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Setting up its pulpy premise in season one, Lucas
Hood (Antony Starr) is a crim who arrives in the
titular Amish town the same time as its new sheriff.
When the sheriff is murdered, Hood spots a golden
opportunity and assumes the identity of the lawman,
allowing him to keep tabs on his former lover and
criminal accomplice Carrie Hopewell (Ivana Millicevi),
who's now married to the town's district attorney.
Lucas also has to keep a watch out for a ruthless
local mobster, who also happens to be Carrie's dad.
And when duty calls, Lucas also has to dish out his brand of justice.
In season two, this powderkeg premise becomes even more
explosive when the son of the real sheriff arrives in town, with a
highly unexpected proposition that Hood will not be able to refuse.
Good town. Bad blood.
BANSHEE: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
et in Birmingham in the aftermath of World War
ne, Cillian Murphy plays returned soldier Thomas
helby, who embarks on a life of crime as part of
he eponymous gang – their name deriving from the
azor blades sewn into the rim of their caps. Series
reator Steven Knight first heard about the exploits
f these real-life crime figures through his parents:
is uncles were actually members of the Peaky
linders gang. And according to Knight, the English
have been bad at 'mythologising the working class'.
This riveting series goes a long way to setting things right, and in
the second season things are going to get a whole lot darker, as
the gang sets about expanding their operation. It's Breaking Bad
meets Downton Abbey, and highly recommended.
Downtown alley.
PEAKY BLINDERS: SEASON TWO
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visit REVIEWS DVD&BD
Format: Release Date: 14/01/15 Format: Release Date: 21/01/15
JANUARY 2015 JB Hi-Fi
Fittingly, this final season of Boardwalk Empire brings the
focus back to pivotal figure Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi).
The end of prohibition is in the air, and the appearance of Eliot
Ness also adds the historical weight that might end up being
the noose around Nucky's neck. There's also no shortage
of the gangland brutality that has made this series a natural
successor to The Sopranos, with the first three episodes
signposting the kind of violent world Nucky and his associates
inhabit. It's also the kind of world Nucky is determined to
rise above, as he attempts to morph from bootlegger to a
legitimate business figure, by courting the big money of Wall Street. True to
form, Nucky finds that getting out is much harder than he thinks. Bringing this
series full circle, showrunner Terence Winter's gripping vision has received
another Golden Globe nom for Best Drama Series. Nucky goes out on top.
The end of an empire.
BOARDWALK EMPIRE: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON
The early promos hinted at a Rosemary's Baby
meets Gravity hybrid, with astronaut Halle Berry
experiencing an immaculate conception of sorts
whilst on a solo mission in orbit. But there's
a lot more to this Steven Spielberg produced
sci-fi series, which also throws in X-Files-like
conspiracies, android children and, of course, alien
offspring. Moreover, Extant creates a convincing
future world where for once, artificial intelligence
isn't out to destroy humanity. Production values
are top notch, episodes are consistently eventful, and a star of
Berry's calibre adds extra prestige. Extant has been renewed for
a second season, which will hopefully clear up a few errant plot
points left dangling in the final episode.
A new sci-fi series is born.
EXTANT: THE FIRST SEASON
TV
Format: Release Date:14/01/15 Format: Release Date: 28/01/15