Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The Sinner: Season Four Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 29, 2022

Note: at time of writing, 'The Sinner: Season Four' is only available as part of a four season, eight disc 'The Sinner' boxed set.

The Sinner was originally conceived for a a single season but the show's breakout success led to an expansion for the series, resulting in three more seasons which together form not a continuous story but rather an anthology of disturbing human behavior and off-kilter realities that make for absorbing television. Following up on the brilliant first season, starring Jessica Alba, Season two proved every bit as compelling, beginning with an unthinkable, out-of-the-blue tragedy which spirals into a tangled web of everything from the curiously odd to the bizarrely macabre. Season three upped the narrative quality even further, delivering what is the best of the first three seasons, telling the story of a high school teacher who is far more, and far darker, than his family man facade appears. Now, season four brings series stalwart Harry Ambrose to the brink, teetering on the edge of retirement and the failure to let go of who he is when he finds himself embroiled in a deadly mystery in a picturesque seaside Maine town.

Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman) has been retired from active duty for over a year and remains in an intimate relationship with Sonya (Jessica Hecht). The couple is still traumatized following the encounter with Jamie Burns in season three. They have decided that a “change of scenery” may be what they need to put a dark past behind them and to forge ahead together in peaceful retirement. However, Harry quickly finds himself embroiled in another mystery when he apparently watches as a young local woman, Percy (Alice Kremelberg), throws herself off a cliff. Soon, Harry finds himself entangled in a dark family affair, dangerous local politics, and knee-deep in another depraved mystery that will not only push Harry to his limits but expose his innermost demons yet again.

It is the show's consistency of tone and structure that have held it together more than any other component, and that is saying a lot considering Bill Pullman's amazing anthology performance which, outside of Independence Day, stands as his career-defining role. The show's ability to focus on why -- while still dangling enticing questions of who, what, when, where, and how -- remains the persistent characteristic and draw into the material, and season four is no different. It takes only minutes for the season to establish the story propellant, but it takes the full eight episodes to unravel the truth to satisfaction. The season, like the entire show, is expert at the slow-drip process, building narrative and revealing clues with remarkable pace and efficiency, keeping the audience dangling but never frustrated. The show is confident in what it does and comfortable doing it.

Season four's story may not rank as the single most compelling work through the four seasons, but it is every bit as satisfying in its totality. Much of what makes the season work is Pullman's character arc. He expertly reveals Harry's hesitancy in retirement and the sense of loss and absence away from the field. Yet while the character struggles to function away from his work, it is that same very work in which he finds himself yet again that pulls at him and threatens to always break him, not merely physically but in many different ways internally alike. His work is tremendous and part of a larger fourth and, sadly, final season that is not to be missed.

The following episodes comprise season three; summaries are courtesy of the complete series Blu-ray packaging:

Disc One:

• Part I: Ambrose visits the town of Clark Harbor for a getaway and finds himself at the center of a tragedy.
• Part II: A new suspect leads the investigation into an ongoing feud between the Lams and the Muldoons.
• Part III: Ambrose heads to the mainland to learn more about Percy's past and uncovers dark family secrets.
• Part IV: When the Muldoons push to close the investigation, Ambrose refuses, pushing Sonya to the brink.

Disc Two:

• Part V: Ambrose discovers the source of Percy's ritualistic practices and dives deeper into her past.
• Part VI: A shocking new crime further rattles the town of Clark Harbor. Ambrose and Meg team together.
• Part VII: Unsure whom to trust, Ambrose hunts down his pursuers.
• Part VIII: Ambrose exposes the secret that threw Percy's life off course, setting off widespread consequences.

The Sinner: Season Four Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

It should be no surprise, for anyone following The Sinner on Blu-ray, that consistency in its video quality is a hallmark, and that holds true here. While this image might be a little noisier than previous issues, the core aesthetics are basically unchanged in terms of detailing, color temperature, and the like. The image boasts a good, clear image, with a firm foundation for revealing quality skin textures including pores and Harry's facial hair. Staples like clothes are handled well, and the beautiful coastal Maine terrain and manmade structures are visible in full clarity and definition for the duration, even in lower light. The predominant blue-green color scheme, with some pale flesh tones, remains in evidence here as elsewhere. The color temperature and saturation parameters fit the show's aesthetic nicely, and the Blu-ray delivers them with precision. Black levels are deep, key during some of the critical nighttime scenes. As noted, some at times dense noise is in evidence but rarely reaches the level of "distraction." There are no source or encode issues to report.

The Sinner: Season Four Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The fourth and final season of The Sinner earns, like its three predecessors, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack; this is the only audio option available on the two discs. Also as with previous entries, the track is fairly straightforward, focusing primarily on dialogue, which is very clear and center grounded; and atmosphere, which is well detailed and immersive. Musical clues are likewise nicely spread, gently immersive, clear, and supported by a quality, but never overpowering, subwoofer component. This is not a fully intensive, whiz-bang experience, but it is very thorough and well versed in the delivery of its inherent qualities and characteristics.

The Sinner: Season Four Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unlike season one, which included a few deleted scenes, no extras are included on either season four Blu-ray disc. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover, though as part of the larger four-season collection a sip box is included.

The Sinner: Season Four Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Sinner's fourth season is as much about Harry Ambrose's arc as it is the central mystery. And that is fitting, because the show will be remembered for both its compelling stories and for Bill Pullman's gluelike performance throughout, holding together an otherwise disparate anthology collection with remarkable depth and emotive excellence. Season four's story is very good, not as wholly compelling as any of the previous three, but it is a good work and a strong send-off to a great show. The featureless two-disc collection, at time of writing exclusive to the larger series boxed set, features reliably solid video and audio. Recommended.