He's no Trinity but he does win at creepy

[bunchofgrapes]

I was actually looking forward to this episode because Brass was in the previews (shock) and Sqweegel looked sufficiently creepy.



The first thing I notice in this episode? When Catherine walks up to the scene and talks her upper lip doesn't move. Seriously, it never moves. Check it out.

I've never been a huge Sara fan (thank you, fan fic writers) but I do like Jorja Fox. I have to say she really looks good this season. Too bad she wasn't in the episode.

Why is Ray interviewing the vic, Margot Wilton, and not Brass? Remember when Brass did stuff like interview suspects and victims? Good times...

However, I did like that Margot doesn't like Ray and never says that he's cute. LF is a good actor but he is not cute. Except maybe in Akeelah and the Bee.

Wow, they keep making references to old episodes. Nice. Maybe eventually they'll remember Brass was shot or that he has a daughter or that Sara has a husband. I know, I know...

If this were the old days it would have been Brass in the sex shop with Catherine.

Anyone else think Margot's house looked a lot like Faye Dunaway's place in that earlier episode?

Brass getting the little girl to talk by talking to her doll was pretty cute but Brass seemed a little uneasy. Like he forgot that he once had a little girl. And I wish he would have used his talking to little kids voice--like in Unfriendly Skies. He just didn't seem comfortable talking to her but I'm glad they had him in the scene and the little girl wasn't afraid of him. It's also interesting that he called himself "James" when he told her his name.

Jim and Oscar B. Goodman seem to be pretty tight. Enough so that later Oscar is threatening to kill Jim if he goes inside Margot's house. Good job Oscar on almost getting Margot killed.

I do like that there's more Brass in this and he's doing Brass things like oh, be at the crime scene. But they totally blow it at the end where Brass goes off in one direction and the CSI's run around the house like lost toddlers. Shouldn't they be waiting outside while the police clear the house? Shouldn't Ray not be going upstairs and turning over a bed when he doesn't have a gun? WTF? And where is Jim? Did he run out the back door and get lost? Guy runs off with his gun drawn, muttering about finding the bastard and the disappears. Fall into the pool, maybe?

Ann Margaret does do a really good job in this but damn, her teeth are scary. Little too white and I think she must still be getting used to them because when she talked, it sounded like they were slipping.

All in all, I really liked this episode. With the exception of the Blue Paint Killer, I've never liked any of CSI's serial killers but I hope Sqweegel shows up again. And I did like the amount of Brass in this. Zuiker can write every episode for all I care (hey, he even gives Grissom a mention). This one certainly beats the crap out of the last two episodes.

So, judging by the previews for next week, who wants to bet Brass is a no show?

Comments

[vr-trakowski.livejournal.com]

I found the whole "James" thing jarring. Just...what? Also, the kid was going through the motions--not that I blame her, it's a pretty boring role. But his relations with Oscar (and he looks like one) do seem to indicate they know each other.

I thought the house looked familiar! :P

Just out of curiosity, what about fanfic makes you less than enthusiastic about Sara?

[bunchofgrapes]

Just out of curiosity, what about fanfic makes you less than enthusiastic about Sara?

I hate when writers take the one character with a less than happy childhood and make them out to be this tragic, weepy, whiny, clingy character in search of a father figure. It's done to death in my old fandom and I see it a lot in CSI with Sara. It's just a big turn off.

On the flipside of that, the way Brass was written in a few fics made me love the character even more.

And maybe the reason Brass seemed off was because of the kid. Dakota Fanning she wasn't.

[vr-trakowski.livejournal.com]

Yeah--just another bit player. Refreshingly ordinary-looking, though.

Is it next week he has a black eye?

[bunchofgrapes]

He had the black eye in the season opener. Next week is one about hoarders.

[spottedhorse.livejournal.com]

I immediately thought of the house in Kiss Kiss as well. Just too familiar.

Yeah, Brass with the little girl was just totally off. Don't know if it was the writing or what. I kinda think they were trying to show that Brass doesn't think much of using dolls to help interview children, but he wasn't his usual warm self with her. The way it was done, it almost sounded like they had him interviewing a suspect... just way too edgy.

I was happy to see him in this one. Hopefully he'll at least make an appearance in the next one. Used to be when he was scarce in one episode, it meant he had a big role in another one that they were overlapping the shooting for. Maybe there is hope??? I know Hollywood Brass was one of those.

I don't know if it was the writing or just PG losing interest, but Brass just seemed all wrong in this one. I did get a little of the Brass is still miffed with Catherine vibe in the scene where he comes out of the house to meet them in the beginning. Did anyone else get that read?

Ray needs to either look like he needs the cane or lose it. Right now, it just seems like a plaything. And you're right Bunch, he had no business upstairs searching with no gun and no one else with him. And yeah, it felt totally weird when Jim sent Nick and Catherine to search while he went off on his own and sent Ann Margaret off with Mitch. It's like they want him around but don't know what to do with him these days.

I do think this killer is interesting but am kind of miffed at the obvious plug for Zuiker's other endeavors with it. It's like he's squeezing everything he can out of CSI before it goes away instead of working to bring it back to previous standards.

[bunchofgrapes]

I always have to reply to your comments last because I know I'll write a lot. :-)

Someone over on Television Without Pity commented that the scene with Brass and the little girl was clumsy and awkward. That pretty much hit the nail on the head. Kind of pissed me off too because Brass has always been good with kids.

I said Brass would be a no show in the next ep but since there's no other detective mentioned, he might actually be in it. Remember the good old days when he'd be the first on the scene, giving his little exposition? I miss that. But now they have Ray to do all that. And they do have a tendency to double up when they are behind shooting (usually in the second half of the season) or when they are doing something big like ABRTI. I don't think that's the case here. I think part of his contract negotiation included him taking a cut and that cut means there are episodes he's not in. He gets paid by the episode and if he's not in it - even in a drive by capacity, that's $100K (or whatever his salary is now) they don't have to pay him. Curious if it was his request to do less or if it was theirs. I also know it's in his contract that he goes home at certain times so my guess is that sometimes the shooting schedule might overlap with his flying time so he's not available.

I got a similar vibe from the Brass Catherine scene but for me it was the other way around. Catherine just glares at him every time she sees him. No more "hey Jim" like in the old days. But yeah, he was in and out of that scene and I'd have to watch it again to see for sure buy my first impression is that it was as much Catherine as it was him.

While I do agree with you about Zuiker using CSI for his own gain, I do have to admit that I like the episodes he writes. He at least knows how to use all of the cast, and he brings Brass into the story - unlike the previous two episodes. I'm still not happy with the way they are using Brass but I hope Zuiker writes more.

Btw, Meg put a note up on the forum site. Looks like we lost everything and she's asking whether or not we want the forum back up. I voted yes only because I miss the interaction after an episode. We could aways hijack brasslove though. Not like that's getting any action. People can post anonymously and they can lurk so it might be an option. If I could figure out what the heck allforpaul was about, we could use that one too.

[(Anonymous)]

This is one of the first times that I was creeped out by a CSI serial killer. I felt it was the best one. I was amazed how he could walk on all fours and my neck is still sore just by watching him twist his all around. I felt the same way about Jim as the rest of you have. Actually, I was beginning to wonder if he was going to be in the show after the first scene. He says a couple of sentences and then we don't see him again until he interviews the little girl. I'm getting a little tired with how he doesn't get to do his job anymore. It seems to be all Ray and the other CSI's.

Here are two questions that I had. Wasn't it a little strange that Ray would go and cut out her stitches so he could take pictures and measurements. I mean, I think I would have been questioning just what the hell are you doing? Did he stitch her back up? Also, if Ray still needs his cane to walk, how can he be so strong to lift a bed up by himself and toss it? I would think that would hurt, whatever it is that is still hurting. I like LF, but I'm really beginning to dislike Ray. He is an expert on everything. He has to be in on the autopsies and find things that Doc misses, he solves all the CSI stuff, ( the hourglass lecture was boring ) and he is the best cop ever. Way too much. In two years, Ray has had more owies than the entire cast in 8 years. He gets to play his hurt for three episodes, Brass almost dies and we were lucky to see him wince, once.

Still, with all my complaints, I liked this episode. I know you find that hard to believe. LOL!

Oh, and I knew right away what you were talking about with the fan fic character. Ha!

N.

[bunchofgrapes]

I agree about the serial killer. CSI has mostly sucked at serial killers but this one was pretty good. Too bad they have no plans to continue it.

About the stitches, I thought that too. And I don't get why she didn't react until the very last stitch was coming out. Also, once a certain amount of time has passed, you can't stitch a wound so basically, he's just given her a nasty scar.

I had the same reaction to Ray and the bed. Someone over on the CSI board at Television Without Pity had a great comment about how awesome it would be if Sqweegel really was under the bed and he jumped up and stabbed Ray with a pair of broken eye glasses before jumping out the window. Now that would have been awesome! I'm with you about Ray: like LF and I liked Ray in S9 but now I just can't stand him. As much as they all have taken over Brss' role, he really seems to have.

And yeah, I liked this episode too but I'm still not happy with the Brass treatment.

I knew you'd know who I meant. BTW, not only is spottedhorse a Voyage fan, she likes Harry too!

[kosmickway.livejournal.com]

When I saw the previews (I'm not watching the show anymore b/c Gris is gone), I thought they were saying "Smeagol" from Lord of the Rings. Now I've had LOTR and CSI crossovers in my head.