It’s more than a bit emotional to check into CSI: NY: The Eighth Season and find oneself reliving the events of September 11, 2001. The episode "Indelible" maps out CSI Mac Taylor’s life-changing event on that day in the past, which we’ve known about in general terms, but never seen fully realized. Fleshing out the trauma that marked Mac and haunts him on the anniversary stirs up a lot of emotion in viewers, making this one of our favorite CSI episodes ever. To say that "Indelible" sets a high bar for the rest of the season is an understatement. It’s a fascinating look at how the CSI team was involved before they were truly involved together, and a nice piece of television. Bringing things back down to earth, we launch this season with Jo Danville in charge - temporarily, as she is quick to remind everyone - while Mac is taking time away. We have a love/hate relationship with Danville anyway, so it’s a bit painful to see her in the top spot, at times. Part of the issue is her nebulous relationship with Mac, the sister/mother/lover thing that the show’s creators seem to have brewing. The tension or plain confusion that arises can make for some entertaining screen time, but also distracts us from the police procedural stuff and lab scenes that we really signed up for. Your mileage may vary, but prepare for lots of Jo Danville, is all we can say.

For the most part, we enjoyed this season. There are lots of nods to current events and fad elements, including several plotlines involving social media. Episodes like "Brooklyn ‘Til I Die" and "Kill Screen" tap into games, playing out a storyline that comes dangerously close to that 1982 Tom Hanks classic, "Mazes and Monsters." Okay, we were kidding about the classic part, and the episode will evoke similar winces from gamers. The social media connections pop up in episodes like "Who’s There" and "Crushed," which both seem like they’ll feel extremely silly and irrelevant in about six months. Better material is contained in episodes like "Officer Involved" and "Unwrapped," where you get that blend of police life and investigation that always draws us back to CSI: NY. Maybe it’s just the fact that Don Flack is our favorite CSI cop, hands down. He somehow manages to balance disdain and respect for the CSIs simultaneously, and just screams New York City at all times. Add a more prominent Danny Messer to the mix, and you have a dream police show that happens to have lots of cool investigative elements.

CSI: NY grabs other topics from the news, including collapsing balconies ("Crushed"), MMA fights ("Clean Sweep"), and college hazing gone wrong ("Get Me Out Of Here!"). Several episodes test Jo Danville, but it’s Mac who bookends this season. The cliff-hanging, gut-wrenching final episode is all about Mac, and fans will enjoy the ride up to this point and the anticipation for Season 9. Bundled with this DVD collection are a series of special features, including a deeper dive into the 9/11 tragedy and how CSI: NY chose to honor the sacrifices made that day by police, firefighters, and other first responders. As with most runs of CSI, there are laughs, tears, and other emotional moments throughout Season 8, making CSI: NY: The Eighth Season a collection that any fan will covet.