Crossing

Equal parts CSI, Profiler, and Law & Order, Crossing Jordan is a procedural drama with plenty of action and lots of heart. Jill Hennessy stars as Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, a brilliant medical examiner with issues. Still haunted by her mother's unresolved death and enabled (to a certain extent) by her police detective father's drive to solve crimes, Jordan spends as much time outside of the lab with the police officers as she does dissecting her dead clients. She is amazing in the lab, reconstructing crime scenes from the evidence left by the bodies. But she is less graceful with live people. Headstrong and unbending, she mouthes off one time too many and is fired. The pilot episode sets up Jordan's return to her hometown of Boston, where her former mentor Dr. Garret Macy (Miguel Ferrer) reluctantly gives her a job. He knows she doesn't play by the rules, but he's willing to accept that because she is one of the best. Hennessy--who made her name as a by-the-book assistant district attorney on Law & Order--is wonderful as Jordan. Intense, but also unexpectedly funny, Hennessy adds warmth and depth to a character who isn't always likable. She has wonderful chemistry with co-stars Ferrer and Ken Howard, who plays her father Max. When the two re-enact murders, it's easy to understand where Jordan gets her drive. But it's her scenes with Jerry O'Connell that add a welcome dose of comedy to the series. As Detective Woody Hoyt, O'Connell is charming and earnest--if a tad too overeager at first--and a perfect straight man for Jordan's wry one liners. All 23 episodes are included on this 5-disc box set, which includes commentary on four episodes and interviews with the primary actors, as well as series creator Tim Kring (Heroes). Some deleted scenes also are included, but their main purpose seem to be reinforcing that the editors made the correct decision with the episodes that aired during the 2001-2002 season. --Jae-Ha Kim