Kidnapped: The Complete Series Review

Kidnapped is yet another TV series that died way before its time. I am so happy that the entire 13 episodes were collected and released on DVD earlier this year.

The series focuses on the abduction of Leopold Cain, son of multimillionaire Conrad Cain, and the private specialists and FBI agents searching for him. The series has more twists and turns in its half-season run than any show I can remember watching.

With powerful and believable performances from Jeremy Sisto, Delroy Lindo, Timothy Hutton, Mykelti Williamson, and Dana Delany, you understand these characters’ struggles and the anguish in their search for the missing boy.

While the show is a slow build to the explosive final two episodes, each individual episode delivers enough story - action, dialogue, and intrigue – that you are captivated and hooked as the missing pieces fall into place.

The gunfight at the end of the 12th episode was a little staged, but huge gun battles aren’t the point of the show – intelligent, suspenseful writing is what its all about.

The final episode simply blew my mind. The reveal of the “villain” was – shocking. I kept shouting, “No way!” at the TV. It comes out of the nowhere, but makes total and complete sense. It’s simply an amazing episode.

The series ends with full resolution to the Cain storyline – something rare in shows that are cancelled early. It does set up a thread that would have continued if the series hadn’t been cancelled, but you feel satisfied with end, if not a little sad that you can’t see where these characters might have gone from there.

Just like Band of Brothers is the best war story I’ve seen, or the new Battlestar Galactica series is the best space show ever made, this is by far the essential kidnapping yarn. I cannot recommend this series highly enough. I’d go as far as saying it should be considered a TV classic.

And watch for Kidnapped executive producer/writer Jason Smilovic this fall on NBC’s remake of the Bionic Woman. Joining him is executive producer/writer David Eick from Battlestar Galactica - making Woman a must-see show this fall.