back to Pratt) Hey just out of curiosity, what year did you graduate from Brigham Young?
Pratt: ’03. How’d you know.
DB: FBI recruiters are all over that place like chickens on a junebug. Am I right?
Pratt: If you’re concerned with my age, I promise you, I’ve earned my stripes.
DB: so have I. Every suspicious cargo container in Seattle came with a pair of you guys. 8 out of 10 times it was great. Resources, manpower, made my job a hell of a lot easier.
Pratt: and…the other two?
DB: well you guys would lose interest, and chase off after the next shiny object, leaving us with a pretty shoddy chain of custody.
McQuaid: we have no intention of compromising your investigation.
DB: I have no intention of letting you. So, here’s what we’re gonna do. We are going to pair up. Mixed doubles, alright? Every CSI gets an FBI. Catherine, why don’t you take Agent McQuaid, go back out to the farm. Re-scour the place. Let’s get a bead on that body, okay?
Cath: (to McQuaid) I’ll drive.
McQuaid: okay, got my own driver. Score.
Pratt: and what about me?
DB: you are my new best friend.

DB can sure charm the pants off everyone, can’t he? It’s weird seeing Cath standing beside him for that entire seen, acting like his dutiful sidekick. I swear, Catherine’s turning into Sara Sidle. Her “I’ll drive” is such a Sara thing.

And I’m having “fandom clash” again. They’re bringing up P90s on CSI now? That’s such a Stargate SG1 thing. I know all about the P90. I mean, come on, Samantha Carter has a great love for her P90.


Okay, okay. I know. Enough. Too much fandom interaction for now.


-- Cath & McQuaid head back to the crime scene, and Cath gets to do her CSI thing


Mc: so why are we back here, you miss something the first time?
C: yes, context – as your were obscuring it. We now know that someone brought a super gun to an expert. And that expert was then shot by the same weapon in his kitchen, he was wrapped in a shower curtain, and he was brought here.
Mc: where he was shot again…. And again.
C: why the overkill?
Mc: well, maybe it wasn’t overkill. Based on the grouping & the volume, my guess is he zippered him.
C: zippered? What, is that what it sounds like?
Mc: if a weapon’s cyclic rate is fast enough & the ammo’s nasty enough, you can actually rip right through a man. Open him up like a zipper. But why halve a man after the fact?
Cath turns back to the house
C: I’m thinking ease of transport. (she puts a yellow “1” evidence marker by a roll of garbage bags on an outisde counter & takes a pic) a whole body wouldn’t fit inside one of these garbage bags, they’d be too small.
Mc: okay. (he walks back to the blood pool) so the killer shreds the shower curtain hauling the body out here and still needs to move it.
C: right. The tire treads that we cast in the driveway match a Dodge pickup, so perhaps the killer zippers, stuffs, ties, and throws two bags of carcass into his truck bed…
Mc: and gets away without a trace.
C: you know, I see idiots using garbage bags for body disposals all the time. And they almost always leak.
Cath finds more blood drops.
C: a directional blood drop. It’s spine is telling me that he went ‘that’ way.
She starts walking.

These two really have a nice connection. I like how FBI guy seems to respect Catherine doing her job.

-- Pratt tells DB about the military weapons that were stolen.
DB: who did the workup on this for you?
Pratt: are you familiar with the term “Battlefied Forensics”?
DB: That’s CSI on speed, right? Except people are dropping bombs on you and shooting at you.
Pratt says that people working for Cerresus Logistics – a US military contractor – were the ones processing it. DB infers that they’re looking for somebody within that operation as the ones smuggling the guns.

-- Cath & McHottie keep following the blood trail – and getting to know each other a bit.
C: your boss is…kind of young.
Mc: he’s not my boss, he’s my replacement. I’m training him until I decamp the Las Vegas office.
C: onto bigger & better things?
Mc: mmm don’t know about better. More important, I suppose. More dangerous.
C: more dangerous, really? Where?
He gives her a bit of a smirk
Mc: your boss, he said you were him before he was. What’s that about.
C: the technical term is “demotion”.
Mc: good girl does bad. So what, are you just biding your time until you can rise to that top spot again?
C: I’m not sure I want it anymore.
Mc: what do you want?
C: right now? … I want more blood drops. Haven’t seen any in the past couple hundred yards. The trail’s run dry.
Mc: maybe not. (gets out his walkie & talks to the guys in the cars following them) This is McQuaid, let’s get our cadets out here to walk the line ASAP. I want a couple of fleer helicopters up in the air, and mobilize half a dozen canine units. Right now.
C: I’m impressed. But you can call off your dogs. I’ve got vultures. (we see a few vultures circling over the ridge)

Awwww these two actually seem good together. I love how Cath’s not afraid to use the term “demotion”, and especially tell it to someone she just met. For some reason, I found it amusing watching the two cars slowly following them down the road. And the vultures. Awww haven’t seen them since Season 6 “shooting stars”, I believe.

-- we follow the vultures to two garbage bags, each with half a body.
Mc: Mike Newbury, I presume?
C: looks like our feathered friends found him a few hours before we did. (takes some pics) Good call on the zippering. (McHottie picks up the mouth of the beer bottle) That’s the beer bottle that made our ring.
Mc: check this out. (sees part of the shredded body has a tattoo) ink, I think.

McHottie brings a little humor. Nice.


-- Sara & Doc are in the morgue, checking out the body/tattoo. Sara finds a piece of glass in the cuts on the tattoo. It’s glass from the beer bottle.
S: killer wanted to obscure this tattoo
D: Mission accomplished. We can’t tell what it was now.
S: no, not in this current state. But, that’s the thing about tattoos, you’d better be sure cuz they’re forever. Doc, can I take this part to go?
D: Not yet. But we deliver.

Awww just a tiny bit of Doc, but we get Doc Robbins humor just the same.

-- Super Dave has the part of the body with the tattoo and is bringing it to Sara in an Igloo cooler.
D: isn’t this the Question Documents area?
S: why, yes it is, and this is the video spectral comparitor, we use it on worn or altered papers to isolate one part of the color spectrum at a time.
Dave lifts out the piece of tattooed skin with a tongs
D: You’re gonna put this… on there?
S: uh-huh.
D: okay.

These two have always been great together. I love Super Dave’s skepticism.

-- Brass, DB & Agent Pratt are interviewing Mr Gabriel, the owner of Cerresus, the military company. He seems a bit snippish.


-- Cath sees a familiar face sitting in a PD waiting room as she walks by.

C: Laura?
L: Catherine. Oh my God.
They hug.
C: what are you doing here? (to McQuaid) Laura & I were friends
L: way too many years ago to say out loud. Do you work here?
C: uh, the crime lab.
L: law enforcement, really?
C: yeah
L: you?
C: yeah, well. It’s a long story. What are you doing here?
L: uh, my husband is helping out on a case with the police & the FBI
Mc: Your husband’s Mark Gabriel?
L: I’m sorry, who are you?
Mc: Agent McQuaid. FBI
L: (to Cath) you look great.
C: it’s been 20 years and I can still tell when you’re lying.
L: 22 and you still can’t take a compliment.
Laura’s husband walks past and says her name as he walks out.
L: I gotta go.
Catherine’s phone rings
C: well hey, uh, are you in town for a while?
L: a day or two. Do you have any free time?
C: yes, uh (phone still beeps) get a hold of me here
Mark: Laura. Today.
Cath answers her phone
C: Hey, Nicky. What’s up?
N: well I got good news & I got bad news. The good news is I think I found our gun.
C: Great. And the bad news?

So nice to finally see one of Catherine’s old friends. Too bad she’s got a jerk of a husband.


-- Nick’s bad news is that it’s another crime scene where a guy got popped with a P90 and the guy shot himself in the foot as well because he wasn’t used to the big gun. Agent Pratt tells DB & Nick that there were a total of 144 guns that were missing.
DB: 144 of THESE? That’s not a problem, that’s a war zone.

LOL understatement.

-- DB & Pratt check in with Hodges as they’re walking by
DB: find anything?
H: a frayed knot.
DB: (starts to walk away again) okay.
H: no, no, no no. I found a frayed knot. A thread, that’s been tied into a knot, was snagged in the magazine well… and it’s frayed.
Hodges goes into his spiel about the knot and when he bends down to look into the microscope (while still talking) DB & Pratt walk out. Hodges looks up to find them gone.
H: …so these types of rugs that are woven with these knots are generally… you’re welcome.

LOL loved the “afraid not” misunderstanding. Only Hodges. LOL and them walking out --- classic.


-- Cath, Sara, & McQuaid discuss the tattoo

S: took a little luck & a lot of computer enhancement, but this eagle has finally landed. It’s military.
Mc: skeleton with a beret. That’s definitely military. The bird’s Airborne.
C: 532?
Mc: 532nd Division.
S: Killer purposely carved out this tattoo with a beer bottle. Why? Something to hide?
C: maybe he had the same tattoo.
Mc: same division. A brother in arms.
C: someone you’d share a beer with
Sara gives Cath a little raised eyebrow.

Awww more Cath/Sara – with a little McHottie mixed in. I like it. I love it. I want some more of it. I like how the cute FBI guys are actually ‘playing nice’ with our CSIs.

-- Cath, DB, and cute FBI guys are figuring out who is the possible killer. They search the database for those in the 532nd Division are local. One drives a Dodge pickup. Lenny Wesson. He drives a Peterbilt semi, but doesn’t work for Cerruses. They think Lenny was the one hired to move the guns.
DB (to Pratt) come on BYU, you wanna throw some weight around, now’s the time.

LOL I’m actually really starting to like DB. Now, if only I cared more than the next couple episodes….

-- everyone’s in the PD ‘command’ center, including Hodges & Morgan, trying to track down the right semi.
DB: it’s nice. All our ‘kids’ playing so well together.
P: It’s called Citizen Broadcast. We set it up with DHS after 9/11. Pretty much puts us into contact with every private company on the road. UPS, FedEx, trucking companies, all eyes on the road become our eyes.
DB: like a CB radio on steroids.
P: what’s a CB radio? … I was joking.
Morgan finds the truck.


-- A police convoy speeds down the highway. McQuaid & Cath are in one of the cars. Cath gets a message from Laura to see if she’s got time to talk. McQuaid quickly swerves the car off the main road and onto a side road as they go to check out the truck stop. Cath spots the truck parked in the truck stop parking lot.

It’s Cath-Gun time.

McQuaid calls for backup and the two check out the truck. They find Lenny bound and rolled up in a rug. All of a sudden, the trailer door closes & locks. All three are trapped inside as bullets rein from the outside.

-- as the perp fires the P90 across the length of the truck, Cath is figuring out his location, and fires back at him through the truck wall. Direct hit.


That’s my girl.


-- It’s DB and Agent Pratt to the rescue, as they unlock Cath & McQuaid from the trailer. It seems that Cath is a bit conflicted at seeing the guy she killed, but knowing he was the one who almost killed her as well.


-- Cath & McHottie interrogate Lenny. McHottie starts to garner Cath’s ire as he offers Lenny total immunity.
C: you cooperate…maybe we could shave a few years off your sentence
L: years? Years. If I tell you everything, everyone involved, I want immunity.
C: immunity?
L: protection from it all.
C: you killed a man, Lenny. You put those guns out on the street. Immunity? Forget it. That’s not gonna happen.
Mc: Actually…it is. (Cath looks at him) If you can give us the names of all your contacts and it turns into something substantial
C: (to McQuaid) what are you doing? You can’t decide.
Mc: yes we can. I’m sorry, I’ve gotta pull rank here.
L: well I’m gonna need a lawyer to draw up the papers before I say a single word to you.
Mc: Okay, what do you need?
Cath gets up & walks out, shaking her head.

Politics, Cath. It’s politics. This is basically the same fight that Cath had with Nick at the end of the season opener. No more making deals. And here, the Feds are gonna let a killer & arms dealer go free. Our wonderful tax dollars at work.


-- DB and Pratt are interviewing Mark Gabriel once again. They’re telling him his company is under suspicion. He goes to walk out. Pratt gets him back
MG: I’m done here.
P: actually, there’s one more thing
MG: what’s that?
P: you see, all these guns that are now stateside, have to go back to the troops in Afghanistan. You know, given your resources and your…patriotism…
MG: that’s gonna cost me a half a million dollars.
P: oh, at least.
DB: thanks for your time.

I hope we get to see Pratt again on this show. Dan Lauria is such a cutie. I just might need to go back and watch the Chicago Code eps again.

-- Cath & Laura finally got a chance to do a bit of reminiscing at Cath’s house.

L: (looking at a pic of Lindsey) your daughter is beautiful
C: she is, isn’t she?
L: I’m jealous.
C: Jealous? Laura, look at you. The good life, the billionaire husband. You got it all.
L: so how is your mom?
C: Laura, why are you here?
L: to catch up, just like we talked about.
C: which has been great. Really. But, I just have this feeling that there’s something you want to say. Is it about Mark? Because I saw the way he talked to you. Does he hurt you?
L: no, no. He doesn’t. It’s not… I heard something, by accident.
C: what was it?
L: (laughs) okay, this is just me being jetlagged. I’m sorry. I should go. But listen, it’s been so nice seeing you, again.
C: hey hang on. I just wanna make sure you have all my numbers, okay?
She writes them on the back of a lawyer’s business card.
C: okay, alright. So I want you to call me if you need anything, and I mean anything.
L: is there a reason that you wrote this on the back of a lawyer’s card?
C: random coincidence. … coincidentally, he’s a good lawyer. He’s Sam’s guy. I think you might need that.
L: okay, thanks.

Isn’t it great to see Catherine have friends? And a Sam mention, plus a pic of Lindsey. Now, all we’re missing was an Eddie mention, but I almost got an Eddie vibe when Cath asked Laura if Mark hurts her. Cath reuniting with a long-lost friend reminds me of Stephanie Watson, Cath’s stripper friend who was killed during Cath’s stripper days (pre-CSI), and we saw in flashbacks in “Felonious Monk”. That was the one with the wonderful Bruce McGill (who’s now a regular on my favorite show, Rizzoli & Isles) I wish we had been able to revisit the Stephanie Watson murder. It would have been great to have Cath catch the real killer.

How awesome is Cath’s home? Too bad it’s an empty nest right now.


-- just after Laura leaves, Cath gets another knock on the door. It’s Agent McQuaid.
Mc: did you guys have a good conversation?
C: how long have you been standing outside my house?
Mc: Not important.
Cath tries to shut the door.
Mc: the thing is…I’m here. My foot in the door, my hat in hand, a bottle in the other. … It’s beer. It’s Belgian. You know, guns aren’t the only thing they make. … I’d like to apologize. Look, the whole Lenny of it all, I blindsided you, and it…
C: it sucked.
Mc: yeah, it sucked. But it’s the job.
C: I have a job too.
Mc: and you did it kind of perfectly. You got the guns back by way of vultures & garbage bags and whatnot.
C: by “whatnot”, you mean saving your ass?
Mc: I do.
She lets him in the house.

LOL Annoyed Catherine is cute. Annoyed, but attracted Catherine is even cuter.

-- McHottie still doesn’t back down from the whole “lenny of it all”
Mc: but the thing is, I had to cut a deal with Wesson. And I would do it again.
C: this isn’t much of an apology.
Mc: But if I did it again, I would tell you before hand. You deserve that.
C: at least that.
Mc: maybe more.
They have their ‘moment’ interrupted by the ringing of both their phones, which they answer in turn.


That was such a Rizzoli & Isles ripoff. LOL

-- in DB’s office, he tells them that Lenny died from a heart attack en route to a holding facility. They believe that Mark Gabriel is covering his tracks. The FBI says it’s up to them now, and that CSI is done with their part of the case, since they solved it & got the guns back. So the case is wrapped up. DB gives Pratt a jar with a mushroom in it. The cute Fed boys say goodbye in DB’s office.


-- DB gives Catherine a little advice
DB: stay away from badges. I tell my daughter every morning, if he wears a badge, he’s wrong for you.
C: really. And what if your wife’s father had told her the same thing?
DB: Actually, he did. (he starts walking away) see you tomorrow, regular time.
As DB leaves, Cath stands there by herself.



Awwwwwww I wanna give her a big hug.

Speaking of big hugs – it seems that today was Marg’s last day of filming for CSI as a regular. They had a lovely cake, and ET even did a special segment with Marg on today’s edition. It was quite an emotional one for Miss M.