CSI: New York--'Pay Up'

[CSI Files]

<p><b>Synopsis:</b><p>Flack is giving confidential informant Terrence Davis his dispensation papers when he gets a call from Detective Angell, who is tasked with guarding Connor Dunbrook, who is set to testify against his father, newspaper mogul Robert Dunbrook, in court that morning. Their phone call is cut off when a truck slams into the diner where Angell and Connor are eating and shots are fired. Flack races to the scene only to find Angell down and bleeding from gunshot wound to the abdomen and Connor gone. While Flack rushes Angell to the hospital, the shaken CSI team comes to process the scene. Stella finds a 50-caliber hollow point shell casing, along with others from a .45 gun. Lindsay tells Mac, Stella and Hawkes that witnesses say a truck crashed into the diner, four men got out. Two fired at Angell and two grabbed Connor. After Angell went down, the men fled with Connor in a Hummer. Dunbrook pounds on the diner window and angrily confronts Mac over his son's abduction. Mac suspects he's responsible for arranging the kidnapping in order to prevent Connor from testifying against him. The tense standoff between the two men ends when Dunbrook gets a phone call. In the diner, Hawkes finds evidence that Angell managed to shoot one of the kidnappers. Danny rushes to the hospital to find Flack, and the grief-stricken detective tells him that she's gone. Mac shares the news at the crime scene, vowing to find the people responsible. Danny gets a call that the Hummer has been found abandoned, and he and Mac rush off to recover it. At the hospital, Sid arrives to take Angell's body to autopsy and finds Flack standing with her. He vows to the detective that he'll watch over her.<p>Adam puts a tracking device on Dunbrook's car, scooting away just before Dunbrook, carrying two heavy duffel bags, climbs into the vehicle. Mac and Danny approach the Hummer and are joined by Flack, who tells them he needs to be there. They discover the Hummer is outfitted with state-of-the-art bulletproof tires, windows and paneling. Mac finds an artificial blood packet inside, leading him to think the kidnappers are military men. Back at the lab, Lindsay discovers the man who killed Angell was using a Desert Eagle gun while Hawkes learns hair he found in the van belongs to a bat suffering from a fungal infection dubbed white nose syndrome. Adam tracks Dunbrook from his office to his lawyer's office to his bank to his apartment and then to the airport, leading Stella to call Mac to warn him Dunbrook is trying to flee. Mac, Flack and Danny race to the airport and pick up radio of Dunbrook telling the men he brought the money and demanding to see his son. Realizing Dunbrook is paying a ransom for his son, Flack calls for backup, but the three men realize they can't wait and get out of the car, only to be shot at by a sniper. They manage to get into the hanger after Danny drives the car forward covering Mac and Flack, but by then the kidnappers have fled, leaving behind an angry Dunbrook, who tells Mac he just killed his son. Back at Mac's office, Dunbrook shows them a tape the kidnappers forced Connor to make, and Mac realizes the kidnappers took Connor knowing Dunbrook would be the top suspect. One of the kidnapper's hands is visible in the video before it's shut off, and Hawkes recovers prints from it belonging to Simon Cade, a solider formerly stationed in Iraq and brought up on manslaughter charges.<p>Flack pays his respects at Angell's funeral and returns her badge to her father, Cliff, a retired cop. After leaving the wake, Flack is approached by an unexpected ally: Terrence Davis, who tells the detective a guy known as Crazy Tony was in his club bragging about outfitting a Hummer. He hands the detective a paper with Tony's name and the name of the body shop he works at. Mac, Flack and Danny go to the shop and get Tony to give up the old tires from the Hummer, which Danny takes back to the lab and recovers trace from. With the trace from the tires and the information about the bats, the team is able to locate the warehouse where the kidnappers are holding Connor. Mac, Stella, Flack and Danny storm it, and catch the men by surprise. Mac rescues Connor, while Flack finds the man who murdered Angell--and shoots him dead. After his son is rescued, Dunbrook brings Mac an advance copy of the next day's paper, with a cover honoring Angell. He also tells Mac the fraud and embezzlement charges against him won't stick and leaves the CSI with the words, "Be safe." Mac joins the rest of the team at a local bar to raise a toast to Angell, but as they do, a shooter in a silver BMW pulls up and opens fire on the bar....<p><b>Analysis:</b><p><i>CSI: NY</i> bids farewell to <font color=yellow>Emmanuelle Vaugier</font>'s Jessica Angell in a tense finale that leaves the entire team in danger--a cliffhanger people are bound to be wondering about over the summer. Was Dunbrook's "be safe" comment to Mac just before the end of the episode a kindly comment--or a veiled threat? The two men certainly didn't part friends, despite Dunbrook's gesture of putting Angell's picture on the cover of his paper. Dunbrook is unapologetic when he tells Mac he's got a skilled team of lawyers working hard to make sure the charges of embezzlement and fraud don't stick. He frankly tells Mac he loves his son, despite the fact that Connor is testifying against him. Obviously that doesn't extend to Mac and his team--but would Dunbrook go so far as to gun down the people who just saved his son's life? And to what end? Even if Mac is going to testify against him, it's not like he'd be there as a star witness; Mac would testify about the evidence they found against Dunbrook. Rather than shooting up the team in a bar, Dunbrook would be better served staging a robbery at the lab while Mac and his team are out toasting their fallen colleague.<p>It could very well be Dunbrook that hired a shooter to take out the team, but I hope not. There's something just a bit more honorable than that about the newspaper scion, at least in the shrewd way <font color=yellow>Craig T. Nelson</font> plays him, despite Mac's unwavering scorn. If not Dunbrook, though, who would target them? Fellow soldiers angry about the downfall of Simon Cade and his team? Neo-Nazi Michael Elgers, sick and tired of being questioned by New York's finest? Someone else entirely? We're going to have to wait until season six begins to find out--and to learn if anyone on the team was shot...and possibly killed. While I doubt there are any fatalities given that the team just lost Angell, it would be a bit of a letdown if everyone walked away fine and dandy. My money is on Danny, whose recklessness has really been highlighted this season. From chasing an armed suspect without a bulletproof vest in <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/episodes/newyork/season5/point_of_no_return.shtml">"Point of No Return"</a> to giving the aforementioned Elgers a brutal beatdown in <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/episodes/newyork/season5/yahrzeit.shtml">"Yahrzeit"</a>, Danny has been taking chances that seem all the more foolish in light of his new fatherhood. Thematically, he's the most logical choice--and it would be interesting to see how the always emotional Danny would handle a recovery, not to mention how <font color=yellow>Carmine Giovinazzo</font> would handle the material. <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/pay_up.shtml">here</A>.<center></center>

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

Wonderful review.

I, too, am curious as to who the shooter(s) were at the end. It seems too obvious to have it end up being Dunbrook. Plus, like you said he just doesn't seem like that type of bad guy. I'd like it if Craig T Nelson came back next season though. I think he's a good nemesis for Mac and the team and he and Gary play well off each other.

Eddie Cahill deserves a freaking Emmy nomination for this episode. His performance was heartbreaking and shocking. It was good to see this vulnerable side of Flack no matter how much I didn't want Angell to die.

The only thing I disagree with is that I thought Anna Belknap did a good job with Lindsay in this episode. She was the one who really expressed what the audience was thinking and I actually thought she conveyed Lindsay's disbelief and grief quite well. I know I usually am one of the people saying, "If it didn't happen on screen it didn't happen," but usually that's because I feel people are taking huge leaps in logic to fill in the blanks left by TPTB. This time, though, it made perfect sense to me to assume Lindsay and Jess were friends because Flack and Danny are friends even though I don't think Lindsay and Jess ever shared one scene together.

After "Grounds for Deception" I was fearful the finale wasn't going to be good. But overall NY is does their finales really well and I was happy with the result.

ETA: OK, I lied. There's one more thing I disagreed with. I also liked Danny's reaction in the hospital to hearing Jess passed away. Those two were had a friendly, bantering relationship and I think showing his grief with a bit of anger was a very "Danny" reaction. I didn't find that it detracted from Flack's reaction at all. In fact I found it to be a very powerful scene to see how these two men who are very different and knew Angell in different ways reacted to the news.

 

[weepingangel]

I believe that what Sid actually said to Flack was "How weak and fruitless must be any word of mine," which is actually an Abraham Lincoln quote. I wrote my own review of the episode here. But I agree with you on most parts of your review, and I greatly admire Eddie Cahill's performance in this episode, no matter the other problems I found with it.

 

[Top41]

Wonderful review.

I, too, am curious as to who the shooter(s) were at the end. It seems too obvious to have it end up being Dunbrook. Plus, like you said he just doesn't seem like that type of bad guy. I'd like it if Craig T Nelson came back next season though. I think he's a good nemesis for Mac and the team and he and Gary play well off each other.

Agreed--I'd definitely like to see Dunbrook back, though hopefully not as the one responsible for the shooting of the team. I like the way he gets under Mac's skin--and how he doesn't quite seem to be the easily categorized villain Mac would like him to be.

Eddie Cahill deserves a freaking Emmy nomination for this episode. His performance was heartbreaking and shocking. It was good to see this vulnerable side of Flack no matter how much I didn't want Angell to die.

I never thought we'd see that side of Flack, and Cahill was just wonderful. He gave such a raw, real performance--I hope the show does pony up to support him for an Emmy.

The only thing I disagree with is that I thought Anna Belknap did a good job with Lindsay in this episode. She was the one who really expressed what the audience was thinking and I actually thought she conveyed Lindsay's disbelief and grief quite well. I know I usually am one of the people saying, "If it didn't happen on screen it didn't happen," but usually that's because I feel people are taking huge leaps in logic to fill in the blanks left by TPTB. This time, though, it made perfect sense to me to assume Lindsay and Jess were friends because Flack and Danny are friends even though I don't think Lindsay and Jess ever shared one scene together.

I think they did in "DOA for a Day," but it wasn't what Lindsay said that bothered me. The words were fine, and I certainly buy that Lindsay knew Angell well enough to be deeply saddened by her death. It was that expression of hers that screamed "look sad now" direction.

After "Grounds for Deception" I was fearful the finale wasn't going to be good. But overall NY is does their finales really well and I was happy with the result.

"Snow Day" still stands as my favorite finale for NY, but this one is probably in second place.

ETA: OK, I lied. There's one more thing I disagreed with. I also liked Danny's reaction in the hospital to hearing Jess passed away. Those two were had a friendly, bantering relationship and I think showing his grief with a bit of anger was a very "Danny" reaction. I didn't find that it detracted from Flack's reaction at all. In fact I found it to be a very powerful scene to see how these two men who are very different and knew Angell in different ways reacted to the news.

I hated that reaction, perhaps because I didn't find it very in character. We've seen Danny react to devastating news many times--he tears up and shuts down. He reacted that way when Aiden died, when Louie was in a coma and after Ruben died. So why is he suddenly going all caveman and punching walls now?

I believe that what Sid actually said to Flack was "How weak and fruitless must be any word of mine," which is actually an Abraham Lincoln quote. I wrote my own review of the episode here. But I agree with you on most parts of your review, and I greatly admire Eddie Cahill's performance in this episode, no matter the other problems I found with it.

Great catch with that quote, and I've fixed it in my review--thank you! I really enjoyed yours as well. I definitely agree that we're probably not going to see any consequences for Flack shooting Cade. I'm sure he could easily argue that the man was going for his gun if he came under scrutiny, and I'm sure Danny would back him up if he did. Cop killers generally don't get much sympathy, so I imagine this is one they'd all look the other way on anyway.

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

ETA: OK, I lied. There's one more thing I disagreed with. I also liked Danny's reaction in the hospital to hearing Jess passed away. Those two were had a friendly, bantering relationship and I think showing his grief with a bit of anger was a very "Danny" reaction. I didn't find that it detracted from Flack's reaction at all. In fact I found it to be a very powerful scene to see how these two men who are very different and knew Angell in different ways reacted to the news.

I hated that reaction, perhaps because I didn't find it very in character. We've seen Danny react to devastating news many times--he tears up and shuts down. He reacted that way when Aiden died, when Louie was in a coma and after Ruben died. So why is he suddenly going all caveman and punching walls now?

Initially he freaked when he arrived at the hospital and they were wheeling Louie in. He had to be restrained and he was screaming, "Don't die on me Louie!" or something similar. When he saw the reconstruction that proved the burned body was Aiden he left the room silently and was tearing up, but when the initial suspect was in the precinct for questioning he freaked and again had to be restrained because he wanted to go after the guy even though he was only being questioned. He also had to be restrained and dragged out of the morgue by Hawkes before he contaminated Ruben's body. I actually think punching the wall was pretty subdued for Danny.

 

[Top41]

Initially he freaked when he arrived at the hospital and they were wheeling Louie in. He had to be restrained and he was screaming, "Don't die on me Louie!" or something similar. When he saw the reconstruction that proved the burned body was Aiden he left the room silently and was tearing up, but when the initial suspect was in the precinct for questioning he freaked and again had to be restrained because he wanted to go after the guy even though he was only being questioned. He also had to be restrained and dragged out of the morgue by Hawkes before he contaminated Ruben's body. I actually think punching the wall was pretty subdued for Danny.

Fair enough, and perhaps it wasn't so much out of character as it was self-indulgent. Angell's death wasn't about Danny; Danny's focus should have been on comforting his grieving friend, not punching walls. So many people have been clamoring for a scene in which Danny comforts Flack, but this fell short.

And it always bothers me when someone makes something about them when it's not. I've called Lindsay to the carpet for it in the past, and it's only fair Danny should be held to the same standard.

 

[Faylinn]

Excellent review, as always, my dear.

Eddie did a phenomenal job in this one, and I think the others did well too. Surprisingly for me, Lindsay didn't really stand out in a bad way this week. I think everyone got a good moment or two. The episode felt solid and well-written, and they left themselves several interesting loose threads to toy with next season (the shooting at the end, obviously, as well as Dunbrook, whether Flack gets in trouble for shooting Angell's killer, etc). It was drastically different than 5.24, and this was a much better way to end the season.

I hate that Angell died because I felt like she had a lot of potential - both in her relationship with Flack and outside of it - and because I like Emmanuelle in the role. I wish she'd had more of a presence in the episodes leading up to her death, though. That being said, I felt that they did a good job with the story (as 'good' as you can do when killing someone I like, that is ), and it gave Eddie a lot of meaty stuff to work with.

The only way to go from here is forward, so I'm curious to see how they replace Angell next season - she's been the only secondary detective since the premiere of season 3, so I'll be interested to see if we get a single detective to join the team, or if they'll have several rotating characters...

I liked seeing Nelly back for a third time as Terrence Davis - his interaction with Flack is great, and I really hope the three-episode-rule doesn't apply in this case. I'd love to see him come back a time or two next season. If not, his scene with Flack in this one was a nice sendoff for the character.

I'd also like to see Dunbrook come back - as far as nemeses are concerned, I like the ones that exist in the gray areas. Cookie-cutter baddies are no fun.

One thing I don't like is when Mac and Stella have a conversation to discuss the lesson of the week. I hope they step that back next season - it happened a few too many times this season for my liking.

Anyway, I thought the episode was great overall, and they did a good job of mixing personal scenes with some science and good old-fashioned detective work. It was exciting, and I think they succeeded in making the audience feel invested in the outcome of the episode - and the start of next season. I'm looking forward to seeing who, if anybody, got hurt at the end (that was a lot of bullets and flying glass for nobody to even get injured - the shooter would have to be the world's worst shot :lol, and I'm curious about who is responsible. Personally, I'm hoping they're setting things up for a multi-episode arc for the beginning of the season - if it features a new nemesis, even better. (I'm not sure why some random person would try to take out the CSI team, but I'm sure the writers will come up with something good. )

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

Initially he freaked when he arrived at the hospital and they were wheeling Louie in. He had to be restrained and he was screaming, "Don't die on me Louie!" or something similar. When he saw the reconstruction that proved the burned body was Aiden he left the room silently and was tearing up, but when the initial suspect was in the precinct for questioning he freaked and again had to be restrained because he wanted to go after the guy even though he was only being questioned. He also had to be restrained and dragged out of the morgue by Hawkes before he contaminated Ruben's body. I actually think punching the wall was pretty subdued for Danny.

Fair enough, and perhaps it wasn't so much out of character as it was self-indulgent. Angell's death wasn't about Danny; Danny's focus should have been on comforting his grieving friend, not punching walls. So many people have been clamoring for a scene in which Danny comforts Flack, but this fell short.

And it always bothers me when someone makes something about them when it's not. I've called Lindsay to the carpet for it in the past, and it's only fair Danny should be held to the same standard.

But I think that it would have been self-indulgent and making it about himself if Danny and Angell hadn't been shown to have a friendly relationship in the past. But it makes sense to me that Danny would react to the news that a friend and collegue just died in the line of duty. Since we haven't seen Danny to be the one to comfort or be there for others I think his being at the hospital and then devoting himself to the case was a huge show of support and comfort. Flack isn't the type of guy who wants someone to be overly demonstrative in regard to him and anything he may be going through and I don't think Danny is emotionally capable of being that way anyway.

I agree that if Lindsay is going to be called out for making things about her then other characters should be called out for the same behavior. I just don't think that showing grief and anger when you've just heard a friend and collegue was murdered qualifies as making it all about yourself. I don't think I'd call Lindsay out for reacting the way Danny did. Although I can't see Lindsay punching a wall. :lol:

 

[CSI Cupcake]

Great review for an Excellent Episode.

I think this one even surpasses Snow Day for me. Everybody had a part in this one. Even Sid, who I just adored in his interaction with Flack in the hospital. That scene made me cry a bit.

Eddie Cahill was so very believable in his grief over Jess. Quiet, in pain, private, driven, such a good interpretation of the character. He proves over and over again that he can handle anything they throw at him and he does it with such dignity.

Once we got past the punching the wall scene, Danny surprised me in this episode with his emotional control. I liked the fact that he kept himself together and acted like an adult in this episode. Did I expect him to manhug Flack...no. I really expected him to go off on a rant and put himself in danger just like we talked about. But Flack didn't need that kind of drama and I appreciated that Danny didn't go there. The fact that he didn't made me watch him carefully. Maybe Danny really is changing the way he deals with his emotions. I loved the baseball bat on the tires scene. That was not at all necessary to gather dirt from the tires but it was a very good outlet for his emotions and he took full advantage of the opportunity to vent in a way that was productive. I also thought Lindsay was very believable in her reactions and emotions. She and Jess may not have been close on screen, but as someone else said, I'm sure they were at least around each other some, as Danny and Don are good friends. I am hoping that Danny and Lindsay will balance each other out some in the emotional arena and both will grow.

I am excited for the new season as they have left us hanging on more than one front. Will Don Flack suffer professionally if he did, in fact, kill the guy once he was down? Will Dunbrook be back again as the thorn in Mac Taylor's side? Who is responsible for the bar shooting and did they all make it to the floor in time to live through it? I hope it takes more than just one episode to figure it all out.

 

[Top41]

Excellent review, as always, my dear.

Eddie did a phenomenal job in this one, and I think the others did well too. Surprisingly for me, Lindsay didn't really stand out in a bad way this week.

Aside from the overly telegraphed expression, I thought she was fine. I liked the way she and Hawkes talked about Angell's death, and thought that they both handled themselves well during the investigation despite obviously grieving over Angell's death.

I hate that Angell died because I felt like she had a lot of potential - both in her relationship with Flack and outside of it - and because I like Emmanuelle in the role. I wish she'd had more of a presence in the episodes leading up to her death, though. That being said, I felt that they did a good job with the story (as 'good' as you can do when killing someone I like, that is ), and it gave Eddie a lot of meaty stuff to work with.

I agree that the character had a lot of potential, and it is a shame to see her go. At the same time, CSI shows run the risk of feeling too "safe" if they don't kill off a character now and then. This was a believable death, and it wasn't for nothing--it launched a good storyline and gave Eddie a lot to work with.

I liked seeing Nelly back for a third time as Terrence Davis - his interaction with Flack is great, and I really hope the three-episode-rule doesn't apply in this case. I'd love to see him come back a time or two next season. If not, his scene with Flack in this one was a nice sendoff for the character.

Nelly was great--I like how he came through for Flack as a favor, not because he had to. That was a nice moment.

But I think that it would have been self-indulgent and making it about himself if Danny and Angell hadn't been shown to have a friendly relationship in the past. But it makes sense to me that Danny would react to the news that a friend and collegue just died in the line of duty. Since we haven't seen Danny to be the one to comfort or be there for others I think his being at the hospital and then devoting himself to the case was a huge show of support and comfort.

I agree that working the case was the best way of helping Flack, but I still don't think punching the wall was a great way to react when his normally stoic best friend is breaking down in the wake of losing his girlfriend. Yes, Danny knew Angell, too. It still doesn't mean he shouldn't have put his own grief aside for a moment to put his hand on Flack's shoulder or do something to reach out. Being at the hospital doesn't mean much if he's just punching walls.

Flack isn't the type of guy who wants someone to be overly demonstrative in regard to him and anything he may be going through and I don't think Danny is emotionally capable of being that way anyway.

No, Flack isn't, but at the same time, I think he would have appreciated it if Danny had sat down next to him or put his hand on his shoulder.

I think the moment called for a quieter reaction from Danny--the punch to the wall was jarring and over-dramatic. I like Danny's fits of drama most of the time, but this really grated with me.

I agree that if Lindsay is going to be called out for making things about her then other characters should be called out for the same behavior. I just don't think that showing grief and anger when you've just heard a friend and collegue was murdered qualifies as making it all about yourself. I don't think I'd call Lindsay out for reacting the way Danny did. Although I can't see Lindsay punching a wall. :lol:

It's not that Danny didn't have a right to his grief, but Flack's need for comfort was greater in that moment. If a friend tells you his wife died, do you punch the wall, or do you comfort the poor guy? It wasn't about Danny in that moment, but his action made it about him.

Great review for an Excellent Episode.

I think this one even surpasses Snow Day for me. Everybody had a part in this one. Even Sid, who I just adored in his interaction with Flack in the hospital. That scene made me cry a bit.

That was definitely the strongest scene in the episode--there was something very raw and real about it. It wasn't overdone, it wasn't full of hand-wringing and sobbing--it was quietly powerful.

Eddie Cahill was so very believable in his grief over Jess. Quiet, in pain, private, driven, such a good interpretation of the character. He proves over and over again that he can handle anything they throw at him and he does it with such dignity.

I really believe that on a week-to-week basis, Cahill gives the strongest performances on this show. He's consistently excellent; I've never seen him give a less than stellar performance.

Once we got past the punching the wall scene, Danny surprised me in this episode with his emotional control. I liked the fact that he kept himself together and acted like an adult in this episode. Did I expect him to manhug Flack...no. I really expected him to go off on a rant and put himself in danger just like we talked about. But Flack didn't need that kind of drama and I appreciated that Danny didn't go there.

Aside from the punch, I thought he handled himself very well. Danny's pretty intuitive when it comes down to it--he really does pick up on what others are feeling and reacts to that, sometimes in a helpful way, sometimes not. He's not really a typical guy in that way--Danny definitely picks up on the nuances of what people are feeling. I think he knew what Flack needed was to focus on finding Angell's killer...so that's what Danny focused on.

The fact that he didn't made me watch him carefully. Maybe Danny really is changing the way he deals with his emotions. I loved the baseball bat on the tires scene. That was not at all necessary to gather dirt from the tires but it was a very good outlet for his emotions and he took full advantage of the opportunity to vent in a way that was productive.

It was nice to see him focus his emotions on the case, and being helpful as opposed to causing scenes as he has in the past. :lol:

I also thought Lindsay was very believable in her reactions and emotions. She and Jess may not have been close on screen, but as someone else said, I'm sure they were at least around each other some, as Danny and Don are good friends. I am hoping that Danny and Lindsay will balance each other out some in the emotional arena and both will grow.

I think they both have a lot of growing up to do if they're going to make good parents, but they've shown some signs of maturing, at least in the way they approach one another. Danny has definitely thrown himself into being a father.

I am excited for the new season as they have left us hanging on more than one front. Will Don Flack suffer professionally if he did, in fact, kill the guy once he was down? Will Dunbrook be back again as the thorn in Mac Taylor's side? Who is responsible for the bar shooting and did they all make it to the floor in time to live through it? I hope it takes more than just one episode to figure it all out.

I hope so, too--if there's one weakness all of the CSI shows have in common, it's that they tend to rush conclusions to long-running storylines. One of the downfalls of episodic television, I suppose--though I've also noticed the shows have trended away from that lately, and drawn things out a bit more (Tara Price's drug use on Miami comes to mind, along with the Greek coin storyline). So I hope we get a satisfying conclusion next season--though I don't expect Flack to suffer any repercussions for killing Cade.

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

I agree that working the case was the best way of helping Flack, but I still don't think punching the wall was a great way to react when his normally stoic best friend is breaking down in the wake of losing his girlfriend. Yes, Danny knew Angell, too. It still doesn't mean he shouldn't have put his own grief aside for a moment to put his hand on Flack's shoulder or do something to reach out. Being at the hospital doesn't mean much if he's just punching walls.

True it wasn't helpful, but I think it was understandable considering he was just told a mutual friend had died.

It's not that Danny didn't have a right to his grief, but Flack's need for comfort was greater in that moment. If a friend tells you his wife died, do you punch the wall, or do you comfort the poor guy? It wasn't about Danny in that moment, but his action made it about him.

If I was friends with the wife and him telling me was the first knowledge I had of the death I'd probably punch the wall and then comfort him. Unfortunately TPTB chose to just show the punching the wall part, so while I don't agree I can certainly see why one would think Danny was making it about him.

 

[Ceindreadh]

I was a little dissapointed with the resolution of the ep. I was half hoping that it would turn out that Dunbrook Junior had set up the whole kidnapping plot to screw his father out of enough money to set himself up for life.

Watching Angell and Stella pack George Kolovos up in a shipping crate and send him off to Cyprus in "Point of No Return" was downright fun.

Fun if you like watching supposedly honourable characters commit a felony and then get away with it.

Angell will definitely be missed by her teammates--and CSI: NY viewers.

Not this one! I never took to Angell, was even less impressed with her when she started shifting Flack, and was downright happy when the spoilers for this ep came out. (even in death she looked as smug as ever)

 

[Elsie]

Great review, Kristine.

Eddie Cahill was awesome. I really felt for Flack throughout this episode, and I'll definitely miss Angell. This was an intense and emotional finale.

I was slightly less impressed by the cliffhanger. Of course I want to know what happens, but it didn't leave me fully in suspense. I would have liked to see some blood, or perhaps to have seen who (if anyone) is injured...

 

[ErinElizabeth]

Good review Kristine.
Naturally, there are a few things I disagree with but we've been down that road. :lol: And I do regret my immaturity in the past and not expressing my opinion better.

But, like always, you made a lot of great points as well.

Eddie was so amazing in this episode. I'm really glad the writers gave him the chance to shine and didn't make it ultimately all about Mac. Eddie actually got more screentime and more intense scenes than I thought he would.

That scene with Sid was just... perfect. I know we haven't seen them on screen together that much but I've always thought they had a good dynamic. And Sid was just so amazing and compassionate. It made me love his character even more.

I was so shocked when Flack killed Jess's killer. I never once thought he would pull that trigger. While it's a little upsetting I'm glad they did it because it shows just how affected he was and Eddie pulled off the conflict and emotion perfectly. Also, like I said, it never even crossed my mind that he would so it made for a great shock to see it happen.

I don't think we'll see any legal repercussions of him killing that guy but I would like to see some emotional repercussions. Guilt maybe? I can imagine him struggling with it in retrospect. Cause really, what he did was murder. Justified or not, it was and I can see it coming back to bite him emotionally.

 

[Ellescene]

Great review!

Just out of curiosity, any word on why Vaugier decided to leave the show? Did the producers decide not to renew her contract for another season, or did she leave the show to pursue other opportunities, maybe?

And am I the only one absolutely appalled at Flack shooting Cade in the boiler room? I don't care what anybody says, how much you love Flack, or Angell, or both, shooting an unarmed, injured man while he's down is not cool. Believe me, I love Flack, but that shot was the most appalling thing I've ever seen him do. Yes, there was a gun there, but I don't think Cade made any move to reach for it, and even then, Flack was obviously the one in control at the point; he could have easily knocked the gun away.