Until The Closer, TNT was little more than a dumping ground for shows which had long ago reached syndication and needed a secondary arena to rake in the cash. The Closer changed everything for TNT; the cable staple realized there might be something to having a few original series under their belt. A few years later they debuted Saving Grace and lo and behold the series became a magnet for awards nominations. Saving Grace takes a precarious balance between agonizing drama and the lighthearted levity of family oriented programs like 7th Heaven.
Grace Hanadarko (Holly Hunter) drinks heavily, has promiscuous sex and now finds herself the perpetrator of a hit and run accident. With the man lying at the foot of her bumper, Grace pleads with God to give her a second chance at life and receives a prompt visit from Earl (Leon Rippy), an angel. Earl brings tidings of her hellbent fate and beckons her back onto a moral path free of booze and one-night stands. Grace doesn’t give them up, but she finds new meaning in life as she pursues her career on the police force helping people along the way. With her professional and personal life in constant intersection, it only seems natural that she pursues her fellow Ham Dewey (Kenny Johnson).
The cliffhanger finale of the first season left audiences uncertain as to the fate of Father Patrick Murphy (Rene Auberjonois), a priest who raped Grace when she was young. However the story is wrapped up quite abruptly and the show returns to its real overarching plot: the drama of Ham and Grace. A few cases pop up here and there that last longer than their one episode setting, but for the most part Saving Grace remains a single-serving episodic show – which is a shame. Shows like Saving Grace are at their best when plot elements spill over from one episode to the next, but Saving Grace rarely does. The only true thread that follows all the way through is Grace’s tangled love life. There’s also an issue with the all too convenient nature of each episode’s plot. What are the odds that Grace’s car was once involved in a heist? Or that her niece would be at a drug party where an overdose occurs? Or that someone she knows is targeted by a conman? There’s some semblance of an arc which asserts itself in the final four episodes where Grace’s link to a death row inmate Leon Cooley (Bokeem Woodbine) receives an infusion of importance.
Considering she’s a police officer (whose badge would have been suspended long ago for her reckless behavior), there’s no need to create plots out of coincidence. She works in a police station – dozens of crimes come through the office on a daily basis, why use serendipity to divine each episode’s story?
Saving Grace’s redeeming factor is the strong characterization and great guest appearances. Holly Hunter flails about with no direction as the story demands, and she’s rather believable in it all. She does, however, stray into melodrama on occasion inducing a few eye rolls from the viewer. Kenney Johnson, the ill-fated Lem from The Shield, really steps up his game from his previous role and rends his garments in equal scope to Hunter. The two clearly feed off each other in how they fill their roles, so when one goes over the top, the other usually isn’t too far behind. On the plus side, Kathy Baker, Elias Koteas, Christina Ricci, Amy Madigan and Dee Wallace make guest appearances.
DVD Bonus Features
Saving Grace: Season Two sorely disappoints on the extras front. The first featurette is nothing but writer Nancy Miller and Holly Hunter tooting one another’s horns about how great they are. Considering the show isn’t groundbreaking their mutual praise comes across as nauseating and undeserved. The second piece features Dylan Minnette, who plays youngin’ Clay, interviewing cast and crew on the red carpet for the wrap party of Saving Grace’s second season. This is a monumental waste of time – nothing interesting is said, ever.
"Saving Grace: Season Two" is on sale June 16, 2009 and is rated NR. Drama, Television. Directed by Artie Mandelberg, Gary A Randall, Adam Davidson, Guy Ferland. Written by Nancy Miller, Mark Israel, Talicia Raggs, Roger Wolfson. Starring Christina Ricci, Rene Auberjonois, Holly Hunter, Kenny Johnson, Leon Rippy, Bailey Chase, Dee Wallace, Amy Madigan, Elias Koteas.
