Before getting together with Eric, Calleigh didn’t have much luck in love. “Calleigh has poor taste in men,” Procter told Zap2It. “She’s the child of an alcoholic. She has an alcoholic father. She picks terrible people for herself.” She added, “One’s dead; one got married. Jake [Berkely (Johnny Whitworth)] disappeared, but I think he’s coming back. Then there was the guy that I rode out into the sunset with, that we never saw again. He rode off into Cougar Town. That’s true, he did.”

Calleigh isn’t the only one whose relationships usually end in ruin—leading man Horatio Caine (David Caruso) has had some romantic woes of his own. “If I were a Floridian, I would not date either Horatio or Calleigh. It would not be a smooth move,” Procter said.

Putting Horatio and Calleigh together wouldn’t be a smooth move either, she explained. “The only reason I could guess that they didn’t put the two of them together would be that he’s a really mystical character,” she said. “If you had him in a personal relationship, inevitably he’d have to expose some of himself, and I just don’t think that, as a character, it works.” Or, she added, “maybe it’s because it was important that he always have really beautiful girlfriends that got killed.”

The romantic development between Calleigh and Eric was not a surprise for the actress. “We both watch TV,” she said. “There’s wish fulfillment in entertainment. Let’s face it, we, the humans, watch other humans being human for entertainment. It’s a big, fat zoo. Why wouldn’t you want to see love in there? I mean, it’s the most powerful thing of all.”

“I think it would be fun if it turned into a Mr and Mrs Smith thing,” the actress continued, referring to the possibility of her character marrying Eric somewhere down the line. “It’d be nice to see them at home, with children, trying to balance having a job like this.” She added, “I always think that when you can take the reality of a situation and add the fantasy to it, it’s good.”

According to TVGuide.com, Eric will launch an undercover investigation of the lab for the State’s Attorney’s office. He’ll also return to be by Calleigh’s side when she faces a dangerous situation at a crime scene. Co-executive producer Barry O’Brien promised that after all the ups and downs in their relationship, the pair will have some closure. “They’re going to face a defining moment of decision,” O’Brien said. “All the starts and stops in their relationship are going to be put to the test and they will finally make a decision that will inform their relationship for the remainder of the series.”

CSI Files previously reported that Mädchen Amick would be joining CSI: NY in a recurring role as a love interest for Mac. However, things may not end well for the pair. TVGuide.com reports that Mac will have to choose between Amick’s character and another woman—one that New York fans are familiar with.

Source: Twitter

1. In college, I was a weather anchor for the local news. I would “borrow” my forecast from The Weather Channel.

2. I love aimlessly shopping at drugstores.
3. I am currently in training for the 2040 Senior Olympics.
4. I always wear high heels.
5. When I was 8, my favorite toy was a stapler. My brother was afraid of me.
6. 180 episodes of CSI: Miami and never the same lipstick twice!
7. I squirrel away sealed greeting cards that people give to me so I can open them later when I’m having a bad day.
8. The red carpet is terrifying.
9. Kevin, my 17-year-old cat, can’t wait to lick the dew off the plants each morning.
10. Dear cable, please stop programming cake-making shows. You are ruining my relationship.
11. To say that I am organized is an understatement, but my car tells a different story.
12. I steal raw veggies from the food table at work. I take them home and make soup.
13. I don’t e-mail.
14. I talk to my childhood best friend everyday.
15. [Rolling] Stones versus Beatles? Stones!
16. I can put on lip liner and lipstick without looking in the mirror.
17. You can tell a lot about a person by their reaction to The Big Lebowski.
18. I’m intrigued by James Franco (but who isn’t?).
19. Music in our home is delivered strictly by LP. Vinyl forever!
20. One of my passions is interior decorating.
21. I prank-call my manager at least once a week. He’s a sucker each time.
22. I’m very self-conscious having my picture taken, so I clown around. My driver’s license photo looks like a blonde Elvis.
23. I am aggressively friendly. I love people. Look out. (That means you.)
24. I take a bubble bath every night.
25. I have not checked a suitcase in eight years.

Synopsis:

An SUV slams into a Bentley, sending the car careening. A man runs up to the SUV and sees a woman dead in the front seat. He calls 911 and the CSI arrive at the scene. A teenage boy, Greg, is pulled from the car, and his younger sister, Lily, is found, alive, a ways from the car, leading the CSIs to conclude she was thrown from it during the accident. The woman in the front seat, their mother Karen, is dead. The driver of the Bentley is nowhere to be found, and when the team runs the plate they learn it belongs to a man named Billy Jones who reported it stolen the day before. Jesse and Walter examine the car and note that the front seat is pushed far back, indicating the driver was tall. The two take a look at the 6′4″ concerned passerby that called 911, Victor Emparo, and realize he was the driver of the Bentley. Victor admits he was the driver, but fearing litigation, he didn’t want to admit to it. Victor notes that he was lucky and wasn’t injured in the accident. Jesse brings him in to the station, and Victor’s sister, Marta, shows up, demanding to see her brother. She tells Jesse that she stole the car: Billy Jones is her ex-boyfriend and she fled his house the night before in the Bentley, and Victor was driving it back to Billy’s house when he got in the accident. Jesse takes her to see her brother, but before they can get to him, he collapses and dies in holding. Dr. Loman examines him and determines his brain was fatally shaken up in the accident, causing cracks and fissures to appear; Victor was basically a walking dead man.

The CSIs turn to figuring out the cause of the crash and, based on the tire patterns, determine the SUV struck the Bentley. But what caused the SUV to swerve into it? When Calleigh learns Karen Ballard had a .115 BAC, she gently questions Karen’s husband, Andrew, about whether his wife had a drinking problem. Andrew, who says he was at work at the time of the accident, insists his wife wasn’t an alcoholic. Dave Benton is able to recover data from the Ballards’ GPS, which shows that Karen was at a bar before she went to pick her children up. The waitress recalls Karen–and remembers that she met a man who wasn’t Andrew there, but only saw Karen with one drink. Karen was having an affair, but it seems she perhaps wasn’t drunk. Horatio posits that a bacteria buildup in Karen’s system could have resulted in a false positive, and suggests Calleigh test the viscuous fluid from one of Karen’s eyes. Calleigh goes back to the scene to hunt for Karen’s eye, which was severed in the crash. She finds it and confirms in the lab that Horatio was right: her BAC was only .02, well below the legal limit. Ryan finds a shoe tread pattern on the break pedal that doesn’t match Karen’s shoe. The pattern proves to match the shoe of her son, Greg. Greg insists he hasn’t driven the car in two weeks; the last time he drove it, he was busted for drag racing with his friends–and for having pot in the car. He claims his mother was driving the car. The CSI team gathers to determine who was driving the car based on fiber deposits from the various passengers’ clothes, which were left during the accident. Their results confirm that Greg was in the back of the car during the collision–and fibers found on the steering wheel match the pants of his sister Lily–not their mother.

In the hospital, fourteen-year-old Lily tells Horatio and her father that she was driving because her mother forgot her glasses. Lily swerved to avoid hitting an alligator, and feels terrible that she caused the accident, but Horatio isn’t so certain it was her fault. Horatio and Ryan go over the car again, and Ryan discovers a hose on the SUV has been cut. Horatio and Tripp interrogate Andrew Ballard, asking him why he lied about being at work during the accident. Andrew admits he was watching football, but denies having anything to do with sabotaging the car. When he learns his wife was having an affair, he’s shocked and saddened by the news. The team turns back to the car and Calleigh notices the smell of marijuana coming from under the hood. She realizes Greg must have hidden the pot in the body of the car, and inadvertently cut the hose when he did. Greg is devastated when he learns he accidentally caused the accident that killed his mother, and asks that his sister Lily be told it wasn’t her fault. Marta Emparo thanks Jesse for talking her ex out of pressing charges and tells him how terrible she feels about letting her brother return the car in light of what’s happened. Jesse tells her that her brother saved a kid’s life–that he was a hero.

Analysis:

Miami goes for a simpler story and comes out a winner in this latest installment, which highlights team interactions and believable turns rather than non-stop action and over-the-top twists. For the most part this season, Miami has taken it down a few notches–and that’s a very good thing. Miami might be known for its high-octane action sequences, but the show is at its best when its team is working at unraveling a complex mystery rather than getting into shootouts with gang members. This particular story is powerful in part because there are no real bad guys–just a bunch of people trying to protect their loved ones not because they did something completely terrible, but because a series of small mistakes has led to a terrible tragedy. Greg covers for his mother, who lost her glasses, and his sister, who was driving at fourteen. Victor covers for Marta, returning the car she took from her ex-boyfriend so she could flee his house. Even the secrets here aren’t that scandalous–Andrew doesn’t answer his phone because he’s watching a football game, Victor doesn’t want to admit to driving the car but doesn’t leave the scene. The one that is–Karen’s affair–doesn’t end up being a big factor in the accident at all, which is a pleasant surprise.

The result is characters that are wholly sympathetic, which is a refreshing change of pace from the one-note sleazeballs who pop up on Miami all too often. Indeed, Andrew Ballard is one of the most sympathetic guest characters I’ve ever seen. Played with incredible depth by Henry Simmons, Andrew is a man we instantly feel sorry for–and continue to sympathize with as the episode goes on and he discovers his wife had a lover–and one of his children might be responsible for the accident. Simmons, who spent several years on NYPD Blue, gives a dynamite performance, making the audience feel Andrew’s shock and devastation as he grapples with the loss of his wife, his guilt over not answering her phone call when he was watching football, and the news that his wife was having an affair. Simmons is just brilliant in the role, a real standout.

Of course, the big guest star news generated in this episode was from LA Laker Pau Gasol, who played the ill-fated Victor, who walked away from the accident only to drop dead later. Gasol gives a passable performance; stunt casting rarely results in the dynamite guest turns, unless the person cast is actually an actor, and not a singer or athlete (the memorable franchise exception was Taylor Swift on CSI last season). Gasol’s height factors into the case usefully, though, and Paloma Guzman gives a sympathetic performance as Victor’s forlorn sister. I can’t help but wish we’d seen more of Sherri Saum, who portrayed the ill-fated Karen Ballard, but she only appears in flashbacks. Saum and Eddie Cibrian shared the screen once before, in the Aaron Spelling daytime sudser Sunset Beach.

The writers are working in more humorous moments with the characters this season, and that too is a welcome development. Newbie Walter gets teased a lot about his size, but he’s more than willing to give as good as he gets. When Jesse points out that the driver of the Bentley is a “big guy” like Walter, Walter retorts with a correction: “tall guy.” Walter gets in a joke at Ryan’s expense, wondering as he watches Ryan slide out from under the SUV, “How do you fit under there?” The writers are definitely getting a lot of mileage out of the noticeable difference in height between Ryan and Walter, and Jonathan Togo and Omar Miller bring good humor and a sense of fun to their interactions. Ryan loves jousting back, too: later in the episode he jokes that Walter’s promotion to the night shift has made him think he’s “god’s gift to forensics.”

If not forensics, certainly CSI: Miami: Walter is offering the show some much needed comic relief. I can’t remember laughing out loud so many times during an episode of CSI: Miami since Speed and Delko bantered back in the early seasons of the show. Calleigh gets to have a little fun with Walter when he insists she keep the eyeball away from him if she does find it. “Eyeballs are my Kryptonite,” he shudders. Of course, this prompts Calleigh to gleefully bring her finding over to Walter after she’s boxed it for transport, prompting the poor lab tech to jump at the sight. Walter is just a fun character, and Miller a fount of charm and charisma. He’s a welcome addition to the show.

On a more serious note, Calleigh actually opens up to Andrew Ballard about her father’s alcoholism when trying to get him to confront the possibility that his wife was an alcoholic. Despite her sunny demeanor and warm, open smile, Calleigh is not a person who shares those kind of personal details readily. Andrew insists he knows his wife, but Calleigh makes clear she knows what she’s talking about when she tells him, “I have an alcoholic in my family.” She knows the tricks and the way alcoholics try to hide the addiction. But when the science proves Andrew right, Calleigh is quick to tell him flat out that she made a mistake and apologize. Emily Procter makes it clear that Calleigh takes the apology seriously–she of all people knows the gravity of the implication she made earlier.

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.