CSI: Svalbard Episode 2 — A Review By Andrea Mullaney

It’s always tough to judge a new show on the basis of its first episode, even the latest in such an established franchise as the CSI shows, because the set-up and the players have to be introduced in the course of what needs to be an exciting stand-alone story.   CSI Svalbard certainly managed that in its pilot episode, but it’s even more impressive that it sustained its high quality in episode two, with all the main characters introduced — or nearly all, as we’ll see!

A great example of how the new show takes an intriguing twist on the franchise is in its opening sequence.   While producer Jerry Bruckheimer apparently insisted that the tradition of using a song by The Who for the title theme be continued, showrunner Jane Espenson has cannily chosen to use Petra Haden’s haunting cover version of their track I Can See For Miles instead of the original.

As Haden’s impressive multi-tracked acapella rings out, the camera swoops across the equally breathtaking empty tundra, showing the contrasts between the mountain plateaus and the glacial plains.   Jagged cuts break up the beauty with high-definition shots of blood patterns which follow so quickly that the red seems to ooze onto the snow, as well as into the moody black-and-white shots of the attractive cast.

This credit sequence perfectly sets the mood for a show which seems to ask why humans are so prone to violence, even in a seemingly idyllic location.   It’s a question which is preoccupying young CSI Elizabeth Tucker, who is having difficulty dealing with her latest case, the unexplained death of a young local boy.   Though the local authorities are happy to accept a verdict of misadventure after a sledging accident, Tucker feels that his head injuries can’t be explained by the apparent series of events — but can someone really have deliberately murdered this innocent child?

When she meets his grieving, obviously loving parents, she starts to second-guess her own judgement and fears that perhaps she’s made a mistake in suspecting that they could have something to hide.

The dynamic between Tucker and department head Dr Harriet “ËœHarry”â„¢ Steele is definitely becoming an interesting one.   It’s revealed that they’ve only been working together for a few months and that Tucker — a brilliant recent graduate — had requested the placement on Spitsbergen after an unhappy love affair.   “I wanted to get as far away as I could,” she says wryly.   “And the international space station didn’t have any vacancies.”

But while Steele respects her young protogo’s technical knowledge, it’s clear she feels that Tucker has to toughen up.   “If you think there’s a case this boy was killed,” she tells her sternly, “you’ve got to go out there and find some real evidence.   And you can’t be afraid of what you might find out.   Science is all about finding the truth — wherever it leads.”

The stern talk inspires Tucker to investigate the family further and, sure enough, she finds proof that the boy was murdered — but not by his parents, who were instead trying to cover up the fact that he was killed by his little brother, who hit him with the sledge in a fit of jealousy.   Tucker watches in anguish as the young culprit, who hardly understands what he’s done, is taken away by child protection services; it’s beautifully played by Carey Mulligan, whose expressive face shows all her doubts and guilt.

But she’s comforted by Steele, in a perfectly judged scene by Gillian Anderson, who conveys sympathy without sentimentality as she tells Tucker: “You did the right thing today — you did good.”   The developing relationship between the two colleagues promises to be a major feature of the show.

While that storyline is a dark one, there’s also a fun comic subplot in this episode as CSI Bon Westler tries to recapture Steele’s pet, an adorably implausible Arctic fox which he inadvertently lets loose in the lab.   Adam Lamberg’s face is a picture as he desperately chases the fluffy white creature, knocking over equipment as he goes, only for Steele to walk in and instantly summon it back to her side with a whistle.   Though the episode doesn’t reveal the name of her pet, online fans are already dubbing it Mulder — for obvious reasons.

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Andrea Mullaney watches telly all day in her pyjamas while you are slaving away at work. Sorry.

If you’d like to review Episode 3 of CSI: Svalbard, email kirsty@pankmagazine.com.