Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Under the Dome: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 1, 2015

Some spoilers for all three seasons follow.

Three TV seasons from one book? It's amazing that a single novel -- even one has hefty as Stephen King's Under the Dome -- could be expanded into 39 episodes. King's most famous weighty tome, The Stand, only mustered four 90-minute episodes for its 1994 television transformation. Going in blindly, one might rightly assume that Under the Dome has stayed ultra-faithful to the book, capturing not only its broad story details and dramatic essences but, at this length, taking it practically for gospel and recreating it line by line. That's not the case. An uneven first season that tried to alter the source while still staying true to it disappointed fans looking for a more straight and narrow novel recreation. Season two, which pretty much surrendered to the idea that the show would go its own way (and, it's worth noting, with King's blessing), proved a fair bit more entertaining as it found its own identity rather than forced to remain beholden to the source. Now, season three, the final season for Under the Dome (cancelled due to low ratings), pushes forward with season two's ideas, again leaving behind almost everything from the book save for character names and the dome and forging a path towards convoluted resolutions that satisfy the series' arcing tangents but will, again, leave dedicated fans of the book in the cold (granted, they probably jumped ship long ago, anyway).

Things are getting weird around here...

Season three kicks off only three weeks after the mysterious transparent dome descended on the out-of-the-way town of Chester's Mill that's understandably become a global sensation. The townspeople, led by outsider Dale "Barbie" Barbara (Mike Vogel), have followed Melanie (Grace Victoria Cox) through the tunnels and into the white light. They find themselves, miraculously, outside of the dome, which is destroyed soon thereafter. Those who have survived proceed on with their lives. Barbie returns to duty in the special forces and begins a relationship with Eva (Kylie Bunbury), but he gradually comes to realize that something's not right about their escape from the dome. Meanwhile, many others are discovering that life after the dome isn't so easy. Enter Christine Price (Marg Helgenberger), a trauma specialist who has arrived in town to aid survivors in their quest to return to a normal life. But her agenda isn't quite so clear-cut and noble. Nobody's is, in fact, and it quickly becomes apparent that there's a more sinister plan afoot, involving the dangerous Kinship, that could have dire consequences not only for the people of Chester's Mill but the entire world.

Season three feels like a mash-up of The Matrix and Lost. Those are two very heady, complicated universes that Under the Dome cannot recreate, not with any dramatic substance and certainly not with any emotional pull. It's not so much an overreach as it is a failure to connect it all together in a more tangible, organic way. Under the Dome just got so far off course that the only solution seemed to be to simply press on deeper into a rabbit hole of insane plot advances and ridiculous developments -- complete with dopey writing and inane character development -- in hopes that it would somehow, miraculously, jive at the end. It doesn't. The swing away from the novel worked in season two, which needed only to introduce new concepts and ideas in its full move away from the book. It wasn't worried about resolutions, just ideas. Season two served as something of a bridge between the more uncertain "is it the book or is it its own entity" first season and this whacky, far out there third season, which represents the necessary evolution and resolution of all that season two spit out with a lot of promise and, here, not a lot to show for it.

Below is a list of all season three episodes. Summaries are provided courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging. Spoilers follow.

Disc One:

• Move On/But I'm Not: Following their mysterious encounter in the tunnels beneath the town, the residents of Chester's Mill appear both inside and outside the Dome. As the Dome begins to reveal its ultimate agenda, the townspeople are forced to question what and whom they can trust.
• Redux: The residents of Chester's Mill try to move on with their lives in the aftermath of their mysterious experience in the tunnels. Big Jim suspects new residents Christine and Eva are harboring secrets about the Dome.

Disc Two:

• The Kinship: Under the guise of helping Chester's Mill rebuild, Christine urges the townspeople toward individuals and projects that remind them of their experience in the tunnels. Julia and Big Jim make shocking discoveries that reveal a new threat within the Dome.
• Alaska: Big Jim and Julia form a tentative alliance to search for proof that will discredit Christine, which leads them to new information about the Dome's capabilities. When tensions run high and threaten Christine's leadership, she implements a plan that has deadly consequences.
• Caged: When Big Jim is captured by Aktaion, a private corporation that seeks to harness the Dome's power, he is forced to manipulate Christine for information. Joe and Norrie question the town's new rules, only to find themselves in a dangerous face-off with the increasingly unstable residents.
• Ejecta: As the world outside the Dome is rocked by a catastrophic meter shower, unexpected alliances form inside the barrier. Joe is forced to accept help from Sam, the man who killed his sister.

Disc Three:

• Breaking Point: Big Jim, Julia, Joe, Norrie and Hunter form a resistance against Christine, who is organizing a massive excavation project in the caves underneath the town. Hunter uses his tech skills to contact the outside world.
• Plan B: Big Jim and Julia devise plans to end Christine's control over the town by initiating a life-or-death plot involving Barbie and Eva. Joe and Norrie seek to better understand the Dome's ultimate agenda, while Hunter uncovers more information about Aktaion.
• Legacy: The resistance joins forces with an unexpected ally, but Big Jim and Julia remain wary. Hunter receives encrypted files that give disturbing insights into what the Dome will do to the infected townspeople.
• Love Is a Battlefield: Resistance members race to rescue their loved ones form Christine's influence before she finalizes her plan for the Dome. Barbie risks everything to free Eva and Hektor enlists Big Jim and Julia to test a possible cure for the infected townspeople. Joe decides to work with Christine after she reveals some shocking information.

Disc Four:

• Incandescence: When the Dome's breakdown accelerates, the residents of Chester's Mill have 24 hours to ensure their survival. Joe feels pressured to bring down the Dome, while Barbie and Julia rush to save his child from the Kinship. Big Jim confronts the increasingly volatile Hektor.
• The Enemy Within: As the Dome comes down, the Resistance makes its last stand against the Kinship's infected townspeople -- and their new queen -- in an effort to protect the outside world.

Under the Dome: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Under the Dome: Season 3 features a mostly good 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. In general, the image looks fine. The digital photography rarely leaves the image appearing either glossy or flat, instead presenting it in a crisp, effortless manner that reveals complex facial features, human hair, clothes, natural exterior details, and manmade objects with ease. Image clarity is a strength, and it's always vibrant and well defined. Colors are even and attractive. Brighter outdoor scenes reveal positive pop in greens while red hair or brightly colored attire stand apart. Black levels are decent, though there's a push away from natural depth to a mildly bright appearance. Flesh tones tend towards a warner shade and are downright ablaze at times. Noise is fairly steady and plainly evident but not abundantly intrusive in most scenes. This isn't a showstopper of a presentation, but most of the issues linger under the surface. At-a-glance, color and detail carry it to satisfaction.

Under the Dome: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Under the Dome: Season 3's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a positive listening experience. While definition and lifelike transparency aren't quite perfect, the track's basic attributes are of a high enough yield to carry it through. Music is robust and well spaced, presenting with a good bit of surround activity and an adequately weighty low end. Various high energy effects, including ear-piercing shrieks, crashes, and gunshots, present with good definition and robust energy. Ambient effects are immersive and precise. Whether light interior environmental details in a diner or traditional outdoor support effects like birds and insects, the track never wants for a full and rich immersion. Dialogue is center focused and clear, playing without any prioritization problems or unwanted drift away from the center.

Under the Dome: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Under the Dome: Season 3 contains deleted and extended scenes on discs one, two, and three. Disc four houses all of the included featurettes.

Disc One:

• Extended Scenes (1080p): Scenes from "Move On/But I'm Not" (1:01) and "Redux" (1:50).

Disc Two:

• Extended/Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from "The Kinship" (1:50).

Disc Three:

• Deleted Scene (1080p): Scene from "Legacy" (1:56).

Disc Four:

• Return to the Dome: A Look at Season 3 (1080p, 14:38): A look at the interconnected character dynamics, individual character details, Marg Helgenberger's casting and character, An expanded look at some of the alien season three dynamics, extras work, and more.
• Life Under the Dome: Behind the Scenes of Season 3 (1080p, 29:56): A broad season overview that explores a few key elements from most of the episodes, including story details, production design, cast and crew work throughout the season, choreographing action scenes and stunts, working with minors, fan reaction and feedback, and more.
• The Season Finale (1080p, 6:19): A look at making one of the key sequences from the third season, Junior's character growth and evolution throughout the series, and general season three story arc details.
• The Device (1080p, 2:52): Colin Ford guides viewers on a tour of a key set and explains one of the most important concepts that pushes the season forward.
• Meet Indy the Dog (1080p, 3:16): Audiences are introduced to the season's canine star.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 4:49).

Under the Dome: Season 3 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's probably for the best that Under the Dome wrapped things up after three seasons. What should have been an epic television spectacular turned into an overthought and overworked show that was by no means a failure but instead a huge disappointment for audiences hoping for something more closely aligned with King's novel. The series' bold risks and far-flung concepts never really paid off, lacking the cohesion and intimacy of King's novel and instead, by the end, largely flinging mud at the wall and hoping some of it would stick. Under the Dome works well enough as casual "what if" entertainment with some brainy concepts ripe for the Sci-Fi and human interest picking, but fans will most certainly be left wanting more, particularly those who know just how great it could have been sticking to the source rather than straying so far from it. Paramount/CBS' Blu-ray release of Under the Dome: Season 3 features good video and audio. Supplements include a few deleted and extended scenes and a handful of featurettes. Series fans shouldn't have any qualms about picking this up on a decent sale to round out the Dome collection.