I just finished watching this past week's episode of Without A Trace. I've always enjoyed this show, but decided to leave it off of my normal blog because it's so serious, and takes itself so seriously, it wouldn't necessarily be fun to blog. But, I had to say a few words about this past episode that was WONDERFUL. Since it's up against ER, a show I've been loyal to for the past 12 years, I encourage everyone to Tivo Trace and give the Nielsen points to ER.
Typically the show centers around the FBI team assigned to different missing persons cases. This time around we followed a mother and father who's son was missing and saw what they went through. We weren't privy to any of the normal interviews with suspects, discoveries of phone calls, or speculation from the team. Instead, our team whispered to each other, kept things from the family, and took calls out of the room. After this episode you really get a better sense of what the families of missing people must go through, the different emotional stages and frustration. The parents hear bits and pieces of what our team is finding out from them thinking the son is a drug dealer, to thinking he may be dead and having to identify the body that turns out not to be their son.
The ending was nail biting for the audience and the family as they waited half a mile away from where their son was being held hostage, listening to what took place from the police radio in the car. Of course they don't understand most of the technical talk, and overhear that their son is not moving. We also feel somewhat relieved when we realize that Jack is doing the negotiation. Finally they hear gunshots as their son is rescued, and they're left wondering about his safety until they get to the hospital and realize he's alive.
Sometimes flipping the dynamic of the show works, like in last week's LOST, and sometimes it doesn't, like in the two part CSI from the past two weeks, but this past Without A Trace had strong performances, a great story, and was overall an excellent episode. Just had to let y'all know.
