TVSquad

(S09E10) "It feels like Grissom's last big game. I want to win it for him." -- Nick to Catherine

If you're a fan of closure, if you like solutions and results and answers, here was the episode for you. Grissom's exit gave the writers and producers of CSI a chance to present a show which encompassed most of the elements that characterize what makes this show so popular.

It was sort of a greatest hits episode, if you will, topped with the one scene that kept viewers glued to the set till the end credits. If you missed it by turning away after Grissom's nostalgic stroll through the offices, I'll tell you all about what happened...after the jump.

But first, there was the conclusion of the Dick and Jane Killer case. There was a great urgency to figure it out, with Dr. Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburne) teaming with Grissom and help catch the serial killer who is aping jailed serial killer Nate Haskell and currently holding a woman, Maureen Masters, somewhere in Arizona, California or Nevada. Knowing Haskell's pattern, the CSI team plus Langston, had to move quickly.

As if to underscore the gruesomeness of the crime, there were horror movie like scenes of Masters strapped to an operating table in a torture chamber like house. Close ups on surgical instruments and weird metal contraptions added to the fear. It was not for the faint of heart. It was all bloodless for TV, but frightening nonetheless.

Grissom came up with a novel way to find Haskell's lair. Nick called it forensic astronomy, as Gil explained the connection between Ansel Adams' photos and lunar cycles. It was really smart and gave Grissom, Greg and Nick a good project to work on together. I was completely lost, but that's okay. I'm not a scientist. Fortunately, it worked. Before Donover could use the electrodes on Maureen, before the scene could get any more disgusting, the cops put a bullet in his brain and kill the SOB. Beneath the floorboards, the skeletal remains of the dead "Dicks" were discovered.

Langston revealed how undone he was by the case, feeling responsible because Haskell used him to deliver a message to Donover. "People lie, professor. All we can count on is the evidence," Gil warns Langston. In that moment, I felt like Grissom was channeling Gregory House, only in House's case, he might say all we can count on are the symptoms.

Not everything in the show was grim. When Gil spoke to Conrad about bringing Langston into the case, the new undersheriff questioned if there were bugs in his office; Grissom said he had bugs in his office. It was like Abbott & Costello's "Who's On First?" bit.

Another light moment came when Hodges tried to impress Langston, bragging about how CSI works, "We go into hyperdrive, this is what we live for," Grissom's reaction shots were priceless. Later, Hodges complained about Grissom leaving, referencing The Thin Blue Line, the Butterfly Effect and Sherlock Holmes. "Who is Watson without Sherlock Holmes?" he asked woefully. It was a nice touch of emotional longing from a minor character who has Grissom on a pedestal.

Finally, the finish. What was next for Grissom? We got to see. Grissom hiking in Costa Rica, wearing that goofy straw hat, ignoring the fascinating bugs, GPS in hand as he goes to find Sara's camp. When he gets there, he drops his knapsack and kisses her ardently.

Sappy/happy ending? Yes, perhaps, but closure. If the death of Warrick Brown was a wake up call to Gil Grissom to get some life into his life, leaving Las Vegas and reuniting with Sara is the answer.