Customer Reviews

Without a Trace: The Complete Second Season

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

... if we would ever get another Without a Trace season in region 1. And this season contains some fascinating cases: a bus of kids abudcted, a satire-laden fake kidnapping, a murderous twin (but who knows which one?), and many more. We're also treated to some great character moments. Martin loses control and ends up shooting a suspect; Vivian makes an irreversible choice to lie to protect both their careers, and both have to deal with the consequences in later episodes. Samantha is forced into counseling after being shot in the Season One finale; she says she's fine, but we know she isn't. Danny has to choose whether to testify on his brother's behalf, or abandon him the way he once abandoned Danny. An Alzheimer's diagnosis forces Jack to re-evaluate the strained relationship with his father (wonderfully played by Martin Landau), and a certain case causes him to relive his painful adolescence with an emotionally unstable mother.

Overall, this season continues the watchability and excellent writing begun by Season One.

For the curious, here is the episode list, first aired 09/25/03-05/20/04.

The Bus
Revelations
Confidence
Prodigy
Copycat
Our Sons And Daughters
A Tree Falls
Trip Box
Moving On
Coming Home
Exposure
Hawks And Handsaws
Life Rules
The Line
Wannabe
Risen
Gung Ho
Legacy
Doppelganger
Shadows
Two Families
The Season
Lost And Found
Bait

TV is filled with procedurals of all types and covering ever genre one can imagine, from medicine to homicide. When it first debuted, Without a Trace was something of an unknown. The premise of a team of FBI agents search for missing people in the NYC area was excellent, but could the show beat the expectations that is wasn't another CSI clone? One viewing of the first episode and I knew this was something very different.

Anthony LaPaglia as Jack Malone is one of the most intelligent casting choices in the past 5 years. He brings a charm, gravitas, and emotion to the character that feels authentic. Poppy Montgomery does a very nice job as Agent Samantha Spade, with solid supporting work from Marianne Jeanne-Baptiste, Enrique Murciano, Eric Close. As an ensemble, this is one of the best currently on television. Plot wise, this show is also one of the most interesting. The stories are well thought out, and thankfully stay away from the Law and Order type "ripped from the headlines". Each search for a missing person is done in a way the keeps the watcher intrigued until the very end, and refreshingly for a procedural, the good guys don't always win. The missing are often found dead or never found at all, which is sadly how it is in real life.

The Season Two DVD set contains twenty-four full length episodes, mastered in dolby surround and presented in widescreen. Don't expect too much as far as featurettes or commentaries go, the first season was pretty bare bones, and CBS is likely refraining from spending too much money on this box set until it can be shown to be profitable. Clearly the current run of Without a Trace on USA is having an impact on ratings and viewership, and that is likely the big reason behind this release two and one half years after season 1. So pick it up on March 13, and show them this show deserves more releases. Highly Recommended.

A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO

The second Season of Without A Trace does not disappoint. The plots are believable, often shocking and never dull, and the five main actors have fine-tuned their interaction. The delicately crafted imbalance of five agents, with Poppy Montgomery's character not being able to forget her former lover Jack Malone (the chemistry between the two actors is a delight to see) and unable to commit to her new man Martin Fitzgerald, adds extra spice to an already nail-biting series. Incredible that the entire series was filmed in Los Angeles, I would have sworn it had been shot in the Big Apple where it is meant to take place. Keep up the good work. And please release Seasons 3 and 4 which are already available at Amazon.co.uk but without the extras and 5 minutes shorter per episode.

Season Two was a wonderful continuation of the series: from the wonderful connection between the stellar cast to the flawless way that they manuevered through casefiles and personal issues. And, for me, it showcased the reason I started watching the series: the burgeoning relationship between Martin and Sam. From 2.1 "The Bus" to the finale, 2.2 "Bait" it showed the chemistry that made the show enjoyable to watch. With the added element of the affair Sam once had with her boss, Jack, it made the series sizzle even more. This was the season that got me hooked. I highly rec it. Particularly for the deleted scenes - especially the ones from "Shadows."

I have enjoyed this show since its debut and hope they will put out all seasons on DVD. Strong writing and excellent cast that balances character development with intrigueing stories and manages not to go down the slippery path to becoming another prime time soap opera. There is a good reason that it has had strong and respectable ratings for several seasons.

Season 1 of Without a Trace was really intriguing throughout the entire season; I don't find that to be true of season 2 but it is still played well enough by the actors and actresses to hold my attention. the endings to some of the episodes left me unsatisfied, but Anthony LaPaglia still made each episode worth watching.

I don't watch a heck of a lot of primetime tv as I consider most of it so un-original, but this is one of best shows currently airing, along with "The Office" and the new "Battlestar" in my opinion. The premise is simple - at the beginning of each episode someone goes missing, and the FBI's (fictional) Missing Persons Unit searches for them, following the trail the various clues lead to. While the mystery is (generally) solved by episode's end, the show offers no guarantee of a happy ending.

The show has had some very compelling sometimes gut-wrenching storylines, and very strong acting (the American FBI unit is played by a combo Australian/British/American cast). The head of the unit is Jack Malone, a great character who often uses physcology and rough around-the-edges tactics in his questioning to arrive at the truth. Jack is also "on the edge," will not play politics with his superiors, and of course his personal life is often a mess.

Some eposides also offer a particularily "dark" tone, but still very intelligent storytelling. Standout episodes from season 2 include "The Bus" (episode 1), "Copycat" (episode 5) "Wannabe," (15) "Doppleganger,"(19) and "Two Families" (episode 21). Though each episode usually features a "stand-alone" plot, the show occasionally rewards regular viewers with a degree of continuity - occasionally a compelling storyline or "villian" re-appears in later episodes.

I agree with others that it's a shame that only through season 2 has been released on DVD - guess I just gotta keep setting the VCR for TNT.

Another great season with more great stories. The characters are the same with little detail about their lives. There is one particular episode that is not worth anyone's watching. It is gross and very disgusting. It is called Sons and Daughters.Other than this one episode I can recommend this tv series.

It is so great to have this season finally out on DVD. The series is so visually captivating and the extra scenes are interesting. There is no comparison between seeing the episodes uninterrupted on DVD and trying to record and save them from TV. I can finally follow the story line properly and without ads. Between this DVD set and the Without a Trace first season DVD set I didn't really mind the writer's strike because I had as much quality viewing material as I time for viewing. I really hope the remaining seasons will be out on DVD soon.

I really like this television show. I hope you will have Season 3 in the near future. My order was sent out in a timely manner.