CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Miami: The Complete 3rd Season (DVD)

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It´s always nice to be able to go out with a bang, isn´t it?

In the biggest personnel change since Kim Delaney was unceremoniously removed after just ten episodes into the first season of "CSI: Miami", Rory Cochrane, who plays criminologist Tim Speedle on the show has opted to leave his regular paying job for so-called greener pastures. In essence, the official announcement is that after two seasons, Cochrane is leaving to "concentrate on his movie career". Hmmm...didn´t know he had one in the first place. Now, didn´t David Caruso walk down that same exact path years ago? Just look where he is now: the same place he started from--on television. Anyway, to accommodate Mr. Cochrane´s request to leave, the show´s cadre of writers decided to give him a TV-worthy farewell by having his character die an honorable death--in the line of duty in the opening episode of Season Three. Appropriately titled "Lost Son", this episode is one of the better ones in a moderately strong third season for the show.

As its title suggests, "CSI: Miami" takes the original show´s successful concept of using forensic science to bust crimes to the southern U.S. city of Miami, FL. Unlike the rather dark and dank characteristics of the original show´s Las Vegas setting (remember that the Vegas CSI crew works the graveyard shift), this Miami-based show is just the exact opposite--sunny, tropical, culturally diversified and chock full of beautiful people (read: lots of sexy women in bikinis). Even the crimes themselves take on a more decidedly local and colorful flavor. The Miami PD´s CSI unit is made up of Lt. Horatio Caine (David Caruso) as the lead criminologist, Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez) who specializes in water recovery and gorgeous southern belle Calleigh Duquesne (Emily Procter), as the ballistics and firearms expert. New to the show in Season Three is Ryan Wolfe (Jonathan Togo), a patrolman with a background in science who applies to join the CSI team after the death of Tim Speedle (Rory Cochrane) creates an unexpected opening. Supporting the CSI team are coroner Dr. Alexx Woods (Khandi Alexander), Horatio´s widowed sister-in-law Detective Yelina Salas (played by Italian bombshell Sofia Milos), Detective Frank Tripp (Rex Linn) and Detective John Hagen (Holt McCallany).

It is no secret that "CSI: Miami" is my least favorite show in the "CSI" franchise, surpassed even by the new kid on the block, "CSI: NY". I´ve had a problem connecting with the cast of "Miami" since day one and so far, the chemistry between them and with the audience is generally still lacking that all-important spark. With the departure of Rory Cochrane, who happens to play my least favorite character on the show, things might seem to be finally changing for the better. But alas, Cochrane´s replacement, Jonathan Togo doesn´t seem to fare any better. While Emily Procter provides a convincing portrayal of ballistics expert, Calleigh Duquesne, Adam Rodriguez has yet to produce a performance that rises above a level that finally tells me he is more than just an amateur sleuth pretending to be a scientist. Not helping matters is the fact that Horatio Caine is still the moody and brooding do-gooder who is so morally incorruptible and infallible, one would think that one is dealing with a badge-wielding superhero. As a comparison, I certainly do not have these same disjointed impressions when it comes to evaluating William L. Petersen and the rest of the original "CSI" crew.

Also somewhat an issue is "CSI: Miami"´s lead actor David Caruso, who looks as uncomfortable in a lab coat as a rat waiting to be poked and prodded. And I think the producers noticed this too as images of Caruso running experiments in the lab are now as rare as the sight of a polar bear in the desert. Lately, I´ve even begun to notice that Lt. Caine almost exclusively leaves the grunt lab work to his charges while he goes out on the street to play detective, a role that more befits Caruso´s tough cop image from his old show, "NYPD Blue". However, this is not what the "CSI" shows are about. The core of any "CSI" show´s philosophy is to look at how crimes get solved using forensic methods and scientific principles. True, the processing of crime scene evidence still forms the backbone of this show but Caine´s largely hands-off approach when it comes to processing evidence makes "Miami" seem almost like any one of those generic police procedurals.

In this third season of the show, we are finally given some answers to the murky fate of Caine´s deceased brother, Ray. After beating around the bush for two seasons with some really undesirable information about how Ray Caine was a dirty undercover cop who abused drugs and also fathered an illegitimate child, the answer to what really happened to Ray Caine is finally revealed in the season finale. Of course, complicating matters further is the fact that during that time, an unspoken attraction between Ray´s widow, Detective Yelina Salas and Horatio have slowly developed and grown, even as Horatio tries to shield Yelina away from Ray´s past indiscretions. Some fans may not like this new development but I think of it as a necessary evil that would finally put to rest a nasty chapter in Horatio´s life that has haunted him since Day 1 of the show. I guess the time is right for Caruso´s character to move on.

Even though the main cast members of "CSI: Miami" do not offer a compelling reason for one to tune into the show, the stories themselves somehow partly makes up for this shortcoming. When it comes to big stories, "Miami" certainly thinks on a much larger scale than anyone else. Featuring more explosions, stunts and special effects shots than possibly the other two "CSI" shows combined, "Miami" doesn´t skimp on the scale of its stories. In Season Two, there were episodes that featured a devastating hurricane and an out-of-control wildfire in the Everglades. Season Three ups the ante further by featuring a deadly tsunami (this episode was done before the actual tsunami tragedy struck), the demolition of a multi-story building and a collapsing bridge, all wrapped around intriguing crimes that occur during those events. These juicy premises and others like them throughout this season is the main reason why this show is still thriving. Without the strong writing, "CSI: Miami" would never have lasted this long.