Warner Bros. | 2000 | 989 mins. | Not Rated
Created by ER executive producer John Wells and former Chicago Police officer Edward Allen Bernero, Third Watch followed a group of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics in the fictional 55th Precinct and Fire Station 55 whose shifts fell between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m, the “third watch.” The show was known for its gritty, realist portrayal of the professional and personal lives of New York’s three emergency services. Similar to ER, the show mixed single episode events with several ongoing storylines, some which lasted several seasons.
During the second season, the series solid ensemble cast includes: Jason Wiles as NYPD officer Maurice “Bosco” Boscorelli, Coby Bell as NYPD officer Tyrone “Ty” Davis, Jr., Skip Sudduth as NYPD officer John “Sully” Sullivan, Anthony Ruivivar as FDNY paramedic Carlos Nieto, Eddie Cibrian as firefighter James “Jimmy” Doherty, Bobby Cannavale as FDNY paramedic Roberto “Bobby” Caffey, Molly Price as NYPD officer Faith Yokas, Kim Raver as FSNY paramedic Kim Zambrano and Michael Beach as FDNY paramedic Monte “Doc” Parker.
The first episode of the second season, titled “Lost “really encapsulates what Third Watch is all about. Sully is forced to deal with his fears of being buried alive when he’s faced with a kidnapping where the victim has been buried alive. At the same time, Yokas’ marital situation becomes even tenser, as she hides a pregnancy from her husband Charlie (Jeremy Bergman), because she knows they may not be able to afford another child. Yokas’ partner Bosco urges her to “do the right thing,” and tell her husband but she remains terribly conflicted. As it turns out, she uses a case at work to get herself out of the situation.
The thing that makes Third Watch such a solid series is the way it effectively mixes each character professional and personal life. For instance, in “Kim’s Hope Chest,” we learn how complications in her personal life affect how she approaches her job. After she tries to save the unborn child of an accident victim, Kim finds it even more difficult to confront troubling issues in her own life. She makes a play for her ex-husband Jimmy Doherty, in hopes of patching up their relationship and helping their troubled son, (Kristopher Scott Fiedel). Instead, she finds herself forced to face longstanding issues with her mother and sister.
Several storylines from season one, continue into the second season. One of the most interesting involves Jimmy Doherty, who was shot in the season one finale. In “Jimmy’s Mountain,” he is determined to come back to work and prove that the shooting hasn’t cost him any of his faculties. However, in his determination, he comes back to early. His stubbornness and pride won’t allow him to admit he’s not physically up to the job yet and in the process, he puts his colleagues in danger.
Though Third Watch ended after just six seasons, the series was just as strong as Wells’ ER, which managed to stick around for fifteen. Brutally honest and action packed, Third Watch doesn’t pull any punches and presents a gritty portrait of life working for New York’s three emergency branches. As a matter of fact, during its run, the show was criticized by some for excessive violence and prevalent (by network television standards) profane language.
This 6-disc set includes all 22 episodes from the second season:
Disc 1
The Lost (44:25)
Faith (44:26)
Four Days (44:03)
Jimmy Mountain (44:17)
Disc 2
Kim’s Hope Chest (44:16)
The Ty’s That Bind (44:26)
After Hours (44:25)
Know Thyself (44:25)
Disc 3
Run of the Mill (44:30)
History (44:26)
A Hero’s Rest (44:26)
Disc 4
True Love (44:27)
Duty (44:28)
A Rock and a Hard Place (44:27)
Requiem for a Bantamweight (44:25)
Disc 5
Unfinished Business (43:53)
The Self-Importance of Being Carlos (44:20)
Honor (44:28)
Walking Wounded (44:25)
Disc 6
Man Enough (44:25)
Exposing Faith (43:17)
Zeus Wept (44:27)
Third Watch is presented in its original Full Frame (1.33:1) aspect ratio. This is a show of fairly recent vintage, so it looks pretty good on DVD. There is slight grain here and there but no real digital defects. The black levels are solid and colors are fairly vibrant.
Audio is presented with a workman like single track, English ProLogic II. It does the job nicely and dialogue is always clear.
Third Watch: The Complete Second Season has one special feature:
• Gag Reel (5:31) Typical stuff here.
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