Season 11 Review

And so this is the 3rd consecutive season finale that's ended with Ray. 2 years ago we had him forced to kill in self defence. Last season it was the 'will or won't he' survive after being stabbed. Now we're supposed to be all worried as to how the IA interview will go? I get that LF is the lead actor on the show. I get that TPTB aren't going to pay him dumploads of money to sit on his ass. I just wish that TPTB would get that many fans have watched their own favourite characters for 11 seasons and would really like to see *them* get a fair shake of the screen time and plots and not be relegated to second place just because TPTB have a new favourite.
I couldn't have said it better myself. Even Grissom didn't hog up every season finale in the past and he was the lead star.
 
The okay episodes: some I liked more than others, others just barely made this list

Shock Waves- Justin Bieber= nuff said, Raskell was bad but not as horrible as it's gotten, loved what was going on with Nick which what really made the ep

Pool Shark- Too much Ray, I know he's dealing with losing a kidney but :scream: , liked the Catherine stuff and Elliot Gould too wouldn't mind seeing him again :thumbsup::)

Blood Moon- Ugh! Vampires are just everywhere these days, wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, in ways I like it better than the last vampire ep Suckers, Vartllows I think really helped save it for me

Cold Blooded- Liked the cold case Greg and Nick worked on, didn't care for the dino case as much, but there's been worse

418/427- Needed a bigger twist there Anthony, and I'm sorry but Ray not being there was the best part

Man Up- Love the Greg vs Nick, I feel Hodges should have been reporting to Cath not Ray since she's his supervisor NOT Ray! Never took Hodges as a motorcycle guy, must go with him missing Wendy

All That Cremains- This one really surprised me, liked a lot actually, even screentime for those that were there, Brass and Catherine were a no show, I really wish they'd mention where they are

The List- Liked it, wasn't perfect, could have been some bigger twists

Unleashed- Happy to see Heather again but I felt they really wasted the appearance, loved Nick and Al's case, no Catherine or Greg :(:(


My least favorites:

Fracked- Too much Ray, could have made a good Cath ep with the tainted water

Targets of Obcession- Liked the JB stuff though they needed to do more continuity I mean Nick shot a kid for cryin out loud! BUT Raskell really really killed the ep

Tune On, Turn In, Drop Dead- AGAIN too much Ray, and I suspected drugs were involved with the kids playing dead,

Father of the Bride- Glad to Sofia but it was kind of a wasted appearance, at least the writers haven't totally forgotten her, Raskell killed it

Cello and Goodbye- So far I'm liking Morgan Brody, but Raskell!! Didn't like the beginning

In a Dark, Dark House- AGAIN RASKELL!! Poor Gloria though she's no I'm going to cry over, as some said in another thread it was a bit graphic, one of the few bright spots was Greg perhaps having the most screentime in a season finale
 
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I thought the season started off strong, but it ended up going downhill at a rapid pace. There were a few bright spots towards the end of the season, however the fact season eleven ended up being about Ray Langston and Nate Haskell really leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Lots of potential was wasted (Sofia and Lady Heather's return, Katee Sackhoff's arc as Detective Reed) and storylines ended up being dropped or forgotten about (Catherine moving on, Sqweegel, Vartann/Catherine, Nick's emotional trauma). I just feel really disappointed with how things ended up.

While their appearances were brief and mostly used as a plot device to further the Haskell storyline, I really did enjoy seeing Lady Heather and Sofia Curtis this season. I'm also glad that Grissom's return was not linked to the Haskell arc; the fact that the writers brought him back for a really fantastic forensic-driven storyline circling around his past really pleased me.

Ditto

I didn't really have favourite episodes so much as favourite moments (catherine and vartann/sofia/brass humour/elliot gould/kip etc.).

However eps i liked the most are probably: "House of Hoarders", "The List", "Sqweegel", and "Wild Life".

I'm hoping next season they'll pick up on some of the storylines they dropped this season in order to drown us in Raskell.
 
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I would have to agree with Sinclair on this one. I, too, don't think I have any particular episode in mind that stood out as a favorite of mine, more so moments within certain episodes. And while some really came off as the classic CSI type show, others just had me rolling my eyes.

While it had the return of many characters I love (Drops, Lady Heather, Sofia, Grissom), I felt each appearance was wasted. I'm also still resentful over the leaving of Wendy.
I will second that PC. :)

I was impressed with Sqweegel, and would actually like to see another (meaning one) episode centered around him next fall. But like others have stated, the Raskell arc ended up dominating a season that started out strong and it seemed as though many other things...such as sqweegel, ended up being pushed to one side.

If I had to pick an episode or two...or three that I would probably lean toward to be a favorite, it would probably be; 'Hitting For The Cycle', 'Man Up', and 'The List'. Although, 'The Two Mrs. Grissoms' wouldn't be far behind. But neither one can claim top spot in my view.
 
I won't go into a lot of detail as I agree with all but one of you. There was far to much 'Raskell' sh*t stuffed down our throats that at times I was tempted to fast forward through it. The only reason I didn't was fear of missing Nick :)

The show that I love is slowly turning into a Miami and I no longer watch that cause of all the Horatio drama. Vegas is slowly turning into that with the Ray Drama. This is suppose to be a show about how science solves crimes. It's not a show about one member of Law Enforcement senselessly killing a bad guy.

They were some very good episodes this year mixed in with the bad. I think it's easier to list the bad: In a Dark, Dark House, Cello and Goodbye, A Kiss Before Frying, Father of the Bride, Tune In, Turn Out, Drop Dead.

If George doesn't sign on for next year I will have to seriously think it through whether I want to invest a hour a week into the Ray Langston Show :rolleyes:
 
I'm going to post my review of Season 11, although I'm still yet to see the last four episodes I know they're pretty much a Raskell fest and so I'm not particularly excited for them. (Also I'm generally not a big fan of Lady Heather so Unleashed will probably be a bit average to me.)

Overall, I'd rate Season 11 as good. Just good. There have been far better seasons and there have been poorer seasons. The main problem with this season has been having Raskell shoved down our throats pretty much most of the way through. I'm not going to lie, but I think Haskell is a fantastic character, I thought he was excellent in Season 9 but now he's just been overused and the storyline has gotten ridiculous as well as being hand-in-hand with Ray. I want to like Ray, but I just can't. I have nothing against LF but sadly the character just feels, robotic, soulless and he's just not as likable as the rest of the cast. I can't count the number of times I've thought "Greg would have been better in this scene" or "I wish Sara had done that" or "we've seen enough of Ray, where is Catherine?" It seems that Ray appears to be replacing most of the cast so he's getting most of the spotlight and I don't want that to happen. At least Nick seems to be getting a decent amount of screentime in most episodes anyway.

One thing Season 11 lacks as well, is a REALLY good episode. Season 8, although being my least favourite season, has three of my favourite episodes. (A La Cart, Grissom's Divine Comedy and The Theory of Everything.) Season 9 had For Warrick, 19 Down/1 To Go and No Way Out yet I wasn't overally impressed with that as a whole. All of those episodes I've just listed are ones which are memorable to me for being ones I REALLY enjoyed, however I haven't really gotten that out of Season 11.

I'd have liked there to have been a more-light hearted episode, (i.e Appendicitement, Rashomama, You Kill Me) I feel most seasons should have at least one of these and I missed that from the most recent season. Also I LOVE seeing the team out and doing something fun, it's good to see them outside the lab and I missed out seeing moments like those this season. Ultimately, there needs to a balance between the action, the science and the light-heartedness (whilst focusing on the science) and there hasn't really been that this season.

Favourite Episodes
Sqweegel - Genuinely creepy and a fantastic idea of targeting the pretend heroes. I'm still not entirely convinced by the car wash scene but I really hope that he returns next season (Season opener please!) but don't go down the Haskell route and overusing the character!

Bump and Grind - I thought the case was really interesting and there were plenty of unexpected plot twists. The opening scene was disturbing and it felt like an "old-school" CSI. This one was great for having balanced screentime and showed everyone working as a team.

Wild Life - I didn't like Cath/Nick/Ray's case very much but I liked the episode overall because it had some of the best moments of the season in it such as Greg/Sara with the parrot and the other three's re-enactment of accident. Okay, it was a little ridiculous but it seemed more feasible than some of the episodes in the season. (see below)

Least Favourite Episodes
Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead - Boring, boring, boring, boring, boring. Failed to entice me from the start and I lost all interest in it. Screentime was pretty awful in it for everyone except Ray and Sara.

Pool Shark - I thought it was a bit ridiculous to be honest. The idea of a shark in a swimming pool seemed VERY Miami-esque. Wendy's departure was disappointing, I'd have at least liked her to have gone out with a smile on her face. The only thing which redeemed the episode in my opinion was the Cath/Elliot Gould scenes.

All the other episodes I liked and there's still a lot of other episodes which I haven't mentioned, unfortunately it was just a collection of "good" episodes. There was a lot of potential in the episodes but they were let down either by ridiculous motives such as in A Kiss Before Frying, All That Cremains and Man Up. Or they were let down by being really predictable. (Hitting for the Cycle, The List and 418/427.)

Oh and also it was a treat seeing Bieber getting shot by our very own but I can't help but think that casting him was a poor attempt at trying to get some extra views. The age demographic for people who care was just wrong.

Overall, not a perfect season, not an abysmal one but there are plenty of things to improve on for Season 12. Better guest actors, less Ray, more team moments and Appendicitement-esque episodes and definitely more balance in terms of screentime. With Marg leaving, I think we can expect a good 2-parter focusing on her and hopefully with Elizabeth Devine returning we should see some more old-school CSI episodes.
 
Well...on a positive note, this season was better than season nine. But since any season was better than season nine that might not be a good thing. The Langston drama was exhausting and by the end of the season Haskell felt like it could have been dealt with earlier in the season. A lot of good ideas got pushed back but that always ends up being the case with every season (anyone remember Nick's tarantula in season 10).

Memorable episodes:
Shock Waves - Any episode where Nick is crying or about to cry is a winner. Something about his willingness to cry just tugs at my heartstrings. Also, the episode was set up very nicely with a blend of forensics and character development. Cath's line about quarterbacking after the fact always cracks me up.
Blood Moon - First sex scene with two regular CSI characters is enough to get this episode on the memorable list. Other than the first two minutes of the episode...the contacts used for the vampires were kind of cool.
House of Hoarders - Great episode that focused on some Sara vs. Nick tension. Throughout the whole episode I was actually on the edge of my seat because I didn't know what was going to happen next.
The Two Mrs. Grissoms - A Sara centered episode is always going to be on my list of memorable episodes.
The List - Liked how the whole police department was involved in a storyline. Seeing Ecklie, Vartann, and Brass all in the same room talking about their sexcapades with the same woman will always be hilarious.
Hitting For The Cycle - On the list because it was the closest thing to a Lab Rats episode this year. Henry is just too cute. Henry, Hodges, and Nick bantering back and forth...it's impossible to not laugh at some point.

Not So Memorable episodes:
Pool Shark - The idea of people swimming in a pool with a shark just seemed really stupid. I was kind of surprised PETA didn't lodge a complaint about animal cruelty against CBS after the episode.
Sqweegel - Eugh...I just don't like Sqweegel. I don't like the name, the character, and I found the whole episode to be very trying on my nerves and idiotic.
A Kiss Before Frying - I like how Greg got a storyline but did it have to focus on Old Vegas and a woman? The story was just weak. A fanfiction writer could have put a better Greggo episode together.
Unleashed - Lady Heather's return was overplayed. She was in three scenes and most of those consisted talking about Langston's problems like they had known each other previously at some point. Sara seemed very self-contained at seeing another potential ex-lover from Grissom's past. It was very weird and I couldn't help but feel like there was some missed opportunities.
Father of the Bride - I didn't really care about Haskell's wives so this episode was just boring. I nearly fell asleep trying to watch and just ended up changing the channel to watch something about puppies.
 
I thought the season started off strong, but it ended up going downhill at a rapid pace. There were a few bright spots towards the end of the season, however the fact season eleven ended up being about Ray Langston and Nate Haskell really leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Lots of potential was wasted (Sofia and Lady Heather's return, Katee Sackhoff's arc as Detective Reed) and storylines ended up being dropped or forgotten about (Catherine moving on, Sqweegel, Vartann/Catherine, Nick's emotional trauma). I just feel really disappointed with how things ended up.
This pretty much sums up the season for me. I loved seeing Grissom again, even if it was for only a short time, and it was good to see Sofia and Lady Heather again (though it still bugs me that they were brought in merely to further the Ray/Haskell storyline, and not on their own respective merits). I also like that they've finally developed Greg's character (post his going out into the field), and I've really enjoyed Sara this season; she seems to have taken on Grissom's "voice" on several occasions. But those high points have pretty much been obliterated in my mind by TPTB's fixation with the Ray/Haskell storyline and the way it dominated the latter part of the season. Without it, I would've given the season a B+. With it, it sinks to a C-.
 
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My favorite episodes have to be: Sqweegel, House of Hoarders, Wild Life, & The Two Mrs. Grissoms.

Least favorites: Cold Blooded, Father of the Bride, & Cello & Goodbye.

There were a few like Pool Shark, Man Up, and Hitting the Cycle that were humorous (though kind of stupid) but I guess that made them pretty enjoyable? being that it was a break from the usual. Blood Moon was more so disliked because of the whole Twilight & Vampire Diaries thing going on but I'm a fan so I had no problem.

And I guess the remaining ones were just ok..Though besides the finale, one of the most controversial episdoes was the premiere. I remember telling people (& still do) that JB ruined the hype & episode for me. But now that I think about it, if you look past him it was a pretty good episode. We got a feel for the team's "family connection" (before Ray & Haskell stole the show).

I loved having Lady Heather, Grissom, & Sofia back as guest stars. I totally agree they were kind of wasted (LH & Sofia) and then Grissom's was a rip off lol. I was really surprised by Morgan! She became the reason why I had any interest in the second to last episode. I'm really glad she's coming back. I just don't want to see Marg go :(

Overall it was a pretty good season considering how it ended. I had a lot of favorite episodes last season so this season had more to live up to.
 
The best about this season was the short appearance of Grissom and Sofia. I missed both a lot and to see them made my days.
It was a kind of sad, that we didn't see more of Grissom, but I guess it made it obvious that the relationship of Sara and Grissom has to cope with them being apart most times. Of course it's nicer to see them together, but we know now, they are happy anyway.
As much as I loved to see Sofia back, she was wasted. It made no sense that she was in this one episode and I think, after all the trouble the team in the last episode, she should have been there too, to find out, what happened. So I hope she'll return next season.
Having Lady Heather back was great too. Like Grissom and Sofia, she was wasted, but it was good to see her anyway.

Favorite episodes were:
- Sqweegel (he was so damn creepy, this episodes made me actually look under my bed later that night)
- House of hoarders (I loved the humor, like when Nick became 'evidence' or they panicked because of the gun shot plus I think CSI has a talent to portray mental diseases)
- Wildlife (Greg was too cute, Hodges was hilarious and having Greg and Sara working together is always great)
- The two Misses Grissoms (loved to see Grissom, loved to see some sign language and to learn more about the marriage of Grissom ans Sara)
- Father of the bride (only because of Sofia. The rest just sucked)

What I didn't like about season 11 is one thing: That CSI turned into the Ray Langston Show. I didn't mind Ray when he became a member of the team, but after this season, I'm so sick and tired of him. The Haskell case was annoying, it made CSI unrealistic. Especially the last episode was a nightmare. I really hope police and CSI in the US don't work like it was portrayed in this episode. And instead of taking responsibilities for all the mistakes he made, he lets other people cover his back and risk the career of some team members. So to be frank, I wish he had died in the last episode so that CSI could go back to what it was once: a crime scene show about a CSI team and the evidence.
 
More stuff I forgot to add about the season

Wendy hated to see her go, probably the other big reason I don't care for Pool Shark, PLEASE HAVE HER COME BACK!!!!

Sqweegel- liked him and I want to see him again but PLEASE DO NOT make him Ray's serial killer or overkill him like Haskell

Liked seeing Nick and Sara but heads in House of Hoarders and The Two Mrs Grissoms, wouldn't mind seeing it again

Grisson's mini return- I know several feel his appearance, I can see their reasons why, I don't necessarily feel that way, maybe it's cause I know we'll see him again in time while with Heather, Sofia, and Drops we possibly won't, plus having his mother, ex, and talking about him, GSR, and their marriage made it feel like he had more of a presence in the ep

Det. Frankie Reed (Katie Sackoff)- Liked her, wish we could have seen more of her, but it's unlikely since Sackoff has a pilot

Glad to see everyone had something happening this season
 
I went into this season believing the hype that we were going to see them really set up Catherine's past, and that we were going to see them delve into Sam's casino world. And we got one episode.That kinda told me what kind of season this was going to be.

I liked the premiere, and I did like Targets of Obsession (if you ignore the Raskell). I liked Vartillows, until they screwed that up royally. I liked how they finally gave Greg a good episode, and even the Two Mrs. Grissoms was tolerable.

What I didn't like? The Ray Langston Show. It's not an ensemble without equal screen time. And I felt like Ray always dominated episode time. You blink and he's there. Again. Ridiculous.

Honestly, though? The best thing about Season 11? Marg calling Bieber a brat. :lol:
 
IMO it was a good season,with the exception of the last 3 episodes.I have never missed a single episode of CSI, but I had to force myself to watch the finale.I liked Milander and the Blue paint killer but Haskell was too much at the end.And I am still bitter becouse I wanted a good storyline for Catherine,given that she is leaving.

My favorites were "House of hoarders",Sqweegel ,"The two Mrs Grissoms" and " Shock waves".But overall I enjoyed most of them.
 
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