Copper: Season One (2012/BBC DVD
Set)
Picture: B- Sound: B- Extras: A+ Episodes: B+
What do you get when you cross CSI,
Justified, and Gangs of New York? Copper: Season One. This lively BBC television series sets the
action in the wild streets of New York City, circa 1864. The Civil War rages, and all the while crime
and poverty run rampant in a city whose grander destiny yet awaits it. In the meantime violence, prostitution,
racism, and murder plague the city’s denizens, all lorded over by the unfettered
avarice of those would become the city fathers.
Abuse of wealth and power remain central themes throughout this three
disc set, and Irish-immigrant Copper Kevin “Corky” Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones)
does his best to sort it all out. This
violent, brooding lawman mourns the loss of his wife and daughter, and through
excessive drinking, injury, and the obstacles placed in front of him by a
series of known and unknown rivals, tries to protect the city’s most vulnerable
inhabitants, its children. While
Corcoran’s methods often bend to street guile and outright mayhem, he is not
without other resources. Defying the
racist stereotypes of many of the time, African American Doctor Matthew Freeman
(Ato Essandoh) uses cutting edge medical knowledge to assist Copper Corcoran in
solving the many crimes he encounters.
Besides the loyal and trustworthy Doctor Freeman, Corcoran can never
quite be sure who he can really trust. Scheming
dilettante Robert Morehouse (Kyle Schmid) seems to play both sides to curry favor
with his father, Norbert (Geordie Johnson), one of the city’s would be
architects. Incredibly violent and
unpredictable, Copper offers a fast-paced period police drama
that sometimes strays into stranger territory. Confederate spies, drug abuse, and a series of
betrayals all make this ten-episode First
Season a thrilling ride.
The 1.78 X 1 anamorphically enhanced picture and lossy Dolby Digital sound
are as good as they are going to be in this format as the repairing of Tom Fontana
and Barry Levinson (joined by Will Rokos from the underrated Southland, reviewed elsewhere on this
site) produces another winner for TV as Oz
and Homicide: Life On The Street before
them did. Plentiful extras include cast
commentaries, a featurette on the making of the show called “Behind the Badge,”
deleted scenes, and a number of smaller featurettes and character profiles. Mr. Weston-Jones’ performance, and that of
Franka Potente as the conflicted socialite Eva Heissen, stand out from the rest
of the outstanding cast, perfectly melding the solid scripts with action on the
screen. Copper provides arresting
period police drama!
- Scott Pyle
