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Ghost Canyon

'Missing - The Complete First Season'
(Ashley Judd, Sean Bean, Keith Carradine, et al / 3-Disc DVD / NR / 2012 / ABC Studios)

Overview: Emmy Award nominee Ashley Judd stars in 'Missing,' ABC's riveting new series, bursting with international intrigue and thrilling twists and turns. Becca Winstone (Ashley Judd) learns that her son, Michael, has disappeared while studying abroad, and it's a race against time when she travels to Europe to track him down.

DVD Verdict: The first big question in my mind, as the first episode unraveled, was could the woman who starred in 'Double Jeopardy,' 'Kiss the Girls' and even the trerrible 'High Crimes' make it good on the smal screen too - all these years, and no real Hollywood hits later?

The answer (to my mind) ... no! BUT, halfway through this 10 episode "season" (for, as we all know by now ABC cancelled this show waaaaay to early for its own good last month), you do begin to follow along with her thoughts, her methods, her old woman clothing! The Pilot sets up everything you will need to know for the entire season, in that 10 years prior Becca's husband (Sean Bean) is killed in a car explosion in Europe whilst on vacation with his son (who obviously survives). 10 years on and the son is all grown (Nick Eversman) and going to Italy to study (as you do!)

It turns out (quickly) that neither he nor us knew that Becca (Judd) and Paul Winstone (Bean) were former CIA agents, retired! But, once her son goes missing (erm, hence the title), Becca is off and running - literally, and for the entire 10 episodes! Filmed in real European locations - France, Czechoslovakia, Turkey, etc. - the scenery is incredible, and what they create chase scenes from is breathtaking.

The one thing that bugs me throughout, in truth is that everytime Becca gets close to her son, he diverts (unknowingly) off that chosen course and is now somewhere else! My goodness, had he just stayed put the very first few times this series would have been over come the third episode! Anyway, with episode titles such as The Hard Drive, Ice Queen, Tell Me No More Lies, The Three Bears, A Busy Solitude, Measure of A Man, Answers, Promises and finally Rain On The Evil and The Good, it isn't really until the final three that things start to get interesting.

For in those final three episodes, main characters die, others get badly shot, CIA traitors are revealed, and Suspect Zero, the person behind all this mayhem is brought into the light too! That said, if you don't figure out who it is by the sixth episode you don't deserve to be watching this show!

Cliff Curtis as Agent Dax Miller is a credit to the show too, as he keeps us guessing all the way as to whether or not he's on the good or bad side of the law. Keith Carradine as as Martin Newman, Becca's former CIA trainer and mentor; who is also Michael's godfather plays his role as if he's played it all his life. Sean Bean as Paul Winstone does have a larger role, but that would be giving things away! But, what I will say is he needs to work on his American accent! Nick Eversman as Michael Winstone plays his role well, if not a little too stoic for my liking. Adriano Giannini as Giancarlo Rossi, Becca's once-love interest and (still) member of Interpol is brilliant in his role, as is the lovely Tereza Voøíšková as Oksana; the love interest for Micheal.

Given that the show was cancelled before it's final run of TV air time, and that they had no idea they wouldn't be coming back for season 2 whilst filming (which is sad as in the extras Judd reveals they had something "sensational" planned!), the show DOES wrap very nicely. Well, save for the additional last 3 minutes that, given the fact it was DVD and they knew making this series (at that stage) there was to be no season 2, they could have (should have) cut to make this a one-hit wonder of a (great) complete season. These are all Full Screen Presentations (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

'Missing' In Action
On Location: Istanbul
Deleted Scenes

ABC.com/Missing





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