CSI: New York--'Point Of No Return'

Discussion in 'CSI Files News Items' started by CSI Files, Mar 19, 2009.

  1. CSI Files

    CSI Files Captain

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    <p><b>Synopsis:</b><p>A body is discovered at the Wham Bam hotel by housekeeper Lila Wickfield--who promptly disappears after the discovery. The team is shocked when she's identified as Anabel Pino, the wife of former ME Marty Pino, who was fired by Sid Hammerback after Pino's gambling problems led him to falsify his overtime claims. Hawkes finds white powder on Anabel's body, while Danny lifts a shoe impression off the bathroom door. Pino is brought in for questioning, but the grief-stricken man insists he didn't kill his wife. After Pino confirms the dead woman is his wife, Sid is unable to autopsy Anabel, whom he knew well, and tells Hawkes he'll give the case to another ME. Flack and Danny go to Lila Wickfield's apartment and find a man matching the suspect's description--wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses--fleeing the building. Hawkes determines the substance on Anabel's body is heroin--and not just any heroin. It's made from human remains. Sid matches the remains to the body of an addict brought in a few weeks ago missing several organs: the kidneys and bladder. Danny processes Lila's computer and finds the suspect opened two programs on it: an e-mail from her boyfriend, Chester Bryson, and the address book program, which contained Chester's address. Hawkes determines the bullet that killed Anabel went through a wrapped kilo of heroin first. Danny is able to trace the bullet to a gun owned by Steve "Little Stevie" Alvarez.<p>Mac, Flack and Danny go to a massage parlor owned by Little Stevie, but Mac forces Danny to wait outside when he realizes the younger CSI has forgotten his bulletproof vest. Flack and Mac go to apprehend Little Stevie, who fires at them with a semiautomatic weapon and runs from the building. Danny sees him and gives chase, cornering him in a warehouse, where the two exchange gunfire. Danny is finally able to take Little Stevie out, and elicits a deathbed confession from the man: Little Stevie killed Anabel because she and Pino tried to give him heroin instead of the $75,000 Pino owed his employers. Pino locked himself in the bathroom and fled out the window after Little Stevie killed Anabel. Flack brings Mac to a storage locker Pino was renting, revealing the lab where Pino made heroin from human organs. The two realize Pino is the man in the baseball cap and sunglasses--and he's on a mission to get his heroin back. Sid exhumes the bodies from Pino's last 15 OD cases with the lab and finds the kidneys and bladders missing from all of them. The team is able to track Lila and Chester, who are about to sell the ill-gotten heroin that Lily took from the Pinos' hotel room, to a warehouse. Pino arrives first and is about to make off with the heroin and the money, but the team shows up before he can escape. After a tense standoff, Sid convinces Pino to turn himself in, putting an end to his twisted drug manufacturing business.<p>While the rest of the team pursues Pino, Stella and Angell go forward with their plot to entrap George Kolovos and Sebastian Diakos, the shady Greek nationals who are after rare ancient coins. Stella looks up Professor Papakota, her archaeology instructor in college, who tells her that Diakos and Kolovos raided tombs in Cyprus and were double-crossed by their partners. Now the pair are seeking to buy back the coins their partners took from them. Angell lures Kolovos to a shipping yard with the promise of a big batch of the coins, but she and Stella manage to trap the man when he arrives, threatening to send him off to Cyprus, where he's wanted for theft, in one of the big shipping crates if he doesn't give up Diakos' location. He finally tells Stella that Diakos is in Jersey City, but the two lock him in the crate and ship him off anyway. Stella and Angell rush to the apartment in Jersey City, where they make a shocking discovery: Diakos is dead on the floor, Greek coins covering his eyes. Discouraged, Stella returns to work, where Mac tells her about Diakos' murder. Stella requests to work the case, but Mac turns her down, promising to see to it personally. Stella almost tells him about her involvement, but backs down and simply thanks him instead.<p><b>Analysis:</b><p>What an episode! "Point of No Return" becomes a nail-biter the minute Marty Pino, a former coroner who turned up in several second season episodes of <i>CSI: NY</i>, is connected to the case. Seeing Marty isn't just a flash from <i>CSI: NY</i>'s past--it also hits home for several members of the team. Sid, Hawkes and Danny all react to Pino's plight in very different ways, based on their experiences with the man. Though Pino only appeared in three episodes back in season two--<A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/episodes/newyork/season2/trapped.shtml">"Trapped"</a>, <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/episodes/newyork/season2/super_men.shtml ">"Super Men"</a> and <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/episodes/newyork/season2/run_silent_run_deep.shtml">"Run Silent, Run Deep"</a>--the personable young coroner really made an impression, in part due to <font color=yellow>Jonah Lotan</font>'s charismatic, energetic portrayal. Marty's slick, carefree demeanor in season two gave no hints as to the demons that ended up costing him his job--the flashbacks we see from the earlier episodes highlight his confidence and breezy banter with his co-workers. Hawkes greeted Pino with obvious glee in one flashback, while in another Pino drolly walked Danny through an on site body examination over the phone while Danny was trapped in a panic room. In just three episodes, it was clear that Pino had a great rapport with his colleagues.<p>The character hit the hardest by Pino's sad decline into drug dealing and murder is the one who never actually shared a scene with him prior to this episode: Sid Hammerback. Sid is so gutted by the sight of Anabel on his autopsy table that he's haunted by memories of her voice, asking him to give her away at her wedding. Sid attempts to go through with the autopsy and finds he can't--he's too close to the dead woman on the table. He tells Hawkes that he was the one who told Pino that Anabel was the one for him and refused to let him come to work until he proposed to her. At their wedding, Anabel leaned over to Sid and thanked him. Marty and Anabel used to come to Sid's house for weekly dinners. His close ties to the Pinos make the revelation that Marty was an organ thief while at the MEs office and later a murderer a real blow to Sid. The coroner clearly feels responsible. Firing Marty for falsifying overtime couldn't have been easy, but finding out what Marty went on to do is clearly far worse for Sid. <font color=yellow>Robert Joy</font> is excellent in these scenes, conveying Sid's anguish over Pino's fall from grace and his wife's murder with pathos and humanity. <p><HR ALIGN="CENTER" SIZE="1" WIDTH="45\%" COLOR="#007BB5"><p>To read the full reviews, please click <A HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/reviews/csi/point_of_no_return.shtml">here</A>.<center></center>
     
  2. privatename

    privatename Rookie

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    As usual, I enjoyed reading your summary and review. I haven't actually seen the episode yet, but you have made me eager to watch it sometime soon:)
     
  3. mandy9578

    mandy9578 CSI Level Two

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    Great review as usual Kristine! :D

    He was so brilliant that I couldn't help but think that I wanted to give him a big comforting hug!

    I was actually screaming at the screen, 'Danny, you idiot!' It's like Danny has a death wish or something. I was thinking that he was kinda suicidal by going after Little Stevie in that warehouse. He was indeed reckless especially in light of the fact that now he's got a wife and a baby on the way. On a lighter note, I was thinking that maybe he is suicidal, finally realizing he's married to Lindsay! :lol:

    I definitely get your point and this doesn't really bode well for their marriage. I feel like his insecurity is rearing its ugly head.

    Yeah, where indeed? He makes things seem lighter than they really are with his snarky wit. :p

    You can say that again. Her character doesn't bring much to the table, that's for sure.

    I loved their scenes together. They definitely kicked ass! :)

    As for Mac and Stella, I wonder what will happen when Mac finds out Stella went behind his back. I can't help but think of the fall out when that eventually happens.
     
  4. Faylinn

    Faylinn Adam Fangirl Super Moderator

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    Excellent review as always, dahling. :)

    Stella and Angell are definitely awesome together. I'm not sure about the legal ramifications of sticking someone in a shipping container - I mean, sure, that's one way to extradite someone :p, but in real life I'm sure there would be consequences. I don't anticipate such consequences being a blip on the radar in the show, but they should be. I think they should show cops using LEGAL methods to get things done (unless the not-so-legal methods are significant).

    I'll be interested to see where the Greek storyline goes from here, though. We all thought we knew who the major players were and who the ultimate showdown was likely to include, and now they've pulled the rug out from under us and essentially ended one smaller arc within the story to start a new arc. I wasn't expecting that, but it has renewed my interest in seeing how the story ends.

    I was excited to see that they were bringing Pino back - it's good continuity to see someone from season 2 back on the show, but I didn't like that they had him come back to be a killer (and a particularly morbid one at that). Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed seeing the reactions of the others - particularly Sid, who tugged at my heartstrings several times during the episode - but they could have had him be guilty in a slightly less creeptastic manner.

    Speaking of Sid - that man needed a hug at the end of the episode, but he didn't get one. Why is this show afraid of men hugging? Unless Mac is hugging Danny for knocking Lindsay up or tricking her into marrying him, the men never hug (Hawkes and Adam's little handshake/half-hug thing last week doesn't count). We'll occasionally see Stella hug someone, but the lack of manhugs on this show is ridiculous. I DEMAND MANHUGS! Hawkes should have hugged Sid at the end of this episode. Period. *crosses arms and pouts*

    Lindsay wasn't missed at all - but once again, Adam's day off happens when there's a big case going on. I can only imagine he's eventually going to have to order Danny or Hawkes to call him in when there's a big case and he's at home playing Guitar Hero and eating cheese curls. Not that there was much need for a lab tech in this one since it seemed more character-focused (and the few lab scenes were adequately covered), but I do miss him when he's gone. ;)

    The scene where Danny spoke to Mac about Lindsay being gone was fine to start with - then it got dumb right around the time the beaver story came up. Lame. Sometimes Less Is More when it comes to referencing pregnant characters while their equally-pregnant actresses are on maternity leave. :rolleyes:

    Danny needs to stop being reckless - but then what fun would that be? :p I hope Mac and Flack were all over his ass like an angry Mama and Papa Bear after that incident. Too bad we didn't get to see it. We did, however, get to see a protracted look at Danny's wedding ring covered with blood as he washed his hands and got a conveniently-timed phone call from Lindsay as if to remind him that He Has Responsibilities Now and can't be a reckless idiot - too bad the whole thing completely lacked subtlety. I'd prefer to think of the scene as symbolic in some way, but I doubt it.

    Ultimately, this episode belonged to Sid in the Emotionally-Charged category, with Hawkes and Danny playing notable supporting roles. Danny gets the award for Acting Stupid The Minute The Incubator Is Out Of Town (With Extra Emphasis After The Fact). Stella and Angell win the Continuing Side-Story With A Twist award, with a nod going to Shipping Container #4 for its assist. Stella and Angell also get the award for These Two Should Make Out because two smart, capable, hot, kick-ass chicks are better than one :devil:. Lindsay wins the Beaver Story award by default since there were no other nominees. In the I Think I'm Missing Something category, Mac wins the award for his apparent obtuseness when it comes to Stella and her 'white whale'. Marty Pino wins the Dude WTF? award. Sid and Sheldon were both awarded the statue for Missed Manhug Opportunity. And finally, Danno wins the award for This Scene Is As Subtle As A Rhino In A China Shop.

    Adam received the award for Damnit, I Should Be At Work Right Now - but he couldn't be at the ceremony to accept his statue.

    :p

    Overall, it was a pretty good episode, and the stunt casting wasn't as bad as it could have been (this show does like to hype sh*t up, doesn't it?). I was glad to see an older character return (yay for rescuing something from the Black Hole of Continuity - see, it can be done!), but I was disappointed that he only returned because he was on the other side of the law. I think they did a good job showing Sid's close relationship with someone we never actually saw him interact with in the past. The story was perhaps more Out There than it strictly needed to be, but all-in-all, I think it was a good edition of the show - and an overall good start to a few episodes of Lindsay-free time. :p
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2009
  5. Ceindreadh

    Ceindreadh Pathologist

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    I'm thinking more of the fall out when Mac finds out that Stella has basically kidnapped a guy.
    WTF? On what planet is locking a guy in a shipping container not a felony?
    What if the ship gets diverted off course and doesn't arrive until after the food/water runs out? That guy doesn't make it to Cyprus in one piece, Stella and Angell could be facing a murder rap.
     
  6. Moonman190

    Moonman190 Victim

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    That may be true, however, it's no longer on American soil. The Cyprian government took ownership of him, and it should be in their hands.

    Other than that, this is the second thriller NY's pulled off in a row. The less-than-enticing airline murder was no fun for me. The bombing as well as the CSI hostages of last week, and now murder, drugs, disappearing acts, drug busts, gun duels, and everything else kept me on the edge of my seat... couch... until the end, with Sid's dramtic walk out.
     
  7. melanie33

    melanie33 Hit and Run

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    So you think Danny is Mac protege? How do you come to that conclusion? And the statement about Mac only asking about Lindsay because of that. Where does that come from.? Is it your opinion? Because I dont remember anything on the show last night that suggested that.

    If you remember back to season 3, Danny wasnt involved with Lindsay then, so why would Mac ask him about her? They are married now, it makes perfect sense that Danny would know what Lindsay was up to.

    An in regards to the lockeroom scene. Do we know he didnt tell her? The phonecall cut off after that. And if he didnt, I dont think it shows a lack of communication between them. She is 2000 miles away and due to give birth soon. Would saying " Hey, guess what, I did something stupid today and nearly got myself killed, but dont worry Im fine" really be in Lindsay's best interests? Seriously! And in regards to Danny taking off his wedding ring. Isn't it possible--if it meant anything at all-- that maybe, just maybe he didnt want to be wearing his wedding ring-- which had a wife killers blood on it--and if things had gone bad, could have been his own-- while talking to her? I certainly dont think he was having any second thoughts about being married to her, when he looks over to see who is calling, he smiles, certainly doesn't seem like he was ticked at or resented her calling in any way. I think that scene was played realistically. Like you said, Danny is a risk taker and is sometimes reckless. But that was before he had responsibilites. He just cant think about himself anymore. And he cant just change overnight. It will take him time to adjust to that. I certainly dont think their marriage is doomed. Are you saying Danny resents being married, because now he cant be reckless? Thats certainly not the feel I got from that scene. I liked that they had Danny come to the realization himself that his actions were foolish--he could have gotten himself killed--instead of having Mac reaming him out over it. Shows character development, and is certainly a stark contrast from previous seasons, season 1 specifically where Mac was constantly reaming him out and having to tell him what he did was foolish/wrong.

    What you said about no-one missing Lindsay in this episode. Are you saying the team didnt miss her, or that the fans didnt miss her? If its the former, didnt Mac say to Danny "tell her we miss her"? and the later, well, I didnt know you spoke for all NY fans.

    And about no-one mentioning Lindsay when she was gone last time. Adam has been missing from a few episodes lately--two in a row at one stage. Because no-one mentioned him. How would you interperet the non mention of Adam? You would assume because there is no allusion to him, he must be off work.. Does them not mentioning him mean they obviously dont care about him?

    I know a review is supposed to be based on opinion. But really, there has to be some fact in what you say. IMO your reviews are blurring the line between fact, and the way you wish things were. JMHO
     
  8. Top41

    Top41 Administrator Administrator Moderator Premium Member

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    The scrubbing the wedding ring down and the conveniently-timed phone call from Lindsay weren't subtle, but I did like the way Danny was shaken after the incident. I think he realized he has responsibilities now and that being reckless could affect others in his life--as say, Pino's problems led to his wife's death--but at the same time, I don't see Danny making any other choice than the one he did if he was given the opportunity to go back and do it all over again. The fact that he didn't tell Lindsay what happened underscores that as well.


    I think it's going to be one of those suspension of disbelief things--fictional liberty. I doubt they'll face any consequences over that act--though I do think there will be fallout between Mac and Stella over her lying to him and going behind his back.

    Do you know what a review is? Of course it's an opinion--the analysis part is all my opinion. Perhaps you should brush up on your definition of what a review is before reading one. ;)

    Seriously? Have you seen season one or two of the show?

    I don't think that was the only reason he asked about her, but it is interesting that no one mentioned her absence in season three but that she's brought up now.

    Mac couldn't have mentioned her to Stella in season three? My point is that Lindsay's only relevancy as a character is through Danny now. What development in the last two seasons indicates otherwise to you?

    Sorry, I can only deal with what actually happens on screen.

    The fact that it's all about Lindsay's best interests shows how little there is to them as a couple. Couples work together and talk to each other to build a life together. One of them doesn't constantly have to hide or change who he is so that the other accepts him.

    The wedding ring symbolizes their union. If you want to read him taking it off that way, that's fine. I looked at it differently.

    Did I ever say he did? :confused:

    No, he can't, but the fact that one episode after their wedding, Danny is acting impetuously and then avoiding telling Lindsay about it suggests to me that their relationship is no stronger than when they weren't communicating back in seasons three and four.

    Are you even reading my review, or just reacting to a few choice things in it, and spinning the rest?

    Again, my review = my opinion. Dictionary.com is your friend....

    Adam presumably was working but not on this case. Not sure what the two have to do with each other, but for the record, Adam was missed. Unlike Lindsay, he adds something to the show. ;)

    And you make gigantic leaps in logic and like to imagine things that didn't happen on screen--like the continuation of Danny and Lindsay's conversation where he confessed all to her. :lol: I think you're blurring the line between what happened on screen and fanfic. ;)
     
  9. Ceindreadh

    Ceindreadh Pathologist

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    I somehow doubt that Stella had a valid arrest or extradition warrant.
    What I would love is if in a future episode, a Cypriot police officer showed up in New York to investigate the death of a man whose body was found in a shipping container that had originated in NY :)
     
  10. Faylinn

    Faylinn Adam Fangirl Super Moderator

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    In season 3, Lindsay was gone because she went back to Montana to testify in a murder trial that affected her deeply - but nobody seemed to care that she was gone because we got no canon acknowledgment of her existence during her absence (or any comments that she was missed). This season, now that she's Danny's wife and baby-mama, we got multiple mentions of her in her first episode away.

    I'm pretty sure that's what Kristine was pointing out. I have no idea what that has to do with Adam.

    Adam isn't in every episode because AJ's contract was written that way - he'll eventually be in every episode (hopefully next season, perhaps), but at this point they aren't required to include him every week. (Plus, we know they're willing to work with him if he wants to do other projects.) Therefore, it's nothing major if he doesn't appear.

    I think there's a big difference between a character that appears every week being gone because of a major personal issue (such as Lindsay in S3) and a character that doesn't necessarily appear every week being gone because he just doesn't appear every week. Adam's absence can be written off as him having the day off - a totally different situation than Lindsay's absence then or now.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2009
  11. ErinElizabeth

    ErinElizabeth Rookie

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    Ok, now I understand that a review is your opinion. Believe me I do. I'm an English major, I'm assistant copy editor for my university's newspaper, the concept is not lost on me.

    But don't you think, in regards to professionalism, there is a line between giving your opinion and analysis of what's there and completely spinning it to what you think is there? I've always believed that a good review should show some objectivity as well.

    Back when I first got into the show, around season 3, I read your reviews of the past seasons to catch up. Then when I finally saw the episodes I was completely lost! Often times I didn't find any indication of the things you mentioned in the actual episode.

    Although, I suppose you don't really have to worry about professionalism since you're not writing for a paper or magazine.
     
  12. Top41

    Top41 Administrator Administrator Moderator Premium Member

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    :lol: Nice.

    Far be it from me to question the knowledge and experience of someone who works for her college paper! (as an assistant copy editor, no less!), but perhaps you're the one not viewing the show objectively? I mean, sure, we all have our biases and interpretations--yours seem to be an obsession with the Danny/Lindsay pairing. And Danny and Lindsay are together on screen, so I'm not sure what your issue with my differing viewpoint is...unless, of course, you're feeling threatened by what I'm writing because maybe, just maybe, it has more accuracy than you'd care to admit into your happy-happy-joy-joy ship bubble? Unlike you, I'm willing to admit there's more than one way to see things. Maybe they'll teach you that in college. ;)

    It really is hard to take someone with the flashing "Failtective" icon seriously, though. :lol:
     
  13. ErinElizabeth

    ErinElizabeth Rookie

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    :lol: Seriously?? Yeah I'm assistant copy editor for my college paper. I'm really proud of that and not about to let you degrade me for it. We all have to start somewhere. I'm sure you did too. But you're right, only the lowest of the low get college educations. Silly me. Perhaps I should just drop out and see if my local McDonalds is hiring.

    And I'm perfectly happy with my ship. They're canon, they're married, they're having a baby. Why should I feel threatened by you? Where at all did I say I was? The point I was making is that I don't see the accuracy. And where did I say there's only one way to view things? Actually, awhile back you and I had a rather nice conversation when the DL baby and marriage spoilers first came out. I don't know why I'm your enemy now just because I disagree with your point of view.

    I simply asked you what you feel is professional and what is not. Funny how you didn't touch that question.

    So please Obi Wan, teach me. (Please recognize this is sarcasm because the day I let you dictate any part of my life is the day I follow a few cocktails with a few bottles of painkillers. :) )
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2009
  14. Top41

    Top41 Administrator Administrator Moderator Premium Member

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    It's just a little silly for you to be touting that as vast experience. You're starting out--that's great. But the assumption that you're an expert of any kind is foolish.

    Got any examples to go with that claim?

    What question? All I saw was an insult. Do I see a need to be professional? Of course. But I also see the need to evaluate the show honestly. I'm not going to praise things I don't like, and vice versa.

    As I've said many times before--many, many times--when the Danny/Lindsay storyline warrants praising, I praise it. When it doesn't, I don't. I've said that many times before...but trotting out the examples gets tiring when people aren't listening. ;)

    Seems like I dictate a good part of your days, as you obviously take the time to read my reviews each week and get so angry--so very angry!--about them. :lol:
     
  15. ErinElizabeth

    ErinElizabeth Rookie

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    I never said I was an expert. I just wanted you to know I had a little bit of knowledge before you started calling me an ignoramus. But I can see my efforts were in vain.

    And unless you're claiming to have a little spy cam hidden in my bedroom how can you say I'm so very, very angry? I'm bored (spring break in my parents' house, woo hoo!) and this is killing time. And I've only ever commented on a few of your reviews so I don't know where that assumption is coming from. I also don't consider the internet my life. :lol:

    But honestly, I did want to get your opinion as a writer.

    I don't know why, and really this isn't an insult, I try talking to you. :lol: We're like cats and dogs. We've been able to have civil and rather nice conversations before but clearly we're not meant to be friends. So this is me stepping off.
     

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