The "If I Were in Charge of CSI:NY" Thread

La_Guera

Lab Technician
I freely admit that I do a heap of complaining about CSI:NY, but I've also come up with ideas on how seasons *should* have gone. Here are my master plans for the NY that could've been:


If I Were in Charge of CSI:NY:

1. We would have seen evidence of Flack's trauma. If I had my druthers we'd have devoted a scene or two to his recovery, maybe seen him coming out of a rehab hospital or changing his clothes in the locker room on his first day back and hesitating at the sight of his scars.

Further, we'd have seen or gotten tangential mention of his family. We know from "The Fall" that his father is still alive. Maybe Sr. could have popped by the precinct, Flack could've been annoyed that Pops was checking up on him. Maybe a younger sister, also on the force, who finds excuses to hover until he snaps. And then feels like an ass, because Flack is decent like that.

2. Danny would've gotten love from the continuity fairy. We'd've gotten Louie continuity long before now. If Louie were alive, I'd've had Flack or Hawkes or even Mac ask after him now and then, only to be told in true Danny fashion to leave it alone. Danny would occasionally have refused offers to go out after shift with the euphemistic excuse that he "had something to take care of." He would also have received calls at work that necessitated his departure from a scene. When Mac inevitably got a bug up his ass about dedication and professionalism, Danny would've snapped that it was about family, something Mac knows nothing about, and eventually have confessed that Louie had suffered permanent brain damage and was too volatile for his aged parents to handle. Thus, Danny would've been faced with the decision to either leave CSI to take care of Louie or place him in a home. Much angstier than the insipid D/L drama.

3. Hawkes would either have remained in the morgue or retained his position as field newbie. He was developing marvelously before Lindsay arrived, and even Zuiker has admitted that introducing Lindsay so soon after promoting Hawkes was a misfire. I would also have allowed Hawkes to have his moment in "And Here's to You, Mrs. Azrael" rather than undermining it with a gratuitous and ill-timed shot of Danny removing his shirt.

4. Lindsay would not exist, or, if I were saddled with her by executive fiat, she would not have integrated with the rest of the team so seamlessly. There would've been more culture shock and less emphasis placed on convincing the audience that she was more than a hayseed rube. Her worthiness to be in New York would've been demonstrated by her skill as a CSI and not by her ability to fascinate the infantile and mercurial Danny Messer.

5. Stella would either have killed Frankie Mala in self-defense or have had an AIDS scare, but not both, and if I had chosen the HIV scare, I would've shown her experiencing some of the side effects of her antivirals.

She would not be embroiled in this ridiculous lost-twin scenario that the last four episodes promise. Sometimes, someone is just an orphan, dammit.

6. Mac would occasionally utter the words, "You were right," and team members would call him on his prickery rather than skulking away with their tails between their legs.

Have you got some revisionist history you'd like to write?
 
I totally agree with you on points 1,2 and 5.

1. TPTB completely dropped the ball on Flack's injury and subsequent recovery. Are we to believe that Lindsay suffered PTSD from the shooting over a decade before, yet Flack is perfectly fine, psychologically-speaking, with being blown-up less than a year ago? He was comatose, but no family arrived to pull a bedside vigil? What's up with that?

2. The Louie storyline would have been resolved long before now. As it stands, Louie's in "hospital" purgatory, not alive but not dead either. Is he brain-dead, or is there hope for his physical recovery with brain damage? TPTB dropped the proverbial ball.

5. TPTB continue to show Stella bravely fighting the HIV-AIDS scare with nary a hair out of place or makeup undone. She's never shown vomiting or pale, and she never freaks. In addition, bestowing the Frankie and HIV storylines upon one character is going overboard on the dramatic front. With the exception of the memo book, Flack really hasn't had a decent storyline this season at all :(.
 
La Guera, I think your ideas are great - I'd also like to have seen evidence of Flack's recovery or at least heard more than just a passing reference to it, have Danny experience a little more angst, and would have Hawkes's development be more prominent.

While I'm not totally opposed to the Danny/Lindsay romance, I think it would have been better received if it developed in a more subtle way, rather than as such a prominent part of the show.

I would also have liked to have seen follow-up on the murder of the female FBI agent at the the end of Sweet 16. I felt it would have made a good lead in to another episode.

Lastly, in keeping with La Guera's comments, I too would have liked Mac to admit that someone else was right about something.
 
Can I just copy and paste La Guera's answer? :lol:

Though I would like to add that if I was in charge of CSI: NY, I'd explore the city a little more. Move out of my comfort zone and toss in a couple of muggings gone wrong in the Bronx or maybe a Hispanic that isn't a housecleaner or jumping around the streets. Just to shake things up.
 
If I were in charge? Uhm, let's see:

1) Continuity wouldn't be an issue. I value that too much to lose it along the way.

2) Danny would not be involved in a romance (or whatever you call what's going on right now)

3) I would focus more on the characters' lives outside the office. Not necessarily taking time away from the cases, just hinting at it here and there.

And this is just the beginning... ;)
 
My thoughts on being in charge:

We find out about Louie. I know I must sound like a broken record but I wanna know what happened.

I'd have cases where the team are all on the same case. It works so much better.

I'd have them not always catch the bad guys. Let one criminal get away and keep taunting them! Raising Shane was perfect. I want more of that.

Danny would not be involved with Lindsay! Bring back Cindy! Hell scrap that I'd have Flack discover feelings for Danny and explore both the angst, drama and the possiblities!

I'd make Lindsay more of a background character. She's no good as a main screentime character.

I'd also develop Adam, Sid and the rest of the characters. Give them a personal live and also let something good happen for a change.
 
Right..
1. mac and stella would be together or at least more of the 'moments' they had together. Get rid of Peyton (i'm sorry but i can't stand her.)
2. Continuity i want to see more of Flack and the aftermath of the explosion.
3. Do not give Stella HIV please!! she has been through enough. give the girl some happiness!
4. Danny and Lindsay please give us a break! we don't need it in our face all the time. they are quite good together though.
Had my rant now.
 
1) lindsay and danny wouldn't like each other at all from the start
2) the whole HIV thing wouldn't have existed
3) Mac doesn't need a ME to fall in love with, he already has too many personal issues
4) show more of don and sheldon's personal life
5) flack will be referred to as don
 
* No more Lindsay - I'm sorry but she has done absolutely nothing for me since she was forced on us - I would have her shipped back to Montana permanently.

* More character development for the "background" characters like Adam and Sid - both these characters have so much potential and both Robert and AJ have proved they can act!

* No more using well known guest stars who can't act - this reeeally annoys me!

* More Flack - this should include a follow up to CoTP and preferably the physical as well as the mental scars. Apart from the YMCA what else does he do away from work - what is his apartment like - whereabouts in New York does he live - we have been promised so many times now we will see his pop - time to deliver! He is supposedly one of the main characters yet he has been ignored so the others can have their screentime.

* Danny off the Prozac and more about Louie.

* A season finale that doesn't dwell on Mac. Seeing him apologise or make a big mistake just to remind us he is human like the rest of us and not Supermac.

* A big storyline for Stella that doesn't involve being beaten up/given a disease/some other crap. How much more can a girl take?

* Continuity - there are times it seems only the fans care about this!
 
*Like pretty much everyone else I want Continuity.
If you start something finish it. This is in regards to everyone. Flack's injury, Danny's brother, etc.

*I, of course, want to see more Flack but not just for the sake of screen time. Give him an actual story line.

*Again, the whole D/L thing does not need to be so HUGE. Why is there so much time given to this?

*I would like to see some "real" crime. Not every single case has to be so strange. There are plain ole regular murders, robberies and break ins. Let's see some more cases that detectives actually encounter. Plus, they don't have to solve every case in 12 hours. In real life cases don't get solved so quickly. The characters don't even have time to change clothes before they have solved the case and moved on. Some cases should be carried over from one episode to the next. It would give more time to develope characters and also it would give people who are not big fans a reason to tune in next week.

Just some ideas.
 
OK, if I were in charge of CSI:NY

* There would be no realised romantic relationships. It takes the fun out of it when they actually get together, rendering all the little 'moments' that we geeks speculate over meaningless, with no more 'ooh they are soo in looove' etc.

* Lindsay would be shipped off back to Montana. Ha. She has become so immensely irritating (sorry to anyone who likes her)

* Even if Lindsay had to stay, there would be nothing betweeen her and Danny. They just don't seem to fit, and she is a poor substitute to the strong, beautiful, and mysterious women who have been the object of Danny's affections in the past (Aiden, Angell, even the girl from the train)

* I agree with alisonn in that I'd like to see Flack being referred to as 'Don' a little more often. It makes him seem a little more human.

* Some season-long storylines. A 'big bad' would be good. I mean, even Shane Casey was reprimanded after just a few episodes.

* A crossover with Vegas. We've had the Miami ones. It's LV's turn.

* A little more development on the interpersonal relationships. For example, the bar scene from 'Heroes.'

* More Danny/Don interaction!

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
 
The whole continuity thing...totally agree with that. What happened to Louie? Is he dead or alive? Give us something TPTB, please, a hint or something about the guy.

-More explanation on Lindsay's past. Why did the guy just walk in and start shooting? (maybe he was mentally unstable, I don't know). Although I will say I'm glad it's behind her now. Not that I didn't like it, just happy everything is settled now :)

-I really like the HIV storyline, but maybe it should have been done on another character. Granted Stella is a strong person, but she already have the whole crazy-boyfriend thing so why give it to her? I like the idea because it does bring awareness of such a horrible and devastating disease.
 
Let me just say I love your list, La Guera! I'll probably echo much of it in mine.

If I Were in Charge of CSI: NY...

1. I'd write Lindsay out so fast heads would spin. :lol: She'd be gone. Bye! Sayonara! The character and the actress don't work. If I had say, been told that the show needed a midwestern character to add a "non NY" element at the beginning of second season, I would have created someone who really didn't fit in, who clashed with the CSIs quite a lot, and would truly felt out of place in NY. Sometimes her approach would be right, sometimes wrong, but she'd be well-rounded and real, not a bunch of paper thin cliches. Oh, yeah, and I absolutely would have cast a different actress.

2. I'd erase "All Access." It's the most anti-woman piece of crap I've ever seen on TV, and it had no business being on a CSI show. Basically it was a "let's beat up and torture Stella and sexualize it" hour and that was just disgusting.

3. I'd have written the AIDS scare for a character we actually believe could test positive. That eliminates Mac, Stella and Danny. A supporting character could go through the same things Stella's going through, and we might actually think that person could test positive. (That being said, I think this whole AIDS thing is linked in with another story involving Stella and that her DNA was needed for that story, so it might just be a vehicle. In which case, I'd say make it more realistic, as others have described--side effects from anti-virals, etc.)

4. Romance on the show would be more like Grissom and Sara's, in the background. Mac and Peyton are find. Dindsay (Ausiello, will you marry me?) are not. I never would have paired two characters so utterly lacking in chemistry in the first place, though.

5. I'd give Flack more to do. As others have said, we really should have seen a bit of his recovery. If not the recovery itself, maybe some aftereffects. Flack is pretty darn even-keeled, but I could see him having anger issues resulting from being laid up for a while. I'd also consider exploring his feelings for Danny, but I'll be honest, as a showrunner you have to take into account what will play where, and what the network wants. CBS ain't exactly progressive. ;)

6. We'd know if Louie were alive or not. Come on! It's nuts that it's never even been mentioned.

7. Danny would have gotten more development this season outside of the cloying teen romance. Danny's the most complex character on the show. I realize he's not the only character on the show, but sacrificing his depth for a juvenile romance was a bad move.

8. Hawkes! More Hawkes! The good doctor is a veritable genius and I want to see him use those mad skills of his. And talk about a lack of follow up--isn't Hawkes pissed about being wrongly accused of murder and arrested???

9. I would have done with Mac exactly what the writers are doing with him this season, if I'd thought of it! I can't complain at all about how Mac's opened up this season--between Reed and Peyton I feel like the Iceman is melting a bit, and I love it.

10. Not only rich, white people would die on the show. Because it's clear the audience wants to see more sides of NY, and well, sometimes giving your audience what they want is a good idea. ;)
 
1) I would just puch Lindsay in the background. If they need a replacement, I'm actually interested in getting to know officer Angell.
Angell, for some reason is like a female version of Flack.

2) We'd see more of Flacks life. We'd see more of Flacks life. Its like he's just there first on the crime scene or interigating the criminals.
I would have loved to see how he was handling life after the explosion and just life in general.

3) Messer adn Montana would not have even started. Messer and Montana would not have started. They tried to start some sort of flirting between them last season but it was never appealing.
If they need another love team it should be with characters with more chemistry... Don and Danny

4) I'd put Mac and Stella together Slowly, start it with a few little moments. I would never have just pushed a new (annoying) character into the mix.
Mac really should be more humanized, maybe even bring up some war memories from his time in the Marines. Anything to give him more life.
 
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