Directed by Christine Moore
Written by Anthony E. Zuiker, Ann Donahue, Carol Mendelsohn, Barbie Kligman & John Dove
"Taxi" is the 20th episode of Season 4 and the 91st overall. It originally aired May 14, 2008.
Vigilantes kill the person they believe to be the Cabbie Killer and dump him in front of the precinct. Reed is taken hostage by the real culprit and forced to use his blog to get the killer's message out. He is savvy enough to weave in clues he knows Mac will pick up on.
Tropes for the episode:
- Abandoned Area: The Cabbie Killer tortures and kills his victims in an abandoned brewery.
- A God Am I: The killer believes himself to be the Greek god Charon.
- Blindfolded Trip: The Cabbie Killer puts Reed in the trunk of his taxi before transporting him to the abandoned brewery where he "works" on his victims. Once he's free, Reed uses sensory clues like the sound of water running and the smell of cotton candy to help Mac trace the route.
- Bringing Running Shoes to a Car Chase: Flack is removing a handcuffed man from his squad car when the perps dump the body out and speed away. He takes off after them on foot, but can't keep up and gives up, winded, after a couple of blocks.
- The Ferryman: The deranged killer begins his confession with "The newly dead who have coins to pay for the ride must be taken across the river, or they'll wander the banks for a hundred years," referring to his quest to fulfill his duty as Charon.
- Hero of Another Story: Quinn Sullivan, head of the NJ Crime Lab, is back and is insistent about helping with the case since yet another one of the victims is from her state.
- Hostage Situation: Reed is held hostage by the killer and forced to broadcast the man's actions via his blog. He deliberately leaves clues for his stepfather, Mac.
- Non-Residential Residence: The Cabbie Killer is found to be living in an abandoned Firehouse.
- Off Bridge, onto Vehicle: Mac and Flack have apparently cornered the perp near the top of a grain bin at the brewery, but the guy jumps before they reach him and lands on the canvas top of a passing semi truck, eluding capture for a bit longer.
- Story Arc: The arc of the Cabbie Killer comes to an end.
- Title Drop: The episode is stealthily namedropped when Mac hails a cab for himself and Reed after all the drama is over.
- Vigilante Execution: In a case of mistaken identity, vigilantes kill the wrong man.
- Vigilante Injustice: Three taxi drivers kill another taxi driver, believing him to be the elusive Cabbie Killer. Not only is he revealed to be innocent, but he turns out to be a police officer who was moonlighting as a cab driver.
- Voice Over Letter: Mac begins reading the clue-filled entry of Reed's blog aloud while the team is trying to locate the young man and the Cabbie Killer, then Reed's voice takes over for most of the post before the audio switches back to Mac reading the very last bit.
