See Also: 'The Deep' Episode Guide

Synopsis:

The body of a diver is found during a boat race, and the CSIs are surprised to find he asphixiated with a full tank of oxygen. Hammerback recovers several starfish from the diver's body, and tells Stella the man had fatal amounts of cyanide in his lungs. The victim is identified as Doug Holden, a scuba-diving instructor. He's been missing for three weeks, as has his fellow instructor, Matt Campbell. Stella and Flack question some of their students, including a married couple and a pair of Albanian men. Lindsay finds asbestos from subway cars in the stomachs of the starfish leading Mac to suspect the men may have been killed in old subway cars dumped in the river in the 70s. Danny and Hawkes go for a dive to explore the cars, and Hawkes discovers the body of Matt Campbell. Hammerback determines Matt died of cyanide poisoning as well, and Stella finds a gold coin in the diver's gear. Stella takes the coin to an antiques dealer, where the dealer determines the coin is a fake--and a handsome stranger named Drew Bedford identifies the kind of coin it was modeled off of for her.

Stella recalls that one of the diving students she talked to was a jeweller who had an attractive wife who seemed a little too interested in her diving instructor. She postulates that a jeweler could have created the fake coin. Flack questions the man, but he denies any involvement in the men's death, and tells the detective he's unconcerned with his wife's activities. His alibi checks out, but Lindsay has another lead: larvae that are found in regions 100 feet deeper than the CSIs previously looked. Danny and Hawkes go diving and recover more coins and syringe, but the trip turns dangerous when a metal pole shifts, trapping Hawkes beneath it. Danny frees him and the two make it to land safely. Flack finds a salvage permit for the area registered in a fake name. Danny examines the syringe, discovering cortisone in it and then DNA with a mutation that is unique to people of Balkan descent. Danny realizes the syringe must have been reused, and Stella recalls the two Albanian students she questioned.

The police storm the Albanians apartment and one of them, Zamir Duka, tries to run. While Mac and Flack apprehend him, Stella searches the apartment and finds the makings of a bomb. Questioning Zamir proves futile, but Mac and Flack put together that the commissioner has been running an investigation into Iraqi insurgents that the Albanians might want to put a stop to. The Albanians used the scuba instructors to train them and then killed the men by luring them deep into the water with the promise of a hidden treasure. When Flack learns a death threat against the commissioner has been called in, leading the commissioner to take a helicopter to an important UN conference, he and Mac realize that the helicopter will land over the water--just as the Albanians have planned. Mac and Flack race to the pier where Mac discovers the bomber about to set off his bomb--only to discover it's been disarmed by the police.

Analysis:

With a quirky start, a slow middle and a rushed finished, "The Deep" is a perfect illustration of how CSI: NY straddles the middle ground between CSI and Miami. It starts off focused, with the search for the elusive crime scene dominating much of the first half, and then suddenly in the final act, it turns into a race to stop two terrorists. The two halves never quite gel: the first is too drawn out, the second too rushed and too neatly wrapped up. "The Deep" is not a terrible episode by any means, but it never feels quite distinctive.

During that long search for the crime scene, I found myself getting frustrated with the pacing, something I rarely do during a New York episode. Just find the damn thing already ran through my head. Stella and Flack questioned too many people all at one; Danny and Hawkes took one dive too many. The excitement of the diving scene where Hawkes gets trapped is undercut somewhat by the fact that it's difficult to see exactly what's going on.

The final act of the episode does an about face and ventures into Miami territory: suddenly there are terrorists, bombs, a threat to a government official. Yes, it's unexpected in that when the two divers are found dead, terrorism probably isn't something that crossed viewers minds, but it comes from so far a field and so late in the game that it takes a lot of talky explanation to catch the viewer up. And then all of that leads to no pay-off: Mac stands on the pier looking down at the terrorist, who is trying to discharge his bomb...which we learn in a voice over from Flack has been disarmed. Not exactly a pulse pounding finish.

Thrown into the mix is Drew Bedford, Stella's would be suitor. He introduces himself to her in the antique shop, manages to swipe a business card she gave to someone else and just happens to be waiting outside the building when she walks by, coincidentally about to call her. And Stella, whose instincts are spot on when it comes to everything but attractive, dangerous men, engages in a little witty repartee with him rather than finding a way to get his DNA or prints and finding out just what brand of creep he is.

We also get a quick reference to the harassing calls Mac has been receiving, which have followed him from London to New York. Apparently, his solution was...to change his extension. Because I'm certain that the stalker who managed to follow him from London to New York and seems to know whenever he's by a phone won't be able to figure out his new extension. It's somewhat funny, but also possibly indicative of his frustration and inability to stop, trace or explain the calls.

I can't help but wonder, somewhat cynically, if Hawkes' arm will be all healed up come next week's episode. The good doctor remains cool under pressure, and his confession to Danny that when he was trapped and losing oxygen, he saw Sid Hammerback standing over his body, about to autopsy him, is morbidly humorous. Hill Harper conveys Hawkes' grim sense of humor with a charming smile.

Danny is a bashful hero, perhaps because he's much more used to being saved than he is to saving anyone else. When Lindsay tries to convey her admiration for what he did--and a little concern for his well-being--Danny brushes her off, telling her to "stop goofing off." And at the end of the episode when Hawkes comes to thank him, Danny protests that Hawkes would have done the same for him. It's not the first time Danny has helped Hawkes out--he was the doctor's staunchest defender when he was accused of murder in "Raising Shane"--so it's nice to see Hawkes expressing the gratitude he was probably too shocked to share at the time.

The new credits are starting to grow on me; though I doubt I'll ever like the remix of "Baba O'Riley" as much as the original song for the main credits, it's not quite as offensive on multiple viewings. What is, however, is the fact that Gary Sinise and Melina Kanakaredes have been given billing over the title of the show, relegating the rest of the cast to below the main title. It's an unnecessary and vaguely insulting move, trivializing the junior cast. Why thrust them below the main title after three years?

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