Miller Dishes Out 'Miami' Info

Corey Miller promises that fans will see Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez) dealing with the aftermath of his brain injury in the sixth season of CSI: Miami.

Miller told Sara from the official Yahoo group for Adam Rodriguez that Eric will continue to be affected by the injury he sustained during season five. "This turn of events will affect him for the rest of his life," he said. Being shot in the head changed the character, and Miller said that things can never go back to the way they were before.

"Brain injuries have been called a 'silent epidemic,' with so many people suffering in silence, misunderstood," Miller explained. "What we have been able to learn through our research is that people with these types of brain injuries will never be the same as they once were. With proper medication and care, some semblance of the person's former life may be restored. But they will never look at things the same way again. Completing what used to be mundane tasks may now be a huge struggle. And no two injuries are alike, because the brain is such an amazing, complex organ."

Being a CSI is not an easy job, and it is made even more difficult by the injury that Eric sustained. "[N]ot only will Delko have to try and do a complicated job and do it correctly, he will have physical and emotional effects to deal with as well," Miller said. "Not to mention that a portion of the sniper's bullet still rests in his brain, and could kill him at any moment. There is still a long road ahead of him."

Season five also hinted at a little bit of romance between Eric and Calleigh Duquesne (Emily Procter). Miller gave his take on what is--or isn't--going on between them. "We began to think of Calleigh and Eric as a possible couple after Delko was shot," he said. "There are many things that keep people apart romantically, and Calleigh and Eric were always too professional to do anything but occasionally flirt with each other. When Delko was shot, Calleigh was right by his side. And we thought that would be an interesting way to make them closer – because of Delko's brain injury, he may perceive things in a different way. He began to read into everything, and possibly mistook concern for affection."

Miller went on to say that, "just when these feelings could potentially be explored, Calleigh had already begun to see Jake [Berkeley (Johnny Whitworth)]. Again, just more potential for drama." Miller wouldn't reveal what might happen in season six, but he did say that "there will be complications. If there weren't, everything would be too easy."

Despite the fact that fans are getting glimpses into the private lives of the characters, Miller said that the "philosophy around here is to treat our characters' personal lives as ongoing mysteries in their own right." They will give hints about what happens after hours, but the show is not going to follow the characters home. "When the first CSI started, the edict was always, 'we don't go home with our characters,'" Miller said. "Meaning: we only get to know the characters through their work. This edict became a rule for all the CSI shows. So the challenge has always been how to have personal stories when you can't see the characters after they clock out for the day." Even though the team will only be shown in a work environment, Miller promised that there was something in store for everyone in season six. "We have come up with some character arcs for all of our people, and hope that by the end of the season they will all have evolved in some fashion," he said.

Miller also spoke about Miami's lead character and his signature mannerisms. "David Caruso determined the physicality of Horatio Caine before he shot a frame of film on the CSI crossover – the sunglasses, the body posture, the attitude," he explained. "And it's distinctiveness has given the character an iconic status – like it or not, you won't forget it. That was all deliberate on David's part. We're the number one show in the world right now, and a large reason for that is due to the fact that David has made Horatio Caine a larger-than-life hero, a modern-day Dirty Harry."

One thing that fans have noticed is that Horatio has spent more time being a cop and less time being a CSI over the years. "It is true that Horatio doesn't do as much lab work as he did in early seasons," Miller agreed. "I think that as our show became more action-oriented, Horatio got out of the lab environment more and more. If the need arises, he will process evidence." Miller also talked about other characters on the show, including Alexx Woods. "All of the writers love Khandi Alexander and we agree that she was shamefully underused last season. We hope to give her a chance to shine much more this season. She and her character deserve it."

Miller also weighed in on online fan interaction. "I can't tell you that the writers have never seen the message boards," Miller said, "but we do try to stay away from them as a rule, because we need to do what we do without feeling we are somehow being swayed by every random opinion that happens to be the topic of the day." He went on to say that "[i]t's wonderful that people like the show so much that they love to discuss it, but we need to do what we feel is right creatively in the moment."

He also spoke about criticism from both fans and the press. "When you're on a hit show, there's no way to exist in a vacuum," he said. "You're going to hear criticism at some point. Television is a very intimate experience on many levels. People feel closer to characters that they let into their homes week after week, so their opinions can be much stronger about what they do or do not like. Negativity in general is the biggest stumbling block to creativity. We try as hard as we can to see our own show as objectively as possible, and make adjustments as we go. But for the most part, we have to stick with our instincts and then stand by them, right or wrong."

When asked what was in store for season six, Miller wouldn't give away much. "Twenty-four episodes," he said. "And at least twenty-four murders. What, you want more than that? Ha. Hey, I wish I could give away some secrets, but I value my job too much! All I'll say is, like I mentioned earlier, we are going to try and do cases with more personal stakes for our CSIs this season." And where does he see the show in five years? "Hopefully still on the air!"

The full interview can be found on the official Adam Rodriguez Yahoo Group. Thanks to Sara for sharing it with us.

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