Horatio has always coddled and covered for Delko's incompetence and inmaturity.
Horatio has always been there for Ryan as well (and for the rest of the team when needed). But he has always stood
by Ryan while Ryan dealt with the mess he'd created. And he was there when Ryan truly needed him.
With Delko, Horatio seems to know that it's up to him to step in and clean it up himself. I've always attributed that to the fact that Horatio knows that Ryan is the stronger and more competent of the two (evidenced by the fact that he chose Ryan to help him fake his death - not Delko, who I'm sure he KNEW couldn't handle on his best day what Horatio needed).
It's always been fustrating to watch Horatio protect Delko the way he does.
Then Delko gets shot in the head and he's even more incompetent. He's a danger to himself and any member of the team he's paired with (how about Delko freezing under fire (sorry, can't remember the name of the episode) - can we say "back to work too soon - if at all!" But again, Calleigh covers for him!). With all the time and effort Horatio, and now Calleigh, expend protecting Delko he shouldn't even have a freaking job. :scream:
With Calleigh we basically see her take over where Horatio left off (but Horatio never went so far as to have sex with Delko - just his sister - maybe?) and again see a superior coddle and cover for Delko's incompetence and failings as a CSI and as a man. He's whiney and pouty and quick to anger and not in control of his emotions 90% of the time (not that he every really was). He continues to be a screw up in the lab and at the crime scenes. So Calleigh decides to throw her integrity and credibility into the toilet and she not only covers for his incompetence - she starts having sex with him - one assumes because Jake was too difficult to dominate and Delko, being the wimp he is, just begs to be dominated! After the shot the head - he's definitely Calleigh's type of guy!
So she joins him in sinking into total incompetence as her whole life, both personal and professional, becomes nothing more than protecting and taking care of Eric and his screwups and then she begins to emulate his lack of professionalism and we get to watch what was once an outstanding female character go straight into the trash.
Sad.
At least there were moments when Horatio made Eric man up. When he loses his badge while "toothing," in "Killer Date" for once Horatio doesn't cover for him and tell Delko he'll "handle it." He advises him to file the report and take the hit - and get out there and FIND IT! And when the report comes in that a murder has occurred with the suspect using a police badge, Horatio truly looks angry as he gets on the elevator to respond to the call.
However, again Delko is never made to assume any responsibility for the death that occurred due to his criminal negligence. The pattern of Delko being teflon coated (admittedly Horatio has fallen into that category at times as well) continues to this day - and with Calleigh in charge of the lab (as it appears for all intents and purposes the last couple of seasons), he never will. (I was actually thinking that Calleigh might be the huge betrayal for Horatio as she used his many missteps against him to get control of the lab. With as low as their relationship has sunk, THAT wouldn't have surprised me at all. And her cold, selfish persona of late, would work well into that storyline. It would increase her ability to protect her boy-toy.)
Unless of course, he does something to make Calleigh angry and loses that precious protection she affords as her boy-toy. Who knows what will happen if she stops protecting him. I guess Horatio will have to step up again. Somethings on this show are just so preditable.
