There was a great deal of talk as the writer's strike brought the 2007-2008 TV season to an untimely end that certain programs were allowed to live again this year despite middling ratings because the networks had no choice.  Maybe that's why "Life" was renewed for a second season after just eleven episodes (which often lost its time slot against ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money").

Then again, where's that second season of its old lead-in, "Bionic Woman"?

More probably it was renewed because it was a fresh look at the old police drama.  The networks have aired a hundred variations on this venerable genre, some successful (see "NYPD Blue", "Hill Street Blues", "Law & Order") and more not (see "You're Better Off Not Remembering").  "Life" was memorable by virtue of its lead character, Det. Charlie Crews, whose career as a law enforcement officer bracketed twelve years in maximum-security prison for a triple homicide he was eventually exonerated for.  Crews, portrayed by top-notch British actor Damian Lewis, brings to the job an unlikely Zen philosophy he picked up in the slammer, a fascination with fruit, a ton of civil settlement cash - and a burning desire to bring down the people responsible for three murders and the near-destruction of his life.

Last season ended with what appeared to be a surprisingly quick resolution to his investigation, with the confession and apprehension of Kyle Hollis (Titus Welliver), the real murderer, and all fingers pointing at corrupt police captain Jack Reese (Victor Rivers) as the man who put the hit out.  Even Crews himself knew it wasn't over, though, recognizing in Episode Eleven that Hollis and Reese couldn't be solely responsible for his bogus conviction.  And it got worse at the conclusion of Season One when Reese, intent on eluding prosecution, attempted to bargain with Crews by offering the life of Rachel Seybolt (Jessy Schram), the sole survivor of the massacre Crews was accused of creating.  Ironically, Crews had just unwittingly crossed paths with Rachel that day, missing his chance to find the girl he'd been searching for.

So the who (Hollis and Rivers) and the why (one victim was laundering money and skimming from the top) of the Seybolt killings have been answered.  But Season Two marks the transition to the larger question of who Rivers' allies are, and why Crews was chosen.  More than ever, the greater mystery is symbolized by the famous "Conspiracy Wall" (more like a Conspiracy Room) in Crews' home.  But it also marks an equally burning question - will "Life" survive a second season, especially trapped in a historically weak time slot, Friday nights at 10 P.M.?  Or will the series end with Crews' questions, and ours, forever unsolved?  While this question remains debatable before the season has even started, we can try to predict what lies in store for audiences in Season Two, based on what the series creators and stars have said over the summer, and on the lingering questions from Season One. 

One major question mark involves the suddenly shifting cast of characters.  While Crews (Lewis), Danni Reese (Sarah Shahi), Ted Early (Adam Arkin), and Bobby Stark (Brent Sexton) remain part of the regular cast, there have also been big changes.  The biggest is the arrival of Capt. Kevin Tidwell (Donal Logue, ABC's "Knights of Prosperity") as Crews' supervisor.  Tidwell has been identified as a hard-living cop from NYC who will become an unlikely object of attraction for Det. Reese.  Some publications have stated that the arrival of the veteran sitcom actor will lighten the mood of the show; personally I think that's a bit oversimplified.  While Logue himself has described his character as a "bit of an eight-ball", the quirky, eccentric, downright odd Crews has always injected an element of whimsy into the series, and Logue DOES have experience in dramatic acting as well (Zodiac, The Patriot, NBC's "ER").

For most fans of "Life", the immediate reaction may be "But what about Lt. Davis?"  Lt. Karen Davis (Robin Weigert) successfully played Crews' supervisor in Season One, and at the conclusion of the last episode, we had seen no reason for her character to depart from the storyline.  None of the recent articles about "Life" have said whether Weigert is leaving or staying.  While the actress has been busy - according to IMDB.com, Weigert has made seven films in the last year - other fans of the show have pointed out that Weigert appears in promo photos for this season's fourth episode.  My guess?  Davis gets either transferred or promoted, possibly because she was seen as a possible Crews ally after she warned Capt. Reese that she would see the Seybolt killers brought to justice, no matter their identities.  But she will remain on the show as a recurring guest star (she is, after all, on Crews' Wall).

I think a similar situation exists in the case of Constance Griffiths (Brooke Langton) and Jennifer Conover (Jennifer Siebel).  For much of Season One, Constance was a strong supporter of Crews who eventually made it clear that her marriage was over and that she loved him.  Crews' ex-wife Jennifer, meanwhile, and her second husband were frequent targets of Crews' wrath, since she'd abandoned and divorced him after he was tried and convicted of murder.  Over the course of the two-part Season One finale, however, Crews re-analyzed his behavior toward her and asked for her forgiveness, admitting that he had redirected his rage against others toward her.  (Ironically, he asked her while he had Hollis locked in his trunk, the car clearly visible behind them.)  This will set the stage for Season Two, where apparently Jennifer's role will be expanded and Crews will begin fighting to win her back.  And Constance?  Like with Weigert, nothing has been confirmed by the writers regarding Langton's return.  But as Crews' ally within the D.A.'s office, it makes little sense for her to depart completely.  And as Jennifer is still married, it's entirely possible that Crews will end up with Constance in the long run.  Plus Langton doesn't appear to have any other roles upcoming.  She may also be a recurring guest star with the chance to return to the regular cast.

I hope I'm right, because if this show is creating major upheavals in the cast just eleven episodes in . . . well, that kind of thing didn't work out too well for "Ally McBeal".

As for the writing, the creators and the actors have volunteered various "spoilers" for the second season.  Executive producer Far Shariat told USA Today that the conspiracy "will have answers every episode.  We won't wait until the end of the season to hit those milestones."  Creator Rand Ravich told Entertainment Weekly that Crews will "keep going deeper into what that time in prison did to him, what he lost, and what he's gained, and who he is."  Lewis told TV Guide that Capt. Reese is a "junior player" in a larger conspiracy that he's not fully aware of, and that there are at least five or six other conspirators.  And Shahi has said in a TV interview that Det. Reese, a recovering drug addict, will find her drinking problem getting worse as she faces the fact that her father helped railroad her partner.

But that doesn't address specific questions remaining from Season One that I'll be wondering about starting September 29th . . .

- Why did Kyle Hollis, who "got right" and became a preacher, adopt Rachel Seybolt?  For that matter, how does a convicted felon pull that off?  (For the record, Hollis claimed to be redeemed, and maybe he was.  Rachel certainly seemed to love her adopted father.  But in Episode Eleven, frankly, he came across as a bit of a prick.)

- Is the old-fashioned key Rachel wore around her neck in Episode Eleven important?

- Will we ever meet Crews' father?  We've seen plenty of his fiancee Olivia (Christina Hendricks, AMC's "Mad Men"), who Ted is sweet on and seems interested in pursuing.  So his estranged Dad has to appear SOONER or later.

- There have been hints that the conspiracy hits closer to home than Crews realizes.  Could that be Officer Stark, whose loyalty doesn't seem one hundred percent redeemed yet?  Or the aforementioned Dear Ol' Dad?

- Will more stars of HBO's "Deadwood" appear in Season Two?  A whopping SIX appeared in the first eleven episodes.

- Will there be more references to Batman?  Ted has, at various times, compared himself to Robin and Alfred. (Really, I only bring this up because I stated in my very first article that Crews reminded me of Bruce Wayne.  Clearly I show the stamp of genius.)

- What new questions will there be in Season Two?  We'll start finding out Monday, September 29th.  Have fun.  I will.