Murder One - Season 1-2 [DVD] [1996]

I have totally missed this on TV. OK, having developed a substantial allergy for ads, I miss almost everything on TV, except football. But the reviews at Amazon were enthusiastic enough, and the name of Steven Bochco seemed quite trustworty, ditto the cast. As you can buy Seasons 1 AND 2 for the same price as Season 1 OR Season 2 (separately), I had little doubts in my choice.

The result? After the boxset arrived, I've witnessed several sunrises. The verdict for Mr. Bochco and Co: guilty!!!!!

My advice for anyone: grab it now! It's really amazing. OK, maybe it's my personal opinion, and tastes is not a subject for discussion, but if you are not interested in stuff like this in general, you are not reading this review, are you?

On more serious note. I tend to disagree with those, who say, that Season 2 is a setback in comparison with Season 1. Just the two seasons are quite different. Season one concentrates on just one case. (What?? One case for 22 episodes?? Sounds boooooring! Just check it, you'll see, how wrong you can be.) An exceptionally detailed insight to the process of trial, and wonderfully played, just let me mention the constant duel between Ted Hofman (Daniel Benzali) and Miriam Grasso (Barbara Bosson), enemies-on-court-friends-in-everyday-life. It's up to their wits to win the sympathies of the jury, and you never get tired to watch their efforts. Of course, there's much more to be mentioned... just too much.

In Season 2 we have no more Ted Hofman, but we do have Jimmy Wyler, and that means having Anthony LaPaglia, and that is always a tremendous pleasure. Quite a different character, by the way. If Ted is more of a "kind-hearted daddy" type, the recent fugitive from DA office Jimmy is much more sophisticated, less predictable, even cunning.

SPOILER WARNING! One of my favourite details. As "a man of word", Jimmy, as promised, returns a compromising tape to his worst enemy. A moment later, when the man is on the witness' stand, Jimmy does NOT miss the chance to say: "If we tried to watch the tape you have in your pocket, would we hear us discussing weather?"

END OF SPOILER

This is just a detail, but there are plenty of them. And then, there is Jimmy's mother, quite a character too (again too many good characters to mention them all).

Season 2 concentrates on 3 cases instead of one, and there you start suspecting, that the difference between "guilty" and "not guilty" sometimes is just the issue of court. After guessing "is he/she a murderer or not", you get kind of different question: which side is more gifted: the prosecution or the lawyers? Because that is what really matters. (Seems a bit like Law and Order? I'm a huge fan of L&O myself, but for me Murder One is way better.)

It's a little disappointing to find out that the end of Season 2 (not even finished really) is the end for good. On the other hand, it might have been really hard to go on on such a high level for n+k seasons. As the saying goes (sorry, that's quite an inadequate translation into English): you get really good things only in small rations.

So:

If I were an actor, I'd bit my nails envying Stanley Tucci his role of this "bad guy"(?) Richard Cross (Season 1), as it is one of the most interesting characters I've seen in years.

If I were a film director, I'd do my best to grab Anthony LaPaglia for my next film, as he is one of the most interesting actors I've seen in years.

As myself, I do envy all those, who haven't seen this yet (if any), for the sheer pleasure of watching it for the first time is still ahead of them (those who have know what I mean).

Enjoy!

I had not seen any of this series before buying this 2 series pack.
Case one is by far the better but case 2 is still interesting. I did get pretty addicted to case one and ended up watching all 17 hours of it almost back to back!
There are enough twists and turns to keep you wanting to watch and not getting bored.

Even more enjoyable that when I first watched Murder 1 in the 1990's. The production shows how good TV shows can be. DVDs swiftly delivered by Amazon and the packaging is very imaginative.