Punch Card

This episode was a good roller coaster ride. After five and a half seasons, there's enough plot history - think, strong pieces on the chessboard - that now there's the potential for a good game to be played. As usual, it's going to come down to writing, and whether the show runners have the vision give us something great. But this episode has all the makings of a fantastic beginning to a great multi-episode story line. I particularly liked the way the wove an off-duty Nolan & Baily into the action, and there were some well placed surprises all throughout. Pacing was also very good, and we got a few little bits of comedy to break tension. This show is enjoyable as a regular procedural, but the setup is in place for a good story. Let's see if they can pull it off.