Grade 'Sleight Out of Hand'

OK, guys, this is getting way out of hand.

This is a forum for discussion and debate of the show. That means people will come here and express both positive and negative opinions about the episodes, the characters, the actors and actresses, the writing, etc. It means that people will discuss these things, agree on some of them, disagree on others. That's all okay. In fact, it makes it more interesting here--if all the post read: "Mac's the best, Stella's the best, that was the best episode ever!!!!" believe me, it would get boring here, fast.

What is not okay is to attack others for having an opinion that doesn't fall into line with yours. I see a lot of people coming in here saying that people dislike Lindsay, and I know yes, that does make those that like her want to defend her. And that's great--that makes for a good debate, if that's what you want. Or just grade the episode--if you notice, no one who dislikes Lindsay is just jumping on posts like dutch_treat's or kaputin's.

What is inciting people is that some, like demor and libertylovelife are doing, are attacking people and not discussing the show. People have a right to dislike Lindsay/Anna. They have a right to dislike the character and the actress strongly. It's not a personal insult to those that do like her--it's just how they feel. Are they passionate about it? Yes. But so are those that like the character, and both opinions are valid and welcome here. End of story.

While moderating the forum, MrsG and I do try to keep order--the anti-Lindsay posts are kept out of the thread discussing Anna's other work and Lindsay as a character in general as that seems to be a good way to ensure there's some discussion of her character that's not just, "is she a good character/actress or a bad one?" The D/L shipper thread exists in the shipper forum for those who want to discuss the relationship between Danny and Lindsay in only a positive light.

But the grading threads are for everyone to come in and discuss their opinions of the episode, be they glowing or condemning, and I won't have them muzzled simply because some people can't handle opinions contrary to their own.

Let's put aside this talk of cliques, secret societies, and whether or not people hate the show or love it and talk about the episode, please. Thank you.
 
demor215 said:
I rest my case. You just proved everything I have been saying. I did not attack anyone. I asked a question. I notice that the person who attacked me is not mentioned at all in that post above. Par for the course.

Yes, you did. You came in and posted a snide question about the atmosphere in the forum. You basically insulted anyone who didn't like the show and challenged their right to post here. You threw down a challenge and people responded. You had no business posting what you posted in the first place.
 
ranma posted: "And Mac taking care of the intended victim in the end? Between his legs, between his legs! *fans self*"

THAT'S worth a second (and a rewatch of the episode...just to catch that part again...LOL)

As far as the other stuff...it just isn't worth getting into it. For myself, what gets tiring is hearing the same stuff over and over and over. 'Debating' like this is common on all types of message boards. One reason I started my own. :)
 
I really enjoyed the episode, the case was really creepy, and really well done. I was uncomfortable with the case because of the gruesomeness of the murders, but they worked really well with the story.

The explanation of the mix of reality and fantasy didn't quite compute, but the FAS explanation was interesting. I hadn't heard of this extreme behaviour with the syndrome.

I notice that some people found the Lindsay storyline intruded on the main one, but it didn't for me, it worked to me as a "B" case intermixed with the other case.

I like a little soppy romance so the D/L ship is attractive to me as long as it doesn't interfere with the stories. I always found that the other CSI's were too clinical and the personal interrelationships were not explored enough. Don't get me wrong I don't want the whole story to be about their personal lives, but it's nice to see how their personalities affect their work.

Like real life how we deal with our jobs is affected by home/off air life and feelings. And our personalities off work can be quite different - professional manners etc.

I graded it an A+ because of all of the above. I enjoyed it, too bad its the last one for a few weeks!!

serenat
 
goldnhart said:
I wish I knew in my own mind what I want from the CSIs.
I hated CSI: Miami last season and thought it was a total soap opera. I won't be watching any reruns of those episodes.
I think a lot of people agreed, and the writers heeded our opinions, leading to an improvement this year.
In general, I would lean away from the idea of main characters being involved with one another. But when it comes right down to it, I find H and Yelina to be a fascinating pair, and I'm also eager to see how GSR will play out on LV.
Danny and Lindsay? I like both of them a lot, but when I ask myself the hard question of where I want that situation to go, I have to admit that I simply don't see any chemistry between them. It just seems to be a trite way to go.

I see chemistry between the two, unlike Danny and Aiden, who were pretty much the same person ;)

:lol: :lol: I loved season 4 of miami, and I think i am the only person on the board who does...haha, I watch miami because it's so ridiculous and cheesy, and last seaon was definatly entertaining...
 
I loved season 4 of miami, and I think i am the only person on the board who does...haha, I watch miami because it's so ridiculous and cheesy, and last seaon was definatly entertaining...


I didn't hate it. I couldn'tt since it was FF that hooked me. What upset me was the H/M storyline but after buying S4 & watching it again I could see why H did what he did. The main thing that upset me was the cancer story. For someone who was suppose to be soooooooooo sick she looked awful good. I just thought the whole thing made fun of people who actually had cancer. I know my Dad died from it & he didn't look that good. Actually he lost weight from the chemo & grew pale. Anyway, enough of that. Miami will always be my fave then NY, LV.To me Miami & NY go hand in hand since It was MM that hooked me at the time FF hooked me. :lol:


As far as D/L I love them together & think there is something there unlike D/A. I just couldn't see them together but that's just my opinion. Sorry for OT discussion.
 
The bottom line: I loved the illusionist case and would give that an A. I didn’t like the trial/Danny & Lindsay portion and would give that an F. Overall, I’ll split the difference and give the ep. a C.

The explanation: When I was a kid I was obsessed with magic. My maternal grandpa used to do basic sleight of hand tricks, and I had a magic kit and magic books. I did not have good hand-eye coordination, so my master illusionist aspirations were squelched early on. But I digress.

I’ve never seen “Mindfreak,” but I have seen promos for it, and Criss Angel pretty much gives me the creeps. He was the perfect person to cast in this role and did an outstanding job. I also loved the magic shop dude and Mac having Danny set his arm on fire as an experiment. Mac giving Danny an opportunity to set his boss on fire and Danny asking if he could have Mac’s office if he turned into a big ‘ol flame ball was hilarious. Hawkes and Flack were fabulous. And I liked the scene where Stella is in her office and pulls up the knowHIVAIDS.org site. Wow, there is a way to continue a character’s personal storyline without bringing the procedural aspects of the show to a screeching halt. Who knew? That part of the scene took, what, two seconds? And it proved the writers are actually capable of balancing procedure and character development.

The Danny/Lindsay thing just has me baffled. I keep trying to figure it out, and just when I think I get an idea of what the writers are going for; they swerve sharply in another direction. When they pointed out Danny had been working long hours and was sleep deprived, I was on board. Here’s a way to get him off work without going to Mac and asking “dad” if he can have the keys to the car so he can visit his wittle pooky bear. When Stella tells Danny she spoke to Lindsay I thought, “OK, now I am aware that Danny is aware of Lindsay’s situation.” Then Danny gets to his apartment and makes the instinct comment. I thought, “OK, Danny feels that despite Lindsay blowing off everyone’s offers of support and friendship, she really needs some moral support in court. ‘I said I’d be there for her; so I’m going.’” Lindsay’s conversation with Stella, her fear of the suspect, her testimony and even her expression when Danny walks in were – dare I say – enjoyable to me. She was obviously traumatized by the event, thus asking for a break, but she was still able to look at the jury and convincingly explain what happened. She had a look of comfort and relief when Danny entered that proved his instinct was correct; despite her words and actions she really needed someone. Looking at the jury showed she actually listened to Stella. She looked the shooter in the eye and pointed him out when asked who she saw. Even when she grabbed Danny’s hand and then laid her head on his shoulder after the verdict was read got me. She was relieved and drained, and she was also showing her trust and appreciation for a friend who traveled cross country to show support. Hell, they didn’t just have me on board; they had me on the Ledo deck with a margarita asking my cruise director, Julie, what pleasantries were still in store on this trip.

But after each pleasure, the writers had to make me want to jump ship. Sleep deprived Danny looks up at the lab and has a Lindsay sighting. I thought, “OK, I have been sleep deprived to the point that I’ve seen and heard things not there. However, I have never imagined the object of my affection walking toward me in slow motion with the wind blowing through their hair while they were indoors, and had the sight trigger the doofiest smile in the history of earth.” Lindsay testifies and the man is convicted, but there is no indication of why some whack job walks into a restaurant and blows away four – including the waitress – young girls. Not even the explanation that it was just random. We still have no explanation of why Lindsay can’t face mothers but evidently enjoys destroying the lives of fathers. There’s no mention of the girls’ ages, but all of the actresses looked to be 12 – 14. So, if 14 is correct, we’re supposed to believe that Lindsay is 24, when Anna is and looks ten years older. Anna is an attractive woman, but sorry, she looks her age; and I’m not saying she is or looks old. And then, if wanting to jump ship wasn’t enough. The writers have Julie, my cruise director; bash me over the head with a shuffleboard disc thingy. Lindsay still holds Danny’s hand for support as they leave the courtroom. Then – without any dialogue between the two whatsoever - she turns, moves toward Danny while pulling him toward her so they can suck face. Right there, in the same courtroom where she just helped convict her friends’ killer, where the victims' families wept, and where she finally faced her “trauma.” The fastest recovery from major trauma this side of Stella. She doesn’t even wait till they get outside, let alone back to NY. When the reporters bust open the doors, I was waiting for Lindsay to run up and slam them closed; and jump Danny right there. Ice queen to make out queen in .06 seconds. That’s one hell of a “thanks for your support despite my repeated attempts to push you away.” Things don’t move that fast at the Indy 500.

I’m really trying to stay with this show. I like most of the cases, I love most of the cast, I have come to absolutely adore Mr. G; and I’m even going out of my way to justify Danny & Lindsay as a couple. I’m hoping against all hope that since the “dark secret” crap is over, TPTB will clean the slate and move Lindsay and the pairing into a much more palatable direction. Based on what they’ve done so far, I’m reserving my right to add my name to the list of those ready to take a break from CSI: NY.


The disclaimer: The preceding message was not intended to be personal in any way, because, hell - I don't know any of you people personally. If, however, you feel slighted, singled out, attacked or otherwise picked on please feel free to lighten the #$%@! up. Thank you.
 
"Sleight out of Hand" was a great episode in my opinion. I really thought the sociopathic magician guy was a great antagonist and was well played by whoever portrayed him.

The episode certainly isn't the best by any means. I may be in the minority or even fringe but I kind of like the Danny/Lindsay relationship thing but I think it has been poorly written out and to me, it weighs both Danny and Lindsay down in my opinion. I really hope Danny maintains a roughneck personality that made me like him so much and not soften up too much. I don't mind a little soap every now and then but the writers should approach this with some caution.

The Stella HIV scare is also nerve-rattling and that is rather bothersome. I just pray that she is negative which I'm almost certain she will be considering how both air and water kill HIV within minutes upon exposure but if Stella turns up HIV-Positive, it could very well make me want to take a college course on Wednesday nights from now on.
 
Excellent post, PerfectAnomaly. :D And can I just say, I love that disclaimer--I believe you've used it before. :lol:

I definitely doubt that Stella will be HIV positive, but if nothing else, the storyline will hopefully help educate some of the viewers about the risks, as well as the myths surrounding HIV and AIDS. :)
 
PerfectAnomaly said:
The bottom line: I loved the illusionist case and would give that an A. I didn’t like the trial/Danny & Lindsay portion and would give that an F. Overall, I’ll split the difference and give the ep. a C.
Exactly the way I saw it.
smiley-grade.gif
for the illusionist case, but unfortunately a few scenes (not all but a few) of the Danny/Lindsay portion really dragged it down to gag level (ie a C from me).
 
Faylinn said:
Excellent post, PerfectAnomaly. :D And can I just say, I love that disclaimer--I believe you've used it before. :lol:

Thanks. After catching up on this thread I decided use the disclaimer again. :D

I definitely doubt that Stella will be HIV positive, but if nothing else, the storyline will hopefully help educate some of the viewers about the risks, as well as the myths surrounding HIV and AIDS. :)

I agree about the education. I'm a masochist, so I'm holding out hope that they could have her test positive. ;) It would be wonderful to see a strong, intelligent and beautiful woman living with HIV. Of course, that would require a lot of character continuity; and we know how probable that is. :rolleyes:
 
PerfectAnomaly, as much as I like D/L, those were my exact thoughts, regarding Lindsay's case. For all the trauma it caused, we got absolutely no answers as to why this creep did this, why she has problems with mothers, etc. I loved your post, and that is what has been puzzling me since the episode.
 
I have to admit. I am a DL person (I hate the term "shipper," sorry), but they could have handled it better. Maybe have Lindsay come home, and at some point, approach Danny and say, "I owe you an explanation," rather than him come out to Montana to find out. *shrug* I dunno.
 
It just doesn't seem to me that the entire D/L thingie had been conceived completely, before it was set to screen. I can see an emotional Danny wanting to be there for a co-worker, as a friend. Kind of like him being there in the same capacity for Stella or Hawkes. Can't see anything beyond that emotions-wise for he and Lindsay, sorry. Perhaps the writers will make me "feel" this relationship in the future, who knows. But for right now, I look at Danny & Lindsay as the brother/sister, "Bestest Buddies" sort of characters, nothing else.
 
Back
Top