Constructive Criticism

Re: Constructive Criticism: WHAT EXACTLY is going wrong with

Horatio's life is becoming so full of angst that it is starting to bore me.
I am sad to say that I have to agree with you there MD. I never thought I would feel that way about my favourite character. I do like the characters to have personal lives, but I prefer the subtle approach where we get little hints now and again about what is going on. These personal storylines should also apply to the whole team, not just H. Eric finally gets a personal storyline, and he has to share it with H! *sigh* I know Ryan has had his eye trauma, but Calleigh, Alexx and Tripp have been neglected so far this season.
Posted by ThumpyG42: I'll say up front that I think it was wrong to just send Yelina away with Raymond and close the book on that storyline, and to then expect us to just accept a whole new backstory for Horatio. If they're really wanting to give us the more personal storylines this season, I'd have prefered to see them keep Yelina, and even Raymond for that matter. I'd much rather see how Horatio, Yelina, and Ray, Jr. adjust to Raymond being alive and suddenly back in their lives, or if they even could adjust. The way that storyline was left at the end of the season just felt so unfinished and unresolved. I can honestly say that I'm not too excited to learn about Horatio's past in NY, I just can't get into that whole storyline.
Thumpy, that is completely how I feel about it too. Nicely put! ;)
 
Re: Constructive Criticism: WHAT EXACTLY is going wrong with

I must agree that Ryan's eye problem has been the most convincing and interesting plotline to watch.
It is not thrown into our faces, but instead we learn about it through him working as a CSI. It's very different from Grissom's hearing loss, because the other CSI's know what's going on this time. It also gives Alexx more scenes.
And 'Nailed' really has been the best episode so far.

Horatio and Marisol...to me it comes of like Horatio/Yelina in progress, except for the fact that Marisol is his co-workers sister instead of his brothers ex-wife.
It makes me wonder why the writers never put H and Y together...

Talking about Marisol...what an unbelievable character.
She does not look sick at all. A wasted Suzie looked like 10 times worse. Though Azura Skye is always pretty. But that's off-topic.

Talking about Suzie. I would love to see her and Madison!
What's going on with them? They probably moved as well, since TPTB appearently want to clean up every part of the Raymond backstory. Suckers. Normally I would have said 'have some respect for those people', but I can't say that they have got respect for us as viewers.

I would have load to see Eric cope with Marisols disease as well. I don't see why Horatio needs to be involved.

Yelina was such an underused character!
We never got to see things from her point of view.
While she was so lovely. She made sense.
Natalia doesn't. Yet.
 
Re: Constructive Criticism: WHAT EXACTLY is going wrong with

things i'd like 2 see:
1.A dead Natalia and a dead Marisol.:devil:
2. Megan Donner returning.
3. Raymond Caine coming back, but not Yelina, for some reason.
4. More Valera, Frank and the rest of the team.
 
Re: Constructive Criticism: WHAT EXACTLY is going wrong with

Just a reminder that this is a thread to discuss what we think is going wrong with Season 4 (if we feel that way). What we would like to see happen on the show is only part of the discussion, so a little more elaboration is required ideally. As Gnimaerd originally stated, this is about constructive criticism, not just a list of what we like and don't like.

Thanks. :)
 
Re: Constructive Criticism: WHAT EXACTLY is going wrong with

Talking about Suzie. I would love to see her and Madison!
What's going on with them? They probably moved as well, since TPTB appearently want to clean up every part of the Raymond backstory. Suckers. Normally I would have said 'have some respect for those people', but I can't say that they have got respect for us as viewers.
Suzie and Madison are the only people I miss from the previous seasons. First it was planned to put them in 4x12, but the story was cut out. Hopefully it will be put in a later episode.

I almost forgot someone ... Tyler. I miss him so much. I can't get used to Cooper. Tyler was the far better AV-labtech and of course cuter :D

the duke (Cal's dad) should appear again. He is an interesting character and he gives Cal more screentime ;)
He was only in 1-2 episodes per season, so there is still time.

some additional words on the Marisol-issue: NO BABIES !!! Then I will be almost fine, almost.

they should get rid of Natalia, although the baby-problem is solved. I still don't like her. But maybe she is a not likeable character on purpose, she is a fed (or works for feds) and nobody likes feds ;)
that doesn't explain why Ann said in an interview that "everyone" likes Natalia :confused: but thats Ann again :D

the storylines didn't get so soapy as I feared (so far). The "soapy" parts had always really funny scenes in them. so it was more than watchable :D
 
Re: Constructive Criticism: WHAT EXACTLY is going wrong with

gives Cal more screentime ;)
He was only in 1-2 episodes per season, so there is still time.

I hope THAT problem is solved, when Emily has done her movie
 
Re: Constructive Criticism: WHAT EXACTLY is going wrong with

Suzie and Madison are the only people I miss from the previous seasons. First it was planned to put them in 4x12, but the story was cut out. Hopefully it will be put in a later episode.

Don't count on it. You won't believe how depressed I was when I heard they were cut out.
I watched 'The Score' last weekend (I'm slow on Miami eps, it's pretty obvious why) and it kinda sucked.
If only Suzie and Madison would have been there...
 
Re: Constructive Criticism: WHAT EXACTLY is going wrong with

no way...I don't want suzie and madison there's a good reason they've cut that out....thank god
 
Re: Constructive Criticism: WHAT EXACTLY is going wrong with

the part was something about Madison maybe ending up in a foster family. They coud#ve cut it out because it was too similar to the Resden-story. Now the writers have to think about something new. there is still hope ;)
 
Re: Constructive Criticism: WHAT EXACTLY is going wrong with

i think that miami keeps it's originality (the lots of beach, sun, parties, life a.o.), it's nice plot where the characters are special, they've got their problems and their life which makes it realistic. It;s the best of all seasons cause the plot gets more and more convincing with lots of suspence.
 
I've been a huge Miami fan from the get go and all of the season up until now have been spectacular. I had so much hope in S4 at the beginning of the season (even when I found out that Yelina may not come back :() however, it just hasn't been right.

The writers have almost completely abandoned what has gone on in the previous seasons. The seasons that got most of us here hooked.

I for one have expressed keen interest in the Horatio/Raymond/Yelina storyline. That has gone on since season 1. Until this season, that is. I think they could've easily taken that storyline a whole lot further than they have--instead of chopping it off abruptly after s3's finale. And after I found out that Sofia may not be coming back to the show I was sincerely mind-boggled. She is a very talented actress and there is SO much more the writers could've done with Yelina's character.

Now, they've gone into this Horatio NY past story arc and Resden, etc. I feel, this season, that I'm watching an entirely different show than the Miami of old. H's NY past was not even mentioned ]b]at all[/b] in s1-3 and it's gone from bothersome to just plain crazy.

Also, I think the 'creation' of Marisol was rather abrupt. I have nothing against her and I've actually grown to like her somewhat, but where was she previously? Remission? Than how come Eric never mentioned her?
 
He mentioned her in season 1 (Kill Zone?) and he also mentioned in Slaughterhouse he has 3 sisters.

The creation of Marisol doesn't bother me, what bothers me is the unrealistic aspects of this storyline: a) how come Eric's parents aren't taking care of her in any way? b) why is she so fucking healthy looking and, c) Marisol is just the writers' 289,586 excuse to make Horatio all angsty and martyr-like. Cause we don't get enough of that on regular episodes. She's not a character, she's an object, a plot device to make Horatio even more miserable. Culturally, the character is totally unrealistic. Medically? Unbelievably unrealistic. And from a female standpoint? Totally unrealistic as well. The character has no depth; she doesn't even have a personality. She doesn't seem to care about her brother, who has gone broke because he has to pay her rent and buy her expensive clothes that she refuses to stop wearing. She doesn't even seem to care about her own health, because she's constantly parading around in low cut shirts, exposing her cleavage, and she's having sex with a man she just met. Marisol is a Barbie, plain and simple.

Season 4 has been a complete disaster. The characters aren't even likeable anymore. I honestly don't find myself compelled to root for any of them. They've turned Horatio into such a freaking victim it's just unbelievable and unbearable. I cannot, and refuse to, fathom that one person could have gone through so many freaking traumas in his lifetime. I also can't understand why the writers are doing this. Do they think that the only reason why we would like a character is if we feel sorry for him? I'm sorry, but this is something 14 year old fanfic writers do. I expect much better from grown, professional writers.

Calleigh has become a robot. Even when she smiles, she looks like she's had 15 Botox injections, because there is no mirth in her eyes, and her face muscles barely stretch. Right now, the differences between Marisol and Calleigh aren't many. They're both devoid of personality, emotion, and depth. I can't even recognize this character anymore. They've totally pushed her to the background and ignored her, to the point where you watch the show and you go, "looks like Calleigh, same hair, but nope, that can't be her, can it?" She's not Southern anymore, she's lost everything that made her Southern, including the accent. All Calleigh does these days is hang around, look all porcelain-like, and give Ryan advice, even though most of the time she's annoyed by him.

Ryan's storyline has gotten old REALLY fast. He's an asshole, he screws up, he makes that pitiful face, we're supposed to forgive him. That's Ryan's formula. This has been going on in almost every episode. The episode starts, Ryan makes an asshole out of himself, then he goes on and screws up, then he comes back and asks to be forgiven, and we have to forgive him. Either that or he gets himself into trouble, and Horatio has to rescue him, and we have to feel sorry for him. Again: fanfic device. At least last season he had something going for himself, this season he's become like the other characters - totally superficial.

Eric - screws up, then screws up again, then we find out he didn't actually screw up in the sense that he screwed up, he just screwed up, so let's forget about that... until he screws up again, but this time he'll screw up for totally just reasons, really! While he screws up, we find out he really respects women, and he's got his priorities straight... until he runs into an army of ex-girlfriends, all claiming he never called them, while at the same time he's telling the woman he's sleeping with, but has no feelings for, that he's gonna be there for her if it turns out he got her pregnant. So we like him, because he's a good man who does good things, except when he's a whore, or when he screws up for screwed up reasons, unless those screwed up reasons turn out to be morally right.

(I have to say, though, that right now, I think Eric is the one character with the most depth. There's something kinda twisted about a guy who spends his time off taking care of his dying sister, but then goes on to sleep with 9,000 strangers. It kinda makes you wonder what's going on in his head, and that's good writing, when the viewer spends a lot of time trying to figure a character out. I can't really say that about the other Miami characters. Horatio had this going for him in the beginning, until about season 2, when they decided he needs to be the most tortured soul that was ever tortured and totally ruined him. I think Eric is the most human of the bunch.)

I'll give the writers props for keeping Alexx in character. She's just as incompetent today as she was during season 1.

Miami might be the only show on television that loves making its characters look bad. They had an entire episode devoted to pointing out Calleigh, Ryan, and Eric's stupidity. What purpose does this serve, except telling the audience what they already know: that the writing on this show is terrible? What kind of writer likes to make its characters look bad? This is lost on me. I really don't get it. If anything, they should make the criminals look bad, not the cops.

I think at this point, I'm really hoping they DON'T put Rex Linn in the main credits, because being in the main credits means they'll totally butcher your character beyond recognition. Then, of course, this is also true for non-regular characters, seeing as Valera now might be the mole, for reasons no one can understand except it's a good sweeps stunt. Then there's Natalia Boa Vista, who's just as useless and insipid as those elevator buttons Horatio never needs to push on. This is totally like Miami: to bring a character everybody hates into the show to make the show even more unbearable. It's like their main goal is to annoy us.

The episodes have blended together so much I can't even tell the difference between them. Every single episode is the same: someone dies, Horatio stands there, says something incredibly stupid, cut to the first scene, Ryan and Calleigh work the case, Horatio does nothing, Eric becomes exposition boy, they catch the guy, who always has a stupid motive and/or killed the person by accident, end of episode. I'm so sick of this. Ann Donahue prides herself on being so creative, but honestly? She's everything but. All the plots on this show are super predictable. The episodes are boring. Don't the writers get bored of writing the same thing in every fucking episode? Don't they get bored with the tiresome Ryan/Calleigh dynamic? Because hell, I'm not a good writer by all means, but I know as a writer you crave variety and creativity. This show? The concept is totally alien.

If it's going to continue like this, I'd rather they axe it. Either that or turn it into a sitcom, because as it stands right now CSI: Miami might be the funniest show on TV.
 
Also, I think the 'creation' of Marisol was rather abrupt. I have nothing against her and I've actually grown to like her somewhat, but where was she previously? Remission? Than how come Eric never mentioned her?
oh Marisol was "mentioned". Remember "Kill Zone"?
It's not unusual that Eric never talked about his family. That's the way of the cuban culture. And as long as it doesn't affect the work, he doesn't have to tell H or other members of his team about his private life.
But when Marisol got sick, Eric had to care for her more than ever. He arrived late for work, got a bit chaotic and then he was accused of smoking pot. Then he had to tell whats really up with him and we lerned about Marisol.
I'm not happy with it, and the surfacing of her was aprupt, but there is a good explaination for it.

the NY past just took some time to get going. At the beginning we didn't know much, but we get more pieces every time
 
midnight_tiptoes, brilliant post. You have absolutely put the finger right on all that is wrong with season 4 and why the show is becoming tiresome, predictable and actually, a very poor tv show.
Season 4 has been a complete disaster. The characters aren't even likeable anymore. I honestly don't find myself compelled to root for any of them.
Agreed, with the exceptions of maybe Valera and Frank.
They've turned Horatio into such a freaking victim it's just unbelievable and unbearable. I cannot, and refuse to, fathom that one person could have gone through so many freaking traumas in his lifetime.
Exactly. That's why I liked the Ray/Yelina storyarc. That was at least believable and in my opinion, well written until it's abrupt so called 'resolution' (yeah, right!) in '10-7'.
The episodes have blended together so much I can't even tell the difference between them. Every single episode is the same: someone dies, Horatio stands there, says something incredibly stupid, cut to the first scene, Ryan and Calleigh work the case, Horatio does nothing, Eric becomes exposition boy, they catch the guy, who always has a stupid motive and/or killed the person by accident, end of episode. I'm so sick of this. Ann Donahue prides herself on being so creative, but honestly? She's everything but. All the plots on this show are super predictable. The episodes are boring.
I was thinking along these lines too. I cannot tell the episodes apart, and yes, the show bores me now, and I never thought I would say that. It bemuses me that the show still gets such good ratings. Are we all brain dead, or do we just like looking at pretty, superficial people going through the motions? Or is it that there isn't another half decent show on a Monday night that could challenge it? CSI:Miami really is not a good tv show anymore. When you watch other quality shows, you realize just how bad Miami really is these days. Such a shame, because it was once really very good viewing indeed.
 
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