New York is known for its characters, and sometimes it draws in one or two. When an illusionist named Luke Blade (Criss Angel) comes to town with a three-day show, he has no problem getting an audience. However, there is a woman in trouble close by. She's being sawed in half while being held prisoner, and this is not an illusion.
It's not long before Det. Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) and his team arrive to start catching a killer. They don't need Dr. Sid Hammerback (Robert Joy) to tell them how their victim died—it's obvious. What is also quite clear is how much life imitates art. The well-known illusionist who wows the crowd each night starts his new routine by being cut in half. Plus, the victim is the assistant of Luke Blade. This killer could be right under the detectives' noses.
Mac knows better than to assume anything, which he repeatedly mentions to Det. Danny Messer (Carmine Giovinazzo). Evidence needs to be solid before any arrest is made. Det. Stella Bonasera (Melina Kanakaredes) reinforces this idea.
Along for the ride are Det. Don Flack (Eddie Cahill) and Dr. Sheldon Hawkes (Hill Harper). Once a background check of their prime suspect is done, it clears the way for Mac to start looking where Danny had been all along.
Evidence may be what Mac seeks, but he has enough common sense not to discount Danny's words. I thought this first murder, though, was a little cheesy. Sawing someone in half is simple. I'm surprised the assistant would let herself get trapped in a box and set up her own death.
Luke Blade was given up for adoption as an infant, only to be given up once more when his adoptive mother learned he had signs of fetal alcohol syndrome. Mac thinks that in Luke's mind, he cannot handle perceived betrayal. He is confusing work with what life was like for him as a child.
It is plain who Blade would want revenge on the most—the woman who sent him back into the foster care system. Mac, Stella, and Flack get to the theater just in time to make the arrest and save the woman's life.
Meanwhile, Det. Lindsay Monroe is home in Montana. She will soon testify about a serial killer. However, this case has special meaning since she just barely escaped being a victim herself ("Silent Night"). The young women killed that day were all friends of the CSI.
Hiding out in the bathroom, though, she was able to catch a glimpse of the killer. Remembering is difficult, but Danny shows up in the courtroom to lend support. Lindsay gathers courage and points out the defendant as the perpetrator.
The guilty verdict is a relief, and Lindsay almost gives Danny a kiss in gratitude. However, the press cameras thwart the notion.
This episode was solid. Not only was the focus on one case, but the question about Lindsay's past, dangling for two seasons, was resolved. On the other hand, Stella has yet to find romantic happiness after being tortured by a former boyfriend ("All Access"). She has not told anybody besides Mac and Sid about possibly having HIV, which says something about her issues of trust. An opportunity arose with Danny, but she chose not to tell. I have a feeling this storyline may play a part in the season finale.
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