Child's Play (12 Dec. 2007)

An Internet entrepreneur is killed by an exploding cigar, and Danny's neighbor's son is killed while under his care by a stray bullet fired in a bodega robbery.

Director:

Jeffrey G. Hunt

Writers:

Anthony E. Zuiker (creator), Ann Donahue (creator),

Stars:

Gary Sinise, Melina Kanakaredes, Carmine Giovinazzo

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Sinise	...	Mac Taylor
Melina Kanakaredes	...	Stella Bonasera
Carmine Giovinazzo	...	Danny Messer
Anna Belknap	...	Lindsay Monroe
Hill Harper	...	Sheldon Hawkes
Eddie Cahill	...	Don Flack
A.J. Buckley	...	Adam Ross
Robert Joy	...	Dr. Sid Hammerback
Richard V. Licata	...	Lawrence Gelächter / Laughing Larry
Jacqueline Pinol	...	Rikki Sandoval
Brad Rowe	...	Benjamin Sutor
Al Santos	...	Ollie Barnes
Matthew Yang King	...	Kim Wey
Skye Arens	...	Sam (as Skye Casey Arens)
Bryan Okes	...	Reverend John McKlowski (as Bryan Okes Fuller)

Storyline

At an upscale nightclub, a patron, Essex Palmer dies while smoking a violent exploding cigar. The prime suspect is a joke shop owner named Laughing Larry. The investigation leads to fireworks dealers in Chinatown who may have been responsible for the large amount of gunpowder in the cigar In the second case, Danny accompanies his friend's son, Ruben, to have the boy's bike blessed by the local priest. On the way home, their journey is interrupted by a shooting during the robbery of a bodega.

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Plot Keywords:

death of child

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Release Date:

12 December 2007 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Paramount Network Television

Did You Know?

Trivia

Laughing Larry's last name is Gelachter. This is the German word (the correct spelling is Gelächter) for laughter.

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Goofs

Stella states that Smokeless Gunpowder is used in high explosives. This is incorrect: Gun Powder and Smokeless Gun Powder are low order explosives meaning that they burn. High order explosives like TNT and nitroglycerin are high order explosives that detonate without burning.

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Quotes

Rikki Sandoval: He's been up since 5:30.
Detective Danny Messer: I got in at 5:30.

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Soundtracks

"Stayin' Alive"
(uncredited)
Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, and Maurice Gibb
Performed by The Bee Gees

User Reviews

Story Starts Off With A Bang, But Ends On A Sad Note

This starts off as a very bizarre story but ends with a tragic tale that devastates one of the CSI regulars, "Danny Messer." (Carmine Giovinazzo).

Some obnoxious guy at the bar lights up an expensive cigar. It blows up in his face. This isn't some novelty-store item; this stogie was constructed for a big, destructive bang, and half the man's face is blown off. Who did it, and why? The investigation leads to "Laughing Larry" and other assorted strange characters. This story, despite the gruesomeness of seeing the lower half of a man's face blown off, is very interesting and has some comical moments, too.

The second story is anything but comical. It begins with a small neighborhood boy, someone who lives a few doors down from Danny, knocks on his door and reminds him they have to go to church for the annual "blessing of the bikes." The kid has a new bike and wants the local parish priest to bless it. That happens, and while Danny and the kid are heading home, Danny is diverted by a shot and yells for help. He tells the boy to race home and he'll catch up with him later.

Another shot is fired and the boy is killed in front of a store. It turns out to be total accident; the boy in the wrong place and the wrong time. After the investigation, Danny has to go home and tell the mother her boy has been killed. It ends on that dramatic note.