Dear Writers... (Have something you want to say?)

Faylinn

Faylinn

Adam Fangirl
Super Moderator
I've noticed a number of posters in various threads complaining about the writing for NY lately. So I thought it might be nice to have one thread where we could address our problems/concerns. ;)

This thread is just for discussion. There is no guarantee that any person that is directly involved with CSI:NY will read it. If you want to send feedback, there is a form on cbs.com where you can do so. (Scroll to the bottom of the site and click "Feedback," but make sure you read everything on the pop-up window before sending your comments/complaints, especially the section below the form.)

I'll start things out. :) It goes without saying that this is all just my personal opinion.

Dear Writers:
~ Please finish what you've already started before you begin anything else. There are great friendships and relationships between the characters that have been there since the show began--why not concentrate on these interactions, which we as fans already love, instead of pushing romance and leaving the rest of the storylines to collect dust?

~ The show takes place in New York City. New York is a fascinating, diverse place. It is not just upperclass Manhattan. Yes, this makes the show glamorous, but let's mix things up a bit.

~ Write the characters to take best advantage of the actors. If an actor has a strength, play it up. If they have a weakness, it's probably not the best idea if their character only highlights that fact.

And so on. :) Do you guys have anything you wish you could say to the writers? (And be nice, they have given us good stuff before. :p)
 
Great thread, Fay! Thank you. I'll start.

Dear writers.... please continue the story of Mac never really accepting his wife's death since the first episode: Blink when he admitted to the locked-in patient that he threw away everything of his wife except for a beach ball. That would make a great storyline to carry through. I see that they could develop great plots and scenes from this, especially now with Claire's son in the picture--Mac really needs to work out some stuff that the issue of Peyton has brought up as well. He called her "Claire" and hasn't ever forgotten about her. He needs to move on from his life, even though the truth is after 911--things will never be the same--he still has to deal with things himself first before entering an adult mature relationship.
 
Dearest Writers:

-You have the basis for some amazing characters. Focus on character continuity, not character creation, and finish what you started. The idea of Montana girl in big city was amazing. You turned it into a sniveling idiot with her panties in a twist all the freaking time. Unless your hand has some unexplainable paralysis at the moment of truth, there is little reason why you can't change her character to something more likable. Lindsay can come back to New York changed. There is still hope for some maturity in her actions. If not maturity, there is always the handy excuse called death. Disease. Killed in the line of duty. Mauled by a bull. Bitten by a squirrel (do they have those in NYC?) infected with rabies. The options are endless.

-I don't need to be constantly reminded on what you think of rich people. Why can't you give us a rich victim who was actually a benefit to society?

-"Hung Out To Dry" was amazing. Whoever wrote it deserves a gold medal, lots of money, and the chance to do it again. Serials worked in Vegas. I'm sure they have some in New York, too.
 
Alright. You knew I'd have something to say here :devil:

And by the way, fly_casual, I like your way of thinking :p

Here goes nothing.

Dear Writers,

I'm interested to know what demographic CSI NY is aimed at. I seriously don't know and would like to. I could be wrong, but I thought it would probably have been the 25+ demographic. Lately however it seems as if you are aiming lower. Or at the very least trying to be all things to all people, to the detriment of the show.

What started out as a dark, gritty, obviously NY show has changed vastly. I see the necessity of the change from the first season because of ratings. Season 2 was a good change. Season 3 however, is heading in a cheap and nasty direction.

Every case seems to involve young, beautiful, rich people in wildly ridiculous situations. A teensy part of Manhattan does not NY make. Please give us New York!!!! If you want the show to be taken seriously, surely lets have some realisim in it? With real 'NY' characters. This isn't Dallas or Dynasty.

Neither is it The OC. I am quite dismayed by the direction the Danny/Lindsay storyline is taking. You seem to be catering for a much younger audience with this. The whole so-called 'relationship' smacks of immaturity and highschool romance.

You are essentially trying to force something there that isn't happening naturally between the characters or actors. You have started with having Lindsay as a very poorly written character, with no basis for being in her own right, beyond being involved in this 'relationship'. I have no idea how good or bad an actress Anna Belknap is, but she clearly struggles with Lindsay. She is a thoroughly unlikeable character. Added to that, there is zero chemistry onscreen between Belknap and Giovinazzo. Do the writers watch this show? Can you not see that? Why force something that isn't there? It shows.

I realise having Danny and Lindsay involved in some sort of romantic entanglement is cashing in on Carmine Giovinazzo's popularity with the young girls, purely for his 'physical' attributes and the fan-love they feel for him. However you are way off the mark here because you are missing a HUGE part of his fan-base with this, and may I say, pissing them off. The more mature of us(ie, a nicer way of saying 'older') are fans because of his talent and work ... because of the way he has bought Danny to life as the most complicated and real character on the show.

To have the focus of Season 3 for this character being an unworkable juvenile relationship with a badly written and acted character is a bad move. He has been carefully built up over the previous two seasons and here that is all being thrown away.

There are so many more interesting ways to take this character that a lot of us would like addressed:
* His relationship with Mac - there hasn't been anything on that since RSRD. Are we to assume that it has magically healed right there on the spot?
* His brother Louie - what is going on there?
* His background and relationship with his father. What is the dark past that has been hinted at beyond the Tanglewood Boys? What did Danny mean by "I know what it's like for the system to have you in your sights, and I don't want that to happen again"? in On The Job? What 'again'? When did it happen before?

Please, please get back to making this show real and believable and stop pandering as to what you perceive the fans want, because in the main, you are wrong there. We don't all goo and gah over Danny's bare chest and arms.

And I could go on and on so I'm stopping myself right there. (sigh).
 
Dear Writers,

Stella Bonasera has become my favourite character from the get go. Her fierce attitude & soft compassionate side has made me a fan. Now, ever since All Access it seems like Stella hasn’t been getting much attention. Sure, she’s had her moments but I’m looking to have an entire episode devoted to her, kind of like Hawkes in Raising Shane. I’m not necessarily looking for more drama, just some character development. I’ve heard that Stella was supposed to go on a hunt to find her long lost sister? Whatever happened to that? In my case that storyline would be much more interesting to see then have her become victim at the hands of a psychotic boyfriend. Oops, that already happened. Just please give us some insight into Stella’s past, especially her childhood. What was life like at St.Basil’s orphanage? Was she a loner, or was she able to form a companionship with another orphan? Where did she learn to become so good in Greek? Here we have this fantastic character that deserves much better. It is obvious that she isn’t the favourite character of the fans doesn’t mean she deserves to be shafted. Melina Kanakaredes is a fantastic actress with so much potential. Plus, she’s very versatile so I’m sure she can do well with whatever you give her. Please don’t misunderstand me & claim that I’m asking for an epic Stella storyline. No, that isn’t it at all. All I’m getting at is that this enigma of a character deserves some more attention and quite frankly, some more love. The same goes for Melina as she’s one of the best actresses in Hollywood right now. I also know of many Stella & Melina fans that will side with me & speak the same words I do. There is so much show left & so much potential for Stella. Do it before Stella has no personality at all.
 
Dear Writers,

1. It’s called continuation. I know it’s a bit much to ask for, but all I’m looking for is a little line here or there. I don’t need an entire episode for example dedicated to Louie Messer, but a nice little line going, “Went down to see my brother in Sing Sing.” would be perfect. There are plenty of other references I could make, but you have to give your viewers credit that they have a longer memory span than two episodes.

We’re actually pretty crafty when it comes to remembering things. ;)

2. Please move outside the realm of romance. I know, I know – it’s a seller and with all the competitive programming out there, you have to cater to the masses, but the platonic relationships on this show are just as entertaining to watch. I like knowing that Danny has an almost stalkerish quality in how Hawkes spends his evenings. I like watching Stella and Flack go about their way in hunting down a killer. I loved Flack going toe-to-toe with Mac. You guys are writing a crime drama, not a soap opera. There’s a difference. I like little references now and again that the CSIs do have social lives outside of the office, but I don’t need an entire plotline dedicated to it – especially if the characters are acting like a bunch of 15-year-olds.

But also please, for the sake of Anna, establish Lindsay as a regular character in her own right.

3. Branch out with your victims. Personally, one of the highlights of Season One (and some of Season Two) was the diversity of its cases. Not everyone is rich nor are they beautiful. Ordinary people have problems too. There’s little your audience can relate too if every week it’s about some spoiled rich girl who pissed off her boyfriend.

4. Please think things through when it comes to long-term plots. I know it’s tempting to fly by the seat of your pants or maybe throw darts on the ‘Board of Ideas,’ but contain yourselves. Stop, think, and consider if this is not only something the character would actually do, but does it makes sense in the long run. We the viewers, again, are awfully crafty at remembering details – especially when they spread across seasons.

But there have been memorable highlights this season. “Hung Out to Dry” and “Raising Shane” were fantastic episodes and I wish we could see more episodes along those lines. I felt the team was cohesive then and no one was a doormat, no one sounded like they were off their meds, and no one sounded as if they were suffering from a severe case of PMS. I also enjoyed watching the character interactions between Mac and Reed, Danny and Hawkes, Flack and Mac, and Stella and Flack.

And oh yes, I thank you for Adam. :lol:

Sorry, sarcasm be thy name. I originally had 12 points, but my computer froze and I lost it. Then plus a rough day at work left me a little surly. I hope it didn’t sound too mean. <.<
 
Oh well done!! You said exactly what I wanted to - only better, and a LOT shorter :lol: :lol:

And jorja, love yours too. Good point about there being a bit of a lack of any development of Stella since All Access. Very good point.
 
Lol thanks. I noticed Fay stuck this up and the fingers went flyin' across the keyboard. :lol:

I see the necessity of the change from the first season because of ratings.
Click to expand...
I'll be honest, Season One has been (and probably will be) my favorite season. I liked the dark and gritty effect, I liked the mixed cases, and I liked that while each character seemed to have their personal hang-ups -- it wasn't the god fearing focal point of the show (as it has been for Lindsay this season). The cases seemed far more tangible where they're now usually glitzy and glamorous. Though I'm glad the show is doing well as far as ratings are concerned, it's disappointing to think that due to it's ratings, the writers may stay on the path they're on. Sadly, I'll admit, we're not the audience they're targeting anymore.

In general, I find the writing as of late to be sporadic and slowly less fulfilling. I now watch for the little moments (or waiting to catch repeats of "Hung Out to Dry" and "Raising Shane") and feel a bit bored for the most part. By and large the writers' have a talented cast, a fairly decent production team (with the inevitable bloops here and there), and a city with tons of stories ready for pickin'.

But all in all, I wished they went back in the direction of Season One. :)
 
Awesome idea! :D

Dear writers, my friends have already summed up some of the key points (wonderfully, I might add) but here's a little friendly reminder.

Two things:

1) Continuity. It makes fans happy, especially the 'old', faithful ones who have been watching since day 1.

2) Character development is good. But no, it doesn't necessarily mean a love story.

It's not too much to ask, is it?

Longer post will follow as I completely wake up...
 
Thanks Jules :). I agree that All Access was the last time we got some character development for Stella. I noticed that she looked disturbed holding a gun in the next few episodes after that. It was obvious to why that was but if they explored it a bit more it would've been nice. The writers had a big oppurtunity right there but sadly, they chose to ignore it. I'm just really, really keen on learning about Stella's past, especially her childhood spent as an orphan. I wonder if there were any relatives who supported her part time, like an aunt or grandparent. Then again, her strong personality probably developed through many years of independence so I would not be surprised if she did everything on her own in her older years.
 
Since I'm not coherent enough to write a longer post I thought I'd add a number 3 to my list: Believability (is that even a word? :lol:). That goes for both the characters and the storylines. Give us something that we can actually buy, and we'll love you forever. Watch the dailies, preview the episodes, and don't be afraid to rewrite a scene if it doesn't convince you 100%.
 
Dear Writers,

Wake Up Call - quite a few of your long-term fans are losing interest in the show.

If you need something to back this up, go read the Carmine Giovinazzo - Non Locker Room Thread for starters.

Time to take the blinkers off and have a good look around.

**************************

There has been one consistent thing about Season 3 I feel I should give props to, although sadly, nothing to DO with the writers :lol:

Whoever is responsible for choosing the music for the show pretty much hits a home run every time. I was really surprised to hear Lou Rhodes' song 'Each Moment New' in The Lying Game. That album, Beloved One, was far and away my favourite album for 2006. And it's pretty obscure in the US, I think.
 
You're right. Music is usually very important in a TV a show, and they're doing great so far this year.

A lot of my favourite songs have been used in various shows, and some of them will be forever labeled as *insert name show here*-song. You listen to them and a particular scene starts playing in your head... :)
 
Dear Writers: We love this show when it focuses on the science and the cases. Your twists on "ripped from the headlines" type cases are often fascinating to watch. I do not understand where this recent fascination with romantic entanglements has come from, but please go back to focusing on the murders with the occasional casual flirting; we will love you for it.
 
Dear CSI:NY Writers,

First of all, praises for the excellent spin-off. Great job on making it different from the previous two and equally as engaging.

Now... here is what I (personally) want to see on future episodes of your show -- and I think a LOT of the people here would agree as well:

(1)Do not forget the plot lines you have started. What happened to that Rose woman in season1? And Louie? Flack, Sr? Danny's mafia family? They are all potential rich story lines (esp Flack's)... but after mentioning them, they sorta disappeared. What gives?

(2)Er... we fans need some information about the characters... like their ages, schools, family backgrounds and such. The previous CSIs have birthdays and all that but what happened with NY? We are having fun assuming that life imitates art and formulating our own theories about these characters' basic information. But it would be more fun to sorta 'celebrate' their 'birthdays' as we would the actors. (right?)

(3)When concentrating on one character (for example, Mac), please please please DO NOT FORGET THAT YOU DO HAVE OTHER CHARACTERS TO WRITE ABOUT. When you focused on Mac, you forgot about Danny. When you focused on Danny, you totally forgot about your new character Lindsey. She did not get an inch of development last season and now... you give her one scene to have development only to push her back into the sidelines the next. I do know you just have a little over 41 minutes to run a forensic-centered show but it doesn't hurt to manage time between characters.

(4)You guys want feedback? Well, the Nielsen ratings is not the place for that. The fanboards are! Do you want to know what WE really want to see? Check the shippers threads, the actor/character threads and even the fanfiction. Not all of our fan-made scenarios are OOC or hard to put on film. Heck, there are a lot of fanfictions out here with scenes that can perfectly fit on the show. It doesn't hurt to get ideas from message boards and such. After all, you own them... we don't.

(5)Please show that these CSIs have a life too. More Flack and Danny scenes... it is shown that Flack is active in YMCA and it was mentioned that they play basketball on Saturdays. Why not show it? How about Mac and Stella (alone) having a drink after-shift at Sullivan's? Sharing a cab? Why not feature that as a closing clip? Trust me, it'll do WONDERS on your ratings and popularity among fans.

That is all for now. I don't want to pre-empt (if I haven't already) what other amazing things you have for us.

[x-posted on my lj]
 
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