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.

Failure to Detonate

While perusing various blogs throughout the www, I came across one particularly stunning example of intelligence on display.  Apparently the blogger found a 'former' Miami fan who happened to agree with her sentiments regarding David Caruso and CSI: Miami.  

She states: 

CSI: Miami.

It's the biggest pile of crap on television. Partly because Icon of Idiocy David Caruso is becoming more and more a caricature of himself, with his ridiculously self-important portrayal of Horatio Cane.

I quit watching CSI: Miami last year, I couldn't stand the David Caruso Comedy Cabaret every week anymore. I still like Vegas and New York, though. Caruso always reminds me of a shrivelled orange....

Last night' episode "Bombshell" was another lame attempt to win back the shows' steadily declining audience. It was a weird, twisted, illogical plot. It's like no one on this show even bothers anymore. Caruso's performance was dull as all hell....

(Source http://davidcarusoandme.blogspot.com/ )

Now, what has me perplexed are the following two contradictory statements:

"I quit watching CSI: Miami last year"... and then the statement, "Last night's episode "Bombshell" was another lame attempt..."  

Would someone explain to me how it's possible to quit watching a show and yet manage to see last night's episode? I'm sorry I can't understand it.  I just don't speak BS.  

Who gets the last laugh?

A month ago I returned to my once-every-six-months haunt--David Caruso's IMDB page.  As it has been for the past couple of years, the page is dominated by a few regulars.  The most prominent (and my personal favorite) is Dixiebabe.  

For anyone who has attempted to post anything there that is remotely positive about David or even neutral, you know how quickly your opinion is shot down, devoured, regurgitated and then spit upon.  But Dixie can't help it.  It's just her nature, right?  

Not long ago she posted a French article (and used Google Language tools to get a laughable English translation) that, of course, mocked David and the show responsible for rocketing him back to stardom, CSI: Miami.

Well, that fine display of eloquent journalism got me thinking.  

There is so much 'out there' about David Caruso.  And by 'out there' I mean online, in dozens (if not hundreds) of blogs, on TV gossip shows, tabloids, magazines and websites.  Some fans post predictably positive comments.  Those who hate him post just-as-predictably negative comments.  It is a never ending battle which no one can win...

Except for one.  Someone will get the last laugh.

The article mentions the period in David's life when he struggled with alcoholism.  It's sad that he turned to alcohol--It's sad that anyone turns to alcohol.  But what is impressive is the fact that he overcame it.  He beat it.  Conquering alcoholism is not an easy thing to do, but he kicked the habit and, in a remarkable way, remade himself.  

Is his career as successful as it might have been had he stayed on NYPD Blue?  It's doubtful, but no one can say for sure.  One thing that is certain is that if David had stayed on NYPD Blue, the world would be missing one of the most iconic characters in television history.  

Horatio Caine. Love him or hate him, but you can't ignore him.  Maybe not everyone knows his name, but if you say, "the redhead on CSI: Miami", nearly everyone knows who you're speaking of.  

Some would argue that David is not successful.  But I ask, what is success anyway?  The American Heritage dictionary defines it as such: The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted.  

Okay, well then in that case Caruso is very successful.  He 'desired' to be a star.  He is such.  He 'planned' to breathe new life into his career, and, although it took nearly seven years, it happened.  He 'attempted' to get a big break, and CSI: Miami came along and gave him perhaps the biggest break of his career.

Caruso himself readily admits that he was foolish in the way he behaved when stardom hit nearly 15 years ago.  He knows he's lucky to have gotten a second chance.  He knows CSI: Miami will never be the media darling that NYPD Blue once was, but it is still wildly successful.  Regardless of anyone's opinion about the show, it cannot be denied that Miami is one of the most watched programs around the world.  Is it also mocked and ridiculed for its absurdities?  Certainly!  (I, for one, find the absurdities of the show to be one of its greatest strengths.)  However, people (even those who hate Caruso) continue to tune in by the millions on a weekly basis.  

I sometimes wonder if the anti-Caruso-ites realize that they're actually helping him.  By watching his show (to mock him) they're boosting the show's ratings.  

A word of advice: If you want to kill his career, stop watching his show.  

And yet...I don't think you can.  There is just something about David Caruso that you can't turn away from, no matter how much you hate him.  

So, laugh at him all you want.  But it's David who gets the last laugh, and he's laughing all the way to the bank.