I have often heard that there just aren’t any good TV shows anymore. Heck, I’ve even said it a few times myself over the years. I’ll latch on to a couple of shows and proclaim them to be the best ever, without giving some others the opportunity to ‘wow’ me. I have recently begun to learn that, in fact, there IS a lot of good TV out there and thanks to the advent of DVD I’m finally getting the chance to catch some shows I might never have seen otherwise. The most recent DVD set to cross my path was A&E’s upcoming release of the first season of “Profiler.” I was remotely familiar with the series, having heard about it when it first aired on NBC back in 1996. There was a lot of buzz going on about the show as it was being promoted as part of a Saturday night ‘Thrillogy, ’ which also comprised of “Sleepwalkers” and “The Pretender.” “Sleepwalkers” ended pretty quickly, but “Profiler” and “The Pretender” both ended up with fairly successful four season runs, and even included a crossover episode. As much as I heard about these shows, I kept getting tempted to tune in, but was afraid of getting caught up in yet another series.

In a way, I’m glad I did, cause now I’ve had a chance to watch the first season of “Profiler” uncut and commercial free. Now that I’m hooked, I patiently await season 2.

“Profiler” starred Ally Walker as Sam Waters. She is an FBI ‘Profiler’, which is someone who profiles criminals based on their behavior. They try to ‘get into the mind’ of criminals, by studying patterns in their crimes and using this information to predict their next moves. Sam is one of the FBI’s top Profilers, but as we find in the pilot episode, she has left the force due to circumstances revolving around a case. While trying to track a killer known as ‘Jack of All Trades,” it started to become a personal game of cat and mouse which culminated in the death of someone very close to her.

Sam is called back into action to help on a new case by her old boss and head of the FBI/VCTF, Bailey Malone (Robert Davi). She hesitantly accepts, but is fearful that ‘Jack’, who was never caught, might find out where she is. Hitting the ground running with this new case, she finds that her services are needed now, more than ever, and soon she’s back on the job and using her real name. Trouble is, ‘Jack’ IS still out there, and as Sam soon finds out, knows EXACTLY where she is.

“Profiler” is a very dark and gritty show. There is a lot of camera movement, which gives the show an almost constant feeling of forward momentum. This in itself is sometimes disconcerting as the pacing is often slow and deliberate. But it is a great show, nonetheless. I really had a hard time pacing myself as to how many episodes I would watch in a row. Every time I’d get to the end of one, there’d be a little scene about ‘Jack’ that would whet my appetite for more. This was one of the things I really enjoyed, was that the series was episodic in nature, the continuing story arc involving ‘Jack’ was spaced out just enough to keep it interesting. I kept wondering when we’d see his face, or when and how they would catch him.

This 6-disc set includes 21 of the 22 episodes from the first season. For some reason the fourth episode, “I’ll Be Watching You,” isn’t included. I’m rather curious as to why. However, aside from that one glitch the set is still very well put together. The packaging is nice as the discs are all in separate super slim cases, which fit inside a cardboard slipcase. I really love the use of these slim cases in multi disc sets as they take up less room on the shelf.

Along with (most of) the first season episodes, A&E has also included a couple of entertaining extras. The first is a commentary by Ally Walker and Robert Davi on the pilot episode, which was a very good commentary. I really wish they had done a few more. There’s also an episode of one of A&E’s staple shows, “American Justice.” This particular episode, “Profiles of Evil: Inside the Criminal Mind” features a look at the work done by real-life profilers. This is a fascinating documentary and a must watch.

The quality of the audio and video is very clean. As the show has so many dark scenes, much like “X-Files,” it was important to be able to maintain a good contrast so you can see everything you’re meant to. Even the scenes with ‘Jack’, which are often shot with a lot of shadows, you can easily make out everything, well except his face… darn it.

As it turns out, “Profiler” was one of those shows I should have watched when it first aired. I love the style and the look, as well as the intricately plotted out stories. It’s a great psychological drama, filled with some of the most twisted criminal minds I’ve seen on TV. It offers up a lot of suspense, and watching two or three episodes in a row make for a great ‘throw yourself on the couch with popcorn and a blanket’ kind of night.

Episodes:
Insight
Ring Of Fire
Unholy Alliance
Unsoiled Sovereignty
Modus Operandi
Night Dreams
Cruel And Unusual
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Shattered Silence
Doppelganger
Learning From The Masters
The House That Jack Built
Shadow Of Angels, Part 1: Noblesse Oblige
Shadow Of Angels, Part 2: Gestalt
Film At Eleven
Crisis
Blue Highways
FTX: Field Training Exercise
Into The Abyss
Venom, Part 1
Venom, Part 2

Starring: Ally Walker, Robert Davi, Roma Maffia, Julian McMahon, Peter Frechette, Michael Whaley, Erica Gimpel
Extras: Pilot Episode Commentary by Ally Walker and Robert Davi, Episode of American Justice – “Profiles of Evil: Inside the Criminal Mind”, Cast Biographies
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: A&E
Release Date: 7/29/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Profiler: Season 1 an A.