I'm in full agreement on David & Eva's performances - I loved every second of them. Both were fabulous!
Starting with the intro -- the Marisol "hallucination" (is that what we should call it?) was
ok. It was better than I thought it would be, & I liked how they pulled him back to reality with the blood seeping through his shirt & seeing Natalia's face as Marisol.
The rescue was also done well. So glad that neither one had to pull a 'Houdini'!
The ambulance ride was exciting -- it was rather cool to see them side by side (I think there was a brief moment they were holding each others hand) while all the commotion/chaos was happening between the EMT's voices & flashbacks. I love anything that brings the teammembers closer, & this event certainly felt that way for Horatio & Natalia.
Natalia running & falling as she tried to get to 'Randy' in the hospital --
great scene. I love how natural it came across.
You'd think at that moment they'd cut to "yeaaaahhhhhh", but no. We're going full-speed ahead. Suddenly Natalia is running to H thinking she's crazy, & Horatio is standing as if neither had just been beating down death's door.
At this point, I'm a little irritated at the pace -- I can barely keep up with thier conversation as both seemed to be talking over each other.
Quickly back to the lab, & I'm now expecting to see some "my god, are you ok" or ...
something. But no. Ryan & Calleigh are both going "duuihh" like H & Natalia had just been on an extended freaking lunch break. What the hell, I say.
Still no Daltrey. Could they have crammed anymore into the first 5 minutes?
Sure they can, & they did. Even catching the guy who put Horatio & Natalia in the positions they were just in.
All that aside, the episode was pretty good. I'd been waiting like everyone else, very impatiently. I had missed it, & it was great just seeing them back.
The Natalia & Ryan scene was absolutely sweet. For two people who used to have so many disagreements & petty bickering spats (not to mention Ryan not even wanting her there as a CSI), it's so nice to see that TPTB have turned it into - IMO - the most beautiful friendship on this show.
Enter Natalia pissed & flying off on Randy. I'm sure I wasn't the only one screaming "you go, girl!". Loved Horatio's gentle "Natalia, sweetheart".
Now for the only real complaint on the episode...
I really felt that it should have been his team around him and taking care of him in that last scene where, with nothing more immediate to fight for, his body and his spirit were shutting down. I know that TPTB used Renee because they want to keep alive the hope of an H romance, but Horatio has always been there for everyone else and it was WRONG for his team NOT to be there for him.
Yes. I was terribly disappointed in the lack of reaction from the team. As sweet as Ryan's talk with Natalia was, even that came off a little too casual for what she had just gone through (but on the flipside, it was good he got her to smile). But here is Horatio - looking like absolute death - barely upright, & ....nothing.
From the moment they caught Toller & Horatio was on the ground, Eric (with the team following) should've taken him to the hospital & the episode should've finished there. Frank & Walter were both there when Toller was arrested -- there was no reason for him to have to leave Horatio just laying there (note I am not hating on Eric, this is all on TPTB).
Not too keen on the fact that H was instead outside the station - alone - while everyone else was doing thier own little thing. It felt disjointed, & I feel tptb truly missed the mark here. They wanted to insert Renee -- ok, but it would've worked just as well had the team taken H to the hospital & she showed up at the end to see how he was. The rest could've excused themselves to get some coffee, so that they could have thier "moment" if that's what TPTB were so damn hard-up to do.
All in all, a good episode. Great performances, & a wonderful 'welcome back' ...but totally missed that "something special" with/from the team that should have been there for this occasion.
.....before it leaves my head -- kudos to whoever deserves the credit for letting Eva & David look "not so glamorous" throughout the episode. Both actually LOOKED like they'd been through hell & back. That's what I like to see.