The new subplot of CSI: Miami includes the revelation that Horatio (who goes by the name David Caruso in real life) has a son with his ex, Julia Winston (Berkley). And you though he was too cool to procreate.

For Berkley, whose career seemed to have peaked in Saved by the Bell, CSI: Miami is another stop along a career that has begun to resemble numerous other TV journeywomen: a few episodes here and there. Berkley’s last got some small-screen time in the previous season of Law and Order Criminal Intent. It remains to be seen if she can steal her CSI scenes from Caruso. The laconic Cane has an onscreen presence that is tough to upstage. Still, as someone who grew up with Saved by the Bell, it will be fun to see Berkley with a good role to work with.

I know the writers are desperately trying to make Cane seem a bit more human by giving him various love interests and, of late, revealing that he has a son (Evan Ellingson). But, unlike Gary Sinese (CSI:New York) and William Peterson (CSI), Caruso still seems to be above any sort of melodrama. No matter what the writers throw at him, I still expect him to brush it aside with one of his oddly syncopated sentences. That’s not a problem for me. For the pat couple of seasons, Miami has been my favorite of the CSIs. These are cop shows. Getting too bogged down in melodramatics is the surest way to lose fair-weather fans (such as myself).