One year after the death of Sean Wallace and the violent reckonings of season one, the map and soul of London has been redrawn. The surviving Wallaces are scattered, the Dumanis broken and estranged, and ex-undercover cop Elliot Finch (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Humans, Mr. Malcolm’s List) is now being forced to work for the Investors. As the Investors look down on a city sliding into chaos they decide enough is enough and bring in reinforcements to restore control. Old favorites and new players fight back against the new order, forcing sworn enemies to work together and family members to betray each other. Who will win the battle for London’s soul?
For thoughts on Gangs of London: The Complete First Season, please see my review of the Blu-Ray here.
For thoughts on Gangs of London: The Complete Second Season, please check out my previous overview here.
Video Quality
Gangs of London comes to DVD with 8 episodes over 2 discs, which offers a decent amount of room to avoid compression issues. The first season received a Blu-Ray release, so it is a bit disappointing to see that sales did not warrant the series being continued on that format. Due to the limitations of the lesser format, these episodes are not going to look as great as they do in high definition, but they look as good as they can with these considerations in mind. By and large, though, this remains a striking show with fine details visible in brighter environments. Shadow detail can struggle as black levels fail to achieve the depth necessary for distinct edge detail. Skin tones appear natural, and close ups reveal some texture. This is far from a colorful world, but a handful of hues make an impression. While the show did look much better on Blu-Ray, the DVD is a fair option if you want to own the series on physical media.
Audio Quality
This DVD comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that mostly accomplishes what it needs to do. The score and occasional tunes are presented effectively here with good fidelity. Sound effects and background chatter never overshadow the dialogue causing lost information. The mix wields an accurate sense of directionality so that nothing ever feels like it is emanating from the wrong place. Dialogue comes through clearly with a focus in the center channel. The rear speakers create a three-dimensional atmosphere as the sound of various distinct environments envelops you when the moment calls for it. The track gets the job done within its limitations on DVD. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
Gangs of London remains one of the most brutal and thrilling shows on television today. The sense that anything could and just might happen keeps you gripping your armrest in every episode, and the intricacies of the various power struggles are really well constructed. The visual flair brought to this series on a filmmaking level puts in miles ahead of other crime shows that feel languid by comparison. If you loved the debut season, the show only continues to up the ante in its sophomore outing. RLJ Entertainment has delivered a DVD with a decent A/V presentation for the format and no supplemental features. While we truly wish the show had continued on Blu-Ray, this is a fine option if you simply want to own the show on physical media. Recommended
Gangs of London: The Complete Second Season is currently available to purchase on DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.
Disclaimer: RLJ Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
