Bordertown: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Bordertown: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Bordertown: A Finnish TV masterpiece.

One of the best Finnish television dramas around, Netflix's Bordertown: Season 2 continues the must-see police procedural drama which explores a team of experts solving crimes. Created by Miikko Oikkonen (who serves as the series showrunner), Bordertown: Season 2 is even better than the introductory season and features new mysteries and crimes for the characters to solve.

A brilliant detective, police-chief Kari Sorjonen (Ville Virtanen) leads a team of agents in working to solve murders and a myriad of other crimes which are plaguing the community in the small border town (located right between Russia and Finland). Kari lives with his wife and daughter, and the drama explores his personal life alongside his professional one. The second season dramatically amps up the action with even more shocking twists, turns, and revelations.

The second season continues to showcase the impeccable Ville Virtanen. Virtanen is an enormously gifted actor who delves in to their role with such a clear dedication to the part that the series is a joy to watch. The actor deserves every accolade tossed his way – as he carries the production. The supporting cast members are superb yet there is no doubt that Virtanen steals the show.

One of the best elements of the series is the impressive production design by Okku Rahikainen (Miami) and Vilja Katramo (Cryptid). Bordertown is a visual powerhouse of a production with sets that look so detailed and well designed as to rival cinematic works. Far above the quality present on average TV series, Bordertown looks polished on every level. Viewers will become even more absorbed by the mysteries with the compelling production aesthetics showcased in every turn of the series.

A must-see television drama.

Unlike some procedural series, Bordertown never seems to miss a beat – crafting episodes that are so well edited as to feel consistently engaging. Editor Otto Ikaheimonen (Nymphs, Cryptid) continues impressive work in the editing room as each episode of the series flows nicely. The production is seamless and the edits are top-notch. Ikaheimonen helps the storytelling flow effectively and the results are undeniably impressive.

Another aspect of Bordertown: Season 2 which impresses is the effective costume designs by Anu Pirila (Hella W, Bad Luck Love) and the impact the efforts have on the production. Ville Virtanen is consistently well dressed for the complex lead role and the supporting cast members don impressive outfits which are well-designed as well. Pirila has a knack for design and her efforts certainly shine throughout the production.

The visually inventive cinematography by Mikael Gustafsson (Traffic Jam, Arctic Circle) are outstanding. Bordertown is a masterful television production which great cinematographic elements throughout the second-season. The color-timing is pitch-perfect to the tone of the series storytelling (drawing viewers in to the storytelling universe of the characters with ease). An impeccable effort by Gustafsson.

As showrunner for Bordertown, head-writer Mikko Oikkonen (Ihon alla, Nymphs) manages to imbue the series with a style that is uniquely its own. There is nothing else on television quite like it. The storytelling is mesmerizing in part because it unfolds while exploring the personal lives of the characters just as much as the series explores the crimes being solved. The personal component elevates the experience and makes it all the more rewarding and compelling. Season 2 has a outstanding run of episodes and the mysteries are even more complex than the first season outing.

Bordertown: Season 2 is brought to life by director Juuso Syrja (Darude: Sandstorm, Karalahti). Exploring the characters and the mysteries with equal measure, the production is rewarding to experience. The drama unfolds and expands with the right balance of heart, humor, and action. Throughout the second season, Bordertown continued to amaze with one knock-out episode after another. Everything on the series is so complex. The season finale is riveting – and ends on a cliff hanger which will have viewers wanting to come back for even more. Must-see TV.

Bordertown: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Bordertown: Season 2 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television aspect ratio of 2.00:1 widescreen. The series is a impressive production on a visual level – the cinematography is outstanding. The series features a compelling style that is showcased beautifully.

The release by Kino Lorber is a little bit inconsistent compared to the first season release, though. The presentation has some occasional compression artifacts (however slight these moments are) and even has some overbearing digital noise at times. In comparison to Season 1, Bordertown: Season 2 is a slight notch inferior as far as video-quality is concerned. Most viewers won't notice or be bothered. Nonetheless, a worthwhile presentation as Bordertown looks great in high-definition.

Bordertown: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Finnish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The lossless audio track is quite good. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The music score is well-implemented in to the soundstage and sounds dynamic and beautiful. The sound effects are well reproduced with a strong vitality that makes the action sequences even more intense and involving.

Optional English subtitles are provided. The subtitles are excellent overall (with only a few minor hiccups with spelling and grammar in a few spots).

Bordertown: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes packaged with an attractive o-card slipcover (which looks nice on the shelf next to the first season).

On disc, the release of Bordertown: Season 2 is almost bare-bones but the set does include a handful of trailers as listed below:

Bordertown Season 1 (HD, 2:27)

Bordertown Season 2 (HD, 3:06)

Bordertown Season 3 (HD, 2:36)

Marseille Season 1 (HD, 2:16)

Marseille Season 2 (HD, 2:02)

Bordertown: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bordertown: Season 2 is even more intense and involving than the first season of the drama. The series is expertly written by creator and showrunner Mikko Oikkonen and features a compelling cast of characters that make the production even more compelling. Ville Virtanen is impeccable in his must-see leading role. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray release features a generally impressive video-audio presentation. Fans of Bordertown should add it to their collection. Highly recommended.