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C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation - Season 7
R1 - America - Paramount Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Pat Pilon (2nd January 2008). |
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The Show
 How long can a series last before it becomes plodding, repetitive and flat? 'M*A*S*H', 'Cheers' and 'Seinfeld' all lasted at least nine years, and never lost their magic touch. In its seventh season, 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' is still going strong, daring to do things it's never tried before. Stories flow, mesh and diverge, keeping you in their grasp for the entire 24 episodes. The series follows a group of crime scene investigators and their lab guys through innumerable murder cases. The team led by Gil Grissom (William Petersen) consists of investigators Sarah Sidle (Jorja Fox), Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger), Nick Stokes (George Eads), Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan), Sofia Curtis (Louise Lombard) and Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) and their captain, Jim Brass (Paul Gilfoyle). They're helped out in the lab by technicians David Hodges (Wallace Langham), Archie Johnson (Archie Kao), Wendy Simms (Liz Vassey) and a few others. There are others, but for the recurring characters are just too numerous to mention. One notable inclusion is a four-episode arc by Liev Schreiber, playing troubled cop Michael Kepler, who fills in for William Petersen because (as you learn in the extras) the latter wanted to do a bit of theatre and missed a few episodes. Though various murders, beatings, arsons and other nasty crimes, these characters come alive. Surprisingly, even after seven seasons, there's still much to explore from these characters. With Catherine and her pseudo-kidnapping in the very first episode, to Greg's brush with a violent gang in 'Fannysmackin'', to the past of Michael Kepler, there's still some things to learn about these characters. The heart and soul of this season, however, is the Miniature Killer. Starting in the very first episode and not finishing until the first episode of season eight (making for a great cliffhanger ending), the saga is incredible. The producers wanted to create a Moriarty to Grissom's Holmes, and they created somebody incredible. There are only a few episodes peppered in this season, but they're easily the better ones. The season finale, when Grissom and the killer finally meet, is an incredible conclusion to the season. The only wish I had is that there would have been more episodes involving the Miniature Killer, where more evolution could have been seen. There's an intense curiosity for me about the killer and seeing the murder scenes is quite interesting. The season, other than the five or six episodes featuring the Miniature Killer, has some great episodes. 'Toe Tags', for example, is quite creative and original. 'Living Legend', also is very entertaining. 'Sweet Jane' has such a tragic tone that, for some reason, attracts me to it. It's probably my favorite episode of the season for reasons I can't quite explain. On the other side, 'Fannysmakin'', though it starts a season-long arc for Greg Sanders, isn't my favorite episode. It moralizes things too much and tries to tackle a complex problem with simplicity only television can provide. Likewise, 'Redrum' seems to confuse its focus and the ending seems quick and somewhat forced. These are small complaints in an otherwise stellar season of the show. The investigators have to tackle some tough issues. It's not easy to do the right thing and even when you do, you might feel guilty, as David Hodges and Sara Sidle will tell you. Even when you do your job correctly, not everybody will be happy. The show does explore some tough issues, most of the time with nice sensitivity and distance. This is not a soap opera, and I very much appreciate that. The little character moments are few but add a lot more to the characters than full-blown drama. The show also never forgets its lighter side, with black and sometimes morbid jokes in every episode. Even at season seven, the show is as strong as ever. Here is a breakdown of the season by disc. disc 1: 702 : Built to Kill, Part 1 (43:08) At a big party, a man is found dead, with the murder weapon in his own hand. Also, the Miniature Killer arc starts here, as Gil discovers a miniature replica of the murder scene he's investigating at the scene itself. As if that weren't enough, the ending is kind of serious and really grabs your attention. Danny Bonaduce has a small guest spot. 703 : Built to Kill, Part 2 (44:09) Catherine Williams wakes up from the previous episode, and her father is indirectly involved. The ending is kind of sad. 701 : Toe Tags (42:17) This is one of the better and most original episodes of the season. In a morgue, the corpses wake up and start talking to each other. You then see how they ended up in the morgue. 704 : Fannysmackin' (43:47) A group of mask-wearing rebels go around seriously beating people up. Kevin Federline guest stars in this episode. disc 2: 705 : Double Cross (43:27) A nun finds someone hanging, crucified, form the ceiling of her church. Grissom and his gang learn of a strange love triangle. 706 : Burn Out (44:08) A couple of young boys go missing and an ex-con convicted pedophile is immediately suspected, though he may not be completely guilty. 707 : Post Mortem (44:08) A second miniature is found, corresponding to the murder of an old woman. Meanwhile, the wrongful death case from 'Fannysmackin'' is in court. DJ Qualls guest stars. 708 : Happenstance (43:18) Identical twins who seem completely unconnected both die at around the same time. Happenstance or pre-mediation? disc 3: 709 : Living Legend (42:48) This is a fun episode. A mob boss who died in the 1970s seems to make a revival and his crew are now being picked off one by one. Roger Daltrey stars in more than one role. 710 : Loco Motives (44:07) The third episode in the Miniature Killer saga, this episode centers around a locomotive model builder. He confesses, but in the very next episode... 711 : Leaving Las Vegas (44:07) A new miniature finds itself on Gil's desk. Before that happens, Gil leaves for a few weeks to teach a course outside of Las Vegas, and Catherine wants to convict a killer for a current crime, in part because he got off a previous murder because of lack of evidence. 713 : Sweet Jane (44:37) Four girls - each blonde, slim, pretty - are killed a decade apart, but are all seemingly connected. The music in this episode is just incredible. This is probably, for reasons I can't explain, my favorite episode of the season. disc 4: 712 : Redrum (44:07) This would have been a better two-part episode, as the major part of the episode is about the reverse forensics, while the end comes very quickly and easily. 714 : Meet Market (43:57) A burn victim with an umbrella sewn into his leg starts off the episode. The investigation leads to a male escort service. This episode has a fun ending. 715 : Law of Gravity (43:55) Detective Kepler's past comes back to haunt him. This episode also sees the return of Gil Grissom. 716 : Monster In a Box (43:27) Grissom opens the box that's been sitting on his desk for four weeks and finds the miniature, which hints that the day after tomorrow will see another murder. This episode has a really sweet opening shot. disc 5: 717 : Fallen Idols (44:09) The captain of the basketball team and the head cheerleader go missing after a big game. High school love is somewhat dissected. 718 : Empty Eyes (42:48) A grizzly mass murder happens at a house bought buy a group of friends, leaving six dead girls. 719 : Big Shots (41:47) A party planner in a limo has his car shot up under circumstances that the CSI team have to figure out. Aaron James, brother of someone killed in 'Fannysmackin'' and the cause of Greg's troubles, comes back in this episode. 720 : Lab Rats (aka While the Cat's Away) (43:27) The four lab people pore over the Miniature Killer case while the investigators all out on a busy night. I suppose this is what counts as a clip show in this series. Hodges actually does discover something new, though perhaps not too useful. disc 6: 721 : Ending Happy (44:08) A boxer dies in a pool at a high-class whorehouse and Grissom and his gang want to know what happened. The thing is, nobody knows how the boxer died. 722 : Leapin' Lizards (43:27) Someone kills himself rather than letting himself be caught by the police, and the cops find out he's part of a strange UFO cult. 723 : The Good, The Bad, and The Dominatrix (43:48) A dominatrix at an Old West town gets strangled, but survives. The gang figures out the why and the how. 724 : Living Doll (43:58) The season finale and the last episode in the Miniature Killer saga for this season.
Video
1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The show doesn't have as distinctive cinematography as 'CSI: Miami', but the video holds up very well. There darkness in the offices comes out very well. The many night shots are also very clear. They do exhibit some noise, which is unsurprising given there are 4 episodes per disc. Likewise, the level of detail is probably a tiny bit low. The colours, however, are accurate and are transferred very well to the DVD. The palette is quite muted at times, and the contrast is appropriately low. The whites, however, are bright and crisp. They're only blown out when they have to be. Print defects are also never a problem. It's a strong transfer which nobody should complain about.
Audio
An English Dolby Digital 5.1 track is here, along with a Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track. The track is very nice. I'll simply say that the dialogue is very clear, audible and un-muffled. The soundtrack is loud and clear; surround you in its energy. The special sound effects, like gunshots, breaking glass, car crashes and the like, have accurate and intelligent placement. Sometimes, the effects work is subtle, sometimes it's not, but it's always well mixed and never interferes with the other sound elements. The track, as far as I can hear, has no problems. There are no subtitles.
Extras
Paramount was very nice to this television show, giving it a bunch of audio commentaries and a bunch of featurettes. Disc one starts off with some Start-up Trailers for 'Dexter' (2:19) and 'Twin Peaks: The Definitive Gold Box Edition' (1:40). You can also watch some Previews for 'Criminal Minds: Season Two' (0:33) and 'CSI: Miami', 'CSI', 'CSI: NY', 'Numbers', 'NCIS', 'Medium' and 'The 4400' (2:42), and 'The Ghost Whisperer: Season Two' (0:42). Now that those are out of the way, you can listen to two audio commentaries. The first is on episode 'Built to Kill, Part 1' and is by executive producer Naren Shankar & co-executive producer Kenneth Fink. These two gentlemen don't give out the best commentary, as there are many silent moments. They do talk a lot about the Cirque du Soleil and why they wanted it. They're very complimentary and give praise where praise is due. They also talk about locations and point out CGI shots and things of that nature. The second track is on 'Fannysmackin'', by episode director Richard Lewis and episode writer Dustin Lee Abraham. As you may expect, the writer talks about how he came up with the episode, and the director talks about why he got Kevin Federline, which is a nice reason. They talk about why they moralized a bit and talk a lot about the actors involved. The feel and atmosphere of the episode is also discussed. This is one of the better commentaries of the season. The next two commentaries are on disc three. The first track is on 'Living Legend' and features episode director Martha Coolidge & special makeup supervisor Matthew W. Mungle. Mrs. Coolidge talks a lot (and I mean a lot) about the decisions she made and why she made them. They talk, unsurprisingly, about Roger Daltrey and how great he was. Mr. Mungle (and, for that matter, Mrs. Coolidge) talks about all the masks and makeup work they did in this episode. This is a nice, chatty track that fans of the episode will really enjoy. The second is on my favorite episode of the season, 'Sweet Jane', by executive producer Naren Shankar & co-executive producer/episode director Kenneth Fink. Fortunately, they do talk about the music, which is a short talk, but a nice one. Other than that, this track keeps pace with the pair's other track on 'Built to Kill, Part 1'. They're low-key and have a lot of dead time. They do have a little bit more to say, such as talking about how they came up with the structure and plot, and how change happens. They also talk about the messages they want to give with this episode. Again, it's a nice track, but not the most active. Disc four sees one audio commentary on 'Law of Gravity'. Episode writer Carol Mendelsohn, technical advisor Richard Catalani & episode director Richard J. Lewis are prone to narration, which is the most annoying part of the track. They do talk about Kepler's character arc a bit and about his cop friend. The plot, the style and the murders are also discussed. This would be a better track if they didn't tell you what's going on so much. A single audio commentary finds itself on disc five. 'Lab Rats (aka While the Cat's Away)' features a yak track by episode director Brad Tanenbaum, episode writer/supervising producer Sara Goldfinger, and actors Wallace Langham, Jon Wellner, Liz Vassey, Sherri Rappaport and Archie Kao. This group isn't the most informative, but they're highly entertaining. In fact, this is probably the best track of the set, as it's very funny. The director and writer talk about what they wanted to accomplish with the episode, and point out props and how they made this episode different from the other Miniature Killer episodes. However, the five actors never stop laughing, pointing out reactions and generally goof off. It's quite funny, making this a nice track. Disc six has one last audio commentary, on 'Living Dolls', once again by executive producer/episode co-writer Naren Shankar and co-executive producer/episode director Kenneth Fink. Of the three tracks this pair recorded, this is the best one, if only because there's no real dead time. Indeed, they have the entire season to reflect on and they do a nice job finishing the season. They talk about, obviously, the Miniature Killer, the evolution of said bad guy and Grissom's hunt for this killer. The locations, specific shots and other filmmaking techniques are also discussed. It's a well-rounded track and a nice way to finish off the season. The rest of the extras are on disc seven. There are six featurettes to wade through, starting with Inside 'Built to Kill' (9:02). The producers talk about how to start off season 7 and bring the viewers back. They then talk about how they came to choosing Cirque du Soleil, and the cirque people talk about their show and about how they accommodated 'CSI'. It's a nice and informative featurette. Miniature Murders (13:48) is very fascinating. The producers and actors talk about the Miniature Killer, how this came about and how the arc evolved through the season. They talk about making the miniatures and what it took to do them. The actors talk about the serial killer in the show and how they feel about the whole thing. It's a very nice featurette. Who Are You? Inside 'Living Legend' (14:45) is next and is very nice, considering Roger Daltrey did a great job in the episode. Mr. Daltrey talks about playing five roles. The producers talk about how they got him and how they conceived the episode. The makeup guy talks about how hard it was making all those prosthetics. The start is a bit fluffy, but soon enough it gets pretty informative and this makes the featurette worth watching. Las Vegas: The Real Crime Solvers (18:25) is likewise a very strong featurette. Robert David Hall takes you to the Las Vegas Crime Lab and shows you all the jobs they do, including prints, narcotics and firearms. The real guys talk about their job and how they do it. They also talk about the difference between the real job and the job in the show. It's a great featurette, showing you how the jobs were modified to make them more interesting for television. The Evolution of CSI: Season 7 (25:47) is an actual making-of featurette. It recounts the seventh season. The main cast and crew talk about the season in general, how it changed and how it was to have Liev Schreiber for those few episodes. The cast have nice words to say to everybody involved, and so sometimes it seems more like a fluff piece than an actual featurette. In any case, you do hear some nice comments from the behind-the-camera folk, telling you how they changed the show in the seventh season to keep it fresh and exciting. The last featurette is Smoke & Mirrors: Directing Feature Television (16:31) and is also very nice. The directors, as you may expect, talk about making a film-looking episode on a television show schedule. They talk about how they shoot the show and how they try to get everything looking the best. The featurette is pretty informative and is one of the better extras on the set.
Packaging
The set comes in a 4-tiered, 7-disc digipak.
Overall
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