Post by Jemma on Apr 19, 2009 12:35:06 GMT -5
CSI: Previewing Episode 9.19 "The Descent of Man"
Last week’s episode of CSI—two hundred since its half-quiet beginnings nine years ago—was about Langston (Laurence Fishburne). It’s okay, especially considering that we still have lots to learn about the newest member of the team, but it’s a weird, fairly off-putting decision. After all, this is episode 200, a testament to the longevity of a show that, arguably, changed the way crime dramas work forever. There’s been quite a lot of hype surrounding this achievement, from the show’s influences to the show’s future, but for some reason this isn’t representative of what the show was about. I don’t know. It just felt that way.
The episode, though, was special solely because of the involvement of director William Friedkin. From the get-go it looks different—I don’t know what I was watching, and it’s funny when I veered towards comparing the opening titles to Survivor. There’s the gritty, documentary-like feel, a cross between Cops and NYPD Blue that I can’t explain much. You feel tension, but that’s all there is to it. Suffice it to say the episode comes up short story-wise—perhaps it’s because I was expecting a lot more for this episode. Maybe it was the victim of a last-minute shuffle from the network, but who knows?
So what did CSI aim to do? Proceed with a business-as-usual attitude in this, the 200th episode? Make something special out of the visuals? It didn’t fail, and for someone who’s watched a few too many films in school, it was very good. But we’ve seen many better episodes from the Las Vegas team alone—indeed, I was rewatching the episode Sara (Jorja Fox) left the series, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Or maybe we should stop relying on landmarks to expect something celebratory and special. A quiet greeting would suffice, it seems.
Now I’m finished with the ramble, here comes the CSI episode airing tonight. Now, for someone who got annoyed with the press released a few weeks back (CSI: NY, for those who are curious), this episode slightly confuses me. Nick (George Eads) investigates the death of a skydiver, and Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) somehow finds a connection with a double murder case. Maybe that double murder is what Langston investigates in the photos on the slideshow below, and the one up there—the death of a “spiritual guru” in the middle of the desert. Or maybe he’s the skydiver. I dunno. I’m confused. But that’s why I’m watching, sorts. It’s tonight from 9pm on CBS.
The episode, though, was special solely because of the involvement of director William Friedkin. From the get-go it looks different—I don’t know what I was watching, and it’s funny when I veered towards comparing the opening titles to Survivor. There’s the gritty, documentary-like feel, a cross between Cops and NYPD Blue that I can’t explain much. You feel tension, but that’s all there is to it. Suffice it to say the episode comes up short story-wise—perhaps it’s because I was expecting a lot more for this episode. Maybe it was the victim of a last-minute shuffle from the network, but who knows?
So what did CSI aim to do? Proceed with a business-as-usual attitude in this, the 200th episode? Make something special out of the visuals? It didn’t fail, and for someone who’s watched a few too many films in school, it was very good. But we’ve seen many better episodes from the Las Vegas team alone—indeed, I was rewatching the episode Sara (Jorja Fox) left the series, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Or maybe we should stop relying on landmarks to expect something celebratory and special. A quiet greeting would suffice, it seems.
Now I’m finished with the ramble, here comes the CSI episode airing tonight. Now, for someone who got annoyed with the press released a few weeks back (CSI: NY, for those who are curious), this episode slightly confuses me. Nick (George Eads) investigates the death of a skydiver, and Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) somehow finds a connection with a double murder case. Maybe that double murder is what Langston investigates in the photos on the slideshow below, and the one up there—the death of a “spiritual guru” in the middle of the desert. Or maybe he’s the skydiver. I dunno. I’m confused. But that’s why I’m watching, sorts. It’s tonight from 9pm on CBS.
