Let me just start by saying this was an incredibly difficult episode to review. I battled with myself. Can I review this episode like it was just any other episode? Should I? The fate of CSI:NY may still be up in the air, but I can say that if this is the last episode they release into the universe, then they can be proud. The episode wasn’t flawless, and I’m not giving it a sympathy vote. There were weaknesses, but there were also strengths, and thankfully this week the latter out weighed the former. Exit Strategy truly was strategically presented.
I am critical of the writers (and offer no apology for that) but this week I am giving them credit where credit is due. This episode brilliantly weaved Mac’s emotional upheaval with my own. Within the first five minutes of the episode beginning Mac comes face to face with his own mortality, even as I sat wondering if this would be the last time I would be excitedly watching a new episode. Mac’s situation brilliantly paralleled the show’s, which added depth to each scene. This episode beautifully reinforced why Gary Sinise is such an established actor. His ability to inspire both heartache and strength is phenomenal. Mac’s vulnerability, while it seemed to come out of no where, was still believable.
The episode was peppered with small, intimate moments. Watching the team sit around the conference table discussing the job was more entertaining that the multiple Danny/Don chase scenes we were subjected to this season. The wonderful scene between Danny and Lindsay as they teased each other with ease, followed by an involved discussion about their future was marvelously written, and wonderfully executed by Carmine Giovinazzo and Anna Belknap. It encapsulated everything I have been longing to see in their relationship. It was a great touch to have Danny’s character—one of the more central characters of the show—to come full circle. The first season he was wild, and lost his chance for promotion, now he is grounded and moving up in the world. Don’s friendship with Mac has really been honed the last few episodes and I’m glad they gave Eddie Cahill the screen time he deserved. It is a little disheartening that we had to wait until the last episode of the season to get this kind of emotion, but it is reassuring to know that the show’s producers and writers are still capable of achieving that power.
Even the case was well done. It was messy and confusing. We have a little girl (who was being neglected and abused by an alcoholic mother) taken by a ruffian who then devotes his life to taking care of her in a way her own mother had been unable to. Clayne Crawford embodied that conflict well, as Wes he came off as gruff and unapproachable, perfect for someone who was willing to tag along and make an easy buck in a robbery. However, he also exuded a subtle tenderness that allowed Olivia/Madison to find a person who would love and care for her. Because the show is what it is there was a bit too much convenience involved. It worked out perfectly that Olivia’s mom is no longer an alcoholic, that Wes was killed, that Olivia had a heart problem etc., but those are things that just have to be accepted as part of the show’s narrative style.
While I struggled with some of the directing, there was some pretty notable camera work. As Mac stood in the lab towards the end of the episode with Jo standing in the distance, a level up, I was moved by the implications—she stood on his shoulders, as either his conscience or as his predecessor.
Oddly enough, one of the most emotional moments for me was to see Mac watching Adam as he struggled to get the light working on his magnifying glass. It showed that despite the upheaval, and potential for change, some things always remain the same. The song choice seemed to have been written for this episode. It met the tone of the episode and then enhanced it:
It's everything you wanted, it's everything you don't
It's one door swinging open and one door swinging closed
Some prayers find an answer some prayers never know
We're holding on, and letting go.
Typically I end my reviews with a Guilty Pleasure and Highlight of the Episode, but this time I would like to invite anyone who may be reading this to post/comment what you would pick as a guilty pleasure and/or highlight.
And if you’ll indulge me for just a moment to say thanks to those who encouraged me with my reviews and have supported me in ways I never imagined. The administrators of DLChem have been wonderful, and the members have helped make this an experience I will always treasure. I am so grateful I’ve had a chance to in some small way contribute to the board. I’m staying optimistic and saying I’ll see you guys next year!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Matryoska Dolls Anyone? 7X20 (***out of 5)
New York, New York, an iconic song representing an iconic city and one assumes it would be extremely difficult to overcome such standards, but as the minor tones of Digital Daggers techno remix (and I would even argue rejuvenation) of Sinatra’s anthem pound out around the seduction and murder, or I guess I should say murder and seduction, of a young woman I am convinced it’s possible. Just as the remake of the song breaks away from what it typically accepted or understood, so too does the entire opening sequence of this week’s episode Nothing for Something. Typically the show utilizes slow motion to propel motion forward, but as we see the first shots of a dead body, then follow the sequence of events in reverse at an accelerated pace, it is clear nothing is going to so easily fall into place in this episode. Conceptually the idea was cool, interesting, and entertaining, I just felt the execution came up a little short, not quite living up to the potential set by such a powerful song; an intense opening sequence for an episode that lost steam. This seemed to set the tone for the rest episode—so close to being phenomenal, just not quite living up to expectation.
My biggest issue with this episode was the lack of balance. I have a lot of respect for John Dove and his contributions to the show over the years, but I couldn’t find my footing with this episode. There was some great dialogue: Flack’s musings in the diner about dog years and cop years was strong. While other times the dialogue was weak and almost comical: Jo tells Mac that the killer—Charles Martin—had “no motive to kill Christina” as part of her argument that she believed him innocent with regards to the woman. The only problem with that is, of course, that they established no real motive for him killing either of the other two women beyond it was something he felt propelled to do and enjoyed it. So he liked killing the other two women, but wouldn’t like killing this woman? What sense does that make? Similarly, Adam’s “improve” dialogue was pointless, but I loved the interplay and dialogue between Danny, Jo, Flack, and Lindsay as they processed Martin’s apartment. There were also lines that I didn’t get at all. Jo asks about the basketball player and Lindsay tells her that it is linked to the shoe print of the killer. How did she know the shoe print belonged to the killer? They found the body in a public park. I could see how the print may eventually be found to be the killer’s, but at this point there is no evidence that is the case. And don’t get me started on Jo’s save-the-day moment as she “talked” Martin down from the ledge. I like strong female characters, but I roll my eyes when Mac does it, I rolled my eyes when Stella would do it, and I rolled my eyes when Jo did it. Let the CSIs be CSIs, they don’t have to be negotiators, interrogators, snipers or any other scenario the writers come up with. They can be scientist fighting crime and I’ll like them well enough.
I will say that I felt this was a strong episode for Gary Sinise. It’s these types of episodes that remind me why he is my favorite boss out of all three shows in the franchise. He wasn’t Mr. Self-Righteous in this one. He was a tired guy, who got frustrated, a little ridiculous, but ultimately focused on doing what’s right. Mac was funny, intense, emotional, apologetic (if you can believe it), and fallible; a great range for Sinise to play with. Even when he and Peter Fonda had the great “jaw lock” stare down I was struck with the comparison of the two men. Is Mac destined to such loneliness? To be an old man in a diner keeping teenage boys from skipping out on the bill? I loved the juxtaposition of that thought to the one I had as Jo was ordering…um…I mean, convincing Mac to go home. She cares about him, Flack cares about him, as I would wager most who work with him care about him. I am not suggesting a Jo/Mac romance, I am talking about something more than flirting, a real sense of caring for each other. Will that save Mac from a future of coffees alone? I hope so.
I refuse to comment on the scene involving those “famous” sports people. I don’t know who they are and I couldn’t care less. I cringe at those forced, useless cameos, and that’s all the space I will spend on it.
I wasn’t a fan of Eric Laneuville’s directing in this episode. Again, it goes back to balance. There were some creative shots that worked well with the story, but the flow and pacing was choppy and clunky. Each scene felt more like its own episode rather than a collection of scenes that form an episode. We went from a dead body, to Mac’s wallet being stolen (Note: Mac immediately canceled his police badge and credit cards…so they can deal effectively with a wallet being stolen! *grumble* *pointless Danny storyline last season* *grumble*), to shoe prints, to an apartment that had already been processed, to an old case, to a new missing woman, to Pissy Mac shoving a guy into a wall, to a private investigator, to a “grieving” husband, to Wild Bill Hunts’ “Go ahead Mac, make my day,” to a hotel room, to Hunts’ vigilante grocery shopping, back to the grieving husband, to a third dead body, to Flack’s leopard-print travel bag, back to Hunt…my head is spinning just thinking about it all! The word convoluted comes to mind.
However, I then think about Flack and Mac’s interrogation of the husband and I liked it. I always complain about how the killer just suddenly caves in the last 10 minutes of an episode and confesses. This time they legitimately tricked him into a confession. I loved it. Clifton Collins Jr. was great as the ambiguous bad guy and Peter Fonda wasn’t bad as the ambiguous good guy.
This was a hodge-podge episode that did really well in some parts and abysmal in others. I will at least applaud their efforts in trying new things and braking out of their self-constructed narrative box they built around themselves. If this is the first step into some newer, meatier storylines then I say it’s not bad. If this is just a flash in the pan, then we truly did get nothing for something.
Highlight of the episode: Eddie Cahill’s comedic timing.
Guilty Pleasure: I love Lindsay quietly processing the shoe print while the others talked. It just seemed so old school, and sweet in a weird way.
My biggest issue with this episode was the lack of balance. I have a lot of respect for John Dove and his contributions to the show over the years, but I couldn’t find my footing with this episode. There was some great dialogue: Flack’s musings in the diner about dog years and cop years was strong. While other times the dialogue was weak and almost comical: Jo tells Mac that the killer—Charles Martin—had “no motive to kill Christina” as part of her argument that she believed him innocent with regards to the woman. The only problem with that is, of course, that they established no real motive for him killing either of the other two women beyond it was something he felt propelled to do and enjoyed it. So he liked killing the other two women, but wouldn’t like killing this woman? What sense does that make? Similarly, Adam’s “improve” dialogue was pointless, but I loved the interplay and dialogue between Danny, Jo, Flack, and Lindsay as they processed Martin’s apartment. There were also lines that I didn’t get at all. Jo asks about the basketball player and Lindsay tells her that it is linked to the shoe print of the killer. How did she know the shoe print belonged to the killer? They found the body in a public park. I could see how the print may eventually be found to be the killer’s, but at this point there is no evidence that is the case. And don’t get me started on Jo’s save-the-day moment as she “talked” Martin down from the ledge. I like strong female characters, but I roll my eyes when Mac does it, I rolled my eyes when Stella would do it, and I rolled my eyes when Jo did it. Let the CSIs be CSIs, they don’t have to be negotiators, interrogators, snipers or any other scenario the writers come up with. They can be scientist fighting crime and I’ll like them well enough.
I will say that I felt this was a strong episode for Gary Sinise. It’s these types of episodes that remind me why he is my favorite boss out of all three shows in the franchise. He wasn’t Mr. Self-Righteous in this one. He was a tired guy, who got frustrated, a little ridiculous, but ultimately focused on doing what’s right. Mac was funny, intense, emotional, apologetic (if you can believe it), and fallible; a great range for Sinise to play with. Even when he and Peter Fonda had the great “jaw lock” stare down I was struck with the comparison of the two men. Is Mac destined to such loneliness? To be an old man in a diner keeping teenage boys from skipping out on the bill? I loved the juxtaposition of that thought to the one I had as Jo was ordering…um…I mean, convincing Mac to go home. She cares about him, Flack cares about him, as I would wager most who work with him care about him. I am not suggesting a Jo/Mac romance, I am talking about something more than flirting, a real sense of caring for each other. Will that save Mac from a future of coffees alone? I hope so.
I refuse to comment on the scene involving those “famous” sports people. I don’t know who they are and I couldn’t care less. I cringe at those forced, useless cameos, and that’s all the space I will spend on it.
I wasn’t a fan of Eric Laneuville’s directing in this episode. Again, it goes back to balance. There were some creative shots that worked well with the story, but the flow and pacing was choppy and clunky. Each scene felt more like its own episode rather than a collection of scenes that form an episode. We went from a dead body, to Mac’s wallet being stolen (Note: Mac immediately canceled his police badge and credit cards…so they can deal effectively with a wallet being stolen! *grumble* *pointless Danny storyline last season* *grumble*), to shoe prints, to an apartment that had already been processed, to an old case, to a new missing woman, to Pissy Mac shoving a guy into a wall, to a private investigator, to a “grieving” husband, to Wild Bill Hunts’ “Go ahead Mac, make my day,” to a hotel room, to Hunts’ vigilante grocery shopping, back to the grieving husband, to a third dead body, to Flack’s leopard-print travel bag, back to Hunt…my head is spinning just thinking about it all! The word convoluted comes to mind.
However, I then think about Flack and Mac’s interrogation of the husband and I liked it. I always complain about how the killer just suddenly caves in the last 10 minutes of an episode and confesses. This time they legitimately tricked him into a confession. I loved it. Clifton Collins Jr. was great as the ambiguous bad guy and Peter Fonda wasn’t bad as the ambiguous good guy.
This was a hodge-podge episode that did really well in some parts and abysmal in others. I will at least applaud their efforts in trying new things and braking out of their self-constructed narrative box they built around themselves. If this is the first step into some newer, meatier storylines then I say it’s not bad. If this is just a flash in the pan, then we truly did get nothing for something.
Highlight of the episode: Eddie Cahill’s comedic timing.
Guilty Pleasure: I love Lindsay quietly processing the shoe print while the others talked. It just seemed so old school, and sweet in a weird way.
Friday, May 6, 2011
The End of the Road for Dirty Hunt 7X21 (***out of 5)
I remember how my heart pounded as Lindsay stared down the barrel of a gun, how I squealed with delight as Danny stormed into the room, calling out to her, his voice frantic and fearful. I can still feel my face spreading into a grin as he pulled her desperately into his arms, his breath rushing out in relief. I remember how in slow motion Lindsay gripped tightly to him and gratefully buried her face against his body, and I fell even more in love with their relationship. I remember how I sat (literally) on the edge of my seat as Mac snuck up onto a deadly, enraged Irishman, my fists clenched in panic as Peyton pulled out her cell phone and dial his number. “Oh no!” I cried, “no, no, no, no!” The phone rang, Mac was caught and I was glued to the set. These jaw-dropping moments welded me to this show. Unfortunately, this week’s episode Life Sentence paled in comparison—and making the comparison is inevitable since we saw a lot of what we previously saw in It’s Not What It Looks Like and Snow Day.
The episode wasn’t bad. The storyline was interesting. A police officer who believes he is owed more than what he is given and makes a terrible decision, then continues to compound his horrible situation by bringing himself deeper into destruction. Christopher Silber and Adam Targum wrote an episode that was a bit more complex than the typical bad guy/good guy dynamic and Jeffrey Hunt’s directing was competent and kept the episode moving. Peter Fonda was convincing as the hard-nosed William Hunt, embittered by years of regret while Clifton Collins, Jr., likewise, gave a subtly but unnerving portrayal as Raymond Harris, an equally embittered man. So where’s the problem?
I don’t have all the answers and there is a great deal I don’t know. I can only respond with what I feel and recognize, but when I compare the power of the last 10 seconds of season three’s It’s Not What It Looks Like with the hug between Danny and Lindsay in this week’s episode, it creates a visual answer. In season three, having known each other barely a year and really being in the beginnings of anything truly romantic, as they embraced for the first time I was exposed to more emotion and power between the two characters than I got in a single second of the hug in Life Sentence—and this is after years of marriage and having a family together. Yes, Danny was obviously concerned about Lindsay and his hug was…nice (especially when one slows it down and freezes it…not that I did that…over and over again…) but it was over so quickly that I was left severely disappointed.
But let’s go beyond the Danny and Lindsay moment; this was after all a Mac episode. As with last week’s episode, I felt Mac was back to being more his character than the caricature they created him to be earlier this season. He will always be slightly hypocritical in his manner—chastising and berating those under his command for doing exactly what he winds up doing when he gets pissed or irritated—and he will always have a streak of self-righteousness. Those are his character flaws, and are part of who he is, but it doesn’t mean it’s always fun to watch. I was confused by him though (and I’m not necessarily saying this is a bad thing) and have been left pondering his motivation. He punched Hunt in the face when he found out that Hunt had stolen money, but showed compassion when he found out Hunt had murdered in cold blood and with his bare hands an innocent woman. Similarly, he was very brutal with Harris, even after he found out what Hunt had done. Like I said, I am still confused about that, but haven’t decided if it weakness or a strength to Mac as a character. But what I do know is that despite all that I still felt nothing compared to the intensity I felt in Mac’s character in Snow Day. There was naturalness to Mac’s indignation in that episode that seemed more forced or more contrived in this episode. For example, as the lab was falling to pieces around them, Mac flies to Lindsay’s aid, protecting her while exposing himself and then, nothing. There was no more to that situation; there was no development or growth. Mac saved Lindsay, the scene ends. There was no emotion, no inspiration, no connection, it was all action. *I duck as clichés are thrown at me* Yes I know actions can speak louder than words, but sometimes the words are needed, sometimes they are necessary and it feels like the show has forgotten the words. I’m all for subtly and nuances, but sometimes it gets tiring have to watch the show through a microscope for a glimpse of true emotion. That scene felt more like an exhibition into how selfless Mac is, and when I have to be hit over the head with the flashing sign MAC TAYLOR IS A HERO it kind of loses its impact. The opening sequence was definitely intense, and I’m all for shooting or blowing up the crime lab, let it happen once a week I say as long as it actually means something.
I also understood the bad guys in the two previously mentioned episodes; they were motivated by greed and were willing to do anything necessary to get what they wanted, whether it was diamonds or drugs. The bad guys didn’t give up until the last second of the episodes. Which is why I was left scratching my head when Harris, cornered by Mac, wearily proclaimed, “It doesn’t matter anymore. She’s gone.” Dude spent 17 years plotting his revenge, and 2 episodes creeping the hell out of me, only to decide at the very last moment of his triumph that it doesn’t matter anymore? That is weak writing. There was no believable reason presented for Harris to suddenly just give up. Also, it is a personal pet peeve of mine to have manufactured moments of intensity, especially at the cost of others. This is what I mean, an NYPD detective was suppose to be watching Harris, but because a truck pulled up and blocked his view Harris got away. So a trained detective is so lazy and so poorly trained that he would chose to wait in the car and let a suspect get away? They even went so far as to have the detective tell Flack that Harris was still sitting at the table when it was clearly impossible for him to see that. How insulting, not only to me as part of the audience but to the NYPD. This isn’t the first time the writers have used the incompetency of our men and women in Blue. How many times was Shane Casey able to escape custody? Writers, quit being lazy and actually write something that is believable not just something that is convenient.
Again, an episode that was so close to be great, but just coming up a little short. After a season of episodes that left me completely deflated I am overall pleased with how the last few episodes have begun to regain a bit of what was lost. Reminds me of the lyrics: We’ve made it through the wilderness somehow we’ve made it through...Come on CSI:NY go that extra mile and really touch me! I know you can do it!
Highlight of the episode: Flacks quiet and constant support of Mac. Flack has been a rather neglected character this season, and the last two episodes have just reinforced to me that his character needs to be used a bit more and with a bit more appropriateness (i.e. not as a CSI but as an actual NYPD detective)
Guilty Please: Please the bottom of this post…
The episode wasn’t bad. The storyline was interesting. A police officer who believes he is owed more than what he is given and makes a terrible decision, then continues to compound his horrible situation by bringing himself deeper into destruction. Christopher Silber and Adam Targum wrote an episode that was a bit more complex than the typical bad guy/good guy dynamic and Jeffrey Hunt’s directing was competent and kept the episode moving. Peter Fonda was convincing as the hard-nosed William Hunt, embittered by years of regret while Clifton Collins, Jr., likewise, gave a subtly but unnerving portrayal as Raymond Harris, an equally embittered man. So where’s the problem?
I don’t have all the answers and there is a great deal I don’t know. I can only respond with what I feel and recognize, but when I compare the power of the last 10 seconds of season three’s It’s Not What It Looks Like with the hug between Danny and Lindsay in this week’s episode, it creates a visual answer. In season three, having known each other barely a year and really being in the beginnings of anything truly romantic, as they embraced for the first time I was exposed to more emotion and power between the two characters than I got in a single second of the hug in Life Sentence—and this is after years of marriage and having a family together. Yes, Danny was obviously concerned about Lindsay and his hug was…nice (especially when one slows it down and freezes it…not that I did that…over and over again…) but it was over so quickly that I was left severely disappointed.
But let’s go beyond the Danny and Lindsay moment; this was after all a Mac episode. As with last week’s episode, I felt Mac was back to being more his character than the caricature they created him to be earlier this season. He will always be slightly hypocritical in his manner—chastising and berating those under his command for doing exactly what he winds up doing when he gets pissed or irritated—and he will always have a streak of self-righteousness. Those are his character flaws, and are part of who he is, but it doesn’t mean it’s always fun to watch. I was confused by him though (and I’m not necessarily saying this is a bad thing) and have been left pondering his motivation. He punched Hunt in the face when he found out that Hunt had stolen money, but showed compassion when he found out Hunt had murdered in cold blood and with his bare hands an innocent woman. Similarly, he was very brutal with Harris, even after he found out what Hunt had done. Like I said, I am still confused about that, but haven’t decided if it weakness or a strength to Mac as a character. But what I do know is that despite all that I still felt nothing compared to the intensity I felt in Mac’s character in Snow Day. There was naturalness to Mac’s indignation in that episode that seemed more forced or more contrived in this episode. For example, as the lab was falling to pieces around them, Mac flies to Lindsay’s aid, protecting her while exposing himself and then, nothing. There was no more to that situation; there was no development or growth. Mac saved Lindsay, the scene ends. There was no emotion, no inspiration, no connection, it was all action. *I duck as clichés are thrown at me* Yes I know actions can speak louder than words, but sometimes the words are needed, sometimes they are necessary and it feels like the show has forgotten the words. I’m all for subtly and nuances, but sometimes it gets tiring have to watch the show through a microscope for a glimpse of true emotion. That scene felt more like an exhibition into how selfless Mac is, and when I have to be hit over the head with the flashing sign MAC TAYLOR IS A HERO it kind of loses its impact. The opening sequence was definitely intense, and I’m all for shooting or blowing up the crime lab, let it happen once a week I say as long as it actually means something.
I also understood the bad guys in the two previously mentioned episodes; they were motivated by greed and were willing to do anything necessary to get what they wanted, whether it was diamonds or drugs. The bad guys didn’t give up until the last second of the episodes. Which is why I was left scratching my head when Harris, cornered by Mac, wearily proclaimed, “It doesn’t matter anymore. She’s gone.” Dude spent 17 years plotting his revenge, and 2 episodes creeping the hell out of me, only to decide at the very last moment of his triumph that it doesn’t matter anymore? That is weak writing. There was no believable reason presented for Harris to suddenly just give up. Also, it is a personal pet peeve of mine to have manufactured moments of intensity, especially at the cost of others. This is what I mean, an NYPD detective was suppose to be watching Harris, but because a truck pulled up and blocked his view Harris got away. So a trained detective is so lazy and so poorly trained that he would chose to wait in the car and let a suspect get away? They even went so far as to have the detective tell Flack that Harris was still sitting at the table when it was clearly impossible for him to see that. How insulting, not only to me as part of the audience but to the NYPD. This isn’t the first time the writers have used the incompetency of our men and women in Blue. How many times was Shane Casey able to escape custody? Writers, quit being lazy and actually write something that is believable not just something that is convenient.
Again, an episode that was so close to be great, but just coming up a little short. After a season of episodes that left me completely deflated I am overall pleased with how the last few episodes have begun to regain a bit of what was lost. Reminds me of the lyrics: We’ve made it through the wilderness somehow we’ve made it through...Come on CSI:NY go that extra mile and really touch me! I know you can do it!
Highlight of the episode: Flacks quiet and constant support of Mac. Flack has been a rather neglected character this season, and the last two episodes have just reinforced to me that his character needs to be used a bit more and with a bit more appropriateness (i.e. not as a CSI but as an actual NYPD detective)
Guilty Please: Please the bottom of this post…
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