Did anyone else think that once they showcased Robin and Amita (especially season 5 onwards) that they managed to suck the life out of the show? There was less Don/Charlie and Don/Charlie/Alan time, which was the basis of making it a great show, the interaction they had with each other.
The episodes which didn't feature Robin and Amita (Robin especially, awful character) were much better.
I don't think it 'sucked the life out of the show' as such, particularly Amita's character who I think added an interesting extra dimension and depth to the show. Amita was also key in showing that women in Academia have an important role to play (and Millie - whatever happened to her? I loved Millie!) and I believe that she balanced Charlie's character very well, particularly in later seasons.
It's always difficult to ensure that everyone gets a fair amount of air-time in an ensemble cast (I personally think that Dylan Bruno was MASSIVELY underused, especially when Nikki came bouncing into things in Season 5), and as more characters became regulars it was inevitable that some of the established cast members would get less time on screen.
However, I did think that Robin's character was a little 'cold', for want of a better word, and she seemed very flat and two-dimensional. The dynamic between her and Don never really clicked for me, although there were a few flashes in later episodes that promised more than was ultimately delivered. Who knows? If we had been given a full season six (and even a season 7) she may have developed a more rounded personality and contributed more to the show. But hey, we'll never know now...(and we're STILL pissed at you about that, CBS!)
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I do agree with kes-cross about Nikki and lunch-box about Liz. Nikki's character was just awful - that fake street-smart sass, and an attitude so reckless that it's hard to believe she could be a respected member of law enforcement. Liz was okay as a character, even likable at times. There is a tendency among TV actors who have never trained in theatre to speak with "creaky voice" - apparently, TV directors think it's ok because it sounds more "natural." But it makes the actor hard to understand because it sounds like mumbling. Nikki's scenes were so bad that sometimes I either fast-forwarded through them or muted them with the captioning turned on. I guess I watched the show when it began because I was a Rob Morrow fan (from his "Northern Exposure" days). But he also fell into the "creaky voice" domain, which became irritating at times.
shareI agree about Nikki. There are many of her scenes that I have to mute or fast forward. I could not stand her. She was disrespectful from day 1, walking over Don. Seriously, a "newbie" does not walk into to an FBI office and start telling your boss what you are going to do. I think they should have made Don a stronger leader, at times. I did like Terri (may be misspelled) and I think Megan added a lot to the show as far as females. I never liked Nikki. Liz was okay at times. My favorite scene (The Decoy Effect) with Nikki is after when she walks into the office like she is some kind of heroine, and Don immediately jumps on her. Robin I feel was a very boring character.
shareYes. That's when the show jumped the shark - Season 3 onwards. It just got progressively worse as they gave her more screen time.
shareDo you even know what that phrase means? It means the show does something unbelievably crazy to get ratings. Not do something realistic that doesn't click with viewers.
Man I hate that phrase....
The context in which I'm familiar with "jump the shark" is indeed that a show does something unbelievably crazy to get ratings, but necessarily due to sensing the light at the end of the tunnel ratings-wise.
The implication of the phrase is primarily that the original premise or attraction of the show has run its course and the show has gotten or is in imminent danger of getting stale, resorted to grandiose theatrics, and will sadly never regain its former glory.
At this point I've not seen enough episodes (and certainly not in order) to weigh in meaningfully on this particular nuance of the series, and doubt I'll be inclined to in the future.
I will say that Amita is enticingly intelligent and clever, not to mention wonderfully exotic dream-girl hot - I can't get enough of her body, mind, and her curvy delicious body...
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Sorry to me this was a HUGE part of why I loved the show the development of the characters and it's nice to see smart women as equals to the guys in a show. This show truly had something for nearly everyone. So glad its on netflix I watched all the shows in order and they all flow together very well. If I have one complaint is due to my work schedule I didn't learn about the show till it was in syndication.
shareShame they didn't make the female characters interesting then. The actress playing Amita was bordering on awful. Either that or the showrunners gave her no freedom. Even down to her costumes, she gave Amita no character, she was dull - possibly in order to make her be taken more seriously as an academic? She ruined a decent show.
shareNo it was fine, but I didn't like Liz. I don't know if it was the actress or how the character is supposed to be but there was no chemistry between her and the others on the show.
shareJust goes to show how subjective these things are: I LOVED Liz. She was both tough and vulnerable. Her character also had a sly sense of humor, especially when dealing with Charlie.
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I totally agree about Robin. I watched every single episode of this show seasons 1 through 4 and then season 5 started losing me. I don't think I've even seen an episode past then, it just became so boring I couldn't stand it, and the character of Robin was about as warm as an ice cube.
shareI actually thought Amita added something to the show, and that she got about the right amount of screen time. She had some unique skills that helped solve some of the crimes.
The character that bugged me was Dr. Larry Fleinhardt. I thought he usually seemed like a pontificating pseudo-Zen windbag who often drew completely false/useless analogies between physics and psychology, etc. While he occasionally had a helpful insight, he was mostly just a fuzzy-minded academic who seemed to be there just to pad the script and help fill out the hour.
My wife and I are just viewing these episodes now on Netflix, and, although we enjoy the show, we would like to see both Amita and Robin written out. I coincidently just noticed this thread, so we are not the only ones who see these characters as somewhat pointless to most of the storylines.
Is the Amita character purposely made to appear "whiney"? And the Robin character is one of the stiffest, morose, and least interesting love interests I've ever seen.
And I agree that Millie was a far better character.
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Amiga was great? Didn't like the Robin character though - I preferred Don with Liz.
shareTo be honest i lost a lot interest when farr(megan) left the show. I thought they had a good combination of personalities up to season 3-4. It was compounded by replacing her with a weak replacement. Just my opinion
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