This internationally co-produced thriller series is based upon the novel of the same name by Daniel Cole. The series follows the murder of six people who have been dismembered and sewn into the shape of a grotesque body, “The Ragdoll”. As detectives begin to investigate, the killer begins to taunt them.

For thoughts on Ragdoll: The Complete First Season, please check out my thoughts here.

Video Quality

The first season of Ragdoll comes to Blu-Ray with a gorgeous 1080p presentation that is as lovely as anything on the format. The series shines with some slick cinematography which is presented with absolute clarity on this disc. From the brighter daytime scenes to the numerous darker, shadowy moments, the skin tones and facial details are superbly rendered in a way that you feel as if you could reach through the screen. Subtle facial features are readily visible, such as the beard of Rose that lends itself to intricate texture. Black levels are very deep and never betray the objects on screen. Deep colors from the landscapes and clothing leap off the screen alongside some instances of blood. No instances of compression artifacts crept up during the viewing thanks to a solid encode. You could not ask for better from this transfer.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that captures the sonic ambitions of the show perfectly. One of the great things this series does is create an eerie atmosphere with notable ambient activity in the rear channels. This is especially apparent during lively moments with press swarming a crime scene or unsettling noises radiating from the darkness. The track does a good job of making sure neither sound effects nor the music ever overpowers dialogue. The music brings a distinct mood to the series that properly fills up the room on this track. During the brief bits of action this season, there is some heft to the low end that is appreciated. The dialogue primarily stays in front center channels and is reproduced clearly. This track has no apparent weaknesses from the first episode to the last. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

There are no special features included in this release.

Final Thoughts

The first season of Ragdoll quickly gets you invested in the characters and the overall mystery at large while not unnecessarily drawing out plot points beyond their natural shelf life. At six episodes, the show packs a lot of information into each episode where not much seems superfluous. The focus on the Rose character sometimes hampers the overall excitement given his two female counterparts are quite a bit more compelling. The series does not set itself too far apart from normal crime drama conventions, but it does throw in gnarly elements akin to Se7en and Saw which gives you a fun jolt. RLJE Films and AMC have delivered a Blu-Ray with an excellent A/V presentation but no special features. If you are a fan of crime-mystery shows, this one is pretty well done and compelling. Recommended

Ragdoll: The Complete First Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: RLJE Films 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.