Review: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation-'Ghost Town'

[CSI Files]

The team hunts a killer in a quiet Las Vegas neighborhood while Langston and Doc Robbins make a surprising discovery during an autopsy.Synopsis:Ray Langston and Doc Robbins peer into the body of Joseph Bigalow, shocked to discover someone has neatly tied his small intestine around his spleen… without ever opening him up. They find evidence [...]

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[myfuturecsi]

Re: Review: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation??Ghost Town?

Great review Top

Yes, Langston is the newbie and yes he needs chances to shine, but as in “Family Affair” when he came to the conclusion that it was unlikely that Wilkes went after Olivia to kill her, lately it feels like Langston is the only one doing any critical thinking. Yes, it makes him look smart and insightful. But why must it be at the expense of the other characters? Especially in this episode, it would have been nice for Sara to have doubts about Craig’s guilt, and for her or Nick–both of whom were familiar with the Milander case–to catch the discrepancy in the rubber hand.

I totally agree with this statement 100 per cent. I was used to it with Grissom, but with Langston, I hate it.

 

[Faylinn]

Excellent review, as always.

I knew it was Wincroft from the beginning - it's always a bit annoying when something is screaming GUILTY and the CSIs don't seem to grasp it as quickly as I (a mere armchair CSI) do. :shifty:

I think it's a bit annoying that Langston makes so many important connections - the one with the hand was something that I didn't actually mind, which makes it more frustrating. Noticing that the hand the mold was based on had a congenital defect - which would make it hard for Craig to have actually committed the murders - is something I would expect a doctor to notice more quickly than longtime CSIs who would be paying closer attention to other aspects of the evidence. But because Langston makes so many important discoveries, ones that should be natural for him seem just as unnecessary as the rest.

I always hate when one character's intelligence/logic/general awesomeness can only be shown at the expense of someone else - if they can't look smart without someone else having to play stupid, then they aren't that smart. (I'm sure it's much harder to write this kind of thing than it is to criticize it, and I'm no expert, but that's my two cents. ) I think if the show concentrated on certain things that Langston would know better than the others (ie doctor stuff), his scenes would be easier to swallow.

Anyway - yeah, the killer was obvious from the very beginning. I wonder if they only brought Craig back for this one episode or if we might see him again? I'm also curious to see how things go with this 'Dr Jekyll' guy. (I assume they call him that because the 'evil' is hidden inside? Otherwise I'm not sure what the reference is - I've never read the book, so I might be missing something. Someone enlighten me if that's the case! ) The mini cliffhangers are pretty interesting and definitely make me think a bit more about upcoming episodes - which might help more casual viewers feel compelled to tune in week to week.

 

[symbeline]

Good review

I think everybody figured out who the killer was. The writers should try to be more original with the twists. I know that after hundreds of episodes --specially if you watch all three CSI-- it's almost impossible to surprise the audience, but please, the "first-at-the-scene-is-the-murderer" trick is getting old.

Langston has this patronizing attitude that grates on my nerves. Grissom knew a lot and loved to teach, but he never talked to his subordinates like students and Langston does that a lot.

And about Sara, I wish we knew more. If Jorja leaves after her scheduled five episodes --according to multiple rumors she's doing more, but I'll believe it when I see it-- the next time we'll see her, she'll probably be with her husband. And Sara fans need to know why is she suddenly capable of doing the job that made her leave everything behind because she couldn't take it anymore. I don't know if the writers will have enough time --or will be willing-- to explain in detail what happened between Sara left in "Goodbye and Good Luck" and the reunion in the jungle, but if we never have the answer, I'm afraid Sara will always be that unstable and needy subordinate that made Grissom leave his live, his job and his friends. I know a lot of casual viewers that think that about Sara.

About the "mini" cliffhangers: I don't care LOL. I guess it's because I have this feeling that they'll have something to do with Langston, or that he will solve the case with his incredible expertise in all fields.

 

[jafox]

Thanks, Kristine! Great analysis. I pretty much agree with everything you said.

Love having a happy Sara back. The 'Mrs. Grissom' was cute; I wonder if that is the first time she has said it out loud? :lol: Enjoyed seeing her work with Nick. Loved her interaction with Craig; I'm sure she could relate to him to some degree, considering her past.

And ITA about Langston. I don't mind his screentime, I expected it with his star status coming in. But portraying him as the sage of the show takes away from the other characters' abilities and experience. It's annoying.

Overall, it was a good episode even though the killer was predictable. I did like the 'Psycho' beginning and the little twist of finding the man's body in the tub instead of the woman's. I could have done without the overshare by SuperDave, though. :lol:

 

[Faylinn]

I could have done without the overshare by SuperDave, though. :lol:

That's another thing - he just happened to visit that particular website with his wife? I'm sure there are countless sites like that, so it seemed a bit convenient. Funny, but convenient.