I’m two or three episodes behind on reviews but decided to go ahead with this one while it’s fresh. (Warning: this is a somewhat lengthy review.)
Grade = B-
This was a tough episode to grade for me. Trying to look at it somewhat objectively, I think it was a slow paced and flawed outing. And it’s not the kind of episode I would recommend to new viewers at all because it’s quite different from the typical CSI: NY showing.
That said, I actually did like the episode, and it held my interest. I love mysteries so the premise of the booby-trapped house with hidden rooms was intriguing as was the idea that the CSI’s had to find clues and solve puzzles to unravel the entire story. As others have mentioned, though, there definitely were some logic flaws and plotholes in the scenario. And I think the writers lost some of the suspense and dramatic potential by allowing the CSIs to go back-n-forth between the penthouse and lab instead of “trapping” them in the apartment and putting them in peril until they could solve the clues and find a way out.
Another element I liked seeing was Mac and Stella working together again from start to finish on a case. The banter and natural chemistry was back – a reminder of the good old days (“That’s a good forensic word. Gooey….”). And it’s always nice to see them in the field actually working a case (even if it’s wasn’t a typical one) instead of doing the administrative, supervisory type of stuff that seems to be creeping more and more into their roles. I have to admit, I got a chuckle out of the “handholding” between Mac and Stella. (Really, Mac?) I always wonder if the writers actually put these little things into the script or if the actors are being “creative.” Either way, they do seem to like teasing the audience.
I also liked the scene between Sid, Mac, and Stella. It was nice to see Sid being a bit eccentric again and Mac teasing him instead of getting impatient. Flack had some good lines as always, but I expected a bit more and thought they missed a few opportunities for some classic Flack snark, especially in this type of environment. Hawkes and Danny were solid as usual, and I agree Danny's hair is still a bit distracting, but at least his facial hair seems to be under control now.
As for Lindsay, I didn’t particularly miss her, and as mentioned before, I don’t mind having certain characters missing occasionally if it means they can go deeper (and give more screen time) to others in a particular episode. I do think it would be good if they made a reference, even a one-time thing, to Lindsay being off to spend time with Lucy, take her to the pediatrician, etc. If nothing else, it would introduce some realism in regard to the challenges working parents face, which is something I thought they intended to do with this pairing.
Re: the Adam/Haylen subplot, I’m not quite sure what to think. Like others, my first thought was that the FBI storyline is a way to write Haylen out of the series. However, it seems strange that they would go to the trouble of creating a new character (the FBI agent) and bringing her in just to facilitate writing Haylen out. I also thought it was odd that they made such an explicit reference to Adam having a “crush” on Haylen. What’s the point of doing that if she’s going away – unless they are just playing to the idea that Adam is sometimes like a big kid. At this point, though, I’m wondering if there’s still more to the Haylen storyline or if perhaps they are planning to bring the FBI agent back for a new storyline at some point. (Could she be Hawkes’ new love interest?)
Re: the Adam/Stella scene, I didn’t see anything unusual or awkward in the way they were acting towards each other --- which is a good thing. And I saw Stella’s toast at the team dinner in the previous episode as another coda of sorts (“Life is fleeting, etc….) and reinforcement that what happened between them was a spontaneous , live in the moment type of thing. In any case, I am relying on Pam V.’s view that the Adam/Stella liaison was a one time thing. Personally, I think they dodged a bullet with that first episode and have spent time since trying to build up Stella’s role as the second in command, so I hope they are done with the Adam/Stella storyline and moving her on to other things. I do have an idea of where they could take Stella’s arc from here and will be curious to see what happens with her later in the season.
Promo for next week was interesting – apparently a combination of scenes from the new episode as well as some stuff from previous ones. I was surprised that some of the guest stars weren’t even featured in the promo at the end of this episode. Gotta love the elf hats though, and even if it’s a bit corny, I’m looking forward to seeing a CSI Christmas celebration.
