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The Best…police procedural

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

Without a Trace is, without a doubt, the US crime series for those of a nervous disposition.

Cloned CSI teams gain huge audiences by wading merrily through blood, gore and body parts in various telegenic American cities. Thankfully, this leaves Without a Trace's FBI missing persons squad to go about the serious business (and they're all very serious) of solving crimes by asking witnesses pertinent questions and taking advantage of those fortuitous coincidences beloved of TV scriptwriters. Any forensic work is handled in a mercifully unseen laboratory, and the majority of dead bodies are recovered off-camera.

One of the selling points of the show has been its focus on the characters at work, not on their personal lives. So it's worrying to read US bloggers' gripes about the writers' tendency to play up the squad's personal baggage in the fifth series. Of course the occasional storyline has touched on a team member's background before, but was generally handled without the undue fuss of other stateside dramas. Less tears, less morose drinking, less soft-rock tunes spelling out the terrible tragedies of life equals happy viewers (though it probably doesn't do much for the series' award-winning credentials).

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 29 September 2009
  • at 11:04am
  • by WilliamGallagher-RT

FAO Gabby - the sixth season saw Jack getting more stressed and at times close to being violent with suspects. He was demoted and has to attend therapy.

  • Posted on 26 September 2009
  • at 9:11am
  • by Gabby

We've missed out somewhere! Just started watching series 7 on More 4/ CHannel 4. What happened to Jack in series 6? Presumably he blotted his copy book.

  • 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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