DVD Reviews

Body of Proof: The Complete First Season – DVD Review

By Patrick Luce Oct 2, 2011, 18:02 GMT

Step into the world of ABC\'s compelling new drama starring Dana Delaney as a sharp-witted, headstrong medical examiner with unorthodox crime-solving methods and strained relationships with the living. Dr. Megan Hunt (Delaney) was second to none -- a brilliant neurosurgeon in a class all her own -- but when her life-saving gift is destroyed in a career-killing car accident, she reinvents herself as a medical examiner. Armed with keen instincts ...more

Dana Delany leaves the wives of Wisteria Lane to solve crimes as the brilliant Dr. Megan Hunt in the first season of the excellent new series Body of Proof. While the series doesn’t feel like the typical crime genre cop show, Delany and the ensemble cast keep each episode entertaining and give the series a reason for fans to keep watching.

Created by Christopher Murphey (who wrote the screenplay for the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid), the series (which has been described as Quincy with better legs) feels very much like an ensemble show with Delany sharing the screen and storylines with Nicholas Bishop, Jeri Ryan, John Carroll Lynch, Sonja Sohn, Geoffrey Arend, and Windell Middlebrooks.

The series also features appearances from the great Joanna Cassidy and the extremely talented Cliff Curtis.

Keeping the review as spoiler free as possible, the first season (which is only nine episodes long) does an excellent job of quickly introducing all of the main characters and establishing that Delany’s Hunt often clashes with the Philadelphia detectives. She also isn’t very shy about over stepping her role as a medical examiner.

Her character was once one of the world’s best neurosurgeons, but now has a troubled past after a car accident and the death of a patient on the operating table forced her to leave her medical career behind. She is also estranged from her daughter and not on the best of terms with her ex-husband - who has full custody of the girl.

Finding a new career as a medical examiner, Hunt has the ability to let the dead bodies give her the clues needed to point the cops in the right direction or flat out solve the mystery on her own. This bravado also puts her at odds with homicide detective Bud Morris (Lynch) and his somewhat more understanding partner Samantha Baker (Sohn).

She also often rubs her own co-workers the wrong way including medico-legal investigator Peter Dunlop (Bishop) and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kate Murphy (Ryan).  

Although it is Delany’s show, the writers makes sure that the supporting characters matter to the series with time spent showing their lives on the job and off (such as Morris’ relationship trouble with his wife), and their involvements in the case. It also benefits from some truly talented actors.

Lynch has that “every man” quality that makes him completely believable in almost any role and Sohn is simply great. The talented actress knows this genre (though the show doesn’t seem quite as gritty as her time spent on HBO’s The Wire), and has a quiet charm that she brings to any character.

Still, the spotlight of the series is on Delany’s more than capable shoulders and it is good to see the actress front and center. With her personal troubles and brash attitude, her character is instantly familiar (and seems like she would be very comfortable with the female police officers of TNT), but Delany keeps the audience’s interest through the way she handles herself and her interactions with the more male-dominated police force.

Although the first season is only nine episodes long, the DVD set comes with some decent special features including a gag reel, and two behind the scenes look at what goes into bringing the show to the screen.

The first season of Body of Proof is a good start to the series and does an excellent job of introducing the audience to the characters and the show’s formula. With so many crime shows on television, the series and its characters do feel a tad familiar, but the cast make it worth watching.

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