Without a Trace - The Complete First Season (DVD)

I am/was a "CSI" guy myself but then again who isn't as the show continues to expand to every major city in the US. With that in mind I had never once seen an episode of "Without a Trace" but knowing that Anthony LaPaglia won a Golden Globe for his role in the series was reason enough for me to check it out.

My television watching time is limited lately and considering I haven't seen "CSI" for what must be at least two seasons to get a chance to get back to the world of in-depth crime solving was a chance I welcomed with open arms, and by the end I did not want to let it go.

"Without a Trace" is by far a much better show than "CSI" could ever dream of being as the writers have such a good grasp on just how to integrate the personal life of the characters with their professional life, which is a major flaw I have always found in the original "CSI". In a lot of television shows now days it is either a clear cut direction on which way to go, whether you bring in personal issues to the story or keep them out altogether and the difference here is that the writers have found such a perfect balance of professional and personal that they manage to make you care enough for the characters while keeping you enthralled with the storyline.

Obviously I am hooked on this show after screening this first season so you are now listening to a biased opinion but it is an opinion you should listen to if you are a "CSI" fan looking for just a little bit more of a personal touch. I can only explain it as a laidback "CSI" without the glitz and glam, yet it is intense enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.

As far as the DVD set goes it is presented in Widescreen format, which is just awesome to know that future seasons will be presented the same way and all seasons will get the widescreen treatment DVD enthusiasts love plus each disc has a small amount of deleted scenes which can be accessed from the episode menu on a per-episode basis.

My greatest thrill was putting in the final disc and when I saw I only had two episodes left to watch I was a bit downtrodden but once the final episode began, and I learned it was two episodes sliced together with bonus material I was extremely excited to learn the total running time for the final episode was over 90 minutes.

The final disc in the five disc set is where you will find the bulk of your bonus features in which they go behind-the-scenes with a look at the show's motivation and the cast and crew's take on it all. There isn't really a ton here to talk about but there really doesn't need to be, this is an awesome show that takes everything great about "CSI" and gives it that personal touch... absolutely brilliant.