I wish the writers could read this...really. I'm getting tired of others saying "everyone wants this; the majority rules" Really...well being vocal is one thing...produce the numbers of who actually supports this sham and I think there would be more on the outs than some think.
I really wish there were a way to perform an accurate poll. I'd be interested in seeing the results. I truly believe that most of the audience dislikes this contrived E/C storyline and the resulting destruction of the characters.
But that's all I have. A firm belief. I have no doubt that the E/C shippers are just as firm in their belief that EVERYONE is in love with the E/C romance.
A definitive poll would be fascinating. Really!
Sadly balance has gone the way on continunity...to the back of the closet to be forgotten about in an old shoebox.
You're right. There isn't a balance. Most episodes are filled with E/C in some capacity - either the 'ship or them working almost every case together. Horatio pops up once in a while and Ryan, Natalia and Frank are almost non-existant. All must take a backseat to E/C.
I don't understand why the writers can't write a story that puts the team together. If there are behind the scene issues that prohibit two characters from appearing together at the same time - Horatio is the head of the team and he needs to be there.
The difference between then and the E/C now is that back then, characters weren't tilted toward their romances. The team was a team. The romances were out there, but they weren't the main story arc. In the past, Calleigh and Eric wouldn't even THINK of breaking rules.
Calleigh certainly was out of line by telling her father to take a drink in "Under the Influence". But that was the power of that scene. It was the
exception not the rule. It was dramatic
because it was a desperate Calleigh putting her ethics on hold to protect her father. I felt for her and I was rooting for her. Sadly, putting her professionalism and ethics on hold has become common place for Calleigh now. She thinks nothing of it and I've lost all respect for that character.
Eric had a history of immature behavior that always had Speed on his butt. Eric was a player and what he did on his off time ruled. My impression was his job came second. Now his job comes second to the priority of fantasies of his relationship with Calleigh.
Now they've violated the no-fraternization policy. Calleigh read Eric's therapy notes. This sort of thing erodes trust. We're supposed to be able to trust police officers. I'm not saying this doesn't happen in RL, but now it seems like with E/C rules, honor and standards mean nothing.
Well, to be fair here is the text of that scene:
Deep Freeze
After helping Natalia, Stetler sees Eric holding her.
Stetler: Delko
Delko: Stetler. What are you sniffing around about?
Stetler: Horatio’s got me working to supersede a court order. Reclaim your frozen football star’s body.
Delko: Working with us for a change.
Stetler: You are aware of the pending new rules regarding fraternization among officers, aren’t you?
Delko: You mean new as in different after you and Yelina Salas?
Stetler: Things have changed. The county’s caving to the state’s pressure on the issue of sexual harassment litigation.
Delko: That’s interesting.
Stetler: The department is redefining its policies on fraternization of officers. You would be best served sharing that with the others in the lab.
Delko: Listen, Stetler. If you have something to say to CSI Du or Detective Berkley. You’d best be served telling them yourself.
Stetler: Duc and Berkley. I was talking about you and Boa Vista. But, thank you.
Delko calls and leaves a message for Calleigh telling her that he thinks he just put her in a jam.
Stetler did say "
pending". Not suprisingly we never heard another thing about the no fraternization policy. Why? Because continuity be damned! This is CSI Miami! Are we really surprised?
We don't hear about it again because nothing shall come between E/C. So that pesky little no fraternization policy has gone the way of Kathleen Newberry's son, Suzie and Madison, Ray Jr., etc. Poof! Gone and we are supposed to forget it ever happened. It's all rather insulting.
It was also a plot device designed to specifically make Jake look like a big jerk when he suggests that he and Calleigh take a step back, while Eric looks like "Prince Charming" when he tells Calleigh
HE would have moved to the nightshift for her (doesn't he just say the sweetest things!
). We also got another chance to see how the new Calleigh could care less about Stetler's warning or the possibility that her relationship with Jake could result in a problem. She and Jake carry on anyway! Certainly not the Calleigh who treated us to that display of righteous indignation when she discovered Ryan's indiscretion when he paid her back with the counterfeit $100 bill.
And we've certainly never seen her be judgemental when it comes to Eric. Just compassionate concern and understanding. The closest she came was in "Nailed" when she told him to get it together or he was risking losing respect. That's when she didn't recognize her "close friend" Eric's sister.
And don't even get me started on Calleigh and Eric reading his therapists records. That was unforgiveable. The most egregious breach of ethics I've seen on the show yet. That was a betrayal of a sacred trust and they both performed that betrayal with hardly a pause to consider the patients they were violating.
I wouldn't want to trust this "team" if I had to deal witht hem in real life...romance complicates enough to begin with and then to tie that into a profession makes numbers of doubts and issues skyrocket. And the "us vs. them" attitude is totally correct, Eric and Calleigh did gang up on Ryan in WISC, they didn't care about why he did it, heck I guess saving someone's life...let alone a child's, doesn't matter to people who have their heads so far up the other one's rump that all they see is sunshine and lollypops. Guess E/C think that the mob can't touch them because they are above the rules and laws...yea and I bet they are the first one targeted come the season finale!
I also feel very strongly the "us vs them" attitude and I agree that Ryan has never really been accepted except by Alexx and Horatio.
While Eric can be decent once in a great while to Ryan, for the most part he's a total jerk to him.
Calleigh has always been perched on her moral high ground and is very quick to judge Ryan. The gambling thing was a problem. But if Calleigh had gone to Horatio as soon as she realized that Ryan was gambling (Death Pool 100), instead of playing the martyr like she is so fond of doing, the whole gambling issue might have been avoided. Ryan offered to step up. Calleigh stomped on him and stopped him angrily declaring that it stops with her. Her taking responsibility didn't help Ryan face the problem and she was no help to Ryan when he was eventually fired as a result of his problem. Only Horatio and Natalia showed any evidence of compassion and a desire to bring Ryan back into the lab.
She pulls the same martyr crap with Eric and taking his proficencies to cover for him. Eric
should have retaken his proficencies. He needed to. She took that away from him by playing the martyr and taking the blame for Eric's actions. She didn't have that right and Eric whimped out and let her do it.
If I had been Ryan and Eric would have yelled at me like that to get out, hell would freeze over before I'd tell him anything. Eric and Calleigh may not know what Ryan went through, but they know that Horatio helped him. That should be enough to assume that Ryan had a good reason for what he did. But it wasn't and their holier than thou attitude when questioning Ryan truly did make it look like "them" united against him.
It's true the constant shoving is getting to people who don't pay taht much attention...I've had friends and even my mom comment on how this "romance" is cutting into why they watch the show, for the crimes and the team aspect. There are very few shows that have more than 2 or 3 main characters and the CSI franchise is lucky to have this many. TPTB should be taking a look at what they have to work with, not going with this soap opera mushy stuff that many people do not want to watch. I would rather a great, action packed episode than feeling like I'm watching a fluffy romp about people who are supposed to be solving crimes.
I've said before I'm the last of my family and friends watching.
