I just watched one of the most powerful episodes of CSI ever - Hollywood Brass (5.20). This episode focuses on Detective Jim Brass and his relationship with his estranged daughter, Ellie. I'm not going to write too much about it because people really ought to go see this episode for themselves, but two scenes really stood out.

The first is the conversation at the bar between Annie, Jim's ex-lover, and Jim. When Jim speaks about his failed marriage, his failure at raising Ellie and his admission that Ellie isn't his biological daughter, one can see the pain etched into his face, not to mention the intensity of his voice. It's painful.

The second scene is the final scene of the show, when you see him placing a - tiny, tacky, pathetic even - gift outside of Ellie's apartment door, along with a short card telling her that "Whenever you're ready, I'll make it happen. (Heart) Dad", before walking away. When I saw the card, I couldn't help but cry. That scene is incredibly heartbreaking in a way I cannot possibly describe.

It's very unusual for an episode of CSI to grab me that powerfully. Paul Guilfoyle's magnificent acting in that episode only should be acknowledged.