Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
I love television shows with interesting premises and if there’s a science fiction, weird science twist, all the better. Unfortunately, my whole slate of J.J. Abrams television shows received the axe in 2014. Luckily, one of the few network shows, not helmed by the new Star Wars director, was picked up for a second season. ABC’s Resurrection, which opened with an eight year-old boy, who’d died 30 years earlier, suddenly reappearing in China, shares similar themes with previous Abrams’ efforts. The series is based on a Jason Mott book, and produced in house by ABC studios and Plan B Entertainment, and it is right up my alley.
Starring Omar Epps, Resurrection features a strong supporting cast anchored by Frances Fisher, though there are plenty of familiar faces. What starts off as a philosophical question, asking what you would do if a long lost loved one returns, quickly expands to a series of murder mysteries and more. Set in the quiet Missouri town of Arcadia, young Jacob’s return is more than enough of shock for the town’s residents. Unfortunately for them, he was just the beginning. A long of line of deceased residents begin to return, turning everyone’s lives upside down. All of the while, Omar Epps’ agent Bellamy is trying to keep the lid on the whole thing.
ABC Studios’ two-disc DVD set of Resurrection: The Complete First Season also includes a handful of extras for fans of the show. The cause of the supernatural powers that cause the resurrections isn’t revealed in the first season, though the finale was a bit jarring to some. The featurette Resurrection: Building a Mystery solicits the show’s stars for their theories on the mysterious cause of the return. Another featurette takes viewers on location and the final two bonuses offers a few deleted scenes and a blooper reel.
Though there is no high definition Blu-ray edition of Resurrection’s first season, the DVD set is for the most part adequate. Presented in a 1.78: 1 widescreen format, the Region 1, NTSC DVD transfer is pretty solid and fairly sharp. The audio is available in English in Dolby Digital 5.1 along with Spanish and French dubbed tracks and English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Resurrection: The Complete First Season includes the entire eight episodes and clocks in at about 344 minutes. Though Resurrection wasn’t my most favorite show of 2013-2014, it was up there. If you’re a fan of the supernatural, Resurrection is worth a look.
