Acorn Media has released Da Vinci's Inquest: Season 2, a four-disc, 13-episode box set featuring the sophomore season (1999-2000) of the hit Canadian drama. I've written before about Da Vinci's Inquest (please click here to read my review of the first season), and I'm a bona fide fan of the series. Season Two, however, is quite different in tone and pace from the first season, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I was new to the series when I reviewed the first season DVD set, and I immediately clicked with the show's splitting time between the forensic mysteries and the character's personal lives. Most prominent was Vancouver Coroner Dominic Da Vinci himself, obviously: a tortured alcoholic whose wife was gone (she works as one of the pathologists in the coroner's office), whose daughter was growing up too fast, and whose potential romantic relationships were dicey at best. The sometimes dreary, downbeat Vancouver milieu captured by the Da Vinci's Inquest cameras perfectly matched the angst-ridden coroner. He was a crusader, fighting for the rights of the dead who had been wrongly victimized, while also fighting for those left behind by society; specifically the prostitutes of the city who were being preyed upon by a mysterious serial killer. Da Vinci's efforts to set up a red light district were crucial to the first season story arc, creating plenty of opportunities for the character to grate against the political system that ignored these women.

As well, the other regulars on the series had compelling backstories, including Det. Mick Leary (Ian Tracey), whose brother was a drug dealer and whose wife, from whom he was separated, was a real hell on wheels; Det. Leo Shannon (Donnelly Rhodes), whose wife was suffering from dementia and who was in constant trouble with his superiors for breaking the rules; Det. Angela Kosmo (Venus Terzo), who had a stormy relationship with Dominic's brother Danny; and Sunny Ramen (Sue Matthew), who hooked up with Mick. All of these backstories were integral parts of the episodes from Season One.

But in Season Two...these kinds of personal dilemas are nowhere to be seen. Sure, on occasion you might see Mick with Sunny, or see Dominic's daughter stop over briefly (just once, actually), but overall, the personal stories have largely been eliminated from this second season. Shannon's troubles don't return, Kosmo has no scenes other than work-related ones, the same with Mick, and Dominic's arguments with his ex-wife are nowhere to be found. Dominic still brings up the red light district proposal once or twice, but it's quickly put to the side and no more is heard of it. The central story arc of the serial killer knocking off prostitutes is still threaded through this season (with a special two-parter dealing with it ending this run), but clearly, the notion of Dominic as tortured crusader has been toned down considerably.

The previous season, Dominic had to deal with his father's severe illness, but this year, the producers kill him off without even showing us their final meeting. There's a nice moment or two with Dominic's mother, following the death, but that's it. Now I know there have been complaints from consumers saying these DVD sets from Acorn contain the syndicated versions of the shows and that some scenes have been cut. But I've been assured by people connected with Acorn Media that this is not the case; these episodes are full, original Canadian episodes -- not the syndicated versions. After all, I can't believe they were able to truncate the personal stories so severely with cuts of just a minute or two; the overall feel of the second season appears to be a conscious shift by the producers towards a new direction.

All that being said, I have to say that I didn't mind that the personal stories have largely been dropped by the producers here. With the Da Vinci character now on a more even emotional keel, the forensic mysteries really take center stage, and they're exceedingly well written and produced. Trying to pick the best episodes this season is difficult, because they're all so compelling, but a few really do stand out. Tommy's On the Corner is an expertly crafted episode where the detectives try and figure out exactly how an armored car robbery went down, endlessly piecing together evolving conclusions about the actual physics of the robbery (what car was doing what when it entered the intersection, etc.). Sister's Light, dealing with a fishing boat accident, is excellent in showcasing an entire coroner's inquest. A Nice Home in the Country is quite good at detailing how the investigative team races against time to stop a murderer they know will strike again - a murderer in the guise of a seemingly kindly old woman. And The Looking Glass is a marvelous Rashomon-like episode where the detectives try to understand why a man would seemingly commit suicide by egging on the police to shoot him (another good episode with a strong courtroom setting). The final two-parter, Fantasy and Reality would have been in my mind, the best of the lot, had they starred someone other than Matt Frewer, of Max Headroom fame. Frewer tries to reach for a sinister/twisted "everyman cipher" character, but just comes off as goofy, with little or no threat perceived in his performance.

Here are the 13, one hour episodes of the four-disc box set, Da Vinci's Inquest: Season 2, as described on the DVDs slim cases:

DISC ONE:

A Cinderella Story Parts 1 & 2
As detectives Kosmo and Leary investigate a young man's suspicious death in a diplomat's hotel bathroom, Da Vinci intensifies his advocacy for a red-light district in Vancouver. Soon another case adds urgency to his quest, the latest in a series of similar deaths stretching back years. New evidence suggests that the authorities may have the wrong man in prison for the crimes.

The Hanged Man
Vincent Marx, the man convicted for a string of murders involving prostitutes, is found hanging in his prison cell. But with new forensic evidence and a zealous new lawyer promising to exonerate him, why would he kill himself?

Tommy's on the Corner
After a security guard shoots a robber in an armored-car hold-up, detectives Shannon and Kosmo suspect an inside job. Meanwhile, Da Vinci investigates a high-speed police chase that left two civilians dead and a cop seriously injured.

DISC TWO:

His Wife
The death of a woman in a fall down her basement stairs turns for more complicated than it first appears. Across town, the death of a prominent cabinet minister looks suspicious from the very beginning.

Sister's Light
After a herring boat capsizes, claiming the lives of three experienced fishermen, Da Vinci launches an inquest into their deaths. He must navigate the conflicting interests of bereaved family members, union officials, and the fishing company in an attempt to find the truth.

A Nice Home in the Country
Bodies begin turning up in the backyards of senior boarding houses. Although the victims show no obvious signs of foul play, Da Vinci and police soon find themselves on the trail of pension scam artists and possible murderers.

DISC THREE:

Blues in A-Minor
When the body of a young boy washes up in the waters below the Second Narrows Bridge and shows signs of sexual abuse, Da Vinci attempts to drive the investigation forward to protect other children at risk without prematurely exposing the suspect.

The Looking Glass
After a policeman shoots an apparently deranged, knife-wielding man, Da Vinci convenes an inquest to determine whether cops followed proper procedure. But do his questions probe his former colleagues on the force deeply enough?

The Lottery
Da Vinci and Shannon face an ethical dilemma after finding a winning $2 million lottery ticket in the apartment of a deceased former logger. Meanwhile, Leary antes into a poker game with stakes far higher than mere money.

DISC FOUR:

Bang Like That
While Shannon and Winston probe the shooting of a drug dealer, Kosmo and Leary investigate the death of a three-year-old boy. Although he supposedly died in a fall from a swing, the child shows signs of shaken baby syndrome.

Fantasy
Police find a prostitute bound and gagged in the back of a truck driven by a mild-mannered accountant - giving them a new suspect for Vancouver's hooker-stalking serial killer. At the same time, Shannon and Winston try to make sense of a mysterious electrocution.

Reality
A psychiatric evaluation reveals that accountant and suspected murderer Larry Williams presents an imminent threat, but he gets out on bail. Da Vinci and police scour old files, solicit DNA from victims' relatives, and frantically collect other evidence before he can kill again.

The DVD:

The Video:
The full screen, 1.33:1 video image for Da Vinci's Inquest: Season 2 is again, quite nice, with the slightly dark color palette accurately reflected, and no compression issues present.

The Audio:
The Dolby Digital English 2.0 stereo audio mix is entirely adequate for this kind of dialogue-driven series. Close-captioning is available.

The Extras:
There's an informative interview with series creator Chris Haddock included here, along with a photo gallery, and text bios and filmographies for Haddock and the cast.

Final Thoughts:
The personal backstories of the Da Vinci's Inquest: Season 2 characters have been toned down or virtually eliminated, creating a more mystery-oriented second season that focuses on procedures, and not the tortured soul of Dominic Da Vinci. And that's okay, because the mysteries are still tight and complex, and expertly produced. I highly recommend Da Vinci's Inquest: Season 2.