In the eighth season finale, the Miami team receives clues from a murderer on a killing spree.

Synopsis:

The CSIs are surprised when they all receive letters without postmarks and open them to find puzzle pieces made out of plastic transparencies, which they assemble to reveal a depiction of a woman in the crosshairs of a rifle. Jesse discovers an address in the corner of the picture and the team races there, only to find they’re too late: Janice Potter is lying dead in her kitchen, shot in front of her small daughter. Calleigh finds the woman’s purse, filled with paychecks made out to Janice Garber from Dade University. Janice’s distraught husband, Craig, a divorce lawyer, fears that one of his client’s ex-spouses is responsible. He’s surprised to hear about the paychecks, claiming that his wife didn’t work. Jesse and Walter discover the murder weapon: a rifle positioned and controlled by WiFi. Delko returns to work at the lab full time and accompanies Horatio to question Melissa Walls, a grad student doing research at Dade University who employed Janice. Melissa hired Janice to administer electric shocks to students answering questions incorrectly, but it was actually Janice that Melissa was studying. Melissa thinks evil is human nature, and tells the CSIs she’s moving on to a more prestigious post to continue her studies. Craig Potter comes to the lab with an envelope from his mailbox addressed to the CSIs. Ryan finds an augmented reality tag on it, which leads him and Natalia to a website that shows a swimming pool turning red with blood. They are able to identify the location as the faculty pool at Dade University. Ryan and Delko rush to the scene only to discover the body of Professor Neal Brusatti in the water.

Dr. Loman determines Brusatti drowned, and Horatio concludes the murder weapon was the automatic pool cover, which was deployed while Brusatti was in the pool, trapping him. Horatio unrolls the cover and finds a Fleur de Lis spray painted on top of it. Professors Stephen Madsen and Bob Starling tell the CSIs that Janice accused Melissa of doctoring the results of her study—Janice didn’t want to shock the students. Stephen reveals Melissa was kicked out of the program—and that she blamed him, Bob and Neal for ruining her career. Horatio calls Melissa, who defends her actions, saying all the greats have cheated, and reminding Horatio he has no hard evidence against her. The professors are placed under protective watch, and Natalia accompanies Stephen to his apartment while he showers, but when Walter calls saying he’s discovered the Fleur de Lis is the logo for a men’s cologne, she runs to interrupt Stephen—only to see him burst into flames when he sprays the cologne on himself. She saves his life, and Delko discovers potassium in the doctored cologne that combusted when it hit the water on Stephen’s body. Horatio notes that Melissa Walls was on the guest list for a departmental party Stephen hosted recently, while Delko discovers a quote on the back of the cologne bottle from a paper Bob Starling wrote. Bob tells the CSIs he last saw Melissa the day before after she was dropped from the program. Though Bob assures the team he will be safe giving a lecture to a crowded room full of students in the afternoon, Horatio sends Tripp with him.

Melissa turns up at the station, telling Delko and Horatio they can only hold her for forty-eight hours… and that locking her down won’t prevent any murders already set in motion. She hands over her day planner as an alibi. Walter determines the Fleur de Lis was spray painted at 1:30pm—a time Melissa doesn’t appear to have an alibi for. But when Delko and Horatio question her, she turns over proof that she was at a Pilates class. Delko accuses her of misleading them, and Melissa claims she was testing a new theory. When Calleigh discovers Bob Starling was denied tenure by a committee that included both Neal Brusatti and Stephen Madsen, the CSIs’ suspicion shifts to Bob. The suspicions are confirmed when they match stamps in his possession to the ones on the letters sent to them by the killer. Horatio and Tripp arrest Bob, but back at the lab the CSIs start coughing and collapsing. When Delko arrives back at the lab, he finds everyone unconscious on the floor. He races to find Calleigh passed out as well and desperately tries to revive her….

Analysis:

Talk about a great cliffhanger! CSI: Miami ends the season with more than half of its team down: Calleigh, Ryan, Natalia, Jesse and Walter have all collapsed to the ground at the end of the episode, and the situation definitely appears dire. When Delko finds Calleigh, he implores her to “breathe!” suggesting that whatever was released in the lab might be fatal. There’s little chance the show would do away with five leads in one fell swoop, but should we be concerned about someone not surviving? There’s a good chance when the show returns in September that the only permanently dispatched team member will be a secondary character, like the poor girl who brings the mail to the CSIs, or maybe one of the secondary lab characters (though neither Dave Benton nor Michael Travers appears in this episode). Regardless, the situation looks grim enough at the end of the episode that we’re certainly worried about the five CSIs in jeopardy.

It’s also a great whodunit: while Starling has been pegged as the killer thanks to the stamp match, I’m still not entirely sure Melissa is innocent. Why did she show up to the precinct to turn herself in after maintaining that the CSIs had no hard evidence on her? Sure, she claimed it was to test her new theory about investigators following their initial hunches, but is it possible she paid a visit to the police station to drop some sort of pathogen off in the lab? Of course, it’s entirely possible Starling sent something deadly in one of his packages—after all, his studies involved human reactions to pandemics, so it’s entirely possible he’s created his own microcosmic study of the phenomenon in the lab. Both Kristen Hager and Roger Bart are unsettlingly sinister in their roles; Hager in particular does a great job of getting across Melissa’s sociopathic tendencies without making her a cookie cutter villain. That Melissa is evil seems pretty clear, but is she involved in Starling’s nefarious deeds… or perhaps even pulling the strings?

The psychological aspect of the mystery makes it a real nail-biter, and I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the episode. Coming after an intense episode arc that culminated in the take-down of a longstanding recurring character, the new mystery in the finale could have easily been a letdown, but the inventive and involving storyline keeps things moving quickly—and hooks the audience in. Miami has had a particularly strong season, with the introduction of three new characters and storylines that feel fresh and interesting. The show has moved away from its previous emphasis on gang and drug violence, which was getting repetitive to the point of dullness. The murders and perpetrators have been far more memorable this year, and creatively, Miami has definitely been on its game this year. The show has always done cliffhangers well, and this season’s ender definitely continues that trend.

The episode also welcomes Delko back to the CSI fold; after being shot last year, Delko made a decision to leave the lab. He didn’t stay away for long, coming back first as a forensics specialist for a defense attorney and then performing a similar function for the State’s Attorney. But the death of Rebecca Nevins sends him back to CSI. Does Delko’s return spell doom for one of the five fallen CSIs? Three characters—Jesse, Walter and Dr. Loman—were introduced last year, and based on this recent interview with Co-Executive Producers (and finale scribes) Barry O’Brien and Marc Dube, there are plans for each of the characters in season nine. Does that mean Calleigh, Ryan and Natalia are in danger? I can’t see Miami’s leading lady being killed off—and it’s as impossible to imagine the show without Emily Procter as it is to picture it without David Caruso. But what about Ryan and Natalia? Both are important parts of the show, but in the past few seasons Ryan hasn’t had as much to do as in earlier years, and Natalia has been noticeably absent from a handful of episodes this year. I hope both survive whatever pathogen has been released in the lab.

I’d be particularly heartbroken not to see Ryan and Walter’s hilarious bantering—these two have a jokingly adversarial relationship that makes for plenty of laughs. The episode opens with Walter eager for the arrival of the day’s mail, excited to find registration info for a seminar that he’s looking forward to. “How many nerd clubs are you a member of?” Ryan asks teasingly. Per usual, Walter has a retort ready: “Do you want to get beat up?” Ryan just smiles, knowing Walter wouldn’t make good on the joking threat. Their rapport is particularly endearing, and has given us insight in Walter’s character, as well as giving the witty Ryan someone to spar with.

I’d hate to see Natalia go, either—despite being absent from a number of episodes this season, she’s had some great development this year. She faced her hearing problems with fortitude, and when she realized Delko was investigating his former co-workers for State’s Attorney Rebecca Nevins, she not only stood up to him and voiced her concerns, but spoke to him as a friend, telling him that being a snitch—even one with good intentions—can lead to tension. I also quite enjoyed Natalia’s very apparent attraction to the handsome Stephen Madsen, played by the charming Esai Morales. I loved the bold, slightly flirtatious way Natalia told him to call her by her first name. Whether all of the CSIs survive or not, Miami has definitely ended a superior season on a suspenseful note.

The CSI: Miami co-executive producers preview the end of the show’s eighth season and look ahead to its ninth. Spoilers inside!

CSI: Miami has had a whirlwind year, with the introduction of three new characters and the return of Adam Rodriguez’s Eric Delko. As the show rushes towards a big cliffhanger finale, Co-Executive Producers Marc Dube and Barry O’Brien offer a preview of what’s to come in the final episodes of season eight, as well as a glimpse of season nine, which promises the return of a reviled nemesis and a love interest for one of the characters! Spoilers ahead…

CSI Files: The last four episodes of the season sound pretty action-packed. Can you preview them?

Marc Dube: I love the variety of these episodes coming up. Each has a very distinct feel and tone. There’s pulse-pounding action as well as heartwarming performances. From the high speed causeway chase of May 3rd’s “Meltdown” to David Caruso’s gut-wrenching performance in May 10th’s “Mommie Deadest” in which a suburban family is thrown into upheaval by the death of an overbearing mother. In May 17th’s “Time Bomb”, Delko’s investigative probe leads to a desperate cover-up act and the death of a city official. The jeopardy of these final four episodes will force Delko to do some soul searching and eventually return to help his fallen comrades. The finale, airing May 24th, “All Fall Down” reveals the most intelligent pathological killer our CSI’s have ever faced. Our CSIs are trained to solve a murder after it’s happened, but in the finale – each victim’s life depends on our CSIs’ ability to decipher clues that have arrived at the lab like deadly breadcrumbs. That very ability or inability to understand a riddle or solve a puzzle can save a life or seal a fate. Horatio realizes his nemesis is in a different league when he receives a clue that says his entire lab is going down next. “All Fall Down” will, without a doubt, leave you wondering who gets up next season.

CSI Files: Horatio is going to be facing a personal betrayal. How will this affect him?

Barry O’Brien: Yes, Horatio Caine does face a personal betrayal in episode 823 that goes right to his soul as a law enforcement officer. Horatio is the keeper of the flame. He is in a neverending fight for justice — a character with, truly the highest ethical standard as a police officer. The source of this betrayal, the last person you’d expect… let’s just say it rocks Horatio’s faith in his team. Everyone’s integrity is called into question. Everyone’s. And, when the betrayal is revealed, it has a galvanizing effect. The team that remains will be stronger than ever!

CSI Files: Adam Rodriguez is going to be rejoining the show full time next season. Can you hint at how he’ll be reintegrated into the team?

Dube: Eric Delko returns to CSI:Miami in May, but when valuable evidence disappears from the lab and suspicions flare, we begin to realize that Delko is now answering to a different master. When deep-seeded corruption within the department is exposed, Delko is saddled with the unenviable task of investigating Horatio’s team. Nobody’s immune to the in-house finger-pointing. This group has learned to trust each other with their lives, so when Delko presses for the ugly truth, it’s fascinating to watch these very careers, reputations, and friendships pushed to the brink. Not to mention how it strains his promising relationship with Calleigh! Detectives from Horatio’s past surface in the turbulent Miami-Dade witch hunt, culminating in a shocking takedown of a key, enduring member of the CSI:Miami family.

CSI Files: With Adam returning, will another member of the cast not be back next year?

Dube: One never knows. We write these cliffhangers to generate speculation over the summer. All the more reason to check back with us in September.

CSI Files: Ryan is going to land in hot water when he’s suspected of stealing valuable evidence from an evidence locker. Why is Ryan the go-to guy on the show for ethically questionable situations?

Dube: Ryan has often been pegged with much of the wrongdoing over the years. Why? Jonathan Togo plays it well. He’s the every man struggling through every significant life decision like the rest of us. Does he make the right choices? Quite often, no. But those miscalculations create great television and make Ryan Wolfe all the more endearing when he’s finally able to right the wrong.

CSI Files: Rumor has it Walter has a secret! Can you hint at what that is?

O’Brien: Omar Benson Miller has been a fabulous addition to our cast. We knew Omar was a big talent, what we didn’t know is how perfectly those talents would fit into our series. Omar took the character of Walter Simmons from the background right into the forefront of our story telling. Walter definitely has a powerful secret. He has a rich and complex past. The only hint I can give is that when light is shed into Walter’s background, we will understand why he has dedicated his life to police work. We will be delving into all of that from the very first episode of season nine. Look for big things, big story reveals, compelling story arcs from Walter Simmons in season nine and beyond!

CSI Files: Will Natalia’s hearing problems be revisited? What’s coming up for her?

Dube: Natalia’s hearing aid indirectly becomes a major component in exposing Delko’s covert investigation, and it winds up being the root of a growing conflict between our CSI’s.

CSI Files: Will Tony Enright be back before the season ends?

O’Brien: Tony Enright, Jesse Cardoza’s nemesis, is in a world of legal hurt. He’s facing murder and conspiracy charges, fighting for his life and his freedom. That fight will tie him up through the end of season eight. But, look for Tony to make bail and regain his freedom early in season nine. He will re-ignite his ongoing and deadly battle with Jesse. This is a dual that will have a decidedly shocking conclusion.

CSI Files: Jesse is convinced Enright killed his wife. Will we find out more about Mrs. Cardoza, and the circumstances surrounding her death?

O’Brien: Yes, we will finally learn the truth about Jesse’s wife’s murder. I can’t reveal the answer to that question without giving away the story. Suffice to say the murderer is not at all who we expect. When the truth about his wife’s murder is revealed, it will truly shock Jesse. It will give the audience an invitation to what’s behind his stoic exterior. Jesse’s struggle to deal with the events that led to his wife’s death will greatly humanize his character. Eddie Cibrian is a highly skilled and disciplined actor. In season nine, we’ll be peeling the onion, so to speak, and learn what’s behind his interpretation of the character. Jesse Cardoza is a man in pain. And we will come to know that pain far more intimately in season nine.

CSI Files: Will we see Kyle Harmon again this season?

Dube: I enjoyed our time with Kyle Harmon this year. He always brings out the best in Horatio. I can’t imagine we’ve seen the last of him. There’s always Season 9.

CSI Files: Will Christian Clemenson’s quirky coroner be back next season?

O’Brien: It’s with huge pleasure that I tell you that Christian Clemson will be back in every episode of season nine! Christian’s portrayal of the quirky Tom Loman has been a revelation! Forgive the pun, but Christian has brought new life to the autopsy theater! Christian is a real gift to the writers. He can take what appears to be an ordinary line of dialogue and give it nuance, spin and complexity that we writers never imagined! He makes us look good! We will be spending more time getting to know Tom Loman next season. Learnng what’s behind his dedication as a pathologist. Taking a peek at what he does when he’s not working. An extremely quirky hobby or two may be revealed. And, can you say love interest?

CSI Files: Can you tell us about the finale cliffhanger?

O’Brien: I can honestly tell you that the cliffhanger at the end of season eight is, by far, the most shocking, high octane and jaw dropping that I’ve ever seen! All I can tell you as of this writing, is that no one is safe. No one. Every single one of our characters finds themselves in in a life and death struggle for their very survival at the conclusion of season eight. Metaphorically and physically, “they all fall down.” And, not every one will get up. No one is safe. Stay tuned!

CSI Files previously reported that a stunning betrayal is in the cards for Miami’s leading man Horatio Caine (David Caruso). Calleigh Duquesne’s (Emily Procter) old flame Jake Berkeley (Johnny Whitworth), who was last seen in the season seven premiere “Resurrection”, will return to the show before the end of the season—and he is somehow connected to the big betrayal.

Calleigh’s current beau, Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez), will uncover the treachery. “It’s explosive emotionally and it’s explosive literally,” co-executive producer Barry O’Brien told TVGuide.com. “It’s very dramatic and it’s something you’ve never seen before on CSI: Miami.”

McDowell was one of several big-name guest stars who participated in the episode. “I had a great time because of my friend Rob,” McDowell told Fangoria. “If it hadn’t been for him, of course, I wouldn’t have gone near it. To be honest with you, I’m used to doing Heroes and Entourage; that’s cutting-edge stuff. [The CSI: Miami team] do a terrific show for what it is, but I wouldn’t want to do another one.”

The episode gave Zombie a chance to try his hand at directing a crime drama instead of his usual horror films. “I believe Rob wanted to show that he can do something besides a horror movie, which he can; he’s a damn good director,” McDowell said. “But unless you actually show it to people, for some reason they can’t connect the dots. He did a fantastic job, and the episode was really good, we had some fun and he let me improvise a bit, which I was amazed at for network television.”

“The writer, Barry O’Brien, was there and he’s a very nice guy, the producers were great and we had a very good crew,” he continued. “I believe it was smart of them to get somebody like Rob to take them out of their comfort zone. Maybe some of the [regular] cast didn’t appreciate that, but it sure worked.”

Horatio’s son will return in the next episode, “Dishonor”, which airs on March 22 at 10:00pm ET/PT. Kyle wants his father’s help uncovering the truth when a fellow soldier is accused of murder. The character will also have a role to play in the lead-up to the season finale. “Kyle is part of the conclusion of Season 8,” co-executive producer Barry O’Brien told TVGuide.com. “Horatio is going to deal with Kyle becoming a man in a truly dramatic way. … We get a chance to have a glimpse into the heart of the man behind the sunglasses.”

As CSI Files previously reported, Zombie stayed true to Miami while adding his own stamp to the series. “It’s a very, very cinematic episode,” co-executive producer Barry O’Brien told TVGuide.com. “It has very classic and iconic Rob Zombie visual touches, and it’s really a groundbreaking hour for CSI: Miami. Rob really pushed the limits in an appropriate and wonderful way. The episode begins with an explosive, very cinematic murder at a high-end masquerade ball. It’s a very Rob Zombie party and it’s a very Rob Zombie murder.”

Paul Blackthorne will guest star in the episode as Bruce Enright, a man with past ties to Jesse Cardoza (Eddie Cibrian). Malcolm McDowell plays the lawyer that helped Enright evade a murder charge after the death of his wife back in Los Angeles. Jesse’s determination to put Enright behind bars sends Horatio Caine (David Caruso) and Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez) to California. “Jesse was accused of tampering with evidence, right before his return to Miami,” O’Brien explained. “And thus, everything he has done and will do as a CSI is put into question. So, Horatio and Eric throw themselves into that old case with the hope of clearing his name.”

This week’s episode will not be the last we see of Jesse’s conflict with Enright. Blackthorne has been signed on for several more episodes, and Jesse’s life and career will be at risk as he goes after Enright—the man Jesse believes is also responsible for the death of his own wife. “He’ll finally face the man who may or may not have killed his wife,” O’Brien said. “That’s going to be an explosive confrontation, and perhaps a deadly one, which would put Jesse in tremendous jeopardy and outside the protection of the team.”

“Horatio and the team are going to have to make a determination about who’s right, and what side of justice Jesse has landed on,” O’Brien continued. “That question and that confrontation will hurtle us right toward the season finale. … It’s a very explosive end of the season with Jesse walking a very dangerous line between justice and revenge.”

The case of a missing Miami girl brings Vegas CSI Ray Langston from Horatio Caine’s city to Mac Taylor’s.

Synopsis:

After a car and a truck smash into each other head on, Flack finds a dead girl in a barrel that came from the truck. Inside the truck, Danny and Lindsay find evidence that the driver, who fled the scene after the collision, was keeping someone prisoner in the back. The CSIs recover a container of urine and notice the door was locked from the cab side of the truck. Back at the morgue, Sid shows Mac that the girl in the barrel bled to death–after her liver was removed. Mac realizes she was the victim of an illegal organ trafficker and goes to find out who in the city with the same blood type as the girl–AB–is receiving a liver. Lindsay gets a match to prints found on the steering wheel of the truck: an ex-con named Casey Steele. Flack finds a man Steele carjacked in the hospital: Joseph Winston stopped to help Steele after the accident and Steele pulled a gun on him, shoved a terrified girl in his car and forced him to drive ten miles before shooting him and leaving him for dead, taking his car, cell phone and wallet. Lindsay gets a DNA hit on the girl from the back of Steele’s truck, identifying her as Madeline Briggs, a girl who went missing in Miami. She discovered a sedative in Madeline’s urine–and the pregnancy hormone. Adam has found evidence of multiple women being held in the back of Steele’s truck, many of whom are in the missing person’s database. Adam pulls up the pictures of the women and Lindsay recognizes the dead girl among them–Debbie Menzel from Atlanta. Stella interrupts to tell them that Ray Langston is on the video phone. Mac takes the call and Ray tells him about his time in Miami and his vow to Madeline’s mother that he’d find her. Mac invites him to New York, and Ray rushes to join him.

Ray arrives by helicopter and discusses the case with Mac, telling him that the Zeta gang is behind the abduction of young women ages 19-25, who are then used as sex slaves, surrogates and eventually organ donors. The two bond in front of the World War II memorial, both remembering their fathers. Hawkes tracks down a patient with type AB blood who was waiting for a liver who was removed from the organ donation waiting list the day before. Flack goes to the clinic where he’s being operated on and catches the doctor, Harvey Fuller, right before he goes into surgery on the man. After the surgery, Flack arrests him and brings him to the station where Fuller tells him and Hawkes that he would make a call to a number and leave a message saying what organ he needed and it would show up. Hawkes lays into him, accusing him of betraying his Hippocratic Oath as a doctor. Fuller insists he’s never seen Casey Steele before. The team gets a hit on Joseph Winston’s stolen phone and traces Steele to a local pharmacy. Flack and Hawkes race to the scene, but Steele escapes. The team finds the car he’s been using and Lindsay recovers soil from the brake pedal, which the team compares to reference samples and matches the soil to Corona Scrap Junkyard. Mac, Langston and Flack race to the junkyard and find Steele, whom they apprehend after a chase. Langston urges him to take a deal, but Steele refuses to give them any information. Langston calls Madeline’s mother to tell her the girl is still missing. Mac reassures Langston that he will find Madeline, who as they speak is in the back of a truck headed to Las Vegas…

Analysis:

Following CSI: Miami’s “Bone Voyage”, the second entry of the big CSI crossover adds some depth to the ongoing story even while hampered a bit plot-wise by being the middle of the three episodes in the trilogy. If the overarching story isn’t advanced all that much–Madeline, the girl who is becoming the poster child for human trafficking is missing at the beginning of the story and remains missing at the end of it–the episode still manages to offer up an entertaining yarn for an hour, albeit one with a somber tone. The black market organ trafficking had me more intrigued than anything else has in this storyline thus far, in part because it’s so dark and inhumane, and in part because it adds another angle to the same old sex trafficking story we’ve seen done over and over again in the CSI shows.

CSI: New York is the most character-driven of the three CSI shows, and indeed, something about the conversation between Mac and Langston in front of the WWII memorial feels unique to the show. The conversation lasts several minutes and doesn’t serve to advance the plot in any real way; rather, it establishes an immediate bond between Mac and Langston, offering a rationale behind why the two take to each other straight away instead of just making it a given. Mac isn’t a man given to trusting outsiders right off the bat, but seeing Langston at the war memorial and hearing a bit about his father gets Mac to open up about his own father, and how he was the inspiration for going into the military. It breaks the ice between the two men, and brings Mac to comment on how burdened Langston feels. If there’s anyone who can relate to taking a case personally, it’s Mac Taylor. It’s nice that we get to see this moment between the two men, and that a bond is established between them before the action kicks into high gear. Like David Caruso in Miami, Gary Sinise shares a nice rapport with Laurence Fishburne, and it’s fun to see the two CSI leads interact. Like Barry O’Brien did in the Miami entry, scribe Peter Lenkov does a great job of keeping Langston in character throughout the episode.

The episode definitely deepens the arc in that it establishes that this case has become personal for Langston. He’s made a promise to Madeline’s mother that he’ll find her, and though this is a reason we often see motivating the CSIs–especially for Horatio in Miami–it’s a completely believable one. As Flack told Danny in “…Comes Around”, a lot of times the CSIs have to take their motivation from the occasional thanks they get for finding a loved one’s killer. And during their conversation by the war memorial, Mac shares a story about a mother who thanked him through tears for finding her child’s killer. It’s gut-wrenching business, and it’s clearly starting to wear on Langston. Mac reassures Langston that he’s doing everything he can, and the moment reminds the audience that Ray is still a relatively new CSI. He hasn’t been doing this for years the way Mac and Horatio have. Langston’s connection with Madeline’s mother, and his determination to find the girl alive give the case more of a personal hook than it had in the first outing.

Most of the New York team takes a backseat more to the plot than to Las Vegas visitor. Danny, Lindsay, Adam and Sid don’t have much to do aside from processing the evidence, though Danny is given an out of place, throwaway line to clue viewers tuning in for the crossover that he and Lindsay are married. When Lindsay asks what Danny is thinking about in the truck, he quips, “That you and I never had a honeymoon.” It feels like a complete non sequitur, one that wouldn’t be needed at all if these two generated an ounce of romantic chemistry together. Adam’s quirky behavior is sidelined as well, which unfortunate because he brings a unique element to the show. If the crossover did cause viewers of the other two shows to sample CSI: NY, it’s unfortunate that they weren’t treated to some of the more engaging character elements the show has, like Adam’s goofiness, Flack’s biting wit, Danny’s emotional outbursts and Sid’s off-beat stories.

Viewers who watch the show regularly know exactly why Flack is more somber than usual, and it fits into his arc this season: his grief over the death of his girlfriend and his pangs of guilt over killing the man who murdered her in cold blood. Indeed, for a guy who is usually quick with an off-the-cuff scathing remark or sarcastic retort, Flack is notably muted in this episode, though he does have one joke in the opener about “putting my Mac on this morning,” which, as he tells Stella, is better than Spidey-sense. Though he takes a backseat to Hawkes in the interrogation of Dr. Fuller, the look of disgust and revulsion on his face as Hawkes interrogates Fuller says it all. Though he’s a master of delivering those sharp lines of Flack’s, Eddie Cahill can also say a lot without uttering a word. Flack’s expression says it all.

Hawkes is equally horrified by Fuller’s actions, and really lays into the doctor, reminding him he took an oath to do no harm. What kind of doctor calls a phone number to request organs and sees them show up days later–and truly expects this could be in any way legitimate? Fuller doesn’t, of course, but because he has no contact with anyone directly, he’s able to avoid giving too much thought to where the organs he obtains came from. Hawkes, who in last week’s entry, “It Happened to Me”, was so riddled with guilt over not recognizing that a patient he saw in Central Park on volunteer duty had been poisoned, is a man who takes the oath he took very seriously. Hill Harper offers an impressive intensity in the scene where Hawkes goes after Fuller, making the interrogation a memorable one.

Michael Massee, who played the sinister Ira Gaines in 24’s first season, brings some swagger to his role as the villain of the piece, but in the end the character is no different from the villains of the other sex trafficking case–he’s just unrepentantly evil. And this is the problem with the sex trafficking stories–they fall into the helpless women/sniveling bad guys cliche all too easily. Indeed, all we see of Madeline in the episode is that she’s tied up and helpless. Steele is good at evading capture, but once the CSIs finally get him, all he has to say is that he doesn’t recognize any of the girls because there are so many of them. Evil, sure, but in a way that doesn’t really delve into his psyche. And Madeline is really just a representation of all of the helpless girls who are forced into the sex trade. Topical, perhaps, but worthy of being the subject of the first CSI crossover involving all three shows? So far, I can’t say I think it is.

Synopsis:

A frantic woman named Brenda Tanner comes to the police station to report the disappearance of her daughter, Ashley. Her daughter left her a message the day before, crying and saying she’d be home in an hour–but she never showed up. The team locates her car and finds the tires are off the rims. Jesse finds a valet slip from the Town South Hotel, while Calleigh notes two sets of footprints and surmises Ashley was abducted by one man. Walter Simmons goes to the hotel and jogs the valet’s memory, but all the man says is that Ashley left the hotel in a hurry. The hotel’s concierge recalls seeing Ashley with a guest of the hotel: Jimmy Burris. The CSIs find Burris enjoying cocktails by the pool. Ryan and Natalia drag Burris up to his room, where they find a bottle of tequila, a cigar and a plastic bag with marks from a woman’s lipstick on it. Natalia posits Burris was hurting Ashley, but Burris shows her a video on his phone revealing Ashley putting the bag over her own head in a teasing way. The team matches DNA on the cigar to a man named Nick Cooper, who is in town for a golf tournament. Cooper says that Burke promised to get him a girl, but left when he saw the girl was “just a kid.” Dave Benton gets a hit on someone using one of Ashley’s credit cards. Horatio and Tripp find a young woman who is definitely not Ashley and a young man using the card. The girl, Madeline Briggs, claims she found the card in a purse at a rest stop at Exit 14. Horatio and Tripp arrest Madeline and the man, Tyler Goodman. The team mounts a search at the rest stop and finds a severed arm and a severed leg. The arm proves to be Ashley’s, while the leg shows signs of decomposition, indicating it doesn’t belong to Ashley.

Dr. Loman finds evidence that Ashley was alive when her arm was severed. The same is not true of the girl whose leg the team found; he points out an identifying butterfly tattoo on the leg as well. Calleigh brings trace from the girl’s foot to Michael Travers, who analyzes the compound and finds it contains salt from a salt flat as well as iodine and plutonium, leading Calleigh to deduce that it came from Nevada. Calleigh places a call to the Las Vegas crime lab and is connected to Ray Langston, who recognizes the butterfly tattoo from a missing persons case. He IDs the girl as Stephanie Matthews, who was reported missing ten days ago. Calleigh invites Langston to Miami to assist on the case. Horatio greets Langston when he lands and takes him first the scene, where the search is expanded, and then to the morgue, where Langston quickly notes the two limbs were severed by different tools. Langston observes that the tool used to cut up Stephanie was likely a commercial grade cleaver, possibly belonging to a butcher. Dave Benton finds a lead: a steakhouse with locations in both Las Vegas and Miami. Horatio and Langston go to the restaurant and confront the head chef/owner, Nathan Cole, who was in Vegas two weeks ago. Langston tests Cole’s knife for blood and gets a positive hit. Though the DNA results are inconclusive, a test from a cut on Cole’s own hand provides the link. Cole tests positive for Hepatitus C–the same strain Stephanie Matthews had. Horatio and Langston interrogate Cole, whose restaurant was bankrolled by a powerful gang known as the Zetas. Cole finally admits he got a call to go the salt flats and cut up a girl who he insists was already dead. He cut himself when he was cutting up Stephanie’s body, and some of her blood mixed with his, giving him the infection. He insists he didn’t kill her, but he refuses to give up the name of his contact in the Zetas.

Langston and Calleigh turn back to Ashley’s remains and the Vegas CSI notes that whoever cut up Ashley was in a hurry. Ryan and Walter run across a bear out in the field–and more remains. Once they’re brought back to the lab, Langston is able to determine Ashley’s killer used two weapons, one of which was a handsaw. Horatio notes that he must have put a lot of effort into cutting her up, and thinks to test Ashley’s bones for DNA from sweat. The DNA proves to be a match for Jimmy Burris. Horatio and Langston confront the man, who admits that he has been working as a pimp for the Zetas. Any girls who try to escape them are brutally killed. Burris is defiant, telling Horatio and Langston that they won’t be able to touch the Zetas. They may have gotten two criminals off the streets, but both CSIs realize that the case is far from over. At a Miami rest stop, Madeline Briggs escapes Tyler Goodman for a few moments. She leaves a desperate message on a paper towel in the bathroom: “Help me. He’s going to kill me.” To be continued…

Analysis:

The much publicized CSI trilogy kicks off in Miami with a decent if unspectacular outing. I admit to thinking right off the bat that the CSI franchise as a whole has gone to the sex trafficking well a few too many times. Four entries over a combined twenty-one seasons might not sound like a lot, but the episodes follow a pretty predictable pattern, from the victimized, sullen girls to the unrepentant, sneering villains to the big save at the end where the women blink up into the light as the CSIs heroically come to save them. While the best entry of the four, CSI: NY’s “She’s Not There” elevated the fare with Stella taking the lead and development for some of the victims and their families, the other three entries–Miami’s “Legal” and “Won’t Get Fueled Again” and CSI’s “Disarmed and Dangerous” followed the more predictable path. And while Miami’s entry is more about murder and dismemberment than actual sex trafficking, the shadow of the storyline looms over the episode and makes the whole thing feel familiar. I’ll reserve judgment until I see the whole trilogy of course, but for a three-episode crossover that’s the first of its kind, it would have been fun to see the shows venture into newer, fresher territory. It’s not that sex trafficking isn’t topical; it’s simply that the franchise has yet to give this crime an interesting villain. And in a trilogy that allows the leads of all three CSI shows to partner up, the villain is important. Would the first Miami/NY crossover (“Felony Flight” and “Manhattan Manhunt”) have been as interesting if villain Henry Darius hadn’t been a compelling bad guy? Probably not.

That being said, there’s a lot of great material here, and the meeting of Horatio Caine and Ray Langston doesn’t disappoint. Horatio has always been warm and open with anyone who shows up to help him solve a crime or catch a killer, and he and Langston hit it off right away. Horatio endearingly refers to Langston as “Dr. Ray” and the two fall into a natural camaraderie. There’s even a reference to the very first CSI: Miami episode, the backdoor pilot “Cross-Jurisdictions”, with Horatio greeting Langston with a reference to Catherine and Warrick, the two CSIs he worked closely with in that episode. “Tell Catherine I’m sorry about Warrick Brown,” he says, a nod to the death of Warrick at the beginning of CSI’s previous season. Like a good host, David Caruso exudes a welcoming warmth in his interactions with Langston. It’s a credit to both writer Barry O’Brien and Laurence Fishburne that Langston feels absolutely in character in this episode. Writing for a character from another show is a tricky challenge no doubt, but Langston fits right in with the Miami team–and feels consistent with how he behaves and speaks on CSI. For his part, Fishburne proves he absolutely has a handle on the character of Langston here.

The episode–as I imagine all of the trilogy will be–is heavily plot driven, balancing two linked but separate murders. The first, the murder of Ashley Tanner in Miami, is perpetrated by one of those stereotypical moustache-twirling baddies: slimy pimp Jimmy Burris. Though he’s played with sniveling aplomb by Louis Mandylor, all we really learn about Burris is that he’s a shameless sleaze, completely unapologetic about essentially abducting young women and forcing them into sexual slavery. At least Amaury Nolasco’s Nathan Cole seems somewhat repentant; Nolasco gives his character an edge of desperation that gives him a bit more depth than Burris has. Though Cole’s actions are plenty reprehensible, at least he wasn’t cutting up a living girl.

Ashley Tanner’s murder is wrapped up neatly, but Stephanie Matthews’ killer remains at large. I suspect her murder won’t be solved until the trilogy concludes in Vegas–most likely it will be the element that bookends the whole venture. After Burris’ guilt is revealed, Horatio laments to Langston, “This doesn’t end here, does it?” No indeed, not with the threat of the Zetas looming large. I can’t say the idea of another gang feels particularly thrilling either–the problem with gangs is that, again, they tend to feel like collectives of interchangeable baddies who come off as evil for evil’s sake. Because the CSI shows are largely episodic and can’t delve into the complex gang politics the way serialized shows like Homicide: Life on the Street or The Wire did, the gangs come off as largely stereotypical and flat. They’re far less interesting than individual murderers whose psyches the shows can delve into.

The cliffhanger isn’t exactly one that leaves viewers breathless either. Madeline dares to leave a note in the bathroom at a rest stop, but didn’t think to make an impassioned plea to anyone after she was arrested–and presumably separated from Tyler Goodman for at least a little while. Oh, sure, she casts an intensely sad look at Calleigh, but I find it hard to believe she didn’t interact with anyone who she could have told her story to in lock up. How is it that she’s willing to leave a note in a public restroom but not talk to the police when she’s literally in their custody? Hopefully that will be explained at some point in the remaining two episodes.

The episode has a winning bit of comic relief when Ryan and Walter encounter the bear near the rest stop. In a downright hilarious scene, the two men freeze upon seeing the huge bear and Ryan whispers to Walter: “Just make yourself small and non-threatening.” The tall, far-from-diminutive Walter counters with an emphatic “I can’t!” and sure enough, attracts the bear’s attention. The two men let out yells that could rival any scream queen’s before Jesse swoops in to save the day, gallantly saying, “You’re safe, girls!” as he shoots the bear with a tranquilizer dart. The whole sequence is laugh-out-loud funny, and played to perfection by Jonathan Togo, Omar Benson Miller and Eddie Cibrian.

The episode continues in CSI: New York, though at this point there’s no indication of exactly what will bring Langston to New York. He’ll certainly be raking in the frequent flier miles on this expedition, though one of the requirements for enjoying the crossover venture is the suspension of disbelief that the Las Vegas crime lab would pay to fly a CSI around the country in the hopes of solving what at the outset at most seems to be a double homicide–with only one victim actually having a connection to Las Vegas. That suspension of disbelief might be a little easier to come by if the CSIs were tracking a single, memorable sinister villain–rather than a faceless gang we’ve been told is evil. Hopefully the trilogy will pick up some steam as it goes along, but for now it feels distressingly pat and predictable.

The CSI Miami co-executive producers discuss the big CSI crossover kicking off in Miami tonight, a deadly situation for three CSIs and what brings Eric Delko back–on the opposite side of his former colleagues. Spoilers inside!

CSI: Miami’s eighth season has been one of many changes for the show, with the departure of Adam Rodriguez (Eric Delko) from regular rotation and the addition of several new characters, including Jesse Cardoza (Eddie Cibrian), a CSI who worked with Horatio years ago. Co-Executive Producers Marc Dube and Barry O’Brien share some insight about the cast changes this season, what fans can expect to see in the Miami episode of the three show crossover and the status of Calleigh (Emily Procter) and Delko’s complicated relationship.

CSI Files: The big CSI crossover is set to kick off in Miami this week. What can you tell us about the Miami installment?

Barry O’Brien: The first installment of the crossover begins in Miami, Monday at ten. It’s a compelling story with noir elements — we open on a young girl, seemingly terrified, behind the wheel of her car, fleeing the city of Miami. Her tires have worn down to the rims, sparks are flying, which give evidence to her desperation. Meanwhile, the girl’s mother makes a frantic plea to Horatio Caine (David Caruso)– find her daughter. She’s missing. Our CSIs embark on what begins as a search for a missing person. Unfortunately, when they find body parts strewn off the side of the freeway, their search turns to a murder investigation. Our CSIs find parts to a second body that connects us to a missing girl in Las Vegas. Calleigh Duquesne (Emily Procter) reaches out to the Las Vegas CSI’s. As a result, Dr. Raymond Langston, played by the legendary Laurence Fishburne, flies to Miami to join the investigation. Dr. Langston and Horatio work side by side to solve both murders. In the course of their investigation, Horatio and Dr. Langston uncover a deadly conspiracy involving the Zeta Gang and long haul truckers. That story continues as we follow a young girl, kidnapped and forced into the back of an eighteen wheeler, bound for New York.

CSI Files: How will Horatio and Ray Langston get along?

O’Brien: The relationship between Horatio and Dr. Langston mirrors the relationship between David Caruso and Laurence Fishburne. These two legendary, iconic actors are truly friends. Theirs is a friendship based on a shared history as actors and the mutual respect afforded performers at the very top of their games. Watching them work together was a lot like watching professional athletes. There was a camaraderie and electricity between them like nothing I have ever seen.

CSI Files: The big news this season in CSI: Miami seems to be all the cast changes! How is everyone adjusting? What’s the biggest challenge going into the eighth season of the show with the departure of one regular and the addition of three more?

O’Brien: The cast has certainly gone through some changes. We all feel it. Actors, writers, crew. After eight seasons, the show functions as a true family. We saw the fabric of that family transition a bit this year. Adam Rodriguez left to pursue other career options. Eddie Cibrian, Omar Benson Miller and Christian Clemenson came in to fill the void. That shows you the power of Adam. It took three people to try and fill his slot. The happy truth is, Adam isn’t gone. He’ll be back for a ton of episodes this season and, hopefully, will rejoin the family full time. So, we have the amazing benefit of Eddie, Omar and Christian and have Adam as well!  Eddie Cibrian as Jesse Cardoza is an exciting addition to the show. He has a mysterious back story that we’ll be exploring in upcoming episodes. Omar is a great talent from the feature world who gives us both solid comedy elements as well as a sense of authenticity to his role. And, the Emmy-winning Christian Clemenson as ME Tom Loman… he’s a gem!

CSI Files: Was the introduction of Jesse Cardoza planned before Adam Rodriguez decided to leave the show?

O’Brien: Adam’s departure took us all by surprise. Thankfully, Eddie was available and immediately gave us all a sense of confidence that, yeah, we’d be okay. With Adam’s return… you won’t believe the electricity between these two actors once they’re playing opposite one another. Stay tuned!

CSI Files: Jesse mentioned a mysterious woman in “In Plane Sight” but told Calleigh “it’s not what you think.” Can you tease anything about this woman’s identity? Will we get to meet her at some point?

O’Brien: Jesse did, in fact, mention a mysterious woman from his past. The subject came up between both Walter and Natalia (Eva La Rue). The most I’m able to tease at this point is — it’s a mysterious woman from Jesse’s past. Trust me when I tell you, the mystery will unfold in a surprising and compelling way. And soon!  And, yes, the audience will definitely be meeting her!

CSI Files: Are there sparks flying between Jesse and Natalia? Is there a possible romance there?

O’Brien: Jesse and Natalia are great in scenes together, aren’t they? Sparks… well, let’s just say they push each other’s buttons. Natalia is on to the fact that Jesse may be hiding something. And, she’s determined to find out what that something may be. Natalia Boa Vista has a bit of a mysterious past herself. I think that enables her to see some of the damage behind Jesse’s stoic demeanor. Suffice to say, all is not what it seems with either Jesse or Natalia. When the truth comes out, new vulnerability will be revealed for both characters. And, that’s the stuff of great drama.

CSI Files: Fans have noticed Natalia is around less than some of her co-workers. Is there a reason for this? Can we expect to see more of her in future episodes?

Marc Dube: We certainly have a larger cast to contend with this season. Which is a great thing. More story possibilities. However, as a result, we have to shuffle around some of our players on the field. By season’s end, we really make a conscious effort to be sure every character has faced some kind of personal or professional challenge. Natalia Boa Vista’s turn is certainly coming. She will be facing a personal setback in the workplace, which forces her to conceal a harsh truth from colleagues.

CSI Files: What’s on the horizon for Ryan Wolfe (Jonathan Togo)? He and Delko had a rocky start that ultimately resulted in a friendship; will Ryan and Jesse become friends as well?

Dube: Ryan and Jesse are forging a unique relationship. They’re definitely not afraid to bust on each other. Jesse was quick to point out that he was a member of CSI long before Wolfe showed up. And Wolfe is extremely curious about Jesse’s elusive background and is not afraid to put him on the spot about it. Jesse plays it off, but how long can he keeping the probing questions at bay?

CSI Files: What exactly is the status of Eric and Calleigh’s relationship? Are they still together, or is their relationship over?

O’Brien: The frayed ends and emotional unfinished business between Calleigh and Eric Delko will remain a driving force roiling just under the surface of season eight at CSI: Miami. As my daughter, Delaney, often asks me… will Calleigh and Eric ever get together? The answer is — I can’t say. But, that very question and the emotional power behind it, will inform every time these two characters are in a scene together. I can tell you this– I’m very confident you will not expect the surprising turns this subtextual story takes.

CSI Files: Delko left the lab, but we’ve heard he’ll be back on the show. What are the circumstances surrounding his return?

O’Brien: Delko makes a powerful return to the series in episode 811 when he becomes a forensic expert for the defense… opposing our CSIs in a pre-trial hearing in court over a shocking murder case.  Delko finds himself head to head against both Horatio and Calleigh on the witness stand as he counters forensic evidence our team presents for the prosecution. When the judge in the case refuses to take the case to trial, Delko finds himself “monitoring” his old team as they go back to the scene to find more compelling evidence. As you can imagine, the dynamic between the characters is turned on its ear and tested as its CSI versus CSI. Delko and his old team ultimately join forces to find the real killer. And, the outcome is a shocker!

CSI Files: Will there be any emotional fallout for Calleigh over his departure?

O’Brien: As I mentioned, the fallout for Calleigh and Delko will continue and deepen in complexity as the season progresses. Just as Locard says… one always leaves evidence on another. So, it goes for Eric and Calleigh. They’ve left an indelible mark on each other and this is the year they confront that.

CSI Files: Miami has something of a revolving door for lab techs. Is Walter Simmons here to stay?

Dube: We love the guy. He sells the science and he makes us laugh. His interaction with the rest of the cast feels fresh. We’ve really enjoyed his involvement in the show and are looking forward to seeing how it evolves.

CSI Files: We’ve heard that there will be a showdown between pals Jesse and Walter in which Jesse is aiming his gun at Walter. Can you tease anything about that situation?

Dube: Yes, you will see Jesse and Walter take each other on in an episode entitled, “Count Me Out.” You’ll see their friendship, but also their rivalry, and how they respond to a split-second life threatening decision. A near death experience can bring out the best and worst in people. For these two, it’s fight or flight. Which do they choose?

CSI Files: Rumor has it that two CSIs are caught in an explosion in a future episode. Can you tell us which two CSIs?

Dube: There are plenty of plot spoilers out there. We’ll let them do the heavy lifting. Two of our people do get in harm’s way — and a third has little choice but to do the same. Will they survive? Can’t say. But one thing’s for sure. Things will not be the same for one of them as a result. How’s that for a cliffhanger?

CSI Files: “Bad Seed” featured a great moment with the team all gathered together to discuss the case at hand. Can we expect to see more of that?

Dube: We’re really pushing to do more of that this season. It’s difficult to achieve from a production standpoint. More set-ups for our crew, more syncing of schedules. But it really is great to see the whole gang in a scene together. It reinforces the TEAM aspect and lends a greater sense of urgency to the stories we’re telling. It gives us a real “all hands on deck” feel.

CSI Files: Is Horatio’s son Kyle (Evan Ellingson) still working in the morgue?

Dube: Kyle could be working in the morgue… In your imagination. Maybe he’s working the graveyard shift. Either way, we’re not featuring him this season. We’ve elected to pursue other story lines for Horatio. That’s not to say the winds won’t change. We enjoyed exploring that side of Lieutenant Caine. Never say never.

CSI Files: Fan favorite Stetler (David Lee Smith) has been around quite a bit to butt heads with Horatio. Will he be showing up again anytime soon?

Dube: Stetler is the guy that stirs the pot. If our CSIs get angry on the job or at each other, it’s quite often because Stetler has stepped on somebody’s toes, made bold accusations, or questioned CSI operating procedure. He’s a valuable tool. If we want to lob another obstacle in front of our CSI’s, he’s our man. You will, most certainly, see him again.

The surprise ending featured in “Hostile Takeover” was not the first ending planned for the episode. “Every episode goes through multiple outlines before even becoming a script, and the script itself goes through at least four drafts before shooting begins,” Grace D, the Production Assistant in the Writers’ Office at Miami, explained on the Producer’s Blog from CBS.com. “Corey Evett and Matt Partney, who wrote this particular episode, said they started the episode wanting to do a hostage situation in the crime lab. It was the hostage taker’s back-story that ended up shaping the plot.”

Partney described the hostage taker, Matthew Sloan (Sharif Atkins) as “a guy wronged by society and screwed by the economy.” He wanted Horatio Caine (David Caruso) to right these wrongs and get him justice. The thing that changed about “Hostile Takeover” from one version of the script to the next was just what those injustices were.

“In one of the first outlines, they had Sloan seeking revenge on the man responsible for getting his mom put in prison,” Grace continued in the blog post. “This man was Sloan’s mom’s boyfriend, also the counterfeiter in this version, and Sloan had a disturbing Oedipal obsession with his mom. The idea was nixed.” Another idea included Sloan’s ex-wife (played by Latarsha Rose) working with his doctor to over-medicate him so she could get custody of their son. These versions of the story painted Sloan as an unstable character that viewers would be unable to relate to. Changes were made, Evett explained, to make the character “less unhinged, more desperate.”

The writers decided to go with the child abuse storyline, but the cause of Jason Sloan’s (Scotty Noyd Jr) broken arm had not yet been determined. Initially, Sloan’s son received the injury while surfing, and a jellyfish sting would provide the team with proof that father and son were telling the truth. Ultimately, it was decided that Sloan’s ex-wife would be the abuser. That option was “a twist upon a twist,” Partney explained. Sloan seems guilty at first, and then suspicion shifts to the boy’s step father (played by Robert Gant). Having the mother as the abuser seemed like the least likely scenario.

Every episode goes through revisions, Evett and Partney said, but “Hostile Takeover” had a lot of changes. In fact, changes were still being made as the episode was filming. However, the basic storyline never changed. “The heart of it was always the same. That made the changes easier,” Evett explained. The end result of the challenges Evett and Partney faced was the final version of “Hostile Takeover” that made it to the air. “Each time around,” said co-executive producer Barry O’Brien, “the story deepened and the episode gained more heart and more meaning.”