Season One: A-
For the longest time I came up with every excuse not to watch Lost. I simply couldn’t keep up with it week to week and knew that it was the type of show that you could miss an occasional episode, and sure I could watched it online but I hate watching anything outside of my home theater. And after the DVDs started coming out, I knew a high definition version would soon come. That time has finally arrived.
For the few that haven’t seen Lost, the show is about the survivors of flight Oceanic Air 815 and the mystery that surrounds the island they now call home. En route from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles, the flight steered far off course and split into three parts. The fuselage landed in the jungle, the main cabin landed on the beach and the tail and the passengers in it ripped away in mid-air. It was concluded that the rescue search is probably looking in the wrong place and a rescue would be unlikely arriving. The survivors realize that they must work together to survive the dangers on the island, which include a monster, a mysterious tribe and even themselves. Each survivor carried baggage on board, and I’m not talking about luggage. They are all “lost” in their own life, many of them flawed with troubled paths that brought to Australia and ultimately flight 815.
Jack (Matthew Fox) is a doctor who never reconciled with his father before his death was bringing his body home for the funeral; Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Sun (Yunjin Kim) are a Korean couple with secrets; Kate (Evangeline Lilly) is a deadly fugitive on the run; Sawyer (Josh Holloway) is a conman looking to settle a score; Hurley (Jorge Garcia) won the lottery on cursed numbers; Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) is a heroin addict and one half of a British pop band “Drive Shaft”; Michael (Harrold Perrineau) is forced to be with his son Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) for the first time since he was a baby; Claire (Emile de Ravin) is pregnant with an unwanted child but is told by a psychic to keep it; Sayid (Naveen Andrews) is a former soldier for the Iraqi Republican Guard Army looking for his lost love; Shannon (Maggie Grace) and Boone (Ian Somerhalder) are emotionally damaged step-siblings; Rose (L. Scott Caldwell) was separated from her husband who was in the back of the plane but is adamant he is still alive; And John Locke (Terry O’Quinn), a tormented man, who up until the plane crash was paralyzed from the waist down.
While flashbacks are often a weak story device, Lost relies on them to reveal details about each survivor in clever ways. Because we know so little about these people the flashbacks are crucial and dispel preconceived notions that develop out of the willingness to succumb to stereotypes and tried and true archetypes for example: There’s no way a fat man can be rich. There’s no way a woman can be so deadly. Surely the redneck is stupid and killing things come easy for him. An Iraqi soldier is not to be trusted. There’s no emotional love in an Asian couple. And that’s when the writers of Lost get you with the element of surprise. Eventually, answers come but not before more questions present themselves. These characters have an opportunity to reshape their path in life in front a strangers who don’t know their past. Tthe audience often has more knowledge than what the characters know.
Eventually people split off into their role on the island, some set up camp on the beach, others at inland caves. Some build a raft to get off the island and get help prompted by Claire being abducted during by one of the Others, (a group of people who were previously living on the island) infiltrated the survivors. Locke and Boone meanwhile find a hatch to some type of underground bunker to which Locke feels he was meant to find since he has already been gifted with the ability to walk again. I’m leaving out dozens more storylines but mostly the show is best experienced with fresh eyes.
There is more than island action and science fiction though. The flashbacks open human stories that people can relate to. But it’s how these flashbacks carry you through the higher concept is the fun. There is such a large ensemble in Lost and yet not a single one gets grates on the nerves. The performances from Fox, O’Quinn, Andrews, in particular are the best of their careers and that’s not a slight to Monaghan, Perrineau and the rest of the cast because there’s not a weak link here, but it’s been some time since I’ve been this impressed with network television. While JJ Abrams, gave Lost a much needed midas touch, the credit should be given to Damon Lindelof who is the lead writer and continues to be an ever-present guiding force behind the show. Lost is show about redemption and reinvention and whether it’s the exploration of these themes, or you just want to come up with your own mythological theory of a bigger picture as to why all of these people survived, you can do it now endlessly in high definition.
Video: B+
Of all of the Lost box sets, Season One has to be the weakest of the bunch, but not by much. Lost was still trying to find its way including the pilot which was produced at a different time than the rest of the show. The presence of grain is more prominent in this first season compared to its subsequent siblings. Still the blacks are rich and dark but contrast is not as fine tuned as one would like as one can see during some of the night scenes when the details just get lost. Considering the rest of the beautiful bold green foliage and serene postcard views of Hawaii are clear to see, I think this lack of stability in the darker scenes just may be due to the way it was originally shot. Neither that or any noticeable presence of artificial enhancement should detract you away from this release though. It’s got the goods where it counts thanks to a fine 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio.
Audio: A
For a television show, Lost is the type of show that is enhanced by having surround sound. The audio, in high definition as well, comes by way of a English 5.1 Uncompressed DTS-HD master audio track and it sounds spectacular. It has both power and grace. The opening scene of the pilot has it all, a pure reference scene to be played in home theaters for sure. The high pitch ween of the engine turbine spinning with made chaos surrounding Jack will put you right in the middle of the sand. I haven’t made much mention of the monster on the island which is obscured on purpose but you can’t avoid the sound of it. Upon its arrival, your subwoofer will punch holes through your room as trees are ripped out of the ground and tossed into the air with a loud roar; it’s a magnificent spectacle that puts you in that fearful moment. Island noises like the constant surf, jungle noises, and the constant rain are pretty accurate even though much of the audio is put in afterwards since filming on an island can often be difficult. When things rustle at night you’ll find yourself looking in the direction that they’re coming in as the spatial sound has been mixed very well. Dialogue is set at a comfortable level no matter if it’s whispered or someone is screaming. I can’t imagine watching the show on a laptop after seeing it like this. Also included are English and French 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks, a Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital track, and subtitles for practically every major language-I’m not kidding.
Extras: A
Season Play is a blu-ray exclusive where multiple users can view the season and follow the show at their own pace and pick up wherever they leave off. I don’t see why this is such a big deal, as it’s a feature that should be on all blu-rays (the resume function anyway) but I do like the idea of having different profiles because it’s easy in a family to get ahead of someone or fall behind but it will always remember where each person off. It unfortunately does not carry into subsequent seasons.
There are five Audio Commentaries spread throughout the 7 disc set for episodes: “Pilot I & II,” with JJ Abrams, Lindelof, and Bryan Burk; “Walkabout,” with Jack Bender, Terry O’Quinn, and David Fury; “The Moth,” with Lindelof, Burk, and Dominic Monghan; “Hearts and Minds,” with Carlton Cuse, Javier Grill Marxuach, Maggie Grace, and Ian Sommerhalder. I love commentaries and all of these with the exception of the “Hearts and Minds” commentary are full of great depth of the each episodes characters, storylines, themes and how each show took shape.
The rest of the extras are presented in three groups (Departure, Tales From the Island, and Lost Revealed) which have a play all option or can be taken in small bites. Disappointingly, most of the extras are in standard 480i definition and stereo 2.0 but subtitles are available for all the extras in several languages. There’s also very little that’s new for those who already own the DVD but, there is a Mail-In certificate that will refund you $20 for upgrading to blu-ray. A small incentive for stepping up and double dipping. Of course the likelihood of anyone who still has the original receipt I’m betting is slim. Still, it’s a nice offer.
Departure
The Genesis of Lost SD (8:40) speaks of the early inception and concepts of what would become Lost, as well as the early syncopation and bromance between JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof.
Designing a Disaster SD (7:59) shows how producers and set designers found a plane for the pilot episode and how they constructed the opening minutes of that initial scene.
Before They Were Lost SD (23:01) is your typical “assembling the cast” extra.
Audition Tapes (24:39) – 14 total audition tapes of the principal cast members.
Welcome to Oahu: The Making of the Pilot (33:22) – Shooting on location and the pilot and plane scenes
The Art of Matthew Fox (6:07) – Fox narrating a nice montage of black and white photos he took while on the set of principal shooting and later gave as gifts to the cast and crew.
Lost at San Diego Comic-Con (1:50) – is a brief reaction to the fan fare of Comic-Con where Lost premiered to an audience and instantly got great feedback.
Tales From the Island
Lost: On Location SD – is my favorite featurette on the disc where themes of the episodes are discussed, actors who are featured get to speak about their character’s arc, and any special effect unique to that episode is explored. I suggest seeing it in one bundle but I’ve marked out the time for each segment should you want to view them separately. (5:20) The Trouble with boars, (3:20) White Rabbit (7:19) House of the Rising Sun (1:48) The Moth (4:24) The Confidence Man (4:55) All the Cowboys Have Daddy Issues (2:57) Whatever the Case May Be (6:21) Hearts and Minds (3:05) Special (9:21) Exodus
On Set with Jimmy Kimmel SD (7:15) – is a funny bit from Kimmel’s television show and his shtick when he was on location and just being Jimmy.
Backstage with Drive Shaft SD (6:40) – A short featurette about where the song sung by the “legendary” pop band came from which isn’t as interesting as the strange lyrics or the bad sound of it all.
Lost Revealed
The Lost Flashbacks SD are exactly what it says, character flashbacks that weren’t used. At the Airport Claire (3:07) At the Airport Sayid (1:28)
Deleted Scenes SD are a mixture of extended scenes and ones that didn’t make the cut. Most of them not particularly missed but are worth a one-time viewing. Smoking (1:10) Chicken or Lasagna (0:42) Kate and Sayid (1:09) The Climb (2:02) Finding the Tell (1:03) For Vincent (0:54) Partners (0:55) Where did You Go? (0:55) The Huddle (0:53) Claire’s Doctor Visit (1:55) A Deal’s A Deal (0:47) Captive (0:28) Secrets (1:49) The Jack Situation (0:42) Whispers (1:00).
Bloopers From the Set SD (4:17) – A substandard collection of bloopers
Live from the Museum of Television and Radio SD (10:56) – a Q&A with cast and crew in front of a live audience that shows what funny guys Garcia and Holloway are in real life hosted by Hollywood Reporter’s Robert Dowling.
Flashbacks & Mythologies SD (7:28) – an extra about how the flashbacks were so important to the success of the show and specifically how much more is learned than the characters themselves. Also laying down the gridwork of the connections and questions without revealing too many of the answers too early.
While I haven’t found any Easter Eggs yet, I’m sure there are some because almost every other season has them. Feel free to share them here. Lost: The Complete First season is also tricked out with D-Box technology for those tycoons who have it.
Overall Shock Value: A
Lost is a beautiful, beefy, sexy beast on blu-ray that secures its hold as one of the best shows on television, now enhanced with a stunning HD transfer and immersive sound that lurks all around you. I’m not going to apologize for experiencing it for the first time this way because this is the way to watch it. But even if you have seen it all before, Lost is the type of show that you get something new with each viewing. There are details and hints dropped about the bigger story, and being obsessed enough to go back to hunt for these clues are not above the casual fan. It’s just a rites of passage. Offered at an affordable price with internet deals to be in abundance, Lost: The Complete First Season on blu-ray is one of the best bundles of high def enjoyment money can buy.
Feature: A+
Can you believe that the Transformers have turned 25 years old? I can’t either but it’s more of coming to grips that I’ve been around long enough to remember when these “Robots in Disguise” broke on the scene. The Shout Factory and Hasbro are putting out a new DVD collection of the long-beloved Transformers Generation One cartoon, the series that started it all.
It had been some time since I last saw the Transformers cartoon series, having bought the series for my nephew through the DVDs that Rhino released some years ago. But it didn’t take me long to relive rushing home from the school bus and plop myself in front of the tube. I’m not sure if it was the cool intros and outros, the slick music full of orchestrated trumpets and flutes, light-saber sound effects or Casey Kasem voicing nearly every damn character. But I made sure I never missed an episode, and I made short work of this release.
Paired up with Hasbro’s other giant, G.I. Joe, I was locked down in the Autobots v. Decepticon war. Two races of robots who found themselves crash-landed on Earth millions of years ago only to have awaken to much more primitive, organic earth, home computers with five-inch floppies, the urban sprawl filled with the sound of ghetto blasters, wow, 1984 seems like millions of years ago for us too! Suddenly awaken and repaired to disguise their alternate selves to everyday vehicles and objects, the Decepticons are bent on heading back home to their planet of Cybertron but are going to rape the Earth’s natural resources for their energy and consumption. The Autobots? Well, they’re there to stop them and to hopefully get back home too.
The first season put it all out there, the entire scope of the story and was fearless of what kids would gravitate to. Multi-part stories, the leaders on both sides depended on their teams. I learned military words like “reconnaissance” and “espionage,” and understood at the ripe age of eight the importance of our natural resources. The Decepticons, were often more appealing than the Autobots. Who didn’t love the ever-loyal Soundwave with his suave Roger Troutman-voice box and his array of cassette beasts? I loved how Starscream made it public of his plans to overthrow Megatron and become leader of the Decepticons, and how others plotted to take over both of them.
The introduction of new robots timed conveniently with toy counterparts always brought excitement. The simple-minded Dinobots were featured the most in this first season, and deluxe action figures like Shockwave, Skyfire, and everything blew up when Devastator and the Constructicons wreaked havoc on this first-grader’s mind, and still does today. Yes there are guys who get shot and in the next scene are seen okay, characters are colored incorrectly, and multiple other miscues, but that was part of the fun. It’s how I still like to remember the Transformers which have taken on a different life on the big screen. People identify with it so much that Peter Cullen was brought into to voice Optimus Prime again for the big screen, the only thing that seemingly remains true to the original series. While awesome and visually arresting in its own way, the charm of the G1 cartoon will never be repeated, even with all of its flaws and if you haven’t purchased them before, now is a great time to relive those after-school memories.
Shout Factory released news of a complete series, “Matrix of Leadership” Edition Collector’s 16-DVD Set due out in mid-July packing the entire G1 series. 38 hours, extras, and collectible book. But for those who can’t wait or afford the big box, here’s a breakdown of the episodes included in the first season.
Disc One
More than Meets the Eye, Pt. 1-3
Transport to Oblivion
Roll For It
Divide and Conquer
Fire in the Sky
S.O.S. Dinobots
Disc Two
Fire on the Mountain
War of the Dinobots
The Ultimate Doom, Pt. 1-3
Countdown to Extinction
A Plague of Insecticons
Heavy Metal War
There’s also an option to play the multi-part episodes seamlessly.
Video: C+
It was apparently too much to ask for the video to be cleaned up for the 25th anniversary. While color is vibrant and looks like its original 1.33:1 airing, the transfer is full of dirty white specks and lint throughout the picture. We’re not talking VCR bad, but I expected lots more work to have been put into cleaning up wherever the original was wrong. Animation inconsistencies, for example Optimus in one episode is seen as a yellow truck instead of red, the changes were not made. Shout Factory does make a note in the accompanied booklet and explains that the original broadcasts were compared to the much altered Rhino DVD release and they claim that all efforts were done to correct as best they could. Rhino did put in a lot of added mess that has been since stripped back out. Are these disappointments enough to take away from the enjoyment of it, no, but I wonder if the effort was a sincere attempt or just a rush job to capitalize on the upcoming film?
Audio: B
The 2.0 Stereo soundtrack is new and created from the original audio tracks. It sounds better than the artificial 5.1 tracks that Rhino provided which was too much, but I wouldn’t have minded another attempt at surround sound if done more tastefully. Still this should appeal to the purists who were up in arms over the last DVD release of these episodes.
Extras C-
The third disc of the set contains all of the extras but don’t get too excited. It’s an anemic sampling of what should have been a large collection of archival material. The presentation is an upgrade from the Rhino editions, nicely animated menus, a black and white magnet, and episode booklet. Three discs are housed in two slim-pack cases and a slipcase cover. The rest is as they say, is cheese.
Triple Changer: From Toy to Comic To Screen (19:54) – Executives of Hasbro’s Transformer line are interviewed about that magical mid-80′s period when they struck gold finding out about a line of transforming toys from Japan with with no story or war of good vs. evil. The executives and marketing group put those elements along side the toys and created what eventually became what it is now. Color schemes, faces, and design are all lightly treaded and interestingly a Marvel Comic written by Bob Budiansky and edited by Jim Shooter allowed a more complete story to be constructed so that audiences to dig deeper into the story. But because of such a fast track to success, there were plenty of inconsistencies between cartoon, comic, and toys. The communication line just couldn’t keep up. It’s the only extra of real substance and quality but is sadly too short.
Original Commercials (1:31) – Three TV spots: Optimus Prime and Megatron, Insecticons and Dinobots, G2 Optimus Prime for the action figures are terrible condition, as if it were taken from a warped VCR tape, faces of the kid actors are blurred out, it looks like a nightmare but it’s fun nonetheless.
Running Away From Home with Bumblebee (0:31) – is just one of the classic Public Service Announcement to steer kids in the right direction because, “Knowing is Half the Battle.”
Printable Transport to Oblivion Script is a PDF file when placed into your computer allows you to view and print the full script of that episode.
They Have Risen…AGAIN! Overall Shock Value: B-
That seems a bit harsh for an anniversary edition of one of my most treasured child cartoon series, but it’s not a diss towards the series itself but rather Shout Factory’s rather meager attempt at capitalizing on the success of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I would have preferred a video transfer cleaned of all of the debris and some better thought-out extras than just pulling what was and has been lying around for all these years. Kind of makes you want to hold out for the “Matrix of Leadership” box set doesn’t it? Me too.
SEASON ONE: A
Just how obsessed are we with killers? Enough to follow them weekly, religiously. We like to observe them from afar, pretend we’ve caught them and everything is okay, until next week. There’s only umpteen different CSIs on television. Millions tune in to see a wooden David Caruso, or a quirky William Petersen hunt the killers down. Then there’s Criminal Minds, Cold Case, and on and on. They just run into each other eventually. But one thing none of these get into is inside the mind of a killer. We peer into it slightly in a confession scene or when suspects fit a profile, but never in television and rarely in film do we really try to hear the thoughts of someone who enjoys the kill, but that was all before Dexter.
Based on the Dexter novel series by Jeffrey Lindsay, Michael C. Hall stars as Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst working for the Miami Metropolitan Police Department, helping solve crimes based on studying crime scenes and evidence. What lies inside Dexter though is a darkness known only to him, that’s far more insidious and dangerous than anyone around him can imagine.
Dexter was trained by his foster father Harry (James Remar), to blend in, and to abide by a code to set him apart from criminals. He knew as a child that Dexter was different, that he had demons in him, a proclivity to kill that he had seen while being a detective himself. Harry steered Dexter so he could wouldn’t kill innocents. Now Dexter fakes human interactions so that he can fit in with us regular folk. See, Dexter is a serial killer himself, but with a code: killing only those who live only to prey on others. The process only gets you so far, Dexter goes beyond that line. Way beyond.
Around him is a small circle of associates (he would never consider them friends): Debra, his sister and former Vice cop, new to the Homicide Unit; Lt. Maria LaGuerta (Laruen Velez) who is in charge the entire unit, has a thing for Dexter and hates his sister; Det. Angel (David Zayas) a cool fedora-wearing cat who wears masks of his own as his marriage is in shambles; Vincent Masuka (C.S. Lee) is Dex’s partner in the lab and is not your average token Asian because he’s always ripe for an inappropriate comment and Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King), the one officer who suspicious of Dexter. Finally there’s Rita (Julie Benz), his girlfriend and mother of two, damaged by her ex-husband’s emotional and physical abuse. She’s as far removed as he is and is the perfect companion.
Once acquainted with Dexter’s surroundings, the show has a large arc that spans the entire season. Another serial killer known as the “Ice Truck Killer” who cuts people up similarly to Dexter but drains the body parts of their blood before laying them out for all to see. He or she knows Dexter and what he does because he leaves clues in his apartment. Miami’s best serial killer may have met his match. With a great hook, there’s the question of who could it be. It’s obviously someone close to Dexter and there’s plenty of people to suspect keeping the entire season full of compelling and spine-chilling moments. Some episodes will cause your head to spin away but you can’t, instead you’ll find you rooting for the butchery to begin. You won’t recognize yourself by the end of the first season. Dexter just has that effect on people.
SEASON TWO: B+
The second season kicks off with Dexter’s “stash” being found at the bottom of the ocean and has been dubbed by the media, (regrettably by Dex) as the Bay Harbor Butcher. The FBI is brought in and Dexter must carry on the lie to Rita that he’s a recovering drug attic to cover up what he did to her ex-husband. Forced to lay low and go to Narcotics Anonymous, Dexter experiences going “clean” and loses his killing touch. All of his co-workers are assigned to SP Agent Frank Lundy’s (Keith Carradine) task force on the Butcher case except Doakes. Lundy was said to have been responsible for solving real murder cases, D.C. Sniper and Green River Killer and if anyone can snuff out Miami’s most treacherous serial killer, it’s him.
Dexter meanwhile wrestles with his psychological urges to kill while maintaining his one step ahead of his co-workers, eliminating anything that would link him to the Bay Harbor Butcher. But that’s not all, he has to juggle his sister living with him who is now an emotional wreck from the season one aftermath, and his relationship with Rita and the kids, which is crumbling. The show becomes increasingly inventive as the show steers away from the formulaic traps of (well, in this show anyway) our main character’s killing-a-week. But what keeps this season from being on par with the previous one is Lila Tournay (Jaime Murray). Posing as a sympathetic sponsor at Dexter’s NA meetings, this British bird creates jealousy for Rita as she’s able to relate to his inner demons. Since Dexter doesn’t have to hide himself as much with Lila, he lets his guard down and like a snake, slithers her way into his life until she’s a major problem. Her overt British accent is borderline fingernails on a chalkboard by the eighth episode and you’ll find yourself screaming at the television when she appears warning Dexter of her wickedness. The sophomore season of Dexter looks like a series’ ender but by the end finds a way to wrap everything up and stir up a lot of excitement for season three.
Dexter is just a new take on the weekly crime scene investigation shows that have littered the tube since CSI appeared. For the first time on film or television are we able to get inside the mind of the serial killer. Most times they are being chased, and we can only get hints of what they’re thinking through a profiler, or a confession scene. But Dexter takes you deep into that seedy part of your mind and asks you to take a ride beside Miami’s best serial killer. Is he a criminal, or a hero? Is he conditioned this way, or can he initiate real change into who he is?
VIDEO: A
Dexter is shot in high definition and transfers on both seasons are 1080p AVC-encoded and at 1.78:1 ratio. Miami is a city full of life, sunlit settings and places full of color. Exterior shots like a golf course or the everglades look sharp and bold. But the Dexter blu-rays really show off their strength in producing an extremely gorgeous scenes at night. Dexter does most of his work after hours and into the morning, but when the city is lit up or the sun is just about to rise or set, it’s like a postcard on your television. Because it’s shot in HD, nearly every pore is there to see on each actors skin. Freckles, blemishes, a little acne, it’s all there and I’ve always thought it to shoot in this format because so much can be seen.
AUDIO: A-
Both seasons have exciting English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio tracks that utilizes the strength of each channel. A mixture of 90% English and 10% Spanish Dialogue is well-heard front and center. Subwoofers lull in the background, at times to the sound of a heartbeat but mostly to accentuate the eerie and haunting score, otherwise it’s reserved for the impact of gunshots or music. Season two sees an increase in the lively Cubanismo music sprinkled around that illuminates a scene with brass instruments and the pounding rhythm section. From dogs barking to conversations at a crime scene, if something happens off camera or there’s a camera angle switch, all the respected noises are placed accordingly and accurately where they’re supposed to be heard. One of the show’s directors, Tony Goldwyn likes to take the camera and spin around the actors. In season one, he pans around Dexter’s boat as he’s dumping parts into the ocean and each speaker gets a kiss as the camera circles.
A Spanish 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track is also included in season two, an upgrade from the Spanish 2.0 Stereo track on season one. White English subtitles are available for the hard of hearing. Don’t think that’s going to allow you to translate when Spanish is spoken though. Unless the characters specifically translate in English, the subtitles are turned off and the context and method acting tells you what is being said.
EXTRAS
SEASON ONE EXTRAS: C+
Audio Commentary episode six, Return to Sender with Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, Lauren Velez and Erik King. This motley crew who play Deb, Angel, LaGuerta, and Doakes respectively watch the show like fans. It’s fun to hear them joke around and react to the acting like people who are experiencing it for the first time but do point out notes only actors would see.
Audio Commentary episode twelve, “Born Free” with series executive producers Sara Colleton, Clyde Phillips, and Daniel Cerrone. Not as fun as the cast commentary, but is not a waste of time. Again they watch more as admirers of the show.
The Academy of Blood (10:58) – Interviews with Steve Schliebe, a criminalist and real blood expert break down arterial spurting, shadowing and ghosting, blood dropping into blood, expiratory blood, and what can be read from the patterns of blood. This piece looks to be a string of podcasts strung together as Schliebe is introduced several times. Some editing would have been nice.
Witnessed in Blood (12:28) – is like a 48 Hours segment about a real murder case that was solved with blood spatter study.
Michael C. Hall Podcast SD (8:53) – Michael is interviewed about the complex character of Dexter Morgan.
First Episode of Dexter, Season 2 SD – it says the first episode of the third season, but in actuality it’s the first of the second season.
First two episodes of The United States of Tara – because Showtime wants to keep you on their channel, there’s a free sampling of the first two hours of the Diablo Cody-written/Steven Spielberg produced television show starring Toni Collette.
SEASON TWO EXTRAS: C-
The same two download-able episodes for United States of Tara from Dexter’s season one set are available here too.
Blood Fountains (1:00) – a brief little podcast on a promotional tour of Dexter that involved popular fountains across the country dying their water red so it looked like the bloody sets of the television show.
Ken Olson, Little Chino and Roger Hicks Profiles of three of Dexter’s targets as told by the “Dark Defender” each lasting around 1:40 are creepy little promotions for these three scumbags that Dexter gets his hands on in season two.
The best extras on season two are the Nine Podcast Interviews with each recurring cast member. Each one is around five minutes long, give or take a minute, and add up to one solid chunk of press interview fluff that fans would like to hear.
Overall Shock Value Season One: A / Season Two: B
Dexter is as gruesome as they come taking procedural detective television to another level. The lead character isn’t just unpredictable, he’s a psychopath too, and whether you agree with his ethics or not, Dexter ups the ante of the TV vigilante. The extras are reasonable for season one, but season two shows no major effort. Depending on how good your BD Live connection is will determine the level of enjoyment you’ll get out of these few supplements, but that shouldn’t sway you from tracking Dexter down in blu-ray and see everyone’s favorite serial killer in high def. Both seasons are available now and a three-season pack will also be due out in August 18 when season three comes out.
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