Without a Trace - Season One (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)Without a Trace focuses on the Missing Persons Unit of the FBI in New York City. This group of five headed by Jack Malone (Anthony Lapaglia) must find out who the missing person was to find out where they might be. They work backwards in time and forward in a race to find the missing person before 48 hours are up. Because after 48 hours chances of finding them alive are very slim.
This show is without a doubt one of the best on TV. I happened to stumble upon the reruns and was watching because I thought Anthony Lapaglia looked familiar. Of course I was thinking of Simon Moon from Frasier. By the time I could get my husband to confirm my suspicions I was hooked on this show. It is so well written and filmed that you can't watch and not become addicted.
The cast of this show is great. These five actors will make you forget your watching TV and make you believe your part of the team trying to solve the case. The writing is wonderful. In addition the way the show is filmed will leave you wanting more. I just can't say enough about this show. It has been awhile since I've been so excited about a TV show.
This DVD package is so great. The quality is excellent. And the extras are very entertaining. You go behind the scenes to learn how the show was developed and how the cast was picked. Then you can learn how the sets were made and discover that they actually have an ex-FBI man as an advisor to make the show look and feel real. This is just great. This shows the interest and pride the producers take in the show to go to the length of having an advisor help in making it real. I think this has a great deal to do with why the show is such a success and seems real.
This DVD is a must have for any fan of Without a Trace. It will provide some of the most entertaining hours on TV.

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White Collar: The Complete First Season (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)I don't think I've ever quite heard of a show quite like "White Collar," a clever new mystery show in which the FBI decides to employ a brilliant criminal to help them bust other "white collar" criminals. While it has an intriguing new twist on the odd-couple cop show, it also has brilliantly witty writing, a murky conspiracy within the FBI, and some excellent actors with plenty of chemistry -- and it promises to get even better.
While searching for a thief known as the Dutchman, FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) hears that gentleman thief/conman/counterfeiter Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer)-- who he put in prison -- has escaped, only to allow himself to be recaptured. Caffrey is desperate to find his girlfriend Kate, and so he makes Burke an offer: free him from prison, and he'll help him catch the Dutchman.
Though he's dubious about Neal, Peter reluctantly agrees. After only a few hours out, Neal has a new wardrobe, a luxurious apartment and a wealthy landlady who doesn't care that he's a former thief. And he's working for the FBI.
Together, the odd partners tackle a bunch of tricky white-collar cases: data hidden in a designer dress, a priceless Bible stolen from a mobster, a painting with a dodgy trail, smuggled Iraqi artifacts, clashes with Interpol in Chinatown, a jewel robbery, infiltrating Wall Street, real estate fraud, an illegal organ-trafficking ring, priceless wine bottles, and a kidnapper who is gunning for Neal. And as Neal tries to unravel the clues that Kate has left him, he and Peter become entangled in a shadowy conspiracy within the FBI...
The first season of "White Collar" is a lot like Neal Caffrey -- elegant, smart and charming, to the point where you don't really care that it has some painfully unrealistic moments (trotting their only witness onto a rooftop party with the KILLER nearby?), and a few slow spots. Fortunately, the writers seem to be smoothing the lumps out.
And the writers have a knack for winding together the one-off cases with an overarcing plot about a corrupt FBI agent who is conspiring against Neal and Peter. There's plenty of hilarious dialogue ("It's a loft, seized in a DEA bust -- fifteen hundred square feet, service elevator. It's perfect!" "Is that a chalk outline?" "I'm sure they've cleaned that up by now") and suspenseful little scenes where Neal and/or Mozzie disguise themselves to infiltrate secure places where the FBI can't go without a warrant.
But the show's heart is DeKay and Bomer. DeKay is a snappy, sharp-edged FBI agent who is willing to bend the rules to get the job done, and respects Neal more than he'll admit. And Bomer is a sort of 21st-century Remington Steele: boyishly handsome, clever, charming, refined, and a little bit rakish. At the same time, you really feel sorry for him because of the loss of Kate, and the hints that she may be in on the plot against him.
There's also a solid supporting cast -- Tiffani Thiessen as Peter's loving, long-suffering wife, and Willie Garson as the hilarious Mozzie ("I just said that to a guy who enjoys killing people with his bare hands!"). Also good performances by Diahann Carroll and Noah Emmerich.
It sounds like just another odd-couple cop show, but "White Collar Season 1" has the benefit of excellent writing, acting and some grippingly suspenseful plots. Definitely check it out.

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Sleeper Cell (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)In the shell-shocked aftermath of 9/11, Americans sought information about a culture and religion ensconced in an ongoing political dialog of the Middle East that received only sporadic attention in the media. Suddenly, people were asking, why do they hate us? A few years have passed, the war on terrorism settled into a predictable good guys-bad guys debate that yields few answers to a troubling question. Along comes Sleeper Cell to inform the public, a fictitious fanatical terrorist group infiltrating Los Angeles with plans to claim more lives for the Al Qaeda cause. Through the offices of an FBI undercover agent, Darwyn (Michael Ealy), the government monitors his activity within the rapidly evolving plot, the day of destruction more imminent in each new episode. The king of the villains is Farik (Israeli-born Oded Fehr), charged with the overall success of the mission. The other group members are Christian (Alex Nesic), a Frenchman who has found Allah; a bitter Bosnian teacher, Ilija (Peter Lubatti); and blue-eyed all-American boy turned Muslim, Thomas Allen Emerson (Blake Shields): "The history of Islam is written in two lines: One is the black of the scholars' ink, the other the red blood that the martyrs shed."
This series would be successful as non-stop action drama worthy of the accolades of the "24" aficionados, but the writers of Sleeper Cell add another level to this white-knuckle series, the subtleties of extremism contrasted with the true religion of Islam. Darwyn is a committed Muslim, sorely tested in his role as informant, ever on the lookout for an opportunity to spread the true word of Islam as millions practice it in America, without the taint of fundamentalism. Whenever one of his "brothers" blurts a fanatical slogan, Darwyn is ready to clarify in the true words of the Quran. Farik, on the other hand, is firmly entrenched in his hatred of everything American, harboring no mercy for innocents in his pursuit of revenge. Speaking of his mission to a superior, Farik declares, "A man is not a Muslim until his tongue and his heart are submissive. If I fail again, you may take them both."
In one of the most affecting episodes, a soft-spoken sheik approaches a dedicated terrorist in a Yemen jail, armed only with his knowledge of the Quran. The questioning begins, "Brother, what is the greatest jihad?" When he hears the answer, "War with the infidels", this holy man explains the true nature of jihad, the battle within the self to become Allah's holy warrior. He teaches the extremist to go beyond the hatreds he has embraced, to discover the true meaning of his religion, to live his convictions. That such a terrorist can change is a tribute to the power of this religion. When the holy man travels to America to deliver a fatwa against any Al Qaeda operating in this country, Farik is charged with stopping him by any means; this fatwa would render a death blow to the entire endeavor. With his usual canniness, Farik chooses Christian to do the deed, the one man who had sought a private meeting after hearing the sheik speak at the mosque.
In this riveting series, the terrorists move through the streets of LA with impunity, across the border to Mexico to tap financial resources from drug dealers and child purveyors, drive anthrax across the Canadian border into the States, and purchase explosives from White separatists with heroin. Meanwhile, the LAPD blunders into the middle of the FBI surveillance and Darwyn struggles to maintain his cover, until all converges in an explosive ending. Luan Gaines/ 2005.

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Sleeper Cell takes viewers behind the veil of an U.S. home-grown terrorist group, tracking the harrowing challenges faced by a FBI agent determined to learn its secrets. Having posed as a prisoner inside a federal penitentiary, a young agent (Michael Ealy) develops contacts that enable him to infiltrate an Islamic terrorist cell in Los Angeles. The cell is led by an intimidating, charismatic extremist (Oded Fehr), who considers all acts of violence moral when serving the greater good of his cause. But early in the investigation something goes wrong, placing lives – and the integrity of a three-year mission – in serious jeopardy.

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Missing: Season 2 (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just finished watching the Season 2 DVD of Missing. It was Wonderful. I Love this show. It was a shame that Lifetime cancelled it. The DVD has 18 great episodes full of spunk, action, emotion and of course mystery! This Season has Jess (Caterina Scorsone) teamed up with spunky partner Nicole Scott (Vivica A. Fox) and forescics hottie Antonio Cortez( Mark Consuelos) and their tough, no nonsense boss, Assistant Director of FBI John Pollock (Justin Louis) It has 4 DVD's and I honestly wish this season never ended it was so good.
Here are the Episodes in order:
Disc One:
1) SEA OF LOVE
2) ONE NIGHT STAND
3) JUDGMENT DAY
4) RESURRECTION
DISC 2:
5) THE LAST STOP
6) IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
7)DOMESTIC BLISS
8) COP OUT
DISC 3:
9) PUZZLE BOX
10) POP STAR
11) MR. NOBODY
12) TRUTH OR DARE (PART 1)
13) TRUTH OR DARE (PART 2)
DISC 4:
14) DEEP COVER
15) JOHN DOE
16) PHOENIX RISING
17) PAPER ANNIVERSARY
18) AND WE SHALL BE CHANGED




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Sleeper Cell - American Terror - The Complete Second Season (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)After reading some initially moderate reviews of the first season of "Sleeper Cell", I tuned into Showtime with minimal expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised by an efficient, nicely acted, and timely thriller. I became a big supporter of the show, and felt that it was much better than a lot of people gave it credit for--and eventually it was recognized with some accolades (an Emmy nomination for best miniseries among others).
So, I went into "Sleeper Cell - American Terror" with greater expectations. While, ultimately, I don't feel as if was as taut and exciting as the first season--it is still an intriguing and serious minded look at the world of terrorism. The show essentially revolves around Michael Ealy as Darwyn, an African-American Muslim who is also an undercover FBI agent. He thwarted an attack on Dodger Stadium in "Sleeper Cell." The show picks up with months after that incident with Darwyn looking to distance himself from field work and live quietly with his girlfriend. As a horrific fate befalls his previous handler, he is called back into action to help stop a current and impending threat. Using his previous connections, he not only joins a new cell--but eventually becomes its leader. With an inexperienced handler, he often has to go rogue in order to maintain his credibility within the cell. In concurrent storylines, we follow two other members of last season's cast--Farik, the mastermind of the Dodger stadium attack and another "soldier."
Farik, a great and believable villain, is a bit underutilized here--but Oded Fehr makes him a powerful presence. The action is filmed around the globe, and the scope of the show is ambitious and impressive. I actually liked the members of the new cell, and thought the characterizations were surprisingly detailed. Far from stereotypes, you learn about them as individuals. This definitely raises the stakes. I did, however, think the show lacked some of the propulsive narrative drive necessary to make this absolutely unmissable entertainment. The interplay between Darwyn and his new handler is pretty forced and not particularly believable. It's conflict added for the sake of conflict. But once again (as in Season one), the character that threatens to derail the show is Darwyn's girlfriend. She is incorporated into the action unnecessarily and tediously (she does work for the FBI to conveniently thwart a custody action from her son's grandparents). It's not credible, nor interesting or well played.
I do recommend "American Terror," however. I do like that the show doesn't shy away from real consequences and real tragedy. An insightful look, the show is further distinguished by an ethically questionable ending and an ambiguous final shot. I admired that the show wasn't wrapped up in nobility--for to give this a tidy ending would have been a compromise not worthy of the serious and complex topic. KGHarris, 12/06.

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In SLEEPER CELL: AMERICAN TERROR, the Muslim undercover FBI agent, Darwyn (Michael Ealy), discovers that another terrorist cell in Southern California is planning a catastrophic attack that will be more successful than the last attempt. Meanwhile, Farik escapes out of the country and directs another terrorist operation, beginning a parallel storyline between Southern California and the Middle East.

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Criminal Minds: The First Season (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Criminal Minds is different. It's not another CSI. Instead of examining forensic evidence after a crime has been committed, this group of agents uses behavioral analysis techniques to prevent serial crimes. Great cast headed by Mandy Patinkin and Thomas Gibson. The depiction of violent serial criminals is complex and disturbing. The crimes are presented in a dark, realistic manner that is unusual for television. Highly recommended.

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Criminal Minds revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again.

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Homeland Security (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Television pilots that fail to be picked up as series are showing up on the shelves as movies and the transition is all too apparent. HOMELAND SECURITY was supposed to be a series for TV, a form of explaining how the Department of Homeland Security came into being after the tragedy of 911. The 'film' version is mildly instructive, mildly entertaining, and in the end it is a hodge podge of ideas of how a long series might run crammed into 87 minutes.
What begins as a diatribe against the lack of cooperation and interaction among the CIA, FBI, and military intelligence (lower case intended!) suggesting that had their been centralization of information, perhaps 911 could have been prevented, ends up as a sprawling mélange of ill-connected pieces. The problems arise in attempting to explain the intricacies of the schisms in Afghanistan (a lot of pyrotechnique footage for this confusing section) along with the preludes of terrorist sub rosa influx into the country, footage from the 911 events, and personalization of some of the perpetrators and victims - all in compressed time broken by obvious black screen moments where TV commercials were placed.
The cast (Tom Skirett, Scott Glenn, Grant Show, Marisol Nichols, et al) tries hard to make the fuzzy script (written by Christopher Crowe) work, but the direction by Daniel Sackheim is jittery and ultimately seems to sell out to the political Right - probably at the demand of the non-cable TV network. Probably at the inception of the idea of tracing the evolution of Homeland Security as a force more intelligent in centralization of information was a good idea. It just gets too watered down and relies on the repetition of the line 'it was all there in front of us waiting for us to connect the dots'. Still, some food for thought. Grady Harp, August 05

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White Collar: Season One (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Looks like the USA Network has got another banging hit in its lineup. WHITE COLLAR, an easy-breezy crime drama, swipes heavily from the buddy cop genre, and that this beaten-to-death premise (which owes a lot to 48 HOURS) works for this series is purely because of the appeal of the two leads, and specifically Matt Bomer. This is not to dis his semi-rumpled co-star Tim DeKay, but clearly this show rises or collapses on how effectively Bomer brings the sexy. Tim Dekay - while also charming in a more low-key sort of way - works best as Bomer's exasperated foil.
Sophisticated con artist Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) - convicted of bond forgery but suspected of many other crimes - is hailed as "quite the Renaissance criminal." He has only three to four months left to serve in his prison sentence when Kate, the love of his life, breaks up with him and then amscrays for parts unknown. Demonstrating that a maximum-security prison isn't a deterrent if you're crazy in love, Caffrey breaks out of stir to try to find his girl. Except that he gets caught, and gets caught by the same dogged FBI guy who nabbed him the first time, Peter Burke (Tim DeKay).
Agent Burke toils away in the white collar crime division in the Big Apple and, before he got pulled away into again running down Caffrey, he was steadily getting baffled by a cunning master forger called the Dutchman. But the long-awaited break surfaces when Caffrey proposes a deal: Caffrey will help Burke catch the Dutchman if Caffrey is remanded to Burke's custody and be out and about in the real world. It's plain to both that the real reason for Caffrey's offer is so that Caffrey can keep looking for his lost love. Burke reluctantly takes the deal. Caffrey gets fitted for a GPS tracking anklet. And off they go to make a serious dent on the Friday Nielsen ratings.
WHITE COLLAR debuted this past Friday, October 23rd, and it was so much fun watching it that I went and saw the repeat airing a few hours later. Matt Bomer - who also played Bryce Larkin in Chuck - The Complete First Season - is projected to be the show's breakout star, and it looks like he's got the goods. But it helps that the writers saddled his roguish character with a romantic streak. Meanwhile, Tim DeKay holds up his end, making lemonade with his more thankless role. DeKay is really good at doing that "exasperated and ill-at-ease" thing, and nothing ruffles his by-the-book FBI agent's feathers quite as much as the ridiculous ease with which Caffrey persistently finagles his way to the cushy things in life. Given that $700 is what it cost to house and feed Caffrey while behind bars, the same amount is allotted to finance his new digs on this shaky "work release program." Initially assigned to a very seedy flophouse, Caffrey moments later charms his way into becoming a house guest in an uber-luxurious penthouse. Along the way, he also lands some very sleek threads. He airily describes his new wardrobe as "classic Rat Pack." Burke grinds his teeth, yet can't resist sipping from Caffrey's excellent coffee, from sampling a taste of the good life. It's immediately apparent that Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay demonstrate a terrific give-and-go rapport. Their characters aren't exactly overtly adversarial, but they are trying to one-up each other in subtle ways. It's fun to watch.
As these two start to build a working relationship, their respective personal lives are touched on. For Caffrey, this involves touching base with his street contact (nicely placed by Willie Garson) and searching for his vanished girlfriend Kate. For the workaholic Burke, it's all about balancing career and marriage, except that the scales tend to tilt in favor of career. Tiffani Thiessen plays Burke's impossibly understanding, long-suffering wife Elizabeth, and since this is Tiffani Thiessen, I'm guessing there are fireworks scheduled ahead for Elizabeth Burke.
Like other shows on the USA Network (MONK, BURN NOTICE, PSYCH), WHITE COLLAR flaunts a playful side. In it's key conceit ("It takes a thief..."), it actually shares more in common with a series on TNT, the very good Leverage: The First Season, and with Spielberg's cool con flick Catch Me If You Can (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition). This isn't one of those cable shows that tries to be ambitious (MAD MEN, SONS OF ANARCHY). And, as great as MAD MEN is, there are times when I'm in the mood to just be entertained and not have to think or analyze things too much or get mired in serious angst. WHITE COLLAR is irresistible comfort food for the mind. I just saw the 90 minute pilot, and I thought: So what if maybe things fall in place a little too conveniently in this show? So what if the unlikely partners develop camaraderie maybe just a tad too effortlessly? So what if the "collar of the week" isn't all that compelling? The point is that the show knows its strength rests on showcasing its ridiculously likable two leads. And maybe there's someone on television currently more rakish and dashing than Neal Caffrey. But, for the life of me, I'm drawing a blank.

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In this clever and thrilling new TV series, charming con man Neal Caffey (Matthew Bomer), escapes from a maximum-security prison, only to be recaptured by his nemesis, FBI Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay). With few options, Caffey agrees to help the bureau bring down other elusive criminals in exchange for his eventual freedom. But before long, Caffey finds himself playing a game of cat and mouse with those who want him back in prison or dead. Co-starring Tiffani Thiessen (Beverly Hills, 90210), White Collar is sewn with surprising twists, engaging characters and riveting excitement.

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Numb3rs - The Complete First Season (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was lucky enough to catch Numb3rs from the beginning. I absolutely love the show. First, it is different than your standard cop show, and even different from all the CSI type shows. The show has strong characters and you really feel like you know them. The FBI is portrayed as actually being human rather than a federal conglomerate. The tie in with the math is simply awesome. I am not a huge math guy, but it is interesting for me, and the show does a good job of explaining the math via great scenes. I give this 5 stars.

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FBI Special Agent Don Eppes (Rob Morrow) recruits his mathematical genius brother Charlie (David Krumholtz) to help the Bureau solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles. The two brothers take on the most confounding criminal cases from a very distinctive perspective. Dr. Larry Fleinhardt (Peter MacNicol) is Charlie's friend and colleague who urges Charlie to focus more on his university studies than on FBI business. Don and Charlie's father, Alan Eppes (Judd Hirsch), is pleased to see his two sons working together, but fears their competitive nature will lead to trouble.

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