6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Peter, an FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem who, while investigating a murder of a young female archaeologist, uncovers a conspiracy 2000 years in the making.
Starring: Jason Isaacs, Anne Heche, Ori Pfeffer, Alison Sudol, David CostabileThriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
USA pushed Dig hard. It seemed every commercial break during Monday Night RAW, for example, highlighted the show, each one prominently featuring the #digdeeper Twitter promotional hashtag. The show appeared to promise a complex web of end-times prophecy, highlight reel action, and intrigue, all intricately woven through precisely molded characters and set in one of the world's greatest and most storied cities but also the city most likely to erupt in violence and serve as the epicenter of armageddon. And, to its credit, Dig does incorporate all of that, and more. The problem is that the show is too fractured, too frazzled, too unkempt. It's a classic "kitchen sink" show in which there's too much going on and too little explanation, particularly in the early goings. It asks the viewer to jump into one of the most tangled webs ever constructed for television, and it's simply an overload of over-amped and under-developed goings-on that, even as the series progresses, never quite settles into the rhythmic comfort zone it needs to both establish and explore its world and satisfy its many arcing story lines and the tangents that grow from them.
Who is she?
Universal unearths Dig: Season One with a decent 1080p transfer. The digital shoot is a hit-or-miss affair. At times -- particularly early on -- the image proves pasty and unreliably detailed. Rough stonework throughout Jerusalem, for example, lacks fine detailing and, in fact, can appear rather smeary and soft. Faces and clothes, likewise, struggle to find more than cursory definition, but the image tightens up and impresses, for the most part, in the later goings. Crispness and textural nuance enjoy a nice uptick, still flat and somewhat glossy under the constraints of digital but showcasing more in the way or tactile texturing than is evident in the early goings. The color palette is all over the map, too. Much of the program takes on a decidedly yellow tint but still manages to present nicely enough, particularly in brightly lit exteriors where more colorful splashes clash with the earthy shades. New Mexico scenes take on a deep blue tint. Black levels range from acceptably deep to murky and mildly crushed. Flesh tones, like the palette, are scattered, ranging from neutral to pasty and rosy. Mild banding, noise, and blocking are evident in small spurts throughout.
Dig: Season One arrives on Blu-ray with a good quality DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is healthy and detailed, presenting with a naturally wide stage -- largely across the front -- and offering a balanced low end support. Atmospherics are rich and impressive whether light background humming in the New Mexico compound, mild street-level din in Jerusalem, or more chaotic crowd elements heard during protests and other rowdy bits. Other effects impress as well, including a chilly Norwegian wind or the distant reverberation of a gunshot. Heavier action effects, like car flips and crashes, are suitably robust and detailed in the chaos; crunching metal, flying debris, and other assorted elements present very well. Dialogue, however, remains the focal point, and the spoken word enjoys natural center placement and effortless lifelike clarity.
Dig: Season One contains supplements on both discs.
Disc One:
Dig would probably work better as a novel, where deeper character details, more intimately thoughtful insights, broader story details, and finer plot points could be better defined. Even at ten episodes strong, Dig feels too crammed, too forceful in pushing the narrative forward that it never settles into the developmental rhythm necessary to propel it forward in the linear fashion necessary to sort out its tangled tentacles of stuff that litters the screen in every episode. While the show works in its broad narrative arc, it's a struggle getting there and the real shame is that the many good -- great -- ideas at play never evolve to satisfaction, never really push limits, never fully engage the audience. It's not a surprise the show was cancelled after a single season, but at the same time it's a shame it doesn't have a mulligan in its pocket because there's something worthwhile here just yearning to be unearthed and properly put together. Dig: Season One features decent video, good audio, and a few supplements. Skip it.
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