DVD/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 12

 

++++Warning, this will contain spoilers from prior seasons, but no major giveaways from season 12+++++

The 12-episode 12th season of Bones aired during the winter and spring of 2017. As most know, this was the final season of Bones. It was brought back for a partial season to resolve the cliffhanger at the end of season 11 and to give the various characters a final send-off. The cliffhanger involving Zach kidnapping Brennan is resolved in the season premier, and a larger arc throughout the season revisits the original Gormagon story line, which was (in my opinion) the weakest ending to a story line that the show had. The other major story arc played out through the final 12 episodes was Booth being targeted because of a sniper mission he was involved in back in the 1990s. And of course, there are various cases of the week crimes to solve.

The show did a good job of bringing back as many characters from the past (and referencing as many prior stories) as possible. The only major characters that did not appear in person were the deceased ones (Sweets and Vincent Nigel Murray and Booth's brother) although there were references to them, Parker, Brennan's brother, and the original director of the Jeffersonian, Dr. Goodman. It would have been nice to see Sweets in person in a dream or hallucination sequence (had John Francis Daily been willing and able to do so), but the show did an excellent job paying homage to its past. It would have also been nice to get an appearance by Angela's dad to hassle Jack one last time.

The DVD set is a three-disc set. For those who get the DVDs, the set is, like it has been in prior years fairly bare-bones (pun intended). Just the episodes, and then on the final disc an approximately 20 min retrospective looking at the show over the years featuring interviews with the cast, writers, and creators of the show, and a 3 min gag reel. Okay for what is there, but not as much as was included in the prior season releases (especially the seasons that were put out on blu-ray). Of course, after season 8 the studio stopped releasing it on blu-ray, so the DVD releases end up being all there are for people who do not just want to stream the show.

Ultimately Bones was a show that ended up going much longer than almost anyone expected, which was especially surprising given Fox's notoriously quick trigger on yanking shows. Given that Bones did take a while to find its footing as a show, it is amazing it lasted as long as it did. The season ends with a very much "life will go on" feel for the various characters, and I think fans of the show will be pleased with how it is wrapped up. If you only get DVDs for the extras, no amazing content makes them a must-get vs streaming. But if you have the prior seasons already it is worth getting to complete a collection.

DVD/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 11

 

++++Warning this will contain spoilerish material from prior seasons, but no major giveaways from season 11++++

The 22-episode penultimate season of Bones aired during the 2015/2016 TV season. It takes the show back to its case-of-the-week roots and reduces the serial arcs spanning multiple episodes. Unlike the previous seasons with Pelant being an antagonist throughout the season, the story arcs involved the various character's relationships with each other more than an overarching "big bad". The only hint of that this season was a two-episode arc about a killer turning his victims into puppets, which has a tie back to earlier seasons and sets up a cliffhanger going into Season 12.

The character of Aubry continues to be incorporated into the group dynamic, not as a replacement for Sweets but as filling some of the roles as a partner for the team after Sweet's death last season. There is an accident midway through the season that affects many of the characters because of the aftermath which I think was done very well. There is also more of Booth and Brennan's family life woven into the show. The season starts off with a couple episodes of mystery involving a disappearance, and there is an excellent cross-over episode with the main characters from Sleepy Hollow about midway through the season.

While I do think an argument can be made that Bones has hung on a bit too long (and given Fox's penchant for yanking shows, I am kind of surprised it lasted as long as it has) I think the writers and actors do a good job with the characters and stories. The cast seems to have very good chemistry with each other, so fans can stay invested in the people on the show, which I think has always made the show work as well as it does. It did find a formula that works for it and has stuck to it, so you know what you are getting with it.

The DVD set is a six-disc set. As has been the case with the past couple of seasons, it is only available on DVD. There are not as many extras as in previous seasons, just a few deleted scenes and a gag reel. That is what knocks the release down a star for me.

DVD/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 10

 

++++WARNING: This will contain spoilers from the previous season and hints, but no major giveaways from this season. If you have not seen season 9 avoid the first paragraph++++

The 22-episode tenth season of Bones aired during the 2014/2015 TV season. This season shakes the show up a lot. The first handful of episodes is spent tying up the "conspiracy" storyline that ended season 9 with Booth in handcuffs. They do not draw out the story too long and end up wrapping it up within the first couple of episodes in a somewhat anti-climatic end (at least, in my opinion). Of course, as most know, there is a major death early on as a part of that story, which affects the characters throughout the remainder of the season. This season also includes the 200th episode, which was directed by David Boreanaz and imagines the team in 1950s Hollywood.

The show keeps the case of the week format tied together with larger overall arcs. The big theme for the season is the various character relationships (especially Booth and Brennan) and the next step the various characters are taking. There is a new addition to the team in the form of a new FBI agent, James Aubrey, played by John Boyd. While introducing new characters in a long-running established show is always tricky, Boyd seemed to have good chemistry with the rest of the cast, and his character was well-written, so the integration was pretty smooth. Especially after he finds his footing with the character. Toward the end of the season, there is a tie back to the Pelant storyline and the money he stole from Hodgins, and a post-death Pelant threat that may or may not tie into season 11. The team is definitely left in a state of flux at the end of the season, but not with as big a cliffhanger as season 9 ended on.

The DVD set is a six-disc set. It does include some extras, but not as much as in the prior season's physical media releases. The extras include deleted scenes for select episodes. A making of feature on the series' 200th episode, a gag reel, and a feature on the character that was killed off. It's not a ton of material, but it's good for what is there. My only real complaint is that the show stopped being released on Blu-ray after season 8 (which is more due to the studio than the show's quality). If that is a big deal to you, streaming may be how you want to go, but otherwise, we are just stuck with DVD.

DVD/Movie Review: Bones: Season 9

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the previous seasons and hints, but no major giveaways from season 9.+++


The 24-episode ninth season of Bones aired during the 2013/2014 TV season. It is a formulaic show, for sure, but after a rough first couple of seasons, it found the formula that works and the actors and characters that make it work. If you have followed the show at all and have liked it, then chances are you will like the 9th season. It follows the story of the week format but with story arcs tied in along the way.

The major arc of the past season plus, Pelant vs the team is brought to a conclusion this season. The season begins with Booth sticking to having taken back his acceptance of Brennan's proposal because of Pelant's threat and the tension it is causing not only between the two of them, but the entire team. Once that storyline is resolved there is a major murder and corruption storyline that keeps popping up throughout the season and winds up with the cliffhanger going into season 10.

We again see the rotating interns throughout the season, but with Clark being hired on at the Jeffersonian in the anthropology department ostensibly as Brennan's equal, making room for a new intern along the regular crop we have seen the past 4 or 5 seasons.

As I said above, if you were a fan of past seasons (and did not get bored with the show), then this season will not disappoint you. If you have never liked the show, then this season is probably not going to do anything to get you to like it. Certainly, an argument can be made for it getting stale and using the same format repeatedly, but the story arcs woven into the mystery of the week format keep the show interesting enough.

As for the DVDs, the DVD set is a six-disc set with extras and episodes spread across the discs. The extras include commentary on select episodes, deleted scenes, portions of the comic-con panel, and a gag reel. My only gripe is that after having 5 seasons of blu ray releases the studio has gone to a DVD-only release. Hence my knocking it down a star.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 8

 

The 24-episode 8th season of Bones aired during the 2012/2013 TV season. It picks up down the line from the events that ended the seventh season, with Brennan on the run and the main antagonist, Pelant (played by Andrew Leeds) in custody but still making trouble for the team. The cliffhanger that ended season 7 is  resolved quickly in Season 8 so Brennan can come back to the team. Pelant, however, keeps coming back throughout the season to make the lives of the team hell. The show continues blending case-of-the-week procedural stories with the longer story arcs. This season also includes some episodes that were intended to air during season 7, but were cut due to the reduced number of episodes that resulted from Emily Deschanel's pregnancy. All the main cast members and primary recurring cast members return for this season. New recurring cast members this season include Danielle Panabaker (who would go on to star in the series Flash), Joanna Cassidy, Scott Lowell, and Danny Woodburn.

The show has kept the rotating interns that stemmed from the one story line from the show whose outcome I did not like, and that was having Zach written off the show. The show does a good job of actually giving them more to do that just being Brennan's sidekicks and it seems like the show is going to stick with that format for the foreseeable future. Aside from the stretches that the show makes with reality which you either accept or not, the only thing that was completely unrealistic from this season was about Hodgins money. You have to suspend your disbelief for what happens initially, but I personally think the directon the show takes the aftermath is just dumb. The rest of the season really revolves around Booth and Brennan as a couple, and as parents. I think that part of the story is well written and has done a good job of not making the relationship stale which is always the danger in bringing lead characters into a relationship.

The Blu-Ray set is a five-disc set with the episodes and bonus features spread across the five discs. The extras include deleted scenes, commentary on some episodes, an "Ask Bones" feature where cast members answer questions submitted by fans, a short ultimate fan segment, and a gag reel. Not a ton of extras but enough there if you do like going through that material. Also, the blu rays allow you to play it in season mode, so you can stop at any point and pick back up where you left off.

Chances are by now you know how you feel about Bones. If you have liked the show up to this point you will likely still enjoy this season. If you don't like it, this season will not do anything to change your mind because it really follows the same formula as it has the past few years. I think the stories are still compelling and interesting enough to keep the show fun to watch. It does a good job of blending the case of the week stories with the ongoing story arcs.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 7

 

The 13-episode seventh season of Bones aired during the 2011/2012 TV season. The season was cut short because of Emily Deschanel's real-life pregnancy. Her pregnancy was written into the show, with the character of Brennan giving birth in the latter portion of the season. The show continued to mix the case-of-the-week procedural format with a serial storyline. This season, the serial arc involves a tech genius as the season's main antagonist in a storyline that also involves the Pelant storyline from prior seasons. The season ends on a large cliffhanger to set up the 8th season.

The Blu-Ray set is a three-disc set. There are a handful of bonus features, including a commentary track on the episode "The Past in the Present," deleted scenes from a couple of episodes, a gag reel, and some behind-the-scenes material. What was included was okay, but it definitely does not have as much bonus content as the physical media releases for the prior seasons received. The show continues to be strong, following the format that has worked for it since the second season, where it found its footing. The storylines continue to be interesting, and the cast members seem to have very good chemistry with one another. The show has a good blend of drama and humor, and the writers do a good job of giving the large ensemble cast good material to work with. So, if you liked the prior seasons, this one is worth the time to watch.

 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bones: Season 6

 

The 23-episode sixth season of Bones aired during the 2010/2011 TV season. All the main cast members returned for this season, and the show continued with its format as a case-of-the-week procedural mixed with serial arcs. This season's main serial arc involves a sniper named Jacob Broadsky, who starts going after the team. This season also ties up the "gravedigger" storyline, with Deirdre Lovejoy making another appearance as Heather Taffet. 

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set, which includes some bonus material. The extras for this release include commentary tracks on a couple of episodes, a featurette on the episode "The Blackout in the Blizzard," a featurette on the special effects, extended versions of two episodes, a gag reel, and the pilot episode of the series, The Killing.  This season includes several notable guest stars, including Michael Clarke Duncan, Saffron Burrows, and Geoff Stults, who led a spin-off series called "The Finder" that only received a 13-episode run that aired during Bones' 7th season. Ryan O'Neal also appeared as Brennan's father, Max and Billy Gibbons made another appearance as Angela's father. Arnold Vosloo (from the Mummy movies) had a significant recurring role, and all the rotating interns appeared regularly. Ultimately, the series follows the format that has made it successful. Since the show uses mainly procedural storylines, you don't necessarily have to watch the prior seasons to follow what happens in a particular episode. Still, it does help to see the character development in the earlier seasons, and some of the episodes will make more sense. If you liked the prior seasons, this is worth watching. 

DVD/TV Series Review: Animal Kingdom Season 4

 

The 13-episode fourth season of Animal Kingdom aired during the summer of 2019. It does a lot to both tie up loose ends and advance the story forward. Some of the storylines are closed out in ways that you may not expect, and others are set up going into the final two seasons of the show. The fourth season is all about the continued friction between the characters, especially after Baz is killed. Pope is still the only one who knows that Smurf had Baz killed, and Mia has so far managed to keep J in the dark about the fact that she pulled the trigger. Mia and J definitely start to distrust each other more as the season goes on, and their relationship is anything but solid. There is also a power struggle between Pope and J for who will take over when Smurf is out of the picture. For her part, Smurf continues to stir up trouble between everyone. Things are also complicated by Julia's old friend (and Pope's old flame of sorts) played by Emily Deschanel (best known for her role on Bones, which is a 180-degree difference from this role) who is freshly out of prison and manages to weasel into the Cody's affairs. The show also manages to provide more of Smurf's backstory through the use of flashbacks to the 1970s, with young Smurf being played by Lelia George, who does a great job making the character her own yet channeling Barkin's version of the character so well at times you can totally buy that they are the same person. It gives glimpses into how Smurf ended up the way she did, yet still leaves a lot open to be told of Smurf's life.

The DVD set is a three-disc set. It is a very basic MOD release. It does have English captions, but there are no extras to speak of. So, the only reason to get it is to add to your existing collection if you purchased the first two seasons on Blu-Ray and the third season on DVD. Otherwise, you are not missing anything just streaming it.

Overall, the season is very good. There is still a lot of violence, sex, and drug use depicted on the show, and it pushed the bounds of what can be shown on basic cable. But, that has been the case since season one, so it is nothing new for the show. The acting and writing are very good, and I think the show benefits from having shorter seasons as it is able to tell a concise story without having to drag things out to fill in 22 or 23 episodes. If you have been a fan of the series up to this point, you will probably like this season as well. On the other hand, if you did not like the prior seasons all that much, this one is probably not going to make you change your mind about the show.

DVD/TV Series Review: Animal Kingdom Season 3

 

The 13-episode third season of Animal Kingdom aired during the spring and summer of 2018. It picks up basically immediately after Baz is shot and the cliffhanger is resolved, then does a bit of a jump forward in time after the first episode. Most of the season revolves around Smurf's time in jail and her trying to control the boys and scheme her way out of jail, and the boys trying to become independent of her. Finn Cole does a great job with the character of J, as he begins to move to get out from under Smurf's thumb while taking on responsibilities for her. There are some additions to the cast, notably the addition of Dennis Leary as Derain's wayward father and his burnout girlfriend played by Diechan Lachman, and new love interest/partner in crime for J, played by Sohvi Rodriguez. Molly Gordon's role is reduced throughout the season as the character of Nikki is basically written out as a regular character. Another great storyline is Pope continuing to care for Lena since he feels guilty for killing Cath in season one. Shawn Halosy knocks it out of the part with his acting this season and even directs an episode. And, of course, there are the crazy intricate heists that the crew manages to pull off.

The DVD set is a three-disc set. They are fairly poorly done MOD discs. I did not have a problem playing them on my 4k blu-ray player, but it looks like other people are having issues playing them, so you definitely want to make sure your firmware is up to date. For extras, there are deleted scenes for most of the episodes. And, not just a couple of seconds worth of deleted scenes, but probably just short of an hour's worth, which is definitely more than you get with most MOD DVD sets. And, there are English captions. It is definitely disappointing that the show was not released on MOD Blu-ray, but not all that surprising given that sales for tv-series on Blu-ray are not all that great anyway, so only the most popular shows get even a MOD release.

Overall, if you liked the first couple of seasons you will probably like this one. There is still a lot of violence, swearing, and sex, about as much of each as they can get away with on basic cable. So, if you did not like that from the prior seasons, this one is not going to change your mind.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Sinner Season 3

 

The eight-episode third season of The Sinner aired during the spring of 2020. It again has a completely new storyline and a mostly new cast. The only character carried over from seasons 1 and 2 is Harry Ambrose (played by Bill Pullman). The rest of the season 3 cast members include Matt Bomer, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Eddie Martinez, and Chris Messina. This season diverges from the format of the prior seasons in that we know a lot more about the person under investigation relatively early in the season. Matt Bomer plays Jamie Burns, a high school teacher and new father who has been arrested for murder. Since the writers did not hide the ball as much this season, there is no single "big" reveal at the very end of the season as there was in seasons 1 and 2. That said, the storyline is good, and I think it was wise not to have this season be a carbon copy of the format of the other two. The acting was great, and the writing/storyline was good, but not as good as the first season or even the second season.

The DVD set is a two-disc MOD DVD set. That means there are no extra or bonus features. And, unlike seasons 1 and 2, it was not released individually on Blu-Ray (but it is included in the complete series Blu-Ray set that was released after the series ended with season 4). As physical media slowly goes extinct, TV series are taking the brunt of that, with fewer of them being released even on DVD, and only a very select few being released on Blu-Ray. This is a very bare-bones MOD DVD with no captions and no extras. You just get the eight episodes spread over two discs. So, I think most people who will get this will be those who are just wanting to keep their collection complete. But, if you only get physical discs if there are a lot of extras, then you will just want to stick to streaming this one.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Rogue Season 3 Part 2

 

+++Warning, this contains the major spoiler from the first half of the third season, but no major giveaways from the second half +++

The third season of Rogue was split in two, with the first 10 episodes transitioning from Grace's storyline, resulting in her death, to Ethan's storyline set in Chicago. The second half of the season, which aired in the spring of 2016, picks up with Ethan trying to track down a woman named Mia (played by Twilight's Ashley Greene), who ends up being an ex-NSA contractor who has downloaded a bunch of secret material to a flash drive, a-la Edward Snowden, and who happens to be a badass. She ends up getting entangled in a storyline with Ethan that involves Marty Stein (the corrupt lawyer played by Richard Schiff), the DEA, the Chicago gangs, and the Russian mob. It packs a lot into 10 episodes, and honestly at times, how the show is trying to blend all the storylines into one, makes it hard to follow. On the plus side, Greene is a great addition to the cast, and her character is always playing on the edge between good and bad, and it is not until the final couple of episodes that you really figure out where she stands.

This blu-ray release is another two-disc German import. The audio defaults to a German overdubbed track, but you can play an English audio track. There are three short behind-the-scenes featurettes (totaling less than 10 minutes) mainly focusing on Green's character and Cole Hauser's character. Those are in English, and then there are some trailers in German. Also note, that you will need a Region-2 or Region-Free blu-ray player to play this set. Players sold commercially in the US and Canada will not play this set.

Overall, the show is good, but it has strayed significantly from the original storyline from season 1. There is a lot of swearing and some nudity (mainly from Greene), but, it was toned down from what was in season 1. So, if that turns you off to a show, then you should skip this. And, if you were a huge fan of Thandie Newton, and only watched because of her, there is really no reason to pick this up. The season does end on a cliffhanger, and given that the shortened 10-episode 4th season aired in 2017, it is becoming less likely that will ever show up on DVD or Blu-Ray, either in the States or as an import. So, for now, as far as physical discs, this may end up being the de-facto end to the series. And, since it is very hard to find the series streaming since AT&T NOW removed it if you did not watch season 4 when it aired, it may be a while (or never) before you get a chance to see it. With those caveats in mind, it is worth picking up when it is listed for a reasonable price.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Sinner Season 2

 

The eight-episode second season of The Sinner aired during the summer of 2018. It tells a completely new story with mostly new characters. This time, the story is set near Harry Ambrose's (played by Bill Pullman) hometown (which is the hook that gets him into the story), in which a child named Julian (played by Elisha Nenig) poisons his parents at a roadside motel. Of course, like the first season, there are a lot of twists and turns with the backstory slowly revealed over the course of the eight episodes. The supporting cast includes Carrie Coon as the "leader" of the cult that Julian was raised in, Natalie Paul, who is a local police officer/junior detective, and a family friend of Harry and Hannah Gross.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The show looks good in HD, but it is a standard MOD set. There are no captions and no extras, just the episodes spread over the two discs. The acting and writing are very good. There are some sexual situations and swearing during the season, but I do not think there was as much as there was in the first season. That said, it is still not what I would call a family-friendly show. But if you are looking for a good adult drama, it is worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Rogue Season 3 Part 1

 

Rouge was a series produced on DirecTV's audience network that ran for four seasons. It started out with a storyline in which Thandie Newton's character (Grace Travis) was undercover with a mob boss in San Francisco while also trying to find out who killed her young son. That storyline was mostly resolved in the first season, and the second season of the show found her character going after a group of former military members (led by Cole Houser's character, Ethan Kelly) who killed a group of Americans in Pakistan and made off with a bunch of money meant to bribe tribal leaders.

The third season was split into two parts, each consisting of 10 episodes. The first 10 episodes aired during the summer of 2015. In the first part of the third season, the show shifted to Chicago, with Newton's character in a supporting role and Hauser's character in the lead. In it, Ethan gets involved in a fight between the DOJ, DEA, a shady Chicago lawyer (played wonderfully by Richard Schiff), and a feuding pair of Chicago gangs. The first half of the season saw Grace's storyline wrapped up in a rather underwhelming (in my opinion) way. That is really what knocks it down a star for me, but otherwise, the season was fine.

The show is notoriously hard to find both to stream or via physical discs (especially seasons three and four). The show did stream on DirecTV now for a while, then just disappeared. It has streamed on Amazon, but I do not believe it is included free with a Prime membership. In the United States, only the first two seasons of the show are available on DVD. The first three seasons are available on Blu-Ray in Germany, with the third being split into two separate releases, and the fourth season has not (to my knowledge) been released at all in any country on either DVD or Blu-Ray. This set will not play on a US/Region-1 Blu-Ray player. You will need either a Region-2 player or a region-free player to watch it. The audio defaults to playing a dubbed over-German track, but you can switch audio channels to have it play in English. For extras, there is about a half-hour's worth of behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes (on the final disc) that you can play one by one or all at once, as well as a bunch of trailers that play in German only. The discs also have a true "play all" mode that will allow you to pick up where you left off, even in the middle of an episode.

I cannot say that everyone will like this season, especially those who loved the first season of the show. That said, it is well-written and acted, even if it is much different in this season than how it started out. There is a lot of violence and swearing, as well as some nudity (although not as much nudity as in prior seasons). So, if any of those things turn you off to a show, it is best to avoid it. Given that the season really does reset the show, it is helpful, but not essential that you see the first two seasons. The second season is more important to be up to speed on what is going on in season three than the first season though. If you can find the discs at a reasonable price (you will pay more because they are imports) it is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Molly's Game

 

Molly's Game is a 2019 crime drama starring Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Michael Cera, and Kevin Costner. It is a semi-biographical movie telling the story of Molly Bloom (played by Jessica Chastain), a competitive skier who was injured in a skiing accident and ended up out in Los Angeles working in a bar. She would, through a series of interesting events, end up running multi-million dollar poker games involving movie stars (including, reportedly, Toby McGuire), athletes, and various members of the 1%. She ends up being arrested as the FBI attempts to get her to flip on members of her poker games who are connected to the mob. Idris Elba plays her high-priced New York lawyer, and Kevin Costner has a small role as her father.

Chastain is great in the role of Molly and plays Bloom with a great mix of cocky, bordering on arrogant, funny (albeit dark humor), and vulnerable. Her chemistry and ability to banter with Elba (in a non-romantic role) really make the movie work, so much so that even the parts that don't work as well (like trying to buy Michael Cera as a badass) are easy to overlook. The movie looks and sounds great on Blu-ray. The extras are mostly non-existent. Just what amounts to an extended TV spot for the movie. So, if you only get the physical discs when there is a lot of bonus content included, you will probably just want to stick with streaming this. That said, if you have a little more than a couple of hours to kill and are looking for a good movie to watch, this is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Animal Kingdom Season 2

 

The 13-episode second season of Animal Kingdom aired during the summer of 2017. The season has a couple of big themes. First, there is a Baz versus Smurf for control of the family storyline, with Smurf grooming J. as a replacement for Baz. The second involves Pope working through his guilt for killing Cath by taking care of Lena. Nikki is more of a fixture this season, basically shaking up with Craig while still maintaining feelings for J, which complicates things toward the end of the season. Smurf continues to be awful to pretty much everyone in the guise of motherly love (again, sometimes creepily so), and of course, there are the well-orchestrated robberies. The big score this season is robbing a mega-church after a charity donation day. I will not go into too much detail to avoid spoiling the season for those who have not seen it, but overall, there is a lot of good character development that happens throughout the season. Smurf's past continues to present a problem, and there is a major cliffhanger that ends the season. The show does a very good job of balancing the fact that almost every character in the show is a horrible human being while trying to show a human side to at least some of them and even manages to make some of the characters sympathetic.

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set, with the episodes evenly spread across the four discs. It is basically a MOD plus set, with a handful of extras (mostly deleted scenes, then a featurette on the character of Pope on the last disc). There are English captions, and the discs allow you to pick up where you left off, even when your player powers down. So you can stop in the middle of an episode and pick back up automatically without searching for where you stopped, which is always nice when bingeing a TV series.

Overall, the show is well-written and acted. It definitely pushes the bounds of what can be shown on basic cable with swearing, nudity, and drug use. It is definitely not a family-friendly show. But, if you enjoyed the first season, you will likely enjoy this one, with the caveat that the character of Baz is written to be a lot more unlikable this season. It is definitely a unique drama that is less cookie-cutter than some of the shows that are out there. It is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Shawshank Redemption

 

The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 thriller/crime drama starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Clancy Brown, Bob Gunton, and William Sadler. It was adapted from a story by Stephen King and directed by Frank Darabont. The film did not get much acclaim during its initial run in the theater but took off on home video after being nominated for several Academy Awards. It is a fairly basic story. A man named Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins) is convicted of murders he did not commit and sent to prison for life. He ends up at Shawshank prison, run by a corrupt warden and thuggish guards, befriending a fellow inmate named Red (played by Morgan Freeman), who also narrates the movie. Andy hatches an elaborate escape plan that no one, including the viewers, is aware of until the end of the movie.

The Blu-Ray's A/V transfer is good, but the movie did not get an extensive HD restoration. The Blu-Ray features several extras, including a director's commentary track on the movie, a few different behind-the-scenes and making-of features, a roundtable discussion with Robbins, Freeman, and the director of the movie on The Charlie Rose Show, and more. There is a ton of great material for those who like going through the bonus features.

Overall, the movie is well-written and acted. It was cast perfectly, from the leads to many character actors filling out the supporting roles. It is a combination of a prison movie, a period piece, and a buddy movie. There is not a ton of action, but some moments of action are mixed within the drama. It is a movie where the "good" guys are bad and the "bad" guys are good, at least partly. It is definitely worth the 2+ hours of time to watch it.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

 

El Camino is a 2019 movie that serves as an alternate series finale of Breaking Bad. The movie was written and directed by BB creator Vince Gilligan and stars Aaron Paul, Jesse Plemmons, Charles Baker, Matt Jones, and Scott MacArthur. It shows events from Jesse's point of view. It picks up with Jesse driving off after being freed from the Nazi compound (which was the last we saw of him in the series finale to BB). Then, the story is told partly through flashbacks, showing his imprisonment and (mostly) interactions with Todd (played by the returning Jesse Plemmons) and partly in the present, as Jesse tries to get out of New Mexico. Not only do we get cameos from Breaking Bad characters with Krystin Ritter, the aforementioned Jesse Plemmons, Jonathan Banks, Robert Forrester, and yes, even Bryan Cranston making a cameo, but we also get the return of Skinny Pete and Badger. We also get the definitive word on Walter White's ultimate fate.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set containing one Blu-Ray disc and a DVD in a steelbook case. There are about an hour's worth of extras, including a making-of feature, a gag reel, and deleted scenes. Plus, there is a commentary track on the film and storyboard sequences. A good amount for what is included, making the blu-ray a good pick-up over just streaming. And the A/V quality is excellent. Ultimately, it offers a satisfying alternate finale for the series, keeping true to what came before yet still telling an original story. It does take a bit of suspension of disbelief as all the people are older in real life but are playing the same characters at the same time the series aired. Aaron Paul looks similar to what he did, but Jesse Plemmons looks a lot older and has gained a lot of weight since BB went off the air. It is a great story, and the minor continuity issues are not a big deal. I definitely recommend it to any BB fan.

DVD/TV Series Review: Scorpion: Season 1

 

Scorpion is a series loosely based on the life of real-life genius Walter O'Brien and his think tank of prodigies. The 22-episode first season aired during the 2014/2015 TV season and starred Elyes Gabel, Katherine McPhee, Jadyn Wong, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Ari Stidham, Robert Patrick, and Riley B. Smith.

At its core, the show is a case-of-the-week procedural that includes elements similar to many other procedural crime dramas. In many ways, however, it is a very unique show. It is action-heavy, but it is based around a group of people whose minds are their skill set. The cast, for the most part, is made up of relatively unknown actors, with Robert Patrick and Eddie Kaye Thomas being the most recognizable, followed by Katherine McPhee. Patrick plays Homeland Security agent Cabe Gallo, who has a history with Walter (played by Gabel) from when Walter was a child. The government hires Walter's company, Scorpion, to help with cases only they can figure out. The other characters are a Psychologist, Toby (played by Eddie Kaye Thomas), a Mathematical prodigy with OCD named Sylvester (played by Stidham), and an engineering marvel named Happy (played by Wong), who is anything but Happy. Through a series of events set up in the pilot, they are joined by a waitress (McPhee) who is raising a genius son (Smith). She helps the group interact with normal people, and they help her understand her son. 

The DVD extras include commentary tracks on a couple episodes, deleted scenes for a handful of episodes, numerous behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes, a gag reel, and a short "thank you" message from the cast members to the fans for supporting the show. All in all, the DVD includes a good couple of hour's worth of extras if you like going through the material.

The show prides itself on being scientifically accurate while taking some liberties to make it exciting. The real Walter O'Brien is a producer on the show, and if you watch the DVD extras, the showrunners detail how they lean on him and other experts to get as much of the science and engineering concepts as right as they can. Of course, some of the elements get embellished because some of the topics in the show could make the show way too boring if not done right. Thankfully, the writers toe that line well, and the actors do a great job in their respective roles. The larger story arcs of the season deal with character development and character relationships. The show does well balancing the larger arcs with the story-of-the-week aspects to keep it from getting too formulaic. If you are generally a fan of procedural shows, especially procedural crime dramas such as Bones, Hawaii Five-0, NCIS, etc., this is definitely worth checking out.