FOX "News" Invents Controversy Over CSI Episode

Last week's season premiere of the long running CSI: Crime Scene Investigation featured an extremist political group, full of anti-government types. They were against driver licenses, corporations and other things.  They were depicted as a nutty fringe group, and guest star (and inexplicable teen sensation) Justin Bieber was part of it.  The storyline hinged on a terrorist bombing at a Las Vegas policeman's funeral, and this fringe group was involved.

Now, it's funny that FOX "News" jumped to the conclusion that this was a slam of tea baggers.  The Tea Party was never referenced by name, and the beliefs expressed by the group didn't line up. In fact, the "expert" consulted here--while slamming CSI and Hollywood in general--ticked off a list of ways the group was different from the tea party.  As though there are no extremist political groups in existence aside from the Tea Party.  Still, I somehow knew this would be on FOX "News" when I watched the premiere.

What Happens in Vegas: The CSI Experience?

Really? I mean, yeah, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is set in Las Vegas. Has been for oh, a decade. Way to be topical, MGM. All these years, I've wondered what the city's bigwigs thought of the show, being that it doesn't exactly show us in the best light. If you only went by CSI, you'd think this city was murder central. And had some of the grisliest, most inventive killers in the country. Well, in addition to Miami and New York City, apparently.

For years, CSI has used fake resorts for the big crimes. Hotels with names like Tangiers and The Sphere. As part of the deal, will the MGM Grand now be the site of disembowlings and furry conventions? If it is, I'm sure the writers will put the hotel at the intersection of Freemont Street and Durango or something.

[Excerpt]

Fans Can Investigate 'CSI' at MGM Grand Las Vegas

Fans of the original 'CSI' can try their hand at solving a murder right in the middle of the massive MGM Grand Las Vegas.'CSI: The Experience' offers visitors families (and other visitors looking to escape the constant "dinging" and "blooping" of slot machines) a chance to follow a simulated murder case from the initial crime scene to a selection of the most likely suspect. . .

Read more at: TV Squad!

What Happens in Vegas: CSI Worthy Gruesome Murder Case

Image from source, Las Vegas Sun

I've been a semi-regular viewer of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation since the first episode. But one thing that has always bothered me (outside of the out-of-whack Las Vegas geography on the show), is the gruesome deaths. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big horror movie fan too, so I'm not bothered by the gore and violence. It's just that if we had a twisted murder (or two or three) a week like they do on the show, we'd have the most interesting local news reports in the nation!

Then again, we do get some weird cases. We had a body builder who murdered a lady and burned her in her car. We had a guy who almost did himself in making the poison, ricin. We've had uncounted "Vegas connections," where the criminal has had some sort of tie to the area. And then there's this nasty story.

[Excerpt]

Judge sets bail at $2.26 million in ‘very gruesome’ death

. . .Michael Victor Lane, 37, appeared today in front of Justice of the Peace Nancy Oesterle, who set the bail and a preliminary hearing date of Jan. 11.

He is accused in the death of Ginger Candela, 44. Candela’s body was found by missing persons detectives Nov. 30 in the garage of her home in the 3100 block of Westfield Street. Her body was cut in half and stuffed into a trash can filled with bleach, according to a police report. Police said they believe she died about two weeks before she was found. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Sun

David Caruso's CSI One-Liners

I'm a big fan of CSI, the original Las Vegas version. Not just because I live here, but because I like the style of the show, the acting and (usually) the writing. But the weakest aspect of the show (aside from the atrociously wrong city geography) is the quip. When William Petersen was still on the show, almost every episode started with Gil Grissom delivering a darkly humorous quip to the camera. Sometimes it worked, more often it was cringe inducing.

I never fell in with the spinoff shows, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY, though I have caught a few episodes of each. And the quip seems to be a regular feature on all three shows. But as the following clip shows, David Caruso is spectacularly bad at it. At least when you watch them mushed up together.