The Paradise: Season Two Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

The Paradise: Season Two Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 7, 2014

The Brits have emboldened yet another subgenre of costume drama: the turn-of-the-century working class ensemble series, made that much more popular on this side of the pond thanks to ITV and Julian Fellowes' Downton Abbey. Not to be outdone by a rival network, the BBC has struck back -- rather aggressively -- with a strong lineup of miniseries and shows, from Call the Midwife to Bill Gallagher's The Paradise, a cumbersomely titled but no less addicting period piece about the first English department store. With a gleam in its first season eye and a spring in its sumptuously realized step, the series eight-part opener boasted enough melodrama, humor, sentiment and emotional heft to fill twice as many episodes. Its second season accomplishes something more, though. In addition to the uniformly excellent performances and sharp scripting sharp, the latest eight episodes do anything but meander, offering more of a dramatic hook than the first season. None of it is revolutionary, mind you, but it's much more difficult to detach and walk away, particularly with fewer and fewer inconsequential subplots this go-round. Binge watchers will find any delay between episodes to be more grueling than before. It's just a shame the series was recently cancelled...

Set amidst the Victorian splendor of Britain's first department store, The Paradise is the enchanting rags-to-riches story of a young girl who falls in love with the intoxicating charms of the modern world. The second season begins a year after the dramatic events that saw Moray (Emun Elliot) declare his love for Denise (Joanna Vanderham) and lose The Paradise after breaking off his engagement to Katherine Glendenning (Elaine Cassidy). But the spurned Katherine has since married Tom Weston (Ben Daniels), a mysterious, brooding ex-military man with a troubled history. Although she seems to be starting her life anew, her passion for Moray threatens to draw her back into a love triangle, competing with Denise. Meanwhile, Moray and Denise, still at the forefront of fashion and innovation, are plotting to regain The Paradise from Katherine and her husband, whatever it takes.

The Blu-ray release of The Paradise: Season Two features eight episodes spread across two BD-50 discs. The following is an episode by episode breakdown. Minor spoilers may follow:

• Episode 1: It's one year since Moray jilted Katherine, for which he was banished and ended up working in Paris. Denise was allowed to stay, while Lord Glendenning (Patrick Malahide) and his daughter disappeared from the city. In the 12 months since, The Paradise has been put up for sale. However, unforeseen circumstances bring Moray back and the lovers are reunited, although their elation is short-lived when Katherine also returns, and with a new husband.
• Episode 2: Moray's return has improved the fortunes of the Paradise, but he must think tactfully if he is to win the store back from Tom and Katherine. He invites business associate Clemence Romanis (Branka Katić) to visit from Paris, hoping he can strike a deal to sell the fireworks she has brought with her. However, she is a dazzling and tactile woman, and her intimacy with Moray soon arouses Denise's jealousy. Negotiations are delayed when Tom gets involved. A display is organized to demonstrate Clemence's wares, but the fun is overshadowed when a cart carrying the half-dead Jonas (David Hayman) arrives in the street. Meanwhile, Miss Audrey (Sarah Lancashire) is forced to think about her future happiness.
• Episode 3: Spirits are high ahead of the annual staff outing, a visit to the theatre, only for Tom to cancel the trip. However, when he realizes his decision could lead the workers to favor Moray, he turns to Denise, who suggests that if they can't go to the music hall, they should bring the music hall to the Paradise, and ropes in every willing worker to perform. Meanwhile, Moray tries to persuade Denise not to apply for the head of ladieswear position, leading to an argument between the pair, and Myrtle (Lisa Millett) finds herself the butt of the joke yet again.
• Episode 4: Denise is thrilled about her new job but she soon realizes it's lonely at the top when the supervisory role puts her at odds with her friends. Even worse, tension rises between her and Moray when he dismisses one of her ideas. Edmund's shop has a break-in, forcing Susy (Katie Moore) to tackle demons from her past when she recognizes the culprit, and Katherine's attempts to build a relationship between Tom and his daughter go badly when Flora (Edie Whitehead) asks her father about his childhood. Plans to expand the Paradise put it beyond Moray's financial reach, so Jonas brokers a deal on his behalf. But it may not be the wisest decision he has ever made.
• Episode 5: Tom is furious to see that Moray is selling pocket watches, a counter that is attracting attention away from his new food hall, so he poaches Denise from ladieswear and asks that she comes up with ideas for improving other departments. Meanwhile, Katherine agrees to give Moray her father's old timepiece to add to his display - despite it being intended as a gift for her husband.
• Episode 6: Denise gets the chance to use her business initiative when wealthy newlywed couple Lucille and Campbell Ballentine arrive in town, discussing the possibility of the husband investing in the Paradise. But when she runs the proposition past Moray, he is dismissive of the idea. Meanwhile, Mrs. Ballentine confesses to Clara that she doubts her feelings for her husband, and Katherine confides in Moray about Tom's increasingly spiteful behavior - unaware her husband has been watching their intimacy grow.
• Episode 7: Tom engages renowned photographer Christian Cartwright (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) to take a family portrait, although as Katherine soon discovers, it's merely a gesture as her husband makes it clear her position is fragile. The staff also have their pictures taken, although an indecent proposal leaves Clara questioning who she really is. Denise's suspicions about Moray and Katherine are confirmed in the most heart-breaking of ways, so she throws herself into work as a distraction. Can Dudley and a ghost story bring them back together again?
• Episode 8: Moray's French business associate Clemence is back in town, but it appears she is in trouble and finds herself at the mercy of Tom. Denise tries to help the visitor by marketing a Parisian rouge to her most esteemed clients, while Katherine is distressed to see Tom and Clemence together and confides in Jonas - leading to revelations about her husband's dark past. As things come to a head, Moray risks everything to be rid of his rival once and for all.

The Paradise: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Paradise's second season features a richer, more decadent period palette and BBC's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation reaps the rewards. Colors and skintones are beautifully saturated, primaries are striking, black levels are deep and inky (without much in the way of crush), and contrast is vibrant and consistent. Detail is terrific too, with crisp edge definition, refined textures and excellent delineation. There also isn't any ringing or aliasing to report, and artifacting, banding and other compression anomalies are nowhere to be found. The Blu-ray release of Paradise: Season Two may not include any supplemental content, but there's plenty of value to be had with its AV presentation.

The Paradise: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release of The Paradise: Season Two offers a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track. Dialogue is clean, clear and intelligible, and prioritization is spot on. Effects and music are given plenty of room to breathe as well, without anything in the way of overcrowding, poorly implemented sound design, or lackluster mixing. That said, a 5.1 track would have been most welcome. How wonderful it would have been to be immersed in not only the sights of the era, but the sounds, from every direction. Ah well. As lossless 24-bit stereo presentations go, this one is more than capable.

The Paradise: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unlike the Blu-ray release of Season One, The Paradise: Season Two doesn't include any special features.

The Paradise: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

With its second season, The Paradise steps out of the shadows of other period dramas and declares its identity. Unfortunately, it turned out to be too late, as BBC promptly cancelled the series due to lagging viewer interest. BBC Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release is the product of a show cut short, with no special features to speak of. Thankfully, its AV presentation is excellent, and more than makes up for the lack of supplemental material. If only the series hadn't been carted off to the chopping block...