Grade "Battle Scars"

[PerfectAnomaly]

This was a substantially better episode than the last three. The team worked together perfectly, the character moments between Adam and everyone and Flack and Danny were there, and the case was interesting even though I guessed Nick Emerson was the killer when he showed up in the hospital room. I assumed the motive was a business deal or friendship gone bad or a fight over Brooke, so the fact that it played out the way it did was refreshing and a great twist. It also made me feel for the vics as well as Nick. That's something that has been missing from NY for quite a while. People with whom you can sympathize and empathize, even if they turn out to be the killer.

I also liked that the dancing was featured during the episode.

I loved Al and Danny and Flack's interaction with him and Flack's absolute glee at getting to arrest him at the end. Although I wonder how well an ID from a concussed witness with admitted memory loss would hold up in court.

I laughed out loud at Flack's reaction to the rich chick's dog.

Danny and Adam were great together as usual. I really like the way these two deal with Danny's injury. It's such a totally different reaction than any of the other characters and it totally fits their dynamic.

Adam's attempt at humor with AdamRoss.edu and Hawkes, Stella and Mac's non response was awesome, as was Mac's mention that Adam found a compass killer quiz on Facebook. What a great way to bring up the story arc in an episode that isn't about said arc.

Although I'm glad Adam and Stella can work together without any awkwardness I'm still unhappy about the wasted potential of following up with what happened in the premiere.

What really struck me, though, is how well this episode flowed and how well the team worked together without the presesnce of either Lindsay or Haylen. Mary Sue and Mary Sue 2.0 do nothing but bring this show down. At the very least I can say they add absolutely nothing to the team dynamic. This episode felt almost complete even though they were missing. I can't say it was complete because Sid wasn't there and I missed him. It was refreshing not to have Lindsay or Haylen even mentioned in this episode especially since Lindsay and Danny have been joined at the hip since the premiere and since TPTB seem to want everyone to believe how awesomesauce Haylen is.

People may wonder why I'd bother to mention them since they weren't even in the episode, but the fact that I find the show to be better without them and don't miss them at all when they're absent is significant to me and worth mentioning.

I don't like that Danny is walking with a cane already, and it is inconsistent with him holding Lucy barefoot without holding on to anything in the last episode, but at least he's not out tackling people yet. The rest of the episode was good enough that I was able to overlook this rapid recovery and continuity fail.

This episode wasn't as good as the premiere, but I found it really entertaining. I give it a B.

P.S. I'd have a lot more empathy for the lab's supposed budget concerns if they'd stop using high tech and presumably ridiculously expensive equipment to process all of their evidence. It's much more interesting to see them do stuff a bit more of the old fashioned way instead of virtual autopsies and the like. That just bores me and makes me wonder why they even need all the staff they have if everything is so damned easy to figure out with technology.

 

[Carolyn318]

C. That's my final grade. <--Who Wants To Be A Millionaire pun.
Millionaire pun not included, I did give this episode a C.
This episode was better than the last 3 but liked a little being good as the season premiere-(minus the Adam/Stella EWW moment).
Was that guy the girl picked out of the line up at the end of the episode the one who played Antonio Riaz in CSI: Miami's season 4 and the CSI: Miami season 5 premiere episode "Rio"? If it was, I thought he looked familiar.

 

[Top41]

A-

Great episode! I really liked the pacing of this one--it felt urgent without feeling rushed, and I got a kick out of seeing the street dancers do their thing. That was pretty impressive! I also liked seeing things unfold from Brooke's standpoint--it was scary seeing it happen through her eyes. That gave it an element of realism that I really enjoyed.

I love Adam and his newfound confidence. It's cute to see him teasing Danny, even if Danny remained sulky throughout their exchange. And AdamRoss.edu? So funny! I loved the look on Stella's face as he was talking, that "Did I really sleep with him??" look. Ha! I hope that does get revisited at some point, but episodes like this definitely make them feel like a really unlikely duo.

Danny and Flack did an interrogation together! :adore: I love it. They actually seemed happier around each other than they did around anyone else in the episode, which was sweet. I love, love, love the way Flack was just downright gleeful as he arrested Santiago at the end, and the way he smiled at Danny through the glass--and how Danny smiled back--was adorable.

No Lindsay! Can we make this a regular thing, say, every week? :lol: Episodes where Lindsay is gone always remind me how non-essential she is to the show (I can't imagine an episode without Danny or Flack or Hawkes), and how she's kind of a drag on it. Oh, she's been better this season, but I still think the show would be better off without her given it's always a gamble as to whether Anna can pull off the material or not.

- Another Flack scene without his usual sarcastic retort. He's beginning to worry me. I'm not sure if it's a conscious choice or just a coincidence. If it's a choice, I'm glad they are subtly reminding us that Flack is still healing.

I thought Flack got off a few snide comments to the other suspects, but yeah, he definitely seems down. I thought he was a little less so in this interrogation.

When they were interrogating Santiago, it seemed like Flack was trying to gauge Danny's mood, when it should be the other way round. Yeah, I know that's how they work, but I can't believe Danny isn't going to ask Flack how's he really doing, like Mac did last week.

I definitely chalked that one up to how they work. Flack is always the one who is taking care of Danny or protecting Danny--it just doesn't seem to work the other way around. I kind of think if Danny did ask Flack how he was doing, he'd get a brush off even more complete than Mac did--albeit much more gently. I think Flack would look at it as not wanting to trouble or burden Danny. Flack does treat him like something of a delicate flower. :lol: (Kind of in direct opposition to how Adam is with him.)

What really struck me, though, is how well this episode flowed and how well the team worked together without the presesnce of either Lindsay or Haylen. Mary Sue and Mary Sue 2.0 do nothing but bring this show down. At the very least I can say they add absolutely nothing to the team dynamic. This episode felt almost complete even though they were missing. I can't say it was complete because Sid wasn't there and I missed him. It was refreshing not to have Lindsay or Haylen even mentioned in this episode especially since Lindsay and Danny have been joined at the hip since the premiere and since TPTB seem to want everyone to believe how awesomesauce Haylen is.

People may wonder why I'd bother to mention them since they weren't even in the episode, but the fact that I find the show to be better without them and don't miss them at all when they're absent is significant to me and worth mentioning.

Agreed, completely. I'm still curious to see where Haylen is going to go as a character, but I didn't miss her in the slightest. But an episode without Lindsay was a nice treat. I agree about missing Sid, too!

 

[La_Guera]

Dear CBS,

I realize you're trying to be down with the kidz, yo, but did we really need an hour five minutes of nothing but l33t breakdancing(screw you, you trendy young whippersnappers, it's breakdancing, dammit)? That segment was so boring that I nearly changed the channel to escape the tedium of watching the same three moves performed ad infinitum. I know you're desperate to grab the coveted 18-34 demographic, but alienating the rest of your viewers in the feeble and futile hope of attracting the kiddies with your super-kewlies trend of the episode strikes me as a dim business model, indeed. I might not be an IPod-wearing, text-crazy tween/teen, but my old ass buys the DVDs with my moldering geezer coin, a trend that might end if the episodes continue to suck so mightily.

La Guera

The case wasn't bad, but it wasn't interesting, either. I called Nick as the killer as soon as I saw him. Maybe it was all the furtive eye-darting he was doing during Stella's interrogation, or maybe it was because the case bore a strong resemblance to the one where the killer posed as a victim's concerned boyfriend(NWILL?). Either way, the suspense died with the appearance of Nick Emmerson, and the final twist was worthy of an eyeroll with a triple salchow. If Jesse really did set up a robbery in order to regain his manhood in Brooke's eyes, then he was a selfish idiot who didn't give much thought to how a second trauma might affect his girlfriend. If I was the victim of a violent robbery while still coping with a sexual assault on the street by a skeevy mugger, I'd be vacationing in the rubber-room Hilton.

I will give the writers credit for having Stella be the one to walk Brooke through the hotel room. As a victim who had her own struggle with piecing together the truth in "All Access", she's perfectly attuned to how Brooke might react. It was a touch of subtlety in an otherwise hammy, dull episode.

So, Danny's walking again. Big whoop. They blew the storyline the minute they chose to cram the recovery into five episodes. As much as I cringe every time Danny gets his bruised Bronx rose britches on and yowls about how the world has wronged his tortured soul, his recovery should've stretched for most of the season. One rage-inducing whingefest at the rehab center is not enough to illustrate what a soul-crushing, terrifying, emotionally-draining, and painful process rehabilitation can be. I can't get on board with a storyline that disregards the uglier aspects of injury and implies that all one needs to overcome possible paralysis is a good talking-to and a little backbone. It's insulting and a gross disservice to people who've struggled for months and years to achieve the most basic of independence. Show me Danny trying to do something for himself and falling out of his chair. Show himtrying to complete exercises and begging the therapist to let him rest. Show him arguing with the doctor about his regimen. Show him hurting. Otherwise, the achievement has no impact for the viewers. He was crippled, but with nothing but the power of his brain, he willed himself better. How fabulous. Who cares?

In the end, this story was less about Danny and more about highlighting Lindsay's superawesome selflessness, as though the writers decided to remedy Lindsay's legendary selfishness and self-absorption in one melodramatic fell swoop. "See? She's not selfish. She's standing behind Danny, broken, sad, whiny Danny. Isn't she awesome? What? Paralysis will crimp the future ficky ficky loving time drama? OK, everybody off the short bus." Bleh.

It was there, and that was it. A forgettable episode. C-

 

[harmier]

I think I laughed out loud when he said "if I wanna kill anybody I'll do it in the ring." *SNORT* I'm sure that will fly in real life! I can just picture him trying to bust a move while some brute busts a cap in his ass.

I'm not sure if you're being saracastic or not, so I'll bite. He was being metaphorical. He meant that he would destroy them by being a better dancer. Of course, you mileage may vary on that particular point.

(minus the Adam/Stella EWW moment).

You mispelled that. It's "Adam/Stella YAY".

I love Adam and his newfound confidence. It's cute to see him teasing Danny, even if Danny remained sulky throughout their exchange. And AdamRoss.edu? So funny! I loved the look on Stella's face as he was talking, that "Did I really sleep with him??" look. Ha! I hope that does get revisited at some point, but episodes like this definitely make them feel like a really unlikely duo.

Actually, I could argue that Stella liked his joke. But I'll save that for the thread, Adam/Stella: It only takes one night to lead you to love.

 

[Top41]

So, Danny's walking again. Big whoop. They blew the storyline the minute they chose to cram the recovery into five episodes. As much as I cringe every time Danny gets his bruised Bronx rose britches on and yowls about how the world has wronged his tortured soul, his recovery should've stretched for most of the season. One rage-inducing whingefest at the rehab center is not enough to illustrate what a soul-crushing, terrifying, emotionally-draining, and painful process rehabilitation can be. I can't get on board with a storyline that disregards the uglier aspects of injury and implies that all one needs to overcome possible paralysis is a good talking-to and a little backbone. It's insulting and a gross disservice to people who've struggled for months and years to achieve the most basic of independence. Show me Danny trying to do something for himself and falling out of his chair. Show himtrying to complete exercises and begging the therapist to let him rest. Show him arguing with the doctor about his regimen. Show him hurting. Otherwise, the achievement has no impact for the viewers. He was crippled, but with nothing but the power of his brain, he willed himself better. How fabulous. Who cares?

I couldn't agree with this more. Granted, I love whiny, tortured, yowling Danny, but no matter what, it feels like it's a waste of a story. Why set it up as so dire--a 10% chance he'll walk again--only to have him walking four episodes later? What's the point? I admit, I was thrilled when I heard about the storyline because of how emotional and fragile Danny is. I wanted to see him struggle, and whine and be a mess. So I feel short-changed.

In the end, this story was less about Danny and more about highlighting Lindsay's superawesome selflessness, as though the writers decided to remedy Lindsay's legendary selfishness and self-absorption in one melodramatic fell swoop. "See? She's not selfish. She's standing behind Danny, broken, sad, whiny Danny. Isn't she awesome? What? Paralysis will crimp the future ficky ficky loving time drama? OK, everybody off the short bus." Bleh.

Agreed. It makes me wonder if they at least realize what shrill harpy she's been up to this point--or was during season four. She was nicer in season five and now she's being supportive of Danny. It feels like a course correction, which isn't a bad thing. It makes me dislike the character a little less--but it feels scripted rather than organic.

I love Adam and his newfound confidence. It's cute to see him teasing Danny, even if Danny remained sulky throughout their exchange. And AdamRoss.edu? So funny! I loved the look on Stella's face as he was talking, that "Did I really sleep with him??" look. Ha! I hope that does get revisited at some point, but episodes like this definitely make them feel like a really unlikely duo.

Actually, I could argue that Stella liked his joke. But I'll save that for the thread, Adam/Stella: It only takes one night to lead you to love.

I don't dislike Adam and Stella as a pair at all--I actually like the idea of an unexpected pairing given how predictable and by-the-numbers DL is--but I still think she was having one of those "WTF??" moments. The appeal of Adam and Stella is that it is kind of out of left field. I think the writers could have some fun with it if they do decide to do anything with it.

 

[GregNickRyanFan]

the guy at the hospital with the girl looks familiar... well the guy that ended up being the shooter. I can't place him though. Anyone know who he is?

Bryce Johnson. I think I remember him from "Popular" waaaay back in the day. :lol:

Popular! That's it! I think his character was named Josh? :lol: I loved that show. Thanks. That was driving me nuts! :lol:

"adam found a quiz on facebook..." - that was great, it was really funny
adam's little song greeted by lots of eye rolling from mac, stella and hawkes

mac's line about ms pacman and rubik's cubes - i love it when mac tries to show how down with the kids he is

All of that was great. I loved Mac’s line. It really made me chuckle.

- OMG call Horatio Caine! Antonio Riaz is back from the dead!

I knew that guy looked familiar!

I do agree with those who said there was too much of the breakdancing scenes in the episode… complete with that accompanying music that I wasn't crazy about.

 

[Dreamboat]

There wasn't enough story for a full episode. They should have used it as one of the two stories normally shown (although not this season.) There was too much padding. Given that, it was well thought out and well written.

I loved the interaction between Danny and Flack. And I liked Hawkes new hair.

 

[Lori K.]

No Lindsay! Can we make this a regular thing, say, every week? :lol: Episodes where Lindsay is gone always remind me how non-essential she is to the show

And this is why the show gets an A+ from me!:thumbsup:

I know you're desperate to grab the coveted 18-34 demographic, but alienating the rest of your viewers in the feeble and futile hope of attracting the kiddies with your super-kewlies trend of the episode strikes me as a dim business model, indeed. I might not be an IPod-wearing, text-crazy tween/teen, but my old ass buys the DVDs with my moldering geezer coin, a trend that might end if the episodes continue to suck so mightily.

KUDOS MY FRIEND!!:guffaw::guffaw: I love you for that!!!:guffaw:

I realize you're trying to be down with the kidz, yo, but did we really need an hour five minutes of nothing but l33t breakdancing(screw you, you trendy young whippersnappers, it's breakdancing, dammit)?

At least I didnt need my ear trumpet to hear it.

I don't like that Danny is walking with a cane already, and it is inconsistent with him holding Lucy barefoot without holding on to anything in the last episode, but at least he's not out tackling people yet

I'm afraid the way they rushed the Danny holding Lucy scene last week has really topped off the "Believe-a-meter" totally out of sequence. He never should have been seen holding a baby standing steady on his own two feet without support. They botched the storyline.

 

[Ghawazee]

A+++++++++

MY SHOW IS BACK!

Don't misundertood me. CSI cases have been excellent (actually 6.03 was brillant and 6.01 was pretty good. 6.04 i couldn't finish it yet but since i am emotionaklly connected to this show, i felt there was a hole referring by fav character, Stella, who wasn't that much in last episodes

I will be brief (I am in a cibercaffe. My PC is still dead!)

*I love the case. It wasn't one of those were there is a good guy- a bad guy and the chick in the middle. You can't feel but pity for The girl, Jesse and Nick. I really like actors who have been hired lately!

*I love the Dance Sequences. I have been present in one (but not hip hop but Flamenco and Arabian Dance) and It's simply amazing. You win but only on the stage. Visually it was stunning really

*I like Danny this season so i enjoy he is fast recovery and i really like he worked with Donnie. I missed that. Is my imagination r Danny sat on Donnie's desk again?

*Donnie, Donnie.His storyline is just awesome because it's subtle. You DO have hints he is having a crisis

*Mac-Stella together at his office FIU! Finally i have a reason to smile I missed them so much The episode wasn't Smacked but their closeness (at least related to work) remains untouched until the next writer decides the contrary

*Stella-Sheldon,two of a kind. I hope Robert is ok. Usually is Sid who does his show inside the Autopsy room

*Stella-Don, give me everything you want of them They are like brother and sister facing a crisis. We don't know much about Stella's crisis but i hope it will be reaveled at some point this season!

*STELLA

I am so happy i had Stella mas here i could jump of joy! I want to cry too! Stella, is more than just a cop. She is a tender, caring, emphatic human being with failures and more virtues who made herself from a lonely childhood. The way she was with the girl all the time, how sweet she was, how caring she was. How much care she had when she was walking by the girl's side during the process of going back to herlsef just like Stella did in All Access.
And the end it showed you how great loss was Jesse's to everyone.

GREAT EPISODE: GREAT EPISODE: GREAT EPISODE: GREAT EPISODE

Debb

ps: THANK YOU for the lack of DRAMA LLAMA. The episode was incredible and really thsoe scenes weren't necessary ;D

 

[Curiosity]

Grade = B.


I think this has been the strongest episode so far this season but still not as good as their best efforts.


A good solid case with an interesting twist, and I did feel sad for the three involved, especially Jesse and Nick, who didn’t have bad intentions but still made misguided, poor choices which led to tragedy. And once again, it was good to see the team follow the evidence and come to a sound conclusion without too many unbelievable leaps in logic. The break dancing angle added some novelty to the episode, but as others have mentioned, some of the dance sequences went on too long.


Nice to see Danny and Flack working together again although their scenes still didn’t allow for much personal interaction (unless you count the smiles at the end). Compared to last week, Flack seemed to be in better shape – at least he had shaved – but there were a few times I expected him to make a witty, sarcastic remark, and it didn’t come, so perhaps that was the writers’ way of showing he still is not completely ok. I’m still looking forward to seeing how this arc continues to progress.


I also liked the way Stella empathized with Brooke, possibly because of her own experience with Frankie – finding herself injured in a hospital and initially not remembering what had happened. I wish they had done a bit more to show the connection though – perhaps had Mac or Flack ask Stella if she was ok and Stella make a reference to bad memories. Anyway, it’s good to see this side of Stella – compassionate but still strong and professional.


Also nice to see touches of continuity with mentions of the compass killer and Mac being the weapons tester again.


It was interesting to see the writers bring in what I call the “parent / goofy child” dynamic between Mac, Stella, and Adam. Yes, Adam does seem more confident in that he more readily launches into teasing and goofiness around the others, but the way they react to his antics doesn’t seem to have changed that much.


Re: Adam/Stella, my impression at this point is there may be some course correction going on relative to these two characters. Time will tell….


As for Lindsay, I didn’t find it that strange that she didn’t appear, especially if she’s supposed to still be part-time, but seems like the writers could’ve found a way to work in some reference to her having time off. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me if all the characters don’t appear in every episode as long as they don’t disappear for several episodes at a time. Sometimes I think it’s better to rotate the screen time in that way rather than try to shoehorn in all the characters and make the episodes seem cluttered. That said, Sid is the one character this season who seems to be shortchanged when it comes to screen time this season.


Good outing. I hope next week's episode is even better.

 

[harmier]

I don't dislike Adam and Stella as a pair at all--I actually like the idea of an unexpected pairing given how predictable and by-the-numbers DL is--but I still think she was having one of those "WTF??" moments. The appeal of Adam and Stella is that it is kind of out of left field. I think the writers could have some fun with it if they do decide to do anything with it.

I know that. I was just stating that it looks like they're building it slowly with small moments and haven't dropped it. Melina did say that she would be in relationship (not affair) and said that the promo for the premiere would be a big hint. But she also said there would be complications but didn't say what those complications would be.

 

[Lori K.]

Has anyone else noticed that the background noises they insert have been a little to loud in the season episodes? Last night when they were in the hotel a few floors up and hopefully pretty sound proof halls.. I heard a cop siren that seemed abit loud, and the people voices they insert in the lab were kind of excessive? ...Or am I assuming things

 

[GoodLittle Wench]

I gave it an A. I feel like the old CSI:NY is back. It was great to see Danny and Flack interrogating together again. Those two have some really amazing chemistry. And I don't feel like we have seen enough of it since Danny hooked up with Lindsey. I know, I know. He's married. He has a kid. But Flack is his best friend. You don't just turn your back on that. Here's to hoping we get to see more of the old Danny and Flack.

Adam was absolutely adorable. AdamRoss.edu, I loved that. And the Facebook quiz. Why does it not surprise me that Adam would find that. And you know he took the quiz. He wouldn't have been able to resist. I also loved his interactions with Danny. It was nice to see someone treating Danny without kid gloves.

Like others, I am dissapointed in the way they have handled the story line with Danny's injury. If you were going to resolve it this soon, why even bother. Three weeks ago, it was a grave matter. And now, suddenly, he is up and walking. It just seems too rushed. If they weren't going to take them time to do it right, they shouldn't have done it.

Finally, an episode blessedly free of Monroe. Everything about the character grates on my nerves, it always has. I tend to think of her more as set dressing. And we could do with less of that.

All in all though, I liked the episode. It was nice to see the old CSI:NY back. Now if the writers can just keep it up.

 

[Faylinn]

Honestly, it doesn’t bother me if all the characters don’t appear in every episode as long as they don’t disappear for several episodes at a time. Sometimes I think it’s better to rotate the screen time in that way rather than try to shoehorn in all the characters and make the episodes seem cluttered.

That's how I feel about it as well - there's a pretty large cast, so if someone can be more prominent by removing another character from the equation, everyone can benefit by leaving someone out here and there. Getting rid of [Character A] for an episode doesn't really bother me if it means [Character B] might get a bit more focus in his/her absence - and then [Character A] can potentially benefit later on when another character is out of the picture during an episode. I wouldn't mind seeing something similar throughout the season.

That's not to say I'm not bummed when Adam isn't around (as an example, with "Dead Reckoning" in mind), but he's never been in every episode anyway. And we are majorly overdue for a Sid-centric episode!