CSI: Miami – “Delko for the Defense” – Review

Like last week’s episode, this one began with running. Calleigh and Ryan were in hot pursuit of a suspect, as was Horatio. Apparently, the cameraman also got in on the action, since the images were quite jumpy and chaotic. The perp ran over bikes, through shrubs, and across basketball courts. Finally, he pulled a Bugs Bunny: he threw he clothes off, hid them, and jumped in a pool. When Calleigh and Ryan asked “Which way did he go?” the person in the pool pointed. Problem for him was the blood in the water. Calleigh draws her weapon. Horatio draws his. The person in the pool gets out and says “I didn’t kill that girl.” Calleigh: “Nobody said anything about a girl.” Busted!

Young Zack Finley is no sooner in cuffs than Adrianna Villani, defense attorney, arrived on the scene. She gave Tripp her card. Our resident comedian scowled at her (natch) and asked “How’d you get here so fast? You got ambulance chasing intuition?” Adrianna was a pain. The person she brought with her threw Tripp–none other than Eric Delko, fresh off his gig as a CSI, now an expert for the defense. Tripp didn’t like Delko going over to the dark side. Eric, for his part, has to make a living.

Ryan, Calleigh, and Jesse arrived to survey the scene and take evidence. Eric stood around, watching and taking video. The tension rose perceptibly. Jesse found a knife in the kitchen that seemed quite obvious in its obviousness (i.e., no attempt to hide it). Strangely, there was evidence that someone made breakfast. In a new twist, all three CSIs used voice recorders to record their findings. Nice use of a real-life accessory to make for good TV. Inevitably, Eric and Calleigh met. We saw smiles initially but, soon, Calleigh stood on her side and Eric on his. Eric put forward Adrianna’s track record, 80% of clients are innocent. In school, that’s a B-minus. Good in school. Not so good on the street.

Adrianna and Eric realized that Zack’s holding something back as they keep him in holding, but they don’t know what. Eric tried something; he asked Zack to draw the crime scene. He does…from a bird’s eye view. Eric knew Zack was lying because innocent people don’t draw the crime scene as a bird’s eye view. (Really?) You can tell here that the official police part of Eric was still there and just bursting to get out. He had clearly banked on Adrianna’s B-minus average and that Zack was innocent. Zack confirmed it when he told Adrianna “I do have something to hide but I’d rather go away from killing that girl than tell you.”

The Miami-Dade criminal court made one of its rare appearances in this episode. The DA made his accusations, Adrianna made her rebuttals with Eric whispering in her ear. In the end, the judge told the CSIs to get more evidence or he would charge Mr. Zack with only a breaking and entering charge. As always, Horatio was up to that challenge.

He and Ryan return with Eric (as filmmaker) to the crime scene. Horatio found a bra stuck inside a couch. A quick call to Dr. Tom the ME confirmed that the victim had been raped. Upon being requested to give a DNA sample, Zack got violent (“Please don’t do this!”). They did, and the team found something quite interesting. In the words of Tripp “The guy [Zack] doesn’t have the equipment.” That would be male genitalia. Thus, Zack is physically incapable of having sex with anyone. When Adrianna cornered the DA into admitting that it was highly unlikely that someone else raped the victim and Zack killed her, the DA had no choice. He had to draw up the papers for Zack’s release.

With this latest road block, Horatio and Walter zeroed in on the traits of the killer, specifically the evidence that the victim was forced to make her rapist/killer breakfast. Another victim, Ellen, also reported a similar experience. She, however, lived to tell the tale. When questioned by Horatio and Calleigh, Ellen commented that when the rapist left the room and returned, he looked different. Must have been the garbage bags he was wearing. Or, Horatio remarked, he could have really been a different person.

Thus, the search commenced to find Zack’s partner. Jesse brought in Dave, the department’s techie CSI. In the most humorous bit, Dave was at the victim’s laptop doing his thing. About five second after Dave started, Jesse asked if there was anything. Dave’s response: “So not helping.” Calleigh entered and inquired the same question. Jesse’s silent shake of the head quieted her. Dave’s no Archie from the Vegas version, but he’s got some interesting lines. Turned out that a person was hacking into Ellen’s laptop, as the team was watching her rape recorded on said laptop. They isolated the location and arrested Justin Porter, a software support person. Both the victim and Ellen called for tech support and Justin answered their call.

Unfortunately for Zack, the CSIs now have video proof that he was present at the crime scene. This does nothing to dissuade Adrianna from being testy. That was until Zack confessed. In a very creepy sequence, he told how the killing was the only way he–a man without any male sex organs–could get close to women. It was better than sex, in his words. Horatio, however, had the last word to Adrianna: “So much for your batting average.” A stunned Eric looked on. He already told Calleigh that he didn’t think he could work for a client who he knew was guilty. Thus, at the end, Eric went to speak to the DA and see if he could get a job on the side of the good guys.

The episode was good and decent, although nothing to write home about. It was great seeing Eric again, even if his presence caused tension amongst the team. Natalia’s one scene completely overlooked her hearing loss from last week. Pity, too, since she and Eric have history, and it would have been a nice gesture to have Eric mention it to her. They could relate war stories together over drinks or something. Walter was nonexistent save one scene. All these small scenes meant that Horatio had the stage most often in the show. And Eric. Very nice to see Horatio take center stage.

This is the last episode of the decade since new shows won’t start until January. How’d you enjoy it (if you did)? You think Natalia’s hearing issues need to be played out better, or, at least, addressed? And will Eric’s good-guy assignment leave the door open wider for a true return to the show? Only time will tell.