Overview: 'CSI: New York,' the third incarnation of the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation franchise and the spin-off of CSI: Miami, is a crime drama about forensic investigators who use high-tech science to follow the evidence and solve crimes in The Big Apple. Detective Mack "Mac" Taylor is a dedicated and driven crime scene investigator who believes that everything is connected and for everyone there is a story. He and his partner, Detective Stella Bonasera, a workaholic and a jack-of-all-trades, share a passion for the job. They lead a team of experts amid the gritty and kinetic city that never sleeps. This is the complete third season and all the 23 episodes therein.

DVD Verdict: When this first came on TV, the first few episodes were just too downbeat for me and I stopped watching. It didn't have the excitement and color of the Las Vegas and Miami shows. Well, I turned out to be premature in my judgment of this show. A year later, I obtained the DVD of the first season and thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I thought it might be the best of all three CSI shows ... and was proven right with the release of the second and now the complete third seasons therein.

Oh, where to start?! Well, I never get tired of those aerial shots of the city! Odd they were tinted the blue the first month of the season and then brown-and-gray the rest of the year. As with the other CSI shows, the camera-work is fantastic. Those who have never seen any of the CSI shows on DVD owe themselves a look. They are spectacularly filmed.

However, unlike Miami and Las Vegas CSI shows, this is basically a no-glitz affair with the stories dominating. One problem with these shows is they are filmed on Los Angeles movie sets, so most of the time, because of crowds and other problems in filming locally, you don't see the main characters actually in the locales they are supposed to be. It would be fun watching them chase criminals in Central Park, at the Empire State Building, through Madison Square Garden, etc.

Having Gary Sinise star was a stroke of luck. He brings a truly different characterization to the role of head of crime lab. He is not a William Petersen clone nor A David Caruso. He owns his position in this family of shows. True, the series follows the pattern of its two sisters, but has managed to capture a taste of New York form location and temperment.

He and his partner, (the ever-so beautifully structured) Detective Stella Bonasera, a workaholic and a jack-of-all-trades, share a passion for the job. They lead a team of experts amid the gritty and kinetic city that never sleeps.

And is team? Well it includes Danny Messer, a Brooklyn-born investigator with rugged good looks, an unflappable spirit and a colorful family history, and Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, a reclusive coroner who walked away from a promising surgical career after the traumatic loss of two patients. Joining them is homicide Detective Don Flack, an edgy, hardcore investigator with a quick wit, impressive forensic insight and limited patience with potential suspects. Rounding out the team is Aiden Burn, a smart and sexy investigator whose chameleon-like behavior allows her to adapt to any situation at any time. These skilled investigators, who see New York City in a whole different light, follow the evidence as they piece together clues and eliminate doubt to ultimately crack their cases.

Season 3 takes the drama and danger to a whole new level as the brilliant ciminalists risk eveything in the continual quest for justice. Look out for special guest appearances by Nelly Furtado as a store thief, John McEnroe, Joey Lawrence (as a bad guy once off the hook but now back on it), and Criss 'Mindfreak' Angel himself!

Oh yeah and finally, this season of 'C.S.I. New York' (Episode 5, "Oedipus Hex") shows off some of the hottest members of the Suicide Girls! Even Missy Suicide (the founder of SG). Hot girls and possibly the best use of Pantera's "Walk" ever! The performance by the Creepy Carries is reason enough to pick up this third season of 'C.S.I. New York'! This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

Audio Commentaries on 4 episodes (2302, 305, 308, 312
5 Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes