I've stayed out of this section of the board for a bit now because I really don't like it when it gets agressive. I bear the curse of being one who likes to know the opinions of those who disagaree with me. So, whilst I'd like to hide away in some GSR bubble, I can't help but wonder what everyone else is thinking.
The problem comes from both sides. I won't pretend it's only one. And, it drives me nuts when we lose sight of civility, but this thread feels fairly even, right now, so I hope you don't mind me expressing some of my views on this episode and the arc that lead up to it.
Firstly, when I heard that Ms. Fox might be leaving, I voted for Sara to die in the season opener. I know it's an unpopular opinion in the GSR camp, and I've taken some heat for it, but I would rather have had that than some of the other things we've gone through as of late and are about to encounter.
I thought that it would be a poetic end for someone so tortured. Now, in many GSR circles they're discussing that, perhaps, our dear Sara is suffering from PTSD, and I can take that, but I don't like a lot of how this has been handled.
Honestly, I was ecstatic about the way the proposal was handled. I was among the few who was very, very worried about that scene when I heard about it, but thought it struck the right balance (besides the bee-near-kiss thing that I really do not like, still). However, I agree with... I think it was
xf who said something to the affect of "what was the point?"
I really wonder that myself at this point. I think last season was awesome, but we've dropped the ball on some of the finer points this year, and one of them is the point of having Gil and Sara get engaged three episodes before she takes off.
I don't know the exact circumstances of her leaving, and since she's my fav character, I'm a bit heart-broken about it, as I imagine any of you would be if your favourite character left the show. After spending 7 or 8 seasons with this character, I've grown attached.
So, this is her farewell, and I'm all sorts of confused by what we're seeing. I know that there are two cases affecting Sara here; the one of abuse, and the one that comes back in the form of an annoying little girl. Sara's been trying to smile and fight it and get through and pretend like nothing's wrong, and while we've had little glimpses of it here and there, I don't think it's been handled as well as it should have been.
However, I said the same thing about Gil's burnout last year. So, maybe that's just one of those things these writers don't handle particularly well.
I'm really befuddled by her leaving him a letter, and the lab kiss doesn't feel romantic at all. It feels desperate and reckless, and that worries me. I don't want the first (and possibly only) GSR kiss to be something like that.
I know many don't agree with me, but I've been pleased with the GSR this year. Yeah, it's because I'm biased. We all know that, but I hate romance shows, too. I don't read romance novels. I don't watch soaps. I can't stand things like that. I love unrequieted love. So, for me, this whole GSR=Canon thing is a bit weird, and yet, they've kept me captivated.
However, I'm to the point where I'm wondering what the point of all the other mess was if she's just going to leave? I think that I can understand her motives, but not how we got to this point in terms of the show. I think that we've missed a few key steps somewhere, and the engagement feels more and more like a stunt, a ploy, to shut up and sedate the fans.
Or, in some cases, to infuriate and enrage the fans. Either way, publicity and discussion follows, and that's what TPTB want.
And, I fear that the departure of my favourite character will not be handled properly at all. I know some people don't care how she leaves, just as long as she does. But, for me, she's a special character who I see a lot of my flaws in. I haven't been through all that she's been through (yes, I understand she's completely fictional), but there's a kinship there that you rarely find in a fictional character.
Hannah will come, and taunt Sara in her usual way, but I think last week's case and this week's abuse case will tear her to bits.
Last week, she leaned that a man, who loved his wife dearly as far as we know, had to sit and watch while his wife was raped and murdered before meeting his end. I cried. I can't imagine how someone who'd been in an abusive family, grown up in a horrible situation, would react to something like that.
Sara needs a break, and I get that, but I just wish she didn't have to exit Vegas to do it. And, having her completely written out of Grissom's life just a few weeks after they got engaged also seems really, really bizarre. I feel like they're going for something rather than expressing anything.
I mean, I do not like the promo. I can't stand the use of the sappy music "I will remember you." I also can't stand the YouTube video "Farewell to Sara" that was released for this episode. It drove me mad that 80% of the scenes were GSR. It BOILED my blood. I'm a Sara fan first, and she's had so many amazing moments over the years that I think should have been hilighted. However, it felt like TPTB were TRYING TO PULL an emotion out of you rather than allow you to FEEL something on your own.
That's how the promo for the episode feels, and I'm frightened to death that that's how the episode is going to go down. I do not want to be sitting there at the end of the episode feeling as manipulated as I have felt by the other two things.
I'm sad enough that Sara is leaving. I'm sad enough that this is her last episode, and I'll be terribly sad if it's handled poorly.
I do hope it's not a GSR-fest. Again, this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I want it to be about SARA. If this is her swan song, let it be HERS.
I know some people shudder at the thought of an episode dedicated to Sara, but since it's her last, I, personally, hope it's done well, and that she doesn't have to be overshadowed by the GSR. Yes, it's a part of her life and her world now, but one of the scenes I'm most excited for is the one with her and Warrick that we glimpsed in the promos.
And, funny enough, one of the biggest reasons is because THAT is the Warrick I remember from the beginning of the show. He's flawed and has his problems, but he is a loving human being. Remember his face when he was holding the coin he flipped with Nick in "Grave Danger?" Remember how he got the little boy in "Still Life" to test his own DNA? That's our Warrick. Seeing him there with his friend and offering her comfort is a big thing for me.
Like many, I can't really picture Greg and Sara arguing, but I think I get it. See, I see the two as being in a sibling relationship. Just my opinion and how I see it, and as such, I believe there can be a confrontation there. I mean, I've had so many friends I believed I would never fight with until the moment it happened... So, even though I can't picture it in my mind, I could see it being one of those things that really pushes her over the edge.
I mean, she and Greg have always been tight, and I have never experienced PTSD, which many people think she has, but I have been clinically depressed, and sometimes when you get into an argument with that ONE person, whoever it is, it sends you over the edge.
I'm also curious to see the scene with Sara backing away from Gil. It's very reminiscent of "Law of Gravity" and I'm interested to see how it's handled, and to see what Gil says. He's never been good with people and words. He's a scientist, a goof, a sweety, a quirky kid, an adventurer... He's not exactly Casanova (JMO).
I also do not like the idea of her leaving in a taxi with the wind whipping through her hair as she cries. Forgive me, but it feels cliche. Doesn't she have a car? I understand if she's getting a lift to the airport, but I do hope she's packed! I just so worry that it hasn't been thought through properly.
*sigh* I know I've written a novel, and I'm sorry, but part of that's from not being on the board for a bit, and having a lot of fears about this episode. I just want it to be done right, and I'm petrified at what the writer's might do to my favourite character. Yes, it's all fictional, but I only watch three hours of television a week, so I'd really be happy for one of those hours this week to be amazing.
I'm sorry so many people hate Sara's effect on Gil. *shrug* I've loved it. I've actually felt like he's started to get quirky and fun, again, after so many years of him being a bit dark and moody. I remember at the beginning of Season 6 when the team asked Gil out to celebrate Warrick's marriage and condemn his elopement... he didn't hesitate. It took me and my husband off-guard, because he'd seemed so closed off for so long.
I think some people like evolution in characters and shows, and others hope that the characters never change. *shrug* I remember many shows where characters started out one way then ended up another, and people were angry. Or, people were angry if the characters never evolved and changed. There's no way to make everyone happy.
Personally, I'm a fan of change. I really thought Sara dying in the first episode of the season would be phenomenal. It'd be a huge blow to the team, and Gil, and I thought it'd be interesting to investigate that side of him, to see him in actual mourning and continuing with his job, and figuring out if perhaps he'd want to go back to teaching full-time, giving us a nice little wrapped up ending if they decide CSI's 8th season should be its last. *shrug*
I think it would have been a more effective arc, for me, if she had died. And, I'm definitely grateful for the GSR we've gotten this year since it's my ship, but I'm just a fan of a character getting a full and complete arc, and killing Sara at the pinnacle of her happiness seemed like as good a place as any for me.
Maybe I'm morbid, maybe I'm sadistic. I don't know. I just think that this "driving away into the night" stuff might not work.
Now, I could be here Thursday night/early Friday morning contradicting myself completely and raving about how well it was all handled, but the build-up has been less than satisfactory in this fan's opinion.
And, I'll stop... Can you get mod-slapped for writing too much? LOL!
