Corey Miller

CSI: Miami is best known for its fast-paced action sequences, dramatic shootouts and yes, those ubiquitous sun glasses. But as the show's seventh season gets underway, Supervising Producer Corey Miller promises viewers will be getting more insight into the characters who tirelessly investigate mayhem and murder in Miami. In a revealing interview with CSI Files' Kristine Huntley, Miller discusses what's ahead for each of the characters, as well as upcoming episodes that will give viewers a glimpse into Calleigh's psyche and the characters' first days as CSIs.

CSI Files: Horatio (David Caruso) got Ron Saris (Kim Coates) out of the way (for now?), but Julia (Elizabeth Berkley) is still standing between him and his son, Kyle (Evan Ellingson). Will their conflict continue?

Corey Miller: Yes. As seen in this season's "Bombshell" because of Julia's erratic behavior, Horatio will have to continue to monitor the ever-evolving situation. Julia hasn't been convicted of a crime since she came to Miami, but the suspicion still lingers. In last season's "Raising Caine" she was accused of blackmailing another man into killing her rich husband. She may even have coerced Ron Saris into killing the one woman who could have sent Kyle to jail for kidnapping. Now, Julia has gotten her way--she's rich, and has custody of her son. We would like to be able to explore whether this has all been some evil design on her part, or if she is just a magnet for trouble. Either way, Horatio will do what is best to protect his son, while continuing to explore his own feelings towards Julia.

CSI Files: Will we get to see more of Kyle? How will his relationship with Horatio grow this season?

Miller: We would definitely like to explore Horatio's relationship with his son some more this season. Since we don't typically "go home" with our characters, it has been a challenge to keep Kyle on the front burner, because we do not want him to have to be in trouble every time he comes around. But we are working on ways to further that dynamic, despite the obstacle.

CSI Files: We saw Horatio take a bit of a dark turn last season when he went to beat up a pedophile and make it look like the man had resisted arrest. Will we see more of this side of Horatio, and if so, will there be any consequences?

Miller: Horatio has always been a "Dirty Harry"-style cop, in that he sometimes colors outside the lines to protect the innocent. A big reason for that, I believe, is that even though Horatio doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve, he deeply feels every loss that he has experienced. Look at his track record. He lost his parents. His brother. And Marisol (Alana de la Garza), just after they were married. And I do think in some ways that when Marisol died, it changed him in a unique way. If a person as angelic and pure as Marisol could die, it is practically like the death of hope. Horatio felt that loss in a different way than any other, despite the fact they didn't have much time together. As a result, I do think Horatio's dark side has been simmering right underneath the surface. You can't be who he is and do what he does every day and not be affected in some way. Whether that means he will go too far one day, or whether there will be any consequences as a result, remains to be seen. But I think it's an interesting avenue to keep exploring.

CSI Files: Horatio was back in the lab much more often at the end of last season. Will that trend continue into this one?

Miller: Most definitely. We did realize we had somehow trended away from having Horatio get hands-on with the evidence, so we are trying to get him in there more often.

CSI Files: Did Ron die in that boat explosion, or might he be back to trouble H again?

Miller: I'd personally like to think Ron didn't die, because the actor Kim Coates is so wonderful to work with, and is such a fun nemesis for Horatio. If the stars align, I'd love to see him back to wreak more havoc.

CSI Files: We don't know much about the new ME, Tara Price (Megalyn Echikunwoke), yet. Can you tell us a little about her?

Miller: I think you'll find that Tara's got a much different attitude than Alexx Woods (Khandi Alexander)did regarding her job. As evident in her first appearance (this season's "Wont Get Fueled Again"), she leaps into any situation without an emotional attachment. Not to the crime, to the situation, or to the victim. You'd never find her speaking to victims, because when she sees them, she has already depersonalized them. In that sense, she is much more clinical. Tara is also very fond of new techniques, even untested ones. That may eventually get her into some hot water. There are definitely a lot of possibilities to explore with Tara.

CSI Files: Natalia (Eva LaRue) thought Dr. Price was trying to impress Delko (Adam Rodriguez) and Delko admitted he found her cute. Were those just offhand comments, or is something brewing there?

Miller: Those were just offhand comments. I don't think you'd find Eric Delko without an opinion on a beautiful woman. However, we have no current plans to explore a romantic relationship between the two.

CSI Files: Delko is still grappling with fallout from being shot. Will we see him continue to struggle this year, and if so, how?

Miller: Yes. Although it isn't something we overtly mention in every episode, Delko is definitely still trying to maintain a sense of normalcy in his life and work. He will never again be the person he was before the shooting. After he was shot, Delko went right back to work, in the vain attempt to believe he was the same guy he used to be. But he saw that road was very long and winding, and has taken steps to grab a hold of his life and re-evaluate his priorities. To that end, he has explored his feelings for Calleigh (Emily Procter). He went into therapy. And he has begun to look into his family history, to realize where he came from. And, through all this, there is one thought hanging over his every move: there is still a bullet fragment in his head, which could dislodge and become a life-threatening problem at any given time.

CSI Files: The romantic tension between Delko and Calleigh has been simmering since Delko recovered from the shooting. Will any progress be made? What's coming up for the pair?

Miller: We believe that there is an interesting dynamic between the two characters, and have been very careful to take baby steps in developing it. I cannot reveal what is in store for the two of them, but their burgeoning relationship will not be ignored.

CSI Files: Calleigh had quite a traumatic season last year, with being shot at and abducted. Will we see any fallout from that this season?

Miller: There isn't direct fallout from that particular incident, but I do think you'll notice some changes in Calleigh. We've all known Calleigh to be the steel magnolia of the team, never prone to showing too much emotion. But I do believe she has also been affected by the job and her ever-changing personal life. As you'll see in the last episode that I wrote, "Wrecking Crew" Calleigh becomes more personally affected by a case than perhaps she's ever been. And I do believe a part of that is due to the fact that she has been letting her defenses down a bit.

CSI Files: Are Calleigh and Jake (Johnny Whitworth) through for good, or will he show up again?

Miller: We'd love to have Jake make more appearances on the show. Johnny Whitworth has a great screen presence, and he and Emily have fantastic chemistry. If the stories allow for it, we'd love to throw him into the mix and see what drama can come from it.

CSI Files: Ryan (Jonathan Togo)has been keeping a low profile since he was rehired last season. What's in store for him?

Miller: In the upcoming episode "Power Trip," airing in November, we have a really great teaser showing Delko, Calleigh and Ryan outside of work, getting their first call out of the day to a crime scene. We're using this device to tease a personal story for Ryan which will play out over the remainder of the season. Wish I could say more at this point, but you know how that goes…

CSI Files: Natalia didn't have much going on last season. Can we expect more from her this year? What's coming up for her?

Miller: As the season progresses, you'll find Natalia feeling more compelled to take a personal interest in people she runs across on the job. The fact that many people look to law enforcement officers to solve all of their problems is not lost on her. And she may break a rule or two in her efforts, which may come back to haunt her.

CSI Files: Anything in the works for Frank Tripp?

Miller: I wouldn't want Rex Linn to read this and get too excited, but our long-standing joke on the set is that Rex is the show's "sexual tension." He's been begging us for years to introduce a woman on the show who can complicate Tripp's life--and he may finally get his wish!

CSI Files: Is there a chance we'll be seeing Rick Stetler (David Lee Smith) this season?

Miller: We have tossed around a really cool storyline which would include the man everyone loves to hate, so if all the stars align, expect to see him back in the halls, stirring up trouble.

CSI Files: What can we expect overall from CSI: Miami this season?

Miller: Well, we've just completed the script for episode twelve, and we really feel like we're hitting our stride. We've set out to modify the show in a couple of ways, and are very happy with the results. We're slowing down some of the pacing, for one. Letting more moments breathe. We've always tried to set ourselves apart from the "mother ship" CSI with more action and glamour, which will continue, but we also recognize that the best moments come from exploring the lives of the characters people have come to know and love over these past seven seasons. So expect more interplay between them, more conflict, and more humor. I know this will sound like a cheesy promo line, but if all goes to plan, season seven will build to an intense climax which will literally change the lives of all of our characters. So I hope everyone comes along for the ride.

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