CSI Las Vegas - Miami - New York - Cyber

[Jenova Synthesis]

Got the impression that Stargate fans don't like CSI...

[Trialia]

Heee. Love CSI - all three of them. Though Horatio's personality (Miami) has done a complete U-turn during season 3, and I don't really like him anymore.

Sara/Catherine, Horatio/Calleigh, Stella/Aiden. Them's me ships. Aside from the last one, but I love those two working together. I'm Mac/Stella there.

Oh, that reminds me... the UK haven't started season 6 of Vegas, 4 of Miami or 2 of NY yet, though I know about Aiden, so would anybody mind using spoiler tags, please? Thanks, people. *hugs all*

My favourite overall character has to be Stella.

[Vicky]

Oh!! I haven't seen this topic before!

My favourite is definitely CSI Las Vegas! Then come New-York and last but not least Miami.
Favourite characters? Catherine in LV, Horatio in Miami and Stella in NY.
Favourite ships: Cath/Gil, Stella/Mac and I don't have one in Miami though if I had to choose one it would be Horatio/Yelina.

I'm with Trialia on spoiler tags. I stopped at the end of LV season 5, early Miami season 3 and I'm in NY season 1 right now (last ep saw is the one with the dog competition).

[FeloniousMonk]

I really didn't like the series to begin with, because i wanted to go into the forensic science field, and i knew that hollywood screws up alot of facts. But even though much of the factual science is stretched a bit, i got into the show for enjoyment and because i realized it does teach you obscure facts, rare diseases, and a glance into the real world of crime investigation.

Good way to look at it. When CSI started gaining popularity many colleges around the country noticed a surge in students focusing on forensic science. CSI has done well in showing another aspect of criminal investigation but, like all shows, the inaccuracies are there for the sake of the story.

In the majority of episodes most of the science is in fact real and done properly. The two issues with reality are in the technology they have and the actual job they do. AFIS and CODUS lookups are not instant; it can take hours or days to get a fingerprint match and weeks for DNA results to arrive. They also don't have databases of perfume chemistry or automotive paint. Stuff like that simply doesn't exist.

The biggest inaccuracy, however, is the fact that the main characters are far more than just crime scene analysts. In real life CSAs don't talk to suspects, they don't canvas neighborhoods, they usually don't even examine the evidence. Detectives perform arrests and interrogations, lab technicians actually examine the evidence. Crime scene analysts/investigators focus strictly on the actual crime scene. It's a good show but anyone with time in urban law enforcement can't ignore bits like that.

It's a great show, however. I really enjoy it and I've actually learned a thing or two. The only times they get stuff blatantly wrong is when they do episodes about fires; to date no dramatic television show has done fire investigation properly. It's far too complex of a subject to get right for a TV show.

Oh, and don't forget the frequent civil rights violations. At least every other episode I see an action by one or two of the characters that would undoubtedly result in the case being thrown out of court for violations of due process. Then of course there's the "CSI effect" in real courtrooms throughout the nation...but that's the fault of the ignorant judges, lawyers, and juries out there who can't accept the fact that it's just a tv show.

[Trialia]

Good way to look at it. When CSI started gaining popularity many colleges around the country noticed a surge in students focusing on forensic science. CSI has done well in showing another aspect of criminal investigation but, like all shows, the inaccuracies are there for the sake of the story.

In the majority of episodes most of the science is in fact real and done properly. The two issues with reality are in the technology they have and the actual job they do. AFIS and CODUS lookups are not instant; it can take hours or days to get a fingerprint match and weeks for DNA results to arrive. They also don't have databases of perfume chemistry or automotive paint. Stuff like that simply doesn't exist.

The biggest inaccuracy, however, is the fact that the main characters are far more than just crime scene analysts. In real life CSAs don't talk to suspects, they don't canvas neighborhoods, they usually don't even examine the evidence. Detectives perform arrests and interrogations, lab technicians actually examine the evidence. Crime scene analysts/investigators focus strictly on the actual crime scene. It's a good show but anyone with time in urban law enforcement can't ignore bits like that.

It's a great show, however. I really enjoy it and I've actually learned a thing or two. The only times they get stuff blatantly wrong is when they do episodes about fires; to date no dramatic television show has done fire investigation properly. It's far too complex of a subject to get right for a TV show.

Oh, and don't forget the frequent civil rights violations. At least every other episode I see an action by one or two of the characters that would undoubtedly result in the case being thrown out of court for violations of due process. Then of course there's the "CSI effect" in real courtrooms throughout the nation...but that's the fault of the ignorant judges, lawyers, and juries out there who can't accept the fact that it's just a tv show.

That's actually part of what bugs me... when people whine about how CSI is so unrealistic, et cetera. I even found a published subtly-sniping reference in a book by someone who used to be a favourite author of mine.

Hello, how dumb do people think the viewers are? Not everyone is stupid enough to believe it's more than a TV show and it's all realistic, damn it. Of course things like that couldn't happen so quickly, to begin with!

[Vicky]

What really pissed me off was when a few weeks ago a french tv program published an article in which a french journalist criticized CSI 'cos the show help criminals to escape more easily. *shakes head*

And guess what? French TV is producing a new series based on CSI (which is not that bad btw given they don't have the same budget).

*shakes head*

[FeloniousMonk]

That's actually part of what bugs me... when people whine about how CSI is so unrealistic, et cetera. I even found a published subtly-sniping reference in a book by someone who used to be a favourite author of mine.

Hello, how dumb do people think the viewers are? Not everyone is stupid enough to believe it's more than a TV show and it's all realistic, damn it. Of course things like that couldn't happen so quickly, to begin with!

True, though it is nice to know that most of the science behind what they show is in fact real.

What really pissed me off was when a few weeks ago a french tv program published an article in which a french journalist criticized CSI 'cos the show help criminals to escape more easily. *shakes head*

Actually that's not so far-fetched. Some clever criminals have been learning from the show, learning to leave clean crime scenes, to wipe prints and to leave as little trace as possible. Fortunately it's practically impossible to remove all trace; thank Locard's Exchange Principle for that one.

[Trialia]

True, though it is nice to know that most of the science behind what they show is in fact real.

Right. *nods*

Fortunately it's practically impossible to remove all trace; thank Locard's Exchange Principle for that one.

As the title of the Stella/Aiden fanlisting... quiscunque tactus vestigia legat.

[ChevronSeven]

I'm all for CSI: the original. It's the best by far. My favorite character is Nick Stokes. Definitely easy on the ol' eyes.

[Jenova Synthesis]

I agree on the conversation about the 'reality factor'. It's a TV show and it's entertainment. I'm really interested in forensics, too (wanna do it for a living later) and imo it's intersting to see how they deal with science. Actually there are real criminalists producing the show and if you watch specials/behind the scenes material they always mention that it's different in reality (especially the time aspect).
Imo they do a great job in creating interesting stories, full of tension and surprise. But the thing I love best about the show is its characters. THIS is what I call chara background and development. They show emotions, they *feel* real. Take Nick, he's so protective of children bc he himself was the victem of sexual abuse as a child and I totally love S6 ep Gum Drops

Spoiler:

where he desperately tries to find this little girl and everytime he's in the house you can hear the small girl whisper the story of what happened to her family

My abs fave chara is Gris bc I love his thoughts about people, about mankind and religion.

[FeloniousMonk]

When you get to college take some basic criminal justice courses, starting with Principles of Criminal Investigation. It's basically CSI 101. You'll learn the basics of investigating a crime and what your particular role would be. Remember, there are Evidence Technicians, there are crime lab technicians (which rarely ever leave the lab), there are CSIs and there are Detectives. The first two are typically civilians, the latter two (which can often be the same person as many Detectives do perform the duties that we see on the show but without the actual up close examinations) are sworn peace officers.

It's a fascinating field and just about any field of study, from accounting to entomology to psychology to mathematics can be used in conjunction with forensics. Just remember that a good criminal investigator is an expert at everything else first. A good CI/detective knows how long a particular bug takes to attack a corpse, how much pressure per square inch it takes to crumple a highway guard rail, what the hottest shoe on the market is, what the Dow and S&P closed at, how subway systems work, etc etc etc. You have to know everything because anything can be linked to a crime.

[Jenova Synthesis]

Pretty cool, thx! Love the part about the shoes.
Well, the problem is I live in Germany and here is no forensic course at all. I study biology and wanna do anthropology later. Will see. For no I enjoy the show.

[Trialia]

WHEEEE!

...Translation: Season six starts here tonight.

Thanks for the spoiler tags, Jenova. ('M I right in thinking you're a Final Fantasy fan with that name? )

[Jenova Synthesis]

WHEEEE!

...Translation: Season six starts here tonight.

Thanks for the spoiler tags, Jenova. ('M I right in thinking you're a Final Fantasy fan with that name? )

Then enjoy! S6 is great. Watch out for 'GumDrops' (ep 3 or 4) and ep 11 'Werewolves', they are amazing.

Yes, proud Final Fantasy fan, owing all games.

[Trialia]

Then enjoy! S6 is great. Watch out for 'GumDrops' (ep 3 or 4) and ep 11 'Werewolves', they are amazing.

Yes, proud Final Fantasy fan, owing all games.

Hee. I run the fanlisting for FF5.

And I will indeed! We get the new series of NY next week, too. W00t!