^I think it could potentially be a good move, too, if they find the right actress and tweak the personality and role a bit more. Demographically, they are sort of missing a more youthful, exuberant female presence on the show, so I can see what might be driving this type of change.
That's a good point. Lindsay was supposed to be that, but aside from a few sparks midway through season two, she's been a mostly joyless drag on the show. And when they cut Lindsay's hair in season four, it aged her ten years and she hasn't really recovered, looks-wise. She looks like she's pushing 40 and has since that unfortunate haircut.
It is a gamble, though, to remove one or two existing characters, who have their own fans, and bring in someone new, who is an unknown entity.
That's definitely true, and new characters almost always seem to have their detractors. I think a lot of it comes down to who they choose to play the role. The writing lifts the episodes and the storylines, but at the end of the day, whether or not a character is likable/appealing/interesting resides with the actor. I don't think Lindsay would have been such a big debacle had a warmer, more talented actress been chosen for the role. There have been moments I've liked her--"Stuck on You," "Cool Hunter," the pool table seduction of Danny in "Snow Day," but they've been outweighed by the moments I've found the character brittle, cold and manipulative.
And the character description does sound a little too good to be true, but hopefully they will refine it to get the balance right and end up with a character who, although not perfect, is still believable and likeable.
Someone above said any of the characters on paper probably all sound too good to be true, and I agree with that. Again, it's the writing and acting that make them nuanced.
I keep going back to some of the previous descriptions of the finale -- something like a CSI's life will hang in the balance -- and wonder if whoever is injured will be comatose or incapacitated in such a way that would drastically limit their screentime. That could certainly lead to Mac bringing in someone new and would allow them to switch one of the regulars to a recurring or limited role if that is in fact what they are trying to do. On the other hand, that would be a bit too similar to what happened with Louie, so they might be reluctant to take that approach.
It's possible one of the regs won't be killed, but will be wounded or shaken by the experience so much that he/she chooses to leave his/her job at the lab. Lindsay could become a stay at home mom--she'd still be married to Danny, but she'd effectively be written off the show. Hawkes could have another career change, etc. There are options other than killing the character, but I think the addition of the new regular makes it highly likely that the lab will be down one person after episode 601.
ETA:
I really don't think they would kill Lindsey. To me killing Angel and then Lindsey would be, well, overkill (pun intended). Having both Flack and Danny mourning over their losses, leaving little Lucy motherless, I think it would all be a little too soap opera like - although the show is starting to get that way anyway.
Yeah, that's the only thing that gives me hesitancy about Lindsay dying, too. It would kind of be overkill, even though it would be an interesting way to further bond Danny and Flack. But essentially it would be the same story, though I don't think they could have Danny go off seeking revenge the way Flack did--I think they'd have to have Danny break down, in true Danny fashion.
I'm not an Anna Belknap fan. I wouldn't mind if she left the show or they cut back her appearances. In theory, the Lindsey character should of been a good addition to the cast but I find Anna's acting kind of limited and boring and since, as someone else pointed out, the character has been DL since the first episode she was in, Lindsey has never developed. Hopefully they get a good actress for this Kate part and she can add to the show's great cast.
I'm glad they're adding another woman, too. It would be nice to have someone who could really have a great dynamic with Stella, as well, the way Aiden did. Stella and Lindsay never really bonded, and they've never come across as real friends on screen. So I'm excited about the addition of another woman to the cast, and I hope she'll be an interesting, cool character. And I really hope they get the casting right.
Also, just because they are casting a female CSI doesn't mean it's a female who will possibly die in the aftermath of the shooting. Hawkes (god forbid) could parish - Hill Harper has a lot of other stuff going on. Also Adam - AJ is doing supernatural and X-men voice overs - so he's busy too. Or, Sid (who I would hate to see leave) could parish or be injured and Hawkes moves back to the ME position. There's a lot of possiblities. It'll be interesting to see what pans out.
Yeah, I agree that the addition of the female CSI doesn't mean that a woman is dying. The regular cast is 8 people--only two are women. So if it went down to 3 women, 5 men, that would be a good balance. I'd hate to lose any of the guys though. Lindsay is the only one whose death would actually benefit the show.
