CSI: NY: “INDELIBLE”

“Indelible,” the 2011 season opening episode for CSI: NY, is a patriotic, emotionally powerful tribute to the first responders who sacrificed their lives 10 years ago on 9/11. In honoring the fallen firefighters, security people, and police officers who lost their lives that horrific day, the episode also honors those who survived.

As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, former Detective Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) finds himself thinking of his beloved wife, whose body was never recovered from the World Trade Center site. Mac has left his detective job to do DNA work trying to find the victims who are still missing.

Meanwhile, his old homicide crew is dealing with a robbery and murder of a local bar that illegally stayed open after hours. The murder of the bouncer at the door doesn’t make any sense because the gunshots were heard after the robbers had already left with the money.

As the homicide team tries to piece together what happened, Mac tries to convince a firefighter friend also working on the DNA project to attend the memorial ceremony at the Brooklyn Wall of Heroes. Mac also continues to recall the events of that day, as do other members of the homicide team.

“Indelible” is a beautifully written, acted episode. In fact, it’s one of the best ones this show has yet produced (or any other of the police detective shows now popular on TV, for that matter). Sacrifice, prayer, memory, loss, and fellowship are all woven together into a poignant emotional fugue that totally earns the tears it evokes. Some violence and brief foul language warrant caution for younger children.