Play with Fire

Season 3, Episode 22, Aired
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Episode Summary

Grissom, Sara, and Nick investigate the murder of a woman in the press box of a high school stadium. They arrive less than an hour after the woman's death. Catherine and Warrick try to determine the cause of an explosion in the DNA lab of CSI that seriously injures a lab tech. The personal lives of our characters come into play in this episode.moreless
9.5
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EPISODE RATING: Superb
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Fan Episode Reviews (17)

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  • Poor Greggo..........

    10
    "Perfect"
    By moggiye16, Nov 18, 2010 Report Abuse
    Episode sort of starts out with Catherine and Warrick going to Greg's lab and putting a jar of green liquid under the fumehood, then leaving, acting totally natural so we don't think anything of the green stuff for a duration of the episode until KA-BOOM!! Greg's on the other side of the glass wall, Sara's injured and to top it off the lab's on fire.

    I'm not a fan of GSR, but the scene with Grissom checking Sara's hand out (which I personally think that the 'blood' could have been done better) and then getting medical attention. I think it's nice seeing that side of Grissom for once.

    The second character I feel sorry the most for is Catherine, when she's done her investigation of the lab and discovers she's the one who blew the plaace up. At least she had the guts to tell Greggo in person that she was the one who put him in the hospital.

    In all I think they did a great job with this episode. The GSR fans were happy, Greg-Angst-Episode fans (me included) were happy, and fans of Catherine x Warrick were happy. Although, I think Nick has a lot of explaining to do. I don't recall him asking about Greggo and he sure as hell didn't see him at the hospital (unless he went after shift, or something).moreless

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  • The CSI's face a difficult case when they have to investigate the explosion of their own lab.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By fionav3, Oct 18, 2010 Report Abuse
    There were certainly several what-the-hell? moments in this episode. The first being when the DNA lab exploded in a ball of flame, sending poor Greg flying through a glass window. The second was Catherine's revelation that it was in fact she who blew up the DNA lab. And the third was when Sara bite the bullet and finally asked Grissom out; even if she didn't get quite the answer she wanted.

    This episode was very exciting, but the drama took second place to the character development that was taking place. Grissom is at one of the most human he has ever been around his staff; his concern for Greg when he is being wheeled out on the gurney, his defence of Catherine when it transpires that she blew up the lab and most tellingly, his feelings for Sara when she has been hurt. In a season that has done an excellent job humanising Grissom, this episode really showed him at his very best and finally cracked the lid on his cool, professional demeanour.

    We also see Sara develop in this episode, particularly through her feelings for Grissom. And after her frightening experience with the lab explosion, we see Sara deal with it by becoming a little reckless.

    Catherine too, grows as a person. She is the woman who is used to being right and in charge, and yet in this episode we see her admit that her daughter is a little out of control and that she blew up the lab. Catherine also proves herself to be a braver person than I had ever given her credit for by going to see Greg in the hospital to confess to him that it was in fact her fault the lab blew up.

    One of my all time CSI favourites, and always will be.moreless

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  • Excellent for developing the characters.

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By FlyGiT, Oct 17, 2010 Report Abuse
    Not a perfect 10.0 show.*

    But an excellent one for showing procedures similar to the real world and how people can and do foul up. Importantly it shows the consequences following that foul up, the knock on effect such a foul up can have on 'on-going' investigations etc. It goes a long way to show that even in a great series as this the characters are fallible. The best part for me was how the characters are developing within the show. This episode stands out from most of the others for this reason alone.

    All in all a great episode to watch.

    The only failing that doesn't make this a perfect 10.0 is at the end of the show - How can Grisom give an immediate 'No' to Sara Sidle's question... In reality he would at least think about it for a couple of seconds!moreless

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  • The DNA lab explodes when someone put a substance near the heater.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By eloi_emmanuelle, Oct 17, 2010 Report Abuse
    I would've rated this episode with a ten but something happens to my favorite CSI. While Catherine and Warrick investigate what happened in the lab, Grissom, Nick and Sara investigate the murder of the death of a woman who is found dead near the football field. This was kind of a sad episode for me. Because this is trip number one to the hospital for Greg.

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  • OMG so much GSR for on little person!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By cuppa, Aug 29, 2006 Report Abuse
    This episode was absolutely fantastic! I mean did anyone see that GREAT GSR scene after the explosion? I really thing that the writers did a good job with this on, first of all you kept thinking you knew who killed the girl and you couldn't be more far of! that in it self is awesome. And then there was the explosion. talk about brining in some dram to the episode, that was a good move my the writers. I'm glad that Greg wasn't more hurt than he was, what a though job Catherine had in the end, telling Greg why his lab blew up in his face.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • When Grissom says to Sara "Honey, this doesn't look good", "Honey" wasn't in the script, Petersen added it on his own. Edit
    • Goof: When Sara and Nick are searching the house, there was no wrap under Sara's glove but it's on when she had the gun drawn. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Music: There There - Radiohead Like Her - Mandalay Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Greg: What time is it? Catherine: Late. Greg: How long have you been here? Catherine: A while. (pauses) I got a little time on my hands. Greg: You figured out what happened in the lab, didn't you? Catherine: Yeah. Yeah, and, um ... I wanted you to hear it from me. Edit
    • Brass: You going to go to the DA with a connect-the-dots hand on a piece of tracing paper? Grissom: It's all we got that links him to the murder. Everything else blew up in the lab. Brass: This guy's going to walk. Grissom: Yep. Edit
    • Nick: Jason's little girlfriend was screwing a guy he hates. Grissom: Well, if you can't kill the one you want ... kill the one you're with. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Nick: Have you ever had a gun drawn on you, Sara? Sara: No, I haven't. This is a reference to both times Nick has had a gun drawn on him which in the Season 1 episode "Who Are You?"? and the Season 2 episode "Stalker." Edit
    • Robert Cavollo: That double murder movie star case last year. Cavollo is referring to the case in the earlier season episode "The Accused is Entitled." Edit
    • Archie: Is it just me, or does she sound like she's in love with him? Nick: Maybe she's a murder groupie. Manson, the Night Stalker... they all had them. Charles Manson was convicted in the 1969 murder of Sharon Tate and sentenced to death; his groupies assisted him in the murder (and were also convicted); he also had an extended "family" of groupies who showed their support in court and intimidated witnesses. Richard Ramirez, known as the Night Stalker, was convicted in the 1985 murders of 13 people, and sentenced to death; his groupies came to court during his trial on a daily basis to show support. Edit

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