Did David Caruso miss a crucial clue in the latest CSI: Miami episode?

  • Thread starter Thread starter tribdog
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the portrayal of David Caruso's character in the television series CSI: Miami, particularly in relation to a specific episode where a couple is found burned in a car. Participants express their opinions on the show's realism, the acting quality, and character dynamics, comparing Caruso's performance to other characters in the CSI franchise.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question how multiple police officers could miss a body just 10 feet away from a crime scene, suggesting a lack of realism in the show's portrayal of police work.
  • Others criticize David Caruso's acting style, describing it as melodramatic and suggesting that his character comes across as sociopathic rather than a competent investigator.
  • Some participants express a preference for other CSI series, particularly CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, citing it as superior to CSI: Miami.
  • There are mixed opinions about the character Grissom, with some appreciating his quirky nature while others find him socially awkward and not fitting for a managerial role.
  • Participants discuss the perceived differences in character portrayal between Caruso's Horatio Caine and Grissom, with some viewing Grissom as more realistic despite his oddities.
  • Some express that Caruso's character seems unrealistic and overly stylized, while others defend the character's quirks as intentional choices by the actor.
  • There are humorous exchanges about the characters' appearances and acting styles, with some participants sharing personal reactions to the performances.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express disagreement regarding the quality of acting and character portrayal in CSI: Miami, with no consensus on whether Caruso's performance is effective or detrimental to the show. Opinions on Grissom's character also vary widely.

Contextual Notes

Some comments reflect personal biases and preferences regarding character aesthetics and acting styles, which may influence participants' views on the show's overall quality.

tribdog
Messages
768
Reaction score
17
CSI: Miami just started about 4 minutes ago. It started off with this couple getting burned inside of a car on the beach. After the car is fully engulfed in flames it cuts away and the next scene is at the car after the fire. The car is surrounded by police men taking pictures and stuff. There is a dead woman just outside the vehicle. David Caruso asks about the girl, learns her age and name. Then he sees what looks like drag marks in the sand. "It appears our victim was not alone" he says, following the drag marks. Less than 10 feet away from the car he finds the other person. "He's alive!"

HOW THE HELL DO 10 PEOPLE NOT SEE SOMEONE 10 FEET AWAY?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
tribdog said:
HOW THE HELL DO 10 PEOPLE NOT SEE SOMEONE 10 FEET AWAY?
They're paid to act, not investigate crime. You have to understand that actors, for the most part, are complete idiots. Real cops would have seen the other body very quickly. But they wouldn't sound as earnest while doing it, so it wouldn't make for good tv.
 
Last edited:
Your first mistake was to watch CSI: Miami... the original CSI is a much better show. David Caruso is way too melodramatic.
 
Caruso's voice sounds very 'cold-hearted' for a good guy ...
 
CSI: Miami is my least favorite of the CSI shows. I have never quite figured out if David Caruso is a bad actor or if Horatio a bad character to play...maybe a bit of both...but it makes the show painful to watch. He comes across as more of a sociopathic serial killer than a cop with that really flat affect and lack of facial expression.
 
Is David Caruso that icky guy with the red hair? He's horrible.
 
Evo said:
Is David Caruso that icky guy with the red hair? He's horrible.

Yeah, that's him.
 
russ_watters said:
They're paid to act...

You could've fooled me.

David Caruso's performance on CSI Miami is sheer lunacy. Watching him, you can't help but wonder, "does any real person actually behave like this?" Sometimes he seems creepy, and other times he just comes across as a phoney. His self-appointed role as a knight in shining armour and protector of children gets old really quickly, especially since he really doesn't come across as the kind of guy you'd want interacting with your kids. Something about his artificial mannerisms and stylized speech inflections just rubs me the wrong way. It's also ridiculous that he always wins and seemingly can do no wrong. Watching a Mexican standoff involving Horatio Caine is boring, because you know that he'll always just end up shooting the bad guy before the bad guy can shoot him (because of his lightning quick reflexes or something).

Although nobody can really compare to Grissom (Grissom is the MAN!), I think that that Gary Sinise's performance as Mac Taylor on CSI: NY is STILL way better than Caruso's, despite the fact that it's so bland and understated that he almost doesn't even *have* to act! At least it's believable that somebody could have such a personality...and he has the "brooding intensity" part down pat.
 
Caruso Parodies:

Jim Carrey:


One Liners:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #10
cepheid said:
You could've fooled me.
That was a joke that didn't go over well. I was saying that they missed the body 10 feet away because they aren't very bright. Not that it's in the script or anything...
 
Last edited:
  • #11
russ_watters said:
That was a joke that didn't go over well. I was saying that they missed the body 10 feet away because they aren't very bright.

I thought your phraseology in your first post was very funny. :biggrin:

I can't comment on Caruso or any of the CSI shows because I don't watch them. Well, okay, no, that's not quite right. I watched one episode while at my best friend's home because, apparently, my best friend finds all of the mutations of that show fascinating. They're edited together for people with short attention spans, I think, because no one camera angle appeared to last past 3.5 seconds. But anyway.

The main character in that particular one was a guy with, I think, a beard, and they kept doing close-ups on his face. He'd perform the weirdest facial contortions, sometimes appearing as if his face was stuck in a odd position and he was attempting to un-stick it. I asked my friend what the problem was with the guy's face because he seemed to be experiencing difficulties with it. She told me -- with a completely straight face, mind -- that the guy "gets into the bad guys' minds, see, and experiences what they were doing when they committed whatever crime and that's what they're showing, him experiencing being in the bad guys' mind". To which I said, "Un huh" and went elsewhere to read a book.
 
  • #12
cepheid said:
Although nobody can really compare to Grissom (Grissom is the MAN!), ...

I do like Grissom as a character, just for his "brilliant" quirkiness, but could you imagine actually having to work with someone like that?! It's a wonder the other characters having strangled him yet, making him the victim in one of their cases!
 
  • #13
Moonbear said:
I do like Grissom as a character, just for his "brilliant" quirkiness, but could you imagine actually having to work with someone like that?! It's a wonder the other characters having strangled him yet, making him the victim in one of their cases!

Sometimes his conversations go a bit like those dialogues where Socrates would ask the other dude a question under the pretence that he didn't already know the answer, and when the guy gave it his best shot, Socrates would proceed to put him in his place by revealing how horribly wrong he was. (I'm not much of a philosophy buff, so correct me if I'm wrong about that).

Also, Grissom's "follow the evidence and don't let your emotions get in the way" lecture probably gets annoying after the 10th time.

...and I don't like bugs :biggrin:
 
  • #14
UGH! The guy that plays Grissom is creepier than Caruso!
 
  • #15
Not in the same way though, surely? He's kind of weird, but ultimately benign-seeming.
 
  • #16
cepheid said:
Not in the same way though, surely? He's kind of weird, but ultimately benign-seeming.

I think Grissom is a more realistic character. He makes me think of someone who has Asperger syndrome...smart, but socially awkward. Very different from the Horatio character who seems more like a sociopath and completely unrealistic.
 
  • #17
cepheid said:
Not in the same way though, surely? He's kind of weird, but ultimately benign-seeming.
I always assumed it was super bad acting, not a "character" trait he was portraying. Of course I could never bear watching an entire episode because of him, so maybe I am missing something?
 
  • #18
Evo said:
I always assumed it was super bad acting, not a "character" trait he was portraying. Of course I could never bear watching an entire episode because of him, so maybe I am missing something?

Oh, I think he's actually a very good actor. I'm pretty sure it's the character he's playing. I can understand it turning someone off, though, because it is an odd character...in real life, a person like that would probably never get so far along as to be the boss since social skills are an important part of management. But, I like his character for its quirkiness.
 
  • #19
That's a good point about Grissom not being very managerial, although I do think that Grissom commands a lot of respect amongst those on his team (who are used to his idiosyncracies) simply because he is so good at what he does and always pushing them to be at their best (in a roundabout way). That probably boosts his position as a leader, even if he leads in a very unconventional way.
 
  • #20
And the real reason I don't like the Grissom guy, he's ugly. If a character is quirky, he shouldn't be that ugly. Quirky guys should be cute.
 
  • #21
Evo said:
And the real reason I don't like the Grissom guy, he's ugly. If a character is quirky, he shouldn't be that ugly. Quirky guys should be cute.

You think he's ugly? Really? I think he's really attractive! I would completely fall for a guy with his looks!

On the managerial aspect, it's more like an academic environment, actually. You can end up with some really odd Dept. Chairs who lack interpersonal skills, yet do well in that position because people working for them can look past that and see their knowledge and respect it. I don't think that happens much outside academics though.
 
  • #22
Moonbear said:
You think he's ugly? Really? I think he's really attractive! I would completely fall for a guy with his looks!
You know I like the skinny, geeky types with glasses. He is not my type at all.
 
  • #23
Evo said:
You know I like the skinny, geeky types with glasses. He is not my type at all.

Okay, he's definitely not that type. You probably would be more likely to go for "Bug" on Crossing Jordan (I have no idea what his character's real name is or what the actor's name is).
 
  • #24
Moonbear said:
Okay, he's definitely not that type. You probably would be more likely to go for "Bug" on Crossing Jordan (I have no idea what his character's real name is or what the actor's name is).
Bug is really cute. Are you thinking of the tall, skinny English guy though? Bug is cuter. I would test drive Bug.
 
  • #25
Evo said:
Bug is really cute. Are you thinking of the tall, skinny English guy though? Bug is cuter. I would test drive Bug.

No, I meant Bug, the geeky Indian guy. I was pretty sure he was more your type than the English guy (can't remember his name...he's a bit too "goth" for you I think).
 
  • #26
I have no idea what the hell you all are talking about. I don't know who Grissom is I don't know who Bug is. I don't know who the English guy is. I don't know what Evo means by "test drive"
 

Similar threads

Do You Convict? 1964 Court Case of People v. Collins
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
4K
News Who is to Blame for Baghdad Blast Killing 2 Britons?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Car Crash and Such: Investigation and Analysis
  • · Replies 33 ·
2
Replies
33
Views
14K
Do Movies Teach Us Realistic Life Skills?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
10K
Did the 1883 Krakatoa Explosion Leave Ships in Peril?
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
7K
Using physics to prove my innocence
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K