Dead Like Me: The Complete Second Season

Delightfully clever, darkly humorous, and often unexpectedly moving, the second season of this acclaimed Showtime series continues to chronicle the unusual exploits of Georgia “George” Lass (Ellen Muth), an 18-year-old girl killed in a freak accident and recruited into the society of “reapers,” those ghostly entities entrusted with gathering the souls of newly deceased humans. Working for supervisor Rube (Mandy Patinkin) and interacting with fellow reapers Mason (Callum Blue), Daisy (Laura Harris), and Roxy (Jasmine Guy), George learns a lot about life and death, while also keeping an eye on her heartbroken mother (Cynthia Stevenson) and younger sister (Britt McKillip). Of the 15 uniformly good episodes from the 2004 season, “Always” is a showcase for Patinkin, whose generally grumpy Rube reveals a tender side when he receives disquieting news and visits his earthbound daughter, while “Forget Me Not” puts George's new abilities to the test when she is assigned to convince an elderly woman that she has just died. But the year's best show has to be the season finale, “Haunted,” in which a serial killer stalks anxious residents of a neighborhood during a time in which reapers are briefly visible to their loved ones--George hopes to reveal herself to her mom and sister, but she's kept busy gathering the souls of the killer's victims. Although extremely well-written and acted, Dead Like Me sadly gave up the ghost after the second season, but this DVD collection (with extras including two featurettes and over 10 minutes of deleted scenes) is sure to keep it alive for the legions of fans who appreciated its unique perspective. Recommended. (E. Hulse)