Tonight on CSI, David Cassidy and dead poker players!
WHEN SEVERAL PROMINENT POKER PLAYERS LOSE THEIR LIVES, THE CSI TEAM IS CALLED TO INVESTIGATE, ON “CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION,” WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27
David Cassidy (“The Partridge Family”) Guest Stars as Veteran Poker Player Peter Coe
“Last Woman Standing” — When several prominent poker players lose their lives, the CSI team is called to investigate before more victims surface, on CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, Wednesday, Feb. 27 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. David Cassidy (“The Partridge Family”) guest stars as veteran poker player Peter Coe.
(Can’t see the video? Try this link.)
Jorja’s in the episode, but probably not a lot.
Quite interested to see how things work this week. I don’t think they’re expecting to top last week, but last week was SO intense, I think anything is going to feel like a bit of a letdown.
I just don’t expect it to beat the last one. I only hope Jorja had strengh to shoot this one :p
I doubt I’ll have to use a paper bag to breathe in during this episode. Last week was SO intense.
I’m really kind of it after last week’s episode but I wanted to see what would be up with Sara- she’s not in it much but Nick does make a point of asking her how she is at the beginning (any continuity from these writers is a miracle) and she’s not wearing her wedding ring anymore.
Not surprised that she’s not in it much. No ring, interesting. Maybe she’ll wear it half the time?
I saw the spoilers about the ring come out on tumblr and I was a little surprised. Not at the lack of Jorja, but the lack of the ring. It feels fast, which means from a character perspective she’s gotta be both pissed as hell at Grissom and also that it’s been building for a really long time. I really wonder where they are going to take the storyline.
I’m glad we didn’t get a massive drama of ring taking off, though. It was just a quiet … thing. Maybe if we get another episode with Momma Sidle (pleeeeease!) we’ll have her notice.
I am too, actually. But I didn’t expect the massive drama of the ring being taken off outside of last week’s ep. That really isn’t CSI’s thing. Mostly. I think where we will see drama is if there is reconciliation, there will be a scene where we see her putting it back on. (I’ll pretend to not be dreaming for that, ahem, Billy.)
As for more with Mama Sidle. PLEASE. Oh gods please. There wasn’t enough of her last week and having her notice the little things about her daughter, like a ring being gone, would matter so much and open so many doors for Sara because Sara still clearly doesn’t want to connect to her. Not completely.
But CSI is at its best when the character developments are subtle. So hopefully, we’ll see more moving forward. In some form or fashion for Sara. I’m trusting the writers with her. They’d better not screw up.
I don’t know about that? I’m still not clear about their legal status but I’d probably stop wearing it as soon as I was “dumped” if it were me, and now that everyone knows the truth she has no reason to wear it to pretend. Certainly could have understood her still wearing it but not surprised to see it gone.
Gotta be honest, I doubt the writers have a plan in regards to continuing the GSR storyline. Nick’s lines at the end of last week’s episode really struck me as a message straight to the fans, and Elizabeth Devine’s statement seemed pretty final but then they now appearing to be trying to backtrack/hedge. The CSI writers have always served up a heaping portion of WTF and I don’t trust them at all. My only good thought is that they saw a reaction (hopefully a big enough one) to last week’s that they consider writing something in before the season ends. But then again, they seem to be resting a lot of it on Billy Petersen’s shoulders and whether he’ll agree to appear.
I think in regards to the Grissom/Sara stuff, they have a couple of plans and I’m sure you’re right, a lot of it hinges on what Billy ends up deciding to do. But I’m more interested in the plan they have for Sara. For 13 years, her life was Grissom. Suddenly, in a heartbeat, it’s not. What does this mean for her development?
Sara could follow in the footsteps of other independent women. Consider the world we live in where Charlize Theron, Sandra Bullock, Connie Britton, Sheryl Crow (sorry for any mis-spellings) all decided to build their families “alone” realizing that they had the support of friends and extended family. With Nick and Greg, Sara has father figures and a great support system. Married or not, Sara is not alone. If Sara has established a relationship with Grissom’s mother then she can take “the high ground” and allow the child to enjoy the joy of having a grandmother and even learn sign language. She has established “her roots” in LV and is thankful for the “family” she has. It is time to build from that foundation. As the show the “New Normal” has emphasized, sometimes life is not what you anticipate or desire. But often it still can be just as great and maybe better. Sara deserves better.
I really don’t see Sara with a child. I’ve seen that thrown around a lot but I don’t see her adopting a child. I’ve played with it myself and it just doesn’t end up working out for me. Especially in the next few years. She needs to figure herself out. The rest will come for her.
Maybe the writers didnt have time to take her taking off the ring after last weeks episode bc they didnt know what FMN would cause. IDK just a thought.
And wow Sheriff Ecklie! smh lol (sorry had to say it lol)
They finished filming tonight’s episode before they aired FMN, so … hard to say why.
Oh ok, thanks I didnt know that.
pity they didnt even show the ring on sara’s left hand, at least that she’s doing ok after all what she went through last week in FMN episode, I loved how Nick went very brother like to look out for his sister, he did call her Sara, but closed captioned says Sarah I did even cringed at what it was said on my tv. Sara replied that she’s doing ok. I went like hmm thats her defense mechanism to say I’m fine or ok. The episode was really good, it did keep me guessing who dun it. I was surprised that cbs did not show the next episode promo for csi next week.
There was only one scene where you could get a decent look at the possibility of a ring, as well. Which was very odd to me. I wonder if it was a hasty edit?
I think she still has that ring on her hand, if you look hard enough you still can tell its there, but with not enough lights to shed on it.
http://jorjafox.net/gallery/albums/tv/csi/season13/16last/lastwoman-035.jpg
I thought there was another scene that it like, to me, that the ring was still on her finger.
No ring.
Didn’t expect a lot of Sara but after Don Mcgil’s comments I did expect to see the ring, although there weren’t any close-ups of her hands so I guess the absence of the ring wasn’t a “statement”.
As for the episode, I’m not a gambling fan, so didn’t do much for me. And killing somebody with a playing card boomerang-style? Seriously?
So I was only able to watch half of the ep thanks to family needing something, so I’ll have to judge everything and post a link to my blog post about it tomorrow. But my initial thoughts are that I really am surprised they moved to the no-ring status so quickly, but I also really like that it wasn’t a thing. Jorja’s subtleties in her scenes were fantastic and I found myself wishing Lady Heather had been around.
The scene with Hodges’ theory was so well done. And for what I saw, I was highly entertained. I can’t wait to watch it again and put some serious thought into my thoughts. My biggest disappointment is the loss of Sheriff Liston. CSI has never been the most diverse of shows on TV, but we’ve had some color and the last two seasons it’s been primarily blonde women and older white men. Even the techs have lost Wendy and Mandy seems to have vanished. Jorja and a few very lovely gun techs are the notable exceptions, right along with Liston. The actress was fantastic and fit the role perfectly. I hate to see that be lost under the crushing pressure of trying to keep up with ratings.
Real thoughts in the morning, after I watch again.
Crushed again. WTF is wrong with me?
Wouldn’t it be great that with Ecklie moving to the Sherriff’s position that we now need someone to lead the lab. Cue is Grissom to return to be with Sara and mark the end of CSI. I’m ready for this to happen, but only in my dreams I guess.
I said before that I thought the writers might make one reference to last week (which they did through Nick asking Sara if she was ok) and then they would never mention GSR again. I still think that was their plan but they got such a huge reaction last week (much bigger than they anticipated) and so they are backtracking a little (“we never said it was the end of GSR wink, wink). I think they intended to move on even though it was said the arc would continue through the end of this year and into next, I just don’t buy it. I am hoping last week’s fan reaction was enough that they will address it again. I am surprised the ring was gone so quickly though because Sara seemed so stunned by the breakup, but glad they did not make a drama of it.
I was finally able to finish the ep and get my thoughts down in some kind of format. http://www.vegawriters.com/2013/02/last-csi-standing-perhaps.html
My reply to your review was too long (… unfortunately not a shocker. Sorry). So I have posted it below instead of in the commentary section of your website.
But if the comments help to address the problems within the franchise, then I am happy that I shared such beliefs. These issues which I have described are easily fixable. Let us have at least a few more years.
And since this is already too long … I will end with this thought – even the dog in Person of Interest has his own Twitter account.
Sorry Shauna, I did not copy/paste correctly. Now I have provided you with the full – i.e. too long – version.
My reply to your review was too long (… unfortunately not a shocker. Sorry). So I have posted it below instead of in the commentary section of your website.
Shauna, I appreciated your comments.
I agree that CSI is a great franchise. I disagree, however, that the ratings plunge was unpredictable.
Consider how CSI has evolved from Seasons 1 when it used Polaroid cameras – yes pictures from that bankrupt company – at crime scenes. Remember when searches for the identify from a finger print would take several hours? The franchise has chronicled the evolution of technology during a remarkable decade.
During this same decade, television – and more specifically the entertainment television offers audiences – has changed just as dramatically. Consider the introduction of “reality” TV as one major transformation. Meanwhile, drama television has evolved to offer roles competitive to and potentially more lucrative than traditional movies. Cable channels now dominate the award nominations and recipients. And understandably, audiences expect more from the characters and shows which they watch – cheer, condemn, love and hate – on a weekly basis. No longer does “anyone” tell the story. Rather, the audience and the characters experience the fictional world together as if the experience were time with a friend or the affordable dinner date or the necessary escape from a dreaded reality. The distinction of this development is quite different from what many would describe as a “soap opera” but this matter is better for another discussion. My goal is to emphasize how television – the relationship with the audience – has evolved.
CSI has sadly not evolved despite having the talent to do so quite easily. Consequently, the ratings drop is an inevitable and expected response when a show does not provide what audiences want and receive in competitors.
Why then would the drop in ratings this week be such a surprise? Do the writers truly think viewers are numb to the fates of the characters? The audience cares. More specifically, the audience cares about Sara. Hence, viewers watched last week. But is the audience expected to watch dutifully each week while writers refuse to address the elephant in the room – the emotional tragedy from the destruction of marriage? The experience is as aggravating as a dysfunctional relationship. So why stay in it? Maybe I would rather turn the channel to be “the friend” of a character who includes me – in yes, the drama of friendship?
So how has the franchise lasted so long if it truly has not evolved into a modern television format? For me, I like the character of Sara Sidle. If she lived in NYC, I know some great vegan restaurants I think she would enjoy. But the cryptic – maybe truly some mindgame with William Petersen – behavior is the irrational pettiness that drives me to find some escape in another evening television show. So I did not watch last night and am not sure when I will return. When CSI writers deviate from their character’s integrity, provide contradicting conclusions on an episode they wrote and fail to acknowledge – even once – that the loss of a couple’s happiness is anything but tragic, I not only lose respect but am insulted that they think I must be so shallow not to find such an episode – or experience – devastating, enraging and appalling.
True, the mysteries of CSI are interesting albeit the science is becoming outdated. I continue to watch solely because I actually care about some of the characters. I want Sara to be happy and to be there to share her joy. I cheer for her as I would any friend which, I think, is the relationship any good drama would want me to have with its characters.
You mentioned Criminal Minds, so I will quickly start to address why I think CSI has difficulty following this show. Quite simply, Criminal Minds has evolved in the areas where CSI remains stagnant (and note that I do like CSI more as show but think it is failing as a business/franchise). With a cast of strong actors from schools such as Julliard, the Criminal Minds writers continually challenge them. While the weekly mystery/profile is intricate and complex, the ensemble acting is equally demanding. Interestingly, I think the character development is so subtle, many viewers probably think there is no drama – even less than shown on CSI. But the bonding occurs, the fans respond and the writers and actors react. Matthew Gray Gubler publically tried to console fans with his belief why the death of his character’s first love interest was the most plausible, though tragic, conclusion. Nothing seemed hidden, contrived or corrected as an afterthought. It was like a town hall meeting. We – the writers, actors and audience – were in this experience together.
So how can CSI follow Criminal Minds effectively when its distance to the audience seems even more pronounced after the bonding during Criminal Minds. The guessing game of “what is going on with this character?” coupled with random character disappearances are reminiscent of secrets kept by high school cliques. Is the audience supposed to guess what the cool people are doing? True, my statements are exaggerated and possibly unnecessarily harsh. But if the comments help to address the problems within the franchise, then I am happy that I shared such beliefs. These issues which I have described are easily fixable. Let us have at least a few more years.
And since this is already too long … I will end with this thought – even the dog in Person of Interest has his own Twitter account.
kd -
I’m not going to go too much into detail with your comments because I think we are actually coming at things from different perspectives. So I am going to touch on a couple of things quickly. First, thank you for taking the time for such a detailed response. I usually don’t get those.
Secondly, I didn’t think that my point was that the ratings drop was surprising, I think I expressed disappointment in such a drastic leap from one week to the next. And I am disappointed, yes, that CBS can’t seem to find a good marketing strategy for the show and that the fans aren’t as invested in the good old fashioned case files. The show has always been about the cases first and through the cases, we learn about the characters. From the moment we meet these people, that is how we learn about them. Over time, as the audience learned the “science” they could focus more on other ways to tell the story, but the cases have always come first. Even in FMN.
A friend of mine brought up a very good point about the differences between CSI and Criminal Minds and rather than butcher her point, I will just repost it here (with her permission):
And [Criminal Minds is] always heavily case-related. And the characters are sort of dialed up to 11 that way. They aren’t normal people. Nor are the criminals they pursue normal criminals. I think structurally it appeals with a different kind of storytelling to a different kind of mindset. The characters on CSI totally are normal people in weird jobs. They do the job, they go home, they mostly don’t get shot at. They’re a mystery show and CM is a suspense/thriller. The two shows are in subtly different genres, one that emphasizes storytelling and depth and the other that is a lot more thrill-based.
Her point here was that CSI and CM come from completely different backgrounds and are going to attract completely different fan bases. Putting them together on the same night might not be the best use of CBS’ time.
The final point I would personally like to address is the idea that the writers do not seem to respect the characters or the audience that they have worked within for years. In this, I highly disagree. I think that the writers were more than a little surprised by the backlash that was witnessed after FMN, but they have been telling the fanbase all season long that they have a plan for Grissom and Sara and to trust them. As a writer, I am extending them that trust because I would hope that I would be trusted. I have found nothing out of the ordinary or out of character in anything that we have seen on screen. Grissom has never been the most communicative of men, Sara has never been the most patient of women. As a long time fan of the show (as you clearly are) I can justify almost every decision we have seen these characters make and the small changes don’t bother me that much.
I appreciate your comments and I am so glad that my words sparked the response they did. Seriously. I usually only get this kind of interaction with my good friends on LJ.
But, for me, I guess my point is that I haven’t seen anything to be insulted by when it comes to the characters the last couple of episodes. Especially the character of Sara. And if the writers are playing “mind games” with Billy Petersen, they’re going to lose. He knows what he wants. He’ll do what he wants. It’s up to the writers to work around that. However it happens.
Thanks for your comments. I replied to you and hope it all makes sense.