The Beast: The Complete First Season

Veteran undercover FBI agent Charles Barker (the late Patrick Swayze) lives by one motto: “You trust your case file and you trust your partner,” and he expects his young sidekick Ellis (Travis Fimmel) to commit to it body and soul. It's a lot for Ellis to take on faith, what with Barker playing by his own rules (he's not above planting evidence to move a case forward or shooting another agent to keep his cover) and FBI Internal Affairs agents on his trail. Aired on A&E, this gritty show likes to play in the gray zones, and its Chicago locations offer plenty of visual opportunities for just that, but it's the lean, leathery Swayze, his face etched with age and experience, who is the main reason to watch this 13-episode short-lived 2009 series, which is left hanging 24-style, although the two-part finale wraps the season's narrative arc satisfyingly enough. DVD extras include episode promos. Optional. (S. Axmaker)