Re: Post - "Grave Danger" Episode Discussion/Review ***Spoi
In the first four years, I didn't catch enough CSI to really get a good grasp of Nick and Grissom's relationship other then a few tense scenes between them, but not enough to form an opinion, but I kind of got the idea after watching that scene because why else would Nick say something like that. He obviously felt that he wasn't up to his boss's standards, but Grissom obviously felt differently about Nick then he let on.
I think Grissom dovetails his relationships with his subordinates depending on their personalities. Moreover because Grissom struggles with human relationships, his preferances are for the 'less maintenance' workers over the ones that are. I think that is why Catharine and Warrick have a different relationship with Grissom then do Nick and Sara. Catharine and Warrick have enough ego within them to take iniative to do things without Grissom having to tell them. They also need less encouragement from him an less positive feedback. Grissom is a technical man, not a people man. Warrick is as well, while Catharine, like Grissom, can dovetail her persona with each person she meets.
With Sara it's about love, and with Nick it's about seeking approval, and there within lies Grissom's struggle. With Nick, it's tougher relationship because Nick was like an eager puppy for many years looking for that little bit of attention. Grissom couldn't deal with Nick's constant need for outside approval, so he shut himself off to him in terms of coaching and teaching. Sara being a more technical person then Nick, could at least relate to Grissom on that level, wheras Nick's empathatic personality made it harder for Grissom to deal with Nick.
However, I think with Nick's near-death, Grissom suddenly realized how much Nick meant to him. They had a love-hate relationship, but the hate part was not so strong they neither wanted any misfortune to happen to the other. Grissom also realized his humanity ran deeper then his technical side. He risked his life for Nick twice in the show, first with Walter Gordon because he didn't have to take the money to Gordon, all of them would have done it in place of Catharine and faced a professional reprimand, even but Grissom felt it was his personal responsibility to Nick to do so. Then he went into the hole knowing there were bombs there because he felt he had to find a way to reach Nick in his traumatized state because Nick needed to hold on just a bit longer.
That probably is one of my favourite CSI scenes ever, 'Put Your Hand on My Hand'. It was a moment where the years of tension between the two of them disappeared in an instant, and Grissom showed his human side for all to see.
Anyways, I hope that made sense to everyone.
