Second Sight, Vol. 1 & 2 (1999)

Worth every penny!

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. March 7, 2008

Despite the angst and anguish, Clive Owen and some good mysteries make Second Sight work

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. February 24, 2008

Forensic Buff

Enjoyed it but I could have done without it. But I can't pass up British mysteries,no matter who is in it. January 24, 2008

Clive Owen is wonderful

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. May 15, 2007

Great detective video with AUDIO DESCRIPTION for blind viewers

DVD or Video--This is an engrossing 2-part detective movie PBS (or BBC?)about a detective who is losing his sight after an accident. He tries to hide the fact from his police force, while solving a case. Great plot and acting.

NOTE TO AMAZON: Can Amazon Note in their product description when a DVD or Video (like Second Sight) offers DVS--Descriptive Video Service, an audio descripton option for viewers with visual impairment--low vision or blindness?
Same way you may list when a product offers CC --Closed Captioning for viewers with hearing impairment--deaf, hard of hearing, etc.

For those who have visual impairment, this DVD/video/TV movie offers the option of Descriptive Audio, a quiet voice that describes key visual scenes (e.g., "The man slips into the room and hides a key under the phone.") To use this, check SECOND SIGHT video menu for additional features. On regular TV, you click the MTS or SAP button on your TV remote and highlight MTS or SAP-- when a program has it, a subtle voice describes all the video action. The voice in no way interferes with the video voice--in fact, it helps the viewer.

My husband is blind, and this way we can both watch DVD. (If the program does not have it, clicking SAP or MTS will play classical music or Spanish translation).
I'm sighted, but I love Descriptive Audio for when I'm tired, too--I never miss a trick this way!

We urge ALL DVD/video makers to add descriptive video---PBS tv stations offer a great many programs with DV (e.g., Masterpiece Theatre, series, etc.)--some networks--NBC, CBS, ABC--must also, by law--look oline on tv schedule to see if DA or DV appears (where the initials CC, for "Closed Captions" for deaf viewers, normally appears).

May 7, 2007

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