Grissom & Sara #26: It's So Obvious, Isn't It?

Spoiler: REPONSE

Melinda Clarke has just signed on for a new show, and she's probably not ever coming back on CSI, again.. and I don't think she's trying to 'get back' at Grissom, for what? their done.. after "Pirates" she's moved on, and so has he

 

Love the collages, GSRlove! (I love changing my desktop images, so thanx!)

I don't think TPTB will forget about the cocoon. That's just poor storytelling (although, I think they did forget about Warrick's wife! HA!)

Anyway, back to the cocoon, no matter what it is, it's gonna be a huge GSR moment, so I am content. (See minidisaster, I like comma's too! And welcome! <Hands Mini a cookie>)

I think that GSR is gonna play into the finale this year. I haven't read any spoilers in ages, but I am sure that there will be something that will happen with the relationship. I think we may want to prepare for angst/danger/misunderstandings because hey, that's drama. However, in my happy shipper world, everything is gonna turn out ok. I don't think this relationship is going away, Grissom and Sara will be together until the show ends. Unless one of them dies.

Damn, I've depressed myself again.

So, here's a question though: If one of them had to die, which would you choose and why?

That's such a hard question!! I need to think about it. Anyone have an opinion?

 

Welcome minidisaster! We used to have a welcome banner for newbies, but I don't know who is responsible for that, anymore.

I spend my drives home from work thinking about GSR since it's a bit of a long drive, right now... and I like where we are, right now. We haven't had a lot of crazy soap moments, or screaming at each other through the lab. What we have had a classic format of a relationship.

They usually say the first 12-24 months of a relationship are a "honeymoon" phase. After that, you get into the nitty gritty of a relationship. It doesn't apply to everyone, but I think it fits. If you're someone like me who thinks GSR probably started beginning to mid-season 6, then their one year anniversary would have been just before all the sabatical drama. Perfect time to start to have to deal with all those dumb relationship issues.

I mean, sure, they've known each other for years, but it's different when you're in a relationship, constantly seeing one another and being exposed to each other's bad habits. So, they were all lovey dovey at the beginning of the season, then hit a rough patch, and they've come out on the other end, stronger than before.

Spoiler: upcoming

And, they're going to get even stronger because Sara is finally going to TRUST HIM COMPLETELY. Yes, the shaving scene took trust, but that was more about him trusting her and showing her that he did. She's still timid after he took off for a bleeping month. So, when he comes back, she needs a bit of time before she can fully trust, again. In "Empty Eyes," she finds herself crying in the break room, and when he goes to hold her, when he reaches out, she doesn't pull away. She gives into his loving arms and LETS HIM COMFORT HER. I can say, as a girl who's been through some CRAP in my life, it's really hard to let a man comfort me. It took a very long time before I'd let Matthew comfort me.... So, for Sara to trust Gil that way... That's huge. This is a huge moment for Geek love, and for Sara as she grows and develops as a person. And, Grissom is growing as a boyfriend, as a man devoted to an amazing woman. More than anything in the world, she is his focus, and that's apparent when he makes the right choice by reaching out to her in the breakroom in the middle of the lab. The setting doesn't matter. The consequences don't matter. All that matters is her. That's it.

I spend way too much time thinking in the car...

It's GSR, though. I mean, I never thought we'd be this far in season 7, and it's unobtrusive, for the most part, on the rest of the show. It has its own flow, but it always has. We can go back for seasons and trace the line of Geek Love. We've done it before... (though, I lost my freakin' geek love moment list).

I love this ship because I can go back to previous episodes and see where the relationship has come from, and where it has grown to. In season one, she called Grissom, "Sir" for goodness sake. She obeyed when he told her to sit down because he was pissed she wanted to be involved in a covert operation. Then, she got stronger, and by season 5 she was letting him know it was ok. She didn't need him to feel wanted and loved in the world. She wanted him, yes, but her entire life wasn't dependent on him. And, I think that freed him a little to love her more.

No one person in the world can fulfill every thing in a person's life. I love my man, but I need time with my girls, too. I need time with my family, too. I need time with my wacky friends, too. Sara needs Grissom, but she's stronger than she was. And, they're stronger as a result. Both she and Grissom have been on this crazy journey from the moment they met, to the moment we met them, to the moment someone initiated something more.

So many shows try to force characters to grow through bizarre drama. For the most part, CSI has let these two develop slowly and beautifully. Grissom was shaky about his feelings for Sara, not because he didn't know if he loved her, but because he didn't know how to love her. He was still struggling to figure out what to do to show her how he felt, to let her know that he wanted to be with her. His sabatical gave him time to think, to clear out his mind and realize that she was what he really wanted to spend his time thinking about. Back home, he was constantly bombarded with cases and killers and information, and he hardly had time to sit. Any time with Sara was spent treasuring the moment, but he never had time to reflect on any of it. Once he had the time to sit back and reflect, he realized just how much he loved her, and started to figure out how to SHOW her he loved her, not just say he needed her there.

It reminds me of an episode of "That 70's Show." Jackie was depressed, and Hyde just couldn't figure out what to say to make her feel better. He didn't know how to express what he was feeling. So, he shaved his beard. She hated the beard, so when he walked in without it, she jumped with glee.

"You let the razor say what your lips couldn't!" she exclaimed, cupping his face. The gesture was received. She understood, and he was able to show her that he knew he wasn't always good with words, but he'd do his best to let her know she was loved. (Until TPTB screwed the whole show up...)

Anyway, Grissom wrote her a letter, and that was his first step. Yes, he sent the cocoon... he wrote a letter... he did so much (for Grissom) to try to let Sara know he was thinking about her, to try to give her a tangible sign of his love. She didn't receive the message because she couldn't see the transformation he was going through.

When he came back, though, she could see it in his eyes. The moment he popped out of his office to see her garbage covered body, she knew. She tried to be curt with him, but it didn't work. He was pursuing her. He was watching her. His eyes looked her over, despite the unattractive jumpsuit. To him, she was everything he could see. He saw no one else in the hallway, nothing else mattered. Whatever he was doing in his office could wait because the love of his life, Sara, was walking down the hall, and he wasn't going to miss another opportunity. Over the years, he has missed so many opportunities. Not this one.

And as he pursued her, she could see the look in his eyes. She connected with him, could feel the change in him, could see it, could hear it in his voice. A month ago, he had looked perplexed and worried as he flexed his fingers, uttering an awkward goodbye. This time, he was confident, unrelenting, and completely dedicated to his desire for Sara... not just a physical desire, but a desire to know her, to be with her, to talk to her, to push her hair out of her face, to cuddle with her on a cold night, to sit with her doing crossword puzzles on her legs... It was a new look for Sara. She'd never seen him this way, but it was incredible. She was overwhelmed by it, got lost in it, then remembered she had to get washed up.

As she walked away, she tried to figure out his new attitude. She couldn't peg it, couldn't understand it. A month ago he'd seemed so unsure. The last time she saw him, it broke her heart. But, here he was, loving her as she walked down the hallway, reaking of garbage. Nothing mattered. Just her. When she turned back around after he called out to her, she had to smile. He had taken a step beyond just walking and talking. Now, he was yelling out to the whole lab that he'd see her later, practically proclaiming to the world that he was in love with her. She beams as she walks away. Something's different, and she likes it. Sure, there are still issues to be dealt with, but she can feel the change in him, and she wonders where it'll take them.

A few weeks later, when she and Warrick briefly discuss taste in men, her face is unreadable. She and Grissom are probably still working through their issues, and though she loves the changes in him, the memory of his sabatical still stings. It wasn't so long ago that he took off, leaving her behind for an entire month, almost without warning. She loves him, but it's hard to get past that kind of hurt when you're already damaged.

So, then we get to the shaving scene. Grissom wants her to know that he's for real. He didn't just come home on a high that's going to go away. He's not just jonesing for her because he missed her. He wants this to be permanent. He wants her to know that he's not going back to how things used to be. So, he offers his beard as a symbol of that love, of that promise that he's not going back.

Sara stands there, poised with the blade. In some cultures, cutting off one's hair symbolizes the fulfillment of a quest. Grissom's quest is over. He has what he's looking for. He gazes at her, transfixed. We get to see, for the first time since that hallway scene, that his attitude to her is still loving and amazing. He is amazed by her. There is so much about her that he admires and loves, and he's standing face to face with her, trusting her, letting her know that he's here. She is his quest.

She takes the blade to his skin as he closes his eyes, and she strips away the old. All those years where they were in limbo, all those times when there were misunderstandings. She strips it all away. That's not to say there won't be misunderstandings in the future, or that there won't be problems. But, they're starting again in this moment. Since he came home, things have still been off, but, in this moment, they start, again.

Grissom and Sara are on a beautiful journey. We get to see snapshots of this journey, highs and lows, and that's so much fun. We have a scrapbook of sorts of this relationship. Most the time, we like to remember only the good, but the bad is important, too. Grissom will look back on his poor decision making and handling of the sabatical and remember what it did to his love and to their relationship. It'll help him to be more careful in the future.

Sara will look back and see how far they've come, how far they've grown together. And, someday, if she becomes a mother, she'll be ready to help her daughter, to tell her that relationships aren't perfect, and sometimes things seem dire, but if you really love each other, you'll work through it.

I can picture Grissom and Sara having futures even though they're fictional characters. Why is that? Well, it's because they have been so well-crafted up until now, and their journey has been such a blast to follow. Well-written fictional characters are rare, and a well-written relationship is even rarer. No, TPTB haven't been perfect. They have really dropped the ball at times, and I'm convinced if it weren't for the amazing William Petersen, we might have lost all hope of our relationship becoming canon long ago.

But, here we are in season 7, and we have a beautiful relationship with a beautiful journey. And, there's so much more to come, I'm sure. I don't know, but I have a feeling that however it goes down at season's end, we'll know Ms. Fox and Mr. Petersen were watching out for the best interests of their characters, and that'll include GSR, and that's so awesome.

I started out just writing a little, but now I've gone and written a novel! You'd think after typing all day, I'd be sick of it! Anyway, GSR, YAY!

 

*clears throat* MissDee? did you just break into Alyssa's account? see, i told you the password is her fiancee's name.

no but seriously, Al, that was awesome. i think it's the best analysis of their present relationship that i've read. are you still not wanting to write any fanfics? cuz everything you write hits the main point and you would have those characters down to a T.

anyway, awesome job. i totally agree to everything you said. if i wanted to respond to your post fully it would take me whole night, so i'll just agree to all, lol.

ETA: okay i just thought of one thing that i kinda don't agree with. i don't think Grissom was in love with her all that time. i believe he KNEW he would be able to fall in love with her cuz he really liked her in all possible ways, but he didn't love her, per se. that's also what the whole Butterflied speech was about. i think she had everything he needed from a girlfriend and when he started it, he knew he'll fall for her very soon. Grissom is not a kind of guy who goes to bed only with a woman who he loves. we remember LHB, did he love her? nope. did he sleep with her and wanted to give it a try? very much yes. and it was very risky as well. he was risking his job by sleeping with the suspect, a dominatrix for that matter that could ruin his reputation. yet, he knew that no feelings can be involved there at that moment. he didn't allow any of them and called for a warrant a moment after he woke up on her bed and got dressed. i know i'm AGAIN comparing GSR to GLH, and that those two relationships are very different, i know that he was holding back with Sara b/c she wasn't a Lady Heather, that she was something special. but the guy involved is the same, and it's the only relationship we can compare GSR to in terms of his behavior. i totally DO think he loves her now though. End of ETA

i just watched XX, and boy, how i love our christmas present scene there. y'all know, Nick's face after the camera came back on him is the exact expression i imagine that he'll have when our geeks will come out of closet. it's so beautiful and i rewatched it like 6 times. the only scene with him that i rewatched more times is Oh Mandy, lol.

i really would like the cocoon to hatch soon. my prediction is that they may not have time for it in the finale, so maybe it will hatch around the 20th ep. i'm also wondering if we will get a kiss this season at all. i remember those big spoiler titles "KISS" couple of threads ago. what happened to that? great, i'm asking a question but i won't be able to read the answer. genius.

 

Wow, well written Alyssa! You wrote a lot! You always go into such great details, I love reading what you have to say all the time! What kind of timeline was it? Was it like the kind that is on the CBS wiki?

 

Reply to Adz: I don't think he was IN LOVE, either. Hence, why I said:

I didn't mean to imply that he was completely in love the whole time. I think that he knew he needed her in his life before he left, but he came back realizing it was true love.

And, thanks for the compliments. LOL. I don't know why I'm so verbose tonight!

gsrLOVE: Yeah, I started a list like that back in a previous thread, but forgot to save it, and now I really don't have time to go back through since I'm working one full time and one part time job. EEP.

ETA: I think I killed the thread. *sniff* Sorry.

 

Ok so I was watching "Burn Out" tonight and when Grissom is talking to Carl about relationships and the game of seduction, he mentions "Its about building trust." Well HELLO! Shaving Scene?? Sorry I just heard that and a lightbulb went off in my head.

 

I was glad to watch the rerun tonight, since I missed it when it first aired. I immediatly thought of the Shaving Scene when he said "to gain trust" or something along those lines.

 

See, watching "Burn Out" for me is a completely different experience because I'm so zoned in on Alan Tudyk. Though, the trust thing is a big issue. And, we can see that Grissom recognizes the importance of trust in a relationship. He just doesn't know how to impliment it in his own, at this point.

I think he trusts Sara, and therefore assumes she'll have no problem with him leaving. mystery at YTDAW said a thousand times that Grissom thought because he was so sure that he was coming back to Sara, that she'd automatically know it. I love how people try to read each other's minds. It always ends badly. Trust me, I know.

Ah, Geek Love.

 

But that would be Grissom totally. Thinking she'd understand, when she probably didn't. Like Nick said earlier in the episode "Sabbatical usually means good-bye" and that's what Sara probably thought as well.

 

i think there won't be a big thing on the lab knowing about them two.

Probabli a crime sceene dialog between griss and Cath:

"So, you and Sara...."
eyebrow lifts...
"Oh com'on Gil, you think we did'n noticed?"
"It's a private matter"
"okey.....i'm just happy that both of you finnaly got a life"
.....crime scene evaluation continues

That's how i see it coming, cause thats how the series have been, low profile, natural dialogs. real life.

Ok, so Maybe we get a return from the Millander guy at the seasons final episode, but can't see a gsr related thing.

The cocoon will have a beautifull moment i'm sure, and is being saved for a special episode. The TPTB are great it this subtle things, they put it away for a while and then pull it back nicely.

It's the GSR thing, we all noticed the change in both caracters season 6, the small things like the straw hat, the smiles, the looks....but we where miles away,the bits in dialogs, we tought sara just cooled down, and then it's the cherry on our cake, the OMG moment of the year right?

And i think this GSR being private and running in the background is far better, it keeps us hoping for a OMG moment. It's spicy. The looks in TOYD, the secret smiles....oh boy i love that.

 

Wow, Al. VERY well put. Could not of said it BETTER myself. Better than reading a fanfic actually...

 

My two farthings:

The cocoon isn't about Sara - its about Grissom: he's a man transformed.

Also, is it just me, or does anyone else get a Jonathan and Jennifer Hart vibe from the two of them? I used to love Hart to Hart, and GSR seems to be played with in the same vein - smart, sophisticated and mature - with big bits of fun.

Oh, and make me bi-hat, anti-baby, pro-marriage (see above HtH rant for reasons , and bi-beardal)

 

Isn't Millander dead? *scratches head* He was the one who's dad got killed on his birthday...right? And he's a she? Or was she? Or would have been a she? Or you know... something like that. And he killed men born on that day. Am I remembering the right guy? Someone stop me if I'm not. I mean I've heard before that it could be him. But I am fairly sure he's dead. *shrugs* I dunno. And I also don't know how to make that GSR related. Whoops.

Ha! *giggles* Like I'm going to show off pictures of pre-adolesent me. My mom was totally stuck in the 80's. No wonder I was a geek before geeks were cool. Man, I was sooo before my time.

Awww, I love you too. *Huggles Adz* But will you love my moth too? I grew quite attatched to him while he was living (or you know... not living...) in my NASAL CAVITY. And hey, I bet my parents still have it somewhere. Yeah, they are gross like that. The kind of parents who have a glass full of baby teeth and the tubes from my ears. :facepalm: Eventually you'll all understand my insanity.

Nah, just "Cheeseburger Love"

TV guide has lost my respect. Unless Billy's on the cover. Or Jorja. Then I love them. Yes.

As for a team for the Hat. I luuuuuuuurves the hat. *sighs* I think I have farmer issues. Turtle is a farm girl at heart.

And throw me in on team "I don't give a shit." My shippy little brain is already conjering up images of them living together and all that jazz. If they would like a peice of paper to state how much they love each other - more power to them. If they'd like to not ever get married... go for it.

I'm a firm believer that you don't need a legal document to be in love with someone completely. Nothing squashes the romance out of a relationship like making a deal with the government.

Though, for all legalities, I suppose it would be nice and all. Say one of them should die or something. Boy, wouldn't THAT be a horrible way to find out they're married?

Hospital Staff: We need to contact her next of kin so they can make arrangements with a funeral home.
Grissom: I'll take care of it.
HS: We can only release her to a family member.
Grissom: I'm her husband.

Oh, that would kill me.

Nah, we were all just dumbstruck by your really long, really awesome post. We didn't want to be the first to attempt to compare with that.

Spoiler: Upcoming - in boxes just in case...

Ok so... when is EE airing then? 29th? 5th? *sends pleading looks* And if they pull it up a week... then when is this heavily protected episode 20 going to air? And have Any spoilers been released for it?

Ok well. I apologize for the nuttiness of this post. And the overuse of quotes. And my being insane.

That is all.

 

You know, it's funny, but I realized that often this season the episodes with the most GS interaction have the least GSR, and the ones where they are separated for the majority of the season give us that tiny (but huge for the ship) glimpse at the end.

Just sort of interesting in the sense that I think it was reversed in previous years - the more they worked on a case together, the more likely it would be that something would be said, done, etc.

But I do like that they can work with each other, especially in front of or around the team, without it being awkward.

As a quick proof of my point here are their "biggest episodes" (in terms of greatest amount of screentime to least, and this is all combined screentime) for the first 11:

Toe Tags: 288 seconds
Built to Kill Part 2: 271 seconds
Double-Cross: 244 seconds
Post-Mortem: 233 seconds
Fannysmackin: 110 seconds
Burn Out: 99 seconds
Living Legend: 87 seconds
Built to Kill Part 1: 62 seconds
Happenstance: 47 seconds
Leaving Las Vegas: 44 seconds
Loco Motives: 36 seconds

Ironically the "biggest" moments happened in BTK1, Happenstance, Leaving Las Vegas, Fannysmackin', Double Cross and Toe Tags, and only three of those are above the middle.