Season OneAs Lt. Horatio Caine (David Caruso) notes in episode 4 ("Just One  Kiss"), "The evidence, as always, will speak for itself." In other  words,CSI: Miamifollows the same super-successful formula asCSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Fortunately, this instantly popular spin-off established its own unique identity from the start. LikeCSI, the Dade County criminalists ofCSI: Miamisolve murders using forensic science. Unlike the Vegas crew, however,  they're cops with the power to arrest, their coroner (Alexx Woods) talks  to dead people, and almost everybody speaks Spanish. Sometimes their  crime scene is a swamp, sometimes a resort hotel. Either way, the skies  are always sunny--the gators always biting. Real-life Florida resident  Caruso is joined by Khandi Alexander (NewsRadio) as Woods, Emily Procter (The West Wing) as ballistics expert Calleigh Duquesne, Adam Rodriguez (Roswell) as underwater recovery expert Eric Delko, and featured player Rory Cochrane as Tim "Speed" Speedle. Cochrane (Dazed and Confused) wouldn't become a full-fledged cast member until the 12th episode ("Entrance Wound"). Meanwhile, Kim Delaney (Caruso's formerNYPD Bluecast mate) wouldn't join until the first ("Golden Parachute"), but left  after the 10th ("A Horrible Mind"), reportedly due to a lack of  chemistry with Caruso.Just asCSIhas made the most of its location with stories about showgirls and casino owners, so hasCSI: Miamiexploited its surroundings for all they're worth. Pilot episode "Cross-Jurisdictions" (a crossover withCSI),  for instance, was loosely based on the murder of Miami-based designer  Gianni Versace. Other notable episodes include "Camp Fear" withJoan of Arcadia's Amber Tamblyn as a detention camp cadet and "Dead Woman Walking" with Karen Sillas (Under Suspicion) as a victim of radiation poisoning. Like its parent program,CSI: Miamiquickly became a ratings powerhouse and was followed byCSI: New Yorkin 2004.--Kathleen C. FennessySeason ThreeEach locale in theCSIfamily has their own color palette: the original series is a dingy, seedy green, whileNew Yorkis shot in gloomy blue hues.Miami,  on the other hand, is a rich meld of citrus yellows and oranges, as  bright as star David Caruso's hair. Yet with all the muscle-beach shots  and balmy palm trees, grisly crime scenes are waiting to be dusted. The  third season ofCSI: Miamistarts off with a bang (literally) as  cast regular Rory Cochrane is killed in the line of duty. His death  casts a shadow over the Miami crew, who have the courtesy to mention his  name every few episodes or so. Instead of replacing Cochrane with a  colorful new character, however, he's replaced by replicas of the other  shows. One is young, inexperienced Ryan Wolfe (Jonathan Togo, bearing a  resemblance to the originalCSI'syoung, inexperienced Eric  Szmanda). Also joining the cast full-time is Det. Yelina Salas (Sofia  Milos), who brings a Raphaelite beauty to the cast a la Melina  Kanakeredes fromCSI: NY, but she has very little to do but  receive longing glances from Horatio Crane (Caruso), who still harbors  feelings for her. Too bad she's the widow of Crane's dead brother.Miami's  unusual cases include an axe murderer (Eric Roberts) with an  apprentice; a Romeo who dies at a speed-dating event; a corpse whose  skull must be boiled for processing; a party girl crushed to death by a  snake; and a crime scene that involves a tsunami (yes, that's right.).  Even pro skateboarder Tony Hawk turns up as--what else?--a pro  skateboarder who's killed while motion-capturing himself for a video  game. The best thing inCSI: Miamiis Caruso, who gets more  yardage out of Horatio Crane than the other CSI franchise leads. As a  detective, he isn't restricted to swabbing people's mouths but gets to  pull out a gun and strong-arm suspects. He also may have the biggest  love for over-the-top dramatic pauses on television ("Because. The  evidence. Is. The. One. Who's. Talking."), but he's having fun doing  it.--Ellen A. KimSeason FourA marriage, a murder, and a mole all play relevant roles in the fourth season ofCSI: Miami. Easily the most stylistic show in theCSIfranchise, the series stars David Caruso (NYPD Blueas Horatio Caine, the lead investigator with the Miami Police  Department. With his black clothing, Caine stands out in a sea of  pastel-clad colleagues that include ballistics expert Calleigh Dusquene  (Emily Procter), underwater recovery whiz Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez),  and medical examiner Alexx Woods (Khandi Alexander). Speaking in an  even-keeled tone, Caine's one-liners effortlessly roll off his tongue in  the same manner asLaw & Order'sLenny Briscoe (Jerry  Orbach). When a philandering husband--whose DNA is being  collected--excuses his behavior by saying, "So I'm human," Caine zings  back, "Yeah, too bad there's not a swab that can confirm that." On the  25 episodes featured in this 7-disc set, he doesn't scream or shout  once. When alarmed, Caine lets his gun make his more salient points.  Actually, he and the other CSIs seem more proficient with their weapons  than the FBI that sometimes "backs" them up. Who needs a sniper when  Horatio is there? The generally good-looking cast also spends more time  in the field than in the crime lab, giving them plenty of opportunity to  bask in the sunshine and mingle with the bikini-clad beauties that seem  to populate Miami. Even semi-regular cast member Joel West, who plays a  police officer, is a former Calvin Klein model.The season, which ran during 2005-2006, includes a crossover episode withCSI: New York.  Unfortunately, only the Miami segment is included on this set, leaving  viewers to wonder what happened in Part 2 when Caine and Mac Taylor  (Gary Sinise) team up to capture a serial killer who locks children in  the closet while he murders their parents. Still, there are some  excellent episodes on this set, including one where a team of scam  artists pose as father and children to steal a slew of money from the  local country club Richie Riches. Another involves a group of college  kids intent on recreating the violence they've played on aGrand Theft Auto-type  of videogame. In many ways, this season is more about style than  substance. Why else would there be avant-garde subtitles for one  sequence where the criminal is speaking perfectly coherent English? More  so than in previous seasons, there is a soap opera mentality to the  show that's entertaining, but out of place in this series. Horatio is  involved in a doomed romance, there's a romantic triangle between  colleagues, and all too much is made of a possible mole within the lab  who is leaking confidential information. While Caine's whispered threats  lend a certain entertaining cachet to the show, his preening gets old  fast. When he enters a room, Caine plants himself into a theatrical  stance that makes him look less like a tough guy than one of Charlie's  Angels. Too bad there's not a swab that can fix that.--Jae-Ha KimSeason FiveThe fifth season ofCSI: Miamibegins with revenge: Lead CSI  Horatio Caine (David Caruso) and underwater recovery whiz Eric Delko  (Adam Rodriguez) travel to Brazil to avenge the murder of Horatio's wife  Marisol (who was Eric's sister). While there, Horatio also helps his  sister-in-law and nephew after his brother is murdered by drug lords.  (Never mind that the crime-fighting duo seem to have carte blanche to do  as they like in a foreign country.) The scenes are beautifully shot and  the rhythm of the first few episodes are reminiscent of classicMiami Vice. The most stylistic--and hammy--show in theCSIfranchise,CSI: Miamiis driven by Caruso's quiet delivery. Never one to get overly excited,  Horatio rarely exhibits more than a shy smile or a whispery threat. In  this season, two CSIs--Ryan Wolfe (Jonathan Togo) and Natalia Boa Vista  (Eva La Rue) face professional and personal problems that could threaten  their jobs, while Horatio himself battles a recurring nemesis who  always seems to be one step ahead of him. The crimes range from an  apparent death by grizzly bear to what looks like an off-shore betting  pool dealing with celebrity deaths. After solving the latter case,  ballistics expert Calleigh Duquesne (Emily Procter) observes that  "Somebody will always think it's easy to make [money]." Taking his  classic hands on hips stance, Horatio says, "But we know different,  don't we?" Considered smarmy by some, and dreamy by others, Caruso is a  love-him-or-hate-him kind of actor. While he doesn't have the depth of  William Petersen (star of the originalCSI), his preening works in the context of the glitzierCSI: Miami.  All 24 episodes, which originally ran during 2006-2007, are included in  this six-disc set. Extras include a six-minute look at the actors'  wardrobe and a 25-minute documentary hosted by Togo that explores the  similarities (and differences) between real and fictional forensic  experts. Also, gamers will get a kick out of theCSI: Hard EvidencePC game that comes with the DVD box set.--Jae-Ha Kim