When the news about Without A Trace ending its run was made official at the CBS Upfront this past week, I wasn't shocked. Rumor had it that either Without A Trace or Cold Case would be dropped, and Cold Case might have tipped the scales in its favor with a strong showing with its two-part season finale. But as much as I liked Without A Trace, I'm not really sorry that it's calling it a day. Seven years is a darn good run for a TV show. In fact, if it had been a British series, it might have ended after 30 episodes – unless you're talking Coronation Street which is a freak of TV.
But here's the thing about Without A Trace, it's been a solid show with a strong set of characters who've had a chance to shine as much as possible within the confines of a procedural. Anthony LaPaglia as Jack Malone was terrific. The high point in many an episode for me was when Jack lost it and got in someone's face. His personal life was generally a mess, so LaPaglia had lots of chances to show the troubled side of his character.
One of the saddest scenes from last season was Jack alone in the office, pouring a drink, having nowhere to go because there was nobody at home. This season they've addressed that issue with his reconciliation with Sam...but even that was complicated by her caring for the father of her baby after he was seriously hurt in a car accident.
Without A Trace had a good ensemble and every one of those actors that worked with LaPaglia – Roselyn Sanchez, Eric Close, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Enrique Muriano and Poppy Montgomery – will be popping up on other shows or cast in new series in no time at all.
So I'm not crying over the end of Without A Trace. I'd rather see it go now while it was still thriving than watch it devolve into something vaguely familiar that's just hanging on. CBS has a lot of solid shows and something had to go to make way for new – and potentially better – series. It was just time for Without A Trace to wrap.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-22-2009 @ 5:14PM
jean frank said...
I thought that the end of WAT was very touching, it left it open if it had come back but at the same time gave enough to answer how to see the future for our agents if it didn't return. I will miss the well done show, but it is indeed nice to have a good show end while everyone will miss it.
It is better to end with a misty eye than "oh was it still on"?
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5-22-2009 @ 5:28PM
Rachel said...
I agree it was fine for it to go...but I could have used a finale with slightly more closure for Martin and Vivian's characters (the other characters had acceptable send-offs).
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5-22-2009 @ 5:32PM
Jeff N. said...
I think CBS could've given the Producers a little more notice that it was the end so they could of written and billed it as the series finale not the season finale. Overall a very good series. You didn't know how each episode would end. Often they didn't save the missing person so i was always on edge to find out if the found the missing person alive or dead. In fact the second to last episode had the asian girl drink the poison and they were not able to save her in time. It always added tension and drama to the end of each show not knowing for sure if it was a happy ending or not.
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5-22-2009 @ 10:22PM
DapperDan said...
glad they kept Cold Case
and wished they kept Without a Trace I would have kept watching they should have dumped Numb3rs but than again I have always hated math.
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5-22-2009 @ 10:44PM
Sis said...
The show was still in the top 15. I would have liked it to go another season. The writers rushed to end the season, and even then the storylines were not complete. I didn't like the final episode, and I certainly didn't like Sam and Jack breaking up. Even the actors are coming out saying they were disappointed with the last season.
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5-22-2009 @ 11:11PM
barbm said...
I LIKE WATCHING WITHOUT A TRACE AND COLD CASE...I WOULD MISS IT..
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5-31-2009 @ 6:39PM
Yvonne said...
CBS We question your actions????
Without a Trace is one of my favorite shows. I am hoping someone picks up this series. The only series worth watching are the Mentalist, Criminal Minds,Ghost Whisperer, & Medium so that will be all I will be watching now. CBS took off "Back To You" a very fun comedy. I think you do your best to make the viewers miserable.
Yvonne
5-23-2009 @ 3:53AM
Gordon Werner said...
Since WAT is in the same world as CSI which is in the same world as CSI:Miami which is in the same world as CSI:NY ... and since WAT and CSI:NY take place in NYC ... I wonder why they never cross-pollinated those two series?
Maybe the characters can reprise their rolls on CSI:NY
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5-23-2009 @ 12:15PM
MacGuffin said...
Never watched the show, but I agree with the point about how UK shows are more limited in their run.
We need to get back to serial shows that have, say, 9-10 episodes where the writers can tell the story and then that's it. Instead of trying to turn it into a series where they can get rich, make good compelling stories that people want to watch.
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6-17-2009 @ 12:01PM
Lorrie said...
I really am going to miss Without A Trace. I have watched it from the first season. Anthony LaPaglia was wonderful in the series and I certainly hope he gets a new series soon so I can watch him again.
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5-27-2009 @ 2:06PM
Paula said...
I, too, have watched Without a Trace from its inception and will SORELY miss seeing it. I understand all the reasons mentioned above but feel that at least one more season would have given better closure to all the characters. I just wonder if this was truly the wisest decision. This was a wonderful show....& I'm "young" enough (71) to have seen many, many series....so when I say that others not as good should have been canceled, I do know something about good vs. not-so-good series. I think the producers should reconsider giving us at least one more season. After all, there is a difference between season finale series finale.
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