Hex - The Complete First Season

 

Picture: C     Sound: C+     Extras: C     Episodes: C

 

 

With the supernatural teen TV show cycle so popular in the U.S. and so in decline, what could save it?  Should it be saved?  Could someone improve it?  I expected a possibly good show if it was different and when it turned out Hex was a hit BBC series from Britain, there was a 50/50 chance it might work.  Although it is not as dumb, condescending, silly and idiotic as its U.S. equivalents, I was not happy or impressed with the show in this Complete First Season DVD set released by Sony.

 

Cassie (Christina Cole) is discovering her womanhood, but this is fraught with darkness that turns out to be linked to the supernatural and she is (surprise) in school.  Her classmates are immature, unaware or useless, but she begins as an outsider and things get worse for her.

 

Unfortunately, they also get worse for the scripts, which are more interested in the melodrama than weight of any of the situations involved.  This is made more obvious by the slapping of lame digital video effects too often.  The teleplays are ambitious at times, but the pilot show quickly turns into soap opera and by the tenth show, it might as well be one of its bad U.S. cousins because the creators just don’t have the ambition or experience to make this work.  At least it is some kind of hit and may at least be a cult show.  You may have to see this one for yourself to know if it is for you.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X I image is surprisingly soft, but instead of it being Sony’s fault, it seems to be that of the BBC.  This set confirms there is some problem with HD-to-DVD transfers in England, especially from the BBC as other titles from their home video imprint (as well as BBC titles licensed to the likes of Koch and Acorn) have a certain softness, flatness and lack of depth that suggests a PAL tradedown that is throwing out too much of the HD details.

 

The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has limited surrounds and is fine for what it is, but is nothing outstanding and maybe even understated for a recent TV show in the sonics department, particularly surprising for this genre.  Deleted scenes and a making of featurette are the only extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo