7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Season 2 sees Diana and Matthew hiding in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London. Here, they must find a powerful witch teacher to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life. Enemies are everywhere, the threat to witches is growing, and Diana and Matthew’s romance faces a barrage of new threats– from within as much as without. They must overcome deep personal fears and jealousies, baring their darkest secrets to one another if they are to stay alive, stay together and find a way back to the present day.
Starring: Teresa Palmer, Matthew Goode, Edward Bluemel, Louise Brealey, Malin BuskaRomance | 100% |
Fantasy | 56% |
Drama | 49% |
Foreign | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.00:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.00:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, French
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga have a little competition in the "cobbled together from" category as A Discovery of Witches
wends its way through its second season. Since A Discovery of Witches was culled from a series of novels by Deborah Harkness called
the
All Souls Trilogy, far be it from me to
suggest that the television series', um,
Outlander-esque turn of events in its second season is a deliberate attempt to copy the success of that time travelling love story,
though
some curmudgeons may come to the conclusion that Harkness may have been reading the Diana Gabaldon books that inspired the Scotland
set
show, books which pre-dated Harkness' own by some two decades, at some
point before embarking on her own writing enterprise. Now, lovers of the once and future United Kingdom will no doubt be quick to point out that
England and Scotland are two very different places, and the historical time periods that the two exploit are also separate entities, but for
anyone who has been watching Outlander for years and who just kind
of stumbles upon this second season of A Discovery of Witches, a certain feeling of déjà vu may ensue.
For those wanting a written version of the "previously" preludes that begin this season's episodes in lieu of the it begins with conceit the
first season employed, our A Discovery of
Witches: Season 1 Blu-ray review can provide at least a bit of context.
A Discovery of Witches: Season 2 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of RLJ Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.00:1. Kind of amazingly given its absence of technical data on various seasons of television series, the IMDb overtly lists Arri cameras as having been utilized for both season one and season two of this show, though there's no information imparted about the resolution of the DI. This season is kind of a tale of two cities, or at least two lighting regimens, with the "olden days" material frequently looking like it was meant to be offering only natural lighting sources like candles, and which is often therefore pretty murky and ill defined at times. Even some outdoor material in the historical milieu is noticeably dark, with fine detail levels ebbing as a result. While the present day sequences can also offer a surprising amount of dimly lit material, there are some more brightly lit moments, especially in some outdoor material, where the palette finally pops and detail levels get a little more breathing room to strut their stuff. With an understanding that certain stylistic choices have been made to keep this season "dark" (in more ways than one), the presentation here is enjoyably precise looking, though CGI, especially establishing shots of historical London, aren't especially well detailed.
A Discovery of Witches: Season 2 features an enjoyable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that, much as with the first season, tends to provide the most convincing immersion and surround activity in some of the effects scenes, as when Diana really starts to manifest her powers back in 16th century England. Some of the bustling outdoor activity in the "olden days" also provides good opportunities for well placed ambient environmental effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout the season. Optional English and French subtitles are available.
Despite parts of this season coming off as a weird echo of parts of Outlander, A Discovery of Witches continues to provide a rather artful blend of fiction and real historical characters, and this season has some interesting if hardly revelatory things to impart about how a strong willed 21st century woman (witch or not) has to learn to cope in an era where she's consigned to being a second class citizen (at best). The series continues to offer some nicely interwoven characters and subplots, and the production design this season is especially evocative, with some impressive sets and costumes. Technical merits are generally solid, though this season has a lot of dimly lit or just downright dark scenes. With caveats noted, A Discovery of Witches: Season 2 comes Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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