Friday, May 16, 2008

CSI “For Gedda” Is Unforgettable

Photo CBS

The season ending episode for CSI – “For Gedda” – was probably one of THE best season finales for any TV show that I’ve seen in a long time.

Unlike the Law & Order SVU season finale (“Cold” ), where it seems the detectives seem to turn against themselves (mostly Elliot Stabler - played by Chris Meloni), the Las Vegas CSI team rally around one of their own who is in trouble, in order to clear his name.

When a second body is discovered in a casket that is about to be interred, it is identified as a private investigator that Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) knows. It also leads to trouble for Warrick as he is soon found standing over the tortured and dead body of Lou Gedda (John Capodice), a notorious local crime figure. Gedda has also created problems for Warrick in the past, setting Warrick up for the murder of one of Gedda’s female employees.

Warrick can’t recall what happened. Internal Affairs is ready to skewer him, but the rest of the CSI team finds a way to work within their restrictions against working on the case, and they find enough evidence to clear Warrick. Grissom (William Petersen) tells Warrick, though, that he must be demoted from his job as a CSI, but he still HAS a job. A grateful Warrick is later seen having breakfast with the team, and one may think that the show will end on a happy note.

Somehow, though, I didn’t have that happy feeling. The bad feelings got stronger as Warrick walked to his car in the alley. I admit I fully expected that his car would explode when he started it, but instead, Warrick is interrupted by someone outside, and rolls down his window to find Undersheriff McKeen (Conor O'Farrell) standing there. OK, now I have a really bad feeling. You see, since there had been speculation that there was someone working inside Las Vegas law enforcement for Lou Gedda, it was assumed that they had found the cop that was the insider. But seeing the Undersheriff standing at Warrick’s car made me very uneasy. I was made even more so when the Undersherrif casualy questions Warrick about his resolve with the case, and Warrick gives what is probably the wrong answer – he isn’t backing down.

The Undersheriff pulls a gun, and fatally shoots Warrick Brown.

While I fully expected Warrick to die in this episode, I certainly didn’t it expect to happen in that manner, and by someone so high up in the law enforcement chain. It could only mean one thing – this show could really get interesting next year if they continues to pursue this story. And that’s what makes this season finale so great – it was a shocking farewell to a major character, but sets up suspense for the coming year.

So even with this being the completion of the eighth season for CSI, it certainly indicates that the show has a lot of life and excitement left. I am impressed with the way that the show seems to take risks with storylines, and seems to reinvent itself with every episode.

So here’s one viewer who is really looking forward to next season with CSI. It could be a thrilling one.


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