CSI: New York--'Right Next Door'

[CSI Files]

<p><b>Synopsis:</b><p>When a death on the streets of New York turns out to be a sad accident, Mac sends Stella home, but the CSI awakens hours later to find her apartment filled with smoke. She rushes into the hallway and rescues Jason, the son of her neighbor Bonnie Dillard, who is grateful when Stella brings the boy to her. The CSI team suspects arson when they find a charred body in the apartment of Sean Nolan. Sid determines that the victim was female and that she died not of smoke inhalation but of injuries from a car accident. Hawkes uses goldfish in the department to figure out the woman has been dead for days and when Nolan is tracked down, he identifies her as Martha Brackton, who was taking care of his fish. Lindsay determines the fire didn't originate from Nolan's apartment, and Stella asks Adam to follow up on a note she found in her apartment after the fire reading "Help Me." The CSIs return to the building and determine the fire began in Bonnie Dillard's apartment. When fingerprints on a lighter found in the apartment are a match to a missing girl named Bailey O'Dell, Stella realizes the girl Bonnie claimed was her niece was in fact an abducted child.<p>After sharing a passionate night with Rikki Sandoval, Danny declines to have lunch with Lindsay, causing her to get upset with him for not confiding in her about the death of Rikki's son, Ruben, and telling him she's fallen in love with him. The CSIs manage to catch Bonnie when she files an insurance claim on her apartment, but she refuses to give up the children's location. Adam matches prints off of the note in Stella's apartment to Jason. Lindsay is able to trace a rare pollen to a rooftop garden, and Mac, Stella and Flack rush there, relieved to find both Jason and Bailey among the flowers. Bailey is returned to her family and Jason, whose real name is Austin Tanner, is returned to his mother.<p><b>Analysis</b><p>Stella's apartment goes up in flames in this exciting episode, proving once again that it's more fun when the team is united on one case, and it means more when one of the team has a personal stake in what's going on. In this case, it's Stella, who really hasn't had an episode focused on her since last season's <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/episodes/newyork/season3/cold_reveal.shtml">"Cold Reveal"</a>. Poor Stella goes home after a hard day's work only to wake up coughing in the middle of the night, realizing her apartment building is on fire.<p>The dramatic teaser gives Stella a chance to be a hero: she rescues Jason, the son--or so she thinks--of her neighbor Bonnie Dillard. <font color=yellow>Melina Kanakaredes</font> always rises to the occasion when Stella is called into action, and this episode is no different: she rushes out of her apartment and immediately begins to instruct her neighbors, with all the authority of someone who has been through a crisis or two, to get out of the building. After clearing the hall, she bravely rushes into Bonnie Dillard's apartment, searching for the woman and the two children she knows are with her. Would we expect anything else of the brave, tough CSI? Not really, and it's fun to see her in action.<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/right_next_door.shtml">here</A>.<center></center>

 

[Faylinn]

Lovely review, as always.

I definitely agree about Danny not having a flippin' clue what Lindsay thought their relationship was. Don't all of the books and movies and magazines say that communication is the key to a successful relationship? I don't know if these two communicate at all--until it becomes one big drama llama. Lindsay might have avoided some of the hurt if she'd confronted Danny about pulling away sooner, and Danny would have been smart not to avoid Lindsay so much. They're both to blame for things going wrong here. It takes two to tango.

I definitely think Danny and Rikki were compelling in their scene, and I think the fact that they were open and honest in their communication about what their relationship was--and wasn't--is a stark contrast to D/L.

Adam was wonderful in his scenes with Stella--I love AJ more and more each time he's on the show, and I can't express how glad I am that TPTB seem to feel the same way.

And yes, Adam definitely has a bit of a crush on Stella--and who wouldn't?! I have a bit of a crush on her myself.

 

[Kimmychu]

Excellent review! I agree with all of it.

 

[Top41]

Thanks, guys!

Lovely review, as always.

I definitely agree about Danny not having a flippin' clue what Lindsay thought their relationship was. Don't all of the books and movies and magazines say that communication is the key to a successful relationship? I don't know if these two communicate at all--until it becomes one big drama llama. Lindsay might have avoided some of the hurt if she'd confronted Danny about pulling away sooner, and Danny would have been smart not to avoid Lindsay so much. They're both to blame for things going wrong here. It takes two to tango.

It does, and I think it's just one of the major problems in the relationship. They're very immature together--Danny plays the clueless boyfriend and Lindsay the pissy high school girl, mad that her boyfriend, well, forgot her birthday. As someone mentioned elsewhere, storming off in front of Hawkes was unprofessional and childish.

I definitely think Danny and Rikki were compelling in their scene, and I think the fact that they were open and honest in their communication about what their relationship was--and wasn't--is a stark contrast to D/L.

Great point--I liked that a lot. They talked about how they felt, what they were doing and both were on the same page. It was like watching two adults--such a refreshing contrast to Lindsay and Danny--or at least who he is around Lindsay.

Adam was wonderful in his scenes with Stella--I love AJ more and more each time he's on the show, and I can't express how glad I am that TPTB seem to feel the same way.

And yes, Adam definitely has a bit of a crush on Stella--and who wouldn't?! I have a bit of a crush on her myself.

Agreed! AJ is just awesome, and the crush on Stella just adorkable.

 

[LpoHeartsNick]

I don't agree with anything that was said about Lindsay in this review.
I think Anna did a great job of conveying her feelings to Danny, and if I were in Lindsay's place I'm sure I would act the same way.

 

[church2001]

One thing that I enjoyed in this episode (and the episode on CSI) was the fact both opened in a way that tricked viewers. Neither opening really contributed to the episode (though the stand-up on CSI found the body) and they were really there to fool the audience into thinking the episode was going one way when it really took off in another. In a way the show's formula needs to be messed with once in a while especially when CSI has been on for so long.

 

[ilovedanny2]

I don't agree with anything that was said about Lindsay in this review.
I think Anna did a great job of conveying her feelings to Danny, and if I were in Lindsay's place I'm sure I would act the same way.

OMG ME TOO!! I would be giving him such a cold shoulder that if he touched me i'd shatter.

Lets hope they get back together and soon!!!

 

[lindsmesser]

which ever way you put it, what danny did cheating on lindsay wasn't cool at all!

i hope the writers redeem danny's character in the show. he is such a great guy for him to do that to a woman, i mean, not after the lengths he went through for lindsay. i still hope they get back together though, but not until lindsay gives him a hard enough time to make him swear he ain't ever gonna cheat on her again.

 

[Top41]

Danny only needs redeeming if you think he cheated on Lindsay. I think the character has gone down a dark, intriguing path since Ruben's death, and I think it's more about Danny and what he's going through than Lindsay. With what we've seen from Lindsay, it seems like she had different expectations of the relationship than Danny did, and that they weren't on the same page. We've yet to hear Danny's side of things.

 

[lindsmesser]

Danny only needs redeeming if you think he cheated on Lindsay. I think the character has gone down a dark, intriguing path since Ruben's death, and I think it's more about Danny and what he's going through than Lindsay. With what we've seen from Lindsay, it seems like she had different expectations of the relationship than Danny did, and that they weren't on the same page. We've yet to hear Danny's side of things.

yeah, i somewhat agree with you, Top41. but i have to admit, though, i got really upset after seeing danny with that rikki. i mean, after everything that they went through, their "relationship" was just "friends with benefits"?

i don't know, i guess i'm still reeling from what danny did. but thanks for at least trying to ease the "scorned woman's" feelings, though. but what kind of explanation would danny have to make for everything to feel alright?

 

[Sticks]

Would Stella have been allowed to be involved in an investigation involved in the torching of her own building? Conflict of interest anyone?

As for the theme of finding missing children, very reminiscent of two cases we have in the UK, one child still missing and one that was found alive, (Shannon Matthews) but is now in the care of social services.

 

[Top41]

yeah, i somewhat agree with you, Top41. but i have to admit, though, i got really upset after seeing danny with that rikki. i mean, after everything that they went through, their "relationship" was just "friends with benefits"?

I think that was surprising to a lot of people, both those who like the pairing and those who don't. I don't think they're a good match up, but I assumed they were dating, until "DOA" and this episode, which I think pretty well showed they hadn't gotten serious. There are also signs throughout the season that Danny didn't seem to be as invested as Lindsay. The two characters never seem to be on the same page, and I think the best move right now would be to let them go their separate ways.

i don't know, i guess i'm still reeling from what danny did. but thanks for at least trying to ease the "scorned woman's" feelings, though. but what kind of explanation would danny have to make for everything to feel alright?

I don't know if Danny owes an "explanation," but it will be interesting to hear his side of things. My guess is that it will be somewhere along the lines of him having no idea her feelings for him ran that deep, and that he needed to work out his grief/guilt in his own way.

Would Stella have been allowed to be involved in an investigation involved in the torching of her own building? Conflict of interest anyone?

Probably not, but the only time the show seems to remember that CSIs aren't supposed to be investigating crimes that they're linked to in some way is when poor Danny gets in trouble. Mac and Stella seem to have no compunction about being included in cases that directly involve them.