Without a Bad Point. (Without a Trace)

Member Name: katygriff

Product:	Without a Trace
Date:	05/10/06 (223 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cast, Stories, Formula.

Disadvantages: None.

I am a right TV junkie and everybody who knows me actually knows that when my favourite programmes finish on TV I am a bit fed up until something new comes along. I am always looking for new shows which is why at Christmas in the sales I bought Without a Trace as I had heard it was excellent. Well me, my fiancé and sister Sam decided just a couple of weeks ago that we were going to start watching it and what we have found is a very hip, fun and thrilling TV show and here I will attempt to tell you why.

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What is Without a Trace About?

Every day when I am on the train and I read the free copy of the Metro I often see in there pictures of people who have gone missing as it happens all of the time. This show is about a team of experts within the missing persons unit at the FBI. Together they must solve cases of people seemingly disappearing and find them before it is too late. They have a rule you see that you must find the person within 48 hours otherwise they may become permanently lost. Each episode is a look into a case as we see a frantic race against time.

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A Few Things to Know:

Runtime – Each episode is quite long at about an hour long. To be honest though because so much is going on you do not really notice the time as it goes so fast
Prices - Season 1 £29.97
- Season 2 £32.97
- Season 3 £43.39
All above prices are from Amazon
Certificates – All three series are 15

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Cast and Characters:

Anthony LaPaglia – John Malone
The main man really in the unit as he is the boss. Everything that goes on must go through Malone and he is the first port of call for any information. A likeable character who is willing to do anything to solve cases. LaPaglia plays Malone with ease and is a fantastic actor as he realy gets into character and makes him one that can pull off many emotions.

Eric Close – Martin Fitzgerald
Martin is the new guy who unfortunately because he does not know the ropes that well, makes a major mistake almost straight away which instantly gets him in Malones bad books. Martin is a fun character who is also willing to do what it takes to close a case. Close is a great actor and plays this character so he is constantly likeable and perhaps the main one most people will identify with.

Poppy Montgomery – Samantha Spade
Samantha is a fun character as although she looks like a right bimbo she is very head-strong and shows she can do the job just as well as any of the guys. She also manages to use her feminine charms many times during the show. Montgomery is great and plays the character so that many people will be able to identify with her.

Enrique Murciano – Danny Taylor
Danny is quite naughty and he is the good ooking one of the group (in my opinion anyway) and doesn’t he know it. He is the one to watch to go the extra length even if it means getting himself into a lot of trouble. Murciano is a fantastic actor and seems to have a lot of fun playing Danny which is great for us as viewers.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Vivian Johnson
Vivian is the go to woman in the team as she heads up aspects such as forensics. Seen as one of the most valuable members of the team and she is also sarcastic, fun and as hard as nails. Jean-Baptiste like all of the other cast members seems to feel a lot for her character as she plays her that well.

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About The Show:

Without a trace can be described as a crime show but I prefer action thriller because every episode I have watched has kept you on the edge of your seat and you really want to see what happens. Each episode has an entirely different story which is always interesting and each story manages to keep your attention from beginning to end which is brilliant as it keeps you watching the programme from episode to episode.

What I will say is that some of the stories and scenes that are in this show can be quite distressing. Even I watched one episode about a woman who was kidnapped and it was quite scary because you always hear about stories like that actually happening in real life. What I am trying to get over to you really is that the 15 certificate that this show carries is correct.

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Verdict:

Without a Trace is a modern, smart and stylish show which gives you a small insight into what type of things a missing persons unit will do in a case. I know none of it is real as it is only a show after all but while you are watching an episode you could believe it has happened in real life and to be honest most of the situations which happen on the show probably have happened to somebody at some time in the past or present.

One thing that stands out about this show is that the cast is just so strong that they carry the show off perfectly and you end up loving it so much more because of that fact. LaPaglia is definitely the best choice for the lead role as he is a strong presence on the screen and very enjoyable to watch.

Seriously I cannot really fault this show. After watching things like the TV show House and seeing that the format is exactly the same every time and got boring I did fear that this show would be the same. Luckily although the format is the same, the stories are so different and the magnitude of what they can do with the show is so variable that you feel like you are watching a completely different show every time. The other thing I love is that every episode sort of takes your energy out of you so it is like watching a mini film every time.

Good action sequences, excellent stories, fantastic cast and extremely fun to watch, Without a Trace is one of those shows that if you like a little action and a storyline that you can really get to grips with and think how you would do things if you were there, then I suggest you should watch it. I am glad I bought it at Christmas and I think that my Christmas list is already going to contain two DVD boxsets so if you want to buy me on feel free.

In conclusion I am going to give this show a massive five stars for being one of the better things which is on TV at the moment and although it took me a few years to realise how good it is I am not going to forget in a hurry. I just need to save up all of my money now to buy the second and third seasons on DVD so I can watch them over and over again.

Thanks for reading.

xxx

Summary: So Much Fun.