Great acting, great research, great writing, great photography. The series bear watching over and over again. I can't think of a better crime drama.
It is however a tiny bit formulaic from time to time. SO on a light- hearted note I thought I'd distill the formula as much as possible.
spoiler:
a) Either boys playing around, or lovers having hot sex (with essential undies inexplicably still on) chance upon, become, or walk by a disembodied head/skeleton
b) Grissom is suddenly there, quoting Confucius at the puzzled CSIs. David is taking the liver temperature (unless it's a disembodied head or skeleton)
c) Sara picks up a cigarette, then gives an explanation for any thick viewers out there "This was not a hit and run!"
d) Grissom says "evidently he didn't run enough", or some other wise- crack, and ...
e) TITLES: "Who are you do do do do". Never get tired of 'em
f) on the other side of town, Catherine's progress towards a crime scene is impeded by a dumb male jobsworth. Because she's smart and has the facts at her fingertips she sets him straight, squashes his ego in fact. Squish
g) she strolls haughtily in on a crime scene and points a torch at a racing track, nods sagely and says "Testosterone!" as if that explained everything
h) meanwhile back at the lab, Grissom and Doc Robbins are having a chat over a dead body, usually one showing signs of "petechial haemorraging". Their conversation is useless to them, but might be useful for anyone who happened to be watching who hadn't yet drawn the 'correct' moral conclusions about the scenario,
i) Nick and Warrick make an unspecified and probably inappropriate bet about the new hot chick in DNA lab,
j) cut to the Cool Science Scene. A CSI does a week-long experiment in 2 minutes, accompanied by booming Radiohead/Sigur Ros/etc
k) Greg eloquently (for a nerd) explains how many jobs HE did in that 2 minutes,
l) Grissom and Sara flirt in much the same tone of voice as nerds call out blindfold chess moves to each other. Same facial expression too.
m) they close in on the killer who is Not Who You Thought It Was. Brass' wisecracks at this stage provide 50% of the show's pleasure
n) Catherine's killer turns out to be either a 12 yr old girl who smiles back uncaringly, or a mother who has just killed her daughter. Catherine, whose daughter is the same age, looks disillusioned and world-weary.
o) Nick solves the main case for the 100th time. Grissom explains to him that he's not quite good enough yet
p) more "The Who". Warm feeling inside, tempted to watch another...
It is however a tiny bit formulaic from time to time. SO on a light- hearted note I thought I'd distill the formula as much as possible.
spoiler:
a) Either boys playing around, or lovers having hot sex (with essential undies inexplicably still on) chance upon, become, or walk by a disembodied head/skeleton
b) Grissom is suddenly there, quoting Confucius at the puzzled CSIs. David is taking the liver temperature (unless it's a disembodied head or skeleton)
c) Sara picks up a cigarette, then gives an explanation for any thick viewers out there "This was not a hit and run!"
d) Grissom says "evidently he didn't run enough", or some other wise- crack, and ...
e) TITLES: "Who are you do do do do". Never get tired of 'em
f) on the other side of town, Catherine's progress towards a crime scene is impeded by a dumb male jobsworth. Because she's smart and has the facts at her fingertips she sets him straight, squashes his ego in fact. Squish
g) she strolls haughtily in on a crime scene and points a torch at a racing track, nods sagely and says "Testosterone!" as if that explained everything
h) meanwhile back at the lab, Grissom and Doc Robbins are having a chat over a dead body, usually one showing signs of "petechial haemorraging". Their conversation is useless to them, but might be useful for anyone who happened to be watching who hadn't yet drawn the 'correct' moral conclusions about the scenario,
i) Nick and Warrick make an unspecified and probably inappropriate bet about the new hot chick in DNA lab,
j) cut to the Cool Science Scene. A CSI does a week-long experiment in 2 minutes, accompanied by booming Radiohead/Sigur Ros/etc
k) Greg eloquently (for a nerd) explains how many jobs HE did in that 2 minutes,
l) Grissom and Sara flirt in much the same tone of voice as nerds call out blindfold chess moves to each other. Same facial expression too.
m) they close in on the killer who is Not Who You Thought It Was. Brass' wisecracks at this stage provide 50% of the show's pleasure
n) Catherine's killer turns out to be either a 12 yr old girl who smiles back uncaringly, or a mother who has just killed her daughter. Catherine, whose daughter is the same age, looks disillusioned and world-weary.
o) Nick solves the main case for the 100th time. Grissom explains to him that he's not quite good enough yet
p) more "The Who". Warm feeling inside, tempted to watch another...