Episode 9x09 - 'Blood Sugar' ***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

[CSI-AJ]

Ok here goes

I liked this episode. Sure it wasn't bad but it was still a decent ep and its selling point was that everyone got a reasonable amount of screen time especially Rex Linn. He's been shafted for most of this season.

However I do agree that Horatio and Eric prancing around in a burning building which had three explosions (and could have more) was dumb. The Bullet time wasn't necessary.

Some of you are musing that there was no "Dark side" Horatio moments. Is that a bad thing? I say it's a good thing that we didn't see Horatio walk down that path.

I know I'm being a huge bitch here, but I have to say watching this show in HD is just nauseating. Everything is so bright, and the over-saturation in the color correction just doesn't work well in HD. Everything is so damn pixelated.)

Fox's butchering of Predator on Blu Ray recently beats the above by a mile.

Rating: 3.5/5

 

[Jag Lady]

I know Horatio shoots people nonstop as of late, but it would be nice to see him be investigated by the IAB. If I'm correct, an investigation is mandatory if there's an officer involved shooting. It won't happen, but I can hope.

Yes, you're right. But they conveniently got rid of IAB, remember? :scream: Now it's no coincidence that Horatio's shooting and abusing suspects.

 

[Blinded By Smoke]

Can I just say something? No, I'm not calling anyone out... But I see so much negativity here, and well... with the way the seasons been going, I can't agree that one so-so episode should make us all feel so negative about the rest of the season.

There have been episodes in every season, on every show- for that matter, that were less than interesting to someone. Certain story lines are just not as appealing to others, and visa versa.

That being said, I don't think THIS episode can reflect on the rest of this season's, previously aired or yet to be aired episodes included. This episode wasn't horrible, by any means... there were just zero character moments, and it was strictly plot driven.

This is what I don't get? If there is to much character development/relationships shown, some say it's to soap opera-ish... if there isn't any, others say it's dull, boring, and flat..... In the writers defense, I think this was a pretty interesting mid-season filler episode. Maybe not one we'd care to repeat over and over on the DVD set, but one we could enjoy nothing less. It was a solid case.

I always think about Vegas... it has so many GOOD cases, then it will have a couple episodes a season that always make me think "WTF?". This episode didn't even do that, like I said, it was just flat in the character department.

I don't know, I just don't want everyone getting discouraged because of ONE episode that they didn't enjoy. I'm sure there will be several more we all love/hate. Just keep positive and let's not let our show go ANYWHERE.

(And if it were a new writer, that could explain lack of character development. maybe they weren't ready to touch it!)

 

[miamirocks]

This episode was one of those mid-season "eh - it was OK" shows. It wasn't terrible, but had some moments that were just rediculous. I liked the plot and it was interesting to see the whole Sugar-making production. The young man who was killed was compelling - I thought the actor did a nice job. And the factory owner wasn't an "over-the-top" bad guy that Miami is known for

However there were lots of moments that were way over the top. Take the scene w/H and Eric rushing into the burning factory - How did they get there before the Fire Dept.?:wtf: And Eric and H had no problem w/smoke inhalation - not even coughing - One wonders how Calleigh was so frail? Second, was it me, or were those two people in the teaser just introduced so H and Eric could have people to save? (I don't remember seeing them in the rest of the episode...)

The episode also was a bit heavy handed in places for my taste - ie: The whole immigration thing - it's a definitely a difficult issue, and not as cut and dry as Miami seems to always make it. While I sympathized with the woman's sister, when I saw H get involved I knew he'd somehow manage to get her to stay in the country - so predictable I know this is TV and not real life, but come on. And what about the others who got deported? Also don't get me started on how the govt immigration officials were painted as the "big bad guys" who H had to push into doing a good thing. Again, I know it's TV, but there's a way to present both sides of the issue. I'm not saying anything either way - I just want it to be a balanced presentation. (I think I enjoyed Miami's handling of the issue better in its earlier seasons, like "Wet Foot, Dry Foot.")

However, I did like the ending - I was expecting the guy to put the gun down b/c H said so, so it was kind of refreshing to see human emotion trump Horatio for a change. It was kind of surprising, and gave an added weight to the storyline.

Overall, I liked the plot and mystery behind the show, as well as some of the banter between the team at times. And it's not that I think character-central episodes are soap-opera-ish - it's the way they are written lately that makes them that way. I really enjoyed the earlier seasons, w/plots like Cal's alcoholic dad or H's brother, or Ryan's gambling problem. It's when characters are constantly ending up in the hospital and professing their undying "like" for each other that I get tired of it

I hope we have more character-central episodes this season - I even liked the end of last week's episode "Happy Birthday" - even though I never liked/bought the whole Marisol thing, it was a nice touch and surprise - at least some continuity. It didn't take over the episode and wasn't "in your face" - just a nice spot of emotion by the characters at the end - which is what I'm hoping for. I like this season so far and don't think this ep. diminished it in any way.

 

[ladyjr8]

I liked this episode esp. the part of the owner and 'princess' daughter enjoying the success and being rich while other's toil in the fields..that girl was too much breaking into her dad's computer to find out about his will and that she had a half brother..her attitude was too much but I liked that the team just assumed oh it must be her since she's a witch and all about the money...like it when they get it wrong and have to re-adjust their theories...liked H riding to the rescue of the poor immigrant sisters so they can now live better and suddenly go to college (yeah right-most migrant workers barely know 8th grade level much less college!) but it's not reality so...hero H is popular esp. when it's women he's saving...

 

[luf100]

Yea I wish they had just skipped this episode until the DVD so we could have seen Match Made in Hell (which, putting my Ryan love aside, looks more exciting than this episode) instead. This episode was BORING. And for once I agree with most people, when H and Eric were in the burning building, I was like WTF? Is it that hard to show a scene with some firefighters or something? I've been loving this season so far but come on, enough with the H/Eric heroics. It's getting annoying.

The rest of the episode was just boring for me, didn't hold my attention at all. Definitely (in my opinion) the worst of the season so far. We weren't missing much when it was preempted.

 

[Theresa]

That's exactly the problem with story-centered episodes. The guest stars are usually want-a-bees or second-string actors and they get the full attention, while the main characters are left in the cold. This drives me crazy! In the end, nobody really remembers these stories unless it is an unusual standout. What we remember is discovering something new about the main characters that makes us wanting to come back for more. How many times do we have to explain this before they hear us?

Blinded by Snow--I understand your points but CSIM needs to be doing better than average shows because the ratings are tanking fast. This last episode is the poorest rating of the season. They have to bring in the fans with episodes that excel or this show will be gone at the end of this season.

 

[Ninja0980]

The one thing I really like about this episode was that it was about hard-working immigrants, not rich Star Island people. More episodes like this, please.

Indeed, that is the ONLY good thing out of this episode. For once, it dealt with someone who wasn't a rich,blond eye babe who had to be saved by H. But regular people and their problems.

 

[luf100]

The one thing I really like about this episode was that it was about hard-working immigrants, not rich Star Island people. More episodes like this, please.

Indeed, that is the ONLY good thing out of this episode. For once, it dealt with someone who wasn't a rich,blond eye babe who had to be saved by H. But regular people and their problems.

Well, maybe it wasn't a blonde, blue eyed babe that had to be saved by H but it still had women needing saving by H. The immigrant who was taken away (the sister of the main girl) had to be "saved by H". Or else she would have been deported. She might have been a more regular girl, but STILL.

 

[Ninja0980]

The one thing I really like about this episode was that it was about hard-working immigrants, not rich Star Island people. More episodes like this, please.

Indeed, that is the ONLY good thing out of this episode. For once, it dealt with someone who wasn't a rich,blond eye babe who had to be saved by H. But regular people and their problems.

Well, maybe it wasn't a blonde, blue eyed babe that had to be saved by H but it still had women needing saving by H. The immigrant who was taken away (the sister of the main girl) had to be "saved by H". Or else she would have been deported. She might have been a more regular girl, but STILL.

True on that point. In all honesty, that's one of the show themes that has gotten old fast. What woman will H save next? Will it be the poor immigrant girl caught in sex trafficking, a working girl being exploited by the big bad rich wolf, a single mother or a rich women caught in an abusive marriage etc...

 

[MacFlackNCaine]

Because of football, I usually catch CSI:Miami on cbs.com I have to say though that this was the FIRST TIME I navigated away from the stream to do something else.


I'm not sure if the episode was bad, or we've been so used to a certain quality with the other episodes but something was off. I didn't care about the crime, the chemistry/dynamic seemed off, and even the jokes fell flat.

I'm sure I would have appreciated this story (and the liberties it takes) if it were in say, in one of the CSI:Miami novels, but sheesh. It was like watching paint dry.

 

[ruby&theheadmen]

I concur with many of the opinions others have brought up in this thread [(the need and lack of IAB, the processing of a crime scene by Eric and H in an burning building (not realistic), the handling of the *undocumented worker* (a controversial code word) issue, as well as the grotesqueness of the corpse dripped in melted sugar-that was WAY over the top; far, far too graphically violent for my tastes!) ]. However there was a positive note

In this episode I was happy to see Horatio wear a suit that wasn't black and that he was more physically active in this episode as well. Hope to see more of that in the future and I'd like to see one for Miami but like others, I'm getting worried....

 

[MiamiWolfe]

I haven't had a chance until now to comment on this eppie. It was an okay episode but I agree with BBS and everyone who said there were no "wow" moments.

Random Thoughts:

--Did anyone besides me catch that actor playing Roger Cavanaugh was the same guy who played William Preston in Death Eminent in season 5? (Lest anyone think I got this off the top of my head, I had to look it up)

--Good to see Tom Lohman.

--Loved everyone going over the scene at the beginning. I enjoy the team scenes this year.

--Still hate those split screens

--Didn't like the daughter

--Ryan looked good.

--Natalia used the expression "Big Daddy" I use that a lot:lol:

Not much else caught my fancy.

 

[CSI_Natalia]

I guess the new writer didn't make a grand debut. Maybe that will be the first and last script by him.

I don't get why they would have a new writer writing the 100th episode... you would think they're want a seasoned vet writing an episode that's so significant to the show's history... basically having a new writer write the 100th ep. just sums up the lack of commitment to the characters and show's history that TPTB have been displaying for the past 6 or so years :scream:

 

[GregNickRyanFan]

I guess the new writer didn't make a grand debut. Maybe that will be the first and last script by him.

I don't get why they would have a new writer writing the 100th episode... you would think they're want a seasoned vet writing an episode that's so significant to the show's history... basically having a new writer write the 100th ep. just sums up the lack of commitment to the characters and show's history that TPTB have been displaying for the past 6 or so years :scream:

Blood Sugar wasn't the 100th episode. Happy Birthday was the 200th episode. The order of the episodes was changed though (because of football interference I think), so Happy Birthday aired first.