CSI Files
Captain
<p><b>Synopsis:</b><p>The partially-eaten body of a woman washes ashore alongside a dead shark, but Flack notices strangulation marks on the woman's neck, indicating she didn't die from being attacked by the shark. The CSIs are joined at the scene by Quinn Shelby, a criminalist from New Jersey who once worked with Mac and who is in town to evaluate the lab for its re-accreditation. Sid confirms the woman was strangled and points out blood in her lungs, indicating she was poisoned as well. Stella and Quinn analyze the woman's stomach contents, discovering chocolate and a substance derived from a flower known as Damiana. Lindsay is examining a piece of evidence found clutched in the victim's hand, but abandons it when she becomes emotional during an exchange with Danny. Lindsay reports to Stella that a stone found in the victim's bra is from a gravestone. Mac gets a call that another body has been discovered at the beach: this woman is intact and wrapped in a tarp. Business cards identify her as Louise Perry, a real estate agent. Stella, bothered that the other victim seemed familiar to her, realizes the first victim was also a real estate agent, who recently showed Stella a condo. From that, the CSIs are able to identify her as Chrissy Watson.<p>The discovery of a second body has the press on alert, and cub reporter Reed Garrett, the son of Mac's dead wife, Claire, wants the scoop. Mac promises to call him first should he have anything to share. Sid reveals that Louise died from asphyxiation due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Looking at the chart, Quinn concludes that Louise was gassed in a confined space. Louise's stomach contents are exactly the same as Chrissy's, leading the CSIs to a high end chocolate fashion show where the chocolate/Damiana mix is being used, but the designer, Charles Kohl, denies knowing either of the dead women and claims his employees all have access to the exclusive chocolate stash. Back at the lab, Quinn informs Mac about Lindsay neglecting evidence. After Lindsay identifies the piece from Chrissy's hand as an emergency release lever from a car trunk, Mac asks her about leaving evidence out. She apologizes and notes that getting involved with a co-worker was stupid. Reed confronts Mac when he discovers he's been scooped by another paper, but Mac refuses to give him anything that could jeopardize the case. Quinn interrupts with some startling news: she's identified an earlier victim, a lawyer named Ben Melvoy, who was killed in New Jersey three months ago in a similar way.<p>After finding similar markings on both Louise and Ben's bodies, the CSIs recover skin from Chrissy in the shark's digestive system and find a pattern that matches the other two: L2729. The CSIs round up Charles Kohl when the learn he was at an open house Chrissy had for an apartment, but he claims he simply came on to her and was rebuffed. Quinn gives the lab a passing evaluation, and admits to Mac that she still has a thing for him. Hawkes and Lindsay trace the stone used to make the markings on the victims' bodies to a church near Ground Zero and Mac, Stella and Hawkes rush there. They find no evidence of their killer's presence, but driving down a street near the church allows Mac to make a connection: all three of the victims had large advertisements on that street featuring their pictures and phone numbers. The CSIs rush to the person they believe will be the next victim, P.J. Davis, another real estate agent. P.J. is alive and well, but even as Lindsay and Danny discover trace Louise's fingernails was from a taxi cab bill of rights, the killer is claiming his next victim in his locked taxi cab, gassing the man in the back seat of his car. When the body of the victim is found on the beach, Mac invites Reed to the crime scene.<p><b>Analysis:</b><p>Taking a page from last year's incredibly successful and thrilling miniature crime scene killer arc on <i>CSI: Crime Scene Investigation</i>, <i>CSI: New York</i> begins a serial killer story arc of its own. There's really nothing more creepy, more chilling and--let's face it--more fascinating than a murderer who kills complete strangers over and over again, without remorse. What is it about serial killers that's so completely intriguing? That they repeatedly carry out an act that to most is completely unfathomable? The cold, calculating and often haunting ways in which they end the lives of others? The pure evilness of their acts? Either way, I'm hooked. Just one episode in, and already I'm finding this storyline far more compelling and interesting than the '333' caller who was harassing Mac at the beginning of the season.<p>The pacing of the episode is pitch perfect, with what looks to be a simple tragic 'death by shark' turning out to be anything but. The discovery of the second victim leads the CSIs to realize they're dealing with a serial killer, and the revelation of an earlier victim confirms it. The sequence in which Mac discovers how the killer chose his victims is a jaw-dropper, as is the one in which Mac and Stella rush to save the person they believe is next on the killer's list. The irony is the man the audience is led to believe could be killer in fact turns out to be the next victim, and images of his struggle and death are cut with Mac's realization that the killer is a cab driver. It's an eerie, effective scene.<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/like_water_for_murder.shtml">here</A>.<center></center>
