CSI: New York--'Personal Foul'

[CSI Files]

<p><b>Synopsis:</b><p>Danny and Flack are enjoying watching the New York Empires play basketball when a fan wins a drawing to shoot a basket--and potentially win a million dollars if he makes it. Dougan Scott is the lucky winner--after kissing all of the cheerleaders, he makes the shot--and drops dead almost immediately after. Sid determines he died from atropine poisoning from the belladonna plant, but notes that it wasn't injected. Lindsay surmises it may have been ingested or delivered via direct contact. Danny questions Lamont Henford, a concession vendor who got into a fight with Dougan, but he claims after the brawl he went home early. After analyzing twelve lipstick prints from the cheerleaders lifted from Dougan's face, the CSIs determine one of the cheerleaders had the poison in her lipstick. After taking new samples of the cheerleaders' lip impressions, Danny gets a match to the head cheerleader, Paula Tolomeo. When Lindsay analyzes video from the game, she sees that the ticket Paula picked out wasn't even for Dougan's seat. The CSIs get a warrant to search Paula's apartment. In addition to finding both belladonna and its antidote, Lindsay discovers a picture of an obese woman who turns out to in fact be Paula--two years ago, when Dougan Scott made fun of her in the stands after she won the million-dollar toss. Paula dropped the weight and made the squad so she would have the opportunity to kill Dougan. Stunned, Danny tells her he hopes it was worth it.<p>The taxi cab killer strikes again, putting Mac in the hot seat. The body of a woman is found in a fountain in Brill Park, called in by Abraham Katz, the man in charge of removing the coins from the fountain each night. Mac angrily demands the coins Katz removed from around the woman's dead body. Mac fields a call from his stepson Reed Garrett asking for information on the taxi cab killer for his blog, but Mac refuses, telling Reed he's crossing the line. At a press conference about the serial killer, Reed questions Mac once again, this time publicly, asking if he'd take a cab in the city right now. Mac says no, angering Jordan Gates, who tells Mac he's panicking the public and jeopardizing business in the city. Hawkes traces the tarps the killer wraps his victims in to Kings County College, where he and Stella discover similar tarps at a construction site, along with tire treads. Stella traces the tires and a dispatch button found among the coins from the fountain to a cab company, where the harried manager tells her and Hawkes a cabbie quit in a rage several months ago. The manager shows Hawkes where the man punched a hole in the wall, and the CSI is able to get a DNA sample from it. He gets a hit on the DNA linking it to a case in Rochester. The case turns out to be the murder of a prostitute who was found with similar marks on her back to those found on the victims of the taxi cab killer.<p>Mac angrily tells Reed off for making up a story and naming him as the source. He warns Reed to be careful who he messes with. Reed gets a mysterious text naming a meeting point and promising more information on the taxi cab killer. Hawkes finds drugs in the killer's blood that indicate he was being treated for extreme psychosis. He and Stella are able to trace the drugs to a recently closed facility named Mannix Asylum, and bring the patient records to Mac. One of them looks like a promising suspect, but the lead turns cold when the only name on the case file turns out to be "John Doe." Mac decides to put his entire team on the case, making finding the killer their top priority. After trying to talk to Lindsay at the lab and being rebuffed, Danny calls her and tells he misses her and that he's sorry for shutting her out. She asks him if he has any idea how hard he is to love, but when he invites her over, she tells him she has to go. Rikki Sandoval stops by Danny's apartment with a jar of sugar for him. He starts to tell her they need to end their affair, but she cuts him off, telling him she's moving away--that the memories of Ruben are too much for her. Finished with her 'rain walk,' Lindsay heads to the subway only to find it closed. As she debates hailing a cab, Reed gets into one, disappointed the person he was supposed to meet with the tip never showed up. He tries to talk to the cabbie, but the man ignores him, driving off with Reed trapped in the back....<p><b>Analysis:</b><p>Mac Taylor is under the gun in this episode, as the taxi cab killer who first appeared in <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/episodes/newyork/season4/like_water_for_murder.shtml">"Like Water for Murder"</a> strikes again, this time dumping the body of his victim in a fountain rather than the ocean. The killer's profile increases exponentially with this victim, forcing Mac to give a press conference in which he admits he wouldn't get into a cab in the city with the killer on the loose. It's a bold but truthful statement from Mac, who isn't going to lie to the press--and more importantly, the public--in the face of a very real threat. It's this kind of integrity that gets Mac in trouble; unless absolutely forced to, he won't play political games or downplay the importance of an investigation.<p>This angers Jordan Gates, the mayor's criminal justice coordinator, who worries about the economic impact of Mac's pronouncement on the city. Mac saved her life in <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/episodes/newyork/season4/doa_for_a_day.shtml">"DOA For a Day"</a>, but Jordan isn't cutting him any slack here, accusing him of creating a panic. Mac counters with telling her he'd rather be unemployed than dead, and asks her if she's going to take responsibility for the next person who winds up dead. Ever the politician, she has no comment to that. <font color=yellow>Jessalyn Gilsig</font> brings a fiery intensity to what is, at least in this episode, a rather clichéd and thankless role--the opposition for the put-upon hero.<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/personal_foul.shtml">here</A>.<center></center>

 

[Elsie]

Great review as always Kristine!

I didn't think the episode was particularly great, and I definitely agree with the majority of your analysis of it. The CSI's were definitely too slow on the case, it was pretty obvious where it was going.

Danny and Lindsay's ill-defined relationship continues to confuse me. I agree that his interaction and communication with both Rikki and Lindsay doesn't suggest that he actually cheated on her, but it's difficult to pin down exactly what was going on. All I know is that Lindsay continuing to blow off his desire for them to talk makes her seem childish, selfish and immature. I'm sad to see Rikki go, she was a great character, and the ending of the Ruben storyline whilst sad in a way is probably a good thing, because Danny's depression and angst is beginning to grate a little.

Seeing Danny at the beginning of the episode, happy, laughing with Flack and having a good time was markedly different from how he appears when he is in his apartment brooding over things. I partly attribute this to Lindsay, I think that whilst he may have pushed her away, she is punishing him much more severely than he deserves and she doesn't seem to have recognised how much support he needs at the moment.

Anyway, as for Reed. He is irritating to Mac, and it irritated me that he was stupid enough to go to a meeting with an anonymous tipster, who doesn't show, and then get into a cab after Mac had himself said that right now he wouldn't do such a thing. Still, I hope Reed is OK, and I can't wait for next week.

 

[Kimmychu]

Kristine, that was a f***ing fantastic review, the best I've read yet! :bolian:

I second everything Elsie said too.

 

[JupShooter]

I agree that the show wasn't as good as it could be but I like that it has a story line that takes up more then just one episode. The Taxicab story is a great one, espeically for people who work or live in NY. New Yorkers wouldn't know what to do if we couldn't use a cab every once in a while.

I also agree that the friendship b/t Flack and Danny is a great one. Eddie Cahill and Carmine Giovinazzo really play off each other well. I hope that the writers and producers try to have more casual scenes w/ these great actors.

I have to say though, that I disagree with the part of the review that said "The comment suggests Flack, who's fiercely protective of his vulnerable friend, likely doesn't think much of the way Lindsay treats Danny." I don't think that Flack feels that way at all. I think that he is protective of Danny but he also realizes that the relationship b/t Danny and Lindsay is not solid at the moment. He knows how much Lindsay cares about Danny especially when she went to Flack to have him check on Danny when he wasn't showing up to work after Ruben was shot. She was covering for him w/ Mac and was pretty protective of him herself.

Also, I think that Lindsay has a right to be a little angry at Danny right now. She tried to help him when he needed it the most and he pushed her away. I think she is becomming a stronger character and is definitely not an unappealing character. Danny doesn't know when he has a good thing and obviously doesn't seem to care that he cheated on his girlfriend. I understand that he has a lot of guily right now b/c he feels that Ruben's death was his fault but he also needs to see that there are people around him that love him and want to help him.

 

[Top41]

Thanks, guys!

Danny and Lindsay's ill-defined relationship continues to confuse me. I agree that his interaction and communication with both Rikki and Lindsay doesn't suggest that he actually cheated on her, but it's difficult to pin down exactly what was going on. All I know is that Lindsay continuing to blow off his desire for them to talk makes her seem childish, selfish and immature.

It's just another example of how juvenile the pairing is, and how both characters are dumbed down for it to exist. Mature adults hear each other out. Not wanting to talk at work is one thing--though considering she unloaded on him at work, she looks like a hypocrite for acting like he's insane for wanting to discuss things at work--but not even giving him an answer on his 'when' question is just childish. Lindsay is supposed to be a professional woman that we're supposed to take seriously, but when she acts so childish, it's really impossible to.

I'm sad to see Rikki go, she was a great character, and the ending of the Ruben storyline whilst sad in a way is probably a good thing, because Danny's depression and angst is beginning to grate a little.

I do think the storyline ended at a natural point.

Seeing Danny at the beginning of the episode, happy, laughing with Flack and having a good time was markedly different from how he appears when he is in his apartment brooding over things. I partly attribute this to Lindsay, I think that whilst he may have pushed her away, she is punishing him much more severely than he deserves and she doesn't seem to have recognised how much support he needs at the moment.

Agreed--it's always about how she's feeling and never about him, even when he needs support and caring. But then, Danny seems drawn to being mistreated, so in that regard they fit, because Lindsay seems more than happy to be cruel to him.

Anyway, as for Reed. He is irritating to Mac, and it irritated me that he was stupid enough to go to a meeting with an anonymous tipster, who doesn't show, and then get into a cab after Mac had himself said that right now he wouldn't do such a thing. Still, I hope Reed is OK, and I can't wait for next week.

Reed has gotten caught up in his job to a foolish extent, but at least it's still believable, as opposed to the frustratingly cliched actions/rebellions of Lindsey Willows on CSI or Ray, Jr. and Kyle Harmon on Miami.

I agree that the show wasn't as good as it could be but I like that it has a story line that takes up more then just one episode. The Taxicab story is a great one, espeically for people who work or live in NY. New Yorkers wouldn't know what to do if we couldn't use a cab every once in a while.

That is definitely true :lol: , and I liked the little radio bits of frustrated New York cabbies complaining about the lack of work. That was a nice touch.

I have to say though, that I disagree with the part of the review that said "The comment suggests Flack, who's fiercely protective of his vulnerable friend, likely doesn't think much of the way Lindsay treats Danny." I don't think that Flack feels that way at all. I think that he is protective of Danny but he also realizes that the relationship b/t Danny and Lindsay is not solid at the moment.

And his comment suggests he doesn't think it's a bad thing. There are a lot of other things he could have said rather than suggesting Danny piss Lindsay off more often.

He knows how much Lindsay cares about Danny especially when she went to Flack to have him check on Danny when he wasn't showing up to work after Ruben was shot. She was covering for him w/ Mac and was pretty protective of him herself.

He knows Lindsay cares about Danny, but look at the differences in the way they treat Danny. Danny was far more openly bratty to Flack than he ever has been to Lindsay, but Flack was patient and caring with him and understood that he was coming from a place of hurt and guilt. Contrast that with how Lindsay has been treating Danny over the last few episodes. I don't think Flack would or does have much sympathy for her in that regard.

Also, I think that Lindsay has a right to be a little angry at Danny right now. She tried to help him when he needed it the most and he pushed her away. I think she is becomming a stronger character and is definitely not an unappealing character. Danny doesn't know when he has a good thing and obviously doesn't seem to care that he cheated on his girlfriend. I understand that he has a lot of guily right now b/c he feels that Ruben's death was his fault but he also needs to see that there are people around him that love him and want to help him.

If Lindsay was mad at him for sleeping with Rikki, then yes, I'd say she's justified in how she's been treating him. But as far as we know, she has no idea about Rikki, so she's basically been mad at him for not grieving the way she wants him to, which is absurd. Danny didn't have a good thing--he just went back to her because he seems to have a pathological fear of losing people and seemed to say whatever she wanted to hear.

The issue as to whether they were together or not remains frustratingly unanswered. Danny, a character who clearly feels enormous amounts of guilt, seems to feel nothing about sleeping with someone else, so I tend to lean towards the idea that Lindsay read more into it than he did. Turning Rikki away was clearly him choosing to go forward with Lindsay, but given his reactions, I don't think he thought they were together before that. And I also wonder if he's choosing her more because she's in love with him than the reverse.

 

[Faylinn]

Great review, as usual.

Reed is very frustrating, but I'm hoping that we'll see the character back next season and that this whole storyline will provide him with some much-needed personal growth. He has some hard lessons to learn, and this is a dangerous way to learn them.

The whole Lindsay/Danny/Rikki fiasco is painfully trite, and I've yet to see anything that makes me think 'Gee, Lindsay is the best woman ever and Danny needs to wake up and grovel at her feet.' Yet here he is, apologizing for grieving, basically, and being made to feel worse by a person who claims to love him.

Oh yes, true love at its finest.

Also: 'You should piss Lindsay off more often'? That certainly doesn't sound like a man scolding his friend for risking the One True Love of his lifetime.

And is it just me, or are the references to Montana getting more and more eye-rollingly stupid? I'd be interested to know what someone who is actually from Montana thinks of the crap they have her say.

To conclude: I so want to go on a field trip with Sheldon.

 

[saggrrl]

Carmine and Eddie scenes are great. I also enjoy watching Stella, Hawkes, and Mac work a case together. They have great onscreen chemistry.
Lindsay is not and unappealing character. She has a right to be mad at Danny and I'm glad their showing her disappointment in his choosing to push her away during a time when he should have gotten closer to her and not his neighbor. The women's son just died, he's a CSI. He must know that is the worst thing a parent could experience. He was being selfish by sleeping with her to relieve his guilt and pain. He's only adding to her heartache when he wakes up and realises he wants Lindsay. It a good thing she decided to move cause sleeping with your neighbor is the second worst decision a person can make other than to sleep with a co-worker. If it ends badly, you not only mess up your working relationship(s) (which Anna did a great job showing how it can become messy at work for either person in a work related relationship gone bad) but also now your living situation can be a mess too (seeing your ex in the hallway, laundry room, at the mailboxes, and worst case seeing someone else entering and leaving their apartment when you're no longer welcome in it, like Rikki last night.

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

Lindsay is not and unappealing character.

Underlining it doesn't make it a fact. Some people hate her and that's just as valid an opinion as thinking she's the most awesomest character on the show.

 

[privatename]

She has a right to be mad at Danny and I'm glad their showing her disappointment in his choosing to push her away during a time when he should have gotten closer to her and not his neighbor.

It was arguably an opportunity for Danny and Lindsay to get closer and I understand her disappointment, but saying that he "should" have talked to Lindsay so that they would get closer is, in my opinion, wrong. There are no should haves in this situation. It is natural for Danny to talk with the woman who lost her son. They were both grieving for the same child. I can see her grief would be greater, but they both experienced the loss. (I am not referring to him having sex with her which was an understandable albeit bad move because at this point, as far as I can tell, Lindsay doesn't know he slept with Rikki. )

Great review, as usual.

Reed is very frustrating, but I'm hoping that we'll see the character back next season and that this whole storyline will provide him with some much-needed personal growth. He has some hard lessons to learn, and this is a dangerous way to learn them.

I agree with this. Reed has become a tad obnoxious, but I think it is his age and I do think that this will provide him with some growth. At least I hope it does because he really was a likeable character the first few episodes he was in.

And is it just me, or are the references to Montana getting more and more eye-rollingly stupid? I'd be interested to know what someone who is actually from Montana thinks of the crap they have her say.

No, it isn't just you. As if people from Montana (or country girls) are the only ones who like walks in the rain. I personally love walking in the rain if I am in the right mood and I was raised no where near Montana or the country.

 

[miss_blue]

The review was awesome, like always

Sadly, I was expecting a very good episode, just like Admissions, but I am still amazed by the fact that NY hasn't ever provided two excellent episodes one after another.

For me, everything that ruined the episode was the D/L thrown all over the place. Danny is returning slowly, but surely to the idiotic self from Season 3 and I don't like it at all.

I agree with everyone who said that Montana references start to get annoying, and tiring. "Walking in the rain is a Montana thing, you wouldn't understand.." Oh, really? You sure 'bout that?

Reed is annoying indeed, although it bugs me I think that his annoyance is trying to lead towards something interesting. And as seen in the promo it will.

I loved Mac tonight because I saw the warmer side of him, and I actually sympathized with him. Mac is not my favourite character, but last night he kind of carried the episode.

The Danny/Flack scenes were enchanting. Although, I found Flack's line "you should piss off Lindsay more often" as showing Flack a replacement for Lindsay, because she couldn't/didn't want to be there, Flack took her place. I admit that I haven't thought about the other point of view that Flack didn't scold Danny (Why would he ). Flack and his funny faces ruled like always.

Overall it kind of bore me. It took me more than 1 and a half hour to watch it fully and actually pay attention to some of the scenes.

 

[GSRgirl]

I don't care how "damaged" Danny is. The fact that he slept with another woman makes him a Class A JERK. I don't think Lindsay overreacted. I think deep down she knows what is going on and she has every right to act the way that she does. Why does his "emotional issues" excuse his selfish and destructive behavior? If anything, we need to feel a little sympathy for Lindsay. She has had to deal with his pathetic, wimpy, and boorish behavior.

 

[Top41]

I don't care how "damaged" Danny is. The fact that he slept with another woman makes him a Class A JERK.

Only if he and Lindsay were actually together at the time he did that. We still have no idea if they were or not.

I don't think Lindsay overreacted. I think deep down she knows what is going on and she has every right to act the way that she does. Why does his "emotional issues" excuse his selfish and destructive behavior? If anything, we need to feel a little sympathy for Lindsay. She has had to deal with his pathetic, wimpy, and boorish behavior.

I think there would be a lot more sympathy for Lindsay if she knew Danny had slept with someone else and that was the reason for her behavior towards him. But it wasn't. She basically laid into him and then blew him off because he didn't include her in his grieving process. And that was what was selfish of her.