So, watched the series finale of CSI on Five. Only I needn’t have bothered as the newspaper review, despite smugly claiming not to give the plot away, did, in fact, give the entire plot away. You see, they told you everything right up until the cliff-hanger. Yes, the cliff-hanger. Way back in season 5, the show put Nick in a box, buried him underground, and made you sweat over whether or not the team would find him in time. They told the story over two episodes, but showed both of them at the end of the series, rather than making you wait several months to find out if he made it or not (he did). This was great: built up the tension and gave you a satisfying pay off. Tonight’s episode built up the tension, only to leave you hanging. And I’m not on the edge of my seat. I’m annoyed. And I’m also aware enough of the past problems with some of the actors ‘contract negotiations’ to know that whether or not Sara makes it will not be decided by good story telling.
Anyway, as to the episode itself: the miniature killer is back (or in my case, has arrived, having not watched the rest of the season) leaving behind a dead guy in a bathroom. Turns out the killer is a woman with a photographic memory for rooms and the objects within them (real life dioramas if you like). She’s always been crazy, having killed her sister when she was 6 because her dad cared more about the sister than her. After a long and slow built up that becomes increasingly creepy, we learn that the dead guy was killed by accident but was also the miniature killers foster brother. Grisson and the team now know the killers identity, but they’re too late: she’s kidnapped Sarah and put her in an overly elaborate and not-so easily escapable death trap. Well, she dumped a wrecked car on top of her. The team pick up the killer, finally discover Grisson is in love with Sara (because they’re such good investigators they’ve been unable to spot the couple making goo-goo eyes at each other for 8 years), but the killer isn’t talking. Will the team find Sara in time? Tune in next… year! Yes, next year. Nice one Five.
Overall: the build up was way too slow, stealing the door scene from Silence of the Lambs was just cheap, and most of the team didn’t get much to do. On the plus side, the killer’s father was great and the animatronic miniature hand was extremely unnerving. It’s not the CSI I remember, but it has reminded me of how much I enjoyed it, so I’ll probably be rewatching the first four series on DVD. Altogether now: ooooooo, ah-oo, oo-oo, oooo-oo, oh I really want to know…
