Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Turn: Washington's Spies: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted...

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 26, 2015

Much as the Korean War is often labeled "The Forgotten War," the American Revolution has all but been forgotten in Hollywood. With no research to back up the claim -- going only on general film knowledge and perception -- World War II appears to reign king as the most portrayed conflict in cinema history, unsurprising given that war's scale, scope, lingering effects on worldwide politics even today, and "popularity" with professional and amateur historians alike. The significantly more controversial Vietnam War would be next, with what seems like, celluloid pound-for-pound, the source of just as many pointed, powerful, and purposeful films as its World War II cinematic cousins (both are well represented in the Best Picture winners circle; see Bridge on the River Kwai, Patton, Schindler's List, The Deer Hunter, and Platoon). The sudden deluge of modern era War films hailing from the first Gulf War and the post-9/11 era in particular are quickly catching up to Vietnam in terms of raw numerical count and quality alike. After that, pretty much every major American conflict seems left behind. The Civil War probably ranks fourth (and includes Glory, arguably the best movie ever made not nominated for a Best Picture Oscar) with everything else, large and small alike, represented in more of a token manner rather than an entire catalogue of films. The point of this brief history lesson is that, for whatever reason, there's yet much wartime history to be told, and see unfold, on the screen. The American Revolution has particularly been ignored in terms of mainline films and television programs that make it central to the story. There's Al Pacino's critically failed Revolution, Mel Gibson's The Patriot, and, after that...crickets save for some really small stuff...with honorable mention to the television film The Crossing starring Jeff Daniels. Fortunately, AMC has seen fit to bring Author Alexander Rose's Washington's Spies to the small screen with Turn, an AMC (The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad) original program that focuses on a covert spy operation working against the Crown in Revolutionary Setauket, New York, told in rich detail and in good fun but not always built on the most challenging narratives or the most complex of characters.

Turned?

Cabbage farmer Abe Woodhull (Jamie Bell) lives a rather quiet life with his wife Mary (Meegan Warner) and their infant child in Revolutionary Setauket, New York. His father Richard (Kevin McNally) is a loyalist to the Crown but his childhood friends, Ben Talmadge (Seth Numrich) and Caleb Brewster (Daniel Henshall), are dedicated revolutionaries. Abe finds himself caught in the middle but slyly sides with the rebels when pressed to make a choice. His actions draw him further into the inner circle of clandestine operations for the rebelling colonists. It's not long before his reluctant aid becomes full-blown support, a secret he must keep from even those closest to him. His work for the patriot movement brings him closer to Anna Strong (Heather Lind), his former fiancé, and John Simcoe (Samuel Roukin), a brutal and conniving British officer who is himself attracted to Anna. Meanwhile, British spy operative John Andre (JJ Field) and mercenary Robert Rogers (Angus Macfadyen) work the area towards their own ends.

While a broad perception of Turn might paint the program favorably simply thanks to the relative novelty of the content -- the setting more so than the details -- Creator Craig Silverstein's program does work well enough in the vacuum of its story and characters, uncolored by the rarely seen Redcoats and Revolutionary period. The show enjoys strong technical pacing, creating a rich, fluid landscape that sees heroes and villains staunchly on one side or the other though with but a touch of ambiguity thrown in. There's not much in the way of moral grayscale, just an abundance of characters with their own agendas in mind and at heart on a battlefield that sees its share of bullets and death but more intrigue than violence. The series quickly establishes basic ideas, allegiances, relationships, and purposes but takes its time in deconstructing them, in exploring beyond the superficial tit-for-tat and finding the core drivers that push the characters and influence the war. It's often compelling stuff, rarely bogged down by trite little side bits. The lean ten-episode season offers ample room for exploration but not so much breathing room that the writers, characters, and audience become relaxed and complacent. Still, a little more in the way of internal crises, challenging allegiances, and murky morals might have benefited the program.

The show is technically compelling as well, offering a bountiful, beautiful harvest of period settings and costumes that feel richly detailed and precisely developed, down to the finest little bits and pieces that don't simply sell the illusion but instead recreate the world. More importantly, however, is how well it blends into the story. It's so well done that admiring it quickly gives way to accepting it which in turn allows it to simply melt into the larger experience, something that doesn't define or support but that just is. That's the best compliment one can give to the broad world of production design-meets-quality period programming when the audience barely notices it's there as it merges into the story rather than define it or stand apart because nothing else is worth the viewer's attention. The performances are quite good, too. Jamie Bell impresses as the story's central figure, a cabbage farmer who finds himself torn between childhood friends who have drifted to the patriot movement and his father, a rather staunch supporter of the crown, all while keeping his clandestine life as distant as he can from his wife and child. His evolution defines the show's central, arcing theme, and Bell sells the progression beautifully as he maneuvers through the tricky landscape of espionage with friends and foes -- the former tugging at his heart and emotional center and the latter often represented by the people closest to him -- pulling him in every direction at once as he works, in his own way, to support the patriot cause. Supporting cast members -- notably Kevin R. McNally who plays Abe's father, Daniel Henshall as Caleb Brewster, Seth Numrich as Ben Talmadge, and Samuel Roukin as the villainous Simcoe -- also impress.

Turn: Washington's Spies: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Turn: Washington's Spies features a satisfying 1080p presentation sourced from a digital shoot. Though it's somewhat flat and lightly glossy, Anchor Bay's presentation nevertheless reveals accurate, intricate details, evident particularly in close-ups of well-appointed military uniforms and insignia, tattered and grimy clothes, terrain, vegetation, weathered wood, and brick. Image clarity is consistently strong with only the occasionally smeared edge evident. Colors are vibrant and naturally so, with British red jackets and lush New York greens offsetting many other earthy shades that are dominant throughout the program. Black levels never stray too far from natural, showing an occasional, and mild, push to purple. Flesh tones don't appear to betray natural complexions. The image produces some light banding and noise but is otherwise largely free of excess artifacts. Overall, this is a healthy, pleasant picture from Anchor Bay.

Turn: Washington's Spies: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Turn: Washington's Spies marches onto Blu-ray with a high end Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music enjoys a satisfactory fullness and rich, detailed notes. Spacing is even and easy across the front and features a balanced, unobtrusive surround support. The track features plenty of satisfying, mood-defining, and environment-shaping atmospheric effects. Everything from falling rain dropping on a rooftop, nighttime insects singing in the distance, rolling waters splashing near a pier, or the background din at a bar, most every environment comes to life with even cursory, distant effects gently filling in the gaps. Heavier bits -- gunfire, predominantly -- enjoy a nice weighty feel and no lack of aggression. Dialogue is clear and focused with a natural center-based delivery.

Turn: Washington's Spies: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Turn: Washington's Spies contains several brief supplements located on disc three. A UV digital copy voucher is included in the Blu-ray case.

• The History of Turn: Washington's Spies (1080p, 4:47): A fluff piece that looks at the void in literature on the subject of Washington's spies, Washington's source letters and deciphering the codes, transitioning the source book to the screen, and more.
• From Art to Image (1080p, 4:31): A brief look at sourcing the program's visuals from historical realities, including costumes, sets and shooting locations, digital support effects, props, and more.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 24:39 total runtime): Excised scenes from the first eight episodes.

Turn: Washington's Spies: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hopefully, Turn will signal a shift in Hollywood that sees more mainstream, high quality, focused, detailed, and richly constructed films retelling the story of the American Revolution. It's a glaring weakness in Tinseltown's wartime film canon, and it's due time for it to find a home in the medium. In the meantime, Turn proves very good at whetting the appetite. It's a fun, addictive program, well constructed and filled with interesting characters, fairly complex drama, and a believable external structure. Aside from a tone-deaf opening title montage, the program is largely a success and should satisfy anyone yearning to be taken back to the 1770s. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Turn features high quality video and detailed audio but a wholly underwhelming assortment of extra content. Recommended.