"Cello and Goodbye" discussion **Spoilers**

I liked Morgan, Sara, Cath and Al. That was it.

I'm probably going to be the only one to have this opinion, but while I like how the CSI's all went out of their way to backup Ray, I'm mixed about the fact that Nick, Greg and Hodges assisted him when they all knew Ray shouldn't have been anywhere near the case anymore. I know, Gloria's life was in danger. But really? For the first time, I was glad that Cath got mad at Nick and I wanted to shout at Greg to grow a spine and tell Ray to get out of the lab.

This pains me cause those two are my favorite characters. So I guess I'm going to have to scapegoat and get mad at Ray for bringing everyone else down with him.

And before anyone says it, I know! Gloria's life was in danger. I get it. I don't know what I would do in that situation. Which is why I'm so conflicted with this episode.

There were things I liked, of course. Morgan was great. She's got spunk. I like spunk. The phone call with Greg and Hodges was pretty funny. Sara being the calm, collected one was nice. And I really like Al.

I just can't wait for Haskell to be done with. For me, it's dragging everything down. I hate that...

 

As a whole the episode was OK. My only problem is that it's reached the point that you can't ignore Haskell like you used to be able to.

Ray was way too close to the case before Gloria's life was in danger. He never should have been brought to L A, and that I put on Catherine. And I don't care if L A may have wanted Ray Langston. He's not the only CSI in Vegas that knows DJK at this point!

I knew Nick was going to back up Ray before seeing any spoilers for it. Nick would have backed up any of them. It's in his character. He sees the good in everybody and not always the bad. That's how he had Jason McCann after him, is he refused to see the bad. I think Catherine knew he would too, which is why she didn't send him back to Vegas with Ray.

Hodges was Hodges. Lets face it he may have moved out on Mom but he definitely doesn't have any backbone. I was surprised it took him that long before logging in on the computer for Ray. :lol:

Greg was really being non-commital. Like he was in Redrum. Unless there's someone there who's backing him up he just seems to go with the flow. It was really kinda stupid of him to leave Ray alone in the lab with the laptop still logged in, though.

I am a little upset at Doc Robbins for bringing Ray to the lab. But if I was Catherine I would have called Brass and told him to pick Ray up in a police car and bring him home (not Doc). After all, he had already skipped out once after showing grief and saying he was going home.


I may be the only one but I'm non-commital on Morgan Brody. One episode was not enough for me to really tell what the character is like. We haven't seen her opposite Greg, Ecklie, or any of the labrats so I'll wait to form an opinion.


Susan

 

I thought it was to Nick as well in the beginning, especially when he said "you're the only one who could understand"... because of Nick's reaction to McKeen and all.

As for Nick helping Ray, I think he is trying to keep a repeat of what happened to Warrick from happening to Ray. I think Nick's really became even more overprotective of his co-workers/friends since Warrick's death (not that he wasn't protective before, but now it's magnified I think).

Technically, Greg didn't leave Ray alone in the lab, Hodges was still there. Then Ray got Hodges to leave by asking him to get coffee.


As for Sosa, I liked his scenes with Ray and thought they were on point, but I didn't care for his attitude toward Cath and Sara because they didn't deserve it. If he appears once in a while, I'm fine with that, but I'm not sure I would want him as a regular. I'd rather have Vega to be honest... or that cop that worked with Sara in one ep last season (the guy from without a trace).

 

The writers didn't seem to want any of the regular characters to oppose Ray too much. Rather than going to the lab, Ray should have called the lab and asked them to check out the leads or whatever instead of intimidating the guys into doing it or letting him do it. What worries me is that they are all (Nick and Cath included and possibly Sara) probably gonna have their jobs on the line because of this when Ecklie gets wind of it all.

The two powerful looks from Ray in this ep were the horror on his face when he saw all the blood at the crime scene (before they realized it all belonged to the husband) and the look of relief and hope on his face when Haskell said Gloria was still alive.

Haskell sounded like such a nut when he was shouting "she's still alive" though. Fruity as a fruitcake.

 

The funny thing is, that's why I'm frustrated with Nick. :lol: It's awesome how loyal he is and really shows how strong his character is. Yet that can also be a weakness. Loyalty and over-protectiveness can make someone blind. It's a double-edged sword...

And I will agree with the acting of both those men. Fishburne really sells his character conflict. I may not be a Ray fan, but you can't knock the actor's performance. And Eads is just awesome. He really puts his all into it.

 

I don't know, I kind of felt like Ray's comment of "you can be part of the problem, or part of the solution" could be seen as kind of intimidating and if I didn't understand his plight (with Gloria being missing at the hands of a serial killer), it would be bordering on threatening/bullying (not saying I think this, just saying IF circumstances were less dire and someone said that). I know he was desperate and worried and all (so I can't blame him too much), but I just wish the writers hadn't written that scene like that. I wish they'd written like this, "Come on guys, Gloria is still alive, but if we don't find her soon, Haskell will kill her. Would you please help me?" It would have been a lot nicer (and shown respect for his co-workers) and not as annoying how they all just accepted what Ray was doing with little argument.

I just can't understand why they wrote it this way. Why they felt the need to have all the characters cave in like that is beyond me. They should have had him go off on his own completely instead of pulling everyone else in like they had him do.

Why did Ray have to buy a gun though? He did carry a gun at certain times. I mean there was one season finale where he shot a suspect, so... I'm confused as to why he'd have to buy a gun. Weird.