Getting a Divorce

For those of you who know me well, you're likely thinking "I didn't even know you were married." To which I respond, nothing has happened that you all need to know about in terms of a personal relationship. What I do mean is that one of the shows on my appointment television list have agreed to see other people, or to be more accurate, I've decided to stop seeing them.

Let me explain.

Almost since it premiered in 2000, I've been a loyal viewer of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. And when i say loyal, I mean very loyal, so loyal in fact, that I ended an argument with an ex-girlfriend to watch the show. And while that may not have been a great idea in hindsight, it illustrates to me the concept of "appointment television." A show you think is good enough that you will drop everything to watch. Something so intelligent and engrossing that you need to be able to sit and digest it for the hour it's on no matter what. As of late, that hasn't been the case.

I blame the disappearance of Gil Grissom into the jungles of Central America. When William Petersen decided he didn't want to be involved in the show any more in an acting capacity (he still serves as an executive producer), he said a 10 episode goodbye that ended with him reunited with his wife in the jungles of Costa Rica. That's where the show fell off to me. It brought about three major events, that I would classify as "irreconcilable differences."

• The addition of Laurence Fishburne as Langston--Don't get me wrong, I likes me the Larry. But at the end of the episode, he's no Grissom. The show just isn't the same. His character is a great addition, but no Grissom means the show is just lacking.
• An overall decline in quality--the show had begun to slip slightly as it stands, as is the case with most shows after they've been on for any length of time. This show experienced a steep decline within half a season. The quick addition and shoddily explained exit of Riley Adams would be my Exhibit A for arguing this point. Exhibit B would be the increasing reach to interconnect the A and B cases every week. Oh, and also, you really don't need to have some sort of "serial killer" (e.g. Jekyll and Hyde) in a show like this. Stand alone cases will do me just fine.
• Stunt casting--because nothing says "Oh shit, we're reaching" like stunt casting. Add all the celebrities you want (three golfers a few weeks ago, Taylor Swift just as she was catching fire, and Rascal Flatts in the upcoming episode), but if the show blows, it ain't gonna help ya.

I'm sorry to see it go, I really am, but my TV watching time is precious, and if there's no quality or a lack thereof, you've got to go. Will I go back to it? It's anyone's guess, but I don't see it happening any time soon. And that's a shame.