"CSI: Miami": A Tour De Force Goodbye

If I were making a list of shows that have the potential to make me cry, I wouldn’t put “CSI: Miami” on it.

Yet, there I was, crying away at the end of last night’s episode.

Now in all honesty, I’m not sure if the scene was that sad or I was just thinking about how I wouldn’t get a call from my mom to ask me, “Is she really leaving?”

Warning: If you have not yet seen Monday’s “CSI: Miami,” stop reading now…

I had already read that Khandi Alexander was leaving, so when CBS started its promos proclaiming “One CSI will leave forever,” I knew who it was. But instead of some dramatic and shocking departure, the show gave Alexander a tour de force goodbye as Alexx was forced to face the high cost of her job to her family.

Although her decision seemed a little quantum leapish, I was willing to overlook it since the quick turn of events allowed Alexander to get a proper sendoff. Major kudos to the show for not using the scene to promote some new song and instead going with a simple instrumental over silent goodbyes.

The beauty of the scene even allowed me to overlook the holes in the show’s mystery--and there were many--because that wasn’t the most important part of the show. A proper exit for an original cast member was.

Which leads to an important question. Why did Alexander leave?

I honestly can’t tell you. According to Michael Ausiello of “TV Guide,” who broke the story on her departure, Alexander chose to leave when her contract expired at the end of this season. As to the reason for her choice, Ausiello posted, “Let's just say Alexander had some, um, issues with a certain aspect of the show and leave it at that, K?”

Hmmm…

If Alexander did leave under strained circumstances, then the show deserves even more credit for giving her the exit she deserved.

Now, let’s go back to some cheesy goodness…