The season begins by concluding the cliffhanger episode that ended Season 8. Attempting to deter a madman who seems to be holding all the cards, Horatio and his team prevail, but not without a loss in the family. The departure of CSI Cardoza (Eddie Cibrian) will be a surprise to his fans, but the relatively new CSI Simmons (Omar Benson Miller) appears to be a staple of the show. Miller's character has yet to be developed in a way that really fleshes out his background or makes him the central figure in an investigation, but his presence on-screen is a nice change for the show. Otherwise, the cast feels more stable than usual, without the come-and-go of previous seasons from CSI Delko or the episodes of last season that placed a few of the CSIs in jeopardy more than once. Horatio continues to be targeted, but the guy has definitely made his share of enemies over the years, so is this really a surprise?
The story arc across the entire season seems a nod to Batman, if you are a comics' fan and remember the storyline (this happened more than once) where some bad guy released a bunch of other bad guys from Arkham Asylum... Within the first five episodes, Horatio has confronted two old enemies (Joe LeBrock and Memmo Fierro) and has to oversee the recovery of a host of escaped prisoners. These are people Horatio and the CSI: Miami team put in jail, and many of them are very bad guys, with Memmo at the top of the list. Without spoilers, Horatio's final encounter with Memmo (in the episode "Last Stand") marks one of the best closing scenes in the entire franchise. It's the kind of open-ended storytelling that you would associate more with an indie film than a blockbuster TV series, a testament to the fact that the producers and directors of CSI: Miami have license to do just about anything they want at this point. Other notable episodes are those pulled from real-life, featuring plot development based on reality-TV ("Reality Kills"), millionaire matchmaking ("Match Made In Hell"), sexting ("F-T-F"), school bullies ("Stoned Cold"), and MMA ("Caged"). There are a staggering number of special features, including deleted scenes and commentaries on specific episodes. We also get a segment profiling the 200th episode celebration for CSI: Miami, a major milestone for the show this season. Back-stories that continue to surface include Horatio's dead wife, Ryan's gambling problems, and the romance between Calleigh and Delko. Calleigh plays a relatively minor role this season, and looked a bit swollen due to actor Emily Procter's real-life pregnancy, which was just never addressed during the show. Casual fans must have wondered when CSI Duquesne was going to fess up to gorging on fried chicken during her days off...
Again, without spoilers, we can only say that the culmination of Season 9 is every bit the cliffhanger as last season's final episode. CSI: Miami is assured a tenth season, but fans will be greatly unsettled by the events of the "Mayday" episode. Callum Keith Rennie (also of Battlestar Galactica) makes a good showing, but ultimately is the sideshow for a disaster that marks the finale of Season 9 as one of the best on record. Fans will be thrilled with this DVD collection, especially for its extensive offering of additional material that helps unearth the creative process behind the show. CSI: Miami: The Complete Ninth Season is as compelling as ever, and a worthwhile purchase for everyone from dedicated collectors to casual viewers interested in going deeper into the show.
