'Cracked: The Darkness Within'
(David Sutcliffe, Stephanie von Pfetten, et al / 2-Disc DVD / NR / 2015 / BBC America)
Overview: Detective Aiden Black (David Sutcliffe, Gilmore Girls, Private Practice) and psychiatrist Dr. Daniella Ridley (Stephanie von Pfetten, Battlestar Galactica) return to take on another caseload of bizarre and emotionally explosive criminals, victims and witnesses for the Psych Crimes and Crisis Unit.
DVD Verdict: When I first heard about this excellent crime TV show 'Cracked,' and the idea of the new unit therein, I was somewhat on the fence about how it would translate to the screen; and how good it would actually be. But I was pleasantly surprised to see the show was rather excellent. David Sutcliffe's portrayal of Aidan, the somewhat "Cracked" Detective whose operational history makes him one of the best cops in the department is a brilliant piece of casting in its own right!
His new partner, back then, is not a detective, but a psychiatrist who doesn't carry a gun and that simply plays out brilliantly for both the characters. Stefanie con Pfettens portrayal of Dr Daniella Ridley is also excellent with there being great chemistry between the two quite opposite people. Although we don't see very much of the other partnership of Detective Poppy Wisnefski (played by Luisa D'Oliveira) and Psychiatric Nurse Leo Beckett (played by Dayo Ade) in the opening season, that changes as we progress, trust me!
The whole group, since the very first season, interact as an en mass partnership, the two trained officers and two mental health professionals allowing for a whole new slant on the crime-solving genre to free flow rather well. Both sides, at a crime scene, give us new perspectives on each individual incident, let alone the criminals themselves, with the episode showing us ongoing potential for many more seasons to come.
Here in the third season, 'Cracked: The Darkness Within,' the supposedly (outwardly) mismatched duo track a former professional hockey goon on a post-career violence streak, a fellow police officer grappling with the mysterious suicide of her daughter, and a big-time diamond heist at a small jewelry store that uncovers shocking surveillance video footage. But, most troubling, Aiden's cavalier attitude toward his upcoming inquest unearths trust issues with Daniella. Sure they will get resolved, one way or another, but having "grown up" watching this series from season one, well, it's hard, nay painful (as a viewer, as a fan) to see these mistrust issues fester quite so openly between them. [FYI: 'Cracked' is Canadian based, so you hear Canada based places named all the time. I mention this tidbit, just in case you think they are making "British" stuff up all the time!] This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.
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