With the writers’ strike still going on and only reruns (or reality shows) airing on TV now, I finally decided to start watching Without a Trace. I think the show is in its sixth season now, but I’d never seen a single episode before last week when I borrowed the Season One DVDs from a friend.
So far, I think the show is pretty good. It centers around a small FBI unit that specializes in missing persons cases. The main character is Jack Malone (played by Anthony LaPaglia), who I think is just fantastic in the role. I don’t really know any of the other characters yet because none of them have stood out thus far.
The investigations themselves remind me a little bit of both CSI and Cold Case. On the one hand, the agents comb through the crime scene (the last place the missing person was seen) as thoroughly as Grissom & Co. on CSI. It’s amazing what Jack and his team can determine just from looking through a missing person’s home. I mean, even something as trivial as whether or not the bathroom lights were left on can tell the FBI if foul play was involved. Amazing!
The Cold Case elements come in when the agents interview witnesses and suspects. Many times, these interviews will change to flashbacks to show exactly what happened when the interviewee and missing person last saw each other.
Without a Trace is a Jerry Bruckheimer production, which means that it’s slick and fast-paced. I’m definitely going to keep watching this one!