CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

This is such a cute, above-average, fluffy episode that's just so fun to watch. Here, instead of our usual CSIs, the lab technicians take center stage as they are tricked into a collective brainstorming session on the miniature killer case by their wannabe leader David Hodges. The lab techs, not used to working in a group, looked like they were having a good time socially, making cracks at each other etc, which of course, annoys Hodges. The investigation gets back on track when Wendy puts her 2 cents in and almost steals Hodges' thunder in the process. Those two would probably have something amorous going on in the later episodes i bet! By the end, Hodges did manage to uncover a new important clue for the miniature killer case, much to Grissom's delight. I loved that this episode allows the lab techs to have much more screen time than they usually get in the series. They each have such quirky personalities that it's nice to get to know them better like this. My favourite, i gotta say, is Archie, what a hottie! It's way too sad that he got the least air time in this episode; sure hope i get to see more of him in the future.

i love this episode, its definitely one of my favorite episodes because it has the lab rats, and they are really cool (my favorite is Wendy) but they never play this episode much :( I've only seen it once and i had to record half of it so i watched the end then the beginning so it kinda ruined it. But this episode was cool because it didn't focus on an actual case, other than the miniature cases, but there was no new dead body or anything, and the lab rats tried to figure out the miniature case. i liked the part where Wendy called the phone number, it was kinda funny :)

Fantastic. We get to see supporting CSI characters highlighted for one of the first times in the shows run. It was great to see them work together and in doing so recap the minuture killer. For me I enjoyed the minuture killer arc, it falls second on my list of favorite arcs to the Grave Danger episodes. If you like CSI and are a fan you will appreciat this episode. If you only watch in passing this episode is great in bringing you up to speed. Either way, this episode is very enjoyable and has enough content to be watchable over and over again.

I absolutely loved this episode. I think I laughed the whole way through! The idea of focussing on the lab rats worked out really, really well! They are all very good actors, and very funny too! Mandy makes me laugh, shame she was only in the first half of the episode. Hodges is just, well, Hodges! Nice to see more of Wendy, I really like her. Henry is a dipstick, but in a cute way! Archie, rawr! Any episode with this much Archie in it is okay with me, he is so cute, this episode is getting replayed often just for him!

There were some very cool lighting effects in this episode; blue at the start of the episode, yellow when the autopsy lights went out. Doc Robbins and Grissom chasing the rat made me laugh out loud, whenever the two of them get together it's a great scene...this one tops them all though!



Great episode!

The title of the episode has double meaning as the lab technicians Archie, Mandy, Henry and Wendy are in the spotlight as they study the miniatures crime scene for clues under the directions of Hodges. Although the primary CSIs have small screen time, the secondary characters delivered a great performance. The other connotation of the title maybe that Doc Robbins is scared of rats and there was a funny scene as Grissom and Doc Robbins autopsied a body only to find a rat jumping out of it. At the end of the episode, as Grissom catches Hodges snooping with the miniatures, Hodges tells him that he found that the common factor with all the miniatures is bleach.

Who knew that an episode with none of the main cast could be so involving?



First of all, kudos to none other than Mr Wallace Langham, who is particularly amazing yet utterly insane as Dave Hodges in this eppy. Hats off also to Miss Liz Vassey- whose chemistry with Langham carries the episode- heck, I'm shipping Wedges now!!! Basically, Hodges gathers the lab techs to "help" Grissom in the minikiller cases. Doesn't sound terribly exciting, but CSI pulls it off with sheer style, and laughs. This show went for something different here, took a risk- and it payed off big time.



Highlights include a defensive Sara talking about Griss with Wendy,- and another incident with Brass, Catherine and a clown. Don't ask.

I don't follow CSI LV as obsessively as I do CSI NY (so I wait for it to be shown on TV in UK) but I still love it and this episode has just gone straight into my top 5 (number 2 I think, Gum Drops is still my fave).



Fantastic episode, really well written and constructed, Hodges was a class apart esp the "Lucky Day" sequence and I loved seeing more of the Lab Rats, always had a bit of a thing for Archie and he was so cute in the hat It was a great way to bring the casual viewer up to date with minature serial killer episodes so far and show how the "little" guys help the CSI's solve cases.



Also do I detect a certain "frisson" between Hodges and Wendy - love in the Lab, so cute, but then we knew that anyway. (Oh yeah and when Hodges said the MK cases were keeping Gil up at night, my mum said its is more likely Sara and laughed like a mad woman! Who knew she was a GSR shipper - you think you know people:shock.



If you haven't seen this episode yet I really do recommend it.

Always in the background, the lab techs at CSI LV finally get their share of screentime. We are given a better view of who these people are. The CSIs are interesting in their own right, of course, but I really enjoyed the one hour of these people trying to solve the Miniature Killer mystery.



Hodges was really the man of the hour for this episode. In other episodes, he was funny and annoying. In this episode, he actually became endearing and I began to like his character. Actually, I began to like all the lab techs and their quirky personalities.



This is one funny episode - from the lab techs to the autopsy scene. "Day shift." "Ha!" Priceless.

This was an amazing episode. Over the last seven years we have got to know, love, even worship in my case ;) the CSIs on CSI. We have been through their troubles and their achievements. We've cried during their hardships and laughed at their wit. Character devolpment seems to be dying down for our CSIs now, though. But this episode changes everything. In 'Lab Rats' we get to go back to that season 1-2 feeling of character devolpment. Except, in this episode, instead of learning about our CSIs, we learn about the Lab Techs. They have always been shadowed in the show, but this episode was their time to shine. It was fun, and it was different. I miss the days of non-stop character devolpment, and I got it back. We got to see that Hodges isn't just a suck-up, that Wendy has amazing spunk, and that Archie doesn't just have a life full of videos and Star Trek. This is the best episode by far in my book!

A GREAT CSI episode, as many others in this seventh season, by far series' best.

It was an original idea leaving the rats (or better, the chief of the rats, Hodges) examine the miniature killer case and have some new revelations. And that happens, with a new lead thanks to bleach common to all four miniatures found until now.

I always liked Hodges' character, I thought he had potential even if he often sounds arrogant: he's good when it comes to scientific work, as Nick points out when he speaks with him...I also liked the idea of the lucky day, as an incentive to help Grissom.

I thought this was a pretty good episode. I really liked how the writers changed it up a bit and made the episode center around the labrats. They all crack me up. It was kind of a catch-up episdoe because a portion of the episode was spent just reviewing the facts for the other miniatures. There is some chemisrty going on between Hodges and Wendy, that is pretty obvious. And the parts with the rat made me chuckle and think "gross" at the same time. Hmm and the linking clue for the miniatures is.........bleach! These final episodes are going to be very interesting, especially the finale! Can't wait!

So I did like this ep, normally I look for the more Sara and Grissom together the better the episode, GSR forever!!! but I did like this ep, it was light, funny, and let us get to know the lab techs a little more, and get a little character developement in there, I also like how they were having Hodges flirt with Wendy!!! I see another club I'll join, but of corse nothing is better than a GSR moment. :) I also like how Hodges finally got the glimmer of appreciation he so desparately strives for, only took a few years, but it was his lucky day today, so what better time huh?

I know so many of you thought this was a great episode but I didn't. To me it was a rehash of all the previous episodes, a bit of a cheap shot. I've seen so many TV shows where they "revisit" previous episodes. It screams "cop-out" all over the screen. While I did enjoy the banter between the lab rats, and the fact that Hodges finally gets to look good in front of Grissom (you feel sorry for him even if he does behave like a jerk). And everyone laughs at him for being a CSI wannabe - hey wait, wasn't that Greg in Season 1, 2, or something...??



I think I'm miffed only because the lead up advertising to the episode made it seem so good, but in the end it ended up being disappointing. Yes, some other stars got a chance to shine, while others took the day off. But really folks - BLEACH?

I read other reviews of this episode. I see it received some bad reviews. While I don't think it represented CSI at its best, I don't think it was that bad either. First off, this episode had a lot of humor in it, which isn't the norm of CSI. So, let me recap. Hodges coaxes the "lab rat" team into thinking that Grissom has been overwhelmed with the miniature case and he needs help. So they recap all the murders associated with the case and try to come up with new evidence. They are trying to do this discreetly so the rest of the team won't catch on and alert Grissom, who is relegated to the morgue and wouldn't be pleased people are in his office messing with his evidence. This is probably the only episode where the lab rats are front and center, so I have to give the writers credit for being bold. One thing that separates CSI from its spinoffs is the way they come up with bold storylines and this episode comes to mind. I can recall the same thing in the "toe tag" episode. What gives this episode its "bad rep" is the fact that it was obviously a filler episode. It may have been easier to just broadcast a rerun. But in looking at it further, it sets up the final four episodes this season, particularly the season finale, when the miniature doll killer will be finally revealed. There are some funny moments, such as the loose rat in the lab, Brass hauling in a clown, and of course the "real motive" behind Hodges act, in which he simply thought it was his "lucky day!" And it actually was, because he found some key evidence overlooked by Grissom and his team. So all in, I say it was entertaining, but not CSI at its best.

Awesome episode! New and different but not so different to annoy the dedicated CSI fans.



The Lab Techs (led by Hodges) decide to go over the miniature killer cases to see if they can find something the CSI's missed. They end up calling the disposable cell phone # when they realize the CSI's probably didn't. (The same # called all the victims). All they got was a computerized recording to leave a message. I wanted something to come of that, maybe in the future, when they revisit this plot line.



And they find a commonality... or at least Hodges does. But they were right about the chicken plant miniature being the odd one out. Every other scene was a residence. And they probably wouldn't focus on the bleach so much at the end with Grissom's story unless the bleach actually has something to do with it. The sub plots were great too. Sounded like everyone had an odd case to work on. I had a hard time not laughing out loud with the Rat in the morgue. (kids were asleep when I watched the taped episode) I am continually amazed at what the CSI writers have come up with. Not just new cases and different ways people have died, but new formats in the show, new approaches to cases (like searching for the missing high school students - all they had was blood - no victims)



The miniature killer plot line taking up a quarter of a whole season is brilliant! They need these writers over at CSI:Miami.

I dont think we get to see enough of the lab rats, its always so focused on the other characters, which is fine but its nice to have something a little different at times. Those guys are the backbone of the lab so it was nice to see them getting some limelight for a change. I thought Hodges really came into his own in this episode. I've always kind of liked the smarmy, kiss ass attitude he portrays so it was great to see more indepth into his character. I loved the competitiveness between him and Wendy as well.



Great episode. Well worth viewing.

So this was a fun episode. I liked the way that it played out with the usual background players taking a front role. Not to sure that I liked Hodges lying about what they were doing, but that’s Hodges. And he did have a point that they being lab rats kinda think differently than those that go into the field and maybe bringing new eyes and new brains to the crime can help. I also liked that little look that Sara had when she was being asked about Grissom and his sleeping habits. For a split second it was like she had a little guilty look. How cute…

I always said that lab rats didn´t get enough credit, finally they have a chance to show what they are capable of. having the techs insted of the csi was a good rest after seeng the same characters for the last 7 years.

I think that is imposible to se this episode and not end up in love with Hodges, I mean who didn´t fall for him when he said "it my luky day". and it actually was because he cracked the case.

One great thing about CSI is that the series sometimes experiment with narrative language. In other words, we have the opportunity to see uncommon things like the victims telling their stories to each other (as seen in ToeTags), or the main characters talking about the evidence they gathered after it’s been stolen (Rashomama). Following this line of experimentation, LabRats brings forth the lab techs, leaving the main stars to a secondary place for once. The result of this clever maneuver is a funny, light-hearted episode, with memorable moments like Dr. Robbins’ encounter with the rat, or the suggestive look the lab techs send Hodges as they describe the miniature killer as an “obsessive, meticulous, dark-assed misanthrope who seeks recognition for his efforts”. This episode performs with some class the difficult task of being a “let’s review things up to this point” episode, with not much new story to tell. Also, giving the lab techs the spotlight has proven CSI has some very talented actors in its “recurring roles” cast.

In this episode all of the lab rats are convinced by Hodges that Grissom wants them to solve the mini-killer case, so they team together and attempt to find an answer. This episode seems a little weird at first, but it is very funny. While the lab rats are working hard to find a killer the CSI's are out on various...odd assignements, many of which are very humorus. It is an almost rare episode, something they have never done before but should do again, because it was funny but not too over done. While watching this episode you almost forget how serious the show can be, and it seems as if the show has taken on a personality change. It is a funny episode, with a good plot line and is well worth anyones time.

This episode of CSI basically had a lot to do with Hodges having a lucky day and deciding to "break" into Gil's lab and taking a look, while inviting the other lab techs to do so also, at the miniatures to see if they could see anything that the field agents missed. Meanwhile, Gil and the doc are downstares trying to catch a rat that came out of a dead person's body, which caused the doc to freak, and they eventually found it fried in a power thing. In the end, Hodges finds a common feature in all of the miniatures: bleach. It was an ok episode, and it was nice to see more of the lab techs. Nothing too grande, nothing bad though.

This episode really rocked compared to most of the others that I have seen this season. I only watch CSI sparatically now (as I have grown tired of it and its bastard step-children) however, this episode I thought was an incredible/bold idea...something CSI usually avoids. Having Hodges be the head of the Lab Rats was hilarious (I use to hate his guts); and now we can all look at him with a lot more respect (for being smart, bold, and getting hot-ass Wendy to like him). I think this is the best episode since the ones with Liev Schrieber.

I definately loved this episode. One. It focused on the the lab techs instead of the characters we see each week. For seven seasons we see the same people everyday and only see the lab people here and there. This show helped to develop their characters. Two. I love that Hodges cracked the case with the whole bleach thing. He wants so bad to impress and be like Grissom and when he told Grissom what he found I think he felt like he got the validation he has wanted for so long. Also, he can impress Wendy now! But great episode and I can't wait for them to solve this case!!!

This could have been the worse thing that the creators thought of, having an episode carried by none of the regulars. However it was a very good episode and i thoroughly enjoyed it taking in every moment. I love the use of the other CSI's in comical cases(esppecially the rat which kinda freaked me out). Continuing a favourite storyline of mine in this way was great. I liked the fact i got to rehash and think about the other crimes in one go and try to see the similarities between them. I dont think i could have guessed a bleach problem but thats another issue. A landmark episode that i hope to see other shows use as a way to let other members of the recurring casts carry an episode and give us something original

First of all I loved Hodges montage of his lucky day that was hilarious. Interesting about the bleach thing with the MCSK. Doctor Robbins afraid of rats well, that was funny too. I loved how Grissom was the one who didn't wear a suit. It was nice watching him handout assignments. I really got a kick out of Sara's reaction to Wendy when she asked if Sara knew whether or not the miniature crime scenes were keeping Grissom up at night. The rest of us knows why she would know. Greg all covered in food from a dumpster, cute but icky and that's all I have to say about that scene. Grissom's tone with Hodges with the whole this better be good scene was well, I guess typical. Okay so not one of my best reviews that I have written but it will have to do. Overall I enjoyed the episode. Looking forward to the next new one.

Any episode that features little of Warrick upsets me (wink) but, that aside, I liked this episode. It definitely felt a little like a filler (was this episode part of the miniature story arc or did they write it to give the actors some time off?) but, nonetheless, it was nice to see more of the techies. CSI always manages to tell us a bit more about the characters and it did so in this episode. What's up with Hodges and his new love interest? Where did that come from? Have I missed that all season long? Anyway, their perspective added new depth to the miniature case. Sometimes, a new set of eyes really does do the trick.

***I'd really like to see Sara and Grissom outed.

i mean i love csi download it every week anf usually think its the best thing since sliced bread but this epi kinda made me wanna screem at the computer scrren.

i have got to one of the few people who dont like the lad rats i mean there okay in small doses but a whole epi dedicated to them was a bit much in my opinion.

ther was of course some very good bits to the epi i liked drissom and doc robbins with the rat very good part so that redeemed it for me.

i know we needed a flashback epi to get us ready for the final couple of epi's with the msk and all but its because the show is so brill i always expect it to be on top form and get annoied when its not but still looking forward to the last few epis of the season

Where do I start? Catherine getting mad at Grissom for giving her a simple case? Or the fact that Hodges takes control with fellow lab mates? Well this episode was well worth seeing; the whole Hodges acting like boss was great. The whole Grissom and Doc in the morgue with the rat was great. The Greg scene made me laugh. So basically this episode was amazing and hope to see more of it!

I wonder if they're not going to do something with Grissom and Sara having a baby. It would be kinda weird. It really looks that way that she's pregnant she used to have a flat stomach and now it looks like a pregnant stomach. Did anyone else notice? Looking forward to the next episode. I'm really enjoying CSI. I wish that they would put Cath and Nick together. I really enjoyed Hodges in this episode usually he bugs but he was funny. Did anyone notice the chemistry between Mandy and Hodges? That was kind of unexpected. Talk to ya soon. l8r.

This episode allowed the CSI fellow lab "rats" to work on the main killer case while the others are out on the field. As the others who are the main characters took a backseat for once in this rare episode. We also find out that Robbins is afraid of rats which is very funny to me. Really great to see the lab rats as the main characters in this show.