Grade 'Exit Strategy'
- Thread starter Top41
- Start date
Zipster
Witness
Excellent episode. Really enjoyed it. Considering the travesty of an end of season for CSI, this one I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thought the acting was great and I really enjoy the scenes with Mac and Jo. Overall, I'll give this a A.
I really do hope this isn't the end of the series.... :thumbsup:
Thought the acting was great and I really enjoy the scenes with Mac and Jo. Overall, I'll give this a A.
I really do hope this isn't the end of the series.... :thumbsup:
I've sort of lost touch with this series ever since they moved it from Wednesday to Friday night. I made a point to watch it tonight and I'm glad I did. It was moving; well written and well acted. It's been the best of the CSI franchise ever since the idiots that run LV decided to make the 'twu luv' between Grissom and Siddle the only thing happening on that show.
This one continued to concentrate on science and good stories, well told and well acted. How sad if this is the end of this great show. Gary Sinese is one of our finest actors and it's been a joy to see him practice his craft every week. I hope this is just a dramatic blip on the horizon.
This one continued to concentrate on science and good stories, well told and well acted. How sad if this is the end of this great show. Gary Sinese is one of our finest actors and it's been a joy to see him practice his craft every week. I hope this is just a dramatic blip on the horizon.
If this is in fact the series finale, the ending was pretty much perfect. I teared up a bit when Mac was looking around at the lab before walking out. I really really really hope CBS opts to keep the show around - it's the only show I've ever been dedicated to for such a long time. I've been with CSI:NY since the beginning, and I've been in fandom for five years or so. I know the show can't last forever, but I just feel like there's still some more life left in it - it may not be a big 20+ million viewer juggernaut, but few series are. I've really enjoyed Sela's addition to the cast, and I have my fingers and toes crossed that CBS will announce its renewal next week.
Hardline Pro
Lab Technician
I was all too sad about the possibility of CSI: NY getting canceled until I watched the ending scene. I hope CBS renews it, I teared up at the end. 
MacsGirlMel
Mac's Personal Assistant
Very good ep. Hopefully the D/L won't be seen as detracting too much. And hey, if we get a return, maybe we'll see some solo Danny *fingers crossed*
They didn't show the scene with Lucy's pic, or the scene they talked about where Mac saw the new young cop graduates.
I rarely cry during the CSIs-Grissom's exit made me cry last-but this one teared me up.
They didn't show the scene with Lucy's pic, or the scene they talked about where Mac saw the new young cop graduates.
I rarely cry during the CSIs-Grissom's exit made me cry last-but this one teared me up.
Danny kissed the picture of Lucy at the beginning, before they went into the apartment to do the bust. Danny kissed her picture, Mac kissed his cross, and Flack put on his badge. I thought it was all very symbolic - family, faith, duty and all that.
MacsGirlMel
Mac's Personal Assistant
Oh. I must have missed it, was doing things on my phone every now and then.
PerfectAnomaly
Resident Smart Ass
This wasn't bad as a season or a series finale, although I hope it was the former and not the latter. I'd say it was like other episodes I liked this season so I gave it a B.
I liked the beginning with Danny kissing the picture of Lucy and Mac kissing the cross and Flack putting on his badge before they went into the raid.
I liked Adam's little "Hmm" when the light came on after he hit it or shook it or whatever he did to it.
The case kept me interested. There was too many conviences into solving the case, but that happens on a regular basis so I've gotten used to it.
I thought Danny's response that passing the Sgt. exam and taking the job would mean he'd be taken away from the lab and the team was great, but then they had to have him follow that with "it would take me away from you." Um, Danny? You're married to Lindsay, have a kid with her and live with her. Do you really need to work in the same building as her too? You guys aren't conjoined twins contemplating separation surgery. Not being with your spouse 24/7 would just make you a normal married couple.
This scene did get me wondering what TPTB would do with Danny if NY gets a S8, though. Would they have him turn it down? If they do I hope it's because he loves the scientific work and the team as a whole and not because he can't be away from his boo over the course of a work day. Would they just forget continuity, as they often do, and have him take the position and still somehow get to work with the team?
Oh, btw, I didn't like how Lindsay sounded absolutely surprised that Danny passed the test. Way to have confidence in your husband, you jerk.
I liked Mac's soul searching and I liked how Jo handled him and listened to him. It would be a shame not to get another season of the dynamic between these two because it is wonderful.
The end was pretty cool, too, with Danny telling Lindsay that he passed the test, Mac walking out of the lab, Jo watching over him as he left and Hawkes showing that he's evolved from the reclusive ME who often slept in the morgue to someone with a gf and social life (although I'm not sure how good of a gf Camille is), and then showing Adam, Sid and Flack in their respective domains at work. The little smile Mac gave while watching Adam be his adorkable self was a nice touch.
There was nothing schlocky about the episode that made it over the top and it felt OK as a series finale, even if I really do want a S8.
ETA: I also really liked the song at the end. It really fit the episode nicely.
I liked the beginning with Danny kissing the picture of Lucy and Mac kissing the cross and Flack putting on his badge before they went into the raid.
I liked Adam's little "Hmm" when the light came on after he hit it or shook it or whatever he did to it.
The case kept me interested. There was too many conviences into solving the case, but that happens on a regular basis so I've gotten used to it.
I thought Danny's response that passing the Sgt. exam and taking the job would mean he'd be taken away from the lab and the team was great, but then they had to have him follow that with "it would take me away from you."
Um, Danny? You're married to Lindsay, have a kid with her and live with her. Do you really need to work in the same building as her too? You guys aren't conjoined twins contemplating separation surgery. Not being with your spouse 24/7 would just make you a normal married couple. This scene did get me wondering what TPTB would do with Danny if NY gets a S8, though. Would they have him turn it down? If they do I hope it's because he loves the scientific work and the team as a whole and not because he can't be away from his boo over the course of a work day. Would they just forget continuity, as they often do, and have him take the position and still somehow get to work with the team?
Oh, btw, I didn't like how Lindsay sounded absolutely surprised that Danny passed the test. Way to have confidence in your husband, you jerk.
I liked Mac's soul searching and I liked how Jo handled him and listened to him. It would be a shame not to get another season of the dynamic between these two because it is wonderful.
The end was pretty cool, too, with Danny telling Lindsay that he passed the test, Mac walking out of the lab, Jo watching over him as he left and Hawkes showing that he's evolved from the reclusive ME who often slept in the morgue to someone with a gf and social life (although I'm not sure how good of a gf Camille is), and then showing Adam, Sid and Flack in their respective domains at work. The little smile Mac gave while watching Adam be his adorkable self was a nice touch.
There was nothing schlocky about the episode that made it over the top and it felt OK as a series finale, even if I really do want a S8.
ETA: I also really liked the song at the end. It really fit the episode nicely.
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Jade_Nolan
CSI Level One
Immediate thoughts:
superb ep!!! It was very well written and acted even better! Gary did an unbelievable job portraying Mac's state of mind after the only thing saving his life was his gun mis-firing. Being in both the Army and civilian emergency services, I can tell you it was so spot on that it was almost difficult to watch for me at times. Because it's one thing for a script to call for him to be shaken by the incident, but his body language and timing in portraying it was so incredibly realistic. Especially the multiple ' "I'm fine." but obviously not ' bits, and how all the little noises while they were sitting at the conference table got to him and filled his consciousness. I've always maintained that Gary's wordless acting is his genius, and this ep was proof positive.
But as painful as it was to see Mac go where he went mentally and emotionally, I was also extremely glad he did. I've always been rather bothered that they haven't portrayed him as more affected by his past and the things he's gone through, both from when he was in the Marines (the only nod to that being 'Charge of This Post') or in the NYPD. It somewhat cheapened them in my opinion, and now it's like he's put some sort of value to them, a nod of recognition to the real-life effects of such things.
Also, on another realistic note, i loved how Jo didn't simply ask if he was ok at the end, but took the fact that what had happened had affected him deeply and instead asked why he hadn't said anything. Because it's true. You know people can see you're not really ok because otherwise they wouldn't ask in the first place. But that's not what you want. You want someone to simply sit down and acknowledge up front that everything's NOT ok, and broach a semi-open-ended 'what's up?' Because when Jo asked why he hadn't said anything up to that point, i wanted to scream at the TV that it's because it's impossible to explain that sort of thing!!!! i mean, what are you supposed to say when asked if everything's alright? And it feels almost like an insult, because there's a part of you that feels it should be obvious you're not ok, and if someone can't even see that, then there's no point in trying to explain anything to them. Plus, it's next to impossible to put into words anyway. I mean, how are you supposed to explain how it feels to expect to be reduced to splattered brain matter....?
On a technical note, I positively LOVED the black and white at the beginning and the lighting and how we were once again brought back to the darker, grittier side of NY. That aspect has been sorely lacking. And overall, i just loved the whole 'dark' side of the opening sequence - loading their weapons in silence, each with their own train of thoughts. And i'm sure some people will take issue with Mac wearing a cross, but personally, i thought it was a nice nod back to how the whole series started with him in the church looking up at the statue and consumed with his thoughts. I'd always kinda wondered where that particular aspect of him disappeared to in the black hole of non-continuity.
Overall the ep was just really solid, neither particularly over or under-worked. I liked how the kidnapping was given a rather unconventional storyline, and how Wes was given as aspect one could sympathize with. That, combined with the non-parent that Oliva's mother was at the time, made him seem almost a non-bad guy. And i really feel for the kid. She's going to be messed up front to back from the whole thing. (although on a techinical point, they really should have made her older than 13 based on the timeline... but whadda ya do... )
Loved the arial shot of Georgia. It really emphasized the fact that they were outside NY, and gave a sense of geographical space besides the little text along the bottom of the screen stating where they were.
The montage at the end was soooooooo well done! And it's hard after seeing it and hearing the song choice they put to it, to truly expect a s8. "One door swinging open, and one door swinging closed.......We're holding on, letting go"? With Mac turning off all the lights and slowly walking out into the streets of NY? I mean talk about a rather complete story circle. Essentially the whole series started with him hanging on to the past and Claire's death. And even throughout the series as the years passed, it's been evidenced that he's never really gotten over it. I know this was written and filmed prior to all these subsequent questions and speculation about the renewal of the show, so it's somewhat hard to keep perspective, but this was a series ender if i ever one. And a really good, bittersweet one too, perfect for the show and for Mac. He's always been just a survivor, simply waiting his turn to die and doing the best he can with his life in the mean time, and that's who he still is - never forgetting Claire and his past, but maybe kissing it and the city goodbye. To have contrived some sort of sudden happy happy end for him would have been the height of....of.......character assassination. Not that i don't want him to be happy, but to have magically pulled it out of their arse would have been just wrong.
So yes, it was a brilliant ep all the way around, despite leaving me decidedly sad for multiple reasons. It's a crying shame that they've proved they really can produce quality eps again NOW when the show could be over. Mac, as acted by Gary, is very realistic to me, and his resigned ultimate sadness just makes me want to hug him and so wish it could be different for him
And that's all i have right now. I'm going to go to bed and nurse my sniffles over this ep and Mac my poor boy....
(on a lighter note, Mac/Gary was just :drool::devil::devil::adore::adore::devil::devil::drool: this ep )
A+
superb ep!!! It was very well written and acted even better! Gary did an unbelievable job portraying Mac's state of mind after the only thing saving his life was his gun mis-firing. Being in both the Army and civilian emergency services, I can tell you it was so spot on that it was almost difficult to watch for me at times. Because it's one thing for a script to call for him to be shaken by the incident, but his body language and timing in portraying it was so incredibly realistic. Especially the multiple ' "I'm fine." but obviously not ' bits, and how all the little noises while they were sitting at the conference table got to him and filled his consciousness. I've always maintained that Gary's wordless acting is his genius, and this ep was proof positive.
But as painful as it was to see Mac go where he went mentally and emotionally, I was also extremely glad he did. I've always been rather bothered that they haven't portrayed him as more affected by his past and the things he's gone through, both from when he was in the Marines (the only nod to that being 'Charge of This Post') or in the NYPD. It somewhat cheapened them in my opinion, and now it's like he's put some sort of value to them, a nod of recognition to the real-life effects of such things.
Also, on another realistic note, i loved how Jo didn't simply ask if he was ok at the end, but took the fact that what had happened had affected him deeply and instead asked why he hadn't said anything. Because it's true. You know people can see you're not really ok because otherwise they wouldn't ask in the first place. But that's not what you want. You want someone to simply sit down and acknowledge up front that everything's NOT ok, and broach a semi-open-ended 'what's up?' Because when Jo asked why he hadn't said anything up to that point, i wanted to scream at the TV that it's because it's impossible to explain that sort of thing!!!! i mean, what are you supposed to say when asked if everything's alright? And it feels almost like an insult, because there's a part of you that feels it should be obvious you're not ok, and if someone can't even see that, then there's no point in trying to explain anything to them. Plus, it's next to impossible to put into words anyway. I mean, how are you supposed to explain how it feels to expect to be reduced to splattered brain matter....?
On a technical note, I positively LOVED the black and white at the beginning and the lighting and how we were once again brought back to the darker, grittier side of NY. That aspect has been sorely lacking. And overall, i just loved the whole 'dark' side of the opening sequence - loading their weapons in silence, each with their own train of thoughts. And i'm sure some people will take issue with Mac wearing a cross, but personally, i thought it was a nice nod back to how the whole series started with him in the church looking up at the statue and consumed with his thoughts. I'd always kinda wondered where that particular aspect of him disappeared to in the black hole of non-continuity.
Overall the ep was just really solid, neither particularly over or under-worked. I liked how the kidnapping was given a rather unconventional storyline, and how Wes was given as aspect one could sympathize with. That, combined with the non-parent that Oliva's mother was at the time, made him seem almost a non-bad guy. And i really feel for the kid. She's going to be messed up front to back from the whole thing. (although on a techinical point, they really should have made her older than 13 based on the timeline... but whadda ya do...
)Loved the arial shot of Georgia. It really emphasized the fact that they were outside NY, and gave a sense of geographical space besides the little text along the bottom of the screen stating where they were.
The montage at the end was soooooooo well done! And it's hard after seeing it and hearing the song choice they put to it, to truly expect a s8. "One door swinging open, and one door swinging closed.......We're holding on, letting go"? With Mac turning off all the lights and slowly walking out into the streets of NY? I mean talk about a rather complete story circle. Essentially the whole series started with him hanging on to the past and Claire's death. And even throughout the series as the years passed, it's been evidenced that he's never really gotten over it. I know this was written and filmed prior to all these subsequent questions and speculation about the renewal of the show, so it's somewhat hard to keep perspective, but this was a series ender if i ever one. And a really good, bittersweet one too, perfect for the show and for Mac. He's always been just a survivor, simply waiting his turn to die and doing the best he can with his life in the mean time, and that's who he still is - never forgetting Claire and his past, but maybe kissing it and the city goodbye. To have contrived some sort of sudden happy happy end for him would have been the height of....of.......character assassination. Not that i don't want him to be happy, but to have magically pulled it out of their arse would have been just wrong.
So yes, it was a brilliant ep all the way around, despite leaving me decidedly sad for multiple reasons. It's a crying shame that they've proved they really can produce quality eps again NOW when the show could be over. Mac, as acted by Gary, is very realistic to me, and his resigned ultimate sadness just makes me want to hug him and so wish it could be different for him
And that's all i have right now. I'm going to go to bed and nurse my sniffles over this ep and Mac
my poor boy.... (on a lighter note, Mac/Gary was just :drool::devil::devil::adore::adore::devil::devil::drool: this ep
)A+
legitlyobsessed
Police Officer
i almost cried during that scene. and when he went around his office and turned off all the lights, one by one, i just started screaming a little bit, like nooooooooo!!! don't end csi:ny don't end! i seriously love this show soooo much (maybe a little too much lol) but i think that was a good ending, considering that ANY ending would have broken my heart..
but on to the show!
i was sad they didn't at least put one tiny shot of stella in, considering it was when he was with her, but i guess they didn't wanna bother melina lol.
i think the way they had shots from all over the country was nice. it showed mac's determination to keep the case going.
it was missing something, a little extra oomph, a CSI-ness that it's missing. there weren't many scenes in the lab, and they could have expanded on adam trying to get the light to work more. there was a little bit of sweet symbolism there they could have played on and didn't. but that's okay, because they caught it in the end with the lights turning off.
that scene made me want to cry, as i said before. the way he's in his office and then gets up and turns off the lights one at a time, taking his time and being really methodical about it. i felt like it was all dramatic and symbolic, like "ooh, we might be turning the lights out on this show forever, so he's going to turn the lights off one by one and then slowly walk out" sort of thing. and then he just stood there for awhile, while jo watched him from afar. that scene was cute. a little bit too fluffy for my liking (they are only friends and must stay that way, in my opinion), but then again, as a hardcore SMacked lover, i'm biased.
i absolutely LOVED how the little girl was caucasian-like in the beginning, but when they found her again, she had magically turned hispanic. greatest part ever.
also, WHY would that idiot reach for his keys? first off, the car's jacked up, so he wouldn't be going too far anyways, even if the cops had let him get into his car. second, THERE ARE 6+ COPS POINTING A GUN AT HIM!!! dumb lol but i guess that's what they needed to get the girl pointing the gun at mac for that pivotal life-endangerment scene!
i love this show
A+
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BauerAlmeida
Rookie
This episode does feel like it could be a series finale should the show not get renewed, it was emotional, poignant, and a story coming full circle.
But I have a hard time believing that CBS would let go of any CSI franchise show without making a huge fuss over it like the CW is doing with Smallville and hyping up the "final season", I mean, no matter how NY's ratings may be, it is still a CSI brand show, one of the biggest part of CBS's huge crime franchise, I would think if a final season was to come, CBS would hype up everything they could to get attention like they did with the CSI trilogy story.
So I'm still crossing my fingers for another season, and I wouldn't mind if Season 8 is the final season.
But I have a hard time believing that CBS would let go of any CSI franchise show without making a huge fuss over it like the CW is doing with Smallville and hyping up the "final season", I mean, no matter how NY's ratings may be, it is still a CSI brand show, one of the biggest part of CBS's huge crime franchise, I would think if a final season was to come, CBS would hype up everything they could to get attention like they did with the CSI trilogy story.
So I'm still crossing my fingers for another season, and I wouldn't mind if Season 8 is the final season.