Why Lindsay REALLY Must Go (Pt. 2)

Status
Not open for further replies.
I suppose some of her motivation could have been to know the truth herself and also to keep Danny from getting mad at her when he learned that she'd gone to Mac--but I think overall it was just her thinking that there had to be an explanation and wanting to get it from the source or give Danny a head's up.

Not seeing Flack as part of the family, though, is an error if you ask me. I don't remember exactly what the events were in "Consequences" where she told Mac, but she definitely didn't give Flack a head's up about it. A smoothly working team is not just the CSIs working well together, but also working well with the police officers and lab technicians that overlap in their investigation.
 
poison girl said:
Maybe the scipters have part of the blame in here, of course they are, but maybe their fault is to try to make a personality to suit Anna's acting skills and not find any. Now they're trying to make her some sort of lab tech who smiles too much and too false for my liking.
Click to expand...

One of my frustrations is that, after two whole seasons, Lindsay's character is still inconsistent and it seems like the writers still have no idea what to do with her apart from making her Danny's love interest. And honestly, even that storyline is already getting old since it's been dragged on from the time she joined the team.

However, like poison_girl said above, it's equally as possible that Lindsay's character has gone here, there and everywhere because the writers made the mistake of writing Lindsay to suit Belknap's acting abilities. The actor should always be able to become his or her character. (After all, isn't that what an actor does? Become a wholly different person from themselves on screen?) For all the inconsistencies of the writers, there shouldn't be any problem for Belknap to believably portray whatever they've written for her character.

So, constant inconsistent writing added with inconsistent acting and you get a character who's dragging down the show much more than adding to it.

Much as I'd like to believe that the writers deliberately wrote Lindsay to be ... one-dimensional, I find it very difficult to do so. The rest of the main cast certainly aren't flat, so why would the writers suddenly up and go, "Ya know what? I think we'll just make this one one-dimensional and standoffish with an inconsistent character." It just doesn't add up with their efforts to flesh out the other main characters with personal plots, like Danny and his brother Louie for example.
 
On a sidenote, her rendering of that poem to Stella, Flack & Hawk in "What Schemes May Come" really really made me cringe.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah yeah. I was like, "WTF was that?" Flack wasn't having any of it, too. :lol:

I DONT care how perfectly she now pulls off a scene
Click to expand...
She never did and probably never will.

I noticed that Danny and Lindsay didn't share a scene this week. Remember when the writers kept putting them together even when they were working on different cases? That felt so forced! I know Mac and Stella were working on different cases, but their scenes together felt far more natural.(Yeah, even with that song at the end of the episode) Part of it is the chemestry between the actors, the other part was the writing itself.
Click to expand...
Mac/Stella are as good as married and having little kids! :lol: Anyway, it's actually a good thing that D/L scenes are lessened so far. I mean, after an overkill last season -- the least they can do is acknowledge what a flop that was.

The producers of these TV shows go the great lengths to find the right characters for the parts. They will not hire someone (even an extra) if they are not right. Belive me, I have been turned down for a few roles becasue I was not 'what they were looking for'.
Click to expand...
What I think is they wrote the character of Lindsey on a whim. No plans whatsoever. Just a country girl in the big city.

I'm a somewhat actress, too (I do mostly musicals lol). And I agree about hating the character but loving the person portraying it. But personally, in order for me to like an actor, s/he must show that s/he can carry the character even if that character is to be hated. If the viewer can love a villain, then that's a brownie point for an actor.

My reason for NOT LIKING Lindsey is based mainly on her crappy "storyline", or lack thereof. She actually pulls the whole team down. The same with Anna, I'm afraid. The CSI:NY cast is near-perfect -- with everybody giving great performances no matter how crappy the written material at times. But she's killed a lot of potential good stories just by reading them off the paper.

For example, Sydney Bristow played by Jennifer Garner. Half the time, her storylines are sh*t and unbelievable but Jen pulls them off enough to be appreciated.
 
Thanks for posting your thoughts, adorelo. It gets boring having only people who agree with each other in this thread. Less chance of arguments, but rather dull.

None of the other characters are one dimensional. Sid Hammerback may be the creepy ME most of the time, but we've seen moments where he's shown some real humanity.

So why's Lindsay one-dimensional? She's a total rush job!
 
Lorelai said:
Top41 said: He said Lindsay sold Flack out (by showing Mac the evidence of Flack's team raiding the drug den with the black cocaine) and that he (Flack) was still mad about that!
Click to expand...

Faylinn said: He might have been joking, but I could see him wishing that she'd come to him with the evidence first--the way she did bringing Danny the DNA results in "RSRD".
Click to expand...


Thas was posted in Flack’s topic..


About her giving Danny the heads up in RSRD, do you see it as a generous act? I remember someone saying a few weeks ago in this tread that it was the one & only moment that Lindsay wasn’t her “it’s all about me” usual self. I didn’t get that feeling. She clearly had a crush on Danny, she wanted a piece of his @ss. Makes sense to want his @ss safe then. :p And make herself look good in his eyes, while she's at it. :lol: Again, it comes down to her. That much for hoping she’ll have someone’s back for real. The prove of true caring would have been to do the same for Flack. Again, one more prove that she just doesn’t fit. :(

By Lindsay not seeing Flack as part of the family, she only proves that she is the one who’s not part of the family. Again.
Click to expand...

I do think Lindsay has exhibited one consistent quality: she's self-centered. She's had an annoying smugness since day one.

As for telling Danny about the DNA: I think it was both. She did go out on a limb for him, but I do think it was because she had feelings for him. So while it's the most unselfish thing--the only unselfish thing--she's ever done on the show, it was also laced with self-interest. If Eddie said Flack "still hasn't forgiven Lindsay for selling him out" then we know Danny would have been really, really upset with her if she'd gone to Mac first. If Flack saw it as "selling him out" we know Danny would have--or worse!
 
adorelo said:

Her interactions with the other characters, especially Danny, seems a little... forced at times. But I think this is because of lindsay rather than Anna. I would like to see more and see how she develops in the future before properly developing my opinion of that area.
Click to expand...

That part I can agree with you on. The writers in that instance threw her in to a cast that already seemed complete to alot of people, and she was automatically worked into the main credits before we had even seen her in the episode. I think by slowly introducing her into the show before making her main character might have made it easier for the character to grow on us, as well as start to work better with the rest of the cast.

But i do have to put some blame on Anna with that. I know what you mean about sometimes the actor or actress has to portray the character the way the writers want them too, but at the same time the actor or actress has to work with what they are given. Melina Kanakaredes was given some crappy storylines with the whole Frankie incident and nearly being killed by him, but she pulled them off as believeable and workable. In my opinion, i dont think Anna has done that with what the writers have given her. She was handicapped with the bad writing (IMO) they were doing for her, but to me it seems that she hasn't been able to take the lemons and make lemonade.

Like I said, I am only offering up my opinion. This is all about friendly debate and I enjoy hearing you're views on the characters.

Much Love,
Jodie
xxxx
Click to expand...

^Friendly debate is always a good thing. With this board being so polarized sometimes over Lindsay, its hard to find someone willing to debate that doesnt escalate to a war. While i may not like Lindsay, i still do like to glance at the Lindsay fan thread and other threads to try and see what Lindsay fans do see so i can either better argue my point, or re-think some of my own opinions if the reasoning is good.

Abbriviated=i'm glad you're posting here and debating with us =]
 
Thought I'd elaborate a little more. :)

A lot of the blame for my hatred of Lindsay can be blamed on the writers. Take her "dark secret" for example: in the episodes leading up to it we saw her getting emotional whenever she was at a crime scene with one dead young female. Eventually she gets to a crime scene and is so emotional she leaves. Later, she breaks down crying in the morgue. Then there is the fact she had no problems telling fathers that their kids were dead, but couldn't deal with mothers. Aparently, none of her dead friends had dads. There's also the fact that in Manhattan Manhunt, she complained about being sent back to the lab when the crime scene was identical to the one from her past.

I've noticed many of the Lindsay fans talk about how "cute" and "sweet" she is. Physically speaking, yes Lindsay is cute. But then again so's the whole cast. :cool: However, her personality does not strike me as "cute" or "sweet". She comes across as an arrogant show-off. And I can't figure out why my interpretation of the character is so different from that of her fans, or which one the writers intended.

Also in Manhattan Manhunt, Lindsay makes it very clear she hates the nickname "Montanna." Anna really had me beleving that Lindsay couldn't stand that name. If you're that passionate about your feelings, they're not going to change.
 
I really can't stand her. I'd like to say more but you people have really said everything (mindless drone) I think of her and I don't want to repeat everything. But she get's on my nerves! It's possibly because I liked Aiden but Lindsay doesn't really fit in with the whole 'big tough citywise' team that it was before.

I hope said something useful *looks worried*
 
^^Don't be worried. :p Even someone with the same opinion can bring a new perspective on it. ;)

You know, initially I didn't really like Aiden or Danny all that much--the characters had to grow on me. Part of it was that they were both very New York, and I don't think I was really looking for that--as the season went on, though, I started to see them both differently. Looking back, I adore Aiden and it's strange to think that I didn't always feel that way. So when she left, I was prepared to like Lindsay--I had no reason to expect not to like her. Aiden was great, surely her replacement will be great too. I wish I could say I like Lindsay, though, I really do.
 
Carrieattheprom said:
Thought I'd elaborate a little more. :)

A lot of the blame for my hatred of Lindsay can be blamed on the writers. Take her "dark secret" for example: in the episodes leading up to it we saw her getting emotional whenever she was at a crime scene with one dead young female. Eventually she gets to a crime scene and is so emotional she leaves. Later, she breaks down crying in the morgue. Then there is the fact she had no problems telling fathers that their kids were dead, but couldn't deal with mothers. Aparently, none of her dead friends had dads. There's also the fact that in Manhattan Manhunt, she complained about being sent back to the lab when the crime scene was identical to the one from her past.
Click to expand...

Those are some very good examples of how the writers have mishandled Lindsay. While I think a better actress than Anna could have at least made Lindsay's feelings real for the audience, having Lindsay go from being pissed at being kept away from crime scenes to running away from them didn't do her character any favors. It made her look unprofessional and erratic. That quote about being able to give fathrs bad news all day was just atrocious. And it never really got paid off, either.

I've noticed many of the Lindsay fans talk about how "cute" and "sweet" she is. Physically speaking, yes Lindsay is cute. But then again so's the whole cast. :cool: However, her personality does not strike me as "cute" or "sweet". She comes across as an arrogant show-off. And I can't figure out why my interpretation of the character is so different from that of her fans, or which one the writers intended.
Click to expand...

I feel the same. I often feel she gets labeled "cute" because she's not gorgeous in the way Stella, Angell, Maka or Aiden are. Cute is going to be a matter of personal taste, if we're talking about her looks.

The "sweet" one completely baffles me. The character isn't sweet in the least. She's self-serving, self-involved and self-centered. The one and only nice thing she's ever done--giving Danny the DNA evidence in RSRD--was done for a guy she had feelings for. Not that that discounts it, but it adds in that self-serving motive, which is behind every action of hers. She's either trying to prove herself right to impress Mac or Stella or Danny, or she's putting her own issues above that of the investigation and those of the team. And there's an underlying coldness/hardness to her that further detracts from any country girl warmth she's purportedly supposed to have. There's nothing sweet about her character.

Also in Manhattan Manhunt, Lindsay makes it very clear she hates the nickname "Montanna." Anna really had me beleving that Lindsay couldn't stand that name. If you're that passionate about your feelings, they're not going to change.
Click to expand...

I think that was just her bitchy side coming out. I could see the nickname growing on her, especially since she's got a thing for Danny.
 
Top41 said:
The "sweet" one completely baffles me. The character isn't sweet in the least. She's self-serving, self-involved and self-centered. The one and only nice thing she's ever done--giving Danny the DNA evidence in RSRD--was done for a guy she had feelings for. Not that that discounts it, but it adds in that self-serving motive, which is behind every action of hers. She's either trying to prove herself right to impress Mac or Stella or Danny, or she's putting her own issues above that of the investigation and those of the team. And there's an underlying coldness/hardness to her that further detracts from any country girl warmth she's purportedly supposed to have. There's nothing sweet about her character.
Click to expand...
I agree with your take on Lindsay’s personality. For me she appears egoistic and self-centered too. And I think it wouldn’t be bothering me much, if that would have been the personality the writers would have chosen for her. It would be interesting to have a character on the show that isn’t likeable and therefore doesn’t get along with the rest of the team too well.
I guess what really bothers me is that, with the exception of Flack, everybody gets along with her just fine. They act as if she would be this nice sweet country girl that her fans seem to see in her and that she just isn’t for me.
 
^That irks me, too. Stella should have been more pissed off than she was that Lindsay left the crime scene and then was yelled at Stella about it when Stella asked what was up with her. Mac should be annoyed that Lindsay is more concerned with being clever and right than she is with actually figuring out who the killer is (People With Money comes to mind immediately). Danny should have gotten fed up with the shitty way she treated him.

I think I'd like her more if she was more like Ryan on Miami--someone who clashes with the team and who gets called out on crappy behavior.
 
Top41 said:
^That irks me, too. Stella should have been more pissed off than she was that Lindsay left the crime scene and then was yelled at Stella about it when Stella asked what was up with her. Mac should be annoyed that Lindsay is more concerned with being clever and right than she is with actually figuring out who the killer is (People With Money comes to mind immediately). Danny should have gotten fed up with the shitty way she treated him.

I think I'd like her more if she was more like Ryan on Miami--someone who clashes with the team and who gets called out on crappy behavior.
Click to expand...

I agree that Lindsay comes off as being "more concerned with being clever and right than she is with actually figuring out who the killer is." It really shows when she is making her "big" reveals to others -- mostly Stella and Mac. When others find something interesting or figure something out I get the sense they are excited because they found a piece of the puzzle that will lead the team to solve the case. With Lindsay I get the sense she is just so "friggin" proud of herself and is trying to prove how smart or wonderful she is at her job. She comes off as smug and self-satisfied and looking for praise.

It might have been interesting to have a character that was supposed to clash with the team, but I think that might take a more subtle touch than the actress possesses. I mean that I think in order to be a character that people hate, you have to straddle a fine line. You still have to appeal to people on some level because they have to be invested in you as a character -- even if you are a character they are not supposed to like. Does that make any sense?
 
privatename said:
It might have been interesting to have a character that was supposed to clash with the team, but I think that might take a more subtle touch than the actress possesses. I mean that I think in order to be a character that people hate, you have to straddle a fine line. You still have to appeal to people on some level because they have to be invested in you as a character -- even if you are a character they are not supposed to like. Does that make any sense?
Click to expand...

That makes perfect sense. I'd never really thought about that, but yeah. Dislikeable characters that viewers love to hate takes a very skilled actor and from what I've seen of Anna Belknap I don't think she could pull it off. Instead of loving to hate Lindsay I'd probably end up with the same opinion as now because AB's acting takes me right out of the character anyway.
 
^^ A really good example of this is Diana Muldaur who played Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law back in the day. (*way to date myself there*) She also turned up on Star Trek: TNG as Dr. Pulaski and was pretty awful there too, but in both cases she was so talented and inhabited the character so thoroughly that you hated the characters.

Then Rosalind fell down an elevator shaft.

Consistency-wise, if Lindsay was consistently bratty or consistently smart-a$$ed, or a consistent know-it-all, she could have been the Rosalind Shays of this show. Unfortunately, she is not.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top