Customer Reviews

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete Fifth Season

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The fifth season of C.S.I. saw the innovative series continue to be a ratings juggernaut, despite the fact that some believed the show's quality would dwindle with two spin-off's on the air as well, the original C.S.I. saw the show still going strong. In quite a few of these episodes, Gil Grissom (William Petersen) takes a bit of a back seat as more focus is put on the newly promoted Nick (George Eads), as well as former lab rat Greg (Eric Szamada) who is now in the field with the rest of the crew. We are given more glimpses into the personal lives of the characters than we have in previous seasons, even though it doesn't always work for the better. However, the second half of the season is simply superb, including an investigation in a mental facility which may prove fatal for Sara (Jorja Fox), an investigation into a college stud's mysterious demise, and of course, who can forget the epic season finale? Self confessed fan of the show Quentin Tarantino writes and directs the two part season finale, in which Nick is kidnapped and buried alive, and Grissom and co. race against time to save him. The finale is worth owning this season box set for alone, and it is undoubtadly one of, if not the, best episodes in the show's entire history. All in all, the fifth season of C.S.I. saw that the show still has plenty of fuel left to keep going strong, and it reaffirms that this is still the best prime time crime saga on network TV today.

This is such a good show. I keep saying it (as do most other people), but it's true. I don't know how this keeps surpassing each past season, but this is one of the best yet. They find a way to keep the story lines fresh and exciting and I cannot for the life of me understand why they were so obviously snubbed at this years Emmy's. My favourite episode on this is the Mexican singers who cut off a girls head and put it in a newspaper stand, and of course, the amazing season finale with Nick's character buried alive. He did a great job in that and Quentin Tarantino showed his amazing talents yet again in a phenominal episode. How they are going to top that now is anyone's guess (although that episode was the cause for Warricks character to get married in the beginning of season 6. He thought life was too short after seeing what happened to Nick). Great show. Must see. Must buy.
PS The only slight minimal negative about it, is (with all the CSI dvds, they don't include a synopsis. Therefore, if you know a particular episode you like and you want to watch it, you need to know what it's called in order to call it up.

The best explosive season of CSI there is to this day!, September 20, 2005
Season 5 will now be always remembered of the director Quentin Terintino who directed the 2-hour blockbuster finale in which is mind grabbing, awesome, and thrilling! Anyway here are the season 5 episodes in order.

1.) 23 Sep 04 Viva Las Vegas
2.) 7 Oct 04 Down the Drain
3.) 14 Oct 04 Harvest
4.) 21 Oct 04 Crow's Feet
5.) 28 Oct 04 Swap Meet
6.) 4 Nov 04 What's Eating Gilbert Grissom?
7.) 11 Nov 04 Formalities
8.) 18 Nov 04 Ch-Ch-Changes
9.) 25 Nov 04 Mea Culpa
10.) 9 Dec 04 No Humans Involved
11.) 6 Jan 05 Who Shot Sherlock?
12.) 13 Jan 05 Snakes
13.) 3 Feb 05 Nesting Dolls
14.) 10 Feb 05 Unbearable
15.) 17 Feb 05 King Baby
16.) 24 Feb 05 Big Middle
17.) 10 Mar 05 Compulsion
18.) 31 Mar 05 Spark of Life
19.) 14 Apr 05 4 x 4
20.) 21 Apr 05 Hollywood Brass
21.) 28 Apr 05 Committed
22.) 5 May 05 Weeping Willows
23.) 12 May 05 Iced
24.) 19 May 05 Grave Danger (1) Two part episode Directed by Quentin Terintino!
25.) 19 May 05 Grave Danger (2)Conclusion with Quentin Terintino

I don't really watch a lot of television but I do watch CSI. It is the best show out there. I was hooked after watching some of the first episodes, and the series has continued to grow and improved over time, and as soon as you think it can't get any better, it does. The show is not always accurate, but let's face it...what TV show is. Most people don't know this because they are not familiar with chemistry, physics, etc. If you're looking for a series that is worth your while though, this is it.

O.K., so it took them, like, for. freaking. ever. to get S5 out on DVD, but never mind! This was the best season ever, with cast changes and re-arranges, weird new cases, Evil Ecklie smirking his way around, and a kick-ass Season Finale! This show just keeps getting better and better; rock on, CSI!

This season was totally gripping; I was glued to my seat especially for the final two episodes where Nick is kidnapped. What continues to draw me to the show is the sprinkle of personal life of the characters. The show isn't about the characters, but about the crimes and how they are solved by the characters--however, that doesn't mean that as an audience we don't want to watch the love interests between Gil and Sarah, and Catherine and Warrick, Catherine's dealing with her daughter, Sarah's upbringing issues, etc.

My one question is, why is Nick always the victim--he's been stalked, had a life-threatening situation where a gun was drawn on him and now this...I find that interesting.

All is all, the 5th season was the best so far and I anxiously await to add the 6th to my collection.

This show has some of the best writing, directing and acting ever produced on TV, and its two-part finale, "Grave Danger," reached levels of greatness unprecedented on TV. Quentin Tarantino unflinchingly explores the darkest taboo themes in human nature, exploiting the worst fears. In this case, being buried alive. It was a masterstroke having Nick Stokes, the carefree resident he-guy playboy of the show, to be the victim. And for once, making a male the victim. In most of their cases, the CSI team commences with cool calm in assembling their evidence and in solving their murder cases; the repetitiveness of their jobs give them a certain immunity to the constant brutality of their work. But here we have Nick Stokes, drugged and placed into a plastic box underground. He has lost all control, and has no way out. Certain to face a slow, agonizing death. We see Nick flailing helplessly and screaming in sheer terror and panic. Watching this is like a real-life nightmare; if this does not leave you shivering, you're made of strong stuff. The implied claustrophobia is staggeringly suffocating: you are placed in the ground with Nick, and you feel his anticipation of the worst of what he knows is certain. Tarantino is a master at manipulative fear-tapping, and nowhere else will you experience such a terrifying identification as here. The director has the entire cast effectively on edge, some of them numbed into shocked silence, others totally freaked out. Highest honors, though, goes to George Eads for his completely unexpected virtuoso performance. He should have won an Emmy. Who would have expected Eads to go from an efficiently competent actor to one of dazzling range of depth? When was the last time any male character was made to seem so vulnerable, so helpless, so completely downright scared crapless? Eads screams and cries like a boy; his character's adult male control has been taken away from him, and the actor assails the viewer with an unspeakable sense of cold, clammy dread. A woman would react to this as a girlfriend and mother would, but speaking as a male, I cannot imagine a more sinister scenario (short of being castrated) than this. Most movie/tv situations has the male hero nearly always in control, or at least, having a means, a plan, a way out. Not here. It violates the standard dictum of the hero ingeniously conquering all, and therefore, it is a stunning innovation.
The one small cavil I have is that the end of the episode did not provide us to see a great emotional catharsis of Nick and the other characters in the final resolution. But that is a minor point. All told, this slow, clautrophobic agony of terror is one of TV's greatest moments.

C.S.I has constituted an impressive phenomena for the great audiences. All his characters have developed and even grown up through his affection, lacks and virtues. They are a big family and the rotund success basically, obeys to the bright, extraordinary and conscientious scripts.

William Petersen is perfect in his role, although we should remark he is a very solvent actor in the big screen. Marc Herlenberger is lovable as Catherine Willows, she emanates a radiant strength and untiring energy. Jorja Fox is enigmatic, smart and very zealous. The rest of the cast is effective too.

What else may I add?

it has been a long time to wait for the new serie, lot of actions from ours favourit team. new muders investigation. agreat from the kidnaping of nick , the games is a foot to find him as a sherlock investigation is on that serie too great great

Initially I was disturbed when the writers decided to promote Macklie (Mark Vann, superb in his obnoxious portrayal) and split up Grissom's team. But in spite of this change, the show is still the best crime series on the air, and on DVD!
Stories are a lot more complex, and unique: a man who lives secretly as a baby; a brother who offs his brother for revealing his "secret"; a killer mold and dry ice...and so on. But what a finale! Directed by Quentin Tarantino, "Grave Danger" shows why this series is so good: tight writing, almost unbearable suspense, and a cast that gets better with each episode. Paul Guilfoyle, George Eads and Jorja Fox, particularly, but they are ALL super. Please get the sixth season out on DVD soon. I'm going to miss this show!!!