The team helps an old friend of Nate's, now a priest, save his church from the hands of a shady developer.The team helps an old friend of Nate's, now a priest, save his church from the hands of a shady developer.The team helps an old friend of Nate's, now a priest, save his church from the hands of a shady developer.
Andres Saenz Hudson
- Tomas
- (as Andres Saenz-Hudson)
Alexa Gardner
- Daughter
- (uncredited)
Patrick A. Horton
- Vatican Priest
- (uncredited)
Lynne MacAllen
- Nun
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSophie correctly identifies Saint Nicholas as "the patron saint of thieves", referring to Saint Nicholas of Myra who, because of his reputation for secret gift-giving (such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him) is also the model for Santa Claus, so both Sophie and Parker are right.
- GoofsThe priest says that the word "miracle" doesn't appear in the Old or New Testaments of the Bible. As a Catholic Priest, he would likely be referring to the New American Bible, and in that translation, the word "miracle" or "miracles" never appears, though many miracles are described. However, in most other Bible translations, "miracle" or "miracles" appears multiple times: ESV (13), NASB (31), KJV (37), NIV (42).
- Quotes
Parker: That's Saint Nicholas?
Alec Hardison: Yeah.
Parker: Santa Claus has a church?
Eliot Spencer: [irritated] It's not Santa Claus!
- ConnectionsReferences CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)
Featured review
Doesn't quite come together in the end
This is an episode that doesn't quite come together the way that it should. It begins very promisingly, with Nathan Ford taking up the cause of an old friend named Father Paul, a Catholic priest (played by guest star D. B. Sweeney) whose parish church is targeted for annexation by a ruthless real estate developer. It's an interesting choice, not just for the glimpse it gives viewers into Ford's life (we learn that he was at one point in seminary), but that we have the first case of a reluctant client: Sweeney's priest knows Ford well enough to doubt his methods.
Events soon justify Father Paul's skepticism. Unlike the first three episodes, when the cons the teams execute generally go to plan, the show gives us the first case of one that spirals out of control. In this instance, the plan to stage a miracle that would save the church works too well, it does little to deter the property developer, who instead moves to exploit it as the new centerpiece of a reenvisioned development. Worse, the miracle draws the attention of the Vatican, which launches an investigation that will end with Father Paul's defrocking. Backed into a corner, the team has little choice but to try for a last-minute scheme to get Nate's friend off the hook - and hopefully save the church in the process.
And it's here that all of the elements fail to gel. This is ultimately an issue with the writing, as the climax relies too much upon coincidence and a confession that seems more coincidental and opportunistic than planned. It makes for an unsatisfying ending to what is otherwise a fun episode in which everyone in the team does their thing, additional insight is provided into one of the main characters, and the first seeds of the season's resolution are sown for the viewer.
Events soon justify Father Paul's skepticism. Unlike the first three episodes, when the cons the teams execute generally go to plan, the show gives us the first case of one that spirals out of control. In this instance, the plan to stage a miracle that would save the church works too well, it does little to deter the property developer, who instead moves to exploit it as the new centerpiece of a reenvisioned development. Worse, the miracle draws the attention of the Vatican, which launches an investigation that will end with Father Paul's defrocking. Backed into a corner, the team has little choice but to try for a last-minute scheme to get Nate's friend off the hook - and hopefully save the church in the process.
And it's here that all of the elements fail to gel. This is ultimately an issue with the writing, as the climax relies too much upon coincidence and a confession that seems more coincidental and opportunistic than planned. It makes for an unsatisfying ending to what is otherwise a fun episode in which everyone in the team does their thing, additional insight is provided into one of the main characters, and the first seeds of the season's resolution are sown for the viewer.
helpful•52
- academic-drifter
- Mar 11, 2021
Details
- Runtime42 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content