Season Nine: Goodbye, Goren and Eames; Hello, Nichols and Stevens...

[Donny Ketchum]

So, it's cold, crappy, and cloudy. So I turned on the TV and..."Palimpsest". My timing is the worst. If I got the Hallmark Channel, I'd watch that. As it is, I'll play channel switching for the next 60 minutes unless I find something else to do!

Aw, don't worry, WendyCR72.  Season ten will be here in a few hours. ;)

[WendyCR72]

Aw, don't worry, WendyCR72.  Season ten will be here in a few hours. ;)

 

Thank God!  :-)  It can't come fast enough.

[Maherjunkie]

I watched The  Homecoming with John Boy Walton to get through that Sat. 

[WendyCR72]

I watched The  Homecoming with John Boy Walton to get through that Sat. 

 

Even John Boy trumps Zack Nichols.

[WendyCR72]

It was likely because the conservatory attended by the victim was so high-profile.  But that's the best I can offer here.

 

I will repeat, though, that it was refreshing to have simply kill over just wanting to have a friend, as crazy as her motive was.  Very refreshing, even if I just felt like she needed serious help by the end.

Ironically, another station - meaning not ion - is now airing S9 and that one is on tonight.

I still think the antifreeze should have made them all sick!

[Donny Ketchum]

Ironically, another station - meaning not ion - is now airing S9 and that one is on tonight.

I still think the antifreeze should have made them all sick!

Eh, it probably did, but the victim got the highest dose.

 

Which station is about to air it tonight?

[WendyCR72]

Eh, it probably did, but the victim got the highest dose.

 

Which station is about to air it tonight?

 

It's local. MyNetwork (took the place of the old UPN station when it merged with the old WB to make the CW). I do think MyNetwork itself may be nationwide, but the programming may vary.

[WendyCR72]

In Boston, Channel 39 (WSBK) is a MyNetwork and was showing Season Nine on Tuesday night as well.

 

Hmm. Thanks for the info, @Chattygal!  :-)   Maybe it is a national thing, after all. And hey! I used to get WSBK around here (near Albany). The change in FCC rules on what can be televised where ended that, but we had it here as I grew up. It didn't leave the area 'til maybe the early to mid '90s, that and WPIX in NYC. Both were indie stations at the time, although I guess that's no longer the case.

 

I know here, there are two back to back CI episodes on Tuesdays on MyNetwork, and after the one tonight with the bitchy dead ballerina and her classmates from hell, there was "Gods and Insects". (On Mondays, it is SVU that is back to back, and the rest of the week has other shows including Bones!)

[Maherjunkie]

In other words, nothing.

[WendyCR72]

Ack, I meant Channel 38, not 9. Midnight typing. Did you also happen to get channel 56 (WLVI)? The home of Saturday's Creature Double Feature!

 

I've noticed that the SVU episodes on My38 are always ones that have just aired on USA (within the last week), no matter how random the seasons. I can't deduce the programming logic.

 

Funny story about Channel 38. When I was a kid, they'd show classic movies on Sundays and one Sunday it was A Nun's Story with Audrey Hepburn. Inexplicably, after a commercial break early in the film, the version being aired switched to Spanish language. A few weeks later, in the Sunday Boston Globe TV Week insert, a corner box ad announced another Sunday showing of A Nun's Story. Diagonally, a bar over Audrey Hepburn's habit, declared, "ALL IN ENGLISH!"

 

WLVI, I never had. That story about A Nun's Story is hilarious!

 

Apparently, there is now a Universal HD station on digital cable where it shows all of its properties. And now I see CI repeats on there, too. (I have no doubt SVU is included sometime.) I was sort of shocked at TV By The Numbers to see the syndicated ratings and CI is consistently in the Top 25, as is SVU. I guess I shouldn't be; they must make enough money.

 

To bring this back to S9, when Stevens did her Brit voice in "Gods and Insects", I hoped @Donny Ketchum would somehow like to watch that yet again.  :-)

[Donny Ketchum]

To bring this back to S9, when Stevens did her Brit voice in "Gods and Insects", I hoped @Donny Ketchum would somehow like to watch that yet again.  :-)

Honestly, I never cared about the accent.  All I cared about were a.) Stevens actually being asked to do something as part of an investigation that Nichols, for once, wasn't, b.) Nichol's blindsided, almost indignant look when Callas did ask Stevens to do it and not he, and c.) the adulation Stevens got when she returned to the squad room.

 

Also, I DVR'd it the last time it reran on ION, so it's not necessary.  But thanks. :)

Edited December 3, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[Eolivet]

I really liked "Loyalty" -- first time I'd seen it all the way through. Just well-acted all around, especially by VDO and Erbe. That hug Eames gives Goren at the end seems so meta in retrospect -- they really were saying goodbye, on the show and in real life (leaving the show).

 

Complex case, though -- reminds me of "Torrents of Greed" on the Mothership, where there are so many parties, you need a scorecard to keep track of who's aligned with whom. I do like that Hassan couldn't kill his girlfriend.

 

And Nichols' parting shot to Hassan was the most I liked Nichols in the entire two hours. I'm sorry, giving him some rich history with Ross was so weird and not at all believable.

 

I'm so glad there was a season 10 -- that would've been such a bleak ending for both Goren and Eames.

Edited December 7, 2014 by Eolivet

[WendyCR72]

I'm so glad there was a season 10 -- that would've been such a bleak ending for both Goren and Eames.

 

Oh, I was glad that VDO and KE came back for a more fitting final hurrah, too. I just wish their return had been better explained since it was originally pretty final for both.

[WendyCR72]

With all the holiday specials and such, if you're done shopping and just want to chill and are sick of said specials, MyNetwork has CI on again tonight from 8 to 10 ET. Too bad it's S9, but oh well.

 

At least Ion's reruns will be back on the 27th. If you (collective you) have digital cable, I guess Cloo runs CI all over now, too, at various days/times...but I believe that is at S7 or so.

[WendyCR72]

Doing some holiday things and have CI on in the background for noise, even if it is S9. At least it is "Traffic" and Mrs. Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan, is pretty good. (I skipped the episode before and watched Charlie Brown. Big kid here!)

 

But - and I admit I never paid too much attention because of said season it sired during - this Russian mob crap seemed so tacked on to the episode when the whole power play at the magazine and the head honcho screwing the daughter seemed to be more than enough. It didn't even seem to play a huge role in the mag editor's death. Shrug. But hey, John Bolger does a good dead guy. Just as well since it was his second time playing one on CI, the first time being in "Slither". (With a third appearance in S2, but he lived there, as the blink and miss FBI agent in "The Pilgrim".)

 

Never knew he was the nephew of Ray Bolger, who was The Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. Cool.

[WendyCR72]

So USA is now airing S9 on late-night weekends - and it is still dull. Still don't understand why, in "Delicate", a ballerina's death needed Major Case but then, a lot didn't make sense during that season, so I guess it fit in using that theme.

 

Although...Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio could have been good had she been given anything at all to do. I like Jay O. Sanders, and I had no issues with Captain Joe Hannah, but MEM could have been kept for S10, especially since so many still recalled Sanders from S2's "Dead" as the perp. (And I did bring this up before, but while I cared nothing for Stevens or Nichols, I did recall Callas once telling them during a case how she didn't want her name to come off of the captain's office door, so it's too bad it was never explained why she was gone (aside from the S9 cast leaving or being fired, of course!).)

[WendyCR72]

Maybe because of my white-hot hatred for it, but as I caught the end of "Palimpsest" just now, it hit me for the first time: It must have been the CI equivalent of Clue.

 

The butler did it. Ha. Ha.

 

Thank God it's done.

[SFoster21]

Maybe because of my white-hot hatred for it, but as I caught the end of "Palimpsest" just now, it hit me for the first time: It must have been the CI equivalent of Clue.

The butler did it. Ha. Ha.

Thank God it's done.

I like the episode because it's so crazy weird. But the best part is that the girl is the girl from "Stargate." I like JG. So, there's that.

[WendyCR72]

I like the episode because it's so crazy weird. But the best part is that the girl is the girl from "Stargate." I like JG. So, there's that.

 

Which woman? The one who loved Zack/Zach?

[SFoster21]

There's only one girl.

[WendyCR72]

There's only one girl.

 

No, there was also the actress who was the wife of the younger book guy. The couple who argue with the butler. The "dear friends" of Lenore and her father. Not to mention the woman Zach/Zack is talking to about the whole thing. And I have officially spent too much time on this one.

 

I sincerely am glad others did enjoy it, but it didn't "feel like" CI and was just waaaay too weird for me.

[SFoster21]

Hey, sorry, Wendy, only girl I remember is the crazy one. That girl. Zack loved her. I love that you love this show so much!

[WendyCR72]

Hey, sorry, Wendy, only girl I remember is the crazy one. That girl. Zack loved her. I love that you love this show so much!

 

Aww, thanks. But I'm glad to know which one you mean, is all!  :-)

 

I will say something positive here: I'll admit the actress did do a good job with playing mentally ill, even if the story surrounding it was odd. (I bet JG didn't mind. Like VDO, he has made "quirky" his stock and trade!)

 

By all means, don't mind my lack of affection for this season stop you - or anyone who liked it/Nichols, etc. - from discussing it.  :-)

[WendyCR72]

So I can't sleep. Alas, WE is showing S9 episodes. I can watch them to have something to watch at this hour, but it's one I just can't: "Abel and Willing", the one with the crazy perp who makes people decide to kill their spouse or oneself based on a choice his grandfather had to make in the Concentration camp.

 

Way too dark for me there. Looks like zapping around on the remote wins!

 

I was going to say I'm kind of surprised such a topic made it into an episode, but I guess there's a lot of dark TV out there...

[WendyCR72]

Doing house stuff and have the TV on for noise. WE is on S9. Finally hit me where the guy framed for murder by his war buddy in "Gods and Insects" came from:

 

He had the much more compelling role (IMO!) in "Yesterday" in S1, as the guy who killed Alyssa Cooney, the girl in Deakins' cold case and killed his cohort.

[WendyCR72]

If anyone is lurking: I admit I never pay much attention to "Loyalty" as it is such a downer. But...I caught more than usual than I remembered before with G/E seeing Ross dead in a body bag.

 

Wasn't he on that boat undercover when it exploded? If so, how the hell was there a body? Did the man regenerate in death?

[scriggle]

If anyone is lurking: I admit I never pay much attention to "Loyalty" as it is such a downer. But...I caught more than usual than I remembered before with G/E seeing Ross dead in a body bag.

 

Wasn't he on that boat undercover when it exploded? If so, how the hell was there a body? Did the man regenerate in death?

 

Haven't seen it in a while, but I think Ross got gunned down in his car.  G/E arrive on the scene and the feds are taking control and Goren is having none of it.  He was yelling "He's our captain!"  (Rather over the top and OOC imho considering Ross and Goren's relationship or lack thereof.)

[WendyCR72]

Haven't seen it in a while, but I think Ross got gunned down in his car.  G/E arrive on the scene and the feds are taking control and Goren is having none of it.  He was yelling "He's our captain!"  (Rather over the top and OOC imho considering Ross and Goren's relationship or lack thereof.)

 

Thanks! Somehow, I did miss the car bit. The only people I felt sorry for where Ross dying was concerned were his often-mentioned, rarely-seen sons and maybe Rodgers. (I could never tell what she and Ross were to each other. I know Bobby sneered about her being his girlfriend in "Frame", but then there was the whole Kathy Jerrell mess in "Betrayed" and clearly trying to rationalize Kathy in front of Rodgers...)

 

I have made no secret that I had little affection or use for Danny Ross, but I do recall he and Goren shaking hands upon his return from his family visit in "Faithfully". So I guess there was a sense of grudging respect/a sort of frenemy vibe.

 

I did see Goren yelling at the female FBI agent. I think, putting the frenemy thing in perspective, I can sort of hand wave/buy the overwrought emotions of both G/E. They did work with him for three years, so I imagine there would still be sadness/anger at some level, maybe.

 

Although, after how Ross treated Goren in "Frame", it was sort of surprising how he did react to Ross' death.

 

I liked Jimmy Deakins better, anyway. LOL!

[WendyCR72]

On 6/8/2016 at 5:55 PM, whimsey98 said:

Anyway, I was watching "Loyalty" and that scene with Goren and Eames where they hug and he kisses her on the cheek (was there ever a more awkward and yet tender kiss),

Agree with this sentiment. That said, I wonder if the awkwardness with that kiss was meant to be played as awkward. The G/E relationship was so complex, and she did just fire him, so I could see where awkwardness based on that complexity, could creep in. But I do think it was a rare scene of open affection from Goren to Eames, so I liked it.  :-)  (Although that may sound unfair since Goren did unequivocally have her back in "Lady's Man" and fell apart when she was kidnapped in "Blind Spot", etc. So I do think Bobby appreciated Alex. He just wasn't as forthcoming about that appreciation unless she was threatened in some way, I guess. And I love Bobby.)

Hope whatever is ailing you resolves soon, @whimsey98!  At least there is something to watch in the dead of night/early morning.  :-)

[WendyCR72]

13 hours ago, whimsey98 said:

What I like about the Gorem/Eames relationship is that they didn't feel the need to push it into the realm of romance, which would have just gotten in the way, but allowed them to have their strengths and respect each other and care about each other. 

I'm not a hardcore shipper where G/E are concerned (though I could maybe see potential), but neither am I an anti-shipper.  :-)  Call me a fence sitter. But I did find it...interesting...how S10 blatantly straddled that fence. (Even the key art USA released sort of played up both sides. One picture was of both with literal sparks in between them. I thought it was fan made, but no.) I guess this is to say I could see this relationship "going either way" as crazy Jo Gage put things, but they almost already had the deep bond, just without the physical. Hence that complexity I talked about.  :-)  I do think they loved each other. It's the "in love" part that is up to interpretation, IMO. I do think it's safe to say that Alex was the most healthy relationship Bobby has had, romantic or not! She unconditionally cared about Bobby, which he seemed to have little of, even in his own crazy family.

I'm glad whatever your condition that you're doing okay, @whimsey98!  May that continue. And keep enjoying your pets and CI.  :-)

[WendyCR72]

The sassy female DA in "Inhumane Society" really made me miss Carver. Holy cheesy acting.

[WendyCR72]

Oh, good. S9 is back on WE. (That's sarcasm.) But if there are any positives to be had here, the wife in this one, who killed her ex-ballplayer hubby, was just so "don't give a damn". She also reminded me a lot of that comedienne, Brett Butler.

[WendyCR72]

USA is showing S9, but not the whole season. LOL. Started...I think 6 or 7 episodes in a few nights back (after S5 ended; USA doesn't believe in order. At least the listings have S6 starting after S9 ends!). The one with the crazy ballerinas is on. How does one not know when they have glass in their shoes? The writing was really WTF here...

[Maherjunkie]

A Monkees episode makes more sense.

[WendyCR72]

On 12/5/2016 at 10:23 PM, Maherjunkie said:

A Monkees episode makes more sense.

A thousand times more entertaining, too, no doubt.

[Maherjunkie]

Even 2nd season when the LSD took over!

[WendyCR72]

21 minutes ago, Maherjunkie said:

Even 2nd season when the LSD took over!

I'm not sure the S9 writers weren't drinking or whatever...

[Maherjunkie]

I think they just ran out of gas..

[WendyCR72]

13 hours ago, Maherjunkie said:

I think they just ran out of gas..

Well, there did seem to be a lot of new names that season. So it also could be a matter of not knowing the tone of the franchise or whatever, too...

[wknt3]

17 hours ago, Maherjunkie said:

I think they just ran out of gas..

 

3 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Well, there did seem to be a lot of new names that season. So it also could be a matter of not knowing the tone of the franchise or whatever, too...

Yeah there was a lot of BTS turmoil which often makes it hard to do good work creatively. Also if the rumors are true there was conflict between what USA wanted (quirkier, with more focus on the detectives' personalities) and what the producers and NBC wanted (more of what it was originally conceived as) so the writers were probably getting contradictory notes making it hard to establish a consistent tone. But there is probably something to the running out of gas theory too and maybe to simply being overstretched. SVU was at a crossroads and they were trying to launch LOLA, the end of the mothership and trying to find a way to save it and beat Gunsmoke for the record - a lot of stuff was going on that was a higher priority for Dick Wolf.

[WendyCR72]

20 hours ago, wknt3 said:

 

Yeah there was a lot of BTS turmoil which often makes it hard to do good work creatively. Also if the rumors are true there was conflict between what USA wanted (quirkier, with more focus on the detectives' personalities) and what the producers and NBC wanted (more of what it was originally conceived as) so the writers were probably getting contradictory notes making it hard to establish a consistent tone. But there is probably something to the running out of gas theory too and maybe to simply being overstretched. SVU was at a crossroads and they were trying to launch LOLA, the end of the mothership and trying to find a way to save it and beat Gunsmoke for the record - a lot of stuff was going on that was a higher priority for Dick Wolf.

You bring up an interesting point here, @wknt3. While I am aware that USA Network has its own higher-ups, etc., both that channel and NBC are owned by the same parent company, or were, Universal. (Maybe they still are, for all I know. But I remember USA pre-Universal, when it was a fun schlock channel with USA Up All Night, Silk Stalkings, Duckman, Renegade, etc.) So considering, I believe, it was one of the reasons NBC shifted CI there to begin with since both properties were under the same umbrella and it seemed folks were reluctant to pull the plug (lower numbers but not low enough in their eyes for outright cancellation/wanting more episodes for syndication), I'm sort of surprised the parent company didn't try to mediate between the two.

Actually, even with Dick Wolf having a full plate, many staffers on all of his properties seemed to be people he had worked with before, so I would have thought whomever he entrusted CI to would make sure that USA stuck with the franchise formula. It seemed like USA wanted to break from it, which makes me wonder why it agreed to take the show, knowing the history. Add in, at the time, I believe NBC showed the episodes after USA  and I'd think that network, as the show did originate there, would still have a say in how the show would be presented.

Looking at it like that, it's interesting that the show was still able to produce some worthy episodes, a la "Frame", etc. Oddly, it seemed like the show did have both USA's format and NBC's tried and true at the same time: Goren/Eames - while still mired in personal stuff - seemed, even with Goren's quirks [but massively tone down], more "serious/traditional" a la NBC, while poor Logan, to begin with, with Wheeler, got the - I don't want to say fluff, but his cases seemed less...I don't know...psychological? Minus "Senseless" with Falacci, his temporary partner, and "Last Rites". They were very good and had depth, IMO. (The latter, perhaps, because it was Logan's exit.) I am not explaining it well, but it makes sense in my head! Still, once Logan left and Nichols came, the quirk seemed to ramp up 1,000%. And there really wasn't an anchor on that side, reining it in.

Once S10 rolled around and it was back to just one team with G/E, and knowing it was the last season, USA seemed resigned to giving up on "quirk" and letting the show end with a smidge of dignity.

[wknt3]

16 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

You bring up an interesting point here, @wknt3. While I am aware that USA Network has its own higher-ups, etc., both that channel and NBC are owned by the same parent company, or were, Universal. (Maybe they still are, for all I know. But I remember USA pre-Universal, when it was a fun schlock channel with USA Up All Night, Silk Stalkings, Duckman, Renegade, etc.) So considering, I believe, it was one of the reasons NBC shifted CI there to begin with since both properties were under the same umbrella and it seemed folks were reluctant to pull the plug (lower numbers but not low enough in their eyes for outright cancellation/wanting more episodes for syndication), I'm sort of surprised the parent company didn't try to mediate between the two.

Actually, even with Dick Wolf having a full plate, many staffers on all of his properties seemed to be people he had worked with before, so I would have thought whomever he entrusted CI to would make sure that USA stuck with the franchise formula. It seemed like USA wanted to break from it, which makes me wonder why it agreed to take the show, knowing the history. Add in, at the time, I believe NBC showed the episodes after USA  and I'd think that network, as the show did originate there, would still have a say in how the show would be presented.

Looking at it like that, it's interesting that the show was still able to produce some worthy episodes, a la "Frame", etc. Oddly, it seemed like the show did have both USA's format and NBC's tried and true at the same time: Goren/Eames - while still mired in personal stuff - seemed, even with Goren's quirks [but massively tone down], more "serious/traditional" a la NBC, while poor Logan, to begin with, with Wheeler, got the - I don't want to say fluff, but his cases seemed less...I don't know...psychological? Minus "Senseless" with Falacci, his temporary partner, and "Last Rites". They were very good and had depth, IMO. (The latter, perhaps, because it was Logan's exit.) I am not explaining it well, but it makes sense in my head! Still, once Logan left and Nichols came, the quirk seemed to ramp up 1,000%. And there really wasn't an anchor on that side, reining it in.

Once S10 rolled around and it was back to just one team with G/E, and knowing it was the last season, USA seemed resigned to giving up on "quirk" and letting the show end with a smidge of dignity.

Regarding NBC - they were airing the episodes and did have some at least some influence on the scripts as I understand it as they were paying part of the production costs. Which was actually part of the problem. What I meant to say was that the writers were getting notes from NBC asking for one thing and USA asking for another and possibly something else from the producers. Which is why it might seem as they were struggling with tone - they were trying to find a compromise between the different visions.

[WendyCR72]

7 hours ago, wknt3 said:

Regarding NBC - they were airing the episodes and did have some at least some influence on the scripts as I understand it as they were paying part of the production costs. Which was actually part of the problem. What I meant to say was that the writers were getting notes from NBC asking for one thing and USA asking for another and possibly something else from the producers. Which is why it might seem as they were struggling with tone - they were trying to find a compromise between the different visions.

Ah, gotcha. In that case, though, it sounds like the suits on both ends fell down on the job. It seemed the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing. You'd think both entities would have made clear their expectations of what each side wanted when this switch to USA was proposed. Like I said, for all of the issues, there were still some very good episodes (IMO). Seems like maybe that was in spite of the upheaval. Or maybe those instances had folks established with the show, and were thus better, etc. (I noted before at least the directors seemed to be long timers for the most part...with some newer additions mixed in.)

[WendyCR72]

I will be nice and say one word of praise about "Three In One", the S9 finale. (Can't sleep and watching on USA): F. Murray Abraham is a good actor and he and Jeff Goldblum were believable as father and son. See? I'm not a total bitch here!

[Xeliou66]

Yeah Three in One was a pretty good episode. I think season 9 had some good and some bad episodes, one thing I liked about it was that it seemed to return to the very dark and disturbing cases and villains that the earlier seasons had, the Warren Leight years had a lot of just average, fluff cases that took a backseat to the personal soap opera's. CI always had the most memorable, twisted and chilling killers and cases in the franchise and I felt that season 9 was a return to the 1-5 seasons in that regard. I also liked Goldblum as Zach Nichols, the problem with season 9 was that Stevens didn't add anything to the show and Zoe Callas had the least personality of any main character on any of the L&O shows. Also some of the episodes were just terrible, Palimpsest and Disciple come to mind. 

[WendyCR72]

11 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

Also some of the episodes were just terrible, Palimpsest and Disciple come to mind. 

"Palimpsest" was utter shit. I have no idea what that was, but it was like someone tried to make it out of a page of the game Clue on some warped acid trip. And the dialogue was so cheesy. UGH.

As for "Disciple", I understand the intent (pardon the pun!) was to flesh out Serena Stevens and her past via a case, but she was so damned boring that I couldn't give even a half a rat's ass.

So...I agree with the assessment of both episodes sucking mightily.

And, yeah, okay...I agree S6 and S7 were soapy (and got darker, both figuratively and literally, in the dim squad room), but I admit I also really liked "Endgame", "Frame", and yes, "Blind Spot", the last because, for all of Bobby's intelligence, it's clear that Eames was a vital part of the teamwork, and seeing Bobby not be in control was a refreshing change of pace. And Roy Scheider in "Endgame" was awesome.

For all of the S7 darkness, I did like "Depths" (with future SVU star Kelli Giddish) and loved "Vanishing Act" since VDO/Bobby actually lightened up again there, kind of like his "old" self.

To tie all of this back, S9 was maybe more like the S1-5 cases, but the characters (IMO) really overshadowed it, and not for the better. Hard to believe it was 14 episodes. Felt twice as long. (Technically, it was 16, but G/E were the focus of the first two episodes, and the end of Ross.) And had the writing been present, I think, like Ross (especially) and Deakins (a bit), Zoe Callas could have been interesting had she had a moment in the sun as the former two did (mainly Ross as I said; poor Deakins only got the Frank Adair bit to initiate his/Jamey Sheridan's exit). But it wasn't to be. At least Joe Hannah in S10 was a decent ending captain.

[Xeliou66]

Well, I have to disagree about Endgame, Frame and Blond Spot. Seriously, Goren's dad being a serial killer? That was beyond jumping the shark, something out of a soap opera. I hated the melodramatic nature of the episodes, the way they made Bobby Goren some kind of tortured, haunted detective and the way the cases were watered down. It was barely the same show. I liked that season 9 seemed to return to the dark, twisted cases of the earlier seasons, however the writing was very hit or miss for those episodes and Stevens and especially Callas were useless characters that didn't make the show more interesting or even have much of a personality. 

Seasons 1-5 when Rene Balcer ran the show were by far the best of CI, had the best cast and the best episodes, it really took a hit when Deakins and Carver left. Season 10 was a good finish though and I did like Joseph Hannah as the boss, even though it was weird to see that dude play the head of MCS after playing such memorable villains on both CI and the mothership. 

[WendyCR72]

15 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

Season 10 was a good finish though and I did like Joseph Hannah as the boss, even though it was weird to see that dude play the head of MCS after playing such memorable villains on both CI and the mothership. 

What's interesting about Joe Hannah from a screener copy of "The Consoler" I have (originally meant to be the premiere before CI cashed in on Charlie Sheen's issues) is that the summary describes him as an old friend of Goren's. I don't think it was ever touched upon on the show. (In the screener copy, Jay O. Sanders - like all other captains - got a place in the credits...which the actual show never used. He was just placed under "Also Starring..." on the actual show episodes...) And he was also supposed to do the end shot of walking out with G/E as Ross/Deakins did. (Showed the opening with Eric Bogosian with "Re-shoot with J. Sanders" at the top. But that obviously didn't happen and was just Goren/Eames for S10.)

[Xeliou66]

It's interesting as I do remember there being a couple of references to Goren and Hannah knowing each other, for example I remember Goren called him "Joe" while he never addressed Deakins or Ross by their first name and I'm pretty sure there were a couple of mentions of the two knowing each other for a while, I can't remember exactly when as I haven't seen season 10 in a while. 

[WendyCR72]

8 minutes ago, Xeliou66 said:

It's interesting as I do remember there being a couple of references to Goren and Hannah knowing each other, for example I remember Goren called him "Joe" while he never addressed Deakins or Ross by their first name and I'm pretty sure there were a couple of mentions of the two knowing each other for a while, I can't remember exactly when as I haven't seen season 10 in a while. 

Maybe press releases? Odd that it seemed to be something, then...nothing.

Back to S9, I wonder when Jeff Goldblum decided to pack it in - or if he was fired. I recall he gave a statement as uneasy about the show's future and I recall NBC/USA had actually let the cast members' contracts lapse (which was odd). I wonder if the suits were already courting VDO/KE and actually fired Goldblum and the others or if it was a Hail Mary on their part...