Completing the story "Shabbat Shalom" set up the previous week, with its highly dramatic (and contrived) shock deaths removing two of the series' regulars, we have very fine acting expressing some deep emotions -not an ordinary week-in, week-out episode. And plenty of suspense left over for future adventures.
Given the amount of empathy we fans have invested in these fictional characters it's always highly personal stories like the ones shown here that are ultimately the most important, not the by now regimented "here's a case, case solved" format that keeps such shows rolling along. Looking back, it's a shame that the ongoing series, with Mark Harmon's departure, hasn't created similarly powerful roles.
Given the amount of empathy we fans have invested in these fictional characters it's always highly personal stories like the ones shown here that are ultimately the most important, not the by now regimented "here's a case, case solved" format that keeps such shows rolling along. Looking back, it's a shame that the ongoing series, with Mark Harmon's departure, hasn't created similarly powerful roles.