Emily (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
iluvroadrunner6) wrote2007-04-24 10:49 pm
iluvroadrunner6) wrote2007-04-24 10:49 pm
CSI:NY S3 Rant
I tried doing homework. I failed. Leave me alone. And yes, the icon doesn't necessarily fit a rant, but--I don't really have a rant-ish icon with a CSI:NY related character. And Hawkes is too cute.
OK, this started out as me talking to a friend about Carmine and then turned into a rant on season three, and I originally wasn't going to post my feelings, but then I realized that the show I used to tape religiously and couldn't wait to watch the day after I got home from school doesn't do it for me anymore. Maybe its the fact that I'm lazy, and I know I can watch them on innertube, but in the beginning of the season I was in front of that televison when the show was going to start no matter how I was feeling. So--my rant:
I think what majorly pisses me off the most about where season three is going is that they have royally screwed over three of their regulars for what could have been interesting development. I mean, seriously. If you're only going to develop three of your main characters, call it the Danny, Mac, and Stella show, or don't put all those people in the opening credits.
The season two finale ("Charge of this Post") gave them one springboard storyline to take them into the new season, and that being Flack and his recovery. They acknowledged what happened to him once in the beginning of the season premiere and never mentioned it again. And what's worse was the fact that Flack didn't change. He was still the same old snarky detective we know and love, and while I adore that about him, TPTB blew him up. If they weren't going to do anything with that, I wish they could have used a less--dramatic--way if injuring him. Shoot him, stab him, have him beaten to a pulp. Those he could probably bounce back from with very minimal acknowledgement. But they chose to blow him up, and then failed to develop it further. I don't mind static characters. They're good for consistency. But don't make a static character a regular, and don't blow them up. And if you do blow them up--don't ignore it. And I know that Flack may be getting some actual development in the finale--that episode is more of the Danny show. We need an episode to be the Flack show.
The second character they screwed over royally is Hawkes. I absolutely adore Hawkes, but for all we know, the man is a total mystery. We know nothing about his reasons for doing the jobs he does, or what his family was like, or anything like that. We do know why he left the hospital, but most people probably don't remember it, because at the exact moment where it was revealed to us, TPTB had Danny take off his shirt. Maybe it's just me, being that I don't fangirl Carmine as much as I do his character, but that seemed really wrong to me. While in a normal situation, Hawkes telling Danny this story while he changed his shirt wouldn't have been such a big deal, but to the audience they were actually trying to get the story across to? They tuned out the second Danny pulled the shirt over his head, which is so unfair to Hawkes. He doesn't deserve that as a character, and if I was Hill Harper, I would have been pissed as hell that the writers decided to do that. I would bet my hand that the writers wouldn't dare do the same thing to Danny. (However, I would rather see Hill take off his shirt than Carmine.)
The third one they screwed was Lindsay. Because even with the time she spent there in season two, Lindsay's still trying to find her legs with the rest of the CSIs, and be created as a believable character for the audience. While she's swallowed more easily by some than others, she's still not a character on her own two feet. We need to see how she interacts with the rest of the team, and how she fits into the dymanic of the rest of the department, and we really haven't seen that with her. Why? Because the writers have decided to attach her and Danny at the hip. Yes, true that she and Danny have been flirting pretty much since she landed in New York, but why did the creators bring her to the show anyway? As a love interest, or as a CSI? If it was as a love interest, then they should have never made her a regular. Because this is a procedural drama--not a soap show. If there is a character created for the show and meant to be a regular, then they should have developed her as a CSI before they even considered attaching her to Danny Messer. And while I don't mind the flirting--I would like to see Lindsay work without Danny more often, and interact with Danny less than she does, just to see who she is without having to get Danny to make her react. What should have been a strong scene for Lindsay in the courthouse in Montana, was turned into a strong scene for Danny/Lindsay, and that really put me off. I want to see Lindsay find her own legs and not have to lean on Danny. I want her to solo her own case. That way we can really get the kind of input we need to make her believeable as a regular.
While there were some episdoes that worked in their own separate arcs (I loved the Shane Casey arc, I wish they had done more with that) there were so many loose ends from season 2 that they hadn't tied up and left the viewers at a loss. That and the way they screwed some people over really has me rethinking whether or not I want to buy season 3 once it comes out on DVD.
I'm still looking forward to the finale though. Hopefully it won't disappoint me.
OK, this started out as me talking to a friend about Carmine and then turned into a rant on season three, and I originally wasn't going to post my feelings, but then I realized that the show I used to tape religiously and couldn't wait to watch the day after I got home from school doesn't do it for me anymore. Maybe its the fact that I'm lazy, and I know I can watch them on innertube, but in the beginning of the season I was in front of that televison when the show was going to start no matter how I was feeling. So--my rant:
I think what majorly pisses me off the most about where season three is going is that they have royally screwed over three of their regulars for what could have been interesting development. I mean, seriously. If you're only going to develop three of your main characters, call it the Danny, Mac, and Stella show, or don't put all those people in the opening credits.
The season two finale ("Charge of this Post") gave them one springboard storyline to take them into the new season, and that being Flack and his recovery. They acknowledged what happened to him once in the beginning of the season premiere and never mentioned it again. And what's worse was the fact that Flack didn't change. He was still the same old snarky detective we know and love, and while I adore that about him, TPTB blew him up. If they weren't going to do anything with that, I wish they could have used a less--dramatic--way if injuring him. Shoot him, stab him, have him beaten to a pulp. Those he could probably bounce back from with very minimal acknowledgement. But they chose to blow him up, and then failed to develop it further. I don't mind static characters. They're good for consistency. But don't make a static character a regular, and don't blow them up. And if you do blow them up--don't ignore it. And I know that Flack may be getting some actual development in the finale--that episode is more of the Danny show. We need an episode to be the Flack show.
The second character they screwed over royally is Hawkes. I absolutely adore Hawkes, but for all we know, the man is a total mystery. We know nothing about his reasons for doing the jobs he does, or what his family was like, or anything like that. We do know why he left the hospital, but most people probably don't remember it, because at the exact moment where it was revealed to us, TPTB had Danny take off his shirt. Maybe it's just me, being that I don't fangirl Carmine as much as I do his character, but that seemed really wrong to me. While in a normal situation, Hawkes telling Danny this story while he changed his shirt wouldn't have been such a big deal, but to the audience they were actually trying to get the story across to? They tuned out the second Danny pulled the shirt over his head, which is so unfair to Hawkes. He doesn't deserve that as a character, and if I was Hill Harper, I would have been pissed as hell that the writers decided to do that. I would bet my hand that the writers wouldn't dare do the same thing to Danny. (However, I would rather see Hill take off his shirt than Carmine.)
The third one they screwed was Lindsay. Because even with the time she spent there in season two, Lindsay's still trying to find her legs with the rest of the CSIs, and be created as a believable character for the audience. While she's swallowed more easily by some than others, she's still not a character on her own two feet. We need to see how she interacts with the rest of the team, and how she fits into the dymanic of the rest of the department, and we really haven't seen that with her. Why? Because the writers have decided to attach her and Danny at the hip. Yes, true that she and Danny have been flirting pretty much since she landed in New York, but why did the creators bring her to the show anyway? As a love interest, or as a CSI? If it was as a love interest, then they should have never made her a regular. Because this is a procedural drama--not a soap show. If there is a character created for the show and meant to be a regular, then they should have developed her as a CSI before they even considered attaching her to Danny Messer. And while I don't mind the flirting--I would like to see Lindsay work without Danny more often, and interact with Danny less than she does, just to see who she is without having to get Danny to make her react. What should have been a strong scene for Lindsay in the courthouse in Montana, was turned into a strong scene for Danny/Lindsay, and that really put me off. I want to see Lindsay find her own legs and not have to lean on Danny. I want her to solo her own case. That way we can really get the kind of input we need to make her believeable as a regular.
While there were some episdoes that worked in their own separate arcs (I loved the Shane Casey arc, I wish they had done more with that) there were so many loose ends from season 2 that they hadn't tied up and left the viewers at a loss. That and the way they screwed some people over really has me rethinking whether or not I want to buy season 3 once it comes out on DVD.
I'm still looking forward to the finale though. Hopefully it won't disappoint me.
no subject
I have nothing against those who love Lindsey and/or the Danny/Lindsey pairing -- hey, to each his own as they say. But no matter how I try to see that they see in that, the more I tend to dislike the character and that travesty of a pairing. I am afraid that if they continue this, then I might dislike Danny as well.
no subject
I think that the reason I don't see her that way, maybe, is because I started watching in season 2. I didn't really see any of season 1, so I wasn't as attatched to Aiden as the rest of the fans. Aiden definitely had a very different dynamic with the rest of the team than Lindsay did, and a very different personality. The writers didn't give the people who did come over from season 1 a lot of time to adjust to Lindsay and how she was going to fit in the team by just sticking her there, and having her fit like the show was starting over from the beginning. But then again, that's just my opinion, it might not be the same for you.
I am afraid that if they continue this, then I might dislike Danny as well.
I could agree with you on that. Because while I do like Danny/Lindsay, I don't like the way they're taking them in canon. I don't think Lindsay is getting the development she needs without Danny before they can try to develop her with Danny. And Danny--pisses me off more often than not.
no subject
Regular characters being involved in releationships does not work in procedurdals. That's why I've become so turned off to SVU. I watch dramas for my releationship fix (Conviction, OC). That kind of stuff just irks me.
no subject
But they haven't. And that pisses me off more than a lot of the other things did. As I said, I don't mind the Danny/Lindsay banter. It gives me a laugh most of the time at Danny's expense, which is always fun. But Lindsay isn't finding her legs as a CSI quite yet, which sucks for her character.
Regular characters being involved in releationships does not work in procedurdals.
It can if the writers can be subtle enough with it, or find a way to balance it. In the original CSI, they've managed to have the Grissom/Sara relationship, and keep it in the background enough that it doesn't detract from the cases (well, the few episodes I've seen this season--I've kind of stopped watching). I don't think CSI:NY can handle it the same way. Especially not where the characters stand now.