Is it me? Or was getting rid of all the writers on this show and starting fresh a mistake? It's like these people have no sense of history of this show. I have no idea why the writers really left. I know we were told they left because it was time and they wanted to move on but honestly, ALL of them? Okay, one guy stayed and he was there for like what, a year? WTF???
My theory - Dick Wolf is as much of a dick to work for as if he were DICK Cheney.
Also, photo galleries on USA are sparse and focus on guest stars. Who cares about them? Seriously? Maybe the big names. Like Lynn Redgrave. But the others? I don't know who they are and I don't care! I want photos of Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe. Not guest stars. Thank goodness others cap these things or we'd never get good photos of anything!
Yeah, I'm not happy with LOCI at all this season. I'm less happy with Goren and Eames episodes than I am with Nichols and Wheeler because I have higher expectations and preconceived notions. If they want to alienate me completely, they've done a bang up job of that!
Give me back my passionate Goren. Give me some Eames personal story! I was pissed when the scene with Eames and her sister didn't show up in Folie A Deux. I don't like the way the new writers are treating my beloved characters. At least Goldblum and Nichols have more personal character stories to show. So what if it's just a snippet here and there. It's so much more than the Goren and Eames group have given us. ONE episode with Goren personal info and that's it??? Again, WTF???
Sorry, the title of the next episode pissed me off. Get creative will you? I mean isn't that what writers are supposed to be? Geez.
To give them a break, I'll say maybe they just ran out of titles and maybe the show is starting to become repetitive again. Maybe it's not their fault there's nowhere to go with this anymore? Maybe that's really why all the writers left and Dick Wolf is a warm and fuzzy kind of guy.
This is the only salvageable photo from the LOCI photo gallery of Folie A Deux - the last G/E outing that cut out ALL OF THE PERSONAL STUFF for Eames.
[Photo from USA LOCI site]So they couldn't give her ONE scene? With four episodes left they better give me something and at least one more for Goren. Do they not realize why people watch this show? Or is Wolf delusional enough to think Vincent D'Onofrio is replaceable? I love Jeff Goldblum and all but really, whether the powers that be recognize this or not, it's Vincent's show. That's what happens when you make things character driven. Too late to stuff the genie back in the bottle.
Also, while I don't really like the show, I understand SVU may lose their lead actors - Hargitay and Meloni. From what I know of the show, it might not survive that either. But then I really don't care one way or the other. It's just Dick Wolf treating actors like crap and quite frankly, if they walk and the show dies, good riddance and goodbye Dick Wolf.
I do care about LOCI. I also care that Eric Bogosian isn't being utilized very well by the G/E team and I'm glad at least he gets the benefit of working with the N/W crew. Too bad Vincent and Kathryn don't.
Oh well, I'll be making regular rounds of blogs this weekend and hopefully be more active. I miss being online. I know people say it's not healthy to be online too much but it's also not healthy to not be able to engage in activities that make me relax and feel happy. lol
Speaking of which, time to go grill something. It's hot and humid but at least I can grill!!! :-)
[NP: Elvis Costello - What's So Funny About Peace, Love & Understanding]
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7 comments:
I think the fact that all the orginal writers are gone is a big problem with the G/E episodes. Yes, it's common practice for writers to filter in and out, but really I think it's all the different showrunners thats the true problem. I think if they had either never switched runners or promoted again within the ranks then new writing team wouldn't feel as...off. Because every script goes through the showrunner to make changes and such.
CI is very different from most of the shows I watch. Most of the shows I love the creator and the showrunner are one in the same. The closest we've had to that on CI is Balcer -- despite Dick Wolfe's creator credit, Goren and Eames were really Balcers, VDOs, and KEs creations.
I don't really care if we have a bunch of personal stuff, in fact looking back I kind of wish they did a little less, because really there's not much left to do with Goren on a personal level because they killed off all of his interesting relationships. However, I do agree that a bit of Eames personal as just some background noise would be nice (and what a perfect time to hint at the complex relationship between she and her sister).
What I really miss and what I feel is lacking from the current episodes is the subtlety with which the personal lives/feelings/fears were brought out through the criminals' stories. That's what made early CI so unique to me because it was character driven, but at the same time is was very much plot driven because of how they utilized the criminals/witnesses to reflect parts of G & E. That was brillant to me and is why 4 is and looks to always be given the current direction, my favorite season.
Sorry again I wrote an essay. I'm ready to hang in there, but I've also gotten to the point where I'd be okay with Goren and Eames riding off into the sunset for bigger and better things.
Essays are always welcome! :-)
I have to agree that season 4 is probably my favorite, too. It was the best at giving us personal insight in bits and making us learn more about Goren and Eames while maintaining good case files.
You seem to have that pendulum swing from seasons 1 and 2 to seasons 6 and 7. I will say the case files tended to suffer when the personal stories got involved. But given the choice, I take the personal stories. Season 4 was a nice balance.
I think perhaps the show has run down. And yes, it would have been more prudent to promote someone from within to be showrunner. Like Leight stepping in after Balcer left. Sadly, that didn't happen.
I know Dick Wolf didn't create Goren and Eames but he seems to be the one with the control over everything. I'm wondering if he didn't have some snit over the personal direction of the show and wanted to scale back? Ergo, dumping all the old writers and bringing in new? Yes, I know they say they left voluntarily but again, ALL OF THEM at the SAME TIME is a bit much of stretch for me to believe.
Oh well, color me cynical. I became politically aware during the Watergate years. I trust no one. lol
It does bother me that Wolfe has all the power (this is my I have a hard time balancing art as a business sticht) but yet doesn't really contribute anything creatively. I guess that's why I've never really been interested in the Mothership. Oh well.
I do love the balance in season4 and even 6 I think pulled off the balance (yes, I think the case files were weaker and the ripped from the headlines a little too obvious, but the personal stuff was well placed and well presented).
Who knows about the old writers. I do miss many of them and I am glad to indulge your conspiracy theories. ;)
The writers contracts were up - it's as simple as that. And Dick Wolf seemed to have no interest in renewing them. Indeed Dick Wolf seems to have no interest in C.I. at ALL......
However, as long as Vincent is there, I'll be there too.
Good point, Diane. I think you're right. Dick Wolf doesn't seem to care about LOCI at all. It's all about the mothership and because of ratings potential, SVU. Another reason I dislike the man.
Hasnt the SVU main man talked about the "nastiness" involved when negotiating with Wolf? I think there is alot of power politics involved in the franchise and Wolf wants the "procedural look" to his shows because that is his trademark.This is business,not Art.He was quite happy to lose balcer after season 5 and Leight after seaSON 7.and remember leight joined in season 2 with obvious playwright skills in theme and character development and was chjosen so by Balcer. The episodes of season 2 were alot deeper and the character of Nicvole wallace was so compelling in Person of Interest. Thats was leights writing.
Goren must be the thorn in Wolfs side because he is such a dominant character and out of control really.Wolf clearly tried to reclaim the control and the result is as boring and tedious as his other shows.
However he also had toi fulfil the contract for the year because the show was renewed.
The longevity of LOCI doesnt mean its a good show. In fact probably the opposite. The longer a show goes on the more diluted and repetitive it gets;it becaomes a production line churning out "cut and pasted" stories. Theres a limit to plotline originality when there is an overload of crime procedurals generally and specifiaclly with Wolfs.
Season 8 LOCI is largely about Duplication.....and not just in its titles musicwench! Its in the duplication of the "quirky detective" nichols, the duplication of stories,themes etc. Check out how many episodes duplicate episodes from season 6/7. Expect one on magic soon...and undercover investigation....and I wouldnt be surprised if there is an attempt at film noir!!!
These writers arent invested in the series...they are caretaking it.All those invested have gone and Ive a feeling its now a comfortable income for those left so they can do their REAL interesting work elsewhere!
That clearout after season7 looked like a temper tantrum from someone who had lost control!!!
The eviction of balcer after season 5 also always looked odd to me, not just about money.
Theres more to what goes on than what gets out!!!!Its business management!
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