I thought the Season got off to a fantastic start, the introduction of a light-hearted character like DB was a brilliant move and the dark, depressing years of Seasons 7 – 11 seemed quickly dusted under the carpet within the first quarter hour of the premier. I am certainly missing neither Langston nor Haskell and I’m glad they were dealt with swiftly with little palaver. I certainly got vibes of Seasons 1 – 5 within many episodes of the first half of the season where there was certainly more of a focus on the team rather than an individual character.
Sadly I think they went a bit downhill when they brought Finn on board. Firstly, I found it hard to like her as a character, one moment she’s fine and in the next episode she’s portrayed as an overconfident, irritating and judgmental character. Secondly, having a history with DB was a bad idea as the show started to revolve around their relationship and the team dynamic they had built up so brilliantly in the first half of the season began to crumble. I’m really not buying her character yet.
I really like Morgan though; however I feel the writers are giving her a bit too much at the moment, particularly at the cost of other characters. I’m enjoying her storyline with Ecklie but I really don’t like the one concerning Hodges which I’m finding awkward and almost, unnecessary.
At times I thought that the original cast members were getting left out but actually on the whole, each of them got their own individual episode and moments to shine. Nick with “Altered Stakes” and “Homecoming”; Sara with “Bittersweet” and “Dune and Gloom”; Greg and Doc with “Genetic Disorder”; Hodges with “Malice in Wonderland”. I’m hoping that next year brings us with a Brass episode and more episodes with the core cast, especially considering that there shouldn’t be any cast changes ahead.
Overall, I feel that the Season was a huge improvement over the last three or four; I’m just hoping that next Season can reform the team back together and continue the vibe we got at the start of the season. (And for god’s sake TONE DB’s FAMILY DOWN! :lol: ) Oh, and more multi-case episodes next season pretty please!
Episodes (ranked from favourite to least favourite):
The Crème de la Crème
Tell-Tale Hearts – probably in my Top 10 of all time, if not a little outside. Case was excellent, unpredictable, excellent balance of screentime and reminiscent of many classic episodes from previous seasons. Wonderful episode!
Genetic Disorder – loved this one for two aspects: it delved into the personal life of Doc outside of the morgue which I really loved. (I particularly love the final scene, really sweet.) Second, it shows how much Greg has evolved as a CSI. This one gets minus points for overly portraying Brass as an ass though.
Ms. Willows Regrets – had me on the edge of my seat for the entirety of the episode, it’s been a while since I’ve felt that on the show.
Crime After Crime – aside from the rather left-field revelation of Vega being dirty, this was a solid episode all around. Even though the cases were related, I loved the fact we got to see the whole cast working around this one.
Bittersweet – TWO CASES! Woo! Loved both of them, felt like a classic CSI episode, Sara was brilliant in this one.
The Other "Crumbs Approved" Episodes
Maid Man – again, TWO CASES! Loved the Old Vegas stuff, the maid case was okay but I think this was the one where Morgan came across as a bit cocky. Again, felt like a classic.
Willows in the Wind – didn’t quite capture the tension, excitement and dread that Part 1 achieved, ultimately it felt rushed and a bit contrived (was there really any need for Cath to be shot?). Overall though, it was a solid exit story and I loved all the references to past episodes. The continuity fairy struck gold with this one!
Homecoming – Holy cliffhanger, Batman! One of the better finales, particularly in recent history (although not up to the standards of S1 – 5), just a shame I didn’t really care about any of the cliffhangers. Finn was pretty insufferable in this one. Still, liked the case and the McKeen stuff.
CSI Unplugged – the “old school forensics” were by far the biggest highlight of this one! The blackout stuff was pretty cool but I’m glad it wasn’t anything which extended beyond this episode. Still annoyed about Finn returning the child though, should have been Sara and Nick.
Tressed to Kill – for an episode that looked to be a filler between Catherine’s exit and Finn’s entrance, it was very good. Loved DB in this one. Quite a creepy episode too.
73 Seconds – even without my rose-tinted glasses this is a pretty solid opener. Oh, and much TWO CASES love for this one too.
Dune and Gloom – nothing bad to say about this one really. Felt sorry for the three misfits who were set up. Liked the scenes with Sara/Greg and Sara/DB too.
Stealing Home – despite the continuity boo boo (though to be fair to the writers, surely the brother would have been brought up again during “Nesting Dolls” at the very least?) this was a fun episode. The siblings bickering got on my nerves a bit though. Oh and annoying!Finn was annoying.
Trends with Benefits – filler, but a good one. Good team interaction with this one.
Zippered – bit of Guest Star Overload and a lack of “anybody not called Catherine” but I remember liking the episode overall. Not one I’d rewatch lots though.
Altered Stakes – a conviction based on a pair of keys being swallowed by a dog, really? Good thing the character interaction was top notch because on the whole, the case was pretty crap.
The lukewarm lumps of mashed potato
Freaks & Geeks – had the classic CSI episode feel, unfortunately it felt like one of those unmemorable fillers which are dotted around sporadically in Season 3. Oh and the torn off nipple = eww!
Brain Doe – and the winner of the most convoluted, WTF storyline of the season goes to…
CSI Down – loved the Ecklie/Morgan stuff but the crap story and the appalling CGI sort of stand out more in my mind.
Malice in Wonderland – awesome crime scene but the episode was ultimately bogged down by the Morgan/Hodges charade.
Seeing Red – it’s clear the introduction of Finn took priority over the script in this case. The resolution lacked the emotional punch the writer intended; all in all it felt a little… flat. Diebenkorn really was the only highlight of this one.
and the wooden spoon of the season goes to…
Split Decisions – the only episode of the season I would say I disliked. Far too much police work, crappy story, horribly clichéd opening, too many twists which quickly became annoying and in the end the kid planned it all? Come on writers, I’m seriously worried about the number of child prodigy criminal masterminds that appear to flock to Vegas. :lol:
Overall, Season 12 I believe was easily the best season we’ve had in years, despite the decrease in quality mid-way through the season. I’d probably rank it behind Seasons 5, 4, 2 and 3 but all in all, it was a massive improvement of the Ray Langston show we were ‘treated’ to last year.
I've just realised... that's a lot of writing :lol:
