Synopsis: Python, the elusive hacker who tussled with Avery's team earlier in the season, subjects the Cyber crew to a series of puzzles. The team must complete the black hat's challenges before time runs out to save the life of Avery's surrogate daughter Grace. Ultimately, the episode ends with the team recovering Grace and Avery shooting Python after he breaks into her apartment.
Review: I'm glad they managed to wrap up the Python storyline before season's end, as we may not be treated to a third season based on the show's ratings this year. The case of the week, reminiscent of the Saw movies, was particularly captivating. Watching the episode, you could feel the race-against-the-clock tension the team was experiencing as they worked to save Grace.
Overall Episode Grade: 8.5 Megabytes Out of 10
Episode 2.16- "5 Deadly Sins"
Synopsis: Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos) plays an employee of a social media company responsible for managing site content that has been flagged as inappropriate by users. Driven mad by all the horrible content to which she has been exposed in her work, Sigler's character starts hunting down users who post content that is inappropriate. Hoping to make an example out of them, she posts pictures of their crime scenes online. By the episode's end, Sigler's character ends up committing suicide during a final showdown between her and Avery. The episode's B-plot saw Elijah's ill father confronting Nina, his son's stalker. While issuing her a warning to stay away from the Mundo family, Elijah's dad collapses. During a particularly intense scene, Elijah threatens Nina at the hospital. By the end of the hour, though, we come to find that his words carried little weight, as the sultry bartender sneaks into Cal Mundo's hospital room to leave him flowers while he sleeps.
Review: I thought Sigler was particularly well-cast as the batty vigilante. She alternated between sane and crazy with relative ease. Not working in the episode's favor was the fact that it was reminiscent of the Season 13 finale of the CSI mothership, in which the killer posed and photographed victims based on their violation of the 7 Deadly Sins. Had the original show not done such a similar plot, this episode would have been a particularly inspired hour of television.
Overall Episode Grade: 8 Megabytes Out of 10
Episode 2.17- "Flash Squad"
Synopsis: The Cyber team takes down a Bling Ring-esque group from Los Angeles that hacks into a traffic app so that they may reroute victims and rob them. While in the City of Angels, D.B. bonds with Greer Latimore (Kelly Preston), who offers to whisk him away to Paris (he refuses, but we know Ted Danson is leaving the show after the season finale, so we'll see how that works out). Meanwhile, the Director of the FBI decides to shut down Avery's hacker-for-hire program after Nelson decides to sue the Bureau over their mishandling of evidence in his Stock Exchange hack case, which was mentioned a few episodes back. While Nelson is left unscathed by this development (as the FBI director chooses to drop his charges), Raven's fate is left in the balance, as she faces jail time.
Review: We've seen plenty of Bling Ring knock-off shows in the last few years to last a lifetime. Despite the addition of cyber crime to this case, this episode's plot did nothing to help this pastiche stand out from the pack. However, Nelson's plot was interesting, as it set up a great cliffhanger going into the finale. Also in the episode's favor was D.B.'s plot. Danson and Preston are well-suited for each other. Here's hoping the two run off together in the finale!
Overall Episode Grade: 7.5 Megabytes Out of 10
Episode 2.18- "Legacy"
Synopsis: The team must track down a thirteen year old white hat hacker who has gone on the run to elude a black hat who wants highly classified info gathered by the young boy. After an intense chase, the team manages to make an arrest and save the kid. Meanwhile, Avery reconciles with her ex-husband, Raven waits to learn whether or not she will have to go to prison after the cliffhanger in the last episode, and DB decides to move to Paris to be with Greer. The finale comes to a head when, after months of playing cat-and-mouse games with Elijah, Nina the stalker approaches him with a gun in the parking lot of the team's headquarters. In the ensuing struggle, DB gets shot. The episode then flashes forward to 4 months later. Nelson is promoted to full-time agent. Raven, having avoided jail time, is now working on the team as a consultant. DB finally gets his happily ever after. He is shown to have survived the shooting and is now enjoying life with Greer in the City of Love. All's well that ends well!
Review: Although the case of the week didn't manage to hold my interest, I am glad the show took the opportunity to wrap up all loose ends just in case the show doesn't return next season (which seems probable). It was great to see everyone get their happy ending. I am particularly happy with how the writers ended DB's story. Unlike Gil Grissom, DB has always been such a light and happy character. It was good to see him run off and have some fun. My only complaint about the episode is that Elijah's father's cancer storyline wasn't given more focus. In the brief scene in which the elder Mr. Mundo appeared, he seemed resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to live much longer. For something that has been built up all season, it seemed a little rushed. However, I do understand that the writers had a lot to juggle in this finale.
Overall Episode Grade: 9 Megabytes Out of 10
