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Post by Metella on Apr 29, 2005 6:34:33 GMT -5
so- anyone have a favorite CI writer?
Mine is Stephanie S. Now her I would like to see a bio and an interview on.
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Post by Patcat on Apr 29, 2005 8:37:11 GMT -5
WANT by Elizabeth Benjamin and Rene Balcer won the Edgar!
Patcat
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Post by trisha on Apr 29, 2005 9:59:49 GMT -5
Congratulations Ms. Benjamin and Mr. Balcer! Favorite writer ... that's like picking a favorite flavor of ice cream. I like 'em all I guess Rene Balcer has got to be the runaway favorite since he's written or co-written just about every episode.
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Post by Observer2 on Apr 30, 2005 20:02:31 GMT -5
Thanks, Patcat, for letting us know!
Want was an interesting episode that explored aspects of the psychology behind when the death penalty is applied, and the psychological dynamics of the cops and ADA, as well as the psychology of the suspect. Congratulations to Balcer and Benjamin!
My favorite Criminal Intent writer, as I’m sure you know by now, is Balcer. Among the co-writers, I agree that it’s hard to pick – they’re an excellent group of writers. Still, Sterling has had a hand in some episodes that really stand out for me. And the new writer, Gionfriddo, is another one. I loved the focus on the Goren and Eames partnership in Beast, and all the familiar little specific, characteristic behaviors and references that strengthen the illusion that these are people we know well. So I think, for me, Sterling and Gionfriddo may have a slight edge over the others.
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Post by Techguy on May 1, 2005 14:19:10 GMT -5
Yes, thanks to Patcat for letting us know about the CI episode "Want" winning the Edgar. Congratulations to Elizabeth Benjamin and Rene Balcer for the MWA's honoring the quality of their writing of this stellar episode.
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Post by goreneames on May 1, 2005 20:35:32 GMT -5
Picking a favorite writer is tough!! I'm excluding Rene Balcer, as he's the core visionary of the show's writing and my hand's down fave. But I'll pick a non-Balcer favorite too. I love CHERRY RED, a Jim Sterling episode, but don't like some of his other episodes (IN THE DARK and THE VIEW FROM UP HERE). Like Metella, I have to go with Stephanie Sengupta. The sheer volume of episodes she's written (13, according to TV Tome) and the fact there's not one I haven't enjoyed, and several I love (THE FAITHFUL, MALEDICTUS, DEAD, TOMORROW, COLD COMFORT, UNREQUITED, FICO DI CAPO, GONE & SHIBBOLETH) give her the edge for me. I think she's versatile and capable of injecting a dark, absurdist humor into some episodes (UNREQUITED and FICO DI CAPO). Additionally, I find that the characters in episodes with her name on them have a psychological depth to them that isn't always there in other eps. The characters aren't just devices for Goren & Eames to react to (which is how I see a character like Tommy from DEATH ROE), they're three dimensional people with personal histories that resonnate. That's good writing. No wonder Balcer has kept her on his team since the show's beginning. He ain't no dummy when it comes to good writers! So Metella, I'm with you on this one! Great minds and all that, dontcha know...
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Post by Metella on May 2, 2005 8:30:57 GMT -5
um, great minds & great views...... I also didn't include Balcer due to his position in the entire universe of CI .... so I didn't even think to exclude him from my question, but it seems universal that those who have mentioned Balcer, then go on to list the next - giving me to believe that my unspoken sentiment was understood.
I restate that I would really like an indepth bio of SS - childhood, schooling, hobbies the whole works - I think that would be fasinating.
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Post by LOCIfan on May 2, 2005 10:42:21 GMT -5
Another "great mind" here! THE FAITHFUL is still my favorite LOCI episode, and is the reason I became a fan of the show. I'm a big fan of Stephanie Sengupta's writing and have stated why in the Crew thread. Briefly, I think there's something epic and sweeping about her episodes, and find her characters extremely well-developed. Whole episodes could be written about the backstories of many of her villains. They are truly alive and seem to exist in the world even before Goren catches their scent.
I'd love to see an in depth interview with Stephanie Sengupta. I agree it'd be fascinating. She's something of a mystery.
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Post by Observer2 on May 2, 2005 17:42:23 GMT -5
Well, yeah, I forgot about The View from Up Here (at least, I tried to forget about it ) ...but you know, Balcer was involved with that one, too... so what can you say... no one’s perfect all the time. And I really like some of Sterling’s other episodes. But you guys also reminded me of some of Sengupta’s work, and you’re right – she definitely deserves special mention, even among this group of writers. You’re also right about her being something of a mystery. A few minutes with Google turned up the fact that the name Sengupta seems to come from India, though I’m still not sure which language it’s from. There may be another Stephanie Sengupta writing in the New York area who is interested in the criminal justice system. Or it may be that the Criminal Intent writer has also done some powerful writing for the Women in Prison Project: Stephanie Sengupta was one of the principle authors, with Julie Peterson, of a report by the Correctional Association’s Women in Prison Project called: Mandatory Injustice: Case Histories of Women Convicted under New York’s Rockefeller Drug Laws You can google it and get the addy for the PDF file. If your computer, like mine, can’t handle PDF files, click on the link that says “View as HTML.”<br> This is heartbreaking stuff – and outrageous, when you realize that these women were being sentenced to 15 years to life for first offense drug sales (we’re not talking “drug kingpin” here), when rapists and child molesters get less.
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Post by goreneames on May 2, 2005 20:37:28 GMT -5
Yep, Observer, the last name Sengupta is an Indian, Hindu surname, and is common in the Western Bengal region of India. The primary language of that region is Bengali, and Sengupta is a classic, very common Bengali surname.
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Post by Metella on May 3, 2005 7:13:49 GMT -5
the "punishments" for different crimes in our system do not seem to reflect the severity - it seems to reflect political rhetoric. slimy.
I could see that SS would / could be interested in this type of issue; in India, and other countries, females suffer from I think the worst double standard in existance.
An Indian co-worker spoke of being groped in public as a common happening ..... and that the females must ignor it as it is their fault for being unescorted. humph.
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Post by trisha on May 3, 2005 9:46:28 GMT -5
What happens if they fight back? If some guy did it to me, and I had my way, he'd be tasting his own balls.
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Post by Sirenna on May 3, 2005 10:03:08 GMT -5
Thank heavens none of us here are real detectives 'cos a little google goes a long way.
It's an assumption, as well as, well, not right to my mind, to link her or anyone else's writing to her cultural background. She may not even be Indian. Yeesh! She may be adopted by, married to, or using a pen name or any number of things. And if she is, it's a fine line between truth and CNN-like stereotyping. As an alternative, she might be, and I think she is, such a good writer that she can put herself into someone else's shoes, write about them, and her work still has a ring of truth about it.
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Post by LOCIfan on May 3, 2005 21:34:33 GMT -5
You make a valid point, Sirenna. All the more reason for an in depth interview with the enigmatic Ms. Sengupta!!
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