"Ashes to Ashes" is a serious downer mainly because the young are affected by the monsters among us. A priest is shot twice by a rifle, found in the rectory of a Catholic Church. It relates to a left-handed altar boy (who skateboards), his mother (with the impression of a belt strap showing around her throat), and the cruel father who works in the Miami Sewer System. A second case is even more disturbing. A woman, driving a stolen vehicle in Georgia, is found burned alive. This victim was pregnant, and a diamond ring of considerable value was found in her stomach. Alexx (Khandi Alexander) will have to get fetal tissue for Horatio in order to test the DNA for a match to a father. Because the burns were so extensive (the results of a homemade Molotov cocktail), getting finger prints or any evidence from the badly damaged vehicle is impossible, which means the killer just might get away with it. The first case is worked by Megan and Speed (Rory Cochran), with Calleigh (Emily Proctor) helping in regards of her expertise in ballistics. H has the heavy burden of the second case with simply nothing much at all to go by, helped by Eric (Adam Rodriguez) in trying their damnedest to find any shred of evidence that might help them find that sonofabitch who killed this woman and her unborn fetus. Troubling scene where a fetus is examined under a microscope and H is obviously inspired to find the baby's killer, even using an "age enhanced" photo to ensure the likely suspect that he wouldn't stop "haunting" him until the man saw the confines of a jail cell. This one wasn't fun at all because both stories dealt with specific acts of human violence that forces the use of a wrench across a skull, a mother's cover up, and a burn victim not getting the justice her horrible death deserved. The priest, because of all of the pedophilia discovered among the Catholic Church at the time, is at first thought to have done something sexually to the kid (who left the shoeprints that would eventually identify him); a condom found in his pocket didn't help matters. But at least this case, the priest was innocent and his murder a sad consequence of events that spiraled out of control due to a confession; the priest insisting that a police report should be made sealed his fate.
2 Reviews
Heavy Themes and Heavy Hearts Prevail
biorngm31 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Ashes to Ashes
Two distinct stories going on in this episode, the CSI cast is split working the two criminal cases, while Horatio moves between them, although he majors on the burn victims, mother and unborn child.
Initial focus is on Alexx, retrieving evidence on the female burn victim and the priest's slain body. Alexx finds evidence on the charred victim, and with help from Calleigh, on the priest, too.
There is intrigue, initial speculation, plenty of forensic science to move the stories. There are no wasted scenes, the usual bouncing between storylines, each one adding findings as the program concludes.
A poignant moment comes at the onset when a priest is found shot and Megan asks "who would want to kill a priest?" Evidence abounds when the priest-killing and an abusive husband are connected.
Poignancy runs heavy when dealing with an unborn, notably the music playing when Horatio is in the DNA-lab seeking answers. Delko asks how it went, Horatio responds "it was worse..." the CODIS search for the father's DNA was negative. The father's DNA is taken from the fetus, half a DNA, Delko says.
There are details extracted in the lab from the charred vehicle, Horatio and Delko handle this alone performing a commendable job determining the likely perpetrator, but unable to prove guilt. Watch Horatio get in the slime-ball boyfriend's face and showing him a rendition of how his child would appear at two. Horatio leaves the picture at the church altar at Father Carlos' funeral. This is a heavy closing minute.
Strongly recommend this episode. The acting is exceptional by all members, plus the effects lend authenticity to the finales; definitely worth viewing.
Initial focus is on Alexx, retrieving evidence on the female burn victim and the priest's slain body. Alexx finds evidence on the charred victim, and with help from Calleigh, on the priest, too.
There is intrigue, initial speculation, plenty of forensic science to move the stories. There are no wasted scenes, the usual bouncing between storylines, each one adding findings as the program concludes.
A poignant moment comes at the onset when a priest is found shot and Megan asks "who would want to kill a priest?" Evidence abounds when the priest-killing and an abusive husband are connected.
Poignancy runs heavy when dealing with an unborn, notably the music playing when Horatio is in the DNA-lab seeking answers. Delko asks how it went, Horatio responds "it was worse..." the CODIS search for the father's DNA was negative. The father's DNA is taken from the fetus, half a DNA, Delko says.
There are details extracted in the lab from the charred vehicle, Horatio and Delko handle this alone performing a commendable job determining the likely perpetrator, but unable to prove guilt. Watch Horatio get in the slime-ball boyfriend's face and showing him a rendition of how his child would appear at two. Horatio leaves the picture at the church altar at Father Carlos' funeral. This is a heavy closing minute.
Strongly recommend this episode. The acting is exceptional by all members, plus the effects lend authenticity to the finales; definitely worth viewing.
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