Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Under the Dome: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Settle in, stay awhile...the dome isn't letting you go, anyway.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 13, 2014

Under the Dome really could have been great. A faithful miniseries, or film trilogy (the former more likely to work better) not only based on the Stephen King novel of the same name but also a truly gritty, dark, and honest adaptation would have been fantastic in the right hands and with the right people performing in key roles. But alas, such was not meant to be, and probably never will be. CBS secured the rights and instead of taking the book as gospel, it used it as a template -- retaining the basic premise and inserting the primary lead characters -- for a multi-season television show, along the way changing up an awful lot that resulted in an uneven and ultimately disappointing first season. Fortunately, season two is better for one main reason: it leaves behind any pretense of following the book. What was at first a negative has been turned into a relative positive. The series is now officially its own entity and with its own identity. Gone are any expectations for it to closely follow the source, replaced instead with its own take on dome events that, while still retaining key characters and a few basic concepts, has turned the world on its head and developed its own narrative, introduced a few new characters, and gone so far from King's original vision that's enjoyable in its own bubble, so to speak, as perhaps something of a parallel universe take on Chester's Mill rather than just a string of "they got that right" and "they got that wrong" scenes and sequences. Certainly die-hard fans of the incredible novel will still have it in the back of their minds that it's just not right, but even they may find themselves enjoying what has become a solid Sci-Fi Thriller that promises even more twists and turns and crazy happenings in the upcoming third season.

On the edge.

Some minor spoilers for seasons one and two follow in the rest of the review.

The dome is throwing fits. It's become a magnetized hazard and emitting a series of "groans" that have the people of Chester's Mill, trapped under its impenetrable and transparent surface, even more frightened than before. Barbie (Mike Vogel) has escaped murder charges and a death sentence, but he's still target number one for councilman Jim Rennie (Dean Norris). Julia (Rachelle Lefevre), meanwhile, meets Sam (Eddie Cahill) while also rescuing a mysterious teenage girl (Grace Victoria Cox) whose presence in the dome will become a matter of fascination and perhaps facilitate a new understanding of what's happening and why, or just serve to further complicate everything happening inside. Local science teacher Rebecca Pine (Karla Crome) finds herself the number-one source for scientific explanations but also a potential agent for good or evil under the dome. The town's barber, Lyle (Dwight Yoakam), holds a secret to the town's pre-dome past. With a food shortage becoming a greater hazard and the dome itself seeming to do what it must to control the people inside while also the cause of a number of "plagues" that are practically of Biblical proportions, life is becoming more than a challenge, now a race to solve the dome's secrets which, inevitably, only heighten the danger both those on the inside and on the outside must face.

In what feels like an attempt to connect with the fans who may have been disappointed with season one, Stephen King was brought on board to write season two's premiere episode, "Heads Will Roll." Far from a gamble and indeed a nice bone to throw to fans of the source, the episode excels as the season's best, and most daring, setting up an "anything can and will happen" vibe that's not necessarily recaptured in later episodes (at least not until the end) but that does set a good, positive tone for the remainder of the season. King essentially gives the series his blessing, in a way opening an avenue for the series to take whatever direction it sees fit. Its far stray from source presents the viewer with what is essentially an all-new Chester's Mill mythology that still incorporates the same basic themes that ran through the book, just with its own way of getting there. Indeed, there's a consistent toying with a metaphor for how man can evolve under stress -- some for better, some for worse -- and how he reacts to a prolonged crisis and how life experience effects one to bend towards good or evil, though certainly it seems there's an undeniable push towards the latter for most, in one way or another. The show is a juicy, well-written, and generally well-paced (though there are moments when it feels needlessly extended for swaths of runtime, dragging out a plot line here and there because the clock dictates it must, not because it should) entertainer that's evolved since season one into a more established world of its own making where the similarities and differences now blend, not stand apart. That was always the show's main hurdle to overcome, and it has crossed it admirably, enough that there should be an enthusiasm for season three where there was only skepticism for season two.

What's new in season two? The writers have introduced a few new key characters who, for the sake of spoilers, won't be discussed in detail other than to say they're a mix of stock sort of players and new figures who further enhance the mythology and, in one key part, completely redefines the world, opens up an entirely new realm of possibilities, and in the final episode sets up a huge moment that will make or break season three, depending on where the writers go with it. There's also a new, critically important under-the-dome location that pretty much breaks convention and literally opens up an entire new world of possibilities. Certainly, the show now takes things in directions even the King novel would have never dared, even with that book's somewhat let-down and far-out ending. There are some real doozies in season two give the show a greater scope while still maintaining the intimacy the dome provides, as well as all of the chaos that results from living inside of it. Once in every few episodes, it seems, the dome provides a tangible threat to the people, and not simply of their own making but in its manifested nudges and physical manipulations that threaten everything and everyone inside. The most tangible is one of the season's main story lines, a dwindling food and fresh water supply, that must somehow be resolved -- one way or another -- that creates more tension and engenders additional factions within the dome. With the world established, season two is able to take a darker look at the devolution of some and the evolution of others, spending more time not on "how" but "why" they change and the roles they believe they are meant to play, the roles they want to play, and the roles they must play under the dome, oftentimes with conflicting and deadly consequences to themselves and to others. The dome, after all, knows all...

Under the Dome: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Under the Dome: Season 2 looks great on Blu-ray. The HD video source material is a bit flat by its nature but it's also precisely detailed and colored. Facial textures impress with every close-up; freckles, wrinkles, facial hair, makeup-covered pimples, and all variety of good and bad are exposed for the world to see. Clothing textures and seams are intricately presented, and even smaller touches like the plastic radio handset that's ever-present on Junior's police uniform shoulder reveals the finest textures. Colors are rich and striking. That same blue police uniform jumps out in every frame, as does Julia's fiery red hair. Green grasses, leaves, buildings and signage, and other elements inside the dome looks great. Skies can look a touch washed out, but blacks are generally solid -- a bright brighter for the sake of visibility in one key dark location -- and flesh tones are consistently even. Very light sprinklings of noise appear here and there, and very light banding is visible in a few shots. Overall, however, this is an excellent presentation.

Under the Dome: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Under the Dome: Season 2 features a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It's big and aggressive, a fairly engaging and loud affair that's more often the domain of film, not television. Music is hefty and firm, authoritative and potent in space and surround support. A powerful low end is often in accompaniment. Major sound effects are of the heavy, rattly variety, the sort that will make the listener feel like part of a cave-in or an earthquake. Even a propellor plane enjoys a tangible heft as it zips from speaker to speaker in one key scene. Light, lingering atmospherics help better define a few outdoor scenes, but the track is dominated by its larger effects and dialogue, the latter of which is consistently accurate and located in the center channel. Overall, this is an impressively large and exciting track that fits the world of Under the Dome very well.

Under the Dome: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Under the Dome: Season 2 contains supplements on three of the four included discs. Below is a disc-by-disc breakdown of what's included.

Disc One:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): One scene from "Heads Will Roll" (1:49) and one scene from "Infestation" (0:48).
• Inside Chester's Mill (1080p, 41:25): This piece, which originally preceded the season two premiere on CBS on June 23, 2014, features a character overview and a season one plot recap, essentially transforming season one into a 40-minute highlight reel, supported by clips from the show and voiceover narration.
• Readings from the Dome (1080p, 7:20): Stephen King, along with cast, reads from the season two, episode one ("Heads Will Roll") script.
• Filming the Season Premiere (1080p, 19:04): Viewers are taken behind-the-scenes for a look at the work that went into shooting season two's first episode. Included is a look at King's writing and presence on the set, set design and construction with practical special effects in mind, stunt work, and episode surprises and story details.

Disc Three:

• Deleted Scene: One Scene from "The Red Door" (1080p, 0:42).

Disc Four:

• Stephen King & Season 2 (1080p, 8:46): The author discusses the show's progression in season two, his authorship of season two's premiere episode and contributions to the season's arc, new characters, and more.
• Welcome Back to Chester's Mill! (1080p, 16:16): A look at season one's success, new ideas and challenges in season two, character transformations and characteristics, new characters, cast performances, and more.
• A Journey Through Season 2 (1080p, 25:13): A look at season inspirations, story elements, the struggle between faith and science, creating the "red rain," the school location and everything inside, exterior shooting locations, making various key moments throughout the season, crew contributions, and more.
• The Transmedia World of Under the Dome (1080p, 7:27): A closer look at the role of digital media in the season and the story details and plot lines it encompasses.
• The Visual Effects of Season 2 (1080p, 8:27): Making a few of the key visuals from the season in both the practical and digital realms.
• Ready for Action: Tales from Under the Dome - Paintings by Jack Bender (1080p, 2:47): The Director/Executive Producer shares some of his artwork and its place in the series, including parallels with directing. Alexander Koch and Dean Norris also chime in with a few thoughts.
• Ready for Action: Tales from Under the Dome - Creating Chester's Mill (1080p, 3:55): A look at shooting in Wilmington, North Carolina with a look at a few of the specific locations.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 3:48).

Under the Dome: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This second season of Under the Dome -- in conjunction with the shakier first -- makes for good extended television, not on the same level as the best shows currently airing and recently ended, but a fun little excursion that's even more entertaining now that it's left behind almost any pretense of following the source and taking the world and the mythology of it in completely new, and sometimes even exciting, directions. Certainly the core story and characters work better in King's sprawling but still tightly developed and flowing novel, but as something of a parallel world companion sort of deal, this is turning into a pretty good effort. The only major problem in season two comes in what is occasionally uneven pacing where story ideas are too slow to develop and linger too frequently, but it's otherwise a fairly compelling show that will probably work better in spurts rather than the whole thing in a day-and-a-half as it was absorbed for the purpose of this review. Under the Dome: Season 2 features high quality video and audio. A nice assortment of extra content, which includes what amounts to a season one recap condensed to episode length, is included. Recommended.