I have to point out right away, any episode that begins with Alexx Woods is a good episode. It was awesome to see her once more, and to see that her concern for Eric was still intact. This is clearly a relationship eight years in the making that sticks, and it's believable. Alexx always conveyed a sort of parent vibe when it concerned her colleagues, and here it is no different. She's never gone overboard with her concern, and just like a mother, she spots out quickly that there's something amiss with Eric and she calls him out on it. Before Eric can explain how he's feeling, the action ramps up, and we don't get to hear his confession of feeling out of sorts. I really would've liked to have seen him express himself to Alexx about this, but we can see as the scene progresses, that Eric's clearly not `with it'. Early on, it's apparent that he's come to a decision about something and it's weighing heavily on him.
With the impending change coming, however, it was nice to see the team assembled again. I don't think there's been a scene with ALL of the team together in the layout room since season one (Golden Parachute). I liked the fact that the team was there , but it was missing one person: Jesse. I don't know if it was because he was the new guy in camp, and this was Delko's swan song, but to me, team means team, and Jesse should've been a part of it. I personally thought it had more to do with the whole changing of the guard situation than anything else, but nevertheless, that didn't take away from the moment. It was refreshing to see Horatio interact with his team and show the effectiveness of his leadership. I would love to see more of this in the future.
Something I don't want to see more of, is Ryan being dumbed down. How am I to believe that someone who was strict enough about protocols to in season three to tell Calleigh that if she was coming on the scene of his investigation of her father to put her hands in her pockets, would just trounce over the most important protocol there is : obtaining a warrant. The line that Ryan gave was not only stupid, but highly stereotypical and turned out to be false. The farmer was very much well aware of his rights and schooled Ryan quite proper. I winced at the fact that Ryan had Jesse and Walter in on it, and Jesse's quick thinking with the illegal workers was the only thing that saved that. Here's a note to TPTB: Stop fooling around with characters, it's not working. Either shape Ryan up, or kick him off, but don't continue to insult the CSI's. His off the wall comment and demeanor just looks bad.
A surprise: Natalia Boa Vista was very visible in this episode, and that's a good thing. My most enjoyable scene was when she was testing the corn and was being pressured by the others to produce. She let them know that as soon as she got the results, they would have them and not a moment sooner. Natalia's become such a strong character, I wish that they would utilize her more. It's a waste if they don't.
A dislike: The whole contaminated food plot. I know it happens, more than I would like to admit, but it grosses me out. After seeing the misadventures of the growers, the transportation and the dolling out of contaminated food, I practically swore off salads, corn and a few more things. I do like, however that they did shed light on the fact that not everything that is said to be organic isn't, and that politics plays a heavy role in just about everything we do in life. Kudos to CSI Miami for shedding that light.
Another dislike: Delko's inability to hold on to his anger in the questioning of the health department agent. Yes, she's was ridiculous and yes, she deserved the dressing down that Horatio gave her, but Delko was treading on thin ice. I know it was done to show how out of touch he was with the job, but his anger bursting out in an interrogation/ questioning is not new. But now that his perception is more askew, I suppose it was what was needed.
I'm going to veer for a second and say that Calleigh was a mixed bag of sorts. Yes, this had nothing to do with the show or the case, but the fact that her lips were turned in a perpetual frown had me distracted. Is she going too far with the botox? Does she not like the story line? WHAT? I happen to go with the botox theory; even when showing emotion, Calleigh's face barely moved. Emily Procter's a very beautiful woman, it's my personal opinion that she should let nature take it's course. She's only forty for cripes sake, she's not going to shrivel up and wither away. That's enough of me being superficial
The ending of this ep was one that everyone saw coming, but wasn't prepared for it. Eric and Calleigh's scene was nice and demure, and held the right amount of questions and ponders about the future, and finally stakes why he's leaving. I knew from the moment that Delko was shot in Season five, that he was on borrowed time. I was just glad that they chose not to take him out violently, and allowed him to make that decision himself. What was disappointing to me was that there was no face time with Horatio. Yes, it's implied that their relationship is deeper, but for those who don't see their lives away from the lab, it would've been great to see that personal touch to the send off. A letter on the windshield just didn't do it for me.
As always, the team of Jesse and Walter was a knockout. It is my hope that they continue to have this as an occurring theme, it's nice to get a fresh perspective in the grand scheme of things. Walter provides this. What I'm waiting for is Omar's name in the credits, because he really has made a place for himself there. Not to screw over our resident lab techs, but seriously, Walter's had more screen time than Valera in all of her seasons with the show, and it's only five shows into the season! I think there's a message there….
All in all, I give the ep an A. I thought that it was good that they didn't focus on Eric's departure much ( as par for the norm for Miami). It was a good mixture of odd ball humor, seriousness and dedication, and I can only hope that the rest of the season follows suit. Five shows in….and getting better!
