The suspense was turned up to eleven, and even the surprises that could be seen coming managed to keep me on the edge of my seat on tonight's CSI, "Cello and Goodbye".

I liken the viewing experience to the great horror thrillers. The type where I know the main character shouldn't open the door, because I understand that the killer is going to be there. And even though I know what is waiting I still find myself jumping and being shocked.

think those moments happen because I'm secretly hoping I'll be wrong. Somewhere inside I wanted Catherine and the other CSIs to run into Nate Haskell in L.A., knowing full well he'd show back up in Vegas ready to ambush Ray.

Ray lost it pretty early into the investigation of his ex-wife's disappearance, and that was understandable and highly believable. It would have been too much fantasy to believe Ray could carry on as a CSI under such circumstances. After all, the crime scene at his ex-wife's apartment was really gruesome, as were the little peeks at Haskell's torture techniques.

Bill Irwin's performance as Nate Haskell settled back into being truly menacing. Haskell can often seem too over the top, but he was at his most sinister and mocking tonight. Very much the Joker to Ray Langston's Bruce Wayne with the type of clues he dropped, and the sadistic manner he played his little game. Thankfully, he didn't quite manage send Ray completely over the edge.

I was ready to believe that Ray killed Tina Vincent, one of Haskell's brides. I knew it was probably a red herring, but there was a kernel of doubt I couldn't shake. I think, maybe, if Nick hadn't been able to find Ray, Ray would have plunged deeper into darkness.

The L.A. crew was hit and miss for me. I really disliked Detective Sosa, because he came off like a territorial jerk. I really liked Morgan Brody for her willingness to help the Las Vegas CSIs, and because she seemed like the polar opposite of her father, Ecklie. I'm sure these characters were written this way on purpose, and I have to give kudos for things working out so successfully. Often such ploys to make one character more likable than another fail miserably.

Sarah's job in this episode seemed to be to stand around, listen attentively, and arch an eyebrow whenever she was annoyed by Sosa. Obviously, with such a sharp focus on Ray and Nate Haskell not every character can have a shining moment. I just hate to see character I like used as scenery.

Is it just me or do amusement parks, and carnivals make for cliched, but still effectively creepy backdrops for chase scenes? Perhaps, it's just the lovely jeux de position of a happy place being used for sinister ends. Nate Haskell certainly managed to find the creepiest looking carousel in L.A. to confront Ray at.

With the cliffhanger at the end of this episode the finale promises to offer some more suspense, and even a little background on Nate Haskell.

Will it be successful? Only time will tell.