CSI: Las Vegas Season 8 thread (1 Viewer)

[Nelson Au]

It seemed a let down to me, the story wasn't that compelling, maybe cause I don't watch Without a Trace. Grissom is a very measured person, I wasn't looking for fireworks or expected any.

What I found more interesting were the subtle moments. The Sara moments adds more set-up for the upcoming episode. Won't mention it in case it's a spoiler for you.

Loved the line Jack says to Hodges about kiss-ups. And I liked how Grissom was being Grissom with the Blonde at the FBI "lab" when she met with him.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I so wanted Sara to picked up that little murderous smartie-pants and shake some sense into her, and the truth out of her. Goodbye, Sara!

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Ave et vale Sara Sidle. I, for one, will miss her. She was an interesting character and she brought out a side of Grissom that nobody else did. I liked the callback to the freakish genius and her brother. Sara's ordeal with the Minature Killer now fits neatly into place, providing a big enough trauma to make her leaving Grissom plausible.

Liked the way after 7 1/2 years of teasing we finally get an on-screen kiss between the two of them - just before she walked out. All in all a good send-off for the character that doesn't betray what went before and leaves the door open for the future. Maybe if they decide to retire the show in another year or two Sara can come back in the finale, all healed and with her head on straight and she and Grissom can ride off into the sunset together.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Oh yes! Until her teeth rattled!



Joe

 

[Mike Frezon]

Excellent episode. I have missed a few since the season premiere...but this one was extremely well done (as it pertains to their intent of framing her goodbye to the show).

Very interesting use of lighting throughout. And, I thought the score was extremely well done.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Do you remember what episode the little girl was in previously? I know I'd seen it and remember it pretty well, but for the life of me I can't remember what episode it was or from what season. After last night's, I'd definitely love to check it out again.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

"The Unusual Suspect", Season 6, Episode 18. IMDB is your friend.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Anthony Hom]

This farewell to Sara was a very well written episode. Although not needed, you should watch the previous episode with the child prodigy, but it does not take a genious to see Hannah wanted to use her genious as a form of power over people. She proved her point in the "Unusual Suspects", and here she thought she could manipulate things once again. What she did not figure was she does not have control over other people as she thought. She looked down on Marlon and thought she could rule him like an inferior being at her whim, but she could not control his eventual demise.
Sara's story was a slow build-up, starting with the domestic squabble, seeing Ronnie being the idealistic in trying to help. I imagine she saw herself that way at one time and now, her ideal has changed so much. She now understands the reality. It was further impacted on her to see she finally beat Hannah. It seem like a bittersweet victory. She won, but at what cost? Marlon's life, and now Hannah, broken down to her more infantile social level? She may have beaten a genius, but she beat a child with all the fears and insecurities of any other child that age. This story certainly put Sara's character into such depth, and now for those reasons, she is leaving. Talk about going out on a high note, but yes, it would be good to have her come back before the show's ultimate finale.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

That also would have taken Sara back to her own childhood - the domestic violence, the fear, and finally her mother stabbing her father to death and ending up in a mental hospital. That's probably what put her on the road to becoming a CSI in the first place. And Ronnie's belief in her own ability to make a difference reflected Sara's own feelings in some earlier seasons. In many ways the episode brought Sara full-circle - and she finally decided to get off the merry-go-round. She's been elbow deep in murder and mayhem for almost a decade and it - along with her own near-murder - pushed her past the breaking point. Even her relationship with Grissom wasn't enough to keep her in Vegas. As she said, she needed to deal with her ghosts, especially those of her father (and I would guess her mother, since Sara never rarely spoke about her and never in the present tense.)

I'm a little surprised this episode hasn't drawn more comment, not only because of its importance to the overall story, but because it was so good, and probably so different from what most of us thought it would be. I can now see how the writers considered their options - and what they knew the fans would be thinking - when Jorja Fox decided not to continue with the show and how much fun they had putting together the cliff-hanger - knowing they never intended to kill Sara, but that they could use the event as the catalyst for her eventual departure.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Mike Frezon]

Well said, Joe. I'd say it's a safe bet the writers "got" most of us--just as you laid out.

Nicely done on the writer's part coupled with a strong performance by the cast included in the episode. And, I'm sure the departure of Sara Sidle will have a far-reaching impact on the remaining cast of characters as the show continues on.

 

[Nick Martin]

I've been reading elsewhere that CSI just lost its most complex and human of all the characters on the show, because Sara was probably the most developed and had the most emotional depth, due to everything both Anthony and Joe mentioned.

Like her or not, would anyone agree with that assessment?

There seem to be two 'camps' on this kind of subject - one who believes the show will suffer because of this, and another who believes it won't matter much, if at all, because the cases are why people watch the show, not the characters.

 

[TravisR]

I just watched this episode and thought it was excellent. I've always liked the Sara character so I didn't want to see her go but her exit was well done. This was a situation where they managed to make lemonade out lemons.

Nicholas you seem to keep abreast on all the CSI news , do you know how many episodes they finished before the strike? I've seen that Miami and NY have 12 or so done so I'd imagine Vegas is about the same but I haven't seen any definitive statement.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Leave it to me to have one foot in both camps. I watch the shows for both the cases and the interplay between the characters...but I don't think the show needs to suffer with Sara's departure. The cast is still strong and it will be fascinating to see how Grissom copes with the situation.

 

[TravisR]

Same here actually. The characters seem to rotate in and out of episodes (like if Catherine is in alot of one episode, she'll be in a scene or two of the next due to the shooting schedules) enough that, as much as I enjoyed the Sara character, the other actors and characters will be able to pick up the slack.

 

[DavidJ]

It was a good episode and departure for Sara. It left open the possibility that she could return in the future even if only for a guest shot. I'm ok with her departure since she has never been my favorite character, but she did help add a depth to the show and to Grissom's character.

 

[Nelson Au]

Can't add to what's been said, well done episode.

There's enough characters to pick-up the void Jorja leaves. But the personality of the show will change a bit. All signs point to her return and the show runners will welcome her back. Seems both the character and the actress needed a break.

 

[Anthony Hom]

Each character has had their share of background story, but it does not lead the show, it is the foundation of the show. Gil and his hearing loss, Catherine and Sam Braun, her ex, Lindsay, etc. Brass and his daughter, Worrick and his gambling, Sara and her past, her no-life outside work, Nick and his getting involved with possible conflict of interests, say hookers, and of course Greg. So long as the show has good, interesting, quirky, weird crime stories that fit the show,it will go on for as long as they want to do it.

 

[Nick Martin]

Yeah, I love reading about the behind-the-scenes aspect of the three series, but absolutely none of the gossip nonsense. In other words, learning that William Friedkin is directing an episode is something worth knowing, whereas learning that Gary Dourdan (Warrick) got into a few fights with paparazzi isn't worth knowing at all. That's the frustrating thing about watching useless shows like Entertainment Tonight, where they offer up little set visits of the series, in between all the hollywood gossip garbage and fashion silliness. In the end though it's fun to get to see David Caruso so normal when talking about CSI: Miami in comparison to seeing him play that infamous character with a severely polarized group of fans and detractors.

Unfortunately I haven't read anything about how many episodes of any of the shows were produced prior to the strike, but I'd have to assume that they make enough episodes to go into November sweeps and then they're done for holidays, but that's only a guess.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

TV Guide's Michael Ausiello is keeping a running tally of which shows have how episodes in production and how many left to air, but he has not been able to get firm numbers on all shows. (I would imagine several of them are going over the last few first- and second-draft scripts they have on hand and deciding if they are in good enough shape to shoot, and up in the air over whether or not their show-runners will return to prouduce, so even they don't know for sure.)

He says CSI: NY will produce 14 episodes for the season, leaving 6 left to air as of today, November 17, 2007. But neither CSI: Miami nor the mothership is listed, which means he hasn't been able to find our for sure about those shows.

We can only hope that some progress will be made when talks resume on Friday.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Nick Martin]

Either way, looks like this week's new episode will be a hoot!

If it has to end for a while (which it would regardless because shows always go on an extended break after November sweeps anyway) it might as well end on a fun note rather than a dour one.