Iceman





Another trip through the world of all things Sentinel brings us to Ice Man. This is a pretty darned good episode considering we are saddled with an awful BOTW. Reminder: spoilers and rambles about Jim and Blair's physical appearance.

Our story opens with the BOTW, Amber, turning tricks and getting her butt in big trouble by being associated with a guy who is blackmailing johns by videotaping them and then demanding money. Our smart pimp has picked on a particularly uncooperative mark who rubs out the pimp guy with a couple of bullets through a sliding glass door. He is lurking taking his videos when the bad guy notices his goings-on. We now have one dead pimp and one hooker who is in big trouble. Seems the bad guy, aka Klaus Zeller, aka Ice Man, is in town to collect a few mill that was stolen from him. Other unnecessary information is that the pimp also owns a nudie bar, Pigale, where other nefarious activities occur.

The first scene has our guys inspecting the hotel room where the murder has occurred. Blair was on a blue coat and a white v-neck t-shirt. Blair always looks particularly attractive in this color blue, as does Jim. Blair's hair is also very nice in this episode. Kind of longer, which I like. Jim is hearing a blue t-shirt under a dark plaid shirt. He looks his usually handsome self.

The scene when Jim and Blair go to the nudie bar is kind of cute. Blair acts like he's never seen a naked woman before. Jim has to drag him through the bar by his ear. After a bit of investigation, it is discovered that Blair knows the hooker. She is a student at Rainier who is turning tricks to pay for college. She's never heard of a job or student loans? The problem with this episode is that we are supposed to feel sorry for Amber because she has no choice than to be a hooker. Honest, she is trying to be a good girl, but she just has no money. What else is a girl to do? Duh. Work at WalMart, maybe? Gosh, I just can't figure that one out.

Jim and Blair go to school and try to talk to Amber, telling her that her butt will be in big trouble when the hit man finally finds her. She denies everything, of course. Blair looks very nice in a brown silk shirt in this scene. He does his best to get Amber to cooperate. Jim is quite the smart mouth about Blair's lack of success to sweet talk her into being smart and helping them. Being smart does not fit in the same sentence with prostitute co-ed. Especially when Amber goes home to find that her roommate has been killed by Zeller while he was looking for her. Suddenly, she knows she in trouble and hightails it to find Blair.

Meanwhile, Jim has smelled a weird odor at the crime scenes but he can't quite figure out what the smell is. Oh, and Jim calls Blair "Lancelot" because he wants to rescue the damsel in distress. Maybe if Blair had waived a $100 bill under her nose, she would have cooperated. Darn, that was cynical.

We have a great scene in the loft when Amber comes there and begs Blair to help her. I love the shot of the loft from the balcony. The rug on the floor is great. It's a red, blue and crème triangle design that looks really good. We are treated to a series of wonderful close-ups of Blair while Amber is whining. Jim comes home and immediately launches into a speech about the smell being nicotine gum and how they've figured out that the killer is the international hit man, Zeller. Then he smells perfume and immediately accuses Blair of messing around when he should be working. Blair tries to get a word in edgewise, but Jim is too busy being bitchy to let Blair tell him that Amber is there.

Amber makes an appearance and they all talk about what's going on, figuring out that Zeller left Amber's beeper in the apartment on purpose when he killed the roomie because he needs her to lead him to Hank, the guy who was smart enough to steal from him. Another scene that's pretty good is when Amber, Jim and Blair are in the truck and Jim notices that someone is tailing them. This takes us to the usual car chase but the cute part is after Zeller jumps his car over a flatbed train car at a crossing, Jim wisely stops the truck after Blair and Amber are screaming, no! Blair's tone of voice when he says, thanks, is just too precious. He is very relieved Jim didn't follow Klaus this time.

During this episode, there is a song on this soundtrack that is known as The Ice Man Theme. This is very sad music. It is used in this episode, but it is also used in a later episode that is very, very sad when something very bad happens to Blair. I can't hear this music without choking up. It feels out of place in this episode although it played here first.

Then we are subjected to a touchy/feely scene between Blair and Amber when Amber tries to make Blair all guilty and contrite about being disapproving of her choice of lifestyle. Other than Blair looks exceedingly yummy is a royal blue shirt, I think she is pretty worthless myself. We are led to believe that she succeeds in making Blair feel guilty for not understanding or approving of her choice of professions. I know I feel bad for the poor girl.

Jim thinks up a plan and sends Amber back to school. He knows that Zeller is watching Amber and he has Amber set up an appointment with Hank, the guy Zeller is looking for. Of course, it's a set up and Blair pretends to be this "Hank" guy who has stupidly ripped off an international hit man. Blair looks quite different in a beard and mustache. I have to say I probably would like GM with facial hair. I like beards in general, though.

The set up scene in the hotel is really good. Amber and Blair make their way to the room. Jim is supposed to be on their tail, but a little kid interferes and Jim has to leave the elevator and use the stairs. He arrives a bit too late. It is very angsty (and slashy) when Jim bursts into the room to find Amber gone and his Guide lying on the floor not moving. Zeller had shot Blair twice in the chest. Poor Blair! Jim panics and rips open Blair's shirt. Thankfully he's wearing a bullet-proof vest but he's out cold. Jim pats his cheeks and calls his name. He is quite relieved when Blair revives. Blair is pissed that Zeller's run off with Amber and he's in pain from the impact of the bullets.

Finally, in the only episode on TS, we are treated to Blair without his shirt on. Jim is nicely taping up his bruised ribs. Jim is touchy/feely here. Man, this scene gives me goosebumps. BTW, if I've looked closely at Blair's chest (big surprise, huh?) and I sure can't see a nipple ring. Blair is all ouchy and Jim is all sympathy until Blair puts on his shirt and Jim gives him a bit of a whack on the back. Blair has a delayed reaction..Ouch!, he yells after a few seconds. Blair looks so good in this episode it really irks me that they didn't give him more shirtless scenes. He's just too cute and cuddly. Did I mention Jim was wearing his Jags cap a little earlier? I like him in it.

Our boys figure out that Amber would use someplace that they would know about to meet with Hank with Zeller lurking so he can kill both of them. This takes us back to the nudie bar where Zeller picked up Amber in the first scene. Hank shows up, Zeller plugs him and Hank dies, but not before slipping a key into Amber's pocket. Zeller makes a clean get away and Amber goes back to the loft with Jim and Blair for safekeeping.

In this loft scene, Blair looks very nice in a light green t-shirt and glasses. Jim is a bit upset when Simon shows up and informs them that the feds are taking over and picking up Amber in a few hours. Amber overhears and is in her usual poor, pitiful me routine when she tells Jim and Blair she isn't going back to school and that she has decided to keep tricking. Blair is very disappointed after Amber had told him earlier that she was out of the business. Blair takes off for fresh air, clearly disappointed at Amber's return to the hooker lifestyle. Amber is whining around when she finds a key with a shamrock symbol in her pocket that had been placed there by Hank just before he died. Jim inspects the key and drops it on the table when the phone rings. It's the feds and they are on their way. Jim stupidly turns his back on her and when he turns around, Amber and the key are gone.

I like the scene when Jim and Blair are hashing over all the possibilities of what the key would open. Blair is searching the yellow pages and Jim is pacing. They finally figure out that it's a country club and they take off. By the time they arrive, surprise, our damsel in distress has retrieved a briefcase and taken off for the airport. Once at the airport, Blair guides Jim through his paces to find Amber. He tells him to find Zeller, thereby finding Amber by finding the scent of the nicotine gum that Zeller chews. Jim doesn't think he can do it, but Blair helps him. Jim tracks Zeller and we are treated to the usual foot chase. And in an unusual turn of events, Jim beats the bad guy into submission.

The tag scene is very sweet. Blair has on a very nice fifties style shirt that is powder blue with a two toned dark blue and white collar. Jim has on a dark reddish long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Both look very nice, of course. They are talking to Amber and when Jim graciously leaves Blair and Amber alone to say good bye by saying he can hear the captain call him. Of course, the captain hasn't uttered a word, but Amber says, I didn't hear anything but Blair just chuckles and says he has "great ears". Blair is just so darned cute, it's almost a sin. They say good bye, thankfully, and she is never seen again. Thank heavens for small favors.

The End. Next episode, The Rig.

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