I get the sense that few on the forums watch this series on CBS. It's been a successful run, but there reportedly have been several problems among production people: one of the important cast members left (Freddy Rodriguez); series star Michael Weatherly was previously accused of sexual harrassment; the show runner left; and the show was sued by a disgruntled cast member (she was paid off by CBS).
Whether the show's travails have had an impact on its new season it's hard to say. But what's not hard to say is that the first episode was just about God-awful. They chose to completely go off format with a trite story about the Bull family's daughter being kidnapped. That wouldn't have to be the worst thing in the world, but the problem is that the writing was terrible, especially the dialogue. Even genuine great actors (of which there are none in the series) would likely come up short trying to make their lines believable. The episode almost felt like a satire.
Can they get back on track? Yes, but it'll take some much better writing. One gets the feeling that they are simply winding down to a cancellation. We'll see.
Whether the show's travails have had an impact on its new season it's hard to say. But what's not hard to say is that the first episode was just about God-awful. They chose to completely go off format with a trite story about the Bull family's daughter being kidnapped. That wouldn't have to be the worst thing in the world, but the problem is that the writing was terrible, especially the dialogue. Even genuine great actors (of which there are none in the series) would likely come up short trying to make their lines believable. The episode almost felt like a satire.
Can they get back on track? Yes, but it'll take some much better writing. One gets the feeling that they are simply winding down to a cancellation. We'll see.