Based on the best-selling series of novels by Antonio Manzini, Rocco Schiavone: Ice Cold Murders is a devilishly entertaining Italian crime series that follows the idiosyncratic adventures of cranky and unorthodox detective Rocco Schiavone (Marco Giallini). In Seasons 3 and 4, the irascible Schiavone becomes increasingly isolated in the Alpine town of Aosta, investigating bizarre murders far from his beloved home city of Rome – involving ex-priests, casinos, and a particularly exhausting case at a hospital where he is scheduled to have an operation. Though he remains skilled at solving the crimes of others, he is unable to quiet his own demons, which threaten to overturn his life.

For thoughts on Rocco Schiavone: Ice Cold Murders – Seasons 3 & 4, please check out my previous piece here.

For additional thoughts, check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Rocco Schiavone: Ice Cold Murders – Seasons 3 & 4 arrives on Blu-Ray with another pleasant 1080p transfer which maintains the quality of the previous season. These two seasons provide the series with twelve episodes over three discs which allows it a fair bit of room to avoid anomalies. The presentation avoids any major flaws which really helps the show stand out in high definition. The cinematography continues to impress with the capturing of some gorgeous locations. White levels are stable and do not veer into blooming, which is important for a series with so much snow on the ground. Shadow detail maintains its depth with crisp delineation and not much in the way of noise.

The color palette continues to veer towards the cooler side of the spectrum to match the environment with icy blues and grays. There are some environments outside of Aosta this season where you get a bit more vibrancy. The landscape featured in certain environments also gives the disc a chance to shine in the detail department. Skin tones look natural throughout the season, and there are no digital anomalies of great note. Fine detail is also on display when it comes to production design and costumes. Kino Lorber continues to serve this show well.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray set comes with both a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 track in the original Italian that are perfectly in line with the intention of the series. This set does not have an English dub, as the series was made to be heard in Italian with optional English subtitles. The series is primarily dialogue driven, but there is a flurry of atmospheric effects that give this track a nice sense of dimensionality. The ambient activity in the mix makes each environment feel a bit more dynamic and three dimensional. Certain settings really engage the surround channels with sounds emanating from their natural direction.

Dialogue primarily stays anchored in the center channel and is reproduced with a nice clarity. The track does a fine job of making sure neither sound effects nor the score ever overpowers dialogue. The music of the show helps establish the tone of the series that permeates the room on this track. This was never intended to be a show with big action set pieces, but the low end is used to add a bit of texture. This presentation is really good all around.

Special Features

There are no special features included on this release.

Final Thoughts

Rocco Schiavone: Ice Cold Murders continues to carve its path of quirky character work and enthralling crime developments. This third and fourth season really capitalizes on all of the great development from the earlier run with meaningful arcs and memorable moments. The performers are really firing on all cylinders, and the writing is up to the task of giving them storylines worthy of their talent. This is a true gem of a crime show. Kino Lorber has released a Blu-Ray set that offers a great A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. If you enjoyed the earlier seasons, these two do not slip in quality. Recommended

Rocco Schiavone: Ice Cold Murders – Seasons 3 & 4 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: Kino Lorber 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.