Ep 22. Open Water

The episode Open Water is from the fourth season of the popular crime drama TV series CSI: Miami. It initially aired on May 8, 2006, on CBS network and was directed by Joe Chappelle. The episode lasts for around 43 minutes and was written by Sunil Nayar.

Open Water starts with an unnerving discovery of a blood-soaked carpet that washes up on a beach in Miami. The team of crime scene investigators from Miami-Dade police department, headed by Horatio Caine (David Caruso), is called to investigate the scene. Caine and his team discover a significant amount of blood stains leading directly into the ocean. The team decides to follow the blood trail and investigate the ocean, which turns out to be quite a challenging task.

The crime scene investigators use a special underwater camera to look for evidence in the water. While investigating, the team finds a body floating in the sea with shark bites all over it. The victim is a young tourist who came to Miami with his friends. The victim's friend, named Carter (guest star Justin Shilton), informs the detectives that they all went on a diving trip the night before, where the victim disappeared while in the deep sea. He also explains that he left his friend alone in the water as he saw a shark and panicked while swimming back to the boat.

Later in the investigation, the team discovers inconsistencies in Carter's recounting of the events leading to the victim's disappearance. They question Carter again, and they feel suspicious of him, leading to his arrest. The team soon discovers that the victim might have been killed due to the sharks, which had attacked him while he was still alive and bleeding.

Further investigation uncovers that the victim was not the target but was killed mistakenly. The intended victim was Carter, who had taken $150,000 from drug dealers he worked for. These same drug dealers hired an assassin to retrieve the money, which they believe Carter is hiding. The assassin killed the victim mistakenly, thinking he was Carter, and dumped the body in the water. When Carter refused to give them the money, the assassin attacks him, and they both end up in the water, where they face the sharks.

Using the evidence collected, the CSI team follows the clues and leads to track down the assassin. They discover that the killers have fled town, but with the help of neighboring police departments, the team is successful in capturing the killers.

The episode's conclusion is marked by the discovery and arrest of the assassin and his employer. The team also unravels the mystery of the victim's death and finds the money that Carter had hidden. The episode ends with Horatio Caine reflecting on the sea, reminding viewers of its peaceful beauty and intimidating darkness, especially the depths of the ocean.

In summary, Open Water is a thrilling episode of CSI: Miami, offering a combination of investigative drama, suspenseful action sequences, and exploration of the human psyche. This episode showcases the power of teamwork, forensic science, and intuition to solve even the most challenging criminal cases. The episode delivers an exciting and thought-provoking story that fans of the show will enjoy.