User Reviews

A very big, two part episode of Without A Trace that is ambitious in attempting to weave the very big theme of trauma from 9/11, into a kidnapping AND a separate siege, with Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia) and his FBI team heavily involved. It's worth watching for the amazing performance of Tom Irwin as the tortured and very angry recently unemployed and homeless man Barry Marshman, (Tom Irwin) whose wife died in 9/11 and who, in a botched ransom drop, takes customers in a bookshop hostage, including the undercover Agent Spade (Poppy Montgomery). Of course Jack has to be the chief negotiator, spiced up by his 'thing' with Spade. Here the writers do something interesting. While Barry blusters and waves his gun around, Jack's team, elsewhere in the city, piece together what brought Barry to this point. They talk to his family, workmates and even his kids. Jack works out the final piece, and it's quite moving. The episode was beautifully written, and both LaPaglia and Irwin are brilliant. Yes, it's over the top, but it's also the best episode I've seen of Without A Trace.

This is E2 of the 2 episode arc that finishes S1 of Without a Trace, one of the legendary shows of recent TV.

Samantha is caught as a hostage by a somewhat delusional captor in the first episode and negotiations are delicate to remove her, especially after said nut job shoots her in the leg inadvertently.

But eventually all is resolved and the bad guy is apprehended.

But for a long while, the madman insists, "Samantha stays, she's my insurance" and thus is intransigent in refusing to release her.

Tense, suspenseful and interesting.