STACK #159 Jan 2018

DVD&BD

FEATURE

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

VIKINGS: SEASON 4

The History Channel series took a huge risk this season that few shows would be gutsy enough to attempt. What feels like an ending is actually a whole new beginning that furthers the legend of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, and takes the series in new and unexpected directions.

LEGION: SEASON 1 FX’s venture into the X-Men universe is one of the boldest treatments of comic book superheroes to date. Its genius lies in having the events unfold mostly inside its mutant protagonist’s fractured psyche (like Mr. Robot ), resulting in a trippy and cerebral take on the line between mental illness and superpowers.

BLACK SAILS: SEASON 4 The final season of this superb Treasure Island prequel brings the conflict between the pirates and the British to all-out war. Shiver me timbers!

PREACHER: SEASON 2 After a rocky start this bizarro series has found its groove, with a sharper focus on the characters and more in tune with the comic book source material.

PLANET EARTH II Sir David Attenborough and the BBC Natural History team remain the benchmark for wildlife documentaries, and this follow-up to the 2006 series is every bit as breathtaking – and shot for UHD viewing. From islands and jungles to deserts and cities, witness rarely seen animal behaviour in stunning 4K.

TABOO: SEASON 1 This dark 19th century drama – created by the Hardy boys, Tom and dad ‘Chips’ – boasts complex narrative threads and unique visual execution.

THE EXPANSE: SEASON 1 A new sci-fi series that’s shaping up to be every bit as gritty and gripping as the revamped Battlestar Galactica . Adapted from the series of novels by James S.A. Corey, it’s grand space opera blended with detective noir and geopolitical intrigue, set in a near future where humankind has colonised the solar system.

GLITCH: SEASON 2 The high concept Aussie genre series finally provides some answers on how and why the dead have returned from their graves in a rural Victorian town.

BIG LITTLE LIES The multi-Emmy winner weaves a murder mystery into a suburban melodrama involving three upper middle class Monterey moms and the illusion of perfection they struggle to maintain. Adapted from the best-selling novel by Liane Moriarty (which was set in Sydney) and one of the most talked about shows of 2017.

BETTER CALL SAUL: SEASON 3 The show’s best season to date strengthens the narrative ties to Breaking Bad with the introduction of Los Pollos Hermanos boss, Gus Fring.

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