Eric/Calleigh storyline -- why we dislike it. Part 2 **spoilers**

[Delynn]

As to the following:

1. Eric shoots someone and never gets reprimanded.

Help! I don't remember this one. CRS is truly taking over my brain.

2. Eric loses his badge and never gets reprimanded.

This one I remember VERY well. :thumbsup: Still can't figure out how the hell he wasn't hauled in front of IAB and at the very least suspended. :wtf: That has got to be one of the most irresponsible things I've ever seen from a law enforcement officer.

3. Eric helps Horatio murder people in Brazil.

Eh, gotta take exception to this one. Eric had a scene that clearly indicated they went with the intent to extradite Riaz. And in the end when first Eric was fighting Riaz and then Horatio, Riaz had a knife. I chalk that one up to self-defense, although whether either or both should have gone to begin with is questionable.

4. Eric smuggles pot into the lab to give to his sister.

I don't remember him smuggling it INTO the lab. I remember him having the paper to roll the joints in his kit and Ryan and Calleigh seeing it. Then when Marisol was arrested (she called Horatio), Eric was caught in the lab with the pot - alone - before it was processed. And then miracles of miracles, a sufficient amount of the pot was determined to be bunk to get Marisol off the hook! I always believed that Eric tampered with the evidence and nothing has happened since to make me change my mind. (In this instance Horatio takes the hit for protecting Eric's sorry ass!) Eric's honesty isn't what I'd call above reproach. :shifty:

EDIT: So, with how I believe Eric tampered with the evidence, he may not have smuggle pot INTO the lab, but he would have had to smuggle it OUT of the lab. Anyway you look at it, he was smuggling pot!

5. Eric asks for his job back and gets it in 5 seconds.

With ya totally on this one! :thumbsup: EDIT: Too bad Ryan didn't have it so good. As I remember he was put through HELL trying to get his job back after being fired for gambling - while Eric walked for losing his badge that was later used to murder someone. Writers don't have any favorites on this show. Nope! :scream:

6. Eric gets shot (a couple times, IIRC) and is back on the job the next day.

Yep. And he's not the only one with amazing powers of recuperation. Let us not forget how many times Calleigh has been at death's door, and jumps up without missing a beat to resume her duties - having sex with Eric, of course!

Horatio - well he's just invincible. They've written him so he can't be hurt. So there isn't even a sense of drama with him anymore.

Please remember, this is Bizarro-Miami PD, where PCR DNA tests take 5 minutes (recall how fast they nailed Stetler), entry-level CSIs drive around in hummers (yeah right, see how the rank-ank file officers would treat that), and CSIs pull people from burning buildings even after the fire department arrives.

It's all done to advance the plot of a show that only has 22 weeks a year to tell their story. ANY PD official in an officer-involved shooting would be put on paid leave immediately, and for at least 3 months. That's half a season in Bizarro-Miami PD time.

Yeah. They do tend to play around with reality - a LOT! But it's really gotten out of control on Miami. I used to work for a law enforcement agency and there is no way this kind of fraternization, not to mention on-going incompetence and lack of professionalism, would be allowed.

I didn't mind when the show cut the reality short in the past, but it was limited, and the science complimented the plot. Now the science and the plot are second and third banana to the human interactions. Someone has allowed CSIM to become the drama queen out of the 3 shows. Mix in a little office romance (doesn't Ecklie strictly prohibit this in LV?), some outrageous plots, etc. etc.. Anything to make good use out of the flashy, glamorous background of Miami and this group of borderline unprofessional police officers. Frank excluded.

Thank god for Frank! He doesn't get anywhere near the credit he deserves for being the credible law enforcement element on the show. He's the real anchor.

"Drama queen out of the 3 shows." :guffaw: I like that. It's true. It's over the top drama all the time and it's usually Eric and Calleigh that are the drama queens and it's usually because Eric can't control himself and Calleigh's lost all sense of professionalism.

The ongoing emphasis on the EC romance is just another effort by CSIM writers to infuse less police and more T&A into the show. If I wanted that, I'd plug in my old VCR and get out the "old" Miami police show. You know, the one where Don Johnson works on a police salary, but can afford a huge wardrobe, a yacht, a Lambo and a pet crocodile? :guffaw:

Book 'em, Dan-O!

T&A is what they're TRYING to sell, but it ain't working cause of who they're using to sell it.

OMG, it's been forever since I've watched the old Miami Vice. Yeah, that one was pretty unbelievable, too. But I don't remember them trying too hard to sell it as believable.

The CSIs used to pride themselves on the realistic science and procedures and how they worked for and focused on the victims.

On Miami they couldn't even focus on one of their own, for pete's sake! :scream: When Ryan went missing Eric and Calleigh went home for a quick bang instead of looking for him. Oh yeah, that was a nice way to get Ryan's fans onboard with the nomance. Great thinking writers! :wtf:

 

[miamirocks]

On Miami they couldn't even focus on one of their own, for pete's sake! :scream: When Ryan went missing Eric and Calleigh went home for a quick bang instead of looking for him. Oh yeah, that was a nice way to get Ryan's fans onboard with the nomance. Great thinking writers! :wtf:

Wait ... so Ryan was MISSING during that ... I don't know what to call it, "wanna be sexy but sooo awkward" E/C scene? That's just ... wow, I didnt' realize that (only saw a few parts of that episode) - that's just cold, man. Prime example of how E/C has changed both Eric and Calleigh for the WORSE. :brickwall:

 

[Delynn]

Wait ... so Ryan was MISSING during that ... I don't know what to call it, "wanna be sexy but sooo awkward" E/C scene? That's just ... wow, I didnt' realize that (only saw a few parts of that episode) - that's just cold, man. Prime example of how E/C has changed both Eric and Calleigh for the WORSE. :brickwall:

Ryan was getting the sh*t beat out of him while Eric and Calleigh were banging each others brains out. What you saw in the openning segment was Ryan cleaning up from the all night beat down, while we had to suffer through the gratuitous E/C "luuuuuv" scene. :scream:

"Eric without his shirt on"

(give me Jesse anytime - HIS body impresses me - to each his own, I've never found Eric anything to write home about), and Calleigh trying to look like she "glowing with aftersex" ...

I didn't think it was possible for me to dispise E/C more than I did until that opening seqment. I WANTED to focus on Ryan and what he had been through. They couldn't even give us that brief respite for a damned serious story without slamming E/C in our face - in the most freaking inappropriate moment ever - not that I think any moment with them is good.​

It's really moronic decisions like THAT one that make me question what and WHO the priorities are with the people running that show. It's certainly NOT the core cast, no matter what hype they're trying to sell at the moment.​

"Core Cast" is the trigger phrase for this season. Just like "back to basics" was last season. And that is all they are. Trigger phrases that the marketing department has determined the uneducated masses will buy.​

It's TPTB sitting in their ivory tower throwing this stuff out thinking everyone will keep buying it - and they are not paying attention to the fact that most of the fans of this show have looked behind the curtain and we see who's running this show - just take a look at who the focus of the show is and we know the answer to THAT question.​

And the answer to that question means the same crap that happened last season will happen this season. I'm sure CBS has told them to at least TRY to look like it's not the Eric and Calleigh show. So we'll see a couple of obligatory "team" episodes (with little E/C mention) for the first part of the season and then they'll switch up like they did last season and it will be all E/C all the time.​

The people behind the E/C storyline are nothing if they aren't preditable. And it's been like watching the Sheriff in "Jaws" who refuses to close the beaches even though he KNOWS he losing people because he refuses to do something. That is the kind of stubborness running this show for the past 4 years.​

And they resigned the head of it all, and brought back one major player who had left (and a lot of anti-E/C fans cheered thinking it might be over) and while we don't have confirmation, we can assume that they've signed the contract with the architect of this nightmare.​

So nothing changes and we're stuck watching this ongoing nightmare ... and really no one wins as the show continues to bleed viewers and ends up cancelled. ​

 

[Jag Lady]

Ryan was getting the sh*t beat out of him while Eric and Calleigh were banging each others brains out. What you saw in the openning segment was Ryan cleaning up from the all night beat down, while we had to suffer through the gratuitous E/C "luuuuuv" scene. :scream:

"Eric without his shirt on"

I have to agree with the person who said they looked more like roommates. People who genuinely enjoy each others' company will talk to each other and want to be next to each other, even in the bathroom. Eric and Calleigh didn't say word one to each other and were in separate rooms just about the whole time. Maybe riding the baloney pony was all either one really cared about. :angryrazz:

Fine and dandy. But what I found absolutely unforgivable was how they later ganged up on Ryan like a couple of fifth graders on the playground. Like they owned that lab (Of course by then Horatio wasn't around much, so I guess they thought it was okay).

I remember Calleigh of S4 encouraging Ryan at the end of "Driven", when he was still having trouble with his eyesight. She stood next to him at the lockers and told him how she had lost her "night eyes" when they shifted her from nights to days to nights, and how "sometimes change can throw you off." Compare that to Eric and Calleigh standing next to each other in the lab (not at Calleigh's place) and chiding him when he was scared to death for himself, his friend, and the little boy.

Thanks but no thanks.

"Core Cast" is the trigger phrase for this season. Just like "back to basics" was last season. And that is all they are. Trigger phrases that the marketing department has determined the uneducated masses will buy.

My mother used to say "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." To quote a favorite talk show host of mine, "Insanity is doing the same thing again and again, expecting a different result every time." And I guess that's what's so tragic about all this. It really doesn't HAVE to be like this.

give me Jesse anytime - HIS body impresses me

Nah, Rick Stetler in that black tee shirt! (Looks for a napkin)

I'll bet a dollar to a donut any one of us could write and direct better than what's been going on. Any takers?

 

[miamirocks]

I'll bet a dollar to a donut any one of us could write and direct better than what's been going on. Any takers?

I'd be game, but it's not gonna happen. I think there are many talented writers on these boards that have written better stories, capturing the characters as they ARE, not as they're being forced/manipulated to morph into. While most of my fanfic does have a "DuCaine" bent, I've always been very strict on keeping it real with all the relationships - like I won't deny that Eric and Cal did have a nice friendship, and that they "care" for each other - I liked the genuine caring from Seasons 3-4, but not this contrived crap where Cal is losing it like a mad woman over things - more subtlety, please! I would never ignore a character's past feelings/relationships just to push a point - something I think TPTB have done to the extreme.

For me, a relationship on any show, (especially CSI), should lead us deeper into a character, not make them more superficial. Eric and Cal's relationship has made them shadows of who they used to be - I don't know either one of them any better than I did in Season 5 through their "relationship" - and I don't believe their relationship makes them better people - if anything it's made them more isolated and selfish, and they're interaction w/Ryan is just another prime example. Since when did Calleigh become a bully? (We always knew Eric was.) :wtf:

So, what is TPTB's tactic when it comes to writing a relationship? This might be a little off-topic, but I believe it sheds some light on the issue. I read an interview w/Emily Procter from March where she was asked why H and Cal never got together and her reply was, "The only reason," she [Emily] says, "I could guess that they didn't put the two of them together would be that he's a really mystical character. If you had him in a personal relationship, inevitably he'd have to expose some of himself, and I just don't think that, as a character, it works."

I think this ties into E/C b/c it shows that the writers don't view relationships as something w/substance (heaven-forbid we learn about a character's background a bit or actually make them more human - I mean, it's only Season 9!), but rather as superficial - It's as if TPTB are saying, "If they look "good/hot" together and have been working together long enough, then go for it! Just don't let it reveal too much about who they are" - It doesn't make any sense. What's the point then, besides some T&A? At the end of the day, that's all I believe E/C is, and that's really the sad part.

I believe E/C was pushed since "Man Down" b/c the writers saw that Eric and Cal did have a "nice friendship" and did share what was (IMHO) a nice scene in the hospital - even touching. The writers saw that and exploited it almost immediately - only 2 eps after Eric got out of the hospital he "falls" for Calleigh. All these years, and now a bullet to the brain forces him to "confront his feelings" for her. The bottom line is that Eric Delko was a big "playa," and that all of a sudden he had "tunnel vision" on Calleigh - to hell w/all his past relationships, including Natalia.

Another problem was that Cal was with Jake, and the writers used that relationship as fodder for E/C instead of using it to help us get to know both characters better. I never got a real feel for Jake - was he good or bad or both? - b/c all I saw was him messing up his relationship w/Cal. It was done, I think, as a contrast to show how much "better of a man" Eric is - b/c we all know how reliable/faithful/professional Eric is when compared to Jake, right? Actually, Eric, IMHO, is like a puppy dog version of Jake - he's a little less "rough" around the edges, but at the end of the day he's out of control w/his emotions and all he cares about is the sex. He hasn't proved otherwise to me in his relationship w/Cal - where's the true concern? Where are the "deeper conversations?

All the "bad" qualities or weaknesses of their characters are rubbing off on each other, and it's making them LESS attractive, not moreso. And in my book, if a relationship isn't making you a better person, it's time to LEAVE - no matter how good the "extracurricular activities" are. :scream:

Cal needs to evaluate herself and who she's become since she's been with Eric. And Eric needs to take a step back from his ultra-charged macho EGO and get some HUMILITY.

 

[Delynn]

I'd be game, but it's not gonna happen. I think there are many talented writers on these boards that have written better stories, capturing the characters as they ARE, not as they're being forced/manipulated to morph into. While most of my fanfic does have a "DuCaine" bent, I've always been very strict on keeping it real with all the relationships - like I won't deny that Eric and Cal did have a nice friendship, and that they "care" for each other - I liked the genuine caring from Seasons 3-4, but not this contrived crap where Cal is losing it like a mad woman over things - more subtlety, please! I would never ignore a character's past feelings/relationships just to push a point - something I think TPTB have done to the extreme.

For me, a relationship on any show, (especially CSI), should lead us deeper into a character, not make them more superficial. Eric and Cal's relationship has made them shadows of who they used to be - I don't know either one of them any better than I did in Season 5 through their "relationship" - and I don't believe their relationship makes them better people - if anything it's made them more isolated and selfish, and they're interaction w/Ryan is just another prime example. Since when did Calleigh become a bully? (We always knew Eric was.) :wtf:

So, what is TPTB's tactic when it comes to writing a relationship? This might be a little off-topic, but I believe it sheds some light on the issue. I read an interview w/Emily Procter from March where she was asked why H and Cal never got together and her reply was, "The only reason," she [Emily] says, "I could guess that they didn't put the two of them together would be that he's a really mystical character. If you had him in a personal relationship, inevitably he'd have to expose some of himself, and I just don't think that, as a character, it works."

I think this ties into E/C b/c it shows that the writers don't view relationships as something w/substance (heaven-forbid we learn about a character's background a bit or actually make them more human - I mean, it's only Season 9!), but rather as superficial - It's as if TPTB are saying, "If they look "good/hot" together and have been working together long enough, then go for it! Just don't let it reveal too much about who they are" - It doesn't make any sense. What's the point then, besides some T&A? At the end of the day, that's all I believe E/C is, and that's really the sad part.

I believe E/C was pushed since "Man Down" b/c the writers saw that Eric and Cal did have a "nice friendship" and did share what was (IMHO) a nice scene in the hospital - even touching. The writers saw that and exploited it almost immediately - only 2 eps after Eric got out of the hospital he "falls" for Calleigh. All these years, and now a bullet to the brain forces him to "confront his feelings" for her. The bottom line is that Eric Delko was a big "playa," and that all of a sudden he had "tunnel vision" on Calleigh - to hell w/all his past relationships, including Natalia.

Another problem was that Cal was with Jake, and the writers used that relationship as fodder for E/C instead of using it to help us get to know both characters better. I never got a real feel for Jake - was he good or bad or both? - b/c all I saw was him messing up his relationship w/Cal. It was done, I think, as a contrast to show how much "better of a man" Eric is - b/c we all know how reliable/faithful/professional Eric is when compared to Jake, right? Actually, Eric, IMHO, is like a puppy dog version of Jake - he's a little less "rough" around the edges, but at the end of the day he's out of control w/his emotions and all he cares about is the sex. He hasn't proved otherwise to me in his relationship w/Cal - where's the true concern? Where are the "deeper conversations?

All the "bad" qualities or weaknesses of their characters are rubbing off on each other, and it's making them LESS attractive, not moreso. And in my book, if a relationship isn't making you a better person, it's time to LEAVE - no matter how good the "extracurricular activities" are. :scream:

Cal needs to evaluate herself and who she's become since she's been with Eric. And Eric needs to take a step back from his ultra-charged macho EGO and get some HUMILITY.

Wow! I'm in awe. What a really well thought out and well composed post, miamirocks!

It truly encompases a significant number of the major issues confront those of us who have real issues with E/C and how its negative impact on CSI Miami.

I applaud you! Good Job! :thumbsup:

 

[mjszud]

I believe E/C was pushed since "Man Down" b/c the writers saw that Eric and Cal did have a "nice friendship" and did share what was (IMHO) a nice scene in the hospital - even touching. The writers saw that and exploited it almost immediately - only 2 eps after Eric got out of the hospital he "falls" for Calleigh.

IMO, they had the intention at that time & used that scene to basically kick it off. I don't remember exactly how it was worded, but I recall reading a statement before the episode even aired that said something to the effect that it would make some fans happy.
However, I can't say I saw a damn thing leading up to that moment (let's not forget when she was nearly drowned in 'Going Under' Eric was in the garage ready to throw Natalia in the backseat of Calleigh's sunken Hummer -- too funny!!).
The first half of the season was no where near anything e/c. I found it amusing that Ann Donahue said the reason e/c were brought together was because they started seeing how much she covered for him (after his shooting) & that it appeared to be more than friends -- I laugh my ass off at that statement!
It's as if TPTB actually expect us to believe that all of that was just something natural coming from the characters/actors. Please! TPTB made it "news" that they were going to start playing it up "romantically". It was completely forced from the get-go. And I don't mean to dredge up any fan war, but honestly it's too obvious that this storyline came to that level ONLY because those fans had been begging for it (in addition an actress who seemed hell bent on having the storyline for herself).

 

[miamirocks]

Wow! I'm in awe. What a really well thought out and well composed post, miamirocks!

It truly encompases a significant number of the major issues confront those of us who have real issues with E/C and how its negative impact on CSI Miami.

I applaud you! Good Job! :thumbsup:

Thanks Delynn - I appreciate the feedback. I think some people (often wrongly) see anti-E/C fans as "irrationally enraged" at times, and they don't see that we actually have some good points and REAL SUBSTANCE to our arguments. It's not a matter of "I prefer this ship to that ship, so I'm gonna 'bash' E/C" - it's so far beyond that now, and that's evident by the variety of people who are saying that the E/C ship, as TPTB have played it out, is bad for the show. If they had done it differently, maybe it would've been better, and while I still may not have liked it, I wouldn't feel as "betrayed" by the show as a I do now.

IMO, they had the intention at that time & used that scene to basically kick it off. I don't remember exactly how it was worded, but I recall reading a statement before the episode even aired that said something to the effect that it would make some fans happy.
However, I can't say I saw a damn thing leading up to that moment (let's not forget when she was nearly drowned in 'Going Under' Eric was in the garage ready to throw Natalia in the backseat of Calleigh's sunken Hummer -- too funny!!).

I hear ya, mjszud - I remember chatting w/you about all this from the "beginning," and it's just gotten worse. I'll have to rewatch "Going Under" to see that scene, but that's part of the reason why E/C, the way it was written, doesn't make sense - the relationship excludes any past experiences/relationships beyond E/C. It was all so "sudden" - just like a bad Soap Opera scene that has devolved ever since - constant "Soap-like" ER scenes, a poorly done, awkward "love scene," etc.

The first half of the season was no where near anything e/c. I found it amusing that Ann Donahue said the reason e/c were brought together was because they started seeing how much she covered for him (after his shooting) & that it appeared to be more than friends -- I laugh my ass off at that statement!

That's another part of the problem - the E/C relationship developed as a result of unprofessionalism (at best) and insubordination (at worst) on Calleigh's part as she began to cover up for him - she was putting lives in jeopardy by doing that. E/C started b/c of something that was done WRONG, and that one wrong behavior points to why the relationship itself is just wrong. It started on a bad note, and the notes after that have either been flat or totally out of tune.

Calleigh knows H and Eric have a tight relationship, so why would she instead choose to cover Eric's ass rather than show some REAL concern and tell Eric to get the help he needs and have Horatio handle it from there - he is the boss, right? Let H put his ass (and career) on the line to cover for his brother-in-law.

I was very surprised w/how Calleigh was put in the role of looking after Eric - it would've made much more sense for H to watch over him, or for Cal to at least express concern to H. Since when does Cal not trust Horatio enough to tell him about Eric? Why does she suddenly feel the need to cover up for him all the time? (This wasn't just a one-time deal like w/Ryan in Death Pool, and then look how mad Cal got at Ryan after that - it just doesn't make sense.) Just another example of how the relationship has isolated Eric and Cal from everyone else in the lab.

It's as if TPTB actually expect us to believe that all of that was just something natural coming from the characters/actors. Please! TPTB made it "news" that they were going to start playing it up "romantically". It was completely forced from the get-go. And I don't mean to dredge up any fan war, but honestly it's too obvious that this storyline came to that level ONLY because those fans had been begging for it (in addition an actress who seemed hell bent on having the storyline for herself).

It definitely didn't feel like an "organic" writing process AT ALL - it always felt contrived to me - like Eric "touching" her hand when she got cut on the glass in "Burned" - I couldn't stop rolling my eyes and praying for that awkward moment to end. It was so weird - like, Dude, she cut her finger, she's not dying. It was a "give me a break" moment and just goes to show how "hard" they were trying to sell this thing from the get-go.

There were plenty of fans begging for certain ships to develop for years, and nothing happened. Why now are they doing this? B/C they're desperate for ratings and, yes, Emily Procter wanted a love interest on the show. But I don't fault her for wanting a storyline - she is the second lead. I do fault the way TPTB went about the E/C thing, and have hyped it up to the point where, if you don't like E/C you can't really watch the show b/c it's always being inserted, especially when you least expect it. Not to mention that it's all they talk about in the "Behind the Scenes" stuff - if it's so "natural," why do TPTB have to push it so much? B/c they're trying really really really hard to make viewers buy it. E/C, IMHO, is simply an act of desperation.

If you look at past interviews, you can see how the actors weren't even sold on it from the beginning - that's never a good sign (I'm thinking of interviews from Season 5, and even earlier when it's come up). As the storyline "progressed," they both changed their tune b/c they had to - it was where TPTB were putting them.

At the end of the day, it's just a TV show, I know. But as a fan from the very beginning, I am just so disappointed with the way the writing has gone, and the way they've chosen to "progress" the characters over the past few years. I just want the TEAM back (and I do include at least Calleigh in that team - I think she'd be a lot better w/out Eric muscling around and having all these emotional outbursts and inappropriate comments, etc.) In my mind, Eric needs to get his act together and realize he is not the "be all and end all" of the team, as it was kind of portrayed in the Season 8 premier. I'm just tired of the team revolving around E/C.

 

[mjszud]

I was very surprised w/how Calleigh was put in the role of looking after Eric - it would've made much more sense for H to watch over him,

Oh definitly! I actually remember waiting to see something like this in those episodes following the shooting, & then.. NOTHING, not once! That was truly the moment I started to feel that Horatio was detatched from the team, & it's sad because it's no fault of his own -- TPTB were too damn determined in forcing e/c into something that it never was.

Eric was in desperate need of help (still is, if you ask me LOL); he never seemed to have a grip on what happened. It was a shame that TPTB couldn't just build from that -- instead, they just had him screw up & let Calleigh cover his ass allowing him to never face the reality of the situation.

At the end of the day, it's just a TV show, I know. But as a fan from the very beginning, I am just so disappointed with the way the writing has gone, and the way they've chosen to "progress" the characters over the past few years. I just want the TEAM back

I'm just tired of the team revolving around E/C.

Ditto for me. What used to be a great one-hour escape from RL has been turned into an ulcer-induced nightmare -- all thanks to this godawful "romance".

 

[CSI-AJ]

If I were to end this relationship, I would copy the flashback scene from Sienfeld where Jerry and Elaine ended their relationship. Short, simple and never speak of it again so we can move on and who knows, their characters might actually benefit from it.

I will say one thing. This past season, all of Emily's best work came with the other actors so why stick her in something that is a waste of her talent? Perhaps next season, they should experiment with her like they did last season with Togo/Cibrian/Miller

 

[Florry86]

OMG you all have raised such good points that I cannot add anything else Very well done pals :lol:

I will say one thing. This past season, all of Emily's best work came with the other actors so why stick her in something that is a waste of her talent? Perhaps next season, they should experiment with her like they did last season with Togo/Cibrian/Miller

I used to appreciate her because she interacted very well with anyone...yep I'm including Adam Rodriguez because before the whole fried brain Eric Delko oplà, they both shared a very nice friendship.....now that essence has been ruined forever, IMHO.

I mean ok they have to play a romantic couple, but once they have to play the romance part, they have zero chemistry.....two teenagers would have a better chemistry not to mention they would play it in a much more natural and mature way than they actually are doing right now.
I cannot see anything in serious in their scenes together....anymore. They ruined it all.

But if I were to be honest, I don't think she would be able to have the same chemistry she used to have with Togo and the others as well.....I mean we all know that Horatio and Calleigh's great interaction has gone long long time ago and I highly doubt there's any way or, better say in this case, the desire to fix it.

Oh well that's what the whole E/C romance has done to the show....clap clap to TPTB

 

[Court]

Oi vey, against my better judgement I watched the "Backfire" repeat tonight. Though I am now battling SEVERE stomach cramping, it did reinforce my belief that the E/C romance storyline is, IMO, one of the most contrived, senseless plots in the history of bad television writing. Is it just me, or is Calleigh's facial expression in the hospital when she sees Eric sitting by her bed is so forced it is pathetic? There is nothing natural there. Maybe the writers' thoughts are Calleigh is supposed to be on copious amounts of painkillers, in which case, she relayed that perfectly.

I want to be excited about S9, I really, REALLY do, but it's eps like that one that make me very nervous about the future of this show.

I want S9 of "CSI: Miami," not S5 of the "Eric Loves Calleigh Show."

 

[Delynn]

Oi vey, against my better judgement I watched the "Backfire" repeat tonight. Though I am now battling SEVERE stomach cramping, it did reinforce my belief that the E/C romance storyline is, IMO, one of the most contrived, senseless plots in the history of bad television writing. Is it just me, or is Calleigh's facial expression in the hospital when she sees Eric sitting by her bed is so forced it is pathetic? There is nothing natural there. Maybe the writers' thoughts are Calleigh is supposed to be on copious amounts of painkillers, in which case, she relayed that perfectly.

I want to be excited about S9, I really, REALLY do, but it's eps like that one that make me very nervous about the future of this show.

I want S9 of "CSI: Miami," not S5 of the "Eric Loves Calleigh Show."

You know, I recorded this episode on the first airing but could never bring myself to watch it based upon the reviews of posters whose comments I value and trust. I eventually deleted it knowing that I would probably never be able to bring myself to watch it.

I noticed that it was on again last night. I opted for a repeat of Criminal Minds on ION instead. It was that or sweeping out my garage. Even the garage would have won over this episode. :guffaw:

I did hear there were some great Togo scenes in this episode, though. Those I'm truly sorry to have missed. Seems like I'm always having to miss Togo for that freaking nomance!

 

[Delynn]

Well, I guess I'm not the only one who didn't care to watch this particular episode.

I just looked at the ratings. The shows on Monday night for CBS have all been pretty consistent with their ratings this summer and doing pretty good for re-runs.

CSI Miami has been averaging 7.46 million viewers since the season finale - pretty decent actually. Their lead-in, The Big Bang Theory, has been averaging 8.54 million viewers.

Until this past Monday. The Big Bang Theory (a really terrific show, btw) came in at 7.73 million viewers. CSI Miami came it at this summer's re-run low of 5.42 million. That's a 2.31 million loss of viewers from its lead-in!

No one is going to make me believe that E/C drives or improves ratings on this show in any way - whether it's first run episodes or re-runs. The numbers have NEVER supported that contention and this is just more evidence of it. In fact, there is more evidence that the ratings remain the same or go down with E/C "moments" (CSI Miami got seriously clocked the night of the big "kiss."). This episode was the, "Calleigh on her deathbed (gads - she might die ... again! ) and Eric comes to her side screaming (again!) for someone to care" episode. The very definition of a Calleigh/Eric/E/C centric episode.

I'm so glad that ION is showing Criminal Minds on Monday nights!

 

[INACTIVEQuinn Fabray]

Well, I have some information. I was just lurking the Calleigh thread and I found out that Miss. Procter is pregnant. The source, tvguide.com. The article is here. But according to this article (I'll put this into a spoiler box to be safe)

Spoiler: About Season 9

Miss. Procter's pregnancy will NOT be written into the storyline. So that means we won't have a Baby Delko. Phew! But of course, I do not trust the writers in the least, so I will NOT be surprised if a baby delko does make an appearance on the show. :brickwall: Hopefully TPTB will stay true to their word... For once..

I guess I should offer my congratulations to the actress *turns to Emily and says congratulations*, but I must also hope that there will be no Baby Delko, because that screams uneven screen time, not that there will be even screen time in season 9... :scream: