Life: Season Two – DVD Review

By Jeff Swindoll Aug 29, 2009, 19:04 GMT

He\'s got a second chance at life...and he\'s doing whatever it takes to make every moment count in all 21 Second Season episodes of the clever, critically acclaimed series, "Life". Golden Globe(R) Award nominee Damian Lewis returns as Charlie Crews, an eccentric detective returning to the force after being wrongfully imprisoned. Back on the beat with his determined partner, Dani Reese (Sarah Shahi), and his unusually Zen-like outlook toward the ...more

Life was another show that was given a death sentence from the writer’s strike.  I guess it was given a chance in its second season, but the ratings failed to materialize.  It didn’t help that some real life incidences caused the show to be rewritten and one of the main characters to disappear.  

Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) was a cop wrongly convicted of murder and given a life sentence.  It took twelve years, but Crews was later exonerated; released from prison; given a hefty financial settlement; and had his badge reinstated.

Crews return was not seen favorably at police headquarters and he was partnered with another damaged cop Det. Dani Reese (Sarah Shahi) who is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic.  Crews and Reese uncover the real murderer behind the murders Crews was blamed for but they don’t really find out the reason why the murders were committed and to Russian mobster Roman Nevikov (Garrett Dillahunt). 

This season deals with those reasons.  This season also features a new boss for the duo, Capt. Kevin Tidwell (Donal Logue) who begins romancing one of them… no it’s not Charlie.  

Crews and Reese are also on the track of a serial killer as well as other mysteries. When Reese is called onto assignment with the FBI, Charlie is partnered with Det. Jane Seever (Gabrielle Union).  There’s always some fresh fruit to look forward to though.  

The writers’ strike did no favors for the first season of Life and real life events would do no favors for its second one.  It would lead to the cancellation of the series.  This season found Sarah Shahi coming down with an advanced case of pregnancy and the writers had to find a way to account for the absence of her character.  The problem is that this retooling of the show led to the episodes going downhill. 

Though her replacement is a good actress, the character that tries to step into Reese’s shoes finds them too big. She just doesn’t have the banter and camaraderie that Reese did with Crews.  The finale also seems to take Crews out of character, but I do suppose that it’s good that the show did get to have one. 

The acting is wonderful, with Damian Lewis being a standout, but the departure of a major character seemed to throw the show off track and it never recovered.  

Life is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions.  Special features include commentaries on four episodes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.  

Life is affected by real life this time around and as in real life it doesn’t turn out the way we want it to.  The show would end up on the pile of good television shows that never had the ratings, but it still is good television.  The acting is excellent and we’ll always have the two seasons the show was on.  

Life: Season Two is now available at Amazon. It is available at AmazonUK for a December 28th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.