This was one hell of an episode!  After several episodes of absolute lethargy, this episode comes out of absolute nowhere and hits us from behind!   It wouldn't be an understatement to say that this episode changes things in a big way so if you're a bit behind with your "Without a Trace" watching, I suggest not watching any further episodes until you've caught up to this one.

OK, where do I start?   Well the episode opens with a victim's advocate called Ariana Phelps, helping a traumatised woman out of her house after a double homicide.   This is what Phelps does - she helps people who have been in really bad situations like this one.   Then she disappears.

But no sooner have the team started looking for her than a little girl disappears from a shopping mall in New York.   Her name is Maddie and right away, I thought "they're not comparing this to the Madeline McCann kidnapping case in Portugal are they?".   As someone on TV.com said, it was if the Without A Trace producers were implying that if the FBI were involved in the McCann case, then Madeline would have been found.   So I hope that the name thing was just a coincidence.

So Medina basically tells the whole FBI that they have to start looking for little Maddie and this infuriates Fitzgerald who thinks that Medina thinks that a little girl is more important than a lesbian victim's advocate.   Jack takes Fitzgerald's side and they have a blazing row in the hallway.   Finally Fitzgerald says that he'll take the case himself and the rest of the team head off to the mall.

They soon find out that the kidnapper is someone who has done this before and who has killed his young victims.   You can see very quickly that the case is taking its toll on Medina and that he wants a quick resolution to the case.   The clock is ticking and he knows it.   The parents are freaking out (understandably) and the press will eat him alive is Maddie turns up dead.   The heat is on him and perhaps for the first time, he knows that only Jack can save him.

And save him he does.   I think that finally Jack breaks out of his lethargic dopey shell and finally kicks some serious butt!   Instead of walking around like Eeyore on prozac, Jack finally gets back to Jack in seasons 1 and 2 and finally gets back to being the fearsome FBI agent that he is capable of being.   He starts kicking down doors, he starts barking at people, he starts putting the fear of living God into people....hell, I was scared watching it and I know it was all just an act!

This episode was just a pure adrenalin rush.    The Ariana Phelps side of it ends up being an anti-climax and Maddie becomes the absolute centre of attention of the whole episode.    But this episode also gives Fitzgerald a chance to shine - his acting was pure gold and you can see the pure anger and aggression coming out of him.   The intensity of this episode was amazing.

Then when the episode ends, get ready for a huge change to the whole season.

My favourite show has been resuscitated!   Let's hope it's permanent!