Primum Non Nocere, Season 2 #16

Hockey player found dead after an in-game skirmish. And a musician is found dead of what appears to be an overdose.

GREG:

1. Testing himself on a eye chart? Attempt to step into the shoes of near-sighted person that left their contact lens at the scene. But if a near-sighted person has a vision deficit, they’d be using lens to correct a problem which Greg doesn’t have – he’s creating a bigger problem since he has self-proclaimed perfect eyesight. Not pleased by Warrick’s question is he using their evidence – give me some credit.
2. Conversation with Sara about organized sports, which leads Sara to conclude he didn’t play sports in high school. Nope, captain of chess team. Which Sara reminds him is not a sport. Another attempt to impress Sara sadly goes down in flames.
3. Analysis of regurgitation – no food poisoning. Morning sickness.

Purple shirt w/lab coat. And then more casual blue fleece.

REST OF TEAM:

• Another Grissom comment that Sara doesn’t know how to take: to her comment- “Since when are you interested in beauty?” “Since I met you.” No wonder the poor girl is confused with the mixed signals.
• Hockey player that talks to Catherine, Jeremy Ratchford, now Nick Vera on Cold Case.
• “There are three things in life people love to stare at – a rippling stream, fire in a fireplace and a Zamboni going round and round.” Grissom is once again quoting Charlie Brown, which Sara immediately recognizes.
• “Organized sports is the paradigmatic model of a just society.” Grissom teaches us a new word which, according to dictionary.com means: ‘of or pertaining to a paradigm.’
• Female hockey player that also rides a motorcycle and coaches basketball, trying awfully hard to fit into a man’s world. And then when she throws up, Grissom wants to keep it.
• Warrick and Nick’s overdose case focuses more on Warrick’s attraction to female singer. Which Nick doesn’t approve of when they find out she is a drug user.
• All the hullabaloo about the fight on the ice as a factor in the hockey players death turns out to be a red herring, he had a heart defect.
• Hockey team’s doctor turns out to be killer. Which is where the title of episode came from, "primum non nocere" a Latin phrase which translates as "first, do no harm” --a principle of modern medical ethics.

Turn, Turn, Turn. Season 9, #6

Nick investigates the death of a young girl at Vegas motel. Story of her death frames other deaths which are told in flashback over the past year, all at the same hotel and all investigated, at least in part, by Nick.

GREG:

1. Comments that he advised Ray to go with paisley for the tie he gives Nick. Obviously confusing their fashion preferences.
2. Generously volunteers to let Nick climb in the ceiling at the motel, since it’s his birthday. But ends up doing it anyway.

Wardrobe: rocking a sweater vest and then the usual CSI vest and coveralls.

REST OF TEAM:

• It’s Nick’s birthday, though no mention of his age is given. He immediately volunteers for the 419 call that Catherine gets, giving up enjoying his cake. He recognizes the address maybe?
• Mother still grieving for other daughter that died as an infant. Has created a fantasy world where daughter would look like daughters best friend had she lived.
• Nice job with the change in appearance for Taylor Swift as Haley aging over the months.
• Everyone seems a little disconcerted by the sexually enthusiastic seniors, Riley can’t seem to say anything coherent and and Archie figures he’ll have to scrub his brain after listening to the tapes and trying to isolate the other voices and etc from the sounds of granny and gramps getting it on.
• Actress playing Haley’s Mom (Lisa Darr) has been on CSI before in Gentle, Gentle from Season 1.
• Ray tries to console Nick, who is upset he didn’t see how each case intertwined until too late. “Everyone keeps telling me what this job isn’t, what you’re feeling right now tells me what it is.”

Top Ten list: Most Viseral Shows

TV Squad ranks Top 10 Most Viseral Shows - CSI is number 6. Their analysis:

The show that singlehandedly saved science from becoming just another thing that separates cool people from dorks has its share of ear twisters, especially on the autopsy table. The ease at which the staff perform these disgusting tasks takes the action to another level of lunch launching that makes the show seem all the more real. Bodies are cut open and sliced with the ease of envelopes and strangers root around in chest cavities with a creepy calmness as if they are just reaching behind the couch for their keys.

Gotta say I agree. Don't have to work too hard to think of these examples, I know there are more: Nick's blender liver mix, Warrick and Sara's blood spatter analysis, every time they use straws to indicate bullet direction and the camera follows the straw into the wound. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Burden of Proof, Season 2 #15

Body found at a anthropology body farm, not one of their study subjects. Body farm= “controlled study of situational decomposition.”

GREG:

1. Only one scene, enjoying the spotlight as he presents DNA evidence of three males in contact with young woman, Warrick reminds him about the seriousness of the case so he tones it down. Sample from nightgown belongs to younger brother.

Wardrobe: white t-shirt.

REST OF TEAM:

• They find a carpet beetle on the body, which Grissom says shouldn’t be there. Catherine asks if victim seemed more like a hardwood floors kinda guy. Ha. And the humor continues in the morgue, Doc Robbins and Grissom decide they need to excise the entry point of victim’s wound - but they’re not sure how. So Doc picks up and discards a couple of instruments before deciding on a saw - might be one of those scenes you have to see to appreciate.
• Investigation of a fire at the deceased’s home finds compromising pictures of teenage daughter of the dead man’s fiancé. Who just happens to have a burn on her wrist.
• Grissom is really enjoying his research and science experiments in this episode. He’s so into it he completely misses how annoyed Sara is when he asks her to dispose of ground beef he was using in first experiment. And later how annoyed Catherine is when he can’t go to the field since he’s in the middle of another one.
• Sara gives Grissom a request for a leave of absence, says she needs somewhere that has more communication and respect. Grissom isn’t sure how to respond and, from the look on Sara’s face, he doesn’t get it right with his initial response. Catherine tries to explain it to him with moderate success. So he orders her a plant, “she likes live vegetation.”

The Finger, Season 2 #14

Catherine & Grissom are called to process a man (Mr. Logan) with blood on his hands and a million dollars in a briefcase. Things get weird from there as he leaves with his lawyer.

GREG:

1. Blood from Logan’s hands is female. And matches blood from finger. Quiet day for Greg, processes the evidence and stays out of the way. No spin-the-wheel to get your results games.
2. Greg's analysis finds that shower curtain has peanut butter on it. (which Nick apparently really hates, so he has to tell us twice. Write that down.)

Wardrobe: brown sorta shiny shirt.

REST OF TEAM:

• Catherine swabs Mr. Logan’s hands and tells him they also need him to strip. He looks at Grissom, mentally asking is she serious? Grissom just responds – Vegas.
• Mr. Logan leaves his sunglasses in the interrogation room. When Catherine brings them to him, he tells her to leave him alone. But then his phone rings and the caller asks for Catherine. He then orders her to leave her belongings next to the car, get in and drive. Luckily Grissom comes out as they are driving away.
• Kidnapped girl is Mr. Logan’s girlfriend (he’s married). He has her finger in a box that the kidnapper left for him. Which Doc Robbins tells us later in the episode was removed post mortem.
• Guess Sara must have called EMT (Hank) from Bully for You at end of You’ve Got Male, as they’re having dinner together in the restaurant Catherine stops at with Mr. Logan. Raise your hand if you thought she called Greg—
• And the song playing while they’re in the restaurant, “Jeopardy” by the Greg Kihn Band. Blast from the 80’s past.
• Catherine puts the finger on ice and leaves it on Sara’s table as she and Mr. Logan leave. And then she locks it up when she and Mr. Logan reach their destination to leave marks on the road.
• Kidnapper is huffing helium gas (for the voice?) and wearing a giant bunny head. (Just call me Harvey) Catherine tries to not give them money, but Mr. Logan quickly gives in. They’re told to go to a gas station near Henderson.
• When Brass and Nick go to talk to the Logan’s wife – she’s in a sleeveless shirt, but Brass and Nick are wearing jackets. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell what the weather in Vegas is supposed to be during these episodes.
• Amanda has a bird at her apartment. His squawking keeps startling Nick. Who then is able to tell Catherine about how he knows blood spatter on bird isn’t an injury to the bird from his watching of the Discovery channel. (Anybody remember the old song by the Bloodhound Gang about the Discovery Channel?)

No Way Out, Season 9 #17

Multiple 419’s (or DB’s in Brass-speak) in a residential neighborhood. Neighborhood watch captain is dead in the street as well as a 7yr old shot in his front yard from cross-fire.

GREG:

1. Episode opens with training exercise; Greg’s in lead for last part of it and gets grabbed as a hostage after Nick makes a loud noise. Ray is trying to learn the numeric codes and Greg tells him the most important one to remember is 482 – lunch.
2. Talks to grieving father of dead 7 year old who doesn’t want SuperDave to take the body to the morgue. Later Greg goes back to his house to tell the father they got the guy that shot the little boy, seems like maybe it’s on his off time. Goes across street to check on Riley and Ray, Riley uses same code names she used in training exercise to get message to Greg that they’re in trouble.

Dark t-shirt, LVPD vest and jacket, dark jeans.

REST OF TEAM:

• Team arrives at the neighborhood in full-darkness and then suddenly its daylight. Maybe the used the same TV technology that soap operas use when one week a character is a little kid and the next week they're 18 and sexually active.
• Ah technology. The big brother aspect of the calculator size fingerprint ID device always creeps me out.
• Hodges is trying to operate computer with video camera footage since Archie is in a conference in Denver. Which Catherine says means he’s snowboarding.
• Nick is working to get palm print he lifted from TV, using what I think is same process Warrick used on a tiki statue in Precious Metals, Season 3 #18 episode. Continuity, it’s a good thing.
• Ray and Riley go back to one of the suspect’s houses to see what they missed and end up as hostages of young men (cousins) running a PCP lab out of their basement, in the house one inherited from the grandparents. One is hurt (he has big ‘ole piece of glass stuck in his shoulder) and one has a gun and is freaking out.

Identity Crisis, Season 2 #13

A man is found dead in a bathtub, small tape player next to him says he is committing suicide. But this is very similar to another murder, committed by Paul Millander - one of the few that got away. (Serial killer seen in the Pilot episode and also Anonymous , both in Season 1)

GREG:

1. Analysis of hair Catherine found in bathtub. Hair is from a female and is aged. Not from an older person, hair has been preserved (maybe in a freezer) to keep skin tag fresh. Yeck.
2. Sneaks up on Nick while he is processing the victim’s car. Asks about Millander, a little exposition in case viewers didn’t see the previous episodes.
3. Female hair has testosterone in it, from either a female that was trying to enhance her athletic ability (Sara’s guess) or increase her sex drive (Greg’s). Sara’s response to statement that Greg hasn’t met any women yet that would take drugs to enhance sex drive literally knocks Greg on his ass. He’s got it bad for Sara.

Wardrobe: dark t-shirt. And red t-shirt.

REST OF TEAM:

• Tape recording ends with a happy birthday to Mr. Grissom, who says his birthday is August 17, 1956.
• As the team convenes to talk about the evidence they’ve found, Grissom decides that the physical evidence may not be as important on this case.
• They discover that all 3 bathtub victims were issued speeding tickets by the same cop. (which is played by Neil Flynn, the Janitor from Scrubs).
• Catherine asks to use bathroom at Millander house, has no problems letting herself into every room down the hall snooping.
• Millander claims to have been born with endocrine ambiguity, parents were told to raise him/her as they saw fit.

You’ve Got Male, Season 2 #12

Young girl found dead in a culvert pipe at a highway construction site. And then they find a second body, hidden next to a pipe. And a hunter is found shot in the woods.

GREG:

1. At microscope, analysis of DNA shows that scratches on neck of one girl was made by her sister. Sadly, Grissom has to tell him that while helpful, his info doesn’t solve the case.
2. Analysis of fluid from radiator has sodium and phosphorous, Grissom bolts without answering Greg’s question what it means.

Wardrobe: black shirt with dark green shapes/symbols. Green clovers again?

REST OF TEAM:

• One of the dead girls had dyed hair, multiple tattoos and piercings – which Grissom concludes means a need for attention. Other girl had none of these, didn’t even shave her legs. Leading Doc Robbins to call them “wild flower and wall flower.”
• Nick and Catherine go to the woods to examine hunter's body. Nick finds bullet from in a tree, causing small problem when he can’t figure out how to take bullet back for evidence without damaging it. Catherine suggests he go by the textbook, bring in the whole thing. But it’s a really big tree.
• Awful lot of takeout containers in fridge of one of the female murder victims. Somebody doesn’t get out much.
• Nick – succession of turtlenecks for most of this episode, something to hide?
• Grieving widow of hunting victim has million dollar insurance policy she’s only had two months. Turns out husband bought it and staged his own death so family would get the money.
• Warrick has to tackle the mother of big puzzles with reassembling broken door glass.
• Sara goes home and cleans takeout from her fridge, takes takeout menus off the front and calls someone to go do something. Seems this case has gotten to her.
• One of the sisters is Robia La Morte. She was also Jenny Calendar on Buffy, a connection this television geek notices right away.

Organ Grinder, Season 2 #10

Man’s body is found in a casino elevator, unconscious but alive. Reported by anonymous 911. He later passes away and the CSI's investigate when cause is death is found to be poison.

GREG:

1. Analyzes substance Catherine found in elevator – dandruff. Asks her if she thinks Sara would go out with him, she thinks she would.
2. Asking Sara out apparently starts with asking her to takie their breaks together. She agrees, but the look on her face indicates she doesn’t get what he means. Greg looks so happy when she agrees.
3. Sara is busy with case and blows him off about break, Grissom watches their conversation with curoisty but quickly gets back on task and calls Greg back to work.
4. Searches internet for name of wife of victim. Gives printout to Sara which makes her so happy she “really really wants to kiss you right now.” Which makes Greg all bashful and he turns his head away. And when he looks back up – she’s gone.

Purple shirt. Greg seems to rock 2 colors primarily - brown or green. Nice change.

REST OF TEAM:

• Victim was staying what Grissom calls murder central. Which Nick (and the rest of us) haven’t heard about, but Sara claims to know. Grissom later explains, calling Sara out as if he knows she was lying: room with door nearest stairwell with both easy access for getaway and 50% less chance of being overheard.
• Wife of dead man honors his wish to be an organ donor andsurgeons harvest 8 organs in 2 hours. Can you say efficient?
• Sara seems a little squicked by the various fluids and substances they find in the hotel room and announces that the evidence of previous occupants is why she travels with nonoxonol 9. Which according to Wikipedia is is a “a non-ionic nonoxynol surfactant that is used as an ingredient in various cleaning and cosmetic products, but is also widely used as a contraceptive for its spermicidal properties.” What exactly is she telling us?
• Nick and Sara find a used condom on one of the wall sconces. Energetic.
• Victim was being poisoned with selenium. According to Sara poisoning is most common choice of method for premeditated murder for women. And selenium is main ingredient in dandruff shampoo (I learned that from the movie Evolution).
• Warrick reopens file of earlier incident with same victim with gunshot wound that was reported as accidental, claimed that it happened when guy was cleaning his gun. Warrick discovers that he was shot by his wife as retaliation for infidelity.
• Kidney transplant recipient agrees to Nick’s request for scope biopsy to test for poison, even though he body is rejecting the organ. Nick tells Grissom he wants to rescind the request since he doesn’t think they should harm the living to benefit the dead. Grissom shoots him a weird, sorta pleased look but doesn’t explain what he means.
• Nick makes an extremely icky blender concoction of the liver of secretary’s dead husband, who was also poisoned with selenium.
• Wife and secretary play a game of she said/she said claiming other one was the one doing the poisoning.
• When there isn’t enough evidence to proceed with charges, Sara gets quite angry about it, but Grissom reminds her there is no statute of limitation on murder.

Ellie, Season2 #10

Con man shot in parking garage. Grissom is off to a convention (5th Annual Entomological Convention to be exact) leaving Warrick in charge. And 2nd suspect in shooting turns out to be Brass’s daughter, Ellie.

GREG:

1. Grissom decree: no punk rock! And no Black Flag. (Silly me, I thought Black Flag was punk rock)
2. Pill analysis for Sara. Bolts from lab when Warrick and Sara begin to disagree.
3. Blood test results of Ellie and Brass, Ellie isn’t his biological daughter and he says she doesn’t know. And blood from gun isn’t from either of them.

Tan shirt (what is with the repetitive use of brown?)

REST OF THE TEAM:

• Love the look on Grissom’s face, answering Warrick’s inquiry if Sara and Nick know he’ll be in charge. I’m sorry, you’ve mistaken me for someone that gives a sh*t.
• Dead con man also had drug balloons of cocaine in his stomach. And green jello. Which, according to Doc Robbins, makes the balloons easier to swallow. Come on – there’s always room for jello.
• Different actress playing Ellie than we see in the later episodes (Hollywood Brass and Way to Go). And this time she’s a blond.
• Warrick says 97% of all $100 bills have cocaine on them. Truth or urban legend?
• Brass breaks window with a asp. He gets it out f*a*s*t.
• 444 =Officer involved shooting.
• “I love mankind, its people I can’t stand.” Linus (via Grissom).
• Warrick did okay with the case while he was gone, but not so great with the personalities. Grissom says when he leaves CSI there won’t be any cake in the break room he’ll just be gone. And that’s exactly what happens in One to Go. He will always be a ghost, just like in high school (remember his comments in Bully for You?)

And Then There were None, Season 2 #9

Casino robbery kills two security guards and one of the robbers (who was shot in the back by one of his fellow robbers). And what seems like a boring a case at a convenience store 75 miles out of town turns out to parallel casino robbery.

GREG:

1. Reading Sand and Surf magazine. 300 miles from the nearest beach. It’s a state of mind.
2. Finds potato on bullet from casino which links both cases. And as usual takes a while to get to the point, irritating the CSI’s.
3. Analysis of dust from robber’s apartment, see lesson of the week.

Another brown shirt. Meh.

REST OF THE TEAM:

• Potato used in convenience store shooting – poor man’s silencer.
• Brass interviews 17 people that were witnesses to casino robbery, none of the accounts matched.
• All the disguises in the world, and they dress like women. Warrick: "Ski masks are played out."
• Female interaction between Catherine and Sara at convenience store is humorous. Sara says nothing, but hands Catherine a candy bar when she starts bitchin’ about coroner being late. Something every girl knows - eat chocolate, you’ll feel better.
• Print match from convenience store is Tammy Felton, from Season 1 episode Face Lift.
• I’ll have to observe as I get into later season episodes, but am thinking Bobby’s hair has gone darker over the seasons and Greg’s has gone blonder.
• Two-thirds through episode all 3 robbers from casino are dead. Out of suspects. Hence episode title.
• Archie magic-- identifies clerk from convenience store as fourth man(woman?) from earlier casino robbery.
• $250,000 turns a career cop bad. Grissom: “He had his price.” Catherine: “We all do.” Foreshadowing for episode when she gets money from Sam?

Grissom’s Lesson of the week: there was this whole thing from Nick about Fords and transmission fluid and dexron and blah blah blah. But we also have a lesson from our favorite lab rat – silica dust: each particle is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand.

I’ll take door number 2 Monty.

Slaves of Las Vegas, Season 2 #8

Lady is found dead in playground sand. And a robbery in which man was shot gets complicated.

GREG:

1. Processing silver substance from victim. Nick annoys him calling him Einstein. Sparkly stuff - the infamous liquid latex scene.
2. Quite impressed with Grissom’s knowledge of club lingo. So he sticks 2 markers up his nose to imitate the bondage mask straws. Pretty.

Wardrobe: brown pinstriped shirt, usual wide collar.

REST OF TEAM:

• Grissom recognizes immediately that crime scene is secondary scene.
• First appearance of Lady Heather. Lady Heather’s Dominion, lots of candles. Gothic. Great place for a Halloween party.
• Lady Heather and Grissom have an interesting conversation(s), first of many.
  LH: “It’s when I don’t hear screams that I start to worry.”
  LH: It’s people that don’t come to places like this I worry about, the one’s that don’t have an outlet, say someone like yourself.”
  G: “I have outlets. I read. I study bugs. I sometimes even ride roller coasters.”
• Catherine is quite prosaic about Lady Heather’s – “People are just as twisted in their own living rooms. Props are different here, that’s all.”
• According to Lady Heather, Catherine has what it takes to be an excellent dominatrix.
• Ending discussion between Catherine & Grissom, comparing the nature of their relationship to what they just observed between the unhappy couple in the interrogation room. Catherine believes their relationship is a healthy one, since when she has a problem she doesn’t paint Greg Sanders in liquid latex and stick a straw up his nose. Grissom’s response: “good, since he’d probably like it.”
  

Alter Boys, Season 2 #6

Young man caught burying body in the desert. And lady found dead in sauna dies of heatstroke – or does she?

GREG: Blood from dry cleaning, no result. Disappointing.

REST OF TEAM:

• Interesting teamwork of Grissom, Nick & Sara to process guy found burying body (Ben). Give me your right foot, the other right.
• Doc Robbins has on a tie instead of scrubs. First time we see him looking so spiffy?
• While Grissom and O’Reilly are talking to Ben, he says BODIES instead of body – so they go back and find another using a really big detector/scanner.
• Priest visiting with Ben is persistent coming to talk with Ben. Says Ben has a problem for trying to please people.
• Blood at gas station. Nick says he doesn’t see any, guy says he hosed it off – it was freaking him out.
• Sociopathic brother is played by Jeremy Renner, currently getting big buzz in the Hurt Locker.
• Girlfriend of dead girl tried to give her reaction to seafood so she’d miss a date since they both were after the same guy, but when she went into anaphylactic shock in the sauna it caused a stroke that killed her.
• Brother allows brother to take the fall for his crimes. Cold. And then Ben kills himself to avoid doing time. So sad. CSI episodes have plenty of cases and victims that are tragic, but this one really gets under your skin. One of the most heart-wrenching scenes in CSI.
• Grissom announces to priest he doesn’t believe in religion, but he does believe in God, science and Sunday supper. Not rules that tell him how he should live.

Scuba Doobie-Doo, Season 2 #5

An apartment being offered for rent is discovered spattered in blood. And a case of a scuba diver found in a tree after a forest fire.
GREG:

1. Blood tests for Grissom. Greg’s so busy he’s calm.
2. bothering Nick about dead diver. Tries to talk a big story about the places he’s dived.
3. Coffee boy – where’s Catherine’s samples? He’s working with Nick: Leggo My Greggo!”
4. Pages Catherine by calling her Cat. She doesn’t appreciate it.

Wardrobe: purple and yellow shirt. Harlequin/ripple kind of color pattern. He looks so young with the darkened, flattened hair. Second shirt, dark with green stars/asterisks. Yellow moons, green clovers.

REST OF TEAM:

• Nick and Catherine are in hot sunlight investigating the diver. Catherine is very well dressed for the weather. Light colors, layers, hat, sunglasses.
• First alibi of former apartment resident, claims blood on the walls was from him expectorating his nosebleeds on the walls. Yick.
• Grissom and Sara find a “preponderance” of flies on 2nd visit to blood covered apartment. $10 dollar word right there.
• Grissom find a bug. Sara asks what he found. His response, “either Paul or John.” And Sara gets it right away, very important beetle. The kind that feeds on decomposing flesh.
• Another appearance by district engineer originally seen in $35K O.B.O. He’s a little annoyed at Catherine for using him for information.
• Shot of bugs in vent is beyond icky.

Bully for You, Season 2 #4

High school bully is shot in school bathroom. And Nick and Sara are sent to the desert to retrieve a body found in a large duffel.

GREG:
Tells Sara she smells like death. “But a real man wouldn’t mind.” Sadly, Greg looks about 16 years old with his flat hair, particularly compared to hunky Ken Doll EMT.

REST OF TEAM:

• Sara & Nick rappel out of helicopter. I’ve done cliff faces, but not a helicopter – having something solid to bounce your feet off of made whole thing easier. Me thinks this way would be much more like falling. And EMT on the ground is quite impressed – at least with Sara. “Flirting over a DB,” Nick finds it amusing.
• Catherine bullies the custodian for cleaning up graffiti on the locker. And then when she sees him in the hall later, he quickly tells her he hasn’t been cleaning. Hee.
• Warrick asks Grissom what he was in high school – jock or brain. Response – a ghost. Others were (self-described): Nick was dependable. Sara was a science nerd. Warrick, short with big feet and thick glasses.
• Tess Harper as school counselor. She’s in one of my favorite movies of all time, Tender Mercies.
• Kid from high school shooting stabbed 6 months before he was shot, would have been fatal if his internal organs were in the right place.
• Decomp smell running motif for Sara. Hank, the cute EMT, stops by to ask her to dinner, but can’t take the smell and bolts. And her colleagues keep telling her she smells, but no one says it Nick or SuperDave. Last shot of her is in the shower with a bunch of lemons, taking Grissom’s advice to get rid of the smell.

Grissom’s Lesson of the week: Scent triggers memory more acutely than any of the other senses.

To Halve & Hold, Season 1 #14

A human bone is found in the desert, searching turns the rest of a human skeleton. And a man is found dead in a hotel room.

GREG: Sadly, cable burped and lost most of his scene. But did see he was rocking a very shiny shirt. Bluish. Sorta 70’s thrift store.

REST OF TEAM:

• “Are the bones whispering to you?” Catherine to Grissom. j
• Grissom and Catherine disagree about calling Teri Miller to help with bone assembly, Grissom doesn’t want to call. But Catherine calls her anyway.
• Explaining to the ladies how they knew the one that claimed rape wasn’t attacked, Sara explains about ‘the clock.’ Trauma at certain times on clock indicates consensual sex, other times means violence. Sara isn’t very far into her explanation when O’Reilly practically runs from the room.
• Final shot of bride and groom riding off in the back of squad car, not how they thought they’d be starting their honeymoon.
• Episode ends with Grissom and Teri trying to have dinner, but Grissom gets a page and Teri leaves.

Gentle, Gentle, Season 1 #19

Case about a kidnapped baby gets worse when baby is found dead on a golf course. Investigation exposes all the family’s secrets as they work to discover what happened.

GREG:
Gets in trouble with Grissom for not processing baby’s samples fast enough.
Wardrobe: Brown striped shirt, but not same one from Face Lift.

REST OF TEAM:

• Father thinks Grissom is nuts when he takes the ½ full soda, checks the thermostat and then asks for soda. Grissom then tells Nick ‘Iced Tea Man’ to process the soda.
• Nanny cam shot of Grissom processing the baby’s crib.
• Brief shot of inside of Grissom’s case, don’t think we see that level of detail very often.
• Grissom gets emotionally involved in this case, going completely against what he told Sara is To Tough to Die.

Grissom’s Lesson of the week: Analysis of note proves parents wrote the note since it has no price or ransom amount. Can’t put a price on your own child.

To Tough to Die, Season 1 #16

Young woman is raped and assaulted. Fight about a motorcycle turns deadly.

GREG: absent. :(

REST OF TEAM:

• Sara notices that assault victim is wearing St. Catherine’s medal. According to Sara, St Catherine studied science, was brave and never gave up - qualities Sara obviously admires.
• Sara gets quite emotionally involved in assault case. Grissom tries to counsel her to not get so involved, asking if she has diversions outside of work. “If you don’t find something, they’ll all become special and you’ll burn out.” Foreshadowing?
• Warrick keeps referring to gingerbread man/men in his explanation of how fight went. Strange analogy.

Grissom’s Lesson of the week: Dogs sense of smell 40 times more accurate than humans.

Overload, Season 2 #3

Construction worker falls to his death. Sheriff says suicide, Grissom disagrees. “If you plan to commit suicide, would you go to work?” And a young man dies at his psychiatrist’s house.

GREG:

1. another guessing game to tell what he found out.
2. In staff lounge, making origami with crossword puzzle. Makes quick getaway when disagreement starts. Black, grey & white striped shirt, collar up.
3. 30 swabs in 6 hours not realistic, even for super lab rat. But Greg is able to do it since it was important to Nick.

REST OF TEAM:

• Three human bones that withstand high velocity drop – bones in the inner ear which are protected by the skull.
• Fox & Dourdan do a great job looking guilty after Grissom catches them talking about if he’s wrong.
• Funeral director actor (Kelly Connell) was also on Buffy – the bug guy that Cordy and Xander kill with glue. (What's My Line, part 2)
• The death of the teenager really gets to Nick. He was with person he trusted to keep him safe, but he wasn't. This is episode we learn that Nick was abused by a babysitter when he was a child.

Grissom's Lesson of the week: Terminal velocity is 9.8 meters squared; he would have hit the ground in under 5 seconds.

Chaos Theory, Season 2 #2

Young woman disappears from her dorm room when she was supposed to be on a plane home. Foul play or teenage prank?

GREG:

• Analysis of DNA from mattress doesn't match missing girl. 2 victims, one missing – one raped.
• Frederick Miescher (founder of DNA) paged Grissom. Are we paying you by the word? Typical Greg over-tell which Grissom rarely tolerates.
• Hair from car makes missing girl, indicates pulling. Cat FIGHT!

Wardrobe: Very flat hair. Lime green t-shirt.

REST OF TEAM:

• Opening saying before credits roll: "People don’t vanish, it’s a molecular impossibility." (Grissom)
• Sara is talking about college students selling their books -- “Why would anyone want to sell their books?” Typical Grissom.
• Pledge says girl was out of his league, he’s in the system now – meaning now that he’s in fraternity he’s better catch? Yick.
• Grissom and Brass walk across home plate and stop the pitch. Nice.
• This case bothers Grissom, the continuation of dead ends without progress makes him crazy. And he quotes H.L. Mecken who said: “There’s an easy solution to every human problem- neat, plausible and wrong” Conclusion, solution to their dead end is messy, improbable and right.
  

Strip Strangler, Season #23 – last episode of season 1

Serial killer in Vegas with some knowledge of forensics, the team has problems finding process-able evidence. And the sheriff calls in the FBI to help. To catch him Sara volunteers to be a bait, which Grissom disagrees with – vehemently.

GREG:

• substance in ejaculate that Greg can’t identify. Later he figures out its ketchup.
• Wardrobe: Green paisley looking shirt. Ah - paisley.
• 3rd appearance – red fan boy looking shirt. Lab coat obscures what's on it, so one must speculate. Simpsons? Sandman? Jay & Silent Bob? Oh yeah - and he got a ketchup DNA match.

REST OF TEAM:

• What’s the difference between a regular FBI Agent and Special Agent?
• Grissom is so brutally honest – last time a security tried to help me he ended up dead. Yikes. (he's referring to the events of Boom)
• Grissom keeps referring to killer as a signature killer instead of serial killer which would seem more like the popular vernacular. Obviously a distinction I wasn’t aware of: signature means uses same methods in each killing; serial is recurring.
• How do they decide to plant Sara in a grocery store? instead of a random store at the mall? or what seems like a better place for a stalker to me - a laundromat. (it worked for Dr. Horrible)
• Grissom has bugs and other lab looking materials in his refrigerator.
• When he's faking calling his girlfriend when he's really on the phone to Grissom - Nick calls his girlfriend Peanut.
• Catherine saves the day. Nice shooting Tex.
• “Never doubt and never look back.” Catherine’s life philosophy.
  

Stalker, Season 2 #19

Young woman is found dead in her bathroom, in a position that is very familiar to Nick. Turns out the cable guy wants to be friends with our Nicky.

GREG:
1. Reading TEEN magazine with cover article about Pink. His conclusion : Hot.
2. Nick is not happy that Greg is invading his privacy passing out the newsletters and tells him to lay off. Greg asks just the right question to Nick to get him to re-think the plastic bag he is fuming for prints, looks like its the bag she was suffocated with.

Wardrobe: Black t-shirt, British flag symbol.

REST OF THE TEAM:

• Victim is posed like picture of Nick's prom date that has been e-mailed to him.
• Psychic come to station to report vision of murder. Grissom and Brass aren't sure what to do with him. Is he a suspect, a crank or the real thing? But Grissom wants to believe, he takes him to victim's house to see if his visions match the crime scene.
• Really creepy that stalker finds his victims from going inside their homes to install cable.
• Nick gets tossed out a window by Crane, strange way to start a friendship.
• Nick's house has large rug in the living room with a 'T' on it. Wonder if he means Texas or Tennessee? :)
• Doc Robbins announces victim isn't a redhead but a natural blond and both he and Grissom swivel and look at Catherine - "why you lookin' at me?"
• Warrick calls Nick 'Ironside' as they're leaving the hospital. Nick is asking questions about the case while riding in a wheelchair just like the TV detective from the late 1960's.
• Nick confesses to Crane this isn't the first time he's had a gun pointed at his face. First time was Who Are You? from Season 1.

Grissom compares Crane's problem to Mazlow’s hierarchy of needs. Social beings strive to belong, Nigel found in Nick someone he wanted to become. Fifth level is self actualization but for him to attain it, Nick would have to die.

More CSI in the news.....

If you are a reader of Fast Company magazine -- if you aren't you should be -- September '09 issue has article about Anthony Zuiker, creator of CSI.

In the article Mr. Zuiker is talking about his new series of books (coming in September) called Level 26 that will have links as part of text that will give the reader "a code to unlock a two-to-three minute video 'cyberbridge,' a short scene that brings the story to life and moves it forward, but not so much you'd miss anything if just keep reading through."


First book is entitled Dark Origins. And Fast Company described as a much more adult content than CSI TV. Just found an article in USA Today as well.

Interesting!

Evaluation Day, Season 1 #22

Grissom is called to process a head found in a truck of a car, with no body. (Brass calls it a small 4 instead of 419.)

GREG:
Identifies substance on gas pedal as peanuts. Enthusiastically too – Sara says he’s nuts. Get it – nuts.
He also gets a lesson in shank assembly from Warrick. Never know when that might come in handy.

Wardrobe: lime green t-shirt. Like the casual look.

REST OF TEAM:

• “Icadbod was horror struck on seeing he was headless.” Grissom , when he and Brass find the head in the trunk.
• "You’re a riot Alice." Grissom again, to Catherine. Honeymooners.
• Nick's annoyed about that as 9mo tenured CSI level 3, he can’t process scenes alone. Grissom tells him he has to be great at job for his own approval – instead of looking for approval in someone else.
• Doc Robbins rocking out to day time coroner’s tune. Not the first time we see how much he enjoys music. Too bad he and Greg never compare favorite bands and tunes, that would be an interesting conversation.
• Catherine’s divorce - filed or final. Can’t tell what she says.
• Grissom gets way too excited about boiling the head to find out how man died. Laundry detergent.
• Brass says girls that stole the car are “felon stupid.” Yes, probably.
• Awful choice for kid from Crate & Barrel episode, testify and get killed in jail OR keep quiet and get sentence increased.
• “Foot locker had no head room.” Bad joke as they speculate why head was removed from body.
• Grissom : "every 9years and 34 days I feel like sharing." So he shares of love of coasters with Warrick, telling him that riding the roller coaster is his evaluation.

Lesson of the week: from Teri Miller, gorillas are 92% identical to humans.

Sara Returning

This is old news - but still good news.

Ausiello Files seems to have the best details about this news, complete with a Q&A with two of CSI's Executive Producers.

Face Lift, Season 1 #17

Murder in a pottery shop uncovers fingerprints of girl that's been missing for 20 years. Sara and Warrick have a case of what looks like spontaneous combustion.


GREG:

1. appears to be having romantic conversation with his SO on phone. Totally distracted and tells Nick he should goof off more - "get lost in life" Nick is not amused.

Brown striped shirt.

REST OF TEAM:

• Last name of lady that burned is Winston. Reference to the classic George Carlin bit - Me & My Winston -- ?? Or more likely, a reference to the cigarettes that started the fire
• This episode we get the many faces of Nick -- annoyed at Greg; paranoid about uranium; smug when he finds gloves.
• Pottery store -- GNOMES!

Catherine takes over the Grissom lesson of week: -- fern plants deposit millions of spores in it's lifetime.

Fahrenheit 932, Season 1 #12

Grissom, Sara & Warrick prove that guy in jail didn't start fire that killed his wife and son. Nick and Catherine solve the shooting of a young man in his car.

GREG:
No Greg this episode. Different guy doing DNA. Is this same actor we see in a few episodes doing handwriting analysis? Not sure. Have to see it again and I've already deleted from DVR. Dang it.

REST OF THE TEAM:

• Catherine is wearing a nice suit this episode, love the pink shirt. Quite like the shorter hair she's sporting for season 1.
• Frederick Koehler, actor playing brother of gunshot victim was child actor on late 80's series Kate & Allie which starred Jane Curtin. He was also in one episode of Freakylinks -- cool short lived series that also had Eric Szmanda as guest on one episode.

Grissom's Lesson of the week: Not really a lesson. But in this episode first time we see Grissom play detective, observing facts about someone - just like Sherlock Holmes. (And Sherlock Holmes figures prominently in a much later episode when Greg passes his final proficiency.)