Da Vinci's Inquest - Season 2

Case in point: The episode called "Blues in A Minor." The story revolves around the body found in its first scene--that of a young boy found washed up on the rocks underneath the Second Narrows Bridge in Vancouver. Instantly this feels different from an American cop show. The boy's body is splayed horribly--realistically--on the rocks as the tide laps around it. There's no unnecessary gore, but the realism grabs the viewer viscerally. There's also another case unfolding at the same time, just like in real life--having nothing to do with the original case, but calling for attention just the same. Our hero, Campbell's Da Vinci, is scattered between the two cases, though it's the first that eats at him, as he follows well-meaning but mistaken leads and finally homes in on the horrible truth that led to the boy's death.

Da Vinci's Inquest feels as untidy as real life, and at the same time manages to be a valentine to the lovely, but quietly violent, city in which it's set. This Vancouver is gorgeous, but not romantic; the hard-scrabble folks who settled here at the edge of the continent breed their own type of malaise. And thankfully, Da Vinci is there to battle it. Extras in the boxed set include an interview with series creator Chris Haddock, a bio of Haddock, a photo gallery, and cast filmographies. --A.T. Hurley