Review: CSI Miami S08E16 - L.A.

An episode that links back to Jesse's past in Los Angeles and is directed by Rob Zombie lifts the expectations beyond CSI: Miami quality, and so all it really does is disappoint.

This week, Horatio and his team are confronted with the murder of a young woman who is tied with the porn industry. One of the suspects is a man who Jesse tried to put behind bars back in L.A., but failed to do so thanks to missing evidence. The memories of those events come back and influence the case in such a way, that Horatio is forced to go to the city of angels and solve a case that could tear up his team.

A setting like that and the show could've easily pulled one of the best episodes of the season. A chance to create back story for a new character, have shifting alliances and two cases that need to be solved, doesn't come around often. Unfortunately, CSI: Miami isn't going out of it's way to score and sticks with the same formula that has been working for eight seasons. Both cases are simple, most of the episode Horatio is in L.A. talking about what happened before, while Calleigh is in Miami talking about what is happening now. No major revelations, nothing surprising, in fact, using Los Angeles as a backdrop for the episode doesn't work at all with the knowledge that we've been watching eight years of that city on this show. And even though this could've been a great set-up for a fourth sibling in the CSI-family, it doesn't add to the episode at all. Frankly, the only thing that saves Zombie from not putting anything in the episode, and the story from being completely boring are a group of wonderful guest stars. Paul Blackthorne, William Forsyth, Malcolm McDowell and Sheri Moon Zombie lift the episode to a much more interesting place and own the regular cast in every scene they are in. In the end, you're actually gratified that you got to know them for this episode, which is rare for this show that focuses on the action and images of a case, rather than on the characters.