TV Show - CSI: Las Vegas II

TV Show - CSI: Las Vegas II

It feels good to be back in Las Vegas. I recently tried watching CSI: Miami, and even though it's a good series, I couldn't quite get through the first season. I think it was too stylish for me, with too much weird color grading and sometimes too much "look how stylish we are in Miami."

Now we're dealing with the night shift in Las Vegas, and just the neon lights and darkness at night give us a completely different vibe, even though most of the filming took place in and around Los Angeles.

We're currently on episode 16 of season 1, "Too Tough to Die." The characters have moved past their initial uncertainties and are settled. We've also seen recurring characters like Bobby (weapons specialist), Mindy (fingerprint expert), and Terry (bone specialist) several times already.

While watching, I noticed my brain often tried to draw parallels to Dr. House, but it's not that simple. Sure, there are definitely similarities, as difficult cases need to be solved by a team of specialists in their field. But the approach is entirely different because we're in forensics, not medicine.

What I like the most, which is often handled through allegorical storytelling in Dr. House, are the different philosophical approaches Grissom explores in a quiet moment. I mean the quotes he often inserts. I especially liked his explanation at the end of "Unfriendly Skies" when the team sits together discussing how they would have acted. No one even thought about the victim and just went along with what the witnesses/perpetrators said. It's something I always try to keep in mind—that when confronted with an absolute situation, it's rarely, if ever, actually absolute, and there's always another perspective. I think it's a very important message!

But of course, CSI: Las Vegas also offers the messages that a Dr. House series does, just, as mentioned, not quite as allegorical but on a much more direct path. It's not always focused on Las Vegas either; it can be applied generally, especially when it comes to theft or dealing with other people. Sometimes you might think that the murders are just used to convey these messages, and what happens around them contains the actual message.

Unfortunately, Catherine is still a bit exhausting, and I also don't really like the whole storyline with her husband or ex-husband. It's just not my thing! Sure, she's supposed to represent the strong, mature woman who made it out of the casino world in Las Vegas, and she does that pretty well, no question. But the attitude she displays toward Sara or Warrick in this case is just not okay.

Fortunately, the hostility between the police and CSI has also been set aside again. It's happening more and more often that the team addresses the officer or detective at the crime scene by name and sometimes even chat a bit. I find that very pleasant, and it gives you the feeling that you're watching a very large and well-coordinated team.

The truly tragic figure in all of this, even though you might not know it yet, is among all the Warrick and Grissom drama. Warrick because he also made it from the bottom to the top as a CSI and can continually assert himself with his insider knowledge of Las Vegas. He's an important part of the team. But his fate is already sealed, even though it will take about six more seasons.

Grissom, on the other hand, because his mind can increasingly understand or comprehend less and less of what's happening around him. He feels less and less at home in this world or can understand why people are capable of all these acts, even though he loves the world itself and everything that keeps it moving (humans are not really needed for this; the world does fine without them!).

TV Show - Dr. House | House M.D. VIII

We're diving in. Ladies and gentlemen, we are DIVING IN!

The first episode of the fourth season is still a bit of a soft start with a little rock, but the second episode goes full throttle!

So many memories are flooding through the nerve pathways of my brain right now, and it's spinning. Doctors who aren't doctors! Doctors who would rather not be doctors anymore! Doctors who commit suicide! Doctors who fall in love with the best friends of other doctors! (That's the discord between House and Wilson that I mentioned before!) Doctors with children! You'd think we're watching a medical drama!

What I like best here is the fact that they're actually completely revamping the series but somehow not changing anything. So, on one hand, they stay true to the familiar, but on the other hand, they bring in a lot of fresh energy. Plus, the old team isn't entirely gone—Cameron and Chase are still working in the clinic, and Foreman will also be coming back. It won't be long before the two teams mix.

Unfortunately, Amber has a big problem for me in German because she has the same voice as Kes from Star Trek: Voyager. Nothing against the voice, but I find Kes simply dreadful, and unfortunately, because of the voice, it transfers to all the other characters with that voice. But in general, Amber isn't a really likable person either; I don't like her in How I Met Your Mother at all, even though she only appears in one episode there. There's another series I'm currently watching her in, where she was okay, but I can't remember the name of the series right now (maybe it'll come to me later, depending on how well my brain manages it).

Someone I'm very happy to see again is Carmen Argenziano. Of course, I know he's done an incredible amount, but my fondness comes from his appearances in Stargate SG-1. As Sam Carter's father and later as a mediator between humans and the Tok'ra.

Ah, of course, we also need to talk about House's new cane. I don't know who came up with the idea in the series, but it's genius. Flames on a cane, it doesn't get much more '80s/'90s than that. All that's missing on the cane now is a turbocharger and a spoiler!

Since the fourth season is a bit of a fresh start, there isn't much to write about yet, and I'll space out the posts a bit. By now, I have two episodes of Halo to catch up on, and Bullet Train (2022) is now on Netflix, so I definitely need to check that out too.

junimo breakdancing

animated on stream !!

TV Shows - CSI: Las Vegas VIII

Often only Nick or Warrick are talked about, a little swooning over Greg, and gossiping about Hodges. Grissom is often only found on page two, but he is one of the most interesting characters on the show precisely because of who he is. Highly intelligent, introverted, and reserved. But also always highly concentrated and focused on the work. (Right now, the episode "Butterflied" S4E12 is running, and that just made me realize again) So it's not surprising that he maintains closer relationships with the most interesting women on the show. And because it's Grissom, I don't mean that in a sexual or physical sense, but on a deeper, much more exciting level (which of course doesn't exclude sex). But who do I mean? Terry and Lady Heather! Both fascinating characters with incredible depth, and it's understandable that Grissom is interested in both. But unfortunately, Grissom is Grissom, and that's why both relationships are doomed to fail. Very sad!! Nevertheless, the episodes in which they appear and interact with Grissom are always interesting and exciting to watch.

And just a little side note, you should listen very carefully to Lady Heather regarding interpersonal relationships and BDSM (dominatrix/sub relationship). She reveals a lot here, which is often misunderstood and also misrepresented by various media. This can lead to very unpleasant situations!!

In the third season, it already becomes a bit clear, but in the fourth season, you can be sure that this series, as mature as it already was at the beginning, is now fully grown. Why do I mention this? Well, precisely because we're only in the fourth season, and when a series has reached such a status, it often doesn't live on for too long or is kept alive far beyond its peak. That's not the case with CSI, and I include CSI: Miami and CSI: New York in that. All three series manage to keep themselves alive in an interesting way without declining too much. Of course, there are always small rough patches, and that's not only forgivable but completely normal. But you always manage to give it new impetus through slight restructuring, new characters, bringing back old characters, and also changes in the setting.

This is wonderfully shown in the successor to CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Vegas. There are now two seasons, and a third has already been ordered. You start anew, but you're still in Vegas. Much feels different, but because we have familiar faces and they practically accompany us, it's easier to get used to the new. You can't look away, and the first season is over before you know it, and you really like it. Because you were slowly introduced to the new without it being bothersome or boring. Truly a very good example of such a kind of follow-up series.

TV Show - Dr. House | House M.D. XII

Even though I'm almost at the end of the seventh season, today's post will be relatively short compared to the others; I am incredibly tired! (Don't worry, it's not from watching Dr. House, it was just a very long day.)

(YES, I miss Thirteen a lot!)

Season seven is a bit like a prelude because it prepares us for a spectacular end to the season (and the whole show!). But the things House does in this season can no longer be summed up as "he's a great doctor, just unfortunately a jerk." Just the way he puts Masters through the wringer when it comes to Cuddy's mother is pretty intense, not to mention the fact that he tricked her with the coma patient. But that's just the tip of the iceberg; there are a lot of things on that "that's not okay at all" list.

Cuddy has now found out that he's back on Vicodin, broke up with him, and even though from a distance it looks like House is living it up, he's actually in free fall! Apparently, there are no limits anymore. Chase, Taub, and Masters are in his hotel room like Huey, Dewey, and Louie, waiting for him to look at X-rays while the prostitute is hiding under the covers next to him. You don't even want to imagine what drugs or Vicodin he's taken.

I want to highlight two things in particular:

I really like Masters' style of dressing! She's always smartly dressed, it rarely seems too overdone, yet she still stands out from the crowd. I don't know if this can be attributed to the actress or the team behind the camera, but they did a really good job here.

Episode 15 of season 7 is an absolutely wild ride! I love it when the team is just told to portray dreams about abandonment fears however they creatively feel like doing it. Then it turns out great and is really genius. Comedy, musical, zombies, and sitcom, a dream (pun not intended)!

Tomorrow (Sunday) I'll continue watching, I'll just finish the episode and then fall into bed. Then there's still the eighth season, and we've made it. This was a really smooth rewatch, and writing about it was really fun. But I also think that afterwards I'll watch a few episodes of other series for a bit instead of another 8-season behemoth like Dr. House; that really messes with your head!

TV Show - CSI: Las Vegas

As mentioned in the last post about Dr. House, I felt like watching a crime series. The temptation was strong because Prime added the first three seasons of Rizzoli & Isles to its program. But I decided to go with CSI: Las Vegas because it's been longer since I last rewatched it compared to Rizzoli & Isles.

Right in the first two episodes, I notice a lot of details, and I might end up writing a lot about them. Let's see how long I can keep it up!

One thing that stands out right away is the age of the series. And by that, I don't mean a specific year but the aspect ratio, which is still in 4:3. 16:9 will come later, but I can't remember exactly when. I'm curious to find out.

Catherine Willows already shows character traits here that will later drive me crazy. I remember finding her very demanding in the later seasons. She always comes up with arguments to bend the rules so she can break them later. However, in the successor format CSI: Vegas, she becomes interesting again.

During the autopsy scene where Grissom and Nick help, you could see the eyes of the millionaire blinking. I always find such details interesting. Sometimes you can see the "corpses" moving their chests, the carotid artery pulsating, or a body part moving. If I remember correctly, some shots use a still image to avoid such mistakes.

We still miss important characters like Super Dave and Doc Robbins. But one person we see very early on is the firearms specialist Bobby!

I also noticed Grissom's mood during the dummy experiments, which reminded me why I find him so intriguing. He's a man of facts, and as the series progresses, he becomes less and less able to deal with society and its quirks.

Voices are another topic because we have two very distinctive voices right from the start, one of which stays with us. Holly Gribbs is voiced by Sandra Schwittau, who is the German voice of Bart Simpson, played by Nancy Cartwright. Nick Stokes (George Eads) is voiced by David Nathan, who is not only one of the most distinctive German voices but also the regular voice of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

I'm thrilled to be back in Vegas, to see how everything unfolds, what cases they work on, and what questions arise. Because I already have one question: Even though Warrick was overseeing Gribbs since she was new, no one asks what happened to the officer at the crime scene where Holly was shot. Sure, Brass was reassigned, but that's about it. I find it extremely strange. (Although I'm aware that this is used to show the tragedy surrounding Warrick's character!)

Otherwise, the first season is always the most interesting because this is where the series is still finding itself, and many things are still changing. There's a lot to discover and admire, especially when it comes to the development of the characters.

I'll also thoroughly enjoy all the special effects because many of them were created without CGI, and practical effects are still among the best because they are tangible and provide a sense of depth that CGI simply can't achieve. I know, it's a big debate, but it's like photography. Digital photography is great, no doubt, but that final step to achieve exactly what's possible in analog photography is still missing. It's not much, and I know both sides very well, but it's just that tiny bit that's still missing!

In the German version, when Nick talks to Sanders, it's briefly mentioned or asked if Sanders is already playing the "Football game on Dreamcast." Once again, it shows that someone involved in writing the dialogue didn't have a clue. That always annoys me. Either video games look terrible in movies/shows, or they mix up everything and leave out details.