Sometimes, you just don't have a good time when you go away on vacation. You have to deal with the crowds, the bad hotels, all the tourists at the beach ... the escaped murderers who are out for revenge.

[Spoiler alert.]

(S03E01) I'm not planning on covering CSI: NY all season (once it starts up, I'll be writing reviews for 30 Rock on Wednesday nights), but I figured I should at least put something up on the season premiere. It was actually pretty decent, especially since I think this is the weakest show in the CSI franchise. Describing any of the intricacies of the cases seems pointless at this point though. In the off season, this show has gone through a lot of changes and that's what I'd like to discuss.

(S02E24) Well, this was a little disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it was a finale that suited the mood and pace of this entire season - which was up, down, left, right, and all over the place. CSI: NY (and Vegas to some extent) is still very much individual, packaged episodes. There weren't many ongoing storylines this season (mainly Aiden and DJ Pratt). Miami (which has it's finale this coming Monday) is the only one of the three that's really broken the mold and become heavily serialized. Soap opera-ish many argue and I agree. I hope next season that NY heads in the same direction because I think it makes for better viewer involvement/investment... whatever you want to call it. 

The episode started with Mac and Don responding to a stabbed security guard in an office building. While investigating the floor, Mac found a duffel bag filled with C-4 explosive. Lindsay was outside and she helped clear the street block as Stella arrived. But then the bomb went off. Mac and Don didn't make it outside in time.

(S02E23) I was looking forward to and dreading this episode all at the same time. After last week's previews, we already knew what was in store for former Detective Aiden Burn, but I didn't want to accept it. She was a great character in the first season and it was too bad that she was written out of the show. Although, I remember reading somewhere that she requested it. So in that sense, I suppose this was a logical storyline and it was nice that it tied up the questions that have been hanging around since the second episode of this season.

After Aiden was fired by Mac at the beginning of the season, supposedly she was going to pursue her private investigator's license. Instead, she set up shop in her apartment (she had a mini crime scene lab it seems) and continued to track down DJ Pratt to bust him for all the rapes he had committed. We knew Pratt was smart though. After all, he's been covering his tracks and alluding arrest for years now. So it only makes sense that he'd catch on if someone was watching him regularly. Aiden had a goal though and she knew what had to be done.

(S02E22) Mermaids and multiple wives. I like it. Plus, for once we had an episode that really focused on Lindsay - something this season has lacked thus far. We got to see what drives her, hear some of her background, and see what it's like when a case really gets under her skin.

Even better, we got to hear someone say what we've been thinking all along. While Sid was examining the dead woman's body (the one in the mermaid costume), Lindsay mentioned that she was from Montana just like her. She goes on to say that she doesn't like it when Danny calls her "Montana." Then Sid drops the gem: "Danny calls you that because he's got a crush on you." It's about time that storyline picked up some steam.

(S02E20) For the longest time all I did was complain about this show, but it was all out of love. I was just so frustrated about how flat the characters were. Well I suppose you get what you wish for, because Wednesday's episode gave us plenty to digest about Danny and Stella.

The first few minutes gave us something this show rarely depicts: one of the characters actually doing something other than their job. We got a nice look at Stella's new boyfriend's apartment, and yes, they were getting their freak on. In the meantime, Mac and Hawkes were digging up the end-zone at The Meadowlands. I'm sure you can figure out what was buried there.