The first episode for season 3 of the television drama Saving Grace just blew the lovely wife and me away. Talk about kicking it up a notch. The first episode for season 3 is the one that ought to be on the Emmy reel, and on the resume of every actor that appeared.

Christina Ricci is Grace’s temporary partner, a street cop looking to move up. It is inspired casting. Ricci plays the character well, and Holly Hunter and Ricci combine to create a feminine powerhouse at the core of the show. IMDB shows Ricci as in only three episodes, but I truly hope she is scheduled for more.

Holly Hunter does her usual fantastic job as Grace. Bailey Chase and Kenny Johnson as newly partnered detectives Butch Ada and Ham Dewey play the awkwardness of a new arrangement well, stepping on eachother’s questions and trying to adapt.

Leon Rippy as Earl, the last chance angel, and Bookeem Woodbine as Leon Cooley, the man on death row, have a moving scene when Cooley cries silently as Earl talks about his son.

The actress who play’s Grace’s sister, Paige – Jessica Tuck , adds a comedic touch to the show by insisting on staying with Grace while the serial killer is on the loose. Never mind that, as Grace tries to point out, the sister does not match the killer’s profile.

The final scene of the episode shows how Grace responds to having killed her first man, the serial killer. As she stands at the scene of the shooting, partner Ricci shows up to lend support, and to help her smoke cigars. It was a moment where the events that the two characters had shared brought them closer as partners.