Rachel Confirms s7 Casting Spoilers

[x-forgetromeo.livejournal.com]

 


I'd like to take this opportunity to say that whether or not you loved/hated Ashley Seaver, Rachel Nichols as an actress is a human being who did not deserve to be sidelined liked this. She obviously loved her job and her co-workers, and is justifiably upset about this. 

CBS pulled the same stunt with Rachel that they did with AJ and Paget last year. Please keep that in mind. CBS might have fixed one of the symptoms by bringing AJ and Paget back, but they have in no way solved the problem of treating their actresses as disposable.

If you can, please send Rachel some love on twitter. 

Comments

[windycitydream.livejournal.com]

And treating people badly is definitely wrong, but to accuse anyone of something with inaccurate "facts" and incomplete information is simply irresponsible. I know the court of public opinion isn't one that's well moderated, but that's still what annoys me most about all of this. No one knows what happened because they weren't there. And a lot of people are going on and on as if they do, when really it's all opinion and speculation, not fact. Just a bunch of ifs, maybes, and possiblys.

I remember what happened with Vassey. Again, I can't call that particularly unfair. There's a reason contracts expire and that is so the networks can get rid of people if they see fit. But I readily admit I don't know all the published details of that, as I stopped watching CSI long ago. Around the time they killed Warrick/fired Gary, actually. Gary, who is a man, as you know, and was indeed fired, his contract terminated, his character obliterated. Sounds familiar. Hmm.

Now, if one of the dismissals you're referencing happens to be Stella/Melina on CSI:NY, who I know also left around that time, that was because they couldn't come to an agreement on a contract. Which isn't really proof of anything except that she wasn't happy with the money they offered. And more power to her. She's great, and could do better anyway. At least in this case, she was replaced by another actress, Ward, which left the ratio the same.

As for Charlie Sheen, had he caused problems on the set before the past season? Again, an honest question because I can't remember hearing much of anything before this year, out side of personal issues. CBS is in the business of making money, and as long as he was bringing it in for them, I doubt they gave a rat's arse what he did off set.

[nytekit.livejournal.com]

Um as for your facts numbered 2 & 3...how do you know those are, in fact, facts? Paget's pilot not being picked up does not mean CBS told other networks not to hire her. It means no one wanted the show. And once again, Rachel's tweets do not indicate she was blindsided by this. They show that she was let go and was likely responding to fan tweets of support.

[nytekit.livejournal.com]

Would you mind supplying links for CBS blackballing Paget? Because I get the idea that if this had actually happened, she would not be too keen to return to Criminal Minds next season. I also doubt CBS puts that much effort into one member of one cast on one show. The fact that they were so quick to let both AJ and Prentiss go is proof enough of that. I'm sure they would have gone on had her pilot been picked up.

[windycitydream.livejournal.com]

First, you're the only person who's actually engaged in conversation with me about this whole thing instead of going "UR WRONG" and leaving it at that. And I appreciate it, I do. I'm not here to fight with anyone or anything, and I really am trying to understand where you guys are coming from.

This comment helped clear up a few things, but I still can't say I'm convinced.

Fact 1: This is something I see mentioned a lot, so I just want to say this: Paget wasn't fired. Her contract was renewed, they just cut the number of episodes. As for AJ, her contract expired and CBS decided not to renew, which I did very much disagree with as a fan. But it's a fairly common practice, one that happens to both males and females, and is not nearly as nefarious as people are trying to make it seem. Had the writers bothered to give JJ a decent storyline every blue moon, maybe things would've gone differently. We'll never know.

Fact 2: Prentiss is my favorite character, so I read every article about this whole debacle that I came across, and I don't remember hearing this. But perhaps I'm just not understanding what you mean. It's not atypical for a contract, even a reduced one to prohibit an actor from doing other shows at the same time. Something she would have known when she signed it. If you mean something else though, please point me in the right direction. I'd genuinely appreciate it!

Fact 3: That I do know about. And it was definitely wrong. However, the network doesn't notify individual actors about a shows cancellation. That job falls to the producers, so in the case of Kirsten, the fault lies squarely on the shoulders of Ed Bernero (who I've come to believe is a huge douche anyway) and Chris Mundy. And I still wonder how much of that was just them not getting to call her before news broke.

So discounting number three, yes there was some definite mishandling of the various situations, but even you just said you're making an assumption that it was because Paget and AJ are females. And I'm not saying that you're wrong to do so, you may even be right. I just personally find it to be a bit of a leap. One show having problems does not equate sexism to me. Particularly not when looking at the various networks and various programs they air and realizing that out of all of them, the one with the strongest female characters fronting their shows, the best portrayals of women, is CBS (with USA coming in a close second).

I did a quick count of just the shows I watch and came up with 20 BAMF chicks, only a very few of whom have had any publicized contract troubles that I can recall. And then they saved The Good Wife, which they could have easily cancelled due to ratings, a show fronted by and populated with more female characters than males (last I checked). So, while I understand all of this rubbing people the wrong way, and all such people entitled to hating everything about this, I just can't draw the same conclusions.

And yeah, I know why Gary was axed. And I'm of the opinion he got what was coming to him for acting as he did. Same goes for Sheen, as they were in the same boat, Sheen being a lot more of a douche, though. Annnd, I've actually forgotten the point I was trying to make by mentioning him. It was late, I was sleepy. Who the hell knows. I'm sure it made sense in my head at the time...