"Okay, we're in a David Lynch movie. Where's the dwarf?"
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 17th May 2007
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 7, Episode 24
WRITTEN BY: Sarah Goldfinger & Naren Shankar
It's an unusual CSI when the audience sees the killer before the team get them. But this special treatment isn't so surprising in context - seeing as the "miniature killer" story was the culmination of a season-long arc, we'd already had time to get to know the killer as a faceless entity. Now it's time to meet her in the flesh and see what makes her tick.
The miniature killer is a great villain. Making her female was a great choice as it already played with expectations. She's appropriately aloof but still credible as a formidable opponent. Her backstory is interesting. Her signature move is perfect for making her stand out but there's also something genuinely uncomfortable about her handiwork.The living doll scene is just creepy.
The scene where Gil gets his throat cut was a brilliant shock. Sure, it turned out to be a fake-out - but it was worth it. There's still a great cliffhanger to end the show on, as it ends with a close-up of Sara in the car wreck, leaving a question mark about her fate. Because the miniature killer plot isn't the only running storyline to reach a head - Gil's relationship with Sara also comes out in the open...and there has never been a more crucial time to make it relevant.
Overall, one of the most exciting and unsettling CSI episodes of all time, which proves the show can do great arcs as well as self-contained stories.
