It's the game of LIFE 7X06 review (***out of 5)

Ever turned off the TV, pulled out the board games, and just enjoyed being with your family (or perhaps friends who are practically family)? Do Not Pass Go, as its Monopoly inspired name suggests, was permeated with that feeling. As writer Adam Targum’s first episode, it was a hodgepodge of personal relationships and crime drama, and hinted at the potential of Targum’s storytelling. It was the personification of my mother’s advice, reminding, “it’s not about the game, it’s about having fun.” Meaning, this episode was less about the actual crime and more about remembering what’s important. While the episode lacked a certain eloquence and finesse, needing a bit more polish, it uniquely deserves to be recognized for where it both failed and succeeded.

The episode opens with two windows, and two parents. Windows have long been accepted in the literary world as symbols of both hope and despair. Windows allow us to view what is beyond the world we are living and give us a chance to dream of possibilities, but they also only allow for a limited view, and in some cases act as barriers to the outside. This conflict of meaning mirrors the emotional state of the mother and father that sit gazing out of those windows; they long for freedom from the state of turmoil they are living in, but simultaneously fear the ramifications of that freedom. Their son has been missing for days and they face the opportunity to find him, unaware of whether they will find him alive or dead. Unfortunately, I felt disconnected from the power of the moment by Helen Slater’s portrayal as the grieving mother. Her delivery was stilted, and had an “acting workshop” feel to it, especially when compared to the other matriarchal figures that appear in the episode; Jo Danville (beautifully established by Sela Ward) and Sally Anderson (Stephanie Venditto).

There is an improvement this season with the use of Flack’s character, and that continues in this episode as he and Sally Anderson discuss her dead son, Craig. It was a tender scene used to establish the rules of three. We have three perspectives: one mother whose child is dead, one mother whose child is missing, and one mother whose child is very present.

The introduction to Ellie Danville (Sydney Park) allows us a moment to extend our understanding of Jo’s character. Ellie is plagued by what any pre-teen would suffer from following a move to a new school and Jo, an obviously loving, involved parent, who considers her child’s needs and strives to provide, handles it like a pro. She maintains the same easy going relationship with her daughter as we have seen her establish with the other characters of the show. It a light and beautiful connection that is made brighter by the juxtaposition of the hideously gory dead body and dark themes of hate, revenge and damnation.

The murderer, Allison Scott (Maïté Schwartz), has killed one young man she believes is responsible for the death of her fiance, and has attempted to kill a second, and is using the parents of one of her victims to destroy evidence for her since she is now in jail on a separate charge. (That’s right, they should have gone “straight to jail”... sorry, couldn’t resist the pun). Allison has allowed her anger to fuel her desire for revenge, becoming consumed with hate and unable to more forward, no longer able to “pass go.” She uses her love for her murdered fiance to justify her actions. I was thoroughly impressed by Jo’s reaction to Allison. Jo did not pull a sanctimonious card out, or begin spouting righteous judgments. Instead, she responded, “I could only imagine the anger you felt. God himself couldn’t save someone who wanted to hurt my family. I would hunt them down. I would make them suffer like they have never suffered before. I would need them to feel the unrelenting pain that I felt.” She wasn’t allowing Allison justification, but she was willing to accept that things are rarely black and white.

This was clearly a Jo centric episode, but it also was able to include each of the main characters. There were some wonderful scenes involving Hawkes and Sid (again, great seeing Sid out of the morgue, and just as fun seeing Hawkes back in it), Flack and Jo at the bar and chasing the subject added a dose of levity, Adam used his mad skills to help crack the case, and Danny and Lindsay shared a sweet moment that despite its brevity was long enough to arouse an emotional response. I am enjoying the friendship between Mac and Jo, a dynamic relationship of opposites, and look forward to their future interactions.

David Jackson’ directing was neither bad nor good, but was rather pedestrian. I also understand a suspension of reality (not sure how often a CSI is involved in an interrogation in real life, but I’m willing to accept it) however, there are still parameters that the show should stay within to keep me in the story. I find it highly unlikely that Flack and two CSI’s would show up the abandoned warehouse, and the Flack and two CSI’s would go to find the body on the barge. Typically CSI’s are called onto a scene by detectives, not the other way around. So Targum needs to learn to better manipulate his story to stay within the established laws of the CSI franchise, rather than just expect the audience to “buy” it. He also needs to find a better balance between character driven story arcs and plot driven ones, but at least he was trying, and gives me hope that his stories are going to be ones that I will be looking forward to, and you can take that straight to the bank(er). (Yep, that’s right, I went there)

Highlight of the episode: Jo. From her messy desk, to her love for her daughter, she really shined.

Guilty Pleasure: Don Flack running...in a suit!