CSI: NY (TV Series) Tales from the Undercard (2010) User Reviews

The Sometimes-Sad Life Of A Boxer Past His Prime

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 14 June 2011]

This episode makes a sympathetic character out of an old boxer, a really tough guy who took a lot of punishment in the ring, and dished it out, too. He's the victim in the beginning, the man found dead and the CSI team has to figure out who and what killed him.

The show, like many CSI stories, then delves into the dead person's life, looking for further clues and for suspects, from his old trainer to some young punks trying to pick a fight with "The Gladiator." The boxing world has a long history of fighters who took many blows to the head and wound up in destitute situations or just doing menial work. And then there are the jerks who, like the gunfighters in the old west, who still want to challenge the top dog, even if he's long past his prime. Or, you get fighters who should not be in the ring but don't want to stop the sport because they just love it. Fortunately, that's not allowed anymore but you could have "underground" bouts, which is part of this story.

All of that stuff mentioned above in this interesting episode.

Symptomatic

[andrew-mcmichael · 1/10 · 20 July 2010]

This episode symbolizes why we're de-listing CSI:NY from our DVR, despite having watched this from Day 1. A few episodes back we realized that we spent more time laughing at and making fun of plot holes in CSI:NY than we did enjoying it. That's too bad.

Another reviewer has summarized some plot holes. Here are a few more: The team analyzes the broken chain from the gate where the cement was buried. They said that the chain broke at 2300 psi, and therefore a car with at least a 350 horsepower engine would have been required to break through. Nonsense. And, stupid nonsense. The amount of force required to break the chain is a function of the mass of the object multiplied by the acceleration of the object (F=M*A). This isn't a function of the horsepower of the engine, it's just about how heavy the car is multiplied by how fast it's going. An engine of 100 horsepower or 350 horsepower doesn't matter. If you're going to make this kind of mistake, it should be for some critical plot element. But after that explanation, the type of car never ends up having to do with the ending. The issue never comes up again. Sloppy, sloppy writing.

The cement mixer they used was so small that it would have taken them hours to cover the body.

After 10 hours underground, and dead, the blood wouldn't have been that liquid-y. And certainly not under enough pressure to come spurting out like that.

The body was too far underground, according to the depth of the concrete, for the jackhammer to have reached it.

There was no hole in the body cause by the jackhammer. One from the horn on the helmet, one from the glass.

For the past two seasons, the writing on this show has gotten steadily sloppier, steadily more ridiculous. That's too bad. Some of my favorite actors are on this show. It was one of only two shows we actually watch regularly. But it's gotten much too silly.

Too Many Errors

[peterholgate · 1/10 · 1 June 2010]

I accept that there has to be a certain amount of "poetic licence" to enable the story line to be completed within the episode, but this episode has to be the worst (so far) for all the mistakes that are evident. The script writers should be fired! Obvious errors: Tyre tracks overlaid on way in – why not reset on way out? Concrete cutter blade not large enough to cut to depth extracted. Body dumped on soil, but thick layer under body Concrete area is large, not feasible to be done in one night by one mixer. Why didn't foreman question new concrete anyway? Where did the blood come from as jack-hammer did not penetrate deep enough to hit the body, and no damage to body anyway, no blood seepage into concrete. Concrete in mixer had aggregate included in mix, when chiselled out – no stones. Small chisel and hammer used would not break the cement.