Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Copper: Season One Blu-ray Movie Review

Bad Penny?

Reviewed by Michael Reuben February 22, 2013

With its first original series, Copper, TV network BBC America leapt into the ranks of HBO, Showtime, AMC and FX as a creator of challenging adult drama with intelligent writing and first-rate production values—the kind Hollywood has largely abandoned. Set in the squalid immigrant slums of New York City's Five Points neighborhood, the scene of Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York, Copper is nominally a cop show but with a key difference. In 1864, when Copper is set, the NYPD was in its infancy. New York's finest may have had uniforms, but they were barely a step up from the gangs they were charged with policing. Bribery, corruption and brutality were standard practice, and the notion of a "good cop" was flexible at best. Copper portrays a murky world in which everyday life is as uncertain as the future of a nation still cleft in two by the Civil War and wary of the outcome, no matter which side won.

Copper is the creation of two complementary talents: Will Rokos, who spent a year as a producer on the acclaimed police drama Southland and, before that, was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing and co-producing the dark drama of racial politics, Monster's Ball; and Tom Fontana, the multi-award-winning writer and producer of HBO's gritty prison drama OZ and, with Barry Levinson, the NBC drama Homicide: Life on the Streets. Though they drew on other writers to help flesh out individual scripts, Fontana and Rokos wrote each of the ten episode stories themselves. The result is the kind of sophisticated plot architecture that one has come to expect from masterworks like Breaking Bad or Dexter, where individual story lines develop, overlap, criss-cross and collide in ways that are both unexpected and deeply satisfying.

The production also benefitted from Fontana's obsession with American history. Copper plays out just after the so-called "Draft Riots" that concluded Scorsese's Gangs and overlaps the efforts to pass the Thirteenth Amendment that are the subject of Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. But where Lincoln portrays the machinations in the corridors of power, Copper shows life outside: both in the gutters of Five Points, where fear and rumor circulate, and in the tony homes of Fifth Avenue, where businessmen attempt to calculate the most advantageous position. Meanwhile, ordinary individuals try to get by as best they can.

Copper ran on BBC America from August 1 through October 21, 2012. The network reported that it was their highest rated show of all time.

Like most of New York's police force in 1864, the copper of the title is an Irishman. His name is Det. Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones), a naturally heroic figure who fought for the Union and survived the bloody battle of Gettysburg only to suffer tragic consequences. First, he was part of the Union forces ordered to fire on the rioters, many of them fellow Irishmen, when the military quelled the Draft Riots. Then, after four years of faithful service, he returned home to a missing wife and a murdered five-year-old daughter. As the series opens, Corcoran ("Corky" to his friends) prowls Five Points by night, patrolling for criminals as a cop but always inquiring after his missing Ellen and questing for clues about his daughter's death.

It's on one such patrol that Corcoran encounters ten-year-old Annie Reilly (Kiara Glasco), who ran away from the brothel operated by the Contessa (Inga Cadranel), to whom she was sold. Corcoran's heart melts at the opportunity to save a child, any child, but there's more to Annie than meets the eye. Older than her years and a survivor of many horrors, Annie will develop a unique relationship with Corcoran as the series progresses. Canadian child actress Glasco has a remarkable self-possession that recalls the young Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire. Be prepared to be unsettled by much of what she does.

Probably the most important adult woman in Corcoran's life is Eva Heissen (Franka Potente), whore, madam and owner of a successful tavern and brothel in Five Points. A hard-headed businesswoman, Eva has a soft spot for Corky, and though she would be happy to have him as a partner in both business and life, she accepts that his first priority will always be his search for answers about his family. Still, as long as she can have him to herself, Eva will brook no competition.

As a result of an investigation, Corcoran makes the acquaintance of a society lady, Elizabeth Haverford (Anastasia Griffith), who is Eva's opposite in every way and through whom the series provide a window into polite Fifth Avenue society. But Elizabeth, who left England to escape stuffiness, can't abide the crude American attempt to replicate upper class life in New York. She's fascinated by the directness of a man like Corcoran and troubled by the appalling conditions that exist just a few miles away in Five Points. Her perspective is intriguing, because she brings so much doubt to the world around her.

As one would expect of a former soldier, however, Corcoran prefers the company of men. Both on and off duty, he is usually found with one or both of his two police colleagues, Det. Francis Maguire (Kevin Ryan), who was rejected by the Union army because of a blind eye (though, as Corky tells him, they'd take him now, since they're desperate for men), and Det. Andrew O'Brien (Dylan Taylor), a bear of a man who fears only one thing in life, his diminutive wife, Sybil (Lara Jean Chorostecki). In the close relationshp among these three officers, one senses the origin of the code of silence that, one hundred years later, had to be broken by Frank Serpico and the Knapp Commission. But here and now, in the gas-lit alleys of Five Points, with deadly potential around every corner and superiors who wouldn't hesitate to sell them out for an invitation uptown, the solidarity among these men makes perfect sense.

Corcoran is part of another trio, one that's both secret and highly unorthodox. It was forged on the battlefield, where Corcoran's commanding officer was Robert Morehouse (Kyle Schmid), the playboy son of one of America's wealthiest entrepreneurs, Norbert Morehouse (Geordie Johnson). In Corcoran, Robert recognized a man of character, and it was Corcoran who held him steady when Morehouse's leg had to be amputated after it was shattered by a Confederate bullet (without anesthetic, as was customary during the Civil War). The surgeon who performed the operation was officially not a doctor at all, but another soldier—and, scandalously, an African American enlisted man, Matthew Freeman (Ato Essandoh), who trained as a doctor in Paris (because no such training would have been available to him in America).

Now that all three have returned home, they maintain their strange alliance, but no one knows about it. Morehouse can't afford to have his father learn that a "Negro" amputated his leg, because of the stigma. As for Corcoran, he finds it useful to have a trained physician to consult in murder cases, because the local coroner is both unhelpful and unversed in forensic techniques. The downside is that Freeman is no longer near at hand, because he has been forced to relocate from Five Points to what is now Harlem but, in 1864, was pastoral countryside. While Freeman fought for the Union, his wife, Sara (Tess Thompson), remained behind to endure the Draft Riots, during which the Irish turned on their black neighbors, and Sara had to watch helplessly from her window as her two brothers were lynched. She and many other black residents of Five Points now fear for their lives whenever they step outdoors. Through Sara's eyes, Copper explores the terror and uncertainty with which African Americans viewed the course of the Civil War. Through Matthew Freeman's eyes, it explores the hope.

Fontana and Rokos have so ingeniously structured their tales that even seemingly unrelated matters handled by Corcoran and his squad end up looping back unexpectedly into ongoing storylines. As the election nears that will bring Abraham Lincoln a second term, rumors of a Confederate plot to burn New York to the ground circulate regularly through the streets of Five Points. Are they real or just a clever ploy to start another riot? Who is behind them? And why does the trail of Corcoran's wife go cold every time Corky appears to be drawing close?

Copper: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

When Copper was first broadcast on BBC America, I tried to watch it and gave up. The HD broadcast of BBCA on my local Time Warner Cable simply wasn't up to the demands of the show's challenging imagery, which requires rock-steady black levels and precise delineations of shades of black to prevent the imagery from dissolving into what my wife (who doesn't mince words) termed "sludge". Both Copper's production design and its digital cinematography (by top Canadian cinematographer Paul Sarossy, the usual DP for director Atom Egoyan) seek to plunge the viewer into the dirt and grime of Five Points in 1846, an era before electricity and ready access to clean water. Except for occasional trips to what is today known as Central Park and to the Freeman household in the countryside that would later become Harlem, the imagery is unrelentingly dark, even when it is colorful.

Fortunately, BBC Video's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-rays are more than up to the challenge. Watching Copper on these discs, after struggling to view it on TWC broadcasts, was a revelation. Even in the dimmest scenes composed almost entirely of blacks and browns, fine detail was evident, and faces could always be recognized. When bright or pastel colors appeared, usually in the brothels or the Fifth Avenue homes, they were appropriately saturated. Video noise was wholly absent, and the overall image had the smooth, almost film-like appeal of today's finest digital work. Copper may not be eye candy in the traditional sense, but it is demo material for the proper calibration of contrast and black levels.

Copper: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Contrary to the labeling, Copper's 5.1 soundtrack is presented as Dolby Digital 5.1 rather than lossless DTS. With no lossless source with which to compare it, I can only report that the soundtrack as delivered is certainly no slouch, with clear vocals and a distinctive sense of Copper's various environments. The reproduction of the carefully layered sound effects intended to create the crowded "texture" (to borrow Fontana's term) of life in Five Points is impressive, as is the reproduction of the Irish folk-flavored score by Brian Keane, who is best known for his work in documentaries. A lossless track would have been preferable, but its absence should not deter anyone from enjoying the many pleasures that Copper has to offer.

Copper: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentaries: In general, the commentaries are entertaining but not overly informative. The actors talk about how much they enjoyed working together and recall details about filming specific scenes. Commentary by Fontana and Rokos is sorely missed.
• Episode 1, "Surviving Death", with Tom Weston-Jones and Franka Potente
• Episode 2, "Husbands and Fathers", with Tom Weston-Jones and Franka Potente
• Episode 5, "La Tempête", with Kyle Schmid and Anastasia Griffith
• Episode 8, "Better Times Are Coming", with Tom Weston-Jones, Kyle Schmid and Ato Essandoh
• Episode 10, "A Vast and Fiendish Plot", with Tom Weston-Jones, Kyle Schmid and Ato Essandoh



• From the Creators (disc 1) (1080p; 1.78:1): Three promotional shorts, two with Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana, and the third with the cast.
• The Story (1:44)
• Behind the Scenes (1:17)
• The Creative Team (1:04)



• Character Gallery (disc 1) (1080p; 1.78:1): Brief character sketches provided by the actors and creative team.
• Corcoran (2:10)
• Freeman (2:25)
• Morehouse (2:17)
• Eva (2:16)
• Elizabeth (2:14)
• Maguire and O'Brien (2:09)



• Behind the Badge Gallery (disc 1) (1.78:1): Additional promotional shorts, each on a specific aspect of the series and its historical period:
• Sideburns and Pigs' Feet (1080i; 1:07)
• Rebuilding New York (1080p; 2:46)
• Guns of New York (1080p; 1:56)
• African Americans in New York (1080p; 2:15)
• City of Immigrants (1080p; 1:59)
• History of the NYPD (1080p; 2:33)
• The Detectives of Five Points (1080i; 2:37)
• The Women Who Love Corcoran (1080i; 1:33)
• The Brothels of Five Points (1080i; 1:33)
• 1864 Fashion (1080p; 2:24)
• Unlikely Allies (1080i; 1:28)



• Fontana in Five Points (disc 1) (1080i; 1.78:1; 12:38): In the set's single best extra, co-creator Fontana walks the streets of contemporary Manhattan where Five Points formerly stood and provides a historical overview. Fontana's knowledge is so detailed that he can literally point to the location where the production situated Corcoran's lodgings (which today, of course, look nothing like the set built in Toronto). Among the various topics discussed is the pervasive role of morphine in the series, which in 1864 was a newly discovered "wonder drug".





• Behind the Badge—The Making of Copper (disc 2) (1080p; 1.78:1; 44:10): With one notable omission, this documentary provides a thorough overview of the show's creation from inception through production. It includes interviews with the principal cast as well as with all of the major department heads behind the camera and a substantial amount of production footage that conveys the scale of the vast sets built in an abandoned auto factory in Toronto. The only missing element is the impressive contribution by the CG artisans who so convincingly extended the sets. The scope of their work can be appreciated by the size of the green screens visible in some of the production shots.



• Deleted Scenes (disc 2) (1080p; 1.78:1; 36:24): It's apparent that these scenes had to be removed to get the episodes down to fit the broadcast time slot, because in some instances (e.g., episode 5) their inclusion would have helped clarify plot points. Most of them provide additional character insights or historical background. In episode 8, an entire subplot involving a home birth was eliminated.
  
  The descriptions listed below have been taken from the Blu-ray's intertitles, but I have edited them to remove spoilers.
• Episode 1 Scene 45, "Contessa Pompadou claims Kate fell"
• Episode 2 Scene 1, "Reilly searches at St. Brenda's Convent"
• Episode 3 Scene 31, "Father Burke points Corcoran towards O'Connor's family"
• Episode 4 Scene 17, "Corcoran knows Mary Lockwood is lying"
• Episode 5 Scene 4, "Freeman and his friends cover for Corcoran"
• Episode 5 Scene 5, "Maguire runs into Mary Lockwood outside the mortuary"
• Episode 5 Scene 7, "Eva is distracted by her concern for Corcoran"
• Episode 5 Scene 12, "Marcus tempts Jasper with details of his life as a boxer"
• Episode 5 Scene 17-18, "Cocoran tries to warn Robert and Norbert Morehouse"
• Episode 5 Scene 45, "O'Brien keeps watch at the back door"
• Episode 5 Scene 45A, "Eva and her banker friend get a room"
• Episode 6 Scene 2, "O'Brien gets punched by his wife"
• Episode 7 Scene 5, "Maguire wants to move out of Five Points"
• Episode 7 Scene 25-27, "Elizabeth tries to track down Corcoran, O'Brien gives Little Byrnes advice about women"
• Episode 7 Scene 35-36, "Sara mistakenly shoots at Robert Morehouse"
• Episode 8 Scene 17, "After Sara refuses to leave the house, Matthew must deliver Adrienne's babies with Asa's help"
• Episode 8 Scene 22, "Matthew pleads with Sara to return with him to Adrienne's and assist with the birth of the twins"
• Episode 8 Scene 25, "Robert and Norbert argue about politics"
• Episode 8 Scene 30, "Matthew congratulates and encourages Asa while Adrienne recovers, Sara cares for the babies"
• Episode 8 Scene 35, "Robert leaves abruptly, Elizabeth intercepts Robert's note"
• Episode 9 Scene 21, "Freeman explains the significance of the Civil War to Asa"
• Episode 9 Scene 32, "Sara is not feeling well, Matthew gives her some medicine"
• Episode 9 Scene 37, "Eva and Annie care for a patient"
• Episode 10 Scene 21, "Sara approaches the snake oil salesman"



• Trailers: At startup, each of the two discs plays trailers that can be skipped with the chapter forward button and are not available once the disc loads. Disc 1 plays trailers for Dr. Who, Series 7, Part 1, Spies of Warsaw and BBC America. Disc 2 plays a trailer for Ripper Street.

Copper: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The ten episodes of Copper in this Blu-ray set were written to be a self-contained series, because no one knew at the time how the show would be received. (In her episode commentary, recorded shortly after the premiere, Anastasia Griffith expresses her hope of being able to return to the series' environs). At the same time, Fontana and Rokos are good enough storytellers, and history is more than sufficiently rich with possibility, to have left countless possibilities for the show to be continued. In October 2012, BBC America announced that it had ordered a second season of Copper, which is currently filming. Look for it later this year. In the meantime, what is now known as Season 1 is highly recommended.