CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Pirates of the Third Reich

Season 6, Episode 15, Aired 2/9/06

Episode Summary

The CSIs investigate the gruesome murder of Lady Heather's estranged daughter, Zoe, who was found in the middle of the Vegas desert.

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Cast & Crew

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William Petersen

Gil Grissom
Robert David Hall

Dr. Al Robbins
Paul Guilfoyle

Captain Jim Brass

Fan Episode Reviews (32)

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A social and spiritual wake-up call

1.0

"Abysmal"

By davmandy, Sep 27, 2011 Report Abuse

CSI is theoretically "entertainment" tv. Let's review what happens in this episode. A young woman is abducted by a Neo-Nazi. She is stripped, starved, shaved, drugged, chained to a wall, and injected with flesh-eating bacteria. Her eyeball is removed and replaced with one from another person. She eventually escapes by knawing off her own arm. And because there was no sex involved, the writers have her mother sleep with the captor to get a DNA sample. Step back for a moment - who but a sadist would find watching any of this entertaining? My old history professor used to say that Roman society lost its way when it replaced the dichotomy of "good/bad" with "exciting/boring". I think we are well past that point as a society...moreless

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0 14
This brutally honest episode may shock and appall but takes a heads on look into one of the more gruesome sides of human behavior.

10

"Perfect"

By MeMoiMeee, Sep 27, 2011 Report Abuse

This episode is one of my favorite; perhaps my all time favorite thus far of the CSI series.

Reality is that human beings and their behavior runs the gamut from wonderfully beautiful and spiritually inspiring to utterly dismal and grotesque. Unfortunately as a race the latter has seemed to make the most vivid marks on our history as a race.

The plot brings back the controversial Lady Heather, who CSI has portrayed very well considering the taboo's toward S/M/B/D behavior in our society. Lady Heather's daughter is found dead of extremely bizarre means and Lady Heather becomes more then just an S/M/B/D cliche; she is portrayed as a grieving mother and one who is very human. Her daughter has become the victim of a modern day Josef Mengele. Lady Heather's humanity is displayed in a number of ways; her loss is obviously painful and her humanity is displayed by her almost zealous desire for revenge.

Grissom is there for her and the depth of their relationship thickens because Grissom, being the ultimate humanist can cast aside any taboo's and prejudices toward her because he is that; a humanist.

Don't forget as well that a society allowing the barbaristic medical torture of thousands of people existed very successfully not that long ago and lesson is; it's not that far away to repeat itself. And Lady Heather's revenge is sweet and desperately full of total and utter pain almost beyond comprehension.moreless

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Perfect. One of the best episodes in this season.

10

"Perfect"

By Danny2312, May 29, 2008 Report Abuse

Lady Heather returns when her daughter is found dead. Grissom's team have the case. Lady Heather's daughter, Zoe, turn up to be used for experiment. This episode is quite disgusting. Zoe chewed her hand, she is hairless, half-naked and she has an eye that not belong to hers. Then later on, we found two men that have been forced to "stick" together...Yuck!! Totally disgusting, yet but good. I love this episode. Lady Heather have to forced herself to sleep with the doctor so that she can get his DNA. I have to admit it is a smart way but it's disgusting and weird. Just another good episode. I love it.moreless

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Frankly the best episode ever.

10

"Perfect"

By mexicanslayer, Feb 19, 2007 Report Abuse

In my own personal opinion this is the best episode of the season, in a matter of fact it's the best of the entire show. The role played by Melinda Clarke (aka Lady Heather) is the best role ever written for the show. I loved Lady Heather, she is so sexy, enigmatic and intelligent that she is just amazing. Melinda Clarke's acting is outstanding especially in this episode, she just steals the show. The case in this episode is so impressive and unbelievable. this is a great example of why CSI is one of the best shows on today's tv.moreless

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this episode was one of the best of CSI. and given the extremely high quality of the show, that's saying a lot.

10

"Perfect"

By Abbeecadabra, Nov 23, 2006 Report Abuse

this was one of those storylines typical of CSI, that makes you think about exactly what we, as humans, are capable of. last year, i had to do a research project for english class over the medical experiments performed in auschwitz and other concentration camps. i knew the information i found would be painful, but i had no idea what i was in for. the examples shown in this show were actually performed many times by the nazi "doctors", along with other unimaginable atrocities. kudos to CSI for tackling such a gruesome topic that many people may not have been previously aware of.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Goof: The Titan arum, corpse flower, has some problems in this episode. First, the flower grows naturally in the tropical forests of Sumatra. It is not very likely to survive sitting on a bench in the arid desert sun of Nevada. Second, Brown and Stokes track the smell of decomposing flesh to the flowers on the bench. The question is asked who would have a corpse flower besides someone trying to cover the smell of a decomposing body. To start with, none of the plants shown are flowering. The corpse flowers stench comes about when the flower opens. Then there is the rarity of the bloom itself. The botanical gardens around the world with corpse flowers make a very big event out of the bloom. Also, the bloom lasts no more than 36 hours. And then there is the stench of the bloom itself. That stench lasts no more than 8 hours. All this makes it useless to try to hide the smell of dead bodies with this plant and makes it impossible for Brown to state the plants are giving off the odor of decomp. Edit
- Grissom: Heterochromia, it appears Zoe had one blue eye and one brown eye. Heterochromia Iridium - this is the right description of Zoe's eyes condition as her irises were different color where Heterochromia Iridis is mixed colors of part of one iris. This condition (both forms) is the result of lack of pigment, caused by genetic inheritance, disease or injury. Edit
- Tony Amendola, who plays Professor Rambar in this episode, also plays "The Super" in Season 5's opener, "Viva Las Vegas." Edit
Notes
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- International Episode Titles: Czech Republic: Piráti Třetí říše (Pirates of the Third Reich) Edit
- Music Featured In This Episode: Slipping Away- Nine Inch Nails Into the Void- Nine Inch Nails The Great Collapse- Nine Inch Nails The Wretched- Nine Inch Nails Till Kingdom Come- Coldplay Edit
- Tonight's episode had a fairly rare warning graphic: "Due to Mature Theme, Viewer Discretion Is Advised." Edit
Quotes
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- (Leon Sneller is tied to the front of an SUV, and Lady Heather is whipping him) Grissom: Heather! Stop it! Heather: No. Let me finish. (she continues to whip Sneller. She pulls her whip back to continue, but Grissom steps forward and catches the end of the whip. She whirls around and tugs her whip, trying to get it out from Grissom's grasp) Grissom: You cannot do this! Heather: No! Let go! Let-- Grissom: No! Heather: Please ... (she continues to struggle to get the whip free from his grasp) Grissom: Stop. (firmly) Heather. Heather (begging): Please ... Grissom: I'm saying stop. (Lady Heather stops and looks at Grissom. She gasps deep, heaving sobs. Grissom pulls the whip closer, bringing him closer to her Heather cries as Grissom holds her) Edit
- Grissom: This isn't a torture chamber. It's a time capsule. Brass: Wolfowitz inherited this place from his parents. Took over the deed about ten years ago. Catherine: Love what he's done with the place. Edit
- Catherine (about Zoe): How'd she get from Harvard to here? Brass: Practice, practice, practice... Edit
Allusions
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- Title: Pirates of the Third Reich. The title refers to the third reich, or "empire", the German state under control of Adolf Hitler-1933-1945. The killer is also seen quoting Hitler in his notes when doing the experiments. Edit
- Brass: Emaciated, bald, and numbered. What does that remind you of? Allusion to--- The Jews incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps, hence the title and the story line/episode. Edit
- Grissom reads Sneller's journal, which mentions "Tuskegee" when discussing medical experiments. The Tuskegee Study was a research project involving syphilis. The US government wanted to know what effects untreated syphilis had on black men so they hospitalized them and documented their symptoms instead of treating their illness. Untreated syphilis is fatal and it can cause blindness, insanity and other complications. These men could have been cured with simple penicillin injections. Edit