Some Fannish Ponderings...

[athersgeo]

Point the first: No, I'm not dead or have otherwise abandoned the 'net (or even gone off to reinvent myself somewhere else)
Point the second: I appear to be in the process of thoroughly gaining myself another fandom. Like I needed one of those. At least this time I can blame my brother. If he hadn't objected to the steady Discovery/History Channel/News/Sports diet (with the occasional Midsommer Murders, Taggart and Antiques Roadshow thrown in when relevant) I would never have started watching actual programmes again - and I certainly wouldn't have ended up here. *nods* Yep. This is definitely All His Fault.


So. CSI. Up until May, I'd seen two episodes (when staying at other people's houses for CBB related things) and I'd thought one of those (I'll come on to THAT in a moment) was the most ludicrous thing I'd ever seen. Then May happened and the bother insisted that we watch "normal television programmes like anyone else" and he found us an episode of Numb3rs to watch which was followed up by an episode of CSI. Given my past experience with the show, I nearly went off to do something else but was, frankly, too tired to move. So I watched it and spent most of the episode going "This is actually better than I remember, but BOY am I confused" (for anyone who knows CSI, the episode concerned was 'Mea Culpa' from the middle of season 5 which was SO not a good point to jump in!). After that it sort of became routine to catch an episode or two from time to time and then somewhere along the line it got to be a nightly thing...and yeah.

Through the wonders of repeats (honestly, throw a stone on the TV guide and you can find an episode of CSI!) and some boxsets, I've now seen pretty much the whole of CSI up to and including the end of season six. I've also seen bits of seasons seven and eight and quite a chunk of season nine, too, which is not bad going for only watching the show four and a half months! Naturally, I've accumulated a few thoughts on the show - some of which relate to what I've seen, some of which relate to what other people have said - which I'm going to put down in point form.

I guess the big thing is: WHAT THE HECK DO THE WRITERS HAVE AGAINST NICK STOKES?! I mean, granted, the stories they've got out of picking on him are (on the whole) some of the better episodes, but, really...I mean: Held at gun point, accused of murder, stalked (and tossed through a second floor window), swimming with a dead guy and buried alive, not to mention the back story. I don't think, at least to the end of season six, any other character's been beaten on (metaphorically speaking) quite so much. And the really fun part is that if you then dive into fandom, looking for stories about him, they almost invariably continue the theme!

One of the things I really like about the show is the sense of continuity - which is one reason why I did a huge "WTF?!" when one of the directors (in commentary) mentioned that he hated doing it and wanted to ignore past stuff. The mind boggles.

That said, there are one or two continuity issues which have me head-scratching. In "Fight Night" (s3) Nick is making a point to Grissom that he doesn't get to work solo despite having seniority over Warrick and Sara. It's a point that he reiterates in "Let the Seller Beware" (also s3) [nb possibly made here first and FN's the reiteration - I don't [yet] have the episode list memorised!]...which seems to ignore at least one episode from s2 (Anatomy of a Lye). Meanwhile, in the fandom, the s4 episode "Coming of Rage" is listed as his first solo case. Can't quite wrap my head around that one.

Speaking of "Let the Seller Beware", far be it for me to object to shirtless!Nick, but am I the only person who thinks there are better ways of checking a pool for a body than getting someone to dive in?

I don't know whether it's having sat through "Rendezvous" multiple times or what, but the more I see of Warrick the less I like him. That's not to say I hate the character, I think I just don't find him terribly interesting.

As much as I love the episode "Gum Drops" (s6), I do have to admit to a basic curiosity about what the episode would have been like with Grissom taking the lead on the case, partly because I just cannot see Grissom having the same conviction Cassie was alive that Nick has, which either means Grissom would have been wildly OOC or (assuming Nick was always intended to play some part in the episode) he and Nick were clashing over it - which would have been interesting to see.

It's particularly interesting to go back and see some of the earlier episodes (s1, especially) and see how far the characters have come - Brass is the one who arguably changed the most, which I think is just as well because s1 Brass is largely a cardboard-cutout-cop.

Some of the s1 costume choices, though... *giggles*

And MORE on s1: I caught "Boom" last night. I had seen it before, and it's definitely a better episode than I remember it being, but I'm puzzled: Why did no-one take Nick's statement? You'd think that's something that would have happened regardless. In fact there's actually quite a bit missing from the 'B' story which, considering how big the 'B' plot was, is a little disappointing. Can't help but think the 'A' and 'B' plots could have done with being switched. Would have given the episode a little more punch.

Come to think, the same applies to a s6 episode too. In "Daddy's Little Girl" the 'B' plot is the last installment of the "Grave Danger" arc, in that it wraps up Kelly Gordon's fate. (This, ironically enough, was the second CSI episode I ever saw - fortunately, the first episode I ever saw was the second half of "Grave Danger" so I did at least have a fighting chance of following it!) Meanwhile the 'A' plot featured a really twisted family group and a murderous cable guy. Guess which plot's actually the more interesting - and WAS the more interesting even when I didn't really understand a huge amount!

I'm amused by some of the early-fandom takes on Sara's background. To me, at least, it struck me as painfully obvious she'd come from some sort of bad domestic situation (s1's "Sex, Lies and Larvae", for example), which was eventually confirmed in s5 ("Nesting Dolls"). Yet the number of fanfics that pre-date s5 that give her a happy and loving childhood is mind boggling. Were these people watching the same show?! (NB not to say the stories are badly written; in general terms, they're not - which makes it all the stranger!)

Speaking of "are they watching the same show as me?", anyone who thought Sara was going to fall for anyone other than Grissom. Granted, I can fully understand why people don't necessarily think that relationship is a good idea, but that's where the writers were always going to go - assuming they went the romance route at all.

And speaking of GSR, just how bad does Sara's self-esteem have to be that she keeps coming back to the guy who keeps turning her down? I think I'd have moved on after the direct "No" in s3's "Playing With Fire"...

Going back to "Grave Danger", seeing the second half in splendid isolation, I really did think the whole premise was the stupidest thing I've ever encountered - and I still do! However, having now watched both halves, even as silly as I think the plot is, I have to admit that I do really enjoy them. Of course, it does rather take the tension out, knowing that everything works out in the end...

And that said, CSI really does seem to have a thing for people being buried alive. "Grave Danger" is (I think) the third such story over the first six seasons (two of them in s5!). Given how many more obscure ways to die they've managed, that does strike me as a little repetitive. (Of course, out of those three stories, only one of them was a fatality; the other two get rescued, so maybe it's not quite as bad as all that...)

And I'll leave my thoughts there for now - pretty sure I have more observations, but the boss has found me some work to do so I need to wrap up this post!

Comments

[carolynp.livejournal.com]

Oh how I wish I could remember episode titles! :D

Have you written anything in this fandom yet? (I don't actually read a lot of fanfic, but if you were to post it on lj since I know CSI i'd be interested.)

Oh, and have you come across CSI Miami and CSI New York?

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

*grins*

I have a flypaper memory for the completely useless. Thus episode titles stick; how to code a website in a particular way doesn't...

I do also watch both Miami and New York - though I find Miami a little...trying. I really don't go a great deal on David Caruso's style of delivery and the cast just strike me as improbably gorgeous (even by Hollywood standards!). Do quite like New York, though - I just haven't seen quite as much of it as I have the original series.

As for fanfic *grins sheepishly* yes; I've begun a story which I'm posting over on fanfiction.net - so far, I've only got the prologue up, but the first full chapter's going up tomorrow and with a little luck, the rest of the story should go up over the next six/eight weeks. I don't know if I'm going to be posting it here on LJ, but I can give you the link to the ff.net story if you would like it?

[carolynp.livejournal.com]

Yes please.

I really must get into browsxing ff-net.

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

Browse with caution for there is MUCH that is cruddy and whatnot on the site *grin*

My author page is here:
http://www.fanfiction.net/~thefink

The story itself is here:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5337164/1/Red_Rain

[strandedinaber.livejournal.com]

Depending on who you like to read for CSI (New York in particular) if you go to my favourite fanfics page on ff.net, I have a LOT of fanfics favourited there (and one written about NY's Lindsay). I'm beautifulworld there and have about 140 favourite fanfics, at least 50/60 of which are from the CSI franchise.

Author page is here - just click on the final box to get to my faves. They are Danny/Lindsay, Calleigh and Sara focused, but often if you follow the authors you can find other pairings if you prefer:

http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1020191/

[carolynp.livejournal.com]

Thanks, will have a look over the weekend.

Have always steered clear unless following a linked rec as I have heard there is a lot of dross, but am looking to widen what I read a bit.

[strandedinaber.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there is a lot of dross out there. But you learn to tell from the summary what's going to be good or what's going to be bad. I only favourite fanfics and authors I really love and are very well written (also, when an author writes a lot, I just favourite them and not the story, so it might be worth going through my fave authors as well). If you tell me what you're looking for (i.e. what pairings/which show) I can probably recommend a few authors.

[carolynp.livejournal.com]

My current fave TV show is Criminal Minds, and am eagerly awaiting the release of series 4 dvd, although since we have just finished watching it on tv I don't expect it too soon. Could be interesting to see what people have made of that.

Then on a different tack I'd also be interested in any ER fic, esp with Carter.

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

Ooh; I shall take a look a little later as well - thank you :)

[strandedinaber.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! I am one of the biggest CSI fans out there (and CSI: NY - do not watch Miami, Emily Procter is pretty much the only thing good about it!) so always happy to find more in support of it!

Regarding Nick, I agree. Give Nicky a break, guys! I think it's in part due to acting style. There's no-one who can do trauma quite like George Eads and Jorja Fox, and they went down the 'traumatised by romance' route with Sara. Although I agree with you that her self-esteem has to be almost nil. Blame Hank in part for that as well as, y'know, incredibly crappy childhood. And I kinda like to think that Sara knew Grissom didn't really mean it when he said no all those times. I don't know how far you've got in S8, but there's an incredibly cute comment in episode 2, I think - Sara says to him how long have we been together, and Grissom says nine years. To me that just says everything about Grissom and how he views their relationship. (Yes, I am a GSR fan. Til the day I die...)

Also, re. 'Gum Drops' - having watched that episode a few days ago, I'm almost certain that the original script had Catherine in Nick's role and Grissom in Sara's. But there are no words to explain how much I love that ep, purely because it really gave both Nick and Sara (who, to be honest, I could have seen getting together in the early seasons) could have a chance to shine.

CSI rant... oops?

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

Oh, I definitely take your point with the Grissom/Sara thing - like I said, it is pretty dern obvious all ways round and it is extremely well played and when I watch it, I can go with it. It's just afterwards I sit back and go "Wait, what?!" And I think it annoys me on some level that Sara settles for a man who treats her that way, even if it isn't meant (I'm thinking here of how s4 plays out; that would have been the point where I'd have said "Y'know what, screw this" and just once I'd have liked to have seen Sara really stand up for herself about it because she is so strong in other directions)

I haven't seen the episode you're talking about in s8, but I have read about it and I can so picture Ecklie's expression *grin*

Hm - I'm not sure you're right about Catherine's role in "Gum Drops". Having listened to the commentary from the writer and director of the episode, I get the impression that the only person who got written out was Grissom (I'm pretty sure they say that Marg Helgenburger wasn't really available for the episode). The commentary also leaves me fairly sure that Grissom is the one who believes Cassie's alive (over the scene where Nick's watching the kids playing ball there's a discussion of how the Grissom scene was intended to work)...which does just leave me going "Huh?!" And yeah, the episode we got is just...it's about the most perfect CSI episode, in many ways. I think catching that was the episode that really hooked me (and persuaded me to buy s6 on DVD...)

Rant away; tis fun :)

[strandedinaber.livejournal.com]

Ah, I haven't listened to the commentary in ages, so I'd forgotten that. Yeah, I can't see Grissom behaving in that way. It would have worked for Catherine, or Sara, or Nick - maybe even Greg. Grissom and Warrick, no. So it'd have been interesting to see how it played out on screen. Maybe they were intending to shoot it with more focus on the science - e.g., there was none of Cassie's blood there, therefore Grissom thinks scientifically she's still alive rather than emotionally from Nick's perspective. Either way it was an amazing ep, probably one of my ultimate faves. I've just bought the second half of season 6, and seasons 7 and 8 (having not really watched them when I was minus a TV at university, although I have seen part of season 7) so can't wait to catch up. But I'll miss Jorja when she leaves in S7 :(

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

*nods* you could be right about the focus. It would have definitely made for an interesting episode, but I think it would have lacked the emotional punch.

If you haven't seen it, the s6 episode "Rashomama" is hysterical.

I'm sort of working up to getting s7 and beyond - I'm still missing one or two of the earlier episodes (FiveUSA's repeat schedule is beyond crazy) so I'm sort of filling in the older stuff first.

[strandedinaber.livejournal.com]

If you fancy borrowing any of the earlier DVDs, you're more than welcome. A few of them are missing as my friend has borrowed them, but I have seasons 1, 2, half of 3 (can't remember which half though), 4 and the second half of 5... am looking forward to Rashomama, I've almost finished the first half of S6 so am waiting impatiently for Amazon to give me the second half!

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

I have the whole of s4 waiting for me to do a marathon over the weekend, but I may take you up on s3 - the half you have to hand, at least :)

If you want, I have the first half of s5 so we could do a temporary swap thing (I also have the second half of s6 - but if you've already got it en-route from Amazon, there's no guarentee my copy would arrive any faster!)

[strandedinaber.livejournal.com]

I actually own the first half of S5 - it's just that a friend has it, but thank you anyway - I know what happens (and don't really like it cos the team's split up, although I do like it for Greg). And I ordered the S6 about a week ago, so it should be here any day now (it better be! I've almost finished the first half and I wanna get to S7!). If you either give your address here or email it to me at gemmatombs@gmail.com, I will post what I have of S3 down to you... Am also willing to lend you CSI: New York when my friend returns them, if you like - I don't watch Miami any more and the original is my favourite, but NY is really very good as well (see icon - happy NY!)

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

The first half of s5 has definite moments of goodstuff - "Snakes" for one (OK, yes, I am rapidly developing into a Nick fangrrl...*rolls eyes at self*) and "Ch-Ch-Changes" for another - but I know what you mean about the team split.

Then again, I think if I'd been Ecklie, the way the team was split isn't how I'd have split it. I mean, if the whole point was to get to Grissom, why did Ecklie leave Sara on Grissom's shift? And also, what happened to the rest of the old swing shift? Questions, always questions - and the last thing I need RIGHT at this minute is another plot bunny!

I'll pop my address into an email in a moment.

I may take you up on the offer of CSI:NY at a later date - although, oddly FiveUSA seems to be showing THAT rather more consistantly than they ever manage with the original, so I'm actually doing pretty well on getting caught up and in the right order there *grin* I *do* watch Miami, but mostly because it beats trying to find something else. There's just something about it that I don't like.

[germankitty]

Yay, another convert! And you're writing CSI fic, COOL! *wonders why I haven't got an author's alert on it, though*

I agree with pretty much everything you said, although I'm mostly at a loss as far as episode titles are concerned. *glares at SkyTV* (Btw, please check out CSI Files; IMO, one of THE best info pages on any fandom!)

Two things I wish they had expanded on -- Lady Heather (I LOVED her dynamic with Grissom!) and Greg Sanders. I mean, it's cool and all that he's left the lab and is now a full CSI, but did he have to leave his cute geekiness behind in the process?!?

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

I'm already hooked on the CSI Files - spent WAY too many hours reading reviews and whatnot on there. Just wish they'd get the s10 reviews up a little faster! (And I so wish s10 was going to be on here a little sooner than January *sigh* Patience is not my thing...)

Point taken on Greg - though, to be fair, there was the whole "Fannysmackin'" storyline in s7 which is probably where it really got lost. Certainly up to the end of s6 he was still pretty geeky.

As for the author alert, I have no explanation, but the link to the story is here:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5337164/1/Red_Rain

[germankitty]

LOL. I'm downloading all three series liek whoa -- if only to free the TV for my guys; I'm the series fan in the family, and if I watched everything live on air, the hubby would never get to watch what he likes on an average evening. :)

I kinda liked the whole "Fannysmackin'" arc, and the more serious Greg evolving from it, but they could've done that and still kept at least some of his geekiness, IMO. Hmph. :) Guess I'll have to make do with Hodges now ... I absolutely adore the in-lab episodes where he gets to be the focus! (Have you seen the s9 episode yet that's pretty much "Galaxy Quest", CSI style? One of my all-time favorites, EVAR!)

Oh, and thanks for the link! *goes off to read*

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

I saw the last ten minutes of that episode - I think it's on again in about a month's time, so I'm hoping to see it all then. What I did see was hysterical, and I do remember reading about it at the time it was first shown in the US, so I'm looking forward to getting the full experience.

I'm lucky in that mum is quite into police procedural shows, so as long as I don't demand to watch too many episodes she's already seen (she has an objection to that - and I have to admit, to a degree, I'm with her on that; there are definitely some episodes that don't bear repeating too many times), I'm OK to watch on the TV rather than being consigned to the computer or the DVD player.

yvw - as I said further up-thread, the first main chapter should be going up tomorrow (unless I can manage to get it up later this afternoon - but probably tomorrow) and I'm aiming to get it finished over the next six/eight weeks.

Assuming I can stop spawning plot bunnies for further along the timeline *sigh*

[germankitty]

It's absolutely priceless; the one episode of s9 that I've kept to watch again. :)

What's funny is that the husband never stuck around to watch CSI/CSI Miami when it was first-run, but will watch the reruns on FiveUS nowadays. Go figure. It's just lucky that we (sort of) share an interest in the same procedurals (CSI, Law & Order, Criminal Minds, NCIS -- and JAG, when it was still on), so when I am recording shows, it's not too much of a hardship for him. *wishes for a SKY+ receiver*

Well, I checked the prologue of your CSI fic, and I'd already read it -- just now got the alert that you've updated, too. :) Guess it just was a bit too long ago ...

Good luck with the plot bunnies. I'm battling several from both Star Trek and Harry Potter!

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

It was on at the weekend and I did spend a lot of the episode giggling. The one line that had me howling, though, was the last line of the teaser with Hodges saying "He's dead Jim" - unfortunately, my mother is NOT a Star Trek geek, so I had to spend the credits trying to explain why the line was funny...

*joins you in wishing for a SKY+ receiver*

[germankitty]

*sigh* Right now, the whole TV-watching thing is a bit of hit'n'miss; apparently our dish set-up is out of whack, and we either can't receive some stations at all, some channels will have intermittent break-downs of reception, and/or some channels will get picture disruption (pixelation) to varying degrees depending on which channel and/or time of day.

Somebody's coming by to (hopefully) fix the problem tomorrow.

[baronessekat.livejournal.com]

I also always wondered what the writers had against Nick.

Seemed like every other episode he was being held at gun point, kidnapped, buried alive, had a psychotic stalker, fell for the way wrong girl, etc.

Always felt sorry for him

[athersgeo.livejournal.com]

I *think* from what I've seen/read etc, the writers have sort of moved away from doing that in the later seasons, but yeah. Very easy to end up feeling extremely sorry for Nick.