Without A Trace is the ongoing adventure of an elite unit
within the FBI known as the Missing Persons Squad. As their name implies, they
investigate missing persons cases in the greater New York City area. The series
has become famous for beginning every episode with the missing person going about
his/her business until they literally disappear on screen, a visual effect that
signifies that the game is afoot. Most "missing persons" stories in movies and
TV always suffer because the person who has disappeared is usually nothing more
than an enigmatic plot device. Without A Trace astutely avoids this pitfall by
using dynamic flashback sequences of the missing person that not only effectively
propel the story forward, but they serve to make the victim a real character in
the minds of the viewer. You care just as much for the disappeared as you do for
the people who are searching for them. And rooting for these stalwart FBI agents
is all too easy, thanks to the superb cast that has been assembled for this series.
Film veteran Anthony LaPaglia leads the cast as well as the Missing Persons Squad
as Jack Malone, a mature agent who has seen it all, but is far from being bitter
or world-weary. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, another film vet, and an outstanding actress,
plays Agent Vivian Johnson as Jack's contemporary in a wise, subdued performance.
Enrique Murciano is also very good as Agent Danny Taylor, who came to the FBI
from the rough and tumble streets. He effectively gives Danny some rough edges--which
is in sharp contrast to fellow agent Martin Fitzgerald, who, as played by
Eric Close, is a more traditionally conservative FBI agent in the "just the
facts, ma'am" tradition. Yet Close soon reveals that there is indeed a heart
beating beneath Martin's dapper suit, especially when he meets fellow Agent
Samantha Spade. As portrayed by Poppy Montgomery, Samantha "Sam" Spade is a
gorgeous blonde who has become one of the series' breakout stars. A native of Australia (along with LaPaglia), Montgomery has the acting chops to
hold her own with her cast members, and she is satisfyingly believable as an FBI agent.
As far as her character's unusual name is concerned, in the episode "Victory For The Human Race", Sam explains that her mother was a
huge fan of actor Humphrey Bogart, who played Dashiell Hammett's detective Sam
Spade in director John Houston's classic mystery film The Maltese Falcon.
Although the team tackles a new missing person case in each episode, the shows
are not completely stand-alone stories. There are on-going subplots that run
through the episodes. For example, in the opening batch of episodes, Martin
Fitzgerald is a new addition to the team, after serving only two years in the
White Collar Crimes division. This type of fast-track promotion initially causes
some skepticism among the other members of the Missing Persons Squad regarding Martin's
worth as a field agent, especially when they consider the fact that Martin's father is a high-ranking official
within the FBI. And so Martin spends several episodes proving himself to his
comrades, as well as trying to get along with Danny, whom he has gotten off on
the wrong foot with. Another interesting sub plot is the affair that went on
between Jack and Sam--a fling that was a big factor in Jack's marriage winding up
on the rocks. Both LaPaglia and Montgomery do a great job at showing the guilt
and awkwardness their characters feel in some very subtle moments. In certain memorable scenes,
they ably make their point with just a fleeting glance at each other (they finally openly
discuss their affair in the episode "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been?"). Interestingly,
Martin also appears to be making some subtle moves towards forming a closer relationship with Sam.
Outstanding episodes in the first season include "Between The Cracks", where the
team has the daunting task of finding a missing model/actress that can change her
appearance at the drop of a hat. "Maple Street", which is a gut-wrenching episode
about a young girl who goes missing in an idyllic small town. "The Source" is a
gripping episode that deals with a missing news reporter, and "The Friendly Skies"
is a good mystery with plenty of twists and turns. And then there's "Fall Out",
the magnificent extended episode that serves as the season one finale.
Special features include commentaries from creator Hank Steinberg on the pilot
episode, as well as "Fall Out", deleted scenes, and two "making of" documentaries:
"The Motive", which looks at the creation of the show from the cast and head
creative team's POV, and "Fingerprints", which is an intriguing look into the
production design of the series. Oddly, the entire cast is interviewed in "The
Motive" with the exception of the lead actor, Anthony LaPaglia--it would have
been nice to get his take on both the series and his character. All 22 episodes
are on three, two-sided "flipper" discs, with the fourth disc containing the documentaries.
Fast-paced, enthralling and never boring,
Without A Trace is highly recommended as both a series and a DVD set. --SF
Main Review Page | TV Reviews |Email Me |Buy This DVD Right Here!