Television. One DVD at a Time.

"You got your naked fifteen-year-old victim. You got your presence of drugs, your rumors of sexual depravity, and your gorgeous older sister and former alleged prostitute linked romantically to the rich, powerful, and married Richard Cross - which could all just be sizzle." - Michael Hayden as Chris Docknovich

Murder One: The Complete First Season Quick Take

Just Like Our Regular Reviews. Only Smurf-sized.

By A.J. Carson

Six years before CIA agent Jack Bauer spent an entire season investigating a single case in 24, producer Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue) introduced a similar concept to the world of legal dramas in Murder One. In it, attorney Theodore Hoffman (bald-pated Daniel Benzali) spends the entire season working on a single Byzantine case - defending a client accused of murdering of a fifteen-year-old girl. Well, two clients, actually - the police initially finger smarmy millionaire philanthropist Richard Cross (a perfectly cast Stanley Tucci) before pursuing devil-may-care movie star Neil Avedon (Jason Gedrick, whose presence in a TV project ensures both high quality and abbreviated runs). In each episode (or, in Murder One parlance, each "chapter"), Hoffman leads the search for evidence to clear his client. To appease viewers with short attention spans, the firm's other lawyers also take on cases that can be wrapped up in the course of a single episode. The series is stylishly shot, and the season-length storyline thankfully does not feel like a gimmick or stunt, but an organic, natural storytelling device. Benzali has the quiet intensity of a killer pitbull in momentary repose, and the rest of the cast - including Patricia Clarkson, Michael Hayden, Barbara Bosson, Dylan Baker, Kevin Tighe, J.C. MacKenzie, Mary McCormack, Grace Phillips, and Vanessa "Melrose Place" Williams - is equally strong. The twenty-three episodes - collected on six discs in a fittingly creepy body bag-themed case - do have two serious flaws, however: the campily baroque theme song from the usually reliable Mike Post and cheesy opening credits that seem ripped off from a low budget commercial touting the services of an ambulance chaser.

Video and Audio

The video is acceptable, but it does have a few flaws. Some scenes are grainy, white specks are evident, and the images overall are slightly fuzzy. Even so, it looks better than most releases.

English, French, and Spanish Dolby Surround audio is included for each episode, as are English and Spanish subtitles. The episodes are also closed captioned.

Extras

Murder One: The Complete First Season features two commentary tracks: actor Jason Gedrick on "Chapter 8" and director Randy Zisk on "Chapter 15."

Gedrick and Zisk join several members of the show's creative team and cast (including Benzali, McCormack, MacKenzie, and Bosson) for "Making the Case: Season One" (25:20), a featurette that explores the creation of the series. Although fun, the featurette suffers from the absence of Bochco. The featurette also includes a brief clip that gives away a facet of the final outcome of the trial, so view it at your own risk.

Summary

If you're one of Law & Order's 35 kajillion fans, you'll definitely want to check out Murder One: The Complete First Season. With its delightfully complex storyline and intensely compelling acting, Murder One is a first-rate legal drama.

2/7/05