 "After two years, still mezmerizing: I tried, but failed to find something wrong..." | 2009-08-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: A14Q5D3QYA8FPV |
I reviewed this series two years ago, under a different nickname. However, after completing a Second Sight "marathon" last weekend, I felt compelled to share my thoughts once again with fellow Second Sight enthusiasts. The series has aged SO WELL, viewing it remains a joy. It proves just how much the American cinema has underutilized the great acting talent of Mr Owen's... Here is my original review, as true today, as it was two years ago (though Bean's latest Sharpe episode was not so good, I'm affraid):
"Why is it that British TV can be sooo grand at times? I rushed out to buy Second Sight after catching a glimps of the series on a public TV chanel. What is right about it? Everything: original plot, charismatic lead (I am not a fan of Clive Owen's, EXCEPT in this performance), well chosen supporting cast, quality production. You yearn for another installment of the series, though with Clive Owen gaining popularity in the US, that does not seem likely (can he take a lesson from Sean Bean, who did not forget his roots, and recently returned, for a brief moment, to the TV series "Sharpe" that had "made him"?). There is nothing on American TV that compares well to the sofistication of this product. Buy it, watch it, share it!"
PS: The set contains all four episodes, each one slightly over two hours long. |
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| "Worth every penny!" | 2008-03-07 |
| - Reviewed By ninjalady |
I would highly recommend this DVD set! It's wonderfully written, acted and directed. I originally bought this set because of Clive Owen. It's a set of Mystery! episodes that is delicious in it's intricacy and multi-layered plot. The main character is endearingly human many faults and illness, coupled with his on-going family problems. Clive Owen is fantastic in this series and his acting is impeccable! The supporting actors are terrific, as well.
This DVD set is well worth the price. |
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 "Despite the angst and anguish, Clive Owen and some good mysteries make Second Sight work" | 2008-02-24 |
| - Reviewed By ecder |
Detective Chief Inspector Ross Tanner of the Special Murder Unit has a problem. He's not just an intense, competitive copper who focuses intently on solving whatever crime he and his team are assigned; his ex not only divorced him because of this intensity; he not only has difficulty finding time for his young son because of his intensity...now he finds out he's probably going blind.
Tanner (Clive Owen) is diagnosed with a rare virus that goes after the cornea. His doctor tells him that's why he's been having trouble at times seeing clearly, having flashes of disorienting light and sometimes having hallucinations. His doctor also tells him it's quite likely to get worse. There's a good chance he'll wind up without sight and there's some chance his condition will improve. For this ultra-committed cop, the idea of going blind and not being able to do his job is a horrible prospect. So he refuses to say anything about it to his superiors or his team. He occasionally bumps into things and gets dizzy, but Tanner is determined to crack his latest case and stay on the job. Fortunately, perhaps, one member of his team discovers what's going on. Detective Inspector Catherine Tully makes a deal with Tanner. She'll be his eyes when he needs her and will help cover his situation. She wants a past screw-up on her record cleared and his support in dealing with the male chauvinists on the team. Tanner, with no other real option, agrees.
So now Tanner, with Tully close by, takes on the case of a 19-year-old young man who has been brutally beaten to death. There are plenty of suspects and suspicious characters, and they all are members of or close to the dead man's family. Let's see...what was going on with the dead man's former nanny, a relatively young woman who may have seduced the lad; or his mother, now remarried with a two-year-old daughter, who seems remarkably self-contained; or his step-father, a cool and busy businessman who had little time for him; or, most interestingly, his step-fathers identical twin brother. The two may look alike but that's the only similarity...that, and a fondness for the same woman. There are fair clues, inferences, psychological back-stories, jealousy, envy and hate. In other words, the mystery's not bad. And Tanner, with Catherine's help and a lot of legwork from his team, finally cracks the case. He has had to deal with debilitating light shows in his eyes, but those hallucinations sometimes helped out. You see, as his eyes deteriorate, it may be that his other senses, even that sixth one, are becoming more fine-tuned. Is this a television mystery or what?
Second Sight runs almost three hours. It was followed the next year by three new cases, each one running about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Hide and Seek takes us to the death of a famous violinist. The murderer turns out to be someone we least suspect, but the story plays fair with us. Parasomnia deals with anguish and sleepwalking. Kingdom of the Blind places Tanner in the middle of a war between neo-Nazis and black young men...and then his son disappears. While by now Catherine has left the unit (and Tanner's bed), another member of the team is helping.
To my mind all the mysteries in Second Sight are over-written and at times overly dramatic. There's the dreaded CSI syndrome at work: Anguished heroes, overly dramatic close-ups of suspects being interrogated; so much back-story trailing behind that a shovel and pail are needed. The writers appear to think they are exploring the human condition, or some such, instead of writing tight-paced, clever mysteries for television. Tanner's situation is set up for us in the first program. Even if we haven't seen this program, his situation doesn't need the seemingly endless camera pyrotechnics to let us know Tanner is having an attack. We sure don't need the repeated narrative of Tanner's angst and anguishes. The writers don't trust the audience because they don't think we'll get it the second, third and fourth time around.
More than balancing this, I think, are two things. First, discard all the anguish and neo-CSI nonsense and there remains good, interesting mysteries with solid, professional acting. I particularly liked the first. It was clever, unexpected and psychologically sick. Stuart Wilson who played the twins was a sight to see.
The second and most important factor is Clive Owen. The man is a compelling actor. He underplays effortlessly and he has the skill and presence to dominate the program. He's a pleasure to watch. For those who also like Owen, I recommend two films he made with Mike Hodges, Croupier and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. If Owen doesn't go Hollywood, and so far there's no sign that he is, he'll not only be a star but also remain an unusually fine actor.
The DVD transfers are just fine and there are several extras. |
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| "Forensic Buff" | 2008-01-24 |
| - Reviewed By bbush29 |
| Enjoyed it but I could have done without it. But I can't pass up British mysteries,no matter who is in it. |
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| "Interesting portrayal" | 2007-11-10 |
| - Reviewed By maggie79 |
I'm not a huge mystery fan, but I do love Clive Owen, so I watched this series about a police detective who almost overnight becomes visually impaired. The mysteries are fairly compelling, but very easily spotted - you'll know who did it far in advance. The real reason to watch this series is Owen's portrayal of Ross Tanner, a guy who is great at his crime-solving job, but a screw-up in his personal life. He's basically all hustle and no self-reflection, filling his life with one-night stands and drinking. His lifestyle changes when he learns that he's losing his eyesight (although there's a chance that the process will be reversed). His failing sight forces him to solve crimes differently (trusting his instincts more and more) and causes him to reexamine what's important to him. He begins a relationship with his colleague Catherine Tully (Claire Skinner) and spends more time with his ten-year-old son.
I enjoyed watching Owen's portrayal of this very flawed man as well as his interactions with the rest of his (sometimes surly) staff and with his ex-wife and son (the scenes with his son are sweet without being cloying). |
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| "Clive Owen is wonderful" | 2007-05-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2A80F2UWHZK0L |
| I was pleasantly surprised at how well Clive Owen acted in this series. In some of his movies he seems a little too stiff, however, in this series he is warm and believable. This is the story of a detective on the fast track who is losing his sight. Reading the synopsis you may think that "Second Sight" is referring to being able to see into the future/past; however that is not the case. He is losing his sight due to a viral infection that is uncurable. He is unable to hide this condition from his most able coworkers (they are detectives after all), and has to lean on a few of them which is something he hates to do. This series would have been better has the intro been deleted off of it, but the show was very good and the last show of the series had a wonderful and satisfying ending. |
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