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As Lt. Horatio Caine (David Caruso) notes in episode 4 ("Just One Kiss"), "The evidence, as always, will speak for itself." In other words, CSI: Miami follows the same super-successful formula as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Fortunately, this instantly popular spin-off established its own unique identity from the start. Like CSI, the Dade County criminalists of CSI: Miami solve 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 former NYPD Blue cast 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 as CSI has made the most of its location with stories about showgirls and casino owners, so has CSI: Miami exploited its surroundings for all they're worth. Pilot episode "Cross-Jurisdictions" (a crossover with CSI), for instance, was loosely based on the murder of Miami-based designer Gianni Versace. Other notable episodes include "Camp Fear" with Joan 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: Miami quickly became a ratings powerhouse and was followed by CSI: New York in 2004. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Led by former homicide detective Horatio Caine (Caruso), CSI: MIAMI follows a Miami forensics unit as they work crimes amid the steamy, tropical surroundings and cultural crossroads of Miami. Caine leads an elite team that includes Calleigh Duquesne (Procter), a bilingual Southern beauty with a specialty in ballistics; Tim Speedle (Cochrane), a cocky yet disarming investigator who is well-connected on the street; Eric Delko (Rodriguez), an underwater recovery expert who knows all the twists and turns of the Florida waterways; and Alexx Woods (Alexander), the no-nonsense, know-it-all coroner.

Each locale in the CSI family has their own color palette: the original series is a dingy, seedy green, while New York is 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 of CSI: Miami starts 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 original CSI's young, 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 from CSI: 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 in CSI: Miami is 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. Kim

A marriage, a murder, and a mole all play relevant roles in the fourth season of CSI: Miami. Easily the most stylistic show in the CSI franchise, the series stars David Caruso (NYPD Blue as 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 as Law & Order's Lenny 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 with CSI: 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 a Grand 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 Kim

The fifth season of CSI: Miami begins 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 classic Miami Vice. The most stylistic--and hammy--show in the CSI franchise, CSI: Miami is 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 original CSI), his preening works in the context of the glitzier CSI: 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 the CSI: Hard Evidence PC game that comes with the DVD box set. --Jae-Ha Kim

The sixth season of the popular hit television series, CSI Miami on DVD.

The sixth season of the popular CSI: Miami television series on DVD.