Product Details

• Actors: Leon Rippy, Kenny Johnson, Bailey Chase, Bokeem Woodbine
• Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: June 16, 2009
• Run Time: 601 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001XJBE34
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,966 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The first of the 14 episodes in this second season of TNT’s Saving Grace certainly hits the ground running: Detective Grace Hanadarko, the character portrayed so vividly by Holly Hunter, has already had a beer, maybe two, for breakfast when she gets into a wild shootout with a wanted murderer on the streets of Oklahoma City, followed by a foot chase that ends with the bad guy leaping to his death. Clearly, Hanadarko’s life is anything but usual. As was the case last season, she still drinks and smokes too much, still lies way too often, and is still carrying on with a married fellow cop; she can also still be abrasive and off-putting in both her professional and personal life. But underneath Grace’s tough-chick facade and rock-hard bod (which Hunter again displays to the extent that basic cable will allow) beats a wounded heart. She remains haunted by her history of childhood molestation, as well as by the death of her sister Mary Francis in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing (it doesn’t help that some, including family members, blame her for her sister’s being in the Murrah Federal Building on that fateful day). And she still loves, as her “last-chance angel” Earl (Leon Rippy) puts it, “with a fierce, white-hot, mighty love.”

Saving Grace is again largely about Hunter (no surprise there--the Oscar®-winning actress is also an executive producer); in fact, with the help of the plain-spoken, immensely appealing Earl, Grace may be on the verge of discovering just what God’s plan for her is. But there are also noteworthy developments involving other characters. Her lover, Ham Dewey (Kenny Johnson), is in the process of divorcing his wife, although whether that bodes well for him and Grace is uncertain. One of her brothers, her dead sister’s widower, is about to remarry. And the fates of the pervert priest Father Murphy (Rene Auberjonois) and Death Row convict Leon Cooley (Bokeem Woodbine), both of whom have something important in common with Grace, are resolved--the latter in the final episode, which is perhaps the most moving in the series so far. The weekly storylines (mostly involving homicides) aren’t nearly as memorable as the characters, but the latter easily separate this smart, well-written show from the rest of the cop-show crowd. The paltry bonus material includes two so-so featurettes. --Sam Graham

Stills from Saving Grace: Season Two (Click for larger image)

Product Description

Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 06/16/2009 Run time: 780 minutes Rating: Nr

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Saving Grace Season 2, June 17, 2009

By	Amanda (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

Oklahoma City detective Grace Hanadarko is never much of one for the straight-and-narrow. She is frequently forced to balance her personal issues with smoking, drinking, and sex with difficulties between her family and friends, her high-stress job in law enforcement -- and not to mention her interactions with an angel named "Earl" who has been sent by God to convince Grace to turn away from her evil ways to God. Grace may be on the road to hell, but, with Earl's spiritual guidance, she may be able to save herself.

Saving Grace: Season 2 follows the continued adventures of Grace as she deals with her turbulent relationship with fellow detective Ham, her friends' Doug and Maggie's impending wedding, the ever-present fear of death for Grace's friend Leon, the day-to-day drama of working with homicides, the constantly lurking memory of the 1993 Oklahoma City bombing and of course, Grace's journey through faith. While just as intense as the first season, Season Two builds on the spiritual questions and character-centric stories that the series is known for.

The cast of Saving Grace is phenomenal, led by Holly Hunter's believable, relate-able performance as Grace. Other key performances include Leon Rippy (Earl) and Bokeem Woodbine (Leon), who have amazing intensity and chemistry on screen that make their semi-intellectual conversations about death, life and faith resonate with viewers and force them to reflect on their own lives. Kenny Johnson ("Ham") has perfect chemistry with Hunter and delivers a heartfelt performance as a passionate detective who must balance his odd, off-again, on-again physical relationship with Grace while still maintaining a certain level of professionalism.

While the plots of Saving Grace seem a little soap opera-like and can occasionally become diluted and slow-paced, each episode is packed with some of the most amazing character development and complex character relationships on television. While the plot can occasionally became inaccessible for me, the characters kept pulling me in and forcing me to keep watching on the edge of my seat just to see what would happen next in the crazy, dramatic world of these characters. The series ends with a bang that will leave viewers moved and emotionally drained.

This DVD set includes all 14 episodes from Season 2, in widescreen format. The set also includes two featurettes that document the many successes of Saving Grace -- both on television and in the person lives of the actors -- and a Hollywood-style wrap party where the cast reflects on the series' second season. While these features give an interesting look into the heart behind the drama, it just seems like there could have been more to it -- maybe some episode commentary, more behind-the-scenes footage or even a few deleted or extended scenes that just didn't make the final cut.

I also personally enjoyed the fact that this series is set in Oklahoma City rather than in New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, or one of the typical locations for cop dramas. Having this unique setting helped to bring something new to a seemingly worn out (and overdone) genre.

Saving Grace: Season 2 is a great series for fans of character-driven dramas and cop-associated shows that have a little more depth to them than just figuring out who-dunnit. Each episode delivers a thrilling emotional ride that will stick with viewers long after they turn off the television.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Drama meets Melodrama, it's a thin line, July 1, 2009

By	Alexander M. Walker "Knows Things, Great Things" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Until The Closer, TNT was little more than a dumping ground for shows which had long ago reached syndication and needed a secondary arena to rake in the cash. The Closer changed everything for TNT; the cable staple realized there might be something to having a few original series under their belt. A few years later they debuted Saving Grace and lo and behold the series became a magnet for awards nominations. Saving Grace takes a precarious balance between agonizing drama the lighthearted levity of family oriented programs like 7th Heaven.

Grace Hanadarko (Holly Hunter) drinks heavily, has promiscuous sex and now finds herself the perpetrator of a hit and run accident. With the man lying at the foot of her bumper, Grace pleads with God to give her a second chance at life and receives a prompt visit from Earl (Leon Rippy), an angel. Earl brings tidings of her hellbent fate and beckons her back onto a moral path free of booze and one-night stands. Grace doesn't give them up, but she finds new meaning in life as she pursues her career on the police force helping people along the way. With her professional and personal life in constant intersection, it only seems natural that she pursues her fellow Ham Dewey (Kenny Johnson).

The cliffhanger finale of the first season left audiences uncertain as to the fate of Father Patrick Murphy (Rene Auberjonois), a priest who raped Grace when she was young. However the story is wrapped up quite abruptly and the show returns to its real overarching plot: the drama of Ham and Grace. A few cases pop up here and there that last longer than their one episode setting, but for the most part Saving Grace remains a single-serving episodic show - which is a shame. Shows like Saving Grace are at their best when plot elements spill over from one episode to the next, but Saving Grace rarely does. The only true thread that follows all the way through is Grace's tangled love life. There's also an issue with the all too convenient nature of each episode's plot. What are the odds that Grace's car was once involved in a heist? Or that her niece would be at a drug party where an overdose occurs? Or that someone she knows is targeted by a conman? There's some semblance of an arc which asserts itself in the final four episodes where Grace's link to a death row inmate Leon Cooley (Bokeem Woodbine) receives an infusion of importance.

Considering she's a police officer (whose badge would have been suspended long ago for her reckless behavior), there's no need to create plots out of coincidence. She works in a police station - dozens of crimes come through the office on a daily basis, why use serendipity to divine each episode's story?

Saving Grace's redeeming factor is the strong characterization and great guest appearances. Holly Hunter flails about with no direction as the story demands, and she's rather believable in it all. She does, however, stray into melodrama on occasion inducing a few eye rolls from the viewer. Kenney Johnson, the ill-fated Lem from The Shield, really steps up his game from his previous role and rends his garments in equal scope to Hunter. The two clearly feed off each other in how they fill their roles, so when one goes over the top, the other usually isn't too far behind. On the plus side, Kathy Baker, Elias Koteas, Christina Ricci, Amy Madigan and Dee Wallace make guest appearances.

DVD Extra Features:

Saving Grace: Season Two sorely disappoints on the extras front. The first featurette is nothing but writer Nancy Miller and Holly Hunter tooting one another's horns about how great they are. Considering the show isn't groundbreaking their mutual praise comes across as nauseating and undeserved. The second piece features Dyland Minnette, who plays youngin' Clay, interviewing cast and crew on the red carpet for the wrap party of Saving Grace's second season. This is a monumental waste of time - nothing interesting is said, ever.

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, September 12, 2009

By	N. Rude - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I started watching Saving Grace in the middle of the second season and I had to order the first season to catch up. Then I had to rewatch the second, its an awesome show of both crime solving but with a bit of an edge. It's funny and has a bit of a "bad" side, but in the good sence of the word. It's great I fell in love with it after a few episodes.