Without A Trace is the kind of show that will engage you from the beginning, hold your interest for about 2/3 of the show before it wanes. The acting is good, the pacing is great, and the flashback scenes work, like in Cold Case.
I would attribute the reason for waning interest is because the final third or fourth of most of this show's story lines are rather underwhelming. When people go missing, you expect there to be a kidnapper or culprit behind it, with a giant manhunt and eventually an epic showdown at the end. In Without a Trace, this is the case in a small fraction of episodes. In the rest of the episodes, the reason for going missing is pretty lame. By lame I mean you will be thinking "That's it? That is why they went missing?". And in most cases the missing person really didn't go missing, they just wandered off places without telling anyone.
I know that kidnappings and manhunts would be unrealistic and overdone after a while, but they could at least make the reasons for going missing a bit more interesting. Like I said - the first two thirds of the show, based on the flow of the show and accounts from people who know the missing person makes it seem like the missing person is in huge danger, and the clock is against the crew to find this person. In the end, for example, the person just went to go find their long lost father who abandoned them when the missing person was two years old. The missing person didn't tell anyone they were going on this quest to find their long lost father. (Note: This is just an example, its not referencing a specific episode). Not quite the climatic, intense ending you were hoping for after going through the first two thirds of the show.
It's because of this, Without a Trace is hit or miss. Some episodes are great and intense/gripping from the start, others fail to take off and you find yourself changing the channel after 15 minutes. It's a shame, because this show has so much more potential than it does.
I will conclude on Roselyn Sanchez's character. At first, I didn't see what the fuss was about her character in the show. But after watching this show for a while now I can see why. Her acting skills need some work and she seriously seems like she is reading from a teleprompter. She has a monotonous voice and no emotion at all.
I would attribute the reason for waning interest is because the final third or fourth of most of this show's story lines are rather underwhelming. When people go missing, you expect there to be a kidnapper or culprit behind it, with a giant manhunt and eventually an epic showdown at the end. In Without a Trace, this is the case in a small fraction of episodes. In the rest of the episodes, the reason for going missing is pretty lame. By lame I mean you will be thinking "That's it? That is why they went missing?". And in most cases the missing person really didn't go missing, they just wandered off places without telling anyone.
I know that kidnappings and manhunts would be unrealistic and overdone after a while, but they could at least make the reasons for going missing a bit more interesting. Like I said - the first two thirds of the show, based on the flow of the show and accounts from people who know the missing person makes it seem like the missing person is in huge danger, and the clock is against the crew to find this person. In the end, for example, the person just went to go find their long lost father who abandoned them when the missing person was two years old. The missing person didn't tell anyone they were going on this quest to find their long lost father. (Note: This is just an example, its not referencing a specific episode). Not quite the climatic, intense ending you were hoping for after going through the first two thirds of the show.
It's because of this, Without a Trace is hit or miss. Some episodes are great and intense/gripping from the start, others fail to take off and you find yourself changing the channel after 15 minutes. It's a shame, because this show has so much more potential than it does.
I will conclude on Roselyn Sanchez's character. At first, I didn't see what the fuss was about her character in the show. But after watching this show for a while now I can see why. Her acting skills need some work and she seriously seems like she is reading from a teleprompter. She has a monotonous voice and no emotion at all.