I'm doing a rewatch. Most people have at least a bit of hint now what happens with Grissom and Sara in the seasons to come. It hits differently now than it did in 2008 when the future was uncertain. However this episode was super well acted, even in voice over, by Jorja Fox. The ending made me cry, even though I know it's not forever. I enjoyed Sara passing the baton to Ronnie towards the end. I did like how Ronnie was depicted doing exactly what Sara would have done in season one with the battered woman.
There are definitely odd moments, such as when Ronnie and Sara are with the woman who had been stabbed. It made no sense that the husband was allowed to just walk in to attack her again without a cop tackling him. Also Grissom was conveniently even more passive than usual. I liked the direction though overall. The visuals and pacing were really interesting. They still felt fresh even in season 8. The director and actors can't help the script they got handed. Oh! And the primitive computer graphics along with the cast still having to explain the internet to some viewers is amusing.
But as I'm doing a rewatch, I watched this episode immediately after the one from season 6 where Marlon and Kira first appear. It's never truly resolved who the killer was in that episode - Marlon or Kira. I suppose in the end you can rationalize it was Kira. She had more motive. But if it was Marlon, the gang is way too soft on him in this episode. He's written as an unfortunate pasty, not a murderer who got away with it. He's gotten on with his life like nothing happened with no consequences. We're also supposed to believe, no matter how smart she is, the university hired a 14 year old to help teach classes who was publicly part of a murder trial in the exact same town just 2 years earlier to help teach? And all the students are fine with it? There's never a hint that you can be super smart at chemistry at 14 yet still be undeveloped emotionally.
At least Brass' attitude to Marlon should have been "well, maybe you're innocent this time, but you're still finally in jail like you deserve to be." At least the goth girl should have been dating Marlon because of his dangerous past. The guy who assaulted Marlon should have stated something like he was "saving" the victim from Marlon because everyone still thinks he's a killer even if he was found not guilty.
If he was innocent of the original crime, he still took part in the cover up. He's showing no guilt or cockiness this time around. He acts pretty much like any other suspect on any other episode, up until the end when the audience seems left to fill in the blanks that he's so overwrought by being framed by Kira and he sees nothing for his future but prison, so he offs himself. The writing is super simplistic. It's also such a ridiculous coincidence that the parents died pretty much immediately after the first case. What a waste to not imply Kira did that also.
Obviously the real focus was chosen to be on Sara's own emotional state and not on the murder suspects. No one to steal her spotlight. I really wish the writers had just created some other case to push Sara over the edge because there were so many holes left behind and missed opportunities. Since the emotional punch of Sara leaving is not there for me, I was left annoyed at the mediocre writing on the actual case.
The only reason I give this episode a relatively high rating is due to Jorja Fox's acting and the direction of the script that was provided them.
There are definitely odd moments, such as when Ronnie and Sara are with the woman who had been stabbed. It made no sense that the husband was allowed to just walk in to attack her again without a cop tackling him. Also Grissom was conveniently even more passive than usual. I liked the direction though overall. The visuals and pacing were really interesting. They still felt fresh even in season 8. The director and actors can't help the script they got handed. Oh! And the primitive computer graphics along with the cast still having to explain the internet to some viewers is amusing.
But as I'm doing a rewatch, I watched this episode immediately after the one from season 6 where Marlon and Kira first appear. It's never truly resolved who the killer was in that episode - Marlon or Kira. I suppose in the end you can rationalize it was Kira. She had more motive. But if it was Marlon, the gang is way too soft on him in this episode. He's written as an unfortunate pasty, not a murderer who got away with it. He's gotten on with his life like nothing happened with no consequences. We're also supposed to believe, no matter how smart she is, the university hired a 14 year old to help teach classes who was publicly part of a murder trial in the exact same town just 2 years earlier to help teach? And all the students are fine with it? There's never a hint that you can be super smart at chemistry at 14 yet still be undeveloped emotionally.
At least Brass' attitude to Marlon should have been "well, maybe you're innocent this time, but you're still finally in jail like you deserve to be." At least the goth girl should have been dating Marlon because of his dangerous past. The guy who assaulted Marlon should have stated something like he was "saving" the victim from Marlon because everyone still thinks he's a killer even if he was found not guilty.
If he was innocent of the original crime, he still took part in the cover up. He's showing no guilt or cockiness this time around. He acts pretty much like any other suspect on any other episode, up until the end when the audience seems left to fill in the blanks that he's so overwrought by being framed by Kira and he sees nothing for his future but prison, so he offs himself. The writing is super simplistic. It's also such a ridiculous coincidence that the parents died pretty much immediately after the first case. What a waste to not imply Kira did that also.
Obviously the real focus was chosen to be on Sara's own emotional state and not on the murder suspects. No one to steal her spotlight. I really wish the writers had just created some other case to push Sara over the edge because there were so many holes left behind and missed opportunities. Since the emotional punch of Sara leaving is not there for me, I was left annoyed at the mediocre writing on the actual case.
The only reason I give this episode a relatively high rating is due to Jorja Fox's acting and the direction of the script that was provided them.