'CSI' Promises Changes This Season

<I>CSI: Crime Scene Investigation</I> executive producers <font color=yellow>Carol Mendelsohn</font> and <font color=yellow>Naren Shankar</font> offered more information about what is coming up during the show's tenth season.<p>As CSI Files previously <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/news/040809_01.shtml">reported</a>, new leading man <font color=yellow>Laurence Fishburne</font> (Dr Ray Langston) will get a wardrobe change at the start of the season. However, Shankar clarified that such comments were "taken out of context." He explained to <A class="link" HREF="http://www.ew.com/ew/0,,,00.html">Entertainment Weekly</a>, "This is Laurence Fishburne we're talking about. It's not like we're sitting him down in a chair and giving him a makeover. It's really about who this character is now. When he came on board, he was a newbie, he was still very much the professor holding onto that kind of life. At the end of the season he shoots somebody, and it has a pretty profound effect on how he views himself in this world."<p>Shankar added that Langston has "really thrown himself into being a CSI" by the time season ten starts, "so his look changes to reflect that. He really embraces what it is to be a criminalist. He's wearing the forensic jackets to the scene. That's all it is."<p>CSI Files also <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/news/040809_01.shtml">reported</a> that Nick Stokes (<font color=yellow>George Eads</font>) will be getting a promotion at the start of the season. Langston will also get a promotion, Mendelsohn revealed. "One of the things that is part and parcel of the new season is Ray Langston graduating from being that newbie to being a CSI 2," she explained to the <A class="link" HREF="http://www.chicagotribune.com/">Chicago Tribune</a>. During the time between the season nine finale, <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/episodes/csi/season9/all_in.shtml">"All In"</a>, and the season ten premiere, Langston has been "taking every class and seminar he could" in order to become the criminalist Gil Grissom (<font color=yellow>William Petersen</font>) believed he could be.<p>"I don't want to speak for Laurence Fishburne, but I think what attracted him to the show was that he wasn't coming on as just another supervisor, that he was coming in as a newbie and was coming in to learn," Mendelsohn continued. "We thought that would be a great opportunity for the audience to re experience the fundamentals of forensics. It was always thought that he would graduate very quickly into [being] a more learned CSI."<p>Sara Sidle (<font color=yellow>Jorja Fox</font>) will <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/news/300709_01.shtml">return</a> for the first five episodes of the season because the <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/news/280709_01.shtml">departure</a> of Riley Adams (<font color=yellow>Lauren Lee Smith</font>) will leave the <I>CSI</I> team understaffed. Mendelsohn said there are no plans to cast a replacement for Riley at the present time. There are also no definite plans to bring Grissom back. "We're hoping Grissom will make a return appearance we don't have a date and we don't have a deal, but we talk to Billy all the time and he would love to come back," Mendelsohn said.<p>The return of Sara is partially responsible for the promotion that Nick will receive in the season premiere. "The interesting thing is, Catherine[ Willows, <font color=yellow>Marg Helgenberger</font>]'s decision to promote Nick, even though it's well deserved, is facilitated by the arrival of Sara Sidle. [Catherine then] sees the world according to Sara Sidle and realizes something about leadership and about the team."<p>Mendelsohn also revealed that the team would come in contact with someone from their past. "In Episode 2, the team will come across the offspring of our most celebrated serial killer. He's the son of the very first serial killer that was ever featured on <I>CSI</I>," she said. "His father was a nemesis for Grissom. Do we treat him any differently than we treat any other suspect? Are we prejudiced against him?" As CSI Files previously <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/news/230709_02.shtml">reported</a>, the nemesis in question is Paul Millander (<font color=yellow>Matt O'Toole</font>), who was last seen in <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/episodes/csi/season2/identity_crisis.shtml">"Identity Crisis"</a> during <I>CSI</I>'s second season.<p>In addition to an old acquaintance, <I>CSI</I> will get the season underway by introducing a new criminal. "Starting at the end of Episode 1, [the show will have] a very different kind of serial killer for us, we're calling him Dr Jekyll," Mendelsohn added. "The crime scene will be a lot smaller than we've ever experienced." As Shankar previously <A class="link" HREF="http://www.csifiles.com/news/230709_02.shtml">revealed</a> about Dr Jekyll, "the crime scene is always the body."<p>The original information is from <A class="link" HREF="http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/08/04/csi-executive-producer-clears-up-confusion-over-laurence-fishburnes-wardrobe/">Entertainment Weekly</a> and the <A class="link" HREF="http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/08/csi-fishburne-petersen.html">Chicago Tribune</a>.<center></center>

 

Question....If Langston is so good at his job to already be a CSI2....why isn't Greg??? Or did he get promoted and we just weren't told. That annoys me, not to mention VERY unrealistic.

But on a side note, I'm hoping this promotion for Nick means he'll got more screen time. I've missed our cowboy. I've missed Greg too. Heck I've missed everyone as we've hardly seen them for the last little bit.

And for the record, Catherine is quite capable of doing her job, she doesn't need Sara to share her....um people skills. (???) I'm annoyed that TPTB seem to think that the rest of the team are unable to be competent. Sara bailed on them, not to mention she has the social skills of a rock, and no leaderships skills at all. Why would Catherine be getting leadership advice from her. I think Brass would be a better go to person considering he actually IS in a position of leadership. But what do I know?

 

TPTB have their reasons, which at this time their not sharing with us, and Sara has great leadership skills, she trained that Ronnie girl, and Ronnie was estactic to work with her. Sara has great social skills and has shown that time and time again, with the perps and her team members. Everyone sees these characters in a different way. She bailed because of her horrific past, and needed to clear up the ghosts of her past with she shared in her letter to Grissom. Now, she's happy and healthy and, look's at life differently. And all her team members were supportive of her choice, and will embrace her with open arms, when she returns. Maybe she's got an insight for Cath, that she can help, or share a different perspective that we no nothing of~And on Langston, I like him and am looking forward to seeing again, he's now going into his 2nd season, and he'll do better and better~

 

Really?! I missed that episode which would be why I didn't know that. That makes me feel better. I would have been highly annoyed if Langston got promoted and Greggo didn't. I may have to go find that episode and watch it, if only for the cute moments between Nick and Greg. I'v missed that.

 

That's Episode 9, '19 Down...'. It was a good scene .

 

i think that when a show announces big changes around characters and takes other big steps (like firing LLS) it means its runners acknowledge the show is doing below expectations. of course, no rep is ever going to say that point blank. but at least it looks like they realize their post-WP strategy is failing.

LF is a great actor and theoretically he was a perfect choice to substitute Grissom. what's even worse is that the whole thing is not his fault, imo. he is doing a good job, and his character is likeable (his passion for motorcycles is very interesting.) hopefully, the changes are going to be better than what it seems. i wish them all further success but i'm not gonna follow the show that much anyway, regardless of what they do. unless the Bugman and/or Sara come back, that is.

 

Your first paragraph is very true which is why I'm holding out hope there will be some positive changes with the old remaining cast.

I honestly have nothing against LF, I really like him as an actor. I don't really have anything against Langston, I liked him a lot in the beginning. The problem is that they overdosed us on him, and as such I got sick of seeing him.

I like to use the example of having a big yummy cake, if you eat it all at once you get sick and probably rather sick of the cake as well. But if you eat it slowly piece by piece you enjoy it and want to come back for more.

So heres to hoping the changes are positive.

 

No. Just...no.

 

^ nah. maybe it's not gonna be that bad. the spoilers they are giving out this way are always so generic and usually most of the things they talk about go unnoticed. like, season 6 was suppossed to be all about Grissom, or something. i wouldn't worry about it before i see what they actually end up showing after all the editing, ad-libs, change of script, and sequence of the episodes.

 

My dad hit the nail on the head when we were talking about the problem with Langston. He said that what TPTB did was replace Sherlock Holmes with Doctor Watson. He's a brilliant doctor, but he's not Holmes.

That's my problem with Ray. They should have brought him in as an experienced CSI. He still could have been a professor, but he was a CSI in the past. I think TPTB realized this and are trying to rectify it by making him a fast learner.

 

So finally the producers of CSI are listening to the negative responses posted by CSI fans concerning Season 9, since the departure of William Petersen. Not only did they lose half of the cast of a dynamic ensemble but underestimated the fans when they shoved Fishburne character Langston into our faces practically week after week.

Just like one fan, had said that it just like eating a whole cake at one go, it will put you off and make you puke. I like Lawrence Fishburne but his character Langston is a put off. His character Langston, just like Riley Adam is like fish out of water. Both of them are a poor fit!

Thank God they got rid of Riley! To add insult to injury the 200th episode was a mini CSI Langston movie and Season 9 finale the spotlight fell on Langston again. I was keeping my finger cross that the shooting of the suspect in the Season 9 finale would have affected Langston so badly that he would take a paid leave in Season 10 and we don’t see him for at least give or take 15 episodes, so that the producer will concentrate on the rest of the remaining cast.

I have been a die hard fan of CSI since day 1, now I was completely aghast by Season 9 since the departure of Grissiom. The story lines were so lame and at time ridiculous.

Nina Tassler “He didn’t just sort of insert himself right from the start in an authoritative position....but fans wanted to see him in a more take charge capacity. You are going to see that all that in this season”

I wonder if you Miss Tassler, really did watch Season 9. Besides shoving him into our faces it was obvious he was the one in charge all the time. Everyone seems to be reporting to him even Catherine. It was always Langston this and Langston that...and it seems that he was the one solving most of the cases, which is ironic because in his book “Right before my eyes” he did not realise that the killer was his colleague. I firmly believe that the whole problem with the ratings started was because diehard fans of CSI were aghast to see him a newcomer in a more take charge capacity.

By the way, how does giving him a new wardrobe bring up the ratings?

You can put a tuxedo on a frog it will still be a frog. It will not change to Prince Charming unless in a fairytale. :lol:

My friends and I will still laugh hilariously when we talk about the episode when Langston had dressed up as a biker and when looking for a weapon used in the stabbing in the neighbourhood on a bike. He could have just used a metal detector. He reminded me of the Techno Frog. I firmly believe that the producers are making a mistake to listen to the feedback of his fans only.

What they should do...is to listen to the feedback the fans of CSI and what should be done to Langston’s character to be likable by majority of CSI fans.

I am still baffled that Sara is returning to the Crime Lab. I understand that they are understaffed with the exit of Riley but still it does not make sense because she left Grissom twice because she did not want to live in Vegas. In Season 9 episode 2, she told the detective “That is why I can’t work as a CSI anymore”. Moreover I can’t visualise Sara working under Catherine supervision. Maybe that is why they decided to promote Nick – although Nick deserves it, I am sure Sara does not mind working under Nick’s supervision.

“Langston attending classes to be a criminalist like Grissiom” He can attend all the classes and passing with flying colours but he can NEVER be Grissiom, as he lacks the charisma that makes Grissiom’s character intriguing. Maybe if we saw less of Langston, it would make the fans appreciate him more.

There were so many scenes of Langston and Hodges in Season 9, which were all so lame. There was no chemistry between them. And stop making the morgue a comedy central.

Viewers had enough of Dr. Robbins and David playing the court jester. I remember in Season 5 CBS was quick to drop George Eads and Jorja Fox over a pay dispute and now they are bringing her back to boost ratings. I am sure that both Jorja Fox and Gary Dourdan left not only to pursue other interest but were unhappy with their pay check.

Instead of forking out $400,000 for Langston per episode they should have divided that amount between the original cast at least, Sidle and Warrick’s character will still be there.

If knowledge could cause problems, it is not through ignorance that we solve them - Grissom