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The Series
[Rating:4/5]
As usual I am very late to the original Netflix Series party. Lilyhammer was one of the first original series to broadcast in their entirety on the Netflix service. It was successful and it just kept going. I should also preface this review by saying that I have not watched the first season of Lilyhammer, so I’m obviously missing a lot of information and nuances. I’m only going to write about what I know from series 2.
Steve Van Zandt plays Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano who has turned state’s evidence against his former gangster employer. On the run and hiding out in Lillehammer, Norway, Frank assumes the identity of a Giovanni “Johnny” Henricksen. It’s obvious that Frank can’t really stay out of the “game” and begins his new organization with some fresh Norwegian talent and immerses himself in the culture. I will point out that this is already established coming into season 2.
In this series Frank has to navigate through gangsters that drive Ferrari’s, the potential of special education for his twin sons, keeping his group of not-so bright associates from tanking the operation he has going on and he must also try to not get pinched by a very tenacious homeland security agent – Norway’s version of homeland security I might add.
I enjoyed Lilyhammer very much and it was great to see Van Zandt back in the saddle again as a gangster. His character can be best described as the one he played in The Sopranos, Silvio Dante. I mean the character is so self-aware that it could very well be Silvio Dante and I don’t have a problem with that. Another thing that should be pointed out that was probably initiated in the first series is that Frank doesn’t speak Norwegian but understands it. When the Norwegian characters speak to him he understands and responds to them in English. I thought that was a neat touch. The Norwegian characters also speak English here and there, too. The violence quota is also, surprisingly, kept in check. It is a violent show but there are only a few instances of traditional gangster violence and they are few and far between and nothing too grotesque. It was somewhat startling, because I was expecting a blood bath from start to finish. The show has recently finished airing series 3 but there are no details for a series 4 yet. For now you can get your hands on series 1 and series 2 on Blu-ray.
Episodes
- Millwall Brick
- Out of Africa
- Fiddler’s Green
- The Black Toe
- The Island
- Special Education
- The Freezer
- Ghosts
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Lilyhammer: Season 2 is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen at 1080i/50 in an AVC encodement. Cold. Cold is what you’re going to feel sitting there watching our characters track through the snow and ice. Contrast levels are firm and steady. Sharpness levels don’t seem to have been tweaked with and I did not detect any instances of blooming or strobing. Darkly lit interiors and exteriors (night time shots) are free from crush and remain deep and inky. Aliasing and haloing were not a problem. The color palette is definitely scaled back, with only a few instances of color saturation and that usually involves wardrobe, structures, cars, etc. Overall the video quality on this second season of Lilyhammer is quite outstanding.
Audio Quality
[Rating:3/5]
This second series on Blu-ray comes through my region free player as a 5.1 source, but you would be hard pressed to find it. It may have something to do with the original masters as those, I believe, are broadcast via 2.0 on Netflix. I am aware that other countries also port them over in 2.0 and 5.1 also. Lilyhammer is a dialogue driven series, so most of the action and dialogue comes through nice and clear via the front soundstage. I kept my ear on the LFE subwoofer channel and don’t recall any low rumble bass coming through at all. I also had to go to the rear and make sure that this was indeed a surround sound presentation, because I could not really detect any sounds coming from the rear channels even though there was sound coming from the Left, Center, and Right channels. It’s very peculiar, which is why the audio quality gets the grade that it gets. Some viewers may not notice, but I’m making mention of it just to be thorough.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0/5]
The check-disc items we received for review contained no special features, booklets, or reversible artwork. This may or may not change when the final product hits stores.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
Lilyhammer: Season 2 was great! Steve Van Zandt and his crew of not-so-bright Norwegian associates carry the entire series on their assured backs with nay a hint of awkwardness or doubt. The video and audio specifications on this Blu-ray set are more than adequate for what it is — I was sad to see that there were no special features included, but here’s hoping that the final product will have some. Lilyhammer: Season 2 is recommended!
Additional Screen Captures
[amazon-product region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B00Q8PO6RY[/amazon-product]
[amazon-product region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B00Q8PO6RY[/amazon-product]