7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Romance | 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 | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It might have reasonably been assumed that this final season of A Discovery of Witches might have started each episode with It
ends with. . ., in response to the first season's trope of starting each episode with a text card stating It begins with. . . Alas,
no
cheeky intertitle humor is at hand, though the first episode of this final season does feature a source cue mentioning "is this the end?" in
the underscore as
the whirlwind, time (and species) traveling romance between witch Diana (Teresa Palmer) and vampire Matthew (Matthew Goode) hurtles toward
its
foretold conclusion, and that is not just a reference to the expectedly mostly "happily ever after" ambience that suffuses the piece, since
prophecy and mysteriously missing pages from a so-called Book of Life have long been part of the story.
While this season does in fact continue to use the "previously" technique the second season did to bring viewers up to speed, there are summaries
of
at least some of the labyrinthine plot machinations of the series in my reviews of the two prior seasons of the show:
A Discovery of Witches: Season 1 Blu-ray
review
A Discovery of Witches: Season 2 Blu-ray
review
A Discovery of Witches: Season 3 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of RLJ Entertainment, a part of RLJE Films which is itself a division of AMC Networks, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.00:1. This season continues what has been one of the hallmarks of the series, at times absolutely ravishing visuals that offer some really evocative lighting and nice framings that can emphasize the often impressive production design. The series has a tendency to grade toward slightly chilly blues and grays, but detail levels remain strong throughout all of the episodes. The CGI is not that pervasive, but generally artful when it does show up. Fine detail is very strong in close-ups in particular. Some of the darkest scenes could arguably have benefited from just a tad more shadow definition.
A Discovery of Witches: Season 3 features another nicely immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which is perfectly in line with the sonics offered on the two previous seasons on Blu-ray. There are probably more scenes overall in this series which tend to exploit somewhat less "dramatic" (from a sound design perspective) offerings like people simply speaking in a room, but there is still good, consistent engagement of the surround channels for ambient environmental effects. Some of the "blood rage" depictions can also offer fun panning effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and French subtitles are available.
Disc One
Kind of hilariously, I was actually going back and forth as to whether I should include The X-Files in my list of series which might be considered referents for A Discovery of Witches, but decided that while I could make a case for at least some connections, they'd probably take too much explanation to warrant readers' time. Let's just say there's a bit of a punchline in that one episode this season features an admittedly minor character named Mulder. All of this may point to the fact that A Discovery of Witches may in fact feel more like rediscovering any number of other, possibly more venerable, properties. There is still a fair degree of magic in this series, though, and it is buoyed by some of the best looking cinematography and production design in contemporary fantasy laden television. Technical merits are solid and the brief supplements enjoyable. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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