TNT has started to become a real name in television, due to its rising strength in original television such as The Closer, Raising the Bar, and Saving Grace. It's the latter that I got a chance to check out, and while the only disc offered was the fourth one with the special features, I know the show itself to give you a good view of Saving Grace Season Two, which is now out for DVD.
The show is rated MA for good reason since it's a little darker than one might expect, starring Academy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter as the title character Grace Hanadarko. Grace is a smoking, drinking, bad mouthed, sexual woman with a troubled past, and she's been given a second chance at life. In the first season she drunk drives and kills a pedestrian, and God sends down an unexpectedly coarse angel named Earl (Leon Rippy). He is there to turn her from hell and set her on the right path.
Other regulars on the show include best friend Rhetta Rodriguez (Laura San Giacomo), Grace's partner and lover Ham Dewey (Kenny Johnson), and the other members of her police squad Butch Ada (Bailey Chase), Bobby Stillwater (Gregory Cruz), and Kate Perry (Lorraine Toussaint). Grace is also very close to her young nephew Clay (Dylan Minnette).
Grace does not have an easy life but her hard-living ways certainly do not help. As a detective she is a great ally, but somewhat of a rebel, liking to do things her own way. Season two involves Grace dealing with her romantic entanglement with Ham, her friends' upcoming wedding, the week-to-week police cases that draw the audiences in, and Grace's struggle with faith and finding the right path. The first season was a good set up but the second season is where the show really starts to blossom. The characters are better defined and grow, and Grace shows more of her vulnerable side which is important considering how harsh she can seem.
A major storyline for the second season is Leon (Bokeem Woodbine) and his final fate on death row. He is one of Earl's charges too and he has bonded tightly with Grace over time. It is interesting to see Grace come to terms with her own feelings toward criminals while blending that with her connection to Leon. He was my favorite character, a man full of dark twists and yet able to be so clear and thoughtful on the big subjects like life and death. The characters are definitely larger-than-life on this show, and sometimes they seem so much bigger than their roles on the screen. If you haven't tried this show out, it's good to catch up now since the third season just began and you won't be too behind.
On the DVD set you get 14 episodes, and then the last disc has two featurettes. "Have a Little Faith" has interviews with star Holly Hunter and creator Nancy Miller about the show. They talk about the show itself, their intentions with Grace and her character, and the overhanging themes. There is also a video from "The Wrap Party Red Carpet" with Dylan Minnette. He gets to go around and talk to each of the actors, the cast, and the crew. Obviously they'll all actually stop and chat with him because he's one of them, so it seems like a very nice family and very grateful for the show's success. The latter featurette is really entertaining, but it would've been nice to have some episode commentary.
Saving Grace Season Two is out now on DVD. Give this crime drama show a chance, because if Hunter isn't enough to sell it, the rest of the cast certainly will.
ComicsOnline gives Saving Grace Season Two 3.5 Smoking Angels out of 5.
