The Best CSI: Miami Season 1 Episode According To IMDb

When it was announced in 2002 that CBS was planning to launch a "CSI" spin-off series based in Miami, Florida, members of the original cast of "CSI" were not pleased. The original "CSI" had only debuted in 2000, and they were worried a spin-off so soon was going to pull their ratings down, or affect their show's quality. "They should have waited five years for a "CSI" spin-off, or at least four," William Petersen told the Chicago Sun-Times (via Entertainment Weekly). "If our show starts to suffer, I'll go berserk."

Despite Petersen's fears, both shows maintained their ratings, with "CSI: Miami" becoming so popular, a survey published by Radio Times magazine in 2006 declared it the most popular show in the world, based on ratings in 20 countries (via BBC). The chemistry of the actors helped draw viewers in, even when the stories were gruesome or disturbing.

According to IMDb's ratings, one such tough-to-watch episode is the best of Season 1.

In "CSI: Miami" Season 1 Episode 8, titled "Slaughterhouse," a child is found wandering the streets in a bloody onesie. After she's taken care of, the team discovers that the blood found on her skin and clothing belong to four different people that are related to her. It's easy to figure out which house it is, when they see the front door wide open with bloody toddler-sized footprints outside. Inside the house, they find a woman and her three sons dead, and the father still alive. At first glance, the team suspects a murder-suicide with the mother as the suspect, since she was the only one not shot in the back. But they soon realize there's more to the story.

The episode is ranked the highest out of Season 1, with a 7.6 out of 10 on IMDb — and it's easy to see why "Slaughterhouse" is rated so highly. Episodes involving families are easy to get emotionally invested in, especially with a 6-week-old and 17-month-old child involved.