Horatio Caine (David Caruso), a former homicide detective, heads a group of investigators who work crimes amid the steamy, tropical surroundings and cultural crossroads of Miami. His team includes Calleigh Dusquene (Emily Procter), a bilingual Southern beauty with a specialty in ballistics, Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez), an underwater recovery expert who knows all the twists and turns of the Florida waterways, and Alexx Woods (Khandi Alexander), the no-nonsense, know-it-all coroner, and detective Yelina Salas (Sofia Milos). Joining the CSI team in the third season is Ryan Wolfe (Jonathan Togo). Together, these investigators collect and analyze the evidence to solve the crimes and to vindicate those who often cannot speak for themselves -- the victims.

CRITIQUE

Here I am after watching all of the third season of CSI: Miami, a show I used to think was bad and not very interesting. But because of at least eight very good episodes and others that were generally average, I’m changing my stance. The show is certainly different than the original CSI. Miami is more like cops and robbers and deaths, especially since Horatio Caine spends most of his time playing detective and leaving the evidence analysis to others on his team. Many stories this season have a predictable side, but some feature clever writing. The production values are also pretty cool; very nice locations, lots of explosions, cool special effects, etc.

This season the show looks a little into the personal lives of some characters, like the continuation of the story concerning Horatio’s brother Raymond, and the introduction of two new characters. Also, last season’s finale hinted at one team member’s death, a thread wrapped up in the first episode this season. The best episodes are: Lost Son, Murder in a Flash, Hell Night, Crime Wave, After the Fall, Nothing to Lose, Money Plane, and Recoil. The other episodes are mainly average, and three are not very good. In terms of acting, David Caruso continues his shtick, playing a hardball detective who wears sunglasses in nearly every environment. The supporting cast is good, like Emily Procter and Khandi Alexander, and the rest are fine.

THE VIDEO

Paramount presents the show in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The show's color palette is quite extravagant. Colors are bright, sharp, and very well-saturated. Definition, sharpness, and detail look quite good. The print image is clear except for notable areas of grain in darker scenes. I don't mind the grain that much as it adds to show's look and feel. There are no subtitles, but the set appears to be closed captioned; this is too much of an obvious omission.

THE AUDIO

Paramount presents the show in English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. The front speakers have their work cut out for them. Audio quality is clear and easy to understand. Despite the lack of subtitles, all dialogue and sound effects are clearly audible. The music sounds really good, too. Overall, a very nice presentation. A Spanish 2.0 Dolby Surround dub is also available.

THE EXTRAS

There are six audio commentaries. Some info is decent, but most of them aren’t very interesting, and I didn’t much care for the comments. Real fans of the show might find them more informative.

Elizabeth Devine on Lost Son
Marc Dube, Corey Miller and Scott Lautanen on Under the Influence
Elizabeth Devine and Karen Gaviola on Crime Wave
Marc Dube, Scott Lautanen and Ildy Modrovich on After the Fall
Corey Miller and Sunil Nayar on Shootout
Ann Donohue on Whacked

The last disc holds the following extras.

Delivering the Goods is a 13-minute featurette looking back at the third season with interviews by executive producer Ann Donohue and cast.

Visualizing Season 3 offers an 11-minute look at the special effects work done for this season, including several examples and interviews.

Locations: Coast to Coast is an 11-minute featurette showing how the show makes Los Angeles shooting locations appear like they’re taking place in Miami, including the digital deletion of obvious LA backdrops like mountains.

Deep Blue Sea is an 8-minute featurette on the filming of open water and underwater sequences.

Medical Examiner School is an eight-part featurette discussing how an examiner processes a dead body, featuring an interview with technical advisor John Haynes. The eight parts can be played individually or in one sitting at 13.5 minutes.

FINAL THOUGHT

The third season of CSI: Miami features several very good episodes and overall it’s an average show as far as medical procedural crime shows go. Coupled with some good behind-the-scenes featurettes, this DVD set comes recommended.