Cats in the Cradle

Season 2, Episode 20, Aired
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Episode Summary

Grissom and Catherine investigate the stabbing death of an 80-year-old woman who lived in a run-down house full of cats; Nick and Sara comb through the remains of a car bombing that was, apparently, a murder plot gone awry.
8.6
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Fan Episode Reviews (5)

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  • Quite a cool episode

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By taker65, Aug 26, 2010 Report Abuse
    Both stories amazed me. The one about the car bomb was quite good. The ending really shocked me. I mean, that girl put a bomb in her own car and was planning to risk her life so her husband would get framed for it all because she thought he was cheating on her. Talk about jealousy. The other story shocked the heck out of me. A little girl murders a woman in her 80's all because she wouldn't let her have one of her cats. I did some research and apperently one of the sisters in this episode went on to star as Sam on iCarly. She has had quite the career.moreless

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  • Call me crazy but if you put a little girl stabbing an old lady with a girlie pen on a toasted bagel I would eat it.

    8.9
    "Great"
    By DoctorElect, Jan 31, 2007 Report Abuse
    There are a lot of things wrong with this episode. The cat angle seems like a little cheesy and the B story isn't perfect. The killer isn't too obvious but she isn't well hidden. But it all gets payed off in the end. A lot of people dislike this episode because the cat motive is so trivial but that is exactly why I love it. There are a lot of wrong turns that can happen in a child's mind and I love the idea that this little girl got her mind so twisted that she believes that stand in her way need to pay. When someone takes her cat she feels she needs to kill them. It doesn't make sense but crazy people often blow stuff so far out of proportion that it doesn't make sense. Call me crazy but if you put a little girl stabbing an old lady with a girlie pen on a toasted bagel I would eat it.moreless

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  • An old woman stabbed - a younger woman almost blown up in a car. But nothing is as it seems in CSI-land

    8.0
    "Great"
    By qstevie, Oct 07, 2006 Report Abuse
    This isn't my favourite storyline - the A story at least - but it's still good.

    Unlike others, I thought the culprits in both cases were a little obvious, but maybe I've just watched one too many of this kind of show!

    The B case about the pipe bombing of the car is well laid out. The lengths people will go to! It's very satisfying when the culprits are finally revealed and you feel very sorry for the poor guy who's almost been framed for attempted murder.

    The A case is good, but less satisfying, probably because of who the culprits are. Talk about a non-reason for killing. Putting in a SPOILER here though it's covered elsewhere anyway...






    The child who plays the killer of the old woman - brilliant little actress and you really want her character to pay for what she's done. What a little madam!moreless

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  • This episode surprised me the most. I mean come on...

    7.5
    "Good"
    By Red-hood, Nov 05, 2005 Report Abuse
    ...a little girl killed an old lady...with a pen!!! I hated that brat so much. I mean seriously, what is she gonna become when she grows up? I would have never suspected her. But this is my favourite thing about CSI. you never know who might have done it. There was even this one episode where there was no murderer. It was just a bunch of unfortunate events.

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  • This is a good episode but something was not right.

    8.3
    "Great"
    By dreyden24, Oct 05, 2005 Report Abuse
    The episode about how a cat lover was killed by a little brat who should burn in Hell and be touchered for the rest of the after life. Who kills someone over one little cat, one little cat, one cat, one. But other part were good, but why kill a old lady for a cat.

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • David is allergic to cats. Edit
    • Eric Szmanda was originally supposed to be head banging away to a U2 song, but he decided to use Marilyn Manson's The Fight Song instead. Edit
    • Goof: In the scene where Greg is telling Grissom and Catherine that the substance found in the wound track is mineral oil, the shot changes several times. In the first shot, Greg is wearing big black gloves, then seconds later his hand is bare, and from then on it's the same difference. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Music: Busenfreund - Tosca The Fight Song - Marilyn Manson Edit
    • On the DVD (the version released in England at least), this episode is called simply Cat's Cradle, which is of course also the name of a popular children's game. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • (Grissom walks toward the door after the cat and opens it) Catherine: Where are you going? Grissom: Following the evidence. Edit
    • Nick: You know, when I was 16, I begged my mom for a car. Swore she'd come through. Sara: What happened? Nick: Encyclopedia Britannica. (laughs) All 24 volumes. Still own them, still use them. Edit
    • Nick: Hey. Sara: Hey! Nick: Wow. You look... Sara: Happy? Nick: Smug. Actually. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Greg: I could have been a rock star. This is a reference to to a Marilyn Manson music video that featured Eric Szmanda. Edit
    • Episode Title: Cats In The Cradle The episode title could allude to, Cat's In The Cradle is also a song by Harry Chapin about a father's distant relationship with his son. Edit

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