CSI: New York has always been my favorite CSI. I think it had the most interesting and realistic characters. Just ordinary people who happen to work as CSI techs (or homicide detectives). Quirky, but not overly so. Also, none of the “bigger”, sometimes season-long villains on CSI: NY, (DJ Pratt, 333 stalker, The Cabbie Killer, Hollis Eckhart) were over the top like on CSI: Miami or later seasons of original CSI. Though there had been some casting changes, not that much changed since season two or so, at least not when compared to other CSIs; Mac, Don, Danny, Lindsay, Adam, Sheldon and Syd were all a part of the main cast until the series finale, providing the show with a nice feeling of consistency. And, after all, their Halloween episodes were a blast. Seriously, anyone reading this, go watch episode 4x6, “Boo”, or episodes 7x8 & 7x9, “Scared Stiff” & “Justified”. If you haven’t already.
Does anyone else agree? Sure, it has had its bad episodes and some cliches, the science wasn’t always realistic, and blue filter from early seasons can be annoying at times (though probably not as annoying as an orange filter on CSI: Miami LOL), but I think CSI: NY was the most amusing, realistic and consistently good CSI of the three; and the only one that didn’t make it to season ten (and beyond). I don’t really complain; I’m glad they ended it while it was still interesting, with most of its main cast intact, though the series finale could have been better.
I always liked the show but it always felt inferior to CSI prime. CSI suffered from being on too long but in its best years it was great. And William Petersen>Gary Sinese. And I like Sinese. Also NY didn’t come close to the high water marks that CSI set. Like the arc where Warrick was murdered or the incredible bit of acting when Brass was responsible for another officers death. Paul Guilfoyle is an underrated actor.
Form me, NY was a close second after LV. I especially appreciated the grittier feel of the setting (a lot was lost when the network made them drop the blue tint of the early episodes).
I was greatly disappointed with the Internet Killer double-header though. (Wasn’t that a Halloween episode?) There was virtually no resolution of the cliffhanger at the start of Part II. That’s when the series started to go downhill for me.
I stopped watching LV three or four episodes after Grissom left. I knew it was time to quit when I started falling asleep in the middle of a story.
CSI Mothership was better in the beginning, but IMO they went and made every character (even Nick) an asshole. Aside from being a horrible manager, Catherine took money to cover up a murder. Not to mention Sara murdering Gil and keeping him stuffed on a couch in their living room. (well, that’s how it ended in my book)
NY had its problems. Flack is the perfect example of NYPD - a corrupt bully. But on points I prefer NY. I find I can’t rewatch mothership because I know how it degrades, but NY hasn’t reached that point.
I liked CSI (original) for Grissom, but started to lose interest when they got into the recurring supervillain stuff. I didn’t watch a lot of CSI:NY, but I remember being turned off by too much attention being paid to the backstories of the investigators, i.e. Gary Sinise’s character had fought terrorists or something. Similarly, CSI:Miami had an ex-Mossad character or whatever… I don’t care about these characters, I’m here to see all the crazy-ass whiz-bang sci-fi forensic tech.
I prefer CSI:LV for its interesting characters (Sara Sidle, Warrick Brown, Gil Grissom).
Have you all seen the excellent movie To Live and Die in L.A. ? I was shocked to realize that its star is the same William Peterson who plays Gil Grissom.
Going to agree with most of the thread, NY was superior to Miami but not as good as the OG CSI. I’d go so far to say that OG is better by a bunch, but it did get weird a couple times towards the end so I won’t fight too terribly hard in that opinion
**LV: **The Whorehouse, where none of the multiple causes of death could be attributed to anyone, and the Halloween House of Horrors (“Ever had a man kiss you on your belly button?”).
NY: The Love Doll and the aforementioned Internet Killer (Part I).