Absence of a loved one

Sudden disappearance is driving a growing amount of contemporary drama, writes Julia Keller in The LA Times.

Such a theme made hits out of the CBS series "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case," shows that spotlight mysterious disappearances and the strenuous attempts to fill in the blanks.

These aren't standard police dramas; they are rich explorations of the momentous impact of absence. Their power derives from the searing sadness that trails in the wake of vanished loved ones. Episodes aren't cold, abstract puzzles for clever detectives to solve; they are journeys into the heart of loss, a loss that can't be relieved by tracking a killer or thwarting a bank robbery.