Note: Permission was sought and received from Miami Moderators for a separate thread for this topic. Thank you, Mods. Preamble: Since my flight’s been delayed, I have this enforced time to ruminate over the spoiler information regarding Delko’s sister and her imminent “elevation” as Horatio’s current romantic liaison. I hadn’t known about the details of this spoiler before my second post in the "Will the REAL Horatio Caine Please Stand Up? *SPOILERS*" thread, otherwise that second post would have made way for this post. I have since had an epiphany about Horatio Caine, the original, the Season 4 clone and his creators, Those-Who-Should-Be-Ashamed. The news about Delko’s sister’s impending role has put it into perspective of sorts. Salvo 1: Whether it is a movie, a television cartoon or a dramatic series, it is the Canon that guides and outlines the parameters and terms of reference for the development of the story arcs, the characters and the overall dynamic. The Canon is not a stagnant bureaucracy but a vital and charismatic vanguard for the creative advancement of the show; however, the Canon can never lose sight that its premise and foundation remain steadfastly rooted to established principles. The singular craft here is having the professional wit to know how and when to tweak the Canon dynamics to achieve sustained and intended effect but without compromising the Canon’s fundamental tenets. The Canon is the show’s indisputable pilot, scout, trailblazer, rudder and safeguard. Over this past summer and into Season 4, it has become painfully apparent that Those-Who-Should-Be-Ashamed, have not the perspicacity required to cognize the paramount significance of the Canon to its show. Three years of heartening Miami Canon-verse put to the sword in one moment of calculative bloodied madness with even the groundwork on which it stood salted for added measure. Then to add insult to injury, the audio commentaries in the Season 3 DVD reveal that the (alleged) last minute resurrection of Raymond Caine had the writing staff scrambling as they tried to remember the story arc that was Raymond. Unbelievable. Next to Horatio, Raymond is (or was) the next central cohesive Canon character. To have its very creators unable to recall the Raymond Canon-verse is a damning admission of slothful negligence unworthy of the Canon characters, the actors and the viewership. For shame. Salvo 2: As it stands, Seasons 1 – 3 comprised the Original Canon. Then we move to Season 4, and are assailed with an offering of a second or pseudo-canon. Without any fear of repudiation, it can be said that the new purported second canon for Season 4 and perhaps seasons thereafter, has been a tawdry attempt at Frankensteinization of the Original Canon of Seasons 1 – 3. In other words, there is no doubt that Horatio Caine is being subjected to a vacuous “do-over” to appeal to the lowest common denominator. To be more precise, the “Professional Horatio” is essentially status quo but “Personal Horatio” is being re-created in thought, word and deed. Although a caveat is in order, as this “personal” re-configuration could well engender a rippling effect and thus wash over and through the rest of Horatio like so much collateral damage. In THEIR minds and by THEIR self-admission, at the end of Season 3, the Canon for “Personal Horatio” had reached an alleged creative impasse. Truth of the matter would seem, that THEY were unable to summon sufficient creative wit to minister the complex Canon storyarcs & plot devices, which THEY created but had grossly mismanaged throughout most of Seasons 2 and 3, ostensibly through poor characterization, even weaker story telling and an impoverished comprehension of storyboarding. But even despite THEIR self-fettered myopia albeit with occasional flashes of scenes worthy of the Canon characters, the Canon flourished and evolved, due in no small part to the actors abilities to infuse their respective characters with entirely credible purpose, intent and integrity. Out of the paltry snippets that were offered to the Canon characters, emerged a richly arrayed and emotive tapestry depicting both zenith and nadir of these characters renditions of their Human Condition. Without a doubt, those that have a discerning understanding and appreciation of the Miami Canon-verse of Seasons 1 – 3, will be able to quote verbatim episodes, scenes and dialogue upon which this tapestry was so painstakingly weaved. At the end of Season 3, we were stranded, excruciatingly poised on an enthralling Canon precipice with all the endless permutations and possibilities for Season 4 looming but still shrouded in obscurity. Only to have it all ignominiously unravel due to a creative dry rot of Brobdingnagian proportions, a Lilliputian grasp of the obvious including the faithfully nurtured Canon and an utterly unconscionable disregard for and abject betrayal of the regular Miami viewership and indeed of the Canon characters and their actors. So based upon this platform of staggering inadequacy, THEY shunned the challenge of sustaining and enhancing the finesse of the Original Canon in all its exquisite subtleties of the complicated in lieu of the ratings-safe, low-risk investment, uninspiring and lukewarm embrace of the mediocre. A reprehensible abdication it must be said. Salvo 3: Lest we forget, one fact is irrefutable; Miami is about Horatio Caine. All else on Miami, main & supporting cast and guest stars, are mere peripherals that serve as satellites to orbit Horatio. This has been the Miami way since the very onset. Admittedly, a most peculiar stance but it is the colors THEY have chosen to ferociously nail to the Miami main mast. Significant storylines or story arcs that divert the “peripherals” outside of their usual trajectory are unequivocally geared towards providing either a short-term vehicle or long-term platform to aggrandize and solidify Horatio Caine as THE character in the Miami Canon-verse. Salvo 4: It is axiomatic that Horatio Caine is tenaciously empathetic to the distressed and the downtrodden that cross his path, above and beyond measured expectation and reason. Indeed, he unerringly gravitates towards these unfortunates, these victims, with a Herculean zeal, determined to better their lot in any manner even in spite of themselves if necessary. Yet, it is these very victims who afford Horatio an avenue to channel his white-hot core of righteousness that seethes just below the surface. He assumes this self-imposed responsibility with all the steely avenging determination that has marked Horatio Caine from the very onset. If this were not enough, tack on a prodigious self-perpetuating guilt that shackles him at every turn. With this said, in order to establish the “do over” platform required to launch this re-invented Horatio Caine for Season 4, a suitably sympathetic and protracted storyline would need to be generated in order to provide a soft passport to exhibit and embed this "new" Horatio in the collective consciousness of the Miami viewership. So, in lieu of the weekly intense but transient connection Horatio establishes with the victims, he will now be installed in a more permanent connection with a different type of "victim", albeit one of cruel disease rather than criminal activity. Enter Delko’s marijuana storyline and that of his sister’s prescribed involvement with Horatio as Exhibit A. Salvo 5: THEIR choice of this particular storyline has been THEIR only real brainwave in THEIR approach to this Season 4 fiasco. One cannot fault the shrewdness of the choice of subject matter because this issue of a significant other, living with cancer or a seriously debilitating disease, is highly charged and honor bound to evoke strong supportive sentiment and palatable acceptance not only for this new character but for this rapid forging of a relationship bond by Horatio. More importantly, it is guaranteed to whip up the ratings numbers especially if additional appropriate twists occur during spring sweeps and the May 2006 finale. Another key point here is that when it concerns bona fide relationship issues of the romantic ilk, Horatio has been depicted as emotionally repressed and suppressed to the point of cowardice. THEY have never allowed him off his leash; THEY may have given him some extra line but he’s never been off his lead. But now, with the intent to re-invigorate” Horatio in Season 4, THEY will, in "magnanimous" fashion, give him carte blanche to emotionally express himself in this new relationship because the nature of the subject matter provides its own legitimacy i.e. Horatio essentially gets a hall pass from the monitor. THEIR manipulation is brilliant. All in all, a perfect and by the numbers sale. Salvo 6: Once THEY abandoned the Original Canon, that Horatio Caine ceased to exist. The Horatio Caine that is on display in Season 4 is the "real Horatio" for the pseudo-canon that THEY have since installed. There is a blending of the Horatios' but the upgrades are sufficiently glaring. Occasionally there will be wisps of Original Canon-verse that stray into Season 4 and beyond, but this can be viewed as mere appeasement strategies rather than any genuine attempt at canon reconciliation by Those-Who-Should-Be-Ashamed. So, there will be no further whinging about the "real Horatio" from me. He's already on display. Comment: 1. We are then told in simplistic condescending fashion that Horatio will be indelibly changed because of this relationship with Delko’s sister. Considering the central emotive issue involved, he would have to be a consummate blockhead if he wasn’t affected or changed in some definable manner. So chalk this piece of silliness as THEIR mawkish attempt at milking the "Aww Factor" for this particular storyline scenario. 2. The Imperious Curse runneth through Miami. Horatio does Horcruxes too. 3. I feel for Delko as this really should have been his storyline until THEY, as expected, hijacked it for Horatio. It would appear that THEY still intend Eric as Horatio’s beyatch until further notice. ~Finito.~
That's one amazing post Griffyn! I for one enjoyed it very much, though it took a little digesting. It reminded me of my old english professor's analytical accounts at college, which were a real inspiration. I myself could do with a couple of hours, waiting for a plane, to address the issues that you've raised! I have grasped where you are coming from and understand the importance of 'Canon'. The Miami canon is shifting, and hence the changes are reflected in the Season 4 Horatio. My question here would be, will the original canon return or is it lost forever? I too was dumbfounded by the comment that, once TPTB had decided Ray was returning from the dead, they had to recall what had happened in the last 3 seasons to make it believable! The whole thing was Ann D's creation, so you would have thought she would know better than anyone. Maybe in their attempt to 'revitalize' the show, the existing canon has been cast so ceremoniously to one side, TPTB have lost sight of their own creation. This worries me. As for the introduction of Eric's sister Marisol, as H's new love interest, well, I also think that has 'audience manipulation' written all over it. As she is presumably in remission from her breast cancer (though this hasn't been confirmed), the audience are drawn to the potentially heartbreaking nature of her story, and the effect this will have on Horatio and Eric. It's much less complicated than the Yelina/Ray/Horatio triangle. Having said that, many fans on this Forum are sceptical about the relationship between H and Marisol. Whether those feelings remain the same when it is played out on the show itself, remains to be seen. When all is said and done, the original canon, seasons 1-3, will always be the true Miami for me. Unless, of course, the writers really do surprise us. It's not looking like Season 4 will inspire me too much, but who knows what maybe around the corner. We shall see.
That was a fine read Griffyn. I have to say that I think your analysis is spot on. Makes a very welcome change to read a post like that. A fair and accurate assessment for sure. I'm certainly curious, like Lucy mentioned, whether this all new Miami Canon is likely to render the original lost. I hope not. That really would be a travesty. When I'm having positive thoughts, I hope that the whole H/Y/Ray triangle will come full circle. Ann Donahue has implied that she would like CSI:Miami to cover 3 phases. We are just embarking on the second, and the third will be the potential return of H's family. I'm not sure what to make of that. I fear that the damage to this once fine show may have been done by then.
I recently received the following cryptic email message from a friend..... “Hah! Not only have his Overseers granted Horatio License to Shag for the remainder of this farcical season but he’s also been rewarded with a wee bairn of his very own. Tee Hee. Never again question the depths of willful stupidity to which this lot will plumb!” So the aforementioned Exhibit A i.e. Delko’s marijuana storyline and that of his sister's prescribed involvement with Horatio, just received an additional comfort layer at raking in the ratings numbers. One really cannot fault THEIR manipulative efforts. However, I must admit astonishment at the extent of THEIR continued relentless downward spiral into creative oblivion by this latest distasteful slice of meaningless drivel. Eric's sister's main role for the remainder of this season is clear as mud and is now deliberately twofold. Not only will she be the avenue by which Horatio will allow his newly liberated libido to find tactical expression but she will also serve as the sacrificial vessel by which Horatio will be afforded issue of his own. Point to be noted is that by giving Eric's sister a significant clinical malignancy, her fragile state of health would provide a suitably convenient method for her removal at a later date if so required. Cold and calculating but the end result is that Horatio's standing must and will be further aggrandized. It is worth repeating to put this all into the ludicrous Season 4 perspective which THEY have created, that aside from Horatio, all else are expendable for the greater good and higher purpose of Horatio Caine. It would appear that after three seasons of interacting and rescuing an array of children coupled with his random huffing and puffing over his only nephew and niece, Horatio has passed some sort of entrance examination and is now deemed "ready" to have progeny. The irony here is that in Season 4, Horatio has been made to ruthlessly abandon all of his family, child members included, without even a smidgen of remorse or reflection. To recapitulate the current situation with his flesh-and-blood child relatives, by virtue of his brother's cowardly double crossing actions, Horatio's only nephew continues to be in dire peril; in addition, his only niece who is leukemic and was recently at death's door, presumably still is without a bone marrow donor as young Ray Jr is in hiding in Brazil. With this entire tumultuous mêlée surrounding the two youngest members of his family as yet unresolved , where oh where is Uncle Horatio in Season 4? Oh yes, he's been made to turn his back on young Ray Jr and Madison and look for "love" and "other" family in all the wrong places and for all the wrong reasons. Not exactly "Uncle or Father of the Year" material. I don't particularly want to delve into the various permutations and outcomes of this latest twist, as they are boringly self-evident. It's akin to watching docudramas like "Seconds From Disaster" or "Zero Hour", i.e. morbidly fascinating this inability to recognize a catastrophe of THEIR own mulish prescription. So, just conjure up all the worse possible daytime soap reject scenarios and you will have more than sufficient mawkish episode material for Spring Sweeps and Season finale. I'm reminded of a Churchillian quote: "Truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it; but, in the end; there it is." The "truth" here is that in Season 4, THEY continue in mind boggling fashion, to write for and appeal to that troglodytic section of the general vierwership, the ones that watch Miami for the simplistic "Ooh-Aah" Factor without any pivotal comprehension of the overall dynamic or the True Canon-verse. Unfortunately, it is this same undiscriminating demographic that ramps up the ratings numbers by cheaply buying into THEIR smoke and mirrors. It really is the whoring of the Original Miami in all its infamy. Treacherous and such an utter waste of an entire season. This is the Incontrovertible Truth as things stand just now. So, Lucy and MiamiDade in reply to your queries about the potential return of the worthy principles of the Original Canon-verse in the near future, well not bloody likely. THEY have lost the plot, chapter, line and verse. Until THEY can collectively re-align THEMSELVES to the sound merits of the Original Canon-verse, look upwards towards creative enlightenment, have some honest to goodness pride and emotive intelligence in THEIR storytelling, we will be well and truly mired in THEIR self-perpetuating muck for sometime yet. ~Finito~