{ CSI: Weeping Willows }

[delga]

Oh, firstly - BSG? Only has that credit music in the UK. Not in the US; it's different there because the people at Sky (in the UK) thought it was 'too sad'. Huh? You may now proceed to the part of the post wherein I bitch about CSI.

Now, from the title, I pretty much knew that I probably wasn't going to love the episode but I was willing to give it a try. I mean, once upon a time, I used to like Catherine Willows. And then...well, I didn't anymore. But this episode could have been dealt with in a better way and it just wasn't - all for the sake of a cheap win. I'm sure so many more fans would have more respect for the charcater if the writers did too. So, here we go - Weeping Willows (and omigod, that title just screams 'spotlighting the bitch' which is so sad because, as said above, used to like this character). So, onto the show.

Oh god. OH GOD. Why do they do this? I mean, they handled Committed so well and then they give us this. Once a season we get treated to an episode that is complete utter bleurgh stupidity and it's ridiculous. If you want to showcase Helgenberg, don't make her out to be some sort of floozy - show that she's a professional who can do her job and keep her cool. This? This is rubbish.

I mean, I know this show jumps into characters a lot more than, say, L&O and I know that for a lot of the viewers, that's half the appeal but please. Can't the woman go out at least once without something happening to her? Can you not, at least, cut the character some slack? CSI has this habit of degrading its females. It's not something I've seen in NY or Miami but CSI kicks the shit out of Sara and Catherine. Between the two of them we've had: one alcoholic, one stripper/dancer, one dead-beat father, one dead-beat husband, three failed relationships within the show, one murdering mother and a multitude of cases in which they get over-emotional. They're both stereotyped for the type of case that hits them, too. Catherine gets it bad for the kids; Sara for the beaten and the raped. JESUS. Have some respect for your characters! It's the one real gripe I have about the show over everything else. In Miami, I hate the over-familiarity with HoCaine; in New York, there's actually very little I dislike, except for the writer's sometimes schizophrenic attitudes towards Stella and Mac. BUT CSI consistently degrades Sara and Catherine to the point where I can barely stand Catherine and there are occasions wherein I don't like Sara - and she's one of my favourites!

There were some good things this week. For example, Aisha Tyler - woo! I liked the cross-contamination story. No reason, it was just a cute detail. I also liked the amount of camera time Warrick got although I'm still adamant that it should have been more. I liked Hodges (yes, I'm developing a thing for the techies) and I will admit that I was wondering where they were going to go with the Novak-goes-to-Catherine's-house thing. It was ballsy to have her pull the gun but it was still a really stupid thing to do. Why the hell did he go to her house? Why didn't she call the police from her car and talk to them? Why didn't she tell her mom to call the police? And why does CAtherine never tell Gil or SOMEONE/ANYONE when she's connected to a case? In her line of job and at her level she would know to pull away. She would KNOW. TREAT YOUR CHARACTER WITH SOME RESPECT, FOR GOD'S SAKES. God. That entire thing was ridiculous. Like when Gil lets Sara stay on a case when it's obvious she needs to be pulled. Just...argh!

OK. Let's see what next week's is like. I promise will try not to shout again.