With a place like New York for a location, it stands to reason things local would be wrapped into an episode from time to time. Imagining Ellis Island as a crime scene is a stroke of genius. However, there is more to the story than meets the eye.
For example, the deceased works the night shift at Ellis Island. He supposedly talked to his wife before he passed away. According to Hawkes (Hill Harper), the notion is impossible. Why? Since Hawkes is a former medical examiner, he can tell about how long the dead guy has been in that state. It's a guess, but usually some sort of evidence exits to at least give a proper range. Plus, despite the hanging corpse, prints indicate another person was there too. Homicide! This leads Mac (Gary Sinse) to think the killer might have answered. This is a voice mail, so no need to audibly respond.
A race is on to find whodunit. Having a second corpse doesn't help. The two victims are vastly different, which makes a connection between them unlikely. However, there may be one promising lead. Sid (Robert Joy), the current medical examiner, leaves Mac a message about the second victim's husband stopping by the morgue.
Every season has the potential for a storyline which runs over most of the season. While it doesn't have to air week to week, it takes some time to finish. Perhaps the latest long running plot should be called The Compass Culprit. Despite some terrible lighting issues, I think Skeet Ulrich (Jericho) was in several scenes as a man who wants to get the attention of Mac and his team. Done. Here's the problem — is he there because he's breaking the law and wants to get caught, OR is he attempting to draw attention to someone else who is? I cannot be entirely sure either way.
A new set of eyes is not a bad idea. Good thing Mac hires Haylen Becall (Sarah Carter), the crime scene cleanup tech, to work in the lab part time. Smart lady, she figures out a way to make him notice her — apply for a grant so her salary is paid for a year. Mac doesn't have to let Adam (AJ Buckley) go. She certainly has the background for the job - biology undergrad and forensics masters. Those degrees are perfect.
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