Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Strike Back: Season Five DVD Review

HBO/Cinemax; TV-MA; 471 minutes

I spent my weekend binge watching Strike Back: Season Five, which landed on DVD and Blu-ray last week from HBO Home Entertainment.

If you're not already familiar with Strike Back, then let me give you a quick briefing on the series. Strike Back is loosely based on the novel of the same name by author Chris Ryan. The original season, titled Chris Ryan's Strike Back (or known in American as Strike Back: Origins), aired on Sky1 in the United Kingdom in 2010 and starred Richard Armitage (The Hobbit trilogy) and Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead).

A second season consisting of 10-episodes was ordered with a brand new cast with one little twist - it was co-produced by Cinemax, which meant more violence was added, as well as nudity, sex scenes, and adult language. Season Two was titled Strike Back: Project Dawn in the UK, but here in America it was titled Strike Back: Season One and starred Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton as soldiers who work for the "Section 20," an elite British military group who are responsible for tracking down terrorists. The actors returned for three more seasons - Strike Back: Vengeance (Season Two), Strike Back: Shadow Warfare (Season Three), and Strike Back: Legacy (Season Four).

After a two-year hiatus, the series returned last fall in the UK with a new cast, titled Strike Back: Retribution. Here in the America, the series aired on Cinemax earlier this year as Strike Back: Season Five. The cast include: Warren Brown as Sergeant Thomas ‘Mac’ McAllister, Daniel MacPherson as Sergeant Samuel Wyatt, Alin Sumarwatta as Lance Corporal Gracie Novan, and Roxanne McKee as Captain Natalie Reynolds.


The ten-part season centers around the escape of Omair Idrisi (played by Don Hany), a terrorist who plans on launching a deadly attack. Section 20 is assigned to track down Idrisi and his British wife, Jane Lowry (played by Katherine Kelly), which will take the unit across North Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Bonus Features include:
  • Strike Back Season 5: Declassified - Get an inside look at each episode.
  • The New Team - Section 20's new team and tactics they employ to fight terrorism around the globe.

Final Thoughts

I'm a newer fan of the Strike Back series; with me first be introduced to the series when the Cinemax's fourth season arrived on Blu-ray. I later purchased the first three seasons. The only season I have yet to watch is the Strike Back: Origins (the first British season), which has never been released to DVD or Blu-ray in the United States. I was extremely surprised when Cinemax uncancelled the series, but I was a little disappointed that it would feature a brand new cast. The chemistry between Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton is what made the first four seasons so great. The good news is the actors do return for a small part in the final two episodes of season five!

As for the new cast, the characters are very one dimensional, except for Gracie Novin, who is wonderfully played by Alin Sumarwata. Actually, the female characters have larger roles this season and they participate heavily in the action scenes side-by-side with the two main male characters. The terrorist plot is nothing new and it isn't quite exciting as the past seasons. The first three episodes are boring, but the action picks up with episode four. I didn't really get interested until episode 5.

Overall, Strike Back: Season Five is a watered down version of the "Strike Back" franchise. Yes, it still has violence, nudity, and sex in it, but the episodes aren't as enjoyable as the previous seasons. If you're already a fan of the franchise, then you'll enjoy the last two episodes with guest stars Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton. A sixth season has already been ordered by Cinemax, so I'm hoping it will have a better plot.


*Note : I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. All opinions are my own.




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