Character Development/Screentime Discussion

[sharp52092]

No, Riley started in the 3rd ep of Season 9, and she and Ray overlapped from Ep 9 on. Season 8 was entirely with Warrick. I do feel that it was Ray's character that pushed Riley into the background, once he arrived, they were too invested in his character to care about her much. I don't mind Ray, but I do hate the way that the other leading actors were shoved in the background to make way for him. There's no way that Nick, Cath and Eric should have had that much decreased screen time, nor been made to look like Ray knew more as a CSI 1 or 2, than any of them as a level 3 CSI. I bow to his medical knowledge, but not his crime scene skills.

*Hugs this post* Yeah I pretty much agree with you about everything here

Marg had a lack of screentime due to her divorce going on at the time, and George at the end of the season due to his back problems/surgery, but the others there really was no reason for, I understand you need to break in the new characters (Ray AND Riley) :wtf: BUT seriously CBS!!!!! :wtf:

That said, I've come to enjoy him more in S11, as long as they work as a team, and not as Ray-centric episodes all of the time. The Cross Over eps of S10 were highly imbalanced. I was only a CSI NY watcher when they first aired (and I did watch all 3), but as as non CSI watcher, I would have assumed that Ray was the only character on the show. When I watched the eps again this year, after having become an original CSI fan, the only ep I had an interest in was the Vegas wrap-up, and only so I could see Nick, lol.

Yeah there have been some episodes where I can live with Ray, examples: All That Cremains, The Two Mrs. Grissoms, and such, he's either standing in the background, the screentime is more even, or something like that, and it doesn't involve Haskell or even Dr. Jekyll, I liked those 2 serial killers at first but when they started becoming just Ray's storyline/serial killer and the way they wrapped up Dr J which was hugely disappointing, or dragging Haskell on and on and on AND ON!!!

 

[Desertwind]

Sorry, I was off on when Riley left, I do remember her and Ray working together. I just think the writers had a bigger vision in mind, when letting this character go, and bringing in the "big guns" so to speak. And also Grissom offered Ray the position to join the lab. and even stated "not much money" but Ray said "it wasn't about the money". Ray as this character did replace WP/Grissom as the lead we all know that by now. So if he's in most of the scenes, so was Grissom. And the "your not required to wear a tie" was Ray's first day out in the field and later at the crime scene he had to cut off his tie, cause it had evidence on it

RAYS FIRST DAY

 

[Ladybronco]

No, Riley started in the 3rd ep of Season 9, and she and Ray overlapped from Ep 9 on. Season 8 was entirely with Warrick. I do feel that it was Ray's character that pushed Riley into the background, once he arrived, they were too invested in his character to care about her much. I don't mind Ray, but I do hate the way that the other leading actors were shoved in the background to make way for him. There's no way that Nick, Cath and Eric should have had that much decreased screen time, nor been made to look like Ray knew more as a CSI 1 or 2, than any of them as a level 3 CSI. I bow to his medical knowledge, but not his crime scene skills.

*Hugs this post* Yeah I pretty much agree with you about everything here

Marg had a lack of screentime due to her divorce going on at the time, and George at the end of the season due to his back problems/surgery, but the others there really was no reason for, I understand you need to break in the new characters (Ray AND Riley) :wtf: BUT seriously CBS!!!!! :wtf:

That said, I've come to enjoy him more in S11, as long as they work as a team, and not as Ray-centric episodes all of the time. The Cross Over eps of S10 were highly imbalanced. I was only a CSI NY watcher when they first aired (and I did watch all 3), but as as non CSI watcher, I would have assumed that Ray was the only character on the show. When I watched the eps again this year, after having become an original CSI fan, the only ep I had an interest in was the Vegas wrap-up, and only so I could see Nick, lol.

Yeah there have been some episodes where I can live with Ray, examples: All That Cremains, The Two Mrs. Grissoms, and such, he's either standing in the background, the screentime is more even, or something like that, and it doesn't involve Haskell or even Dr. Jekyll, I liked those 2 serial killers at first but when they started becoming just Ray's storyline/serial killer and the way they wrapped up Dr J which was hugely disappointing, or dragging Haskell on and on and on AND ON!!!

Hugs accepted for the post sharp, back at ya!
I didn't know about Marg's divorce, and I forgot about George's back issues at the time I made my post. I guess I am somewhat unusual on this board in the fact that I never started watching until last summer (S10 reruns). I started the franchise with NY, which I've watched for a few seasons now. Since the beginning of this year I have powered through the entire 11 seasons, so I have not had to endure the weekly wait, nor had to suffer through a cliff hanger, thank God. But it does give a different perspective when you see the whole series like that. The only weekly wait that has been torturing me has been since the start of S11, I have caught it totally from the beginning, and finally became the CSI nut that I harbored inside. :lol:

 

[Raynn]

No, Riley started in the 3rd ep of Season 9, and she and Ray overlapped from Ep 9 on. Season 8 was entirely with Warrick. I do feel that it was Ray's character that pushed Riley into the background, once he arrived, they were too invested in his character to care about her much. I don't mind Ray, but I do hate the way that the other leading actors were shoved in the background to make way for him. There's no way that Nick, Cath and Eric should have had that much decreased screen time, nor been made to look like Ray knew more as a CSI 1 or 2, than any of them as a level 3 CSI. I bow to his medical knowledge, but not his crime scene skills.

*Hugs this post* Yeah I pretty much agree with you about everything here

Marg had a lack of screentime due to her divorce going on at the time, and George at the end of the season due to his back problems/surgery, but the others there really was no reason for, I understand you need to break in the new characters (Ray AND Riley) :wtf: BUT seriously CBS!!!!! :wtf:

*hugs post also* Riley was a good, strong character - but once Ray came in, she got pushed into the background and not really developed as much. I understand why Marg and George had reduced time, but all of the other characters should have been given more of a focus (especially the 200th episode - should've been focused on the characters who had actually been there for 200 eps!). Also, even with reduced screen time, the senior CSI characters could still have shown their expertise in helping solve cases, rather than it always being the new guy who has all the answers - Ray went from 'new guy' to 'forensics expert' too quickly, in my opinion (one week, he can't lift a print; two weeks later, he's testifying in court ).

As for Riley's attitude, well, remember Cath/Sara back in season 1? Riley was nothing compared to that! :lol: I like a bit of attitude anyway - everyone being all smiles and cheery and agreeable with each other gets very boring.

I guess I am somewhat unusual on this board in the fact that I never started watching until last summer (S10 reruns). I started the franchise with NY, which I've watched for a few seasons now. Since the beginning of this year I have powered through the entire 11 seasons, so I have not had to endure the weekly wait, nor had to suffer through a cliff hanger, thank God. But it does give a different perspective when you see the whole series like that. The only weekly wait that has been torturing me has been since the start of S11, I have caught it totally from the beginning, and finally became the CSI nut that I harbored inside. :lol:

I started the same way, watching all 10 seasons last summer (I'd caught a few episodes here and there, but never really got to know the characters). It was interesting, watching 10 years of development all at once. Doesn't really give time to adjust to changes, but at the same time, it's easier to appreciate just how far some characters have come.

 

[Desertwind]

TPTB didn't pay Laurence Fishburne $14 million buckos, for 2 seasons and 350,000 per ep. to stand around in the background. I've totally embraced him as this character Dr. Ray, and think he's doing an exceptional job, as the team has, and am glad he's in the forefront.:bolian:He's a doctor an author and a pathologist and has brought his brilliant expertise to the lab, and on the "fingerprints" hes a quick study and a fast learner. He's got mega medical experience and didn't just walk in of the street. What makes me the happiest on this show is how everyone gets along. The crime scenes are so brutal and gruesome, it's charming and delightful to see the team so in tune while working these cases~

 

[Robinjn]

The reason TPTB gave for the departures of Lauren Lee Smith (Riley) and Liz Vassey (Wendy) were pretty much the same--they were going in a new creative direction. Yeah, pretty lame.

Wendy went to be a CSI in Portland, not Seattle.

 

[Smokey]

I loved Ray in "The Grave Shift". He was so new and naive and looked cute with his glasses on. :lol: It was really fun to view the CSI experience through his newbie eyes and see what's it like to learn how to do the job.

I wish they would have kept him this way a little longer...shown the learning curve. But BAM! Next thing you know he was an expert in everything.

It just wasn't handled right. They couldn't keep a big star like LF in the background as a newbie, so they should have brought him in as an experience CSI and/or supervisor to begin with if they were planning on him being the male lead.

I liked the way they brought in Keppler when Grissom was gone for four episodes. It worked really well, and he got to work the minute he arrived and seemed to fit in with the team.

 

[Dizzney]

I just think they really were in a lose/lose situation when they brought in Ray. If they made him a new supervisor and skipped Catherine for it, people would have been mad. Instead they brought him in as a lower level CSI but they couldn't keep an actor his caliber in a low level like that. So they made him seem smarter and the quick learning professional when most people really couldn't grab onto his quick learning curve either. I still think they should have never brought in a new lead. I still think the existing actors could have pulled it off.

 

[Robinjn]

I just think they really were in a lose/lose situation when they brought in Ray. If they made him a new supervisor and skipped Catherine for it, people would have been mad. Instead they brought him in as a lower level CSI but they couldn't keep an actor his caliber in a low level like that. So they made him seem smarter and the quick learning professional when most people really couldn't grab onto his quick learning curve either. I still think they should have never brought in a new lead. I still think the existing actors could have pulled it off.

Former showrunner Naren Shankar said, "No matter what we did, it was going to be wrong."

Ain't that the truth!

 

[Desertwind]

On the Riley issue, fans were clamoring for the return of Jorja as Sara, and they [the honches] decided to bring her back, They must of made her an offer she couldn't refuse. On any poll anywhere Sara would win hands down over this character Riley. And bringing her back and letting Lauren go had absoutely nothing to do with Ray. Also she wasn't the lead, he was.

On Dr. Langston, he's run the gamut of strong emotions and characteristics, from rookie to expert. Nick showing him how to correctly fingerprint, him staying after his shift was over to teach himself. He was cooperative with the team from the onset. We saw him as low-key soft spoken, cool & smooth, then his frustrations, his anger. Some also suspected he was Dr. Jekyll was he? NO. Nick "go home man we'll take care of this" His insubordination with Cath, his full on rage when he went home WOW,:wtf: Nick coming over to comfort him "we're a team", and Sara and Greg bringing him food. His funny side in "Field Mice" with Hodges and Henry the "glue" jokes. His heartbreak and being upset over his ex. getting remarried. And the continual tormenting by freak-show Haskell. But still he maintains his camraderie with his co-workers, and still focuses on the case at hand. He's ENIGMATIC He's got great range, and he's a great character. Thanks to Carol and staff for choosing him:bolian:

 

[Selphie]

Jorja/Sara is not the reason for Riley/Lauren going, Jorja is not even in every episode and with Marg leaving they could have kept both Riley and Wendy.

 

[Desertwind]

Jorja/Sara is not the reason for Riley/Lauren going, Jorja is not even in every episode and with Marg leaving they could have kept both Riley and Wendy.

Yeah they could have, but they didn't. And bringing back Jorja was the reason, it was all over the news at the time. It said "she'd have limited episodes" which she did. Who knows what TPTB 's reasoning is, they only let the fans know what they want them to know There's probably so much secrecy and their probably sworn to keep it~

 

[Ladybronco]

I started the same way, watching all 10 seasons last summer (I'd caught a few episodes here and there, but never really got to know the characters). It was interesting, watching 10 years of development all at once. Doesn't really give time to adjust to changes, but at the same time, it's easier to appreciate just how far some characters have come.

Raynn, glad to see someone else like me
I've had such a cram course of catching up that I know I have a teeny different perspective that the regulars that have been watching since the beginning.

Smokey, I also agree with your opinion of "The Grave Shift". That was a really good episode the way it was depicted! :thumbsup:

I do miss Wendy though, and I was reminded how much again last night after re-watching "Bull". The parts with her, Nick and Greg had me in stitches, especially since I knew all that before the "viewer" was introduced to all things PBR and breeding :lol:

 

[Selphie]

DESERTWIND what was all over the news? I do not belive Jorja/Sara was the reason for Riley and Wendy leaving I did not see anyone from CSI suggest it was. As I said even with Sara they badly need more female presence on the show .

 

[Desertwind]

DESERTWIND what was all over the news? I do not belive Jorja/Sara was the reason for Riley and Wendy leaving I did not see anyone from CSI suggest it was. As I said even with Sara they badly need more female presence on the show .

It was on our own forum news in the day, and Wendy had nothing to do with the exit of Riley and the entrance of Jorja and if you want to research it yourself, go on GOOGLE, and put in whatever you want pertaining to this subject, and there are all kinds of links. We just had a power outage, I was looking for a link, but you can do this at your convience. And you'd have to ask the head honches "why" I know that Zuiker said, "she wasn't a fit or didn't add to the ensemble" or something to that effect. I will give it a try agan, but meanwhile you can do this yourself. And then there's vegaslights he knows all the in's and outs of CSI:bolian:

I did find one link about Lauren/Riley~

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/07/lauren-lee-smith-leaves-csi.html