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The Best…police procedural

The cast of Without a Trace
  • Posted at 3:16pm
  • 05 September 2007
  • by LauraPledger-RT
  • 1 comment

For me, the main draw is the robust central performance by Anthony LaPaglia as Jack Malone. LaPaglia spends most of his time on the show looking like a faithful black labrador that's just been kicked. Malone is also possibly the only character in television law enforcement to exercise his tear ducts more than Sam Tyler in Life on Mars.

For me, the main draw is the robust central performance by Anthony LaPaglia as Jack Malone. LaPaglia spends most of his time on the show looking like a faithful black labrador that's just been kicked. Malone is also possibly the only character in television law enforcement to exercise his tear ducts more than Sam Tyler in Life on Mars.

Jack has all the finely honed detective skills you'd expect of an experienced senior FBI agent. Shame those talents deserted him when it came to his relationship with wife Maria. At the end of series two, Jack looked stunned as, on the eve of their move to Chicago - a move he'd sacrificed his career for - Maria demanded a divorce. It came as somewhat less of a surprise to viewers, since a) Maria had been set up as a complete bitch from the get-go, b) there was no way the scriptwriters were going to waste all that chemistry with old flame Samantha and c) we knew full well Jack was going to be heading up the team in New York in series three.

For all Without a Trace's strengths, it does have its weaknesses too. Series four saw the addition of new recruit Elena Delgado. The creators probably brought her in to shake up the team a little, but so far as I can see, her main contribution to proceedings is to add (unnecessary) sex appeal. If the FBI had an employee of the month award for hair flicking, Elena would win it hands down every time. What's more, she can even tuck her shirt into her size zero trousers and there still won't be a bulge at the tummy! Obviously these are all very important qualities in an FBI agent…

Alas, Elena consistently looks more like a model who got lost on the way to a photo shoot and wandered into the missing persons bureau by mistake. Unfortunately none of the eagle-eyed investigators working there seem to have noticed the error, and I guess the exits from the building aren't too clearly marked, because Elena is sadly still there.

However, it's a minor gripe about a strong, engaging show. After four series, the writers have shown no signs of running out of reasons for New York's citizens to disappear. So as the fifth run begins and British viewers feel their hearts beat a little faster at that familiar thudding theme tune, let's hope for plenty more dogged investigations to come.

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  • Posted on 12 September 2007
  • at 1:51pm
  • by Mart

Oh, I like Without a Trace well enough, but it's no longer a must watch. If we're talking shark-jumping, it lost its way in that weird two-parter when there was this sad old man who turned out to be Jack in some fantasy life or something. Just too odd.

Nah, the best police procedural is, without a doubt, Law and Order SVU . . . and I am so looking forward to the 22 September episode when we're promised a cameo by the gorgeous Mariska Hargitay's dad, Mickey (I married Jayne Mansfield) Hargitay. Can we have a pic on the Choice page that day, please?

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