Sock it to M.E.

Good news for fans of former CSI: Miami character Dr. Alexx Woods and the acress who portrays her, Khandi Alexander.  It appears that in this season's 14th episode, entitled "Smoke Gets in Your CSIs," viewers will be treated to a return of the compassionate (if sometimes unusual) Medical Examiner.  

While this is only a guest appearance, it does put a bit of a damper on the rumors that Alexander left Miami because of problems with co-star David Caruso.  If the rumors are indeed true, it's possible that Alexander agreed to return under specific conditions (aka: No scenes with Caruso).  However, it's highly unlikely that she would want to return at all if things were bad enough a year ago to cause her to want to leave the program.

The supposed trouble in paradise between Alexander and Caruso has been one of Vixen's favorite rumors.  Once again, there's video to dispute.

Isn't it ironic?  Vix will ramble on about how poor of an actor Caruso is, and yet when video evidence of Caruso and Procter (or Alexander in this case) is given showing them clearly getting along, she claims they're just playing to the cameras.  If that's the case, then their acting is obviously good enough to fool everyone else.  

It's a lose/lose situation for our favorite Diva.  If Caruso and Alexander ARE acting, then it proves that he's a better actor than she'd like to credit him for being.  If they're NOT acting and are, in all actuality, getting along just fine, well then, we all know what that means.  

Sorry, Vixie.  Better luck next time. 

Phoenix

For starters, Congrats to the Cast and Crew of CSI: Miami!! 150 episodes is nothing to scoff at.  What a feat it is that they've accomplished! 

Onto the episode itself. The quality of television on Monday night was strong. The elements that sometimes make Miami chuckle-able (not quite laughable in my book) seemed to be missing: Over-dramatic acting, over-the-top filtering of the images to enhance the colors, cheesy one-liners, sex, sex, and more sex, (they handled the 'affair' with tact, I thought), and the ace: an implausibly perfect Horatio. 

Kudos to Teri Polo for giving a great performance as the distraught mother. Perhaps the best guest-performance in the past several years. The scene in which her daughter is kidnapped was heart-wrenching, as it should have been. 

A few glimmers of hope for the future...In the interview during the 150th episode celebration, Eva La Rue mentioned that the producers, writers, etc were trying to get back to what made Miami so successful in the beginning. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However, when I saw the SOJ's around H's neck and noticed the absence of a one-liner, I started to wonder if that's what she meant. Are the cast/crew trying to get back to S1-3 Miami a bit more? 

Season 7 has been (so far) a pleasant surprise. The episodes have been rewarding and quite respectable. Superior to the improved season 6 and FAR superior to the mediocre Season 5. Here's hoping the trend continues. From what's been leaked about the upcoming episodes, this season looks as though it's only going to continue being strong. 

Is it possible for Miami to become the proverbial Phoenix and rise from the ashes of a mid-series slump as a fresher and better show?  

(Now I just have to sit back and wait for Vixen's response: "As long as David Caruso is there, the show will NEVER be fresh or good."  Then she'll continue on about how he's old, ugly, losing his hair, a screw-up, a jerk, a diva, etc, etc, etc.) 

Viva la Diva

Last season it was "portalphobia".  

This season it's irreconcilable differences between David Caruso and Emily Procter.  

Recently, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, the same 'journalist' (and I use that term lightly) who is responsible for the portalphobia blunder, reported that tension on the set of CSI: Miami between stars Caruso and Procter had reached a boiling point.  Supposedly the reason no scenes between Calleigh (Procter) and Horatio (Caruso) had been seen so far in Season 7 was because Emily was no longer willing to deal with David's "diva antics" on set.  

That argument imploded last night.

During the show's 150th episode, 'Gone Baby Gone', Caruso and Procter shared a crucial scene.  Is it possible that there are problems between the two actors?  Of course.  Is there any reason to believe that the blame lies solely on Caruso's shoulders?  None whatsoever.  

Our favorite internet Diva (aka Vixen) has run with Ausiello's column, spouting is as the gospel truth.  Interesting how the only sites that seem to be paying any attention to this rumor are ones on which Vixen (or one of her multitudes of aliases) posts her rants.  That alone should be evidence enough.  If there was truth (even the slightest bit) to this supposed rift, wouldn't it be getting airtime and ink on tv and magazines?  

If the scene from last night isn't enough, check out the videos CBS and ET posted of the CSI: Miami cast celebrating their 150th episode.  Caruso and Procter are front and center for the cake cutting.  Somehow Vixen manages to see discomfort between the two.  This blogger wonders what video Vixen's been watching.  But don't take anyone's word for it.  Click here and here to decide for yourself.

The evidence, or lack thereof, speaks for itself.

Blogger's note: It's only fair to post a link to the article.  Doing otherwise would make it seem as though there was something to hide.  Have at it.