Lost Girl Seasons 1 and 2 Blu-ray Reviews
“Lost Girl” is nothing you haven’t seen before.
In the 13 episode season one of “Lost Girl,” we are primarily introduced to the main character, Bo. Bo may appear human on the outside, but she’s really a succubus who preys on scumbags. When she does kill a baddie, she usually has to don a new identity and skip town. Bo’s normal routine manages to change though when she saves a spunky thief named Kenzi from one such scumbag. To make matters more complicated for Bo, she is kidnapped by two cops (Dyson and Hale) who bring her to a mystery person known as the Ash. From there on out, Bo not only discovers she is a fae (an evolutionary creature with powers), but that there are two clans- light and dark faes. The light side is led by Ash while the dark side is led by the Morrigan. Since Bo is used to being on her own, she refuses to choose sides. Throughout the rest of the season, major storylines involve: Bo and Kenzi becoming private investigators, other faes (such as a whisp, a fury, a Hsien, Aswang, Basilisk, Djieiene, Mesmer, Vampires, Banshee, Agallamh, redap, land wight), Dyson and Bo’s relationship, missing person and murder cases, Bo’s past, Fae history, Trick (the bar owner with a secret), Lauren (a human Doctor), another succubus named Saskia, Dyson’s memory loss, and a potential war between the light and dark fae.
In season 2 (which is comprised of 22 episodes), viewers can expect more freak of the week type of material. Episode plots involve: Investigations and stories about Faes (such as a Mare, Sandman, Baba Yaga, Selkie, Lich, Nain Rouge, Baitbat, Djinn, Loki, Serket, Smiurgh, Cherufe, Addonc, and Berserkers), cursed Fae, Dark Fae on the rise, Light Fae’s power fading, a new Ash (Lachlan), Dyson’s past, Lauren and her human girlfriend Nadia, prophecies, Fae fights, and the big bad- the Garuda, Kenzi and her boyfriend Nate, Bo having a relationship with a Dark Fae Loki named Ryan, Ciara (the fairy queen), major revelations about Trick and Bo, a powerful Dark Fae named Vex, and several character deaths.
Upon watching season 1 of “Lost Girl,” it wasn’t hard to see why this low budget Canadian supernatural procedural has found an audience. The show, which currently plays on SyFy in the U.S., is clearly aimed at fans of cult shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” and “Supernatural.” It should come to no surprise then that “Lost Girl” borrows heavily from these three series. To say “Lost Girl” isn’t original is an understatement. It’s a freak of the week sci-fi/fantasy series with an overdone light vs. dark side mythology and some truly dopey dialogue such as “That was like the fourth of July in my mouth!” With all of that said, the first season (not so much the second) still manages to be fun in a guilty pleasure sort of way.
For some viewers, the mythology and various creatures will be the main point of attraction here, but to me, that felt like old hat. This is especially evident in season 2 where the freak of the week formula is overdone. This series doesn’t have as deep of a mythology as shows like ‘Buffy’ and the writing suffers because of it. In fact, I’m still wondering how the writers are going to manage to drag this show out for years to come as they are clearly running out of creatures.
Personally, I think the series is at its best when it focuses on character dynamics and or relationships. While he may not receive as much screentime as certain characters, Rick Howland’s Trick character is arguably the most intriguing. While secrets about this character are slowly revealed over the course of seasons 1 and 2, you’ll find that he’s one of the most (if not the most) complex character in the series. He’s the type of the character that becomes more interesting the more you learn about him.
The real breakout star here, however, is Ksenia Solo (Kenzi). Her witty, charming character steals every scene she is in and seeing the journey her character goes on is far more interesting than the fae of the week storyline. I especially like her chemistry with Aaron Ashmore (who plays Kenzi’s lover Nate in season 2).
On the subject of character relationships, the one that thing that truly sets “Lost Girl” apart from its inspirations is the eroticism. No, the series isn’t late night Cinemax material, but it does get rather saucy at times especially between Bo and Dyson, Lauren and Nadia, and Bo and Lauren. It is refreshing to see adult sexual material that doesn’t shy away from being sexual. Then again, this is a Canadian cable production and not a prudish basic cable (or network) U.S. one…
Note: All episodes are uncut versions.
Video/Audio:
The series, which is presented in widescreen 1080p, looks solid for the most part in the two season sets. The low budget production values, f/x, and weak lighting are really highlighted in hi-def, but if you can look past that, the transfers are still impressively crisp and clear.
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio tracks for both seasons aren’t perfect, but they certainly come alive when it matters most (namely during the action sequences).
Season 1 Extras:
* Trailers for “Dragon Age: Dawn Of The Seeker,” “Mass Effect: Paragon Lost,” “Athena: Goddess Of War,” “Mushi-Shi,” “Tajomaru: Avenging Blade,” “The Treasure Hunter,” and “Zebraman 2: Attack On Zebra City.”
* Interviews with cast members Anna Silk, Kris Holden-Ried, Ksenia Solo, K.C. Collins and Rick Howland. The group talk about their characters, Faes, character dynamics, acting, scenes, etc.
* Crew interviews with Michelle Lovretta, Jay Firestone, Perer Monahan, Anne Dixon, David Greene, and Ian Brock. They discuss characters, costumes, the show, the sets, etc.
* 10 behind-the-scenes clips of the cast and crew working on set.
Season 2 Extras:
* Funimation trailers.
* An amusing 7 ½ minute blooper reel.
* Interviews with Anna Silk, Rick Howland and Zoie Palmer.
* 6 short featurettes that cover stunts, wardrobe, hair/make-up, props, set design, and a look at the making of an episode.
Summary: “Lost Girl” is hardly appointment TV, but it’s a harmless time waster if you’re looking for a new genre show. In case you can’t get enough of this show, you might be interested to know that season 3 is currently airing on SyFy.
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