“You couldn’t handle a desperate housewife… Believe me.” – Megan
I’m usually not into crime dramas. I personally feel that there are one too many of the Law & Order and CSI variety flooding the airwaves these days. But when Body of Proof premiered on ABC earlier this year I was instantly hooked.
This is not your run of the mill crime drama though where a violent act is committed and then the police or FBI spends an hour connecting the dots to capture the perpetrator. Here, you have Dr. Megan Hunt, portrayed by Dana Delany, as a medical examiner who uses her medical expertise to decipher the clues left behind on the victim’s dead body to guide her to what really happened to them. And I must say that that the Season Two premiere didn’t disappoint me.
The premiere paid homage to another ABC drama Delany spent some time on, Desperate Housewives. Although I have never watched an episode of DH, I did chuckle a little when Delany’s character Megan makes a comment about the neighborhood they are visiting — in search of answers for a murder victim, Daniel — by saying, “I used to live on a cul-de-sac like this. Nothing is ever what it seems.” All of the neighbors did look a bit cryptic and they definitely appeared as though they were hiding something. Former NBA star turned actor Rick Fox guest starred as one of the neighbors. It’s not long before Megan, along with her partner Peter and Detectives Morris and Baker learn what the secret is, the entire neighborhood are swingers, or as they like to call themselves play couples.
They learn this after visiting one of the neighbors, Vicky, and seeing a muddy footprint that matches the shoes that Daniel was wearing when they found his body. Upon entering her home Detective Baker asks her questions while Detective Morris takes a look around and comes upon an armoire that has a keyhole that opens with the key they also found with Daniel. Inside it is filled with sex toys. Vicky, along with her husband, is taken down to the police precinct for questioning where they spill the dirty secrets of the neighborhood.
Initially they thought that Daniel’s widow, Andrea, was responsible for his death. They learned that one of the neighbors, Kevin, began to have real feelings for her, which ultimately led to the demise of his marriage. Once they learned that Andrea had recently taken a $15,000 cash advance on her credit card they thought that she had hired a hit man to off her husband so she and Kevin could ultimately be together. They bring her in for questioning and soon learn that that wasn’t the case. She actually had given the money to Vicky to buy into a time-share on Narantha Island for her and Daniel. Vicky was hosting a party that afternoon for all of the wives in the neighborhood to buy into the deal and Megan decides to attend it with Andrea. She unveils that Narantha Island is actually a landfill covered in topsoil in the Bermuda Triangle. Needless to say the party breaks up soon after. When she gets back to the car and tells Peter he points out to her that she is crying which Megan doesn’t even realize. She recalls that all of the women at the party where tearing as well and takes a sample of her own tears for evaluation.
Turns out that Megan’s tears prove that there is some sort of toxin in the air surrounding the neighborhood, which would explain the discovery of Daniel’s compromised immune system. During a raid of the neighborhood to get everyone out, they discover that Kevin actually has a meth lab in his backyard. After taking him down to the precinct he admits to killing Daniel after he discovered the meth lab after leaving Vicky’s house early in the morning. Turns out that Kevin’s meth lab has compromised the air and soil of the entire neighborhood and that’s why all of the women at the party were tearing.
A few storylines also continue from last season. Megan is still trying to rebuild the relationship with her daughter Lacey and judging from the premiere it definitely looks like it’s getting better. Megan also has to deal with Kate, her boss, dating her ex-husband and not allowing it to compromise their work relationship.
One thing I love about this show is how all of the pieces fit together and everything is explained. The writing is strong and obviously thoroughly thought out. I’ll definitely be tuning in for the remainder of the season.
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.