Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: The C.S.I. franchise, Calleigh, Alexx
Likes:
Dislikes: Florida
Hates:

The Story So Far...
Starring former "NYPD Blue" lead David Caruso, "C.S.I.: Miami" was the first spin-off of the ultra-successful forensics drama series, taking the formula to the brighter world of Florida, with a whole new team of investigators to keep criminals in check. Paramount has released two seasons of the show to date, with the first set released in June of 2004, followed by a second in January of 2005. DVDTalk has reviews of the first two seasons: Season One | Season Two

The Show
I never quite understood the appeal of Caruso as an actor, until I watched him on this series. His over-the-top approach to dramatic acting is so noir that he gives the series an artificial, yet appropriate gravity that counteracts the sunny nature of the locale. He may not be everyone's cup of tea, but he's just right for the role of Horatio Caine, a white knight in a dark suit. Caine's a boy scout at heart, but he'll break the rules if it means helping the helpless.

His tight-knit crew of CSIs takes a hit this season, as a key member of the team is killed while on-duty. The loss affects the series for the rest of the year, as the remaining CSIs deal with the changes, including what has become a standard for the franchise, as a member of the crew makes the conversion to forensics. The personnel changes shook up the dynamic of the show, in a good way, as it introduced a good amount of drama and changed the interaction in the team.

Starting with the excellent "Lost Son," the show piled on the drama and kicked off a season of extended storylines. One of the complaints about the Las Vegas version of "C.S.I." has been a lack of character development, which seems to have lead the writers to overdose on it in Miami. A large group of revelations and information revealed about the members of the crew throughout the season is just what fans were asking for in their story development.

Multi-episode arcs including the Miami courts, Calleigh's lovelife, and especially Caine's brother, whose story dominates this set, all help weave an effective mythology for the series, as characters from the past return and cases build off previous episodes. Some of the seeds planted in Season Three are just starting to show their effect in Season Four.

There may have been a bit too much focus on these storylines, though, as the episodes didn't seem as crisp or fresh as they once were. Having to spend so much time on Horatio cleaning up his brother's mess limited the story ideas the show could explore. Giving time to the team's newest member was troublesome in a way as well, as the series was just finding its way in Season Two, and had to essentially start over.

Fortunately for the series, there were two rocks of consistency still on-board in firearms expert Calleigh and medical examiner Alexx. Their consistent quality and ability to project both strength and vulnerability help support Caruso and the rest of the cast, giving the show a solid sense that these are real people.

Among the better examples of the work this season are the two extended episodes, "Crime Wave" and "Nothing to Lose," which take full advantage of the extra time they have to work with, and "Recoil," which uses non-linear storytelling to tell a story of a custody battle gone horribly wrong. "After the Fall" has set off ripples in the "C.S.I.: Miami" series that haven't been fully felt yet, while "Whacked" stars Eric Roberts in a truly good and truly dark performance.

The best of the run though, might by "10-7," the season finale, directed by "C.S.I." veteran Joe Chappelle. Tying up Caine and Calleigh's storylines, the episode somewhat wipes the slate clean for Season Four, removing a bit of the drama from the characters, but freeing them to be CSIs once again. This is a tense bit of storytelling that finally pays off, leaving the show to be what it is supposed to be.

The DVDs
I expected this set to come packaged the same way the first season of "C.S.I.:NY" did, with a new book-style format, but the acetate wraparound is back once again, holding seven plastic trays in a brick formation. The wrap does follow "NY"'s style, with a nice landscape shot of Miami and episode listings. The inner case slides into an acetate slipcase, with the now familiar yellow police-tape band around it.

Unfortunately, the trays are as unstable as they tend to be, as three of the seven trays were cracked or broken when I opened the package. Sliding that case out, three large shards of plastic fell out, a moment that has become too frequent for me. The two-disc ThinPaks of the "Brady Bunch" DVDs should become the norm for DVDTV.

The seven discs feature animated, anamorphic widescreen main menus, made with footage from the series. Options include episode selection and audio options. The episode selection menus are text lists, while audio options include English 5.1 and Spanish 2.0 tracks. There are no subtitles, though there is English closed captioning.

The Quality
Though the show is broadcast in high-definition, the anamorphic widescreen presentation on these DVD is the next best thing. The color, a key aspect of the sunshine-drenched Miami series, is gorgeously lush and appropriate, going from bright blue skies to atmospheric orange tints smoothly. The level of detail is very high and everything looks is very sharp, without any real dirt or damage. The only downside is that the larger special effects, like the boat crash in "Lost Son," look obvious when they are so crystal clear.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is very strong in terms of the music and sound effects, utilizing the surrounds to pump up the effect. Whether it was written into the licensing or CBS spent the money, the excellent music, including a number of popular songs, remained intact on DVD, making the mix an excellent part of the show. It may not be a dynamic mix, but it delivers an entertaining experience that enhances the feel of the show.

The Extras
Episode-length audio commentaries are found on six episodes this season, "Lost Son" (with writer/producer Elizabeth Devine), "Under the Influence" (with writers Marc Dube and Corey Miller and director Scott Lautanen), "Crime Wave" (with Devine and director Karen Gaviola), "After the Fall" (with Dube, Lautanen and writer Ildy Modrovich), "Shootout" (with Miller and writer/co-producer Sunil Nayar), "Whacked" (with creator/writer/executive producer Ann Donahue.)

The choice of episodes to provide commentary for was good, as they cover some of the best and most important episodes of the season. The tracks vary in quality, with group commentaries normally coming out better than the solos, though Donahue's commentary is very informative, thanks in large part to her role on the show.

Five featurettes make up the rest of the package, starting with the 12-1/2 minute "Delivering the Goods." Covering the season's big storylines, the featurette includes interviews with the entire main cast, and is a pretty nice example of a short, but meaningful featurette. It's joined by featurettes looking at the show's look (11 minutes), locations (11 minutes) and connection to water (8 minutes.) Impressively, they avoid being too fluffy and actually focus on the show.

The final featurette is the eight-part Medical Examiner School, which is hosted by the series' forensics consultant John Haynes. He's not the most gifted presenter, as he stiffly explains a number of the concepts that are used to solve each week's crimes. For a fan, the information is interesting, but it's a one-shot deal at best. These pieces can be watched individually or in a 13:23 chunk.

The Bottom Line
Though there are some major episodes in this season, and big storylines begin and wrap up here, overall, "C.S.I.: Miami" doesn't feel as engaging here in this set as it did in its second year. On the other hand, even a B-level "C.S.I." is better than the majority of what's out there to watch, and there are some gems in this collection. The DVDs look and sound great, with some interesting extras that will appeal to the show's audience. If you're interested in jumping into this show, this would be a good place to start, considering how many storylines start here, but if you want to get hooked, start earlier.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.