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DVD Review: Resurrection: The Complete First Season Out on DVD Today

ResurrectionResurrection, which is based on the book The Returned, by Jason Mott (no connection to the French movie or series), follows the lives of the residents in the town of Arcadia, Missouri after their previously deceased loved ones suddenly return.

The show mostly focuses on one family, the Langstons. The first episode opens with a young boy, Jacob (Landon Gimenez) waking up on the other side of the world with no idea how he got there. Eventually he is returned by immigration and customs Agent J. Martin Bellamy (Omar Epps) to his parents Henry (Kurtwood Smith) and Lucille (Frances Fisher), and although they have aged quite a bit, he is still 8, the same age as when he died 32 years ago, though they soon discover with a few slight differences.

ResurrectionBellamy is also a very important character in the series and gets drawn in trying to protect Jacob and his family, all while harboring secrets of his own.

Helping Bellamy solve the mystery is Dr. Maggie Langston (Devin Kelley), whose mother drowned trying to rescue Jacob.

It isn't too long before others start returning and they can't keep Jacob a secret anymore. Not everyone is accepting of the returned; many in the town are quite fearful and want them gone. Also, not all of them are as innocent as Jacob.

The series focuses more on the effects that those returned have on the residents, as opposed to why, and it can become very emotional. That being said, there is still a mystery element to the series that will keep science fiction fans guessing and questioning.

The actors in the series really shine. I especially was moved on many occasions by Smith and Fisher.

The series really has had quite a mixed bag of reviews. People seem to either really like it or really dislike it. I really enjoyed the first season of the series. It's a thoughtful mystery that can really pull on your heartstrings, yet also keep you wanting more answers. I'm excited for the second season, which I hope delves more into the reasoning behind the returns and the science of how.

Bonus Features:

On Location in Georgia
This one is really a featurette as it's only a little over three minutes long. The cast and crew talk about filming on location in Georgia and the flexibility of the type of locations available. They also talk a bit about recreating China.

Resurrection: Building a Mystery
Another featurette, also three minutes, talks a bit about the mystery and the cast weighs in with some of their theories.

Bloopers

Deleted Scenes
Deleted Scenes include Philosophizing About the Dog, Recounting By the River, and Cut Me Loose. They are three good scenes, but not necessarily ones that add much to the story.

Sneak Peeks
I'm not sure why it' plural, as there is only one: Malificent. It plays automatically with disc one, but is also available via the menu on disc two.

Packaging:
The series is available on DVD only, no Blu-ray, which is the main issue I have with the release, considering it aired in high definition on ABC. The picture quality, however, on my upconverted Sony player looked pretty close.

The set is packaged in a normal clamshell case with outer cardboard slip cover.

The set contains two discs. The first contains the first four episodes and the second the last four plus the bonus features. The discs do not list the episodes, however, the back of the cover for the case does. The only place the specific bonus features are listed is on the back case in the description, which I find slightly odd.

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