CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

It's very good to see that CSI still knows how to deliver a fantastic episode after seven seasons. The episode, aside from being very well acted as is the case with this show, told the story in a very clever fashion. The flashback scenes with Sara and her kidnapper and how the Minature Killer set up the scene are quite good. The flashback scenes also gave the viewers another look into the kidnapper's mind and how the crimes were in fact well planned. There are flaws in this episode, but the very engaging story and good acting overcomes those flaws.

sara's right arm maybe the one we see reaching from the car but it is not trapped, it is her left arm jamed under the car seat or something, we can only see this when she's trying to force the car up with the mirror to get her arm out, so it's correct that her left arm is the one in the make shift sling... i loved that ep, i loved grissom finally fully showing what he feels for sara, unfortunate circumstances for it though, a wedding would have been so much better, heehee GSR! brill ep, good reason for the whole trapping thing, unlike Nick's burial deal in Grave Danger...

This kind of emotional drama is the reason I watch CSI. This episode is very comparable to Season 5's fan favorite Grave Danger, except this time Sara falls victim to the dangerous and psychotic Miniature Killer. She sticks Sara under a totaled car, somewhere lost in the dessert. You may be thinking "So what?" But several flash floods are hitting Las Vegas, and with Sara trapped under the car she only has a certain amount of time before the water levels raises and she drowns. The CSI team races to try and find her but they all know deep down that it's close to impossible to find exactly where in the dessert she is. Do they find her in time? It's the question that'll have you on the edge of your seat. This is the CSI we all know and fell in love with. Embrace the intensity!

Out of all the episodes of csi and i have seen all of season 1-7 i have to say this season 8 episode one has to be the least interesting one i have seen. For a start most of the episode is of Sara walking round a desert also Grissom doesnt seem to worry about the kidnapping of someone he says he loves he is far too calm he was more worried when Nick was kidnapped. Speaking of Nick he seemed more upset and more worried about Sara than Grissom did and the scence changes were FAR too ovibious since one minute it is dark and pouring with rain and next moment is it dry and bright i think they could have done alot better for a season opener than this the only thing about the episode i really enjoyed was the fact they showed what happened when Natalie kidnapped Sara and how Sara had tried to save herself ,this is the only bad episode i have seen and thats saying something i just hope the rest of season 8 turns out to be better.

What can I say? I'm just so excited to see that Sara Sidle lives. I think is one of the best CSIs yet. Jorja Fox did an outstanding job in her portrayal of Sara Sidle. She is a fighter and a survivor. If not when she was younger when her father was killed by her mother, then now when she is faced with one of the toughest moments of her life. I particularly love the flashbacks of not only Grissom but also Nick. Grissom's flashback goes all the way back to near the beginning of the show. When she "wipes the chalk dust" from his face. Then there is Nick's flashback to "Gum Drops" and Sara talks to him about the little girl they were looking for and that "When it's your day to die, it's your day." The emotion that George Eads gives Nick is excellent to the character because I have always seen Nick and Sara as a brother/sister pair.



The most touching moment of the show was when Sara was in the helicopter and Grissom demands that he goes too. Holding her hand, gazing into her eyes, praying for her to be okay. When she opens her eyes and their eyes meet, my eyes teared up. These two characters show their love well, even if it wasn't the kiss that me and others hoped for, just the gaze and holding hands showed how much love they have for one another. If I was in Sara's situation, I could think of nothing better than to open my eyes and see the love of my life staring back at me.



Bravo to the cast, the writers, and directors for a job very well done! I'm looking forward to watching the next episode and the whole season.

Kate Bush's song has played in my head over and over again this summer. The trailer was edited perfectly. They should be misleading and heighten the suspense. The gossips kept quiet enough for me not to be entirely sure of Jorga's contract. I watched this episode spoiler free and, though fairly certain Sara would survive, I was anxious as to how it would all play out. I still think Grave Danger outplays this episode if only because of Ead's acting. Still, Sara's resilient and resourceful character deserves her due. Even if faced with death, I can't honestly say that I would be able to do the things that she did. I can't say that I would be able to get out of that trunk or pull myself out of that car. Panic would have eliminated any reason. Her character is remarkably written, the scenes were intercut impressively, and the ending was poignant. GSR fans may have wanted a kiss but the holding of each other's gaze and hands was so much more powerful and realistic. I guess it just wasn't her day to die. Random Side Note: One shot stands out as unique. The camera goes from focusing on Warrick to focusing on him through the magnifying glass.

Back for it's eighth season CSI gave us another good episode and more of what we love. The hunt for Sara was wonderfully done. We were given many twist and turns on the way to her rescue. From watching her escape just to be put back into another car. To the discovery of a dead body in the desert that was so decomposed we had to wonder if it was Sara or not. A good episode from start to finish showcasing all members of the squad and the Grissom Sara romance. CSI is back with what we love great cases and characters and their stories.

SPOILERS:



Overall, I was slightly disappointed that Sarah lived. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Sarah hater by any means. But it would have been truly shocking and an extraordinary CSI if a main character died! Besides they already did a "rescue a CSI from certain death" episode with Nick. So many shows dangle the carrot of a main character's possible death over the audience's head only to have them saved (like Nick or Grey's Anatomy, etc). That said, hopefully this will be a good season. I liked the miniature killer story arc, and I would like to see another story arc but hopefully not another serial killer story line.

Wow, now THIS is how a TV show should be! I've got to say this is one of the best (if not the BEST) season premiere episodes I've ever seen. I seriously was on the edge of my seat, breathing heavily, talking to the TV, and freaking out! I've been waiting for this for weeks and it definitely was worth it. The whole episode hinges on just one thing - do they get to Sara before she dies???? And that's all this episode needs. The switches between what the CSI's were doing and what Sara was doing was great, and really kept up the intensity. Her battle for life was crazy! First she's soo close to escaping from Natalie's car, then she almost drowns while stuck under the wrecked car, then she's roaming through the desert. I really think she should have just sat by the car where she'd be easier to spot, and she could save the energy she wasted walking. But instead she was retarded and walked around the desert. Whatever.



Anyways, the episode grew more intense as we found Sara wasn't in the car. Grissom and Catherine went on an on-foot search for her, and when they found that body - aaah! Don't trick us like that! It's too intense already. Finally, Nick spots the reflection from the rearview mirror Sara had - good thinking on that Sara! He rushes to her, as I start to freak out even more and shake and cry, then everyone rushes to the scene. She has no pulse! And I don't either anymore! Shes's taken in a helicopter, with Grissom by her side and me freaking out on the floor like 2 inches away from the TV at this point, crying like a retard And she's alive! Yesssssssss. I guess she renewed her contract! Best episode ever, great growing intensity, REALLY drew me in and kept me on edge until the very last second. Nice work CBS, I love you.

After months of eagerly awaiting season 8 of CSI and finding out Sara's fate, I was bitterly disappointed. The episode started out well enough; the minature killer was sufficantly crazy and chilling, the tension and suspence were building nicely, and Sara was fantastic as the victim (I was cheering when she got out of the trunk).



But then something happened with the writing. It was almost as if the writers had lost the plot and didn't know where to go next. The writing became strained, Sara's 'heroic' break for freedom and her 'epic' journey across the desert became somewhat ludicrous (what was with that music?!! It just did not sit with the episode...I felt as though I were watching one of those art house films in which nothing ever happens) and Grissom became a drip (my mother adores Grissom, even has a crush on him, and those were the words she employed during the course of this episode). It sounds harsh and it breaks my heart to say this, but the whole thing was like reading really bad fanfiction! Why on earth did Sara leave the car after getting out? She should have known as a resident of Vegas that you always stay with the vehicle because it makes it easier for the searchers to find you! Even in the Australian outback, you are required to stay with the car. It made no sense, and to me was just a shabby writing tool in which to prolong Sara's predicament...exactly as would be done in fanfiction. Her long trek across the desert was painful to watch...and not in a good way. It felt overdone and melodramitic. There was no real resolution with the miniture killer, and indeed, they did not utilise the wonderful actress who played her nearly enough in this episode.



There were a few enjoyable moments in the episode. Nick remembering back to Gum Drops when Sara had given him advice (beautifully played by George Eads) and I adored that very gentle moment in the helicopter between Sara and Grissom when she opened her eyes and they smiled at each other. But for the most part, the episode dragged and I found myself longing for it to be over. I was bitterly disappinted with Dead Doll (which had the potential to be a classic) and highly doubt I will even watch this episode again.

I loved this episode because it was suspensful and showed the true feelings of the team and how close everyone of them are. I am glad Sara lived but that they waited until the last minute for us to find out her future. I hope sara stays on this show because now we know the true feeling between the two of them and it would be very interesting to make a storyline out of it that spans several episodes which CBS has done a wonderful job on so far. I can't wait for this season because it looks like such a good one.

I can't seem to fully understand all of the negative reviews for Dead Doll 2. I can see that some people might be upset that Sara didn't die, but I mean come on judge the episode a little more on the content than just one outcome.



I thought this episode was smart in using flashbacks to help tell the story. The only big complaint I have is that we didn't get much of Natalie. I really hope there is a little more closure with that later in the season. I thought they but the suspense in all of the right places. When they found the one hiker dead in the desert I thought for sure it was Sara and I almost wanted to fall over.

In a word: wow.



Few TV shows ever really bring a tear to my eye: the Roots miniseries, an episode of Touched by an Angel and one of Law and Order:SVU are the only ones I can think of. And all of them dealt with slavery and/or some form of "human trafficking". Now, I can add CSI's "Dead Doll" to that very short list.



While this episode doesn't deal with any form of slavery or human trafficking, the whole story arc of the "Miniature killer", culminating beautifully and rivetingly with "Dead Doll", is a tragedy multiplied many times, and it's one which CSI did very, very well, to include William Peterson's episode-ending piece plugging CASA (http://www.nationalcasa. org/about_us/index.html). In fact, it's CSI's best story arc so far, and that's saying alot.



Many "second parters" are anti-climactic, at least to a point, and, often, it's just the "nature of the beast". The Without A Trace episode "Showdown" was a noteable exception, but "Dead Doll" is an exception times a hundred. It was as if the Miniature Killer story actually continued, that there was no break at all between "Living Doll" and "Dead Doll", ala the two hour "Grave Danger". And that is outstanding writing, outstanding direction, and outstanding acting. On the latter front, many hats off to Jorja Fox and Jessica Collins (who portrayed Natalie) especially, but to the entire cast as well.



I often characterize myself with Grissom (thus my icon image), due to my belief in science versus "superstition", my belief that truly good science does not involve politics (hello Conrad Ecklie [protrayed excellently by Marc Vann], who it appears will be stooping to a new low in the next episode, even for him) or over-emotionalism (Catherine? ala "Pledging Mr. Johnson"), and my deep anger over the injuring and, god forbid, deaths of children at the hand of exploiters and sick freaks, or at the hands of those that are supposed to care for them. (No wonder Grissom had to take a "sabbatical" for a brief period last season - nice piece of storywork there). Thus, Grissom, Mr. Science, Mr. "Non-emotional", there in the medivac chopper as Sara came to hit me right in my breastbone. I mean, =smack=!



So, I'll end this all-too-brief review as I began it: wow.

This episode finalizes the terrific Miniature Killer arc, but does it in Brain-Dead fashion, with 20 (!) boring, unnecessary minutes of wandering in the desert.



And how did the killer lower the car onto Sarah? And why did Sarah leave the CONSPICUOUS car and go to hide in the desert?



What terrible, terrible, LAZY writing this episode reveals.



I hope this does not set the pace for future episodes this season. Season 7 was by far the best season ever, particularly Ending Happy.



Since nothing happens, really, to the Miniature Killer herself, or Sarah for that matter, I'd just skip this episode entirely.

Natalie Davis is one crazy killer, she was a bad apple from the begining. Pushing kids off the top bunk, that's just worng. Natalie kinda scares me. I loved how Sara kept pushing herself to walk, it shows how much she has strength. I loved it when Sara attacked Natalie I was like kick her a** Sara. when they showed the flash back from Gum Drops it was really touching I cried a little when I saw that. This episode was one of the best. I rember waiting all summer wondering what will happen. I laughed when in Living doll when Brass said they should drip bleach on Nataile.

What a horrible way to end a great story line. I had stopped watching this show because EVERY episode now has the usual sex filler plot line. This storyline was different, they were actually trying to write a meaningful plot.



They could have done a lot with the screenplay and the ending. Instead we are treated to half the episode of Sara wandering around the desert!?! I don't get it. When Catherine said "She's a survivor." I thought I'd choke on my Coke Zero. Crack writing there.



I actually tuned in the next week expecting them to finish the story. Another unwatchable episode(Eating in the dark with playboy bunnies? - cmon now).



It seems now with this show you probably only get 4 good stories per season. The science used to drive the show but now they don't focus on it so much.



One good thing, the music still keeps me watching. John Keane(sp?) does a great job.



Anyways, it is still better than a lot of the crap on TV.

After all those episodes about the miniature killer and that's how it ended? I mean come on... half of the episode was just wondering in the desert to find Sara... Could of been a lot better if they thought a bit more about a better ending then this one... 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min -> 100 words min ->

The eighth season of CSI continues on from the last episode of season 7 and it was really a nerve racking experience. I just love it when they make us NZ fans wonder if Sara actually survives this dry conditions in the middle of nowhere!!!!

In my opinion, this is like the most nerve racking, nail biting, most watched and crazy start to season eight which started here in New Zealand last Sunday night and honestly I am loving it. Anyway, I give this episode a 10 out of 10 for the perfect season premiere that CSI has done in ages in my opinion.

Even better than "Living Doll"!! More fantastic acting, and Jessica Collins was even better this time around! I actually thought she was a psychotic serial killer. Anyways, William Petersen was great too, and Jorja Fox, as always, portrayed her character perfectly. Good desert scenes, though parts of it looked a bit CG (I don't know if it's real desert???). Really well plotted, with two distinct parts: the flashbacks and the current situation in the desert. They chose an eerily appropriate scene for Nick's flashback: The "It was not your day to die" from Season 6 "Gum Drops". Plus in the end scene, brilliant acting done by William Petersen. For some reason, in between shots in the desert, Catherine changed her hat?!?!?!? Oh yeah, can't forget, Wallace Langham (i.e. Hodges) was billed in the opening credits, which is SO not fair. One, it's ridiculously imbalanced: out of 9 main characters only two are female. Two, Louise Lombard appeared WAY more times than Wallace Langham. Whatever, it was still a extraordinary episode, and it kept me on the edge of the sofa, even though I knew Sara wasn't going to die.

Finally, after four months, we will know whether Sara dies or not. NO, SHE LIVES!!! Sara survived from the maniac miniature killer attack. Glad to hear that, but she's still leaving soon...not good. I love this episode. Great episode and Grissom's relationship with Sara grow a lot. I thought Grissom will be the one found Sara, but he did not, it's Nick and Sofia! Nice. Love that scene, I watch that scene again and again in YouTube.



Perfect is the word to describe this episode. Good, good, good, perfect, perfect, perfect, awesome, awesome, awesome...Way to go CSI!! I will definitely watch the next episode!!!

Even when Sara is my least favorite character, I liked her in this episode. I thought she was weak but she gets the strength from within to survive to this horrible ordeal. And she uses her skills as an investigator to save herself.

I like how all the enssemble is working to find her. It was a nice touch to see Nick struggling to find clues at Natalie's place and then remember what Sara had told him when he went through the same.

The actress playing Natalie is amazing. Her perfomance is very good, it really gave me the creeps just to listen or to see her.

Sara was trapped under the car with her arm crushed. The team had to find her before she died from the mini killers attack. The team used helecopters and all that stuff. It was so freaking awesome. It was another great episode the the CSI series and a great way to start the new season. Also a great great part when Sara got out from under the car and was wondering around the desert. Also the coyotes was so cool. Then making it be Nick who found her was just poetic justice. I think this was one of the best CSI episodes of all time. Also they should make more like this one.

In the season premiere the csi team searches for clues on Sara's whereabouts. After hours of searching they finally find the car only to discover Sara is not there. She had managed to remove herself from underneath the car and was wondering the desert. The team began to search the surrounding areas to see if she was nearby. Grissom and Catherine follow foot prints which lead to a body, which turned out to be the body a hiker.



After being in the desert in for quite some time Sara collapses but is still holding the mirror she took with her from the car. While Sofia and Nick are driving looking for any sign of Sara, Nick sees a glare from the mirror and they immediately head her way. Upon finding Sara, Nick is unable to find a pulse and a helicopter is flown in. Grissom rides in the helicopter with Sara who opens her eyes and squeezes Grissoms hand.



I didn't really have a problem with the episode itself although it's a little unbelievable that Sara got out from underneath the car, what bothers me is that Sara lived. We've seen this many times before a character has a near death experience but somehow makes it out okay. It's getting old. If they are going to continue to have the characters in life threatening situations someone is going to have to die. Otherwise it will always be the same ending, character was in danger but will live to see another day or more accurately, another life threatening situation.

This was a great episode! There were so many twists and turns I wasn't sure if Sara was going to make it or not, and I'm so glad she did because she is one of my favorite characters. My favorite part was when Nick had flashbacks about his conversation with Sara about it not being your day to die, and I think him crying just proved how sorry he felt for Sara and how bad he wanted to find her in time. Then when Grissom jumped into the helicopter with her it was so sweet! I can't wait till next week!

I didn't want Sara to live just because I can't stand GSR. It's just gross, I could barely watch because of all the pain Sara went through. I love her so much! It wasn't that good of an episode and Grissom sucks! He doesn't even seem like he really loves Sara. Also, Hodges, I don't know his real name, is in the credits instead of Louise Lombard, WTF! I love Sofia. It was just a crappy day that day. I knew Sara would make it though but I'm glad to hear her contract is expired and she probably won't finish off the season.

So we start season 8...and they do it fairly well. I had a lot of high hopes for this episode and sadly it did not live upto what i expected. With season 7 ending so well i thought season 8 would continue that way...but it did't. So why didn't Sarah die if she is leaving the show? And why did they spend so long beating around the bush? It jsut seemed that most of this episode was a little pointless and that all the other characters espeically Warric,Nick and Catherine get the backseat. Well lets hope season 8 gets better but overall it was not so bad. I just know that CSI can do better when its on top form.

This episode has been long anticipated in my book and while was enjoyable, perhaps didn't live up to the big wait I had to see it! I thought there'd be more anticipation and twists and turns, yet instead it seemed most of the episode was taken up by showing how Sarah had ended up in the situation, which I thought didn't really warrant so much time. I wanted to see the miniature killer giving them problems and puzzles they'd have to work through and race to find Sarah, as opposed to simply seeing her walk to her car, get attacked and put in the car, taken to the desert and put under the totalled car...all of which I already knew ha happened and for some reason wasn't that thrilled and excited about seeing each detail of the kidnap, because it wouldn't help the CSIs find her really and slowed the anticipation and intrigue down in my opinion. Still enjoyed the episode, so I don't want to put anybody off too much. The miniature killer storyline was such a creative, unique story, for what seems to be the end of it all now (who knows though...I haven't had the privilege of the next episode as yet)! I just wanted more intensity that I felt with Nick Stokes and "Grave Danger"!!!

I think we are forgetting that CSI was all about drama. We spend watching 20 minutes of Sara wandering in the desert as much as we spend watching Nick in the box in the Grave Danger episode. They wanted to show you how much difficult it was for Sara to survive the ordeal. They want you to feel trapped with her under the car with rain coming of her and the scorching heat of the dessert finding her way back to civilization. And I too questioned about how Natalie trapped Sara under the wrecked car or how too obvious the that the pictures from the car wreck that Gil and Sara processed got a picture of Natalie in it and why would anybody in CSI takes picture of the Criminalist than the scene? It would have been credible had it been a arson case where CSI takes pictures of the people in the scene, right?



I felt that the writing was not well thought of although they had a good head start with it considering Izzy's crime scene. But it felt the writers got bored and decided to make it Ernie Dell only it was stupid. I mean, when Ernie died, i felt: thats it? After a meticulous preparation of every crime scene he made, decided to pull a gun to himself? So comes a lousy excuse for Ernie's death and hear comes our unconventional serial woman killer! I guess one of the reasons why I gave it a 9 rating is because the actors did well especially Gil and Nick. Believable. Also Natalie's coming as a psychotic serial killer was a good redeem for the saga.

VERY INTERESTING. I must say that I did really enjoy this episode. But I do not like how I had to wait 4 months for it. Although, the whole survivor thing with Sara was a bit riskay!!! I do think that they could have thought that one through a little more but, whatever. I had some good laughs in there, I mean you just had to laugh at the cheesiness of it. The last scene with Grissom was priceless though. I loved that so much. Grissom looked very hagered but very sexy!!! Bravo CSI. There is definetly some brilliance behind all of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The original CSI has been a favorite show of mine for quite some time, but it has always been something of a guilty pleasure. Why? Though CSI often sparkles with intelligence, it also strikes me as a show that values style over substance. With all of the trendy subject matter, pop culture references, stylish sets, clever plot twists, and lavish visual effects, the show generally seems to offer little more than titillation. CSI often tells stories of lives that are rich in psychological and emotional nuance, but rather than delving into those nuances, it lets the brunt of the focus fall upon plot details, generalizations, and the detectives' wisecracks. As a result, watching the show often leaves me with the feeling of having indulged in soulless entertainment that lacks the more morally or emotionally provocative elements of other crime dramas.



So how is it that an episode that featured one of the most hackneyed and replicated plots of all time--heroine is endangered by forces of darkness, heroine survives and is rescued--became one of the most soulful CSI episodes ever to air? CSI is a show that communicates in stereotypes and generalizations--here is Grissom, the aloof, introverted intellectual; here is Catherine, provocatively sexual and tough; here is Greg, amiably goofy and innocent--and that we saw Sara play out the role of the vulnerable woman who yet is ultimately a survivor was no revelation. Not only was there little doubt that Sara would survive, but the traits she exhibited in this episode were traits that have long been associated with her character.



So again, how is it that, in an episode plotted strictly according to preexisting templates, a by-the-book melodrama if there ever was one, there could be so much soul and emotional power? Part of the credit goes to Jorja Fox, who made her performance raw and personal, rather than overplayed. Because Fox did not overplay them, the scenes with her character convey many nuances of emotion. The viewer sees not only her fear and determination, but the loneliness of her struggle. Sara is courageous not just because she fights for her survival, but because she displays the psychological fortitude to face her dire situation with an almost supernatural grace. Though she obviously wants to live, she does not panic or fall into hysterics, and she draws us into the silent well of strength inside her that balances acceptance with fierce determination not to give up. The setting of her trials in an isolated stretch of desert further enhances the spiritual qualities of the inner journey Sara makes.



I disagree with some of the criticisms others have made about this episode. I found it believable that Sara wandered through the desert during the heat of the day. While she might have known better than to do that in more normal circumstances, she had just experienced a traumatic event. She would have been disoriented and in an unusual emotional state, and her actions would have been driven by an emotional impulse rather than a logical choice. I also disagree that any of the performances this episode were wooden. William Petersen plays Grissom as a man who is not typically prone to outward displays of emotion, and I found the way he played his response to Sara's abduction to be both moving and in character. I could see his panic, regret, and ultimately, his relief; there was no need for Petersen to play these emotions any less subtly than he did for them to come across. If he had, the episode would have been much worse for it.



Ultimately, this episode of CSI impressed me and defied my expectations by bringing a compelling storyline to a close in a way that focused on character, nuance, and emotion rather than plot points. True to CSI form, the episode showed us the technical details of how Sara survived, but it also did more than that by showing us the soul of her journey. This episode wasn't just about escaping a serial killer's machinations, but the qualities that allowed Sara to do so. In this episode, we got to see the soul of who Sara is, something that cannot be captured in an easy label like "survivor," though that word finds new resonance through what we saw onscreen. By accompanying Sara on her journey, the viewer is not simply entertained, but enriched and uplifted in ways that transcend language. That is one of the highest aims of any art, and it was truly a pleasant surprise to encounter it on an episode of a guilty pleasure cop drama.