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The Movie: Created by legendary TV producer Steven Bochco ("NYPD Blue", "LA Law" and, who could forget "Cop Rock"?), as well as Charles Eglee ("The Shield") and Channing Gibson ("St. Elsewhere"), "Murder One" certainly had a creative team with a solid track record behind it. Yet, the series, which aired on ABC from 1995-1997, never quite caught on with audiences as much as hoped. The second season differs from the first season, as instead of profiling one case over an entire season, it splits up the season in thirds and looks at three different cases (likely an attempt to make it easier for viewers to jump in at a later point in the season; while shows that take a look at one story over the course of a season - "24", for example - are looked on as fairly ordinary today, it didn't go over as well about 10 years ago) from the point of the defense attorney. The only thing tying the cases together is the fact that all of the defendants admit they're guilty. While the first season offered excellent lead performances from Daniel Benzali and Stanley Tucci, neither returned and this season focused on Jimmy Wyler (played by the underrated Anthony LaPaglia), a former DA who joins the firm of Hoffman & Associates, and finds that his first case is representing the woman who murdered the governor of California. Supporting performances are excellent, as Mary McCormack, D.B. Woodside and others are terrific here. As with the first season, writing and direction remain strong throughout the season, and production values are first-rate. These episodes are often tense and paced tightly, and it's surprising that something along the lines of this show has not been tried again recently. 24. 2- 1 OU01 10 Oct 96 Chapter One, Year Two 25. 2- 2 OU02 17 Oct 96 Chapter Two, Year Two 26. 2- 3 OU03 24 Oct 96 Chapter Three, Year Two 27. 2- 4 OU04 7 Nov 96 Chapter Four, Year Two 28. 2- 5 OU05 14 Nov 96 Chapter Five, Year Two 29. 2- 6 OU06 21 Nov 96 Chapter Six, Year Two 30. 2- 7 OU07 5 Dec 96 Chapter Seven, Year Two 31. 2- 8 OU08 12 Dec 96 Chapter Eight, Year Two 32. 2- 9 OU09 9 Jan 97 Chapter Nine, Year Two 33. 2-10 OU10 16 Jan 97 Chapter Ten, Year Two 34. 2-11 OU11 23 Jan 97 Chapter Eleven, Year Two 35. 2-12 OU12 23 Jan 97 Chapter Twelve, Year Two 36. 2-13 OU13 25 May 97 Chapter Thirteen, Year Two 37. 2-14 OU14 25 May 97 Chapter Fourteen, Year Two 38. 2-15 OU15 26 May 97 Chapter Fifteen, Year Two 39. 2-16 OU16 26 May 97 Chapter Sixteen, Year Two 40. 2-17 OU17 29 May 97 Chapter Seventeen, Year Two 41. 2-18 OU18 29 May 97 Chapter Eighteen, Year Two The DVD VIDEO: Once again, episodes are presented by Fox in 1.33:1 full-frame. The picture quality is generally good, but not great. Sharpness and detail are adequate, as the picture looks a tad soft at times, but the picture maintains at least a moderately crisp appearance. Colors are nicely presented, with good saturation and no smearing. A slight trace or two of pixelation and some minor edge enhancement were spotted, but overall, flaws were kept to a minimum. SOUND: The show's 2.0 soundtrack was perfectly fine, offering crisp, clear dialogue and occasional music and effects. Nothing too eventful, but fine, considering the material. EXTRAS: "Final Verdict" is a 22-minute documentary offered on the final disc of the set. The documentary is an interesting look at the creation of the series, whose eventual cancellation appears to be an instance of a show just a bit ahead of its time. We hear about how the cast (those who returned, at least) settled in for the second season, getting more comfortable with their characters and the other actors. The featurette does see the participants offering a lot of praise for one another, but it definitely seems very sincere, as everyone here seems to conclude that this was a great series to work on and they were sad to see it come to a close. Final Thoughts: "Murder One" comes to a close with a strong second season that saw Anthony LaPaglia offer a superb lead performance. Fox's DVD set offers only one (admittedly good) supplement, along with very good audio/video quality. Recommended for fans. |