Murder One (1995–1997) User Reviews

Suspenseful - at least in season 1

[Antagonisten · 7/10 · 20 June 2006]

I have just finished watching the second season of "Murder One" on DVD. A friend of mine had been talking about this show like it was the pinnacle of TV-suspense for a very long time before finally ordering both seasons on DVD. Now i have finished watching both and it was a very mixed experience.

First of all it's difficult to review this show without mentioning the great differences between the two seasons. The way is see it there were three major differences that made the first season superior to the second.

The first season had one major trial that it covered in 22 episodes. The second season covered three different trials in 18 episodes. So the format was quite different. Personally i very much preferred the format of the first season. Of course i had the advantage of watching the show on DVD so that i could see several episodes a day sometimes and never risk losing track of the story. I thought it was a nice touch to have a single case throughout the season, it made the show stand out from typical court-room dramas that deal with a new case every time.

The second big difference between the two seasons was the departure of Daniel Benzali and the entry of Anthony LaPaglia. Changing leads between seasons is never easy and filling Benzali's shoes is very difficult. However i feel that this didn't present the major drawback that i thought it would. LaPaglia is a very competent TV-actor which he has displayed again and again. He doesn't have the commanding presence of Benzali, nor does he have that complexity in his character that Benzali had. One of the biggest points of the first season in my opinion was the fact that Benzali's character was one that gave me very mixed feelings. He was undeniably an absolute bastard in many ways, but also fair and a man of principles. So there is something missing when Benzali left the show, although i would put it down to a lot less quality in the script rather than a worse actor in the lead.

The third difference i would say is the fact that the second season lacked a villain or adversary worthy of the name. Stanley Tucci's character Richard Cross was perhaps one of the best characters i've seen in TV-drama. The kind of character you never knew what to expect from and that you never really knew whether you should love or hate. In the second season they tried to add some crooked politicians and the likes but without much success.

To sum things up i really liked the first season. It was good suspense and it especially had very well written characters. Benzali and Tucci had a nice duel-thing going that i appreciated very much and the case was interesting. The second season lost Benzali, lost the interesting villain and had three rather uninteresting (and rather disappointingly solved) cases. LaPaglia holds his own but the script is so much worse than in the first season that it doesn't really matter. My recommendation would be to definitely watch the first season. And if you feel up to it you could also watch the second since it's at least decent entertainment. But only the first season is required viewing.

The precursor to '24'? (Season 1)

[winstonfg · 9/10 · 14 April 2013]

OK, not 24 hours, but 23 weeks? An entire season devoted to a single case? I'd certainly never seen anything like it before.

Let me say right off the bat that unless you're prepared for 23 hours of drama where nobody answers a question directly (one wonders if lawyers actually have normal conversations), almost everyone has their own agenda, everybody talks in whispers, and everything is grey, this'll be tough viewing. But if, like me, you like writing that doesn't talk down to you, and plots with more twists than a plate of spaghetti, this is your show.

It should be added that the cast is top-notch – so good that they manage to cover most of the, admittedly minor, shortcomings in the script. Daniel Benzali takes on the persona of Ted Hoffman like an old coat, despite the fact that such a single-minded and ruthless guy – not to mention, lawyer – being a paragon of morality is a bit difficult to swallow. I'd like to have known a bit more about what makes him tick, because he's clearly driven, but the writers decided to leave it out. Notwithstanding, Benzali makes the character his own, and he IS compelling. And he's ably supported by fine actors (notably Barabara Bosson and Stanley Tucci), many of whom have gone on to other good things.

The great thing about having so much time spent on a single case is that we get to see some of the details that are often missed in other lawyer-based shows: the conflicts of interest; the interaction between people on opposite sides of the fence; jury selection; and the sheer waiting around for the 19th century wheels of justice to clank around in a twentieth century world. I have no doubt that it's been sanitized and simplified for TV, but I suspect also that there are some grains of truth in there.

I watched some episodes when it originally came out, and remember being intrigued at the time. Now I've got to see it all the way through, I can heartily recommend it. Thoughtful, riveting and _intelligent_ TV.

Oh, and brilliant theme tune. :-)

Holds up well

[Miles-10 · 9/10 · 31 May 2012]

I recently started watching this show over again from the beginning. The early episodes are great. I still remember a line from an episode I haven't re-watched yet. Somebody offers Teddy Hoffman (Daniel Benzali) a deal and Teddy walks away from it. The offerer expresses surprise because the deal is "good for you and good for me." Teddy agrees, but notes: "It isn't good for my client." That sums up Teddy Hoffman. He never forgets his obligation to his client. Yes, he'd get a guilty man off, but only because he really believes that that is his duty. This causes an inner conflict for him, because he doesn't like many of his clients, but he won't let that stop him from doing his job on their behalf.

Stanley Tucci adds spice as an unpredictable character who really propels the plot and keeps us guessing, but the best part of watching "Murder One" is Benzali who is one of the least appreciated actors. (IMDb doesn't even pick him as one of the top two actors associated with this show, instead naming Mary McCormack and Michael Hayden, and I confess to not even knowing who Hayden is--possibly because he is better known for his live theater work.)

Looking back years later, "Murder One" gives the added pleasure of showing us younger versions of actors we have also enjoyed in subsequent shows. For example, Mary McCormack ("In Plain Sight") is a regular as one of Teddy's ambitious junior attorneys. Anna Gunn ("Breaking Bad") shows up as a deliciously bad girl who tries to blackmail Teddy and one of his clients.

TV for adults: what a concept

[jimhass · 27 May 2004]

I can see why this show only went two seasons: it's smart, and it doesn't give you a case of ADHD. You actually had to figure out who was who, and follow characters over an entire year. The writing was good, smart and funny; a lot of it took place in a courtroom. Sort of a truer and grittier L.A. Law.

It, and many other worthwhile shows, had to move out of the way so we could all get to see "American Idol," "The Swan" and "The Apprentice." Yes, our culture is headed downhill, but not in the way conservatives ofter say. An appetite for the fast buck and a contempt for the audience go a very long way.

Probably the most unappreciated show in TV history

[gal10 · 10/10 · 20 April 2020]

All you need to do is to watch the last 3 minutes of the third episode to understand why this show is so good and that this kind of writing you can't find in television even more than 25 years later. This writing combined with Daniel Benzali make this show what it is. Probably the most unappreciated show in TV history.

Came out over 10 years ago, and still one of the best shows

[kathy-100-535361 · 10/10 · 7 July 2011]

I stumbled upon this show on Hulu. One of the best shows I've ever seen. Sure wish Daniel Benzali was in the second season. Sure wish there was a 3rd season.

I liked that the first season had a continuing story.

I've watched many a "law" show, and this one still surprised me.

Maybe this show was too advanced for its time. We have similar shows now, but this still is one of the best.

I see that a lot of the characters went on to be on other hit shows. I've watched both seasons in just a matter of weeks (I watch while I work on the computer). Not sure if they could pick up the show with the same quality today.

One of the best TV series ever

[vittorix · 10/10 · 20 October 2007]

I just finished seeing it for the second time. Direction is great, the story is great from the start to the end, the characters and the humanity they express is amazing.

It is filled with unforgettable quotes. In fact, English is used at its best level. Dialogs are excellent.

I dare saying that season one is perfect. Seasdon two is almost at the same level. It was difficult to accept Daniel Bengali missing at first, but then you start empathizing with La Paglia too.

Murder One is simply great. Difficult is to explain how they didn't continued after the second series :(

Unsurpassed quality television.

[Sinafter · 10/10 · 24 June 2019]

I happened to watch the first episode reluctantly because I did not have enough money to go out on the evening on which it aired. After watching it I recognised this as a stroke of luck! The entire first season was an exciting whodunit about a team of attorneys defending a celebrity in a murder trial, with other cases they were involved in providing additional content from week to week.

Court rules and processes were fascinatingly revealed in the telling of the story, I was particularly mesmerised by the defence team's use of psychological profiling of potential jurors before the trial had even begun! I enjoyed the programmes so much that I started to worry that the ending might be a disappointment after so many great episodes. I should have trusted the writers more because the final episode was both brilliant and unforgettable.

The cast were uniformly excellent but the main character, Ted Hoffman, portrayed by Daniel Benzali, was like a force of nature. His screen presence was incredible, so much so that when I heard that he would not be involved in the second series I never bothered to watch it.

Despite my better instincts I found myself drawn to the lurid TV coverage of the OJ Simpson trial and I have always believed that it gave the producers the idea for this show. Regardless of where the inspiration came from, the original run of Murder One is the best American TV drama I have ever seen. The less than HD picture quality of the DVD set is worth putting up with because the story-telling and acting still stand up today.

Masterpiece of court room battle and legal thriller

[abdessalem-1981 · 10/10 · 4 September 2014]

for anyone who loves legal thrillers and courtroom battles, this is the perfect choice. why perfect? Mainly because it is a whole season (23 episodes) dedicated to one big mysterious compelling case. Therefore there is not the rush and precipitation of a movie to wrap it up due to the time limit. this TV show , i guess , could be a great reference to the law students or anyone interested in understanding the American justice system , because it shows the process from the arrest until the verdict ( and even more , surprise surprise!!! ) it was intelligently written,beautifully produced , masterfully acted , and very very realistic.

Daniel Benzali as Ted Hoffman

[BenMcI · 10/10 · 18 March 2006]

I completely disagree, or as Ted Hoffman would say "Objection your Honour", with that comment the murder one season 1 is clearly the best without a shadow of a doubt, and what makes this season so damn good is the spectacular acting of the two front Daniel Benzali as Ted Hoffman and Stanley Tucci as Richard Cross, and how you can think Anthony LaPaglia is a better leading man bewilders me and on personal note i thin you should be slapped with a wet fish for dissing Ted Hoffman. I don't understand why he didn't carry on with the best leading man role EVER! If someone could please enlighten me i would be sincerely grateful.

This Jim Hass guy has the right idea what has happened to television, it is meant to be a luxury, a place high quality programming but a one time gem like murder one was replaced by "X Factor", "Dancing On Ice", CSI which used to be great but now its the same thing every episode they have stretched every story to its utmost and its still crap! House is also shocking TV like come on its a doctors version of CSI and you know what is going to happen just wait till the 50th minute of the show then they will find the cure for their patient. Writers nowadays don't have the talent like Steven Bochco, now writers say they have an idea for a show when its actually the same as 100 other show on TV, most of the time its a CSI copy. What has happened to culture on television? WE SALUTE YOU MURDER ONE!

The memorable jury selection episode

[safenoe · 7/10 · 9 March 2016]

I was a big fan of season 1, and for me the jury selection episode really stuck out. Here you had the defence team running out of juror challenges and they had a last ditched attempt to have the judge bar a juror based on views unsupportive to their client.

All credit to the writers and editors (and the director and actors of course!) for making this episode very suspenseful, even though there was no action (car chases, buildings blown up, punch-ups, etc). It was pure suspense as to whether the juror would be barred from the jury.

I hope that maybe Netflix can reboot Murder One, given that 24 is a series that sort of adopted a similar premise.

The best performance ever from a Venetian blind

[lucy-19 · 10/10 · 1 February 2008]

Objection! Overruled! Can we take a sidebar? I love American courtroom dramas. Just rewatching the first series on DVD - at last. The show would never be made this way today. No hand-held cam? No high speed editing? No rushing down corridors? What we've lost! I love the way Daniel Benzali sits on a leather sofa, his head in the middle of the shot, against those Venetian blinds (it was their best work), and sits there utterly unmoving - and TALKS! Sidney Greenstreet in the Maltese Falcon? Just a touch. Then I'm the only one in the wide, sweet world... The "cell door slams shut" noises were stolen by the BBC's recent Bleak House. And if you don't have your head silhouetted against the blinds, they cast their shadow on the floor. Like prison bars, don't you know. I love it! I love it! I love them all, especially the gay secretary.

Tedious

[=G= · 7/10 · 28 October 2005]

"Murder One" is a soap opera which swirls around a smooth, urbane, successful L.A. defense attorney Ted Hoffman (Daniel Benzali) and his firm. The first season spends too much time pouring at a pathetically slow pace over the details of a murder involving a celebrity while individual episodes toss in a bonus case/trial where the firm's lesser lawyers can show their chops with easy wins. A huge step down for Bochco, "Murder One" has little to do with murder, everything to do with lawyering, and none of the intelligence, moral messages, and contemporary issues of NYPD Blue. Deficits include staginess, clichés, superficiality, mediocre writing, and a cast of uncharacteristic and too glib characters who are all obviously waiting for cues. Assets include a strong centerpiece in the amorphous leading man Benzali, lots of beautiful women and handsome men, and a sort of dark but elegant ambiance. How "Murder One" garnered so many Emmys with so little going for it may be the show's biggest mystery. Recommended as a last watch for those into lawyer flicks. (C+)

Too good to last

[lbliss314 · 14 May 2005]

I am glad to see that Murder One was a hit in Europe--it deserved every success. Great acting--Daniel Benzali was outstanding. I guess audiences couldn't handle a balding, smart actor. (He played a mafia boss on NYPD Blue before this show, and he damn near stole the episode.) Stanley Tucci is always good--Richard Cross was a villain you could hate and have a great time. And it had one of my favorite actresses, Barbara Bosson (Mrs. Bochco). Season two was not as good but had some fine moments. Anthony LaPaglia was clearly hired because he was younger and good looking, but he did a fine job. The peak of season two were the final six episodes, which ABC packaged as a mini-series called "Diary of a Serial Killer". The accused, Pruitt Taylor Vince, was absolutely the most compelling criminal I have ever seen on any show. Great casting is a strength of Bochco's shows, and Murder One is no exception. I cleaned house and foolishly threw out my tape of the serial killer episodes. Bad move.

Ironically, although the American public couldn't handle a season-long series that covered only one trial, a decade later it went nuts over "24", a show that took place in one day.

first season near perfection

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 20 February 2019]

High-powered L.A. defense attorney Ted Hoffman (Daniel Benzali) is frustrated with his arrogant Hollywood actor client Neil Avedon (Jason Gedrick) and fires him after cleaning up another one of his messes. His client Richard Cross (Stanley Tucci) comes to him as a suspect in the murder of 15 year old Jessica Costello while dating her older sister Julie (Bobbie Phillips). Annie (Patricia Clarkson) is Ted's frustrated wife. Miriam Grasso (Barbara Bosson) is the lifelong prosecutor. In the second season, Ted has left the firm. The remaining partners Justine Appleton (Mary McCormack), Chris Docknovich (Michael Hayden), and Arnold Spivak (J.C. MacKenzie) struggle without their leader. Flamboyent prosecutor Jimmy Wyler (Anthony LaPaglia) is angered by being passed over for a promotion by District Attorney Roger Garfield (Gregory Itzin). He resigns to defend a woman accused of killing the governor who was crushing Garfield in the polls. A second case develops with the firm defending NBA superstar Rickey Latrell. A third case has Wyler accepting the case of the serial killer Street Sweeper Clifford Banks (Pruitt Taylor Vince) from his dying mentor.

The first season is the best of network TV. Its near perfection serial crime drama makes it more compelling as a binge show. In this way, it's a precursor of peak TV and the streaming services. It comes a year after the OJ trial and it borrows heavily from the experience. That season is top ten in terms of quality. Benzali's slow forceful draw is magnetic. My only complaint is the killer reveal from the murder mystery. There is one obvious choice and one terrific shock choice. The eventual choice is a bit underwhelming.

The second season is without Benzali and the show suffers mightily. LaPaglia is completely different and his tone starts opposite to Ted. Hoffman has a moral backbone while Wyler is self-serving. Eventually, Wyler does turn into something closer to Hoffman. Apparently, Bochco fired Benzali for one of the weirder reasons. There are problematic writing throughout the second season. The initial money problem is infuriating. It's a bad way to start the second season and the show never recovers. The attempted blackmail seems perfect to bring into the court if only to add credence to the other possible suspect. He does bring it into court but only after some convenient gymnastics. A simple thing like getting arrested for expired tag seems like a perfect thing to bring to the attention of the jury to suggest police malfeasance. Instead, the show tries to play it off as embarrassing for Wyler. While I like the case, the show struggles with this first one. The second case is fine but has only one dramatic twist. The third case is the best of the season. It helps to have a great actor playing the serial killer. At least, the show ends on a high note.

Too smart for the masses

[steelegrave-1 · 10/10 · 21 March 2020]

This show had to compete against shows that appealed to the ignorant masses. It was just too intelligent for it's time.

It had so much promise!

[Sylviastel · 8/10 · 24 May 2008]

Murder One only came to my attention because my professor mentioned it in class. It was quite a smart series but I think it lost my interest after the first season. It was based solely on one case. I thought Mary McCormack was brilliant as Justine Appleton, the young promising lawyer. Daniel Benzali was magnificent as the balding lead attorney and Patricia Clarkson was also splendid to watch as his understanding wife. The second season followed with Anthony LaPaglia in the leading attorney role and Oscar Winner Eileen Heckart as his mother. The story was not much different about proving the innocence of the client. The show had Bochco's prints all over it like trying to revive L.A. Law's claim in the legal drama. The show did not gain the same appeal and apparently it was canceled after 2 seasons by the network which seemed focused on other shows rather than the quality of this show.

The best America ever managed

[aforandy · 10/10 · 12 February 2014]

The two series have no meaningful connection, and are so different that they should have their own entries on IMDb. The DVD sets were sold separately. The first episodes of series two were so forgettable that I felt I could live without the rest.

Series One was so very good that one gets the impression that some of the minor roles pushed themselves up the quality ladder in order to stay with the main portrayals. This was the first time I came across Stanley Tucci, and whereas he's always been an asset in everything thereafter, this was his finest hour. Daniel Benzali seemed to move faultlessly into a well-oiled parenthesis of TV perfection in the lead role. The mysterious storyline didn't seem that important compared to these and other performances.

The downside was the quality was too high for the domestic market, even during its first broadcast, and I got he impression there was desperate last-minute changes to the final episodes, to their detriment, in a futile attempt improve the ratings.

Best tv program ever

[bucrane-568-961573 · 10/10 · 31 January 2021]

Possibly one of the best. TV crime and Judy programs ever ... Thank you Steven Bocco.....

I Just Wanna Leave My Thoughts Here

[stormrider65 · 10/10 · 22 September 2021]

In the face of COVID pandemic, I come to sense that 'time waits for no man'. So I'm penning down my thoughts on this show which I'd watched twenty odd years ago when I was in my late teens.

It literally blew my mind away as to how captivating one whole series of TV shows can be, and how 'GROUND-BREAKING' it was, when compared with ALL other shows then. I liked 'Airwolf', I was fond of 'Hunter', and I definitely admired. 'Homicide: Life on the street'; but this show, this most memorable show that branded a deep impression in my conscious mind, just took my soul to a whole new level that no other shows could reach or achieve.

The first 'ground-breaking' feel I got directly from the show was how 'one' story actually lasted one whole series. Viewers were taken through the supremely-minute details of law-firm's backend discussions, as well as the super-crafted execution of courtroom's upfront debates and exchanges. No other shows come close to it then, and even with ALL the 'real-life'/ 'reality' shows popped up in the early 2000s, this show is ONE HUGE MEGA MILESTONE for the American TV history.

Secondly, the whole production crew just came into my mind and blew it with one question forever circling in my head: WHERE THE HELL DO THEY FIND ALL THE DETAILS AND FINEST PRINTS OF A COURTROOM SHOW??? Every casting, every suit, every presentation, every line, WAS JUST PERFECT. You can almost say that no matter how many times you play it back you just can't find any fault or flaw comes glaring in your face. Not only you get to watch a really 'reel-life TV show', you got transformed from being a 'viewer' to a 'courtroom attendee', or even a 'juror'. That was how powerful this show was: it simply drew you in the moment you rested your eyes on it!

Third and final, I just thought that this show is something that is so special and unique, that it is almost like a 'divine-treat' that humanity just wasn't ready for it. People then were watching 'Beverly Hills 90210', 'Friends', 'X=Files' and 'NYPD Blues', and all were nonetheless good. HOWEVER, this show is altogether something else; it is almost like telling us "hey humanity, maybe you all wanna take a look at 'TV shows' from another perspective? Perhaps you guys wanna see the 'TV world' from another angle? How about we give you ONE STORY that lasts 23 episodes? The storyline will be rich and the acting will be spot-on richer. Ready for it?" Sad to say, from then till now, the world isn't ready yet, and hasn't changed much. We are in fact declining, and don't get me started on 'Netflix'.

So adios and goodbye, my beloved teenage years, and my forever-gone memory lanes. Thank you for all the good times of.23 episodes. The world will never quite see another TV show quite close to what this program has had given us.

Unfortunately another great show got canceled

[Stanze · 9 December 2001]

Yet again another great show was canceled. Good thing shows like "Law & Order" & "The Practice" are still on the air. "Murder One" was an excellent show with great acting. The twists & turns on the show kept it riveting. I am a bit partial to Dylan Baker who's a very good actor. There won't be another good show like this again. If on the slim chance there is it will get canceled. Good shows always do.

Beauty Grabbed, Acting and Story Kept

[kevinwburns · 11 January 2001]

I remember that I watched the first episode of "Murder One" because I saw a commercial for it which featured a woman (Bobbie Phillips) whom I found simply gorgeous. After I watched the episode, though, I thought, "This is the best television show I have ever seen!" I continued to enjoy Bobbie's beauty, but she was just the icing.

The cake was the story and the acting--especially that of Daniel Benzali who, in my opinion, crafted the most fascinating television character ever. Intelligence, refinement, rectitude...Mr. Benzali portrayed Theodore Hoffman as a Howard Roark/James Bond composite that I had previously hoped to see but felt would never materialize in any form of fiction, especially via the medium of television.

The first season of "Murder One" was an absolute joy to watch, every single episode. It seemed bigger-than-life yet believable at every turn. My hope is that it will find its way to DVD. Hey, Teddy Hoffman became "real" despite my doubts; perhaps the story of his law firm will one day become "binary" despite my doubts.

(It eventually happened -- the DVD set, that is -- and I am grateful.)

One of the best of the 90's.

[rleather · 10 September 2004]

Murder One has to go down as one of the best series on of the 90's. The first series plot has you going one way and another spotting one red herring after another, right up until the last episode.

Whilst I do remember the show well, I also remember is had a bit of a Scooby Doo ending to it, not entirely consistent with the previous 22 episodes.

According to the press, whilst it was a monster hit in the UK (and other parts of Europe) it died a death in the US. I'm not sure if that's purely academic propaganda, but the suggestion was that US audiences didn't like the idea of having to follow a series rather than encapsulated 60 minute stories. Who knows, all I do know is that the seconds series was a severe disappointment.

Clearly taking lead from some pressure state side, the trials became 3 episodes long, with little or no 'main plot'. UK audiences kept trying to piece together a bigger picture, only for there not to be one. As a result, it was widely criticised. Plus, the loss of Teddy Hoffman was a bitter blow. He'd become such a familiar feature of 23 episode run that when he wasn't there, it was never going to be the same.

Maybe it suffers a little from the X-Files factor. A second series was a mistake and it should have quit while it was ahead.

First series - Outstanding Second series - Fine for a rainy evening

Second season -- give it a little time.

[jptully · 29 January 2002]

I was like a lot of you -- the first season of this show was absolutely amazing. Daniel Benzali is a PHENOMENAL actor, although I am partial to Stanley Tucci as Richard Cross. The style, pacing and storytelling were all first rate, and seeing almost every episode on A&E only enhanced my memory of the show.

I had almost forgotten there was a second season -- and with good reason, at first. The first case introduced in the second season was weak by comparison, although I really like Anthony LaPaglia as Jimmy Wyler.

But the show began to pick up steam with the "Ricky Latrell" case, and then they began showing the "Street Sweeper" episodes. WOW. Amazing stuff about a serial killer who only kills criminals. The killer is played by an actor I've only seen once or twice, Pruitt Taylor Vince. He is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. Vince plays the killer as walking a fine line between brilliant and unbalanced, and at times you feel very sympathetically toward him.

If you get the chance to see the "Street Sweeper" episodes, DO NOT pass it up! To see Vince and LaPaglia in scenes together is to see some of the strongest acting going.

Murder One became and addiction!

[azannell · 29 December 2005]

So I'm over visiting my Aunt in Italy in 2004. She is a stay at home mom and watched a lot of TV. While I was there I got to watch the last few episodes of the first season on Murder One. I fell in love with it and when I got home I looked it up and found out it was aired on TV in 95,96, and 97. In the summer I was at WalMart one day and I saw the first season on DVD. I figured me and my mom could watch it b/c she likes those kind of shows. Well we never ended up watching it so I took it to college with me and I watched it there. It became like my drug! I couldn't go a day w/o watching it! I was so drawn in it wasn't even funny. The lawyers are so hot and the women are beautiful. The last 3 episodes I watched like in a row. I couldn't wait to find out who the killer was because I left Italy before finding out. When I first started watching the second seasons I wasn't as impressed,but as the stories went on and thing heated up between Jimmy and Justine I began to love it just as much as the first season! I love all the office romances thrown in. It makes the show so realistic. The court room scenes are also awesome as those get heated up. All the supporting actors were outstanding as they each brought something different to the show. I was sad when I was done watched the DVDs. I just wish there was a way it could continue on with more seasons.