David Caruso, Emily Procter, Kim Delaney. From the creators of
the original hit series comes this action-packed spinoff
featuring the same brain-busting crimes to solve, set in the
steamy streets of South Florida. 25 episodes on 7 DVDs.
2002-03/color/18 hrs/NR/widescreen.
.com
----
As Lt. Horatio Caine (David Caruso) notes in
episode 4 ("Just One Kiss"), "The evidence, as always, will speak
for itself." In other words, CSI: Miami follows the same
super-successful formula as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (
/exec/obidos/tg/stores/series/-/72428/%24%7B0%7D ). Fortunately,
this instantly popular spin-off established its own unique
identity from the start. Like CSI, the Dade County criminalists
of CSI: Miami solve murders using forensic science. Unlike the
Vegas crew, however, they're cops with the power to arrest, their
coroner (Alexx Woods) talks to dead people, and almost everybody
speaks Spanish. Sometimes their crime scene is a swamp, sometimes
a resort hotel. Either way, the skies are always sunny--the
gators always biting. Real-life Florida resident Caruso is joined
by Khandi Alexander (NewsRadio) as Woods, Emily Procter (The West
Wing) as ballistics expert Calleigh Duquesne, Adam Rodriguez
(Roswell) as underwater recovery expert Eric Delko, and featured
player Rory Cochrane as Tim "Speed" Speedle. Cochrane (Dazed and
Confused) wouldn't become a full-fledged cast member until the
12th episode ("Entrance Wound"). Meanwhile, Kim Delaney (Caruso's
former NYPD Blue cast mate) wouldn't join until the first
("Golden Parachute"), but left after the 10th ("A Horrible
Mind"), reportedly due to a lack of chemistry with Caruso.
Just as CSI has made the most of its location with stories about
showgirls and casino owners, so has CSI: Miami exploited its
surroundings for all they're worth. Pilot episode
"Cross-Jurisdictions" (a crossover with CSI), for instance, was
loosely based on the murder of Miami-based designer Gianni
Versace. Other notable episodes include "Camp Fear" with Joan of
Arcadia's Amber Tamblyn as a detention camp cadet and "Dead Woman
Walking" with Karen Sillas (Under Suspicion) as a victim of
radiation poisoning. Like its parent program, CSI: Miami quickly
became a ratings powerhouse and was followed by CSI: New York in
2004. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
