Starring: Billy Campbell, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jordan Hayes, Neil Napier, Luciana Carro, Patrick Baby
Number of discs: 3
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Run Time: 550 minutes
Season: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars
A few years ago, I would be all over anything that Syfy has delivered up but recently that has changed, especially after “Defiance”. “Helix” though is a great new show that is simple and yet not showy but still quite a wild ride. After the disaster of “Defiance”, I appreciated how they turned down the visual “wow” and focused on a good story with a strong character driven cast. With “Helix”, I literally loved each episode and couldn’t wait to see the next! It takes a little while to get started but once it does …watch out! Can’t wait for Season 2 coming in 2015!
Official Premise: Helix is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to a high-tech research facility in the Arctic to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that holds the key to mankind’s salvation or total annihilation.
Sony is releasing this show as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + UltraViolet Digital Copy. The first season’s 13 episodes are spread out over the 3-disc Blu-ray set. The 1080p transfers work great for the show. The show doesn’t have a ton of visual effects but it still looks great and quite sharp. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround, which works for the shows action and gives out clear dialogue.
The special features are also very impressive for this release. There are two Blu-ray exclusives including “Fabricating the Plague”, which gives a look into the virus in various stages. “Writing the Tension” takes us into the process of writing this series. There are two commentary tracks included. The first is on the Pilot with Billy Campbell and Cameron Porsandeh. The second is on “Dans L’Ombre” with Billy Campbell and Steven Maeda.
There are four production featurettes included. “Ronald D. Moore: The Outlier of Science Fiction” is a feature on developing this series. “The Future of Disease” is a look into the mysterious disease of Helix. “The Art of Isolation” takes on a tour of the set with the Production Designer. The last one is “Dissecting the Characters” which is a study of the show’s characters and relationships. Lastly there are Deleted Scenes and Outtakes included.