'CSI:' Old School Vegas! Plus, 'Trace' tries to Break the Chain of Violence

Sometimes bringing a big name guest star to a popular show comes off as nothing more than a huge gimmick, and other times, it works like a charm. Last night's Faye Dunaway episode of CSI fortunately falls into the latter category. The reason Dunaway's appearance worked so well was because the entire show was written around it, and the role was absolutely perfect. She suited it so well that I completely forgot that the show had pulled off such a huge stunt. It was flawless and intricately planned, down to every last detail just like Dunaway's character's exit. It was a fun hour that transformed the Las Vegas we're used to seeing every week into another world filled with old money (quite literally), mob ties and one interesting former showgirl named Lois O'Neill (Dunaway). I have to admit that I wasn't sure who killed the waiter in the closet with the revolver (Was I the only one thinking of "Clue" during this episode?) until the final moments when they revealed the entire sequence of events. Lois' sudden departure completely caught me off guard as well, but it fit her character perfectly. Armed with the knowledge that she was dying from cancer, she arranged for the waiter to shoot and kill her as she lay on her bed during her glamorous birthday party. Things didn't go as planned, though, because the waiter got a little greedy, so Lois wound up shooting and killing him instead. She then enlisted the help of a good friend to stage her exit in the exact way that she wanted to go. I loved Greg's enthusiasm during this case. He was totally fascinated by all the old Vegas trappings and legends, and I loved how it all came into play when they tied the money and the gun together. This was a very interesting and well done episode.

Episode descriptions can be deceiving, but they usually make an episode seem better than it turns out to be once it's fleshed out on the television screen. Last night's Without a Trace was one of the rare instances when the episode is about a zillion times better than its description. I was so worried that this episode was going to try to capitalize on all these female teacher/male student romps that we constantly read about in the news. Luckily, it didn't go anywhere near there, deciding instead to allow our media-tainted assumptions about such relationships fuel the agents' investigation into the middle school teacher's and her student's disappearances. Turns out they were off together, but it had nothing to do with an inappropriate relationship. Claire was trying to get Ray to understand that he needed to report his abusive father before it was too late and someone wound up dead like her mother did at the hands of her abusive father. But in a shocking twist, it was not Ray's father that was abusive, but rather his cardiologist mother. Apparently she has been abused growing up and was continuing the chain of violence, the same chain that Claire was working to break in her life and Ray's. I absolutely loved Viv's interrogation with Ray's mother, especially the way she got so angry with her. It was good to see that Claire's actions, although not the best solution, did set the right things into motion for Ray and her as she realized that she was going to break the chain. Unfortunately, her father had one last violent act to carry out by taking his own life. This episode blended a lot of tragedy with a lot of hope, and it also earned its place among the other excellent episodes this season.

About Last Night... ABC easily won the first hour of the night with Dancing with the Stars, followed by CSI (r) on CBS and NBC comedies Will & Grace and Four Kings. At 9, CBS gained control with a new CSI, followed by ABC's combination of the final half hour of Dancing and Crumbs and NBC comedies My Name is Earl and The Office. The final hour of the night went to CBS's Without a Trace, followed by ABC's Primetime and NBC's ER (r). For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - The Pussycat Dolls perform and we learn which team will no longer compete on ABC's Dancing with the Stars results show.

@9 p.m. - A young man is incarcerated for the murder of an unborn child on ABC's In Justice. Over on CBS, Annabeth works a case involving a young woman who may have been raped by a recently paroled sex offender.

@10 p.m. - The FBI uncovers a black market organ trafficking ring after a young girl's death on CBS's Numb3rs.

SUNDAY EDITION
@8 p.m. - Lilly reopens the 1968 case involving the mysterious death of a debutante on CBS's Cold Case. TNT airs the 12th Annual Screen Actors' Guild Awards.

@10 p.m. - Macy searches for his daughter after learning that she was at the scene of a gang related shooting on NBC's Crossing Jordan. Over on ABC, Seattle Grace is hit with a nurses' strike on Grey's Anatomy.



QUICK CUTS

*Fans of NBC's now-canceled The Book of Daniel can catch the unaired episodes exclusively on nbc.com, series creator Jack Kenny tells TVGuide.com. The first unaired episode will air tonight at 8 p.m. on nbc.com. NBC closed The Book of Daniel earlier this week due to low ratings. The controversial show starred Aidan Quinn as a pill-popping minister who has regular conversations with Jesus.

*Matthew Perry is returning to television with the new untitled Aaron Sorkin drama. The show, which will focus on the behind-the-scenes stories of a fictional Saturday Night Live-like sketch show, also stars D.L. Hughley and Steven Weber. Perry will play a genius comedy writer who is forced out of his position as co-executive producer after a dispute with the network. The in-demand show will air on NBC, Perry's former home with the long-running Friends.

*And finally, CBS' Yes, Dear will bow out early this season. The network set the comedy's sixth season finale for next month. In the episode, Greg and Christina master the art of manipulation when they learn they can get what they want from each other. The episode is scheduled to air Wednesday, February 15th on CBS.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in Monday for thoughts on Cold Case (debutantes, the 60s, and murder - Oh my!). Plus, all the latest television news!


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