Synopsis  

Six showgirls, who are also roommates, are all found murdered in their home. All six were tied up and five died from having their throats cut. One of the girls was raped. The killer was recently released from a California prison, and Sara is able to match his DNA to a wine bottle.

Review  

After her date is canceled, Sara arrives to help with the scene. She is attacked by the last victim, who is hiding under the bed, but then asked to help her. Sara spends much of the episode assuring her teammates that she’s alright after the attack, and trying to decipher Cammie’s dying words. Initially, Sara presumes the words are ‘Pour wine’, but she finally determines them to be ‘port wine,’ and reference a birthmark on the killer.

As she solves the case, and throughout the episode, Sara flashes back to being with Cammie as she died. It’s the first time Sara has been on the scene as a victim died, and it strongly affects her. Sara follows an apparent male victim to the hospital and determines that he was the killer while checking under his nails for evidence. The killer grabs Sara while still in his hospital bed, but she gets away and is able to get enough evidence to bring him in.

The killer confesses; however Sara admits she lost her perspective and got too close the case. By taking Cammie’s death personally, she in turn attaches herself to the next presumed victim. While, in the end, this proves crucial to solving the case, Sara is angry that she felt for the killer, back when she’d thought him to be another victim. Grissom wipes a tear from her face as they watch the news of the killer’s confession, and they leave together, Grissom’s arm around her waist.

Notes  

• Sara was on a date before being called into the case.
• This is the second time that Sara has been attacked by a killer.
• Sara is scratched on the left cheek by the dying showgirl.
• Sara has a history of getting too attached to victims.
• After it’s over, Sara admits that she lost perspective, and took someone at face value.

Quotes  

Sara: My date got canceled.
Grissom: I’m sure he had a good excuse.

Nick: It was good that you were there for her, Sara. She didn’t have to die alone.
Sara: (sad, quiet) We usually show up too late to meet the victim.

Sara: Hi, this is Sara. Leave a message after the tone. (message on her answering machine)

Hodges: You ever do the right thing and still feel guilty about it?
Sara: Yeah. (pause) Sucks, doesn’t it.

Sara: (crying) I held his hand. Just like I held hers. And I lost perspective.

Gallery  

Images ©CBS (2007) - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation from the episode 'Empty Eyes'.