Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

October 8, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

The producers and writers for “Body of Proof” went all out this second season with more action, heavy hitting episodes but also shocking storylines and deaths of major characters that I never saw coming! “Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season” is highly recommended!

DVD TITLE: Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season

SERIES DATE: 2012

DURATION: 20 Episodes (854 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions, Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

COMPANY: abc studios

RATED: TV 14 DSLV

RELEASE DATE: September 18, 2012

Directed by Nelson McCormick, Christine Moore, Matthew Gross, John Terlesky

Written by Christopher Murphey, Matthew V. Lewis, Diane Ademu-John, Andrew Dettmann, Corey D. Miller, Sunil Nayar, Sam Humphrey, Matthew Gross, Lawrence Kaplow, Allen MacDonald

Produced by Jim Klever-Weis, Bryan Oh

Co-Producer: Paul Gadd

Supervising Producer: Diane Ademu-John, Sam Humphrey

Executive Producer: Matthew Gross, Christopher Murphey, Sunil Nayar

Co-Executive Producer: Corey D. Miller, Richard Heus, Andrew Dettmann

Music by Daniel Licht

Cinematography by Patrick Cady

Edited by Jennifer Pulver, Lynn Willingham, Randy Jon Morgan, Tirsa Hackshaw, Eric Litman

Casting by Rosalie Joseph, Gayle Pillsbury

Production Design by Steven Wolff, Kenneth Hardy

Art Direction by Jeremy Woodward, E. David Cosier, Gina B. Cranham

Costume Design by Roberta Haze, Roberta Haze

Starring:

Dana Delany as Megan Hunt

Jeri Ryan as Kate Murphy

John Carroll Lynch as Bud Morris

Nicholas Bishop as Petr Dunlop

Sonja John as Samantha Baker

Geoffrey Arend as Ethan Gross

Windell Middlebrooks as Curtis Brumfield

Mary Mouser as Lacey Fleming

Nathalie Kelley as Dani Alvarez

Jeffrey Nordling as Todd Fleming

Joanna Cassidy as Joan Hunt

Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) may have a prickly personality, but she’s a brilliant medical examiner with unique techniques for solving even the most complex crime. Relive every unique medical mystery as Megan seeks justice for each victim, while also putting her life back together and repairing her personal relationships with the living. Dissect each distinctive case with ABC’s “Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season” on DVD, plus exciting bonus features!

From writer and producer Christopher Murphey comes a new ABC medical drama titled “Body of Proof” which made its debut on March 2011 replacing a canceled drama series. With a short nine episode first season, the drama series was renewed for a second season and garnered positive reviews around the world where it has aired.

“Body of Proof” is a series that centers on Dr. Megan Hunt, a brilliant neurosurgeon who was a workaholic but was also away from her family which led to a divorce and losing custody of her daughter Mary.

One day, while trying to talk on her cell phone, she got into a car accident and now she doesn’t have full control of her hands to do surgery and thus ended her career as a neurosurgeon.

So, now Dr. Hunt works as a medical examiner and is trying to establish a relationship with her daughter but also assists Detectives Bud Morris and Samantha Becker on their criminal cases along with her partner Nicholas Bishop, a former police officer now medico-legal investigator.

The characters of “Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season” include:

Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany, “Desperate Housewives”, “Castle”, “Kidnapped”) - A former neurosurgeon now medical examiner who was a dedicated, brilliant neurosurgeon but broke her marriage and prevented a true relationship with her daughter which was followed by a life-changing car accident which ended her career. Now, a medical examiner, she uses her knowledge and investigative instincts to help police solve cases. She’s not very sociable, doesn’t have any friends due to being a workaholic.

Peter Dunlop (Nicholas Bishop, “Home and Away, “Walking on Water”) - A former police officer and now a medico-legal investigator. A partner to Dr. Megan Hunt assisting her on medical cases.

Dr. Kate Murphy (Jerry Ryan, “Star Trek: Voyager”, “Down with Love”, “Shark”, “Boston Public”) - The chief medical examiner and forensic anthropologist. Always concerned with the work budget, as Megan’s superior and the first female chief medical examiner in Philadelphia, she is sometimes at odds with Dr. Megan Hunt. She is also dating Megan’s ex-husband.

Detective Bud Morris (John Carroll Lynch, “Zodiac”, “Gran Torino”, “Shutter Island”) - A hardheaded homicide detective. Despite having personal problems due to a failing marriage, he does his best to solve his cases but often he and Dr. Megan Hunt are at odds when she oversteps her boundaries.

Detective Samantha Baker (Sonja John, “The Wire”, “Bringing out the Dead”, “Shaft”) - A partner of Detective Bud Morris and a person who respects Dr. Megan Hunt for being straightforward.

Dr. Ethan Gross (Geoffrey Arend, “(500) Days of Summer”, “Garden State”) – The young and enthusiastic fellow medical examiner.

Dr. Curtis Brumfield (Windell Middlebrooks, “Miss March”, “Enlightened”) – A former chief resident at Seattle Grace Hospital and an orthopedic surgeon. Was married with Dr. George O’Malley. Later, she has a sexual relationship with Dr. Mark Sloan (in order to prove to herself that she is heterosexual) but is now starting to understand her feelings that she is a lesbian and exploring her relationship with Dr. Arizona Robbins.

Todd Fleming (Jeffrey Nordling, “Flight 93″, “Tron: Legacy”, “Once and Again”) - The estranged husband of Dr. Megan Hunt, who is dating Megan’s boss, Dr. Kate Murphy.

Lacey Fleming (Mary Matilyn Mouser, “Bride Wars”, “Son of the Mask”) – The estranged daughter of Dr. Megan Hunt.

Dani Alvarez (Nathalie Kelley, “Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift”, “Loaded”) – Delivers the deceased to the medical examiner’s office and becomes the love interest for Peter in Season Two.

“Body of Proof: The Complete First Season” features 20 episodes on four discs. Here is a basic summary of each episode (Spoilerless summaries):

EPISODE 10 – Love Thy Neighbor – A car goes over an embankment and a man is found dead. Who is responsible?
EPISODE 11 – Hunting Party – A young new wife is shot at the family deer-hunt outing, who is responsible for killing her?
EPISODE 12 – Missing – A young nanny is run over and the 5-year-old charge has been kidnapped and he desperately needs his medication.
EPISODE 13 – Lazarus Man – A man who is on the examination table who is presumed dead, walks out off the table.
EPISODE 14 – Point of Origin – Peter saves a young woman in a house fire but is upset that he didn’t know a person died in the fire.
EPISODE 15 – Second Chances – A horse-riding champion is found dead in the woods, who is responsible for the murder?
EPISODE 16 – Hard Knocks – A teenager dies at a party and someone made the 911 call. Who may be responsible for the teen’s death?
EPISODE 17 – Love Bites – A pharmaceutical rep is found murdered and the team must find out who is responsible.
EPISODE 18 – Gross Anatomy – How did a murdered woman’s body end up as a medical school cadaver?
EPISODE 19 – Your Number’s Up – A lottery winner is found stabbed to death. Who is responsible for the murder?
EPISODE 20 – Falling For You – Who killed the bride on her wedding day?
EPISODE 21 – Shades of Blue – A cop is executed at a truck stop, but another cop is a suspect. Is he responsible?
EPISODE 22 – Sympathy for the Devil – A woman found innocent for murder is killed. Who was responsible for the murder?
EPISODE 23 – Cold Blooded – An Italian restaurant owner is found dead in a freezer. Who is responsible?
EPISODE 24 – Occupational Hazards – Two cards with bodies found inside the trunk, now the team must solve two cases.
EPISODE 25 – Home Invasion – Parents of a perfect family are killed. Did the surviving son do it?
EPISODE 26 – Identity – Two young girls are involved in a tragic car accident but the wrong girl is pronounced dead and the car accident may not be responsible for the death of the girl.
EPISODE 27 – Going Viral, Part 1 – The team must solve a city-wide virus outbreak.
EPISODE 28 - Going Viral, Part 2 – Death tolls continue to rise in the city, the team must find a way to treat the virus!
EPISODE 29 – Mind Games – A serial killer is back and wants his revenge on Megan.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season” is presented in Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 televisions. This is one of the few drama series on television where a lot of the scenes are shot outdoors, to there is good natural lighting and the series does look good on DVD. I didn’t see any major noise or compression artifacts. For the most part, the seventh season does look very good on DVD.

As for audio, the series is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and the series is primarily dialogue and music driven. Dialogue is clear and understandable, while the music has always played a major part for the series and definitely enhances certain scenes. Did notice the surround used in scenes with cutting of flesh (during surgery) which was quite clear. There are a few mild action sequences but for the most part, this is a dialogue-driven drama series.

The show is presented in English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season” includes the following special features:

Design of Body of Proof: Living Spaces – (2:27) A short featurette on the production design of the series.
Bodies of Body of Proof - (2:35) A short featurette about the dead bodies featured in the series. Technical Advisor Gary Kellerman talks about the research that goes into the auditions and using pig parts and having Dana Delany practicing the incisions on them and make-up design for the deceased.
The Stunt Work of Body of Proof: Taking the Plunge – (4:58) A featurette on the stunt work featured in the series and how executive producers wanted to see much more action in the seconds season.
The Stunt Work of Body of Proof: Prepping the Stunt (Part 1) – (2:57) The creation of the high speed stunt.
The Effects of Body of Proof: Playing with Fire – (3:29) Featuring the burning down a house for an episode and what was involved in the creation of that scene.
The Fashion of Body of Proof – (2:36) A featurette on the fashion for “Body of the Proof” from Susanna Puisto (Costume Designer).
The Stunt Work of Body of Proof: Collision Course (Part 2) – (3:46) Anya Adams (1st Assistant Director) talks about scheduling the stunts for the series. Lisa Wesels (Stunt Coordinator) talks about the coordination of the stunts for the series and more!
Body of Goofs – (3:37) Outtakes from the second season of “Body of Proof”.
Outbreak: Webisodes – Featuring five webisodes (about two minutes long) showcasing a newscaster about a terrorist virus outbreak.

EXTRAS:

“Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season” comes with a slip cover case.

With “Body of Proof” receiving a 20-episode order (compared to last season’s nine-episodes), this gave writers to explore more cases for the second season.

That also meant more action but also taking more risks in hopes that people will continue to watch the series for the third season.

“Body of Proof” is an interesting series because it deals with both the medical side but also the police detective side.

It’s a mix of a medical and police drama series…not to say it’s “Grey’s Anatomy” meets “Castle” kind of hybrid series but you have the medical side and then a medical examiner who tends to overstep the boundaries during a police investigation once in awhile.

But the series does make things different in the fact that the main character, Dr. Megan Hunt, while a talented medical examiner and former neurosurgeon, she’s flawed when it comes to things outside of her career. She realizes what she lost when she lost and that is a failed marriage and a teenage daughter and a husband who are estranged. And to make things worse for Megan, her boss, is dating her ex-husband and also there for her teenage daughter, which causes resentment and also jealousy within Megan.

You can tell that she buries herself in work to avoid social interaction or to avoid the pain of losing her family but whether or not she likes it, her co-workers are her support, trying to get her out of this funk and make her more sociable but also giving her that extra push for her to have that relationship with her daughter.

Dana Delaney does a spectacular job of playing the character who has confidence when it comes to her job but also her personality flaws when it comes to the more emotional and social aspects of her life. And speaking of Delaney, I definitely love this character role since she played Nurse Colleen McMurphy on “China Beach” back in 1988-1991. A strong character role, intelligent but yet not perfect…just a human being who works hard at her job but also has her own personal issues that she has to deal with.

What I like about this is that many professionals I know are like that. They put in a lot of hours in the office and deep inside, they know they should be with family but because of their dedication for the greater good of saving lives… it’s a difficult choice and lifestyle which is rarely focused in a drama series.

I have to admit that at first, I thought this was going to be a reversed-”Castle” type series where Dr. Hunt would be overstepping the boundaries of her job during the police questioning of a potential suspect but I’m glad that it’s not that type of drama series and that the writers are trying to do something difference. Also, I like the fact that the other supporting cast were being utilized much more earlier in the series.

While the series has gained critical praise, one thing that I do find the series a bit problematic is its criminal cases are predictable. If anything, we are a bit spoiled in this day and age with many police or investigative series that really make you wonder “who did it?”, “Body of Proof” is not exactly challenging the viewer as much.

Also, with more episodes, the series goes further into the character development of Peter, Kate, Ethan, Curtis but also exploring the lives of Detectives Bud Morris and Samantha Baker.

The second season also featured a lot of sexual tension. You never knew if Megan or Peter will get together but eventually, both managed to explore other people (as well as other characters exploring romance).

But what made the second season so awesome was that the writers took amazing risks.

The biggest risk was by creating the virus outbreak episodes for “Going Viral” and killing off a pretty important character of the series, followed by the season finale which killed off a major character of the series. And to make things worse, although a third season was green-lit, the budget for the series has been slashed and even more characters are going to be gone for season three.

While I appreciate the fact that ABC is bringing the series back, what made “Body of Proof” so compelling was the balance between medical/police drama. By eliminating so many characters of one side of the series, I really don’t know what direction the series is headed for season three.

As for the DVD release, you get 20-episodes, quite a few special features and overall picture and audio quality is very good on DVD.

With a series like “Body of Proof”, there was no doubt that the writers did so much to make this season exciting. More action, more stunt work and calculated stories which include a major outbreak and a serial killer which leaves two characters dead and also a season finale which would feature the last appearances of important characters.

The writers did a lot to improve the second season and did all they can to give “Body of Proof” its own identity and to distinguish itself from other ABC drama shows like “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Private Practice”, “Castle”, etc.

But with how things have ended with season two and what has transpired since the third season received an order of more episodes and a drastic cut to its budget, needless to say, the third season will be a new chapter in the life of Dr. Megan Hunt and may possibly be a different kind of series that we have been accustomed to, in these past two seasons. It’s a shame because this season really went all out into developing storylines for viewers to learn more about these characters and now, quite a few of them are now gone. It’s like taking “Grey’s Anatomy” and eliminating everyone but a handful of characters.

So, I don’t really know what is in store for season three. But for season two alone, if you enjoyed the first season, you definitely want to watch the second. The writers really went all out with this second season and by the final episodes of the season, you can’t believe where the writers are taking you. I was impressed they saved the best episodes of season two for last!

If you are looking for a fun, well-written, clever and entertaining medical/investigative drama series, “Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season” is highly recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

Q&A Interview with actress Jeri Ryan, “Body of Proof” (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

October 5, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

With the DVD release of “Body of Proof – The Complete First Season”, we will be featuring Q&A interviews with the cast of ABC’s “Body of Proof”.

Our next interview is with actress Jeri Ryan, known for her roles as “Seven of Nine” from “Star Trek: Voyager” and Ronnie Cooke from “Boston Public”. She most recently appeared on the drama series “Leverage” and the comedy series “Two and a Half Men”.

In “Body of Proof”, Jeri plays the role of Kate Murphy, the first Chief Medical Examiner in Philadelphia history and also the stern boss of Dr. Megan Hunt (played by Dana Delany).

As both she and Dr. Megan Hunt, are dedicated to their profession, she knows that Dr. Megan Hunt often will ask for medical tests that can easily cost the department quite a bit of money and when she does, it’s up to Kate to step in and remind Dr. Hunt of who is the boss. Thus, sometimes adding a bit of tension to their working relationship.

With season two of “Body of Proof” airing on ABC and the DVD release of “Body of Proof: The Complete First Season”, actress Jeri Ryan took part in a media Q&A and reflected on the first season as Kate Murphy on “Body of Proof”.

How would you describe your character in Body Of Proof?

JERI: Dr. Kate Murphy is the first female chief medical examiner in Philadelphia’s history, so she’s very smart and a bit of a tough cookie in her own right. However, she’s also very human and she’s got a lot of empathy, not just for the victims and their families, but also for the people that work for her and with her. I love the fact that she’s not a stereotypical cold-as-ice, hard-as-nails female boss because that’s not terribly interesting to play. Kate is very different.

Did you base your character on anyone in particular?

JERI: A couple of our technical advisors on the show are women who were chief medical examiners in their own right. One of them was the first female chief medical examiner in the city where she worked and what really blew me away was the fact that you might assume someone in her position of power would be solely focused on work and nothing else. However, that’s not true. These women still live their lives to the full. They are the most fascinating, amazing women. They race cars, they skydive, and they climb mountains. They do everything and anything.

Why do you think they live life to the full?

JERI: Perhaps it’s got something to do with working around death all the time? Working in this field makes you realize how fragile life is and how quickly it can go, so perhaps it entices you to take advantage of every minute you have. I certainly try to bring a little of that to Kate in the show.

How do these medical examiners still care about the victims after seeing so much death in their job?

JERI: That was one of the things I asked when I got to visit a medical examiner’s office. “How do you do this? These are human beings. It’s someone’s loved one. How do you carry on all the time?” I discovered that there’s always a respect and sensitivity that it’s a body, but you have to have a disconnect or you couldn’t do what you have to do in an autopsy. You can’t completely internalize it and emotionalize it.

Did you witness an autopsy at first hand?

JERI: I witnessed two autopsies during my research for this role. I am a huge science geek, so I was waiting six months for the opportunity to present itself where I could finally witness one. It was an amazing honor, and it was incredibly fascinating – but the emotional part of it was hard. I looked at the first guy’s face and thought to myself, ‘Whoa… This is a human being.’ I started thinking about his family who just lost their loved one and for a minute, I didn’t know if I was actually going to be able to carry on. You realize how fragile life is and what a miracle our bodies are. It’s amazing.

What else did you learn from observing the autopsies?

JERI: There was one case that was incredibly difficult. The doctor performing the autopsy told me that it was one of the hardest cases she’d ever had to do because it was an infant. She explained how you have to go home and hug your kids extra tight after doing something like that. It’s a hard job.

Did your observations affect your thoughts on life and death?

Absolutely. I don’t necessarily want to climb mountains, but witnessing these autopsies has made me really appreciate life. The human body is such a miraculous machine and you really realize the fragility of life when you see them opened up in front of you. We are all told to eat right and work out – but when you literally see first hand what happens when you ignore these things, it really does make you think.

How close is your portrayal of medical procedures to the real thing?

JERI: It’s as real and authentic as you can be on a network television show. There’s only so much that you can really show, but we always have our technical advisers on a set and we try our best to make everything as realistic as possible. If you’re doing a medical show and the science is not there, you’ve lost all credibility, so we try to keep it as authentic and as legitimately correct as we can.

Is it a challenge to develop your character when you are unsure where the show is going?

JERI: That’s the challenge of episodic television. You don’t know where it’s going until that script is in front you. You try to drag everything you can out of the writers to give you some sort of information to go on. You get any scrap of back story that you can because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played something one way, and then a script comes in, and you discover a completely out-of-the-blue back story that you never saw coming.

Your character is a very strong-willed woman. Was that part of the appeal of the show?

JERI: Very much so. I don’t have any interest in playing a ditz, especially on a series that could potentially run for seven years. I don’t want to play somebody who’s stupid. I don’t have that interest. I want somebody who is strong and smart; somebody that I can be proud of my daughter watching and using as a role model. My character is very intelligent, strong and smart – and I loved the way she was written. That’s what peaked my interest.

Do you enjoy the fact that there is a strong female cast in Body Of Proof?

JERI: It’s fantastic that we’ve got a female-driven drama. There are three really strong, smart women on the show and I love it. No offense to the guys, but I love that there are so many great roles for women now, and so many great roles for women 40 and over. A new industry has emerged in the last five or 10 years. It’s wonderful.

Did you know your Body Of Proof co-star Dana Delany before you started work on the show?

JERI: I had heard wonderful things about Dana, but we’d never met. Dana is universally loved by everyone she’s ever worked with. She’s amazing and a wonderful actress as well. It’s been a pleasure to work with her – and I very much look forward to working with her some more in Season Two.

Body of Proof: The Complete First Season is now available on DVD.

Photo credit: ABC

Filed Under: GALLERY, Interviews and Articles

Body of Proof: The Complete First Season (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

September 8, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

If you are looking for a fun, clever and entertaining drama medical/investigative series, definitely give “Body of Proof: The Complete First Season” a chance!

DVD TITLE: Body of Proof: The Complete First Season

SERIES DATE: 2011

DURATION: 9 Episodes (387 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Spanish and French Subtitles, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions

COMPANY: abc studios

RATED: TV 14 DSLV

RELEASE DATE: September 20, 2011

Directed by Nelson McCormick, Christine Moore

Written by Christopher Murphey

Produced by Jim Klever-Weis, Bryan Oh

Co-Producer: Paul Gadd

Supervising Producer: Diane Ademu-John

Executive Producer: Matthew Gross, Christopher Murphey, Sunil Nayar

Co-Executive Producer: Corey D. Miller, Richard Heus, Andrew Dettmann

Music by Daniel Licht

Cinematography by Patrick Cady

Edited by Jennifer Pulver, Lynn Willingham, Randy Jon Morgan

Casting by Rosalie Joseph

Production Design by Steven Wolff

Art Direction by Jeremy Woodward, E. David Cosier, Gina B. Cranham

Costume Design by Roberta Haze

Starring:

Dana Delany as Megan Hunt

Jeri Ryan as Kate Murphy

John Carroll Lynch as Bud Morris

Nicholas Bishop as Petr Dunlop

Sonja John as Samantha Baker

Geoffrey Arend as Ethan Gross

Windell Middlebrooks as Curtis Brumfield

Suzanne Gillies as Medical Investigator

Kent R. Williams as Officer Steave

Billy “V” Vigeant as Officer Watkins

Mary Mouser as Lacey Fleming

Jeffrey Nordling as Todd Fleming

Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) was second to none — a brilliant neurosurgeon in a class all her own — but when her lifesaving gift is destroyed in a career-ending car accident, she reinvents herself as a medical examiner. Armed with keen instincts and vast medical knowledge, Dr. Hunt uses the victim‘s bodies to tell the story of their lives and untimely death. The first season of this hit new series allows fans to relive the twists and turns of each case as Hunt seeks justice for every victim while also embarking on a journey of personal redemption.

One day, while trying to talk on her cell phone, she got into a car accident and now she doesn’t have full control of her hands to do surgery and thus ended her career as a neurosurgeon.

The characters of “Body of Proof: The Complete First Season” include:

Peter Dunlop (Nicholas Bishop, “Home and Away, “Walking on Water”) - A former police officer and now a medico-legal investigator. A partner to Dr. Megan Hunt assisting her on medical cases.

Dr. Ethan Gross (Geoffrey Arend, “(500) Days of Summer”, “Garden State”) – The young and enthusiastic fellow medical examiner.

Todd Fleming (Jeffrey Nordling, “Flight 93″, “Tron: Legacy”, “Once and Again”) - The estranged husband of Dr. Megan Hunt.

Lacey Fleming (Mary Matilyn Mouser, “Bride Wars”, “Son of the Mask”) – The estranged daughter of Dr. Megan Hunt.

“Body of Proof: The Complete First Season” features 9 episodes on two discs. Here is a basic summary of each episode (Spoilerless summaries):

DISC: 1

EPISODE 1 – Pilot – Detectives work with a passionate medical examiner named Dr. Megan Hunt, but with her wanting to catch the killer of a young woman, they quickly learn that the medical examiner may tend to break her boundaries. Meanwhile, Hunt tries to re-establish a relationship with her estranged daughter.
EPISODE 2 – Letting Go – Dr. Megan Hunt helps detectives with a murder case involving an interracial couple.
EPISODE 3 – Helping Hand – Dr. Megan Hunt tries to find out how and who murdered a woman found in a hotel. Meanwhile, Megan tries to make friends by taking an interest in the lives of her co-workers.
EPISODE 4 – Talking Heads – Dr. Megan Hunt works on a case involving a homeless man who was dismembered. Meanwhile, Dr. Megan Hunt’s daughter chooses her mother as a her video project.
EPISODE 5 – Dead Man Walking – Dr. Megan Hunt investigates a patients death at the hospital she once worked at. Special guest stars: Christina Hendricks and Marc Blucas. Meanwhile, Ethan and Curtis work on a case.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 6 – Society Hill – Dr. Megan Hunt tries to find out who killed a magazine editor, meanwhile she accepts an invitation to one of her mother’s social events.
EPISODE 7 – All in the Family – A stay-at-home dad is found murdered in his home in a quiet neighborhood in the Philadelphia suburbs. Dr. Hunt tries to find out who killed her. Meanwhile Kate works on a pro bono case with Megan’s ex-husband.
EPISODE 8 – Buried Secrets – A homicide detective is found dead and Dr. Megan Hunt tries to help detectives find out who killed her.
EPISODE 9 – Broken Home – When a socialite is found dead, Dr. Megan Hunt feels that she may have been killed but her personal life is starting to interfere with the investigation.

VIDEO:

“Body of Proof: The Complete First Season” is presented in Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 televisions. This is one of the few drama series on television where a lot of the scenes are shot outdoors, to there is good natural lighting and the series does look good on DVD. I didn’t see any major noise or compression artifacts. For the most part, the seventh season does look very good on DVD.

AUDIO:

The show is presented in English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Body of Proof: The Complete First Season” includes the following special features:

Examining the Proof – (10:21) Cast, crew and creators discuss the fascinating elements that go into making death look real with the help of research and a team of medical advisors.
If Looks Could Kill - (5:33) From Dr. Megan Hunt‘s high heels to Curtis and Ethan‘s scrubs and wardrobe, go behind-the-scenes with costume designer Roberta Haze as she dresses the actors and creates looks that kill!
Body of Goofs – (3:40) “Body of Proof” first season outtakes.
New Evidence: A Sneak Peek at Season 2 – (:46) Short sneak peak for season 2.

DISC 2:

Normal & Extended episode of “Episode 144 – Song Beneath the Song” – This extended episode (48:01) and the normal episode (44:01) are featured on disc 5.

EXTRAS:

“Body of Proof: The Complete First Season” comes with a slip cover case.

So far, with the first season of “Body of Proof”, the characters and the overall premise of the series is very good and entertaining.

As for the DVD release, you do get nine episodes and special features and of course, the series is sold at a cheaper price because of the shorter season. But overall, it’s a solid series. I just hope that the writers don’t make Dr. Hunt too sociable (ala similar to Delaney’s role in “Desperate Housewives”) and to not have Dr. Hunt or Nicholas Bishop hook up. There is a lot of exploring and potential for these characters but it’s all about how they are utilized in each episode. Especially with Dr. Ethan Gross and Dr. Curtis Brumfield, who are being used in season one for more comedic sake, would like to see them in more deeper, darker or dramatic scenes than just being used for comedy sake.

Overall, so far, so good for “Body of Proof” and how things have played out this first season. But we’ll see how things go for season two!

If you are looking for a fun, clever and entertaining drama medical/investigative series, definitely give “Body of Proof: The Complete First Season” a chance!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

Leverage – The 2nd Season (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

May 19, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Exciting, fun and highly enjoyable! Another thrilling, action-packed second season of “Leverage”! Featuring commentary for all 15 episodes and a good number of special features as well. Fans of the series will definitely enjoy this latest DVD release. Recommended!

DVD TITLE: LEVERAGE – THE 2nd SEASON

DURATION: 15 Episodes – 646 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital, Color

COMPANY: Electric Entertainment/Paramount

RATED: Not Rated

RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2010

Created by Chris Downey, John Rogers

Directed by Dean Devlin, Marc Roskin, Jonathan Frakes, Jeremiah S. Chechik

Written by Chris Downey, John Rogers, Amy Berg, Christine Boyland, Albert Kim, Melissa Glenn, Jessica Rieder

Executive Produced by Amy Berg, Dean Devlin, Chris Downey, John Rogers

Co-Executive Producers: Kearie Peak, Marc Roskin

Produced by Paul F. Bernard

Co-Produced by Rachel Olschan

Music by Joseph LoDuca

Director of Photography: David Connell

Edited by David Siegel, Sonny Baskin, Brian Gonosey

Casting by Scott David and April Webster

Product Design by Lauren Crasco, Leonard Harman

Art Direction by Brian Harms

Set Direction by Crista Schneider

Costume Design by Nadine Haders

Starring:

Timothy Hutton as Nathan Ford

Christian Kane as Eliot Spencer

Aldis Hodge as Alec Hardison

Gina Bellman as Sophie Devereaux

Beth Riesgraf as Parker

Mark Sheppard as Jim Sterling

Jeri Ryan as Tara Cole

Kari Matchett as Maggie Collins

The master thieves of TNT’s hit drama Leverage are back for another high-voltage season of expert cons and action-packed heists. Following the destruction of their operational headquarters, Nate Ford (Academy Award® winner Timothy Hutton) and his highly skilled team of con artists reunite to take down the corrupt bigwigs. In Season Two, the Leverage team sets out to recover millions of dollars lost in a Ponzi scheme, stage a deadly virus outbreak, and go head-to-head against a rival crew of slick thieves. To fight the criminal underworld, the Leverage team knows the high-tech tricks of the trade to get the job done. Sometimes it’s good to be bad. This 4-disc DVD set of LEVERAGE: The 2nd Season includes 15 riveting episodes and is packed with cool special features.

Steal from the rich and give back to those who deserve it, giving those who have no chance some leverage.

“LEVERAGE” is the hit TV drama series on TNT executive produced by Dean Devlin (“Godzilla”, “Independence Day” and “Universal Soldier”), Chris Downey (“The King of Queens”) and John Rogers (“Cosby”) and also to see involvement by Jonathan Frakes (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”, “Roswell”) as a director and Amy Berg (“The 4400″) as a writer/producer.

“LEVERAGE” stars Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton (“The Good Shepherd”, “Ordinary People” and “The Last Mimzy”), Christian Kane (“Angel”, “Close to Home”), Aldis Hodge (“Red Sands”, “Friday Night Lights”), Gina Bellman (“Coupling”, “Jekyll” and “Permanent Vacation”), Beth Riesgraf (“Struck”) and Mark Sheppard (“Battlestar Galactica” and “Dollhouse”) who are part of a group of thieves who steal from the corrupt and give to the needy.

For the first season, the series would become a major hit for TNT as it became the #1 program on Tuesday nights with solid ratings for the drama series. As the series is now approaching its third season, the second season will be available on DVD featuring 15 episodes on 4-DVD’s and plenty of special features!

“LEVERAGE” revolves around former Insurance Investigator Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton) who has exposed scams and recovered stolen items worth millions for his insurance company. But when it came to getting his son’s medical treatment covered, his insurance company denied it and his son died because he was unable to get the treatment he needed.

One day, someone gives Nate a chance to get back at his insurance company, if he teams up with a group of thieves and manages them. In the process, Nate realizes the good that this group can do (and at the same time fulfilling their needs for stealing and making money) and creates a company called Leverage Consulting & Associates which was created to help those with major insurance problems and give them leverage and making sure that what happened to him, will never happen to anyone else.

For the second season, Nate and the Leverage team decide to reunite but this time around, the jobs they have are much more riskier including the group taking on a popular government official and not knowing that Nate’s rival James Sterling is back and now working for Interpol and is trying to capture Nate.

Leverage Consulting & Associates consists of:

Nathan Ford (Timothy Hutton) – Because of his job as a former insurance fraud investigator for IYS insurance, Nathan (or Nate) is very smart when it comes to his planning and delegating jobs to the group. Unfortunately, since his son’s death, his life has led to alcoholism and a divorce from his wife but with Leverage, it has given him a renewed sense on life and to help people even if it means working with thieves. He is often referred to as “The Black King/White Knight” because his a good guy but now responsible for managing a few of the world’s top thieves.

Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman) – Sophie is a terrible actress on stage but she’s also an excellent con woman who specializes in art thefts. She is acquainted with Nathan as he caught her in the act of stealing a painting. There is sexual tension between her and Nathan.

Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane) – A retrieval expert but also an expert in martial arts and weapons. Knows his weapons and how to disarm the opponent. And the temperamental member of the group.

Parker (Beth Riesgraf) – Professional thief, cat burglar and explosives expert. Loves money and often the odd person of the group. Not very good around people.

Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) – An excellent hacker and computer/technology expert. Knows how to hack into everything, knows the hardware and knows how to fit into any surrounding to infiltrate an area.

Other characters:

Tara Cole (Jeri Ryan) – A con and grifter who ends up teaming up with the Leverage team.

James Sterling (Mark A. Sheppard) – Nate’s former business partner and now rival. Sterling works for Interpol and will do all he can to catch Nate.

Maggie Collins (Kari Matchett) – Nate’s ex-wife Maggie, who divorced him because he became an alcoholic. Still cares for Nate and will sometimes call him for help.

“LEVERAGE – The 2nd Season” features the following episodes on four discs:

Disc 1:

EPISODE 14 – The Beantown Bailout - The Leverage team reunites to take on a major job that involves an Irish mob and a banker.
EPISODE 15 – The Tap-Out Job - Leverage goes to Nebraska to take on a corrupt mixed martial arts promoter.
EPISODE 16 – The Order 23 Job – The Leverage team tries to stage a virus breakout in order to retrieve money from a convicted felon who have stolen from the people.
EPISODE 17 – The Fairy Godparents Job – The Leverage team ends up at a private school in which Sophie tries to help a teenager in need.

Disc 2:

EPISODE 18 – The Three Days of the Hunter Job - The Leverage team work to expose a tabloid newscaster.
EPISODE 19 – The Top Hat Job - The Leverage team must put on a magic show to take on a corporation putting out tainted food in the market.
EPISODE 20 – The Two Live Crew Job - The Leverage team takes on another group of thieves.
EPISODE 21 – The Ice Man Job - Since Sophie is gone, Hardison must play the inside man to take down a diamond merchant.

DISC 3:

EPISODE 22 – The Lost Heir Job - The Leverage team tries to stop a crooked lawyer from trying to take over his client’s estate.
EPISODE 23 – The Runway Job - The Leverage team infiltrates an oppressive sweatshop.
EPISODE 24 – The Bottle Job - The Leverage team takes on a loan shark.
EPISODE 25 – The Zanzibar Marketplace Job - The Leverage team must work with their enemy Sterling in order to free Maggie from jail.

DISC 4:

EPISODE 26: The Future Job - The team goes after a fraud psychic medium (played by “Beverly Hills 90210″ star Luke Perry).
EPISODE 27: The Three Strikes Job - The Leverage team takes on their largest project yet, taking down a corrupt lawyer.
EPISODE 28: The Maltese Falcon Job - The season finale. As the Leverage team tries to take down a corrupt lawyer and Sterling gives Nate an ultimatum which which will change the team dynamic.

VIDEO:

Overall, “LEVERAGE” looks very good for a television drama. Featured in Widescreen, a lot of scenes are done in the indoors and outdoors that is where the series is most vibrant and more colorful. Like most drama series on DVD, it’s when you get into low light situations and you do see artifacting. But I have to admit that “Leverage” has been one of those titles with very good video and personally, this is one series that I would have loved to see released on Blu-ray. But overall, for a drama series on DVD, “LEVERAGE” is stylishly cool in terms of visual appeal.

AUDIO:

As for audio, the series is presented in Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround and definitely utilizes the front channels for its explosions and rear surrounds take advantage of action sequences. I discovered use of LFE as well and overall, for a drama series on DVD, “LEVERAGE” sounds great. Dialog is easy to understand and more than enough action sequences on each episode.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“LEVERAGE” features many special features as each disc has optional audio commentary for EVERY episode. The fourth disc is where the majority of the special features are located. Included on the fourth disc are:

The Creators of Leverage Q&A – (18:55) Executive producers John Rogers, Dean Devlin and Chris Downey talk to a live audience about how the origins of the show came about and casting the talent for “Leverage”.
John Rogers Set Tour – (3:08) Executive Producer John Rogers talks about shooting in Portland, Oregon and a tour of Leverage HQ.
Behind the Boom Featurette – (7:14) A featurette on the creation of special effects for “Leverage”. In this featurette, the creation of a major explosion in a building.
“The Hand Job” Spoof Video – (5:08) Actor Aldis Hodge shows people how to do things the Leverage way.
Andy Lange Music Featurette – (2:58) Singer/songwriter Andy Lange talks about utilizing his music on the show. The producers talk about how they came about using Andy’s music on the show.
Season 2 Wrap Party Gag Reel – (9:02) Featuring the bloopers from season 2 of “Leverage” plus the cast and crew of “Leverage” doing gags on set.

EXTRAS:

“Leverage – The 2nd Season” comes with a cardboard slip-over case.

From the first episode of “Leverage”, I was sold. Solid writing, cool characters and overall, the first season was exciting and enjoyable. The second season turns up the notch as we see more action and also the odds against the team slightly higher. The characters are truly tested and by the end of the final season, it definitely makes you excited (as well as a bit impatient) for the upcoming third season.

I was very impressed with the first season and each talent really brings their A game to the series. Timothy Hutton plays a convincing role as the mastermind of the group; Gina Bellman brings that sexiness that she had in BBC’s “Coupling” to the series but added depth as a true-to-art con artist; It’s great to see Christian Kane again kicking butt since his years on “Angel” and also to see the two talents Beth Riesgraf and Aldis Hodge definitely shine in this series. The characters are well, cast, well-planned, well integrated into the series and I really enjoyed the amount of character development we see in each episode. Despite being thieves, they are all likable in their own way.

If anything, we are starting to see the chemistry of each characters gel and also, I like how things are starting to heat up between Nate and Sophie. As for the addition of Jeri Ryan to the second season of “Leverage”, she’s a bit of a wildcard. You can picture her helping the team but at the same time, but unlike the other members, she’s been used to the con life for awhile and she can play both sides and thus, it’ll be interesting to see how her character is utilized in the future.

I also felt the writers bringing back Mark Sheppard for Jim Sterling was smart. He is the true antagonist for the group and how the ended the second season definitely will have viewers wanting to know what happens for the third season.

Usually, there tends to be some drop-off when it comes to storytelling but the writers managed to keep things exciting and fresh, now that we are seeing the group becoming more mobile as they take on various jobs nationwide. But this time, the jobs they are taking on are much riskier and can lead to their downfall.

For those who haven’t watched the first season, it helps to know the background and why Nate is driven to work with a group of thieves but the series is easy to follow, so it’s not going to be hard to follow the storyline for season two. But I do recommend watching the first because it goes into the team dynamics and also learning about Nate’s drive for what he is doing.

As for the DVD, similar to the last season’s release, it’s packed with special features and commentary. I think that fans of the show will be entertained by the amount of content included. The commentary tracks are actually informative and there are a good amount of humor in the commentary tracks, in fact, no worries about the commentary being dry as they keep the commentary tracks quite lively.

Overall, “Leverage” fans will enjoy this latest DVD release. Fifteen exciting and enjoyable episodes, plenty of special features content and like the first release, “Leverage – The 2nd Season” is quite solid and I doubt anyone will be disappointed. Definitely recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews