S2 E04: Koala

[LadyChaos]

When three masked assailants invade a home and murder an entire family, including a pregnant woman, the CSIs are called to the scene to investigate. Catherine leads the team through the emotional case, which intensifies her own longing to reconnect with her estranged daughter, Lindsey.

[threebluestars]

I really like Penny.

[Msample]

I really hate how they’re writing Catherine.

[slowpoked]

This case was so confusing. What was the deal with the 2nd family murdered? I might have missed something. 
 

So that’s what happened with Lindsey. I assume this is a new recent thing, unless there’s a huge timeline jump from season 1, since Sara, Grissom and Brass were talking about how she was in London enjoying time with her granddaughter.

[illdoc]

7 hours ago, slowpoked said:

What was the deal with the 2nd family murdered? I might have missed something.

I believe the 2nd family was the family of the sperm donor (he was not home at the time). When they showed him the picture of the dead attacker, they said something like "this woman was found near your family". BTW, did the "evil" sister kill the first baby? She may have just taken the baby away and abandoned it somewhere. I don't think it was clear.

BTW, could anyone read the texts on Catherine's phone (the "white on green" ones. (I could barely make out the "I love you" white-on-blue one from Lindsay at the end, but only because I knew that's what it would be))???? Is there some sort of law that, when showing texts on phones you must show the hand holding it (or the thumbs typing it) and that's why you can't zoom in so we could actually read it? Not all of us are watching on a 90 inch screen!!!! I just assume when they show texts that it's not important, otherwise they would make sure people could read them.

[emma675]

I was so lost the whole episode. I don't know if the story was too convoluted or I wasn't paying close enough attention, but I couldn't keep up, lol.

So there were triplets and two of them were evil and one was good and just wanted a baby with her girlfriend? And this somehow drove the evil sisters into a murderous rampage while the good one just stood around during the killings? Huh? And what was the deal with the tiny koalas? I was just flat out confused. 

Don't get me started on Catherine's drama with Lindsey and how it spilled over into the case. So what if Lindsey's doing Only Fans to make cash? It's not ideal but it's not the worst thing she could do. Catherine is pretty high and mighty for someone who used to be a stripper and has done some questionable things in her career. I was kind of disappointed Lindsey texted her back "I love you" as I don't think Catherine has earned that yet.

Penny bugged me (pull it together, you're a CSI, it's an awful case but it comes with the job) and Max finally comes back from the hospital but has no scenes with Josh, who was the one most upset about her attack.

Not a great episode, imo.

[Snazzy Daisy]

I have lost interest in the case from the beginning. It’s convoluted and confusing.

Catherine’s estranged relationship with her daughter was also confusing. Back in S01•E01, Capt. Jim Brass told Sara that Catherine got a little grandbaby in Dublin. So now Lindsey is back in Vegas??? 🤨

The good part of this episode - lack of annoying Allie and Det. Chavez. 👍🏻

[milkyaqua]

Not sure what the point is in the Catherine/Lindsay thing and there does seem to be some retconning going on which is not the good thing TPTB think it is.

Penny finally pulled herself together but again, this show and it's quirky characters...cut it out show!

Yes, to no Allie/Josh nonsense.

Also, TPTB need to stop trying to make every story so convoluted.

Edited October 21, 2022 by milkyaqua

[Daff]

On 10/21/2022 at 12:19 AM, Msample said:

I really hate how they’re writing Catherine.

To me, it’s SO Catherine. Consistent with where they left her so long ago. Her father, once he was known to her, used her, jeopardized her position, but then “left” her the “empire” because he came to trust her. She proved that she could be as devious, but for admirable (to her) ends (because, ultimately, we’re supposed to see her as a “white hat”). Obviously, dark actors within that world betrayed her. She’s falling back on the rules and safety of what she’s sure of: CSI procedures, while trying desperately to put her family and friendships back together. I really liked this episode, as I like Newsome and Helgenburg developing a respectful working relationship. Absolutely love both those actresses from China Beach, to Women’s Murder Club, and NCIS. I especially liked Newsome’s casual look as she came off leave from injury (realistic). Both actresses are capable of tremendous range, it’s just up to the writers where this is going. 

On 10/21/2022 at 9:36 AM, illdoc said:

I believe the 2nd family was the family of the sperm donor (he was not home at the time). When they showed him the picture of the dead attacker, they said something like "this woman was found near your family". BTW, did the "evil" sister kill the first baby? She may have just taken the baby away and abandoned it somewhere. I don't think it was clear.

BTW, could anyone read the texts on Catherine's phone (the "white on green" ones. (I could barely make out the "I love you" white-on-blue one from Lindsay at the end, but only because I knew that's what it would be))???? Is there some sort of law that, when showing texts on phones you must show the hand holding it (or the thumbs typing it) and that's why you can't zoom in so we could actually read it? Not all of us are watching on a 90 inch screen!!!! I just assume when they show texts that it's not important, otherwise they would make sure people could read them.

I have a large enough screen (just barely) but have to pause to read. I’ve complained about this before. No one heeds. 

Edited October 22, 2022 by Daff
Wrote “means”, but meant “ends”

[Grrarrggh]

9 hours ago, emma675 said:

Don't get me started on Catherine's drama with Lindsey and how it spilled over into the case. So what if Lindsey's doing Only Fans to make cash? It's not ideal but it's not the worst thing she could do. Catherine is pretty high and mighty for someone who used to be a stripper and has done some questionable things in her career. 

But that's exactly what makes it so agonizing for Catherine. To see her daughter repeating her mistakes. And what makes the relationship so true to real life.

[secnarf]

I didn't love this episode. The case was convoluted. I don't much care about all the drama with Lindsey. I would have much preferred to make some headway regarding Catherine's murdered friend whose name escapes me, as I am actually moderately interested in that case.

A big gripe with this episode - I work in a NICU. I am familiar with critically ill babies. This was not a baby fighting for its life. I had expected a smaller, sicker baby, and they showed that first image of her and was surprised at how big and healthy she looked, and yet, they couldn't swab the kid's mouth because she was "so sick" and critical? Give me a break. Even the sickest kids are allowed to be touched, and often end up being handled more than would be ideal because of all the tests and treatments. But even from that first scene in the ambulance, I was rolling my eyes and it took me completely out of the episode. Now, the first baby that Lucia had looked small and grey in the flashbacks. *That* baby I could believe was sick. What even happened to that child? Did the sister kill it, give it away, or what?

And after such a mediocre episode, they had the nerve to put in Eva Cassidy's version of Fields of Gold, which gets me every single time. It is far too good for the episode that preceded it.

[Grizzly]

Lucia's girlfriend was rich, why couldn't they just run away from the sisters? A really bizarre episode and not in a good way.

[GreyBunny]

Well, that was stupid and a waste of time.

[Daff]

I don’t really get all the hate. The original always had quirky plots, which led Grissom to throw out a bad pun every episode. The original characters were mostly tormented by their own demons, each in his/her own turn. I view this version as a resurrected old friend, with different actors. I’ve enjoyed each episode. 

[Grrarrggh]

19 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Lucia's girlfriend was rich, why couldn't they just run away from the sisters? A really bizarre episode and not in a good way.

Rich? Where do you get that idea?

[Grizzly]

2 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

Rich? Where do you get that idea?

Her father was called a millionaire. They had a wall safe.

[Grrarrggh]

22 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

Her father was called a millionaire. They had a wall safe.

The father, not the pregnant daughter, was called a millionaire. And my Girl Scout leader had a wall safe.... in her 800sq ft house. She kept our badges in there before we earned them. Jeeeez, I haven't thought about that in ages. But it's a bit of an apples and oranges comparison there lol. 

[Poohpoohpooh]

I wonder if they have retconned Catherine's daughter-relationship story more times, or if they have changed the actress for the daughter Lindsey more times.

The daughter actress in this ep/this season was a good actor imo.

[CheshireCat]

Convoluted case and nothing on Catherine's casino case? Sounds like I'll skip this episode and wait for the next one.

[Cotypubby]

19 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

Rich? Where do you get that idea?

She lived in a giant mansion.

This case was terrible and needlessly confusing. I had no idea how the second family fit in until I read in this thread that they were the family of the sperm donor. I had thought he was the brother of the murdered pregnant woman and had donated his sperm to have a child with his sisters girlfriend, so the kid would be biologically related to both women.

Why were they trying to make us feel sorry for Lucia at the end like she was some innocent? She murdered two whole families but her sister was mean to her! Gotta play a sad song over her slo mo exit like she’s really the victim in all this. Fuck her, the SWAT team shoulda shot them both.

No explanation was ever given for the koalas. The flashback was confusing, who was it she had the baby with? And her sister took the baby from her? (And if all she had was a broken hand why did the CSI tech make it seem like that was some weird genetic condition?) All of the women, including the dead ones, looked the same so I have no idea who was who in the flashbacks.

And don’t get me started on Catherine and her daughter bullshit. Terrible episode all around.

[Bookworm13]

I feel like I watched a different show 😆 I didn’t find it confusing or hard to follow at all. 
 

Penny needs to go. She’s more annoying than Allie and clearly not cut out to be a CSI. Speaking of Allie, when she’s all business she’s tolerable, but I hated how she kept trying to one-up the other CSI’s. 

On 10/21/2022 at 9:36 AM, illdoc said:

BTW, could anyone read the texts on Catherine's phone (the "white on green" ones. 

IMO, the point of showing the texts wasn’t to have us read them, but to show how one-sided they were, and had been for awhile. 

14 hours ago, Poohpoohpooh said:

I wonder if they have retconned Catherine's daughter-relationship story more times, or if they have changed the actress for the daughter Lindsey more times.

The daughter actress in this ep/this season was a good actor imo.

I may or may not be alone in this, but of all past characters, Lindsey was not one I needed an update on. I only read here, so viewers elsewhere may have been clamoring to know about the character, but she’s one I forget exists until we get a random mention. I do agree though that this was one of the better ones.  
 

[LisaM]

I thought that this episode was royally confusing.

For me, the jury is still out on Penny. I get that she is the "green CSI" but she was a bit much. 

No desire to see Catherine's daughter. I'd rather have an update on the "missing Grace" case. However, I'd love an update on Greg. 

[LadyChaos]

Just so we're clear, we're supposed to believe that Lindsey graduated with a Political Science degree from UNLV, probably used her moms connections to get hired right out of school to CSI (All to fulfill her moms dream, who already was living that life), decided to leave and move to Ireland where she got pregnant and had a baby, and decided to sell naked pictures on the internet as a source of income instead of utilizing her degree....and believe she makes more money doing that, then she ever did as a CSI?

I'm not shaming Lindsey here....but I can see the problem. In Catherine's mind, she did every thing did to make sure Lindsey would be afforded the opportunity to use her brain instead of her body to get ahead in life..I mean Catherine's mother was a showgirl too...so maybe a little but of breaking the family cycle.....so to Catherine, who wanted better for her daughter than she had....to see her selling pictures of herself online probably feels like a smack in the face...Plus Catherine probably remembers how she fought to be taken seriously, given that she was a stripper before joining CSI...still, its Lindsey's life to choose what and how she lives it...

I also find it hard to believe she makes good money doing it. I have a few friends who do OF or similar, and honestly they only maybe bring in $800-1000 a month, on a good month, after everyone else gets their cut.

[Raja]

On 10/23/2022 at 11:04 AM, Bookworm13 said:

I feel like I watched a different show 😆 I didn’t find it confusing or hard to follow at all. 
 

Penny needs to go. She’s more annoying than Allie and clearly not cut out to be a CSI. Speaking of Allie, when she’s all business she’s tolerable, but I hated how she kept trying to one-up the other CSI’s. 

 

I don't know if Penny needs to go. Perhaps they are flipping the Greg Sanders career progression and making Penny a Lab Rat. Rather than force her into a field investigator role. It did catch me watching her flip her hair out of the way while bending over a sheet and thinking British TV show the scrub  hats would also be on.

15 hours ago, LadyChaos said:

Just so we're clear, we're supposed to believe that Lindsey graduated with a Political Science degree from UNLV, probably used her moms connections to get hired right out of school to CSI (All to fulfill her moms dream, who already was living that life), decided to leave and move to Ireland where she got pregnant and had a baby, and decided to sell naked pictures on the internet as a source of income instead of utilizing her degree....and believe she makes more money doing that, then she ever did as a CSI?

I'm not shaming Lindsey here....but I can see the problem. In Catherine's mind, she did every thing did to make sure Lindsey would be afforded the opportunity to use her brain instead of her body to get ahead in life..I mean Catherine's mother was a showgirl too...so maybe a little but of breaking the family cycle.....so to Catherine, who wanted better for her daughter than she had....to see her selling pictures of herself online probably feels like a smack in the face...Plus Catherine probably remembers how she fought to be taken seriously, given that she was a stripper before joining CSI...still, its Lindsey's life to choose what and how she lives it...

I also find it hard to believe she makes good money doing it. I have a few friends who do OF or similar, and honestly they only maybe bring in $800-1000 a month, on a good month, after everyone else gets their cut.

I thought they implied it was bikini and lingerie photos that Lindsay was doing and my mind went to sure it starts there. In the end we have Tila Tequila without the MTV unreality shows. Before she said what kind of shot is was I was already assuming porn and now I'm thinking as just another person on the net posting photos what was suppose to make her's worth paying for?