Copper - Justice is brutal season 2 - DVD

Movie: New York in the year 1865: In the immigrant neighborhood Five Points gang wars, corruption, murder and prostitution are the order of the day. Desperate to bring some order to the crime- and disease-ridden neighborhood, Detective Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones) enlists the help of Robert Moorhouse (Kyle Schmid) and doctor Matthew Freeman (Ato Essandoh). His efforts are further complicated when Civil War general Brendan Donovan (Donal Louge) is put in charge of the 6th Precinct. That's because Donovan maintains close ties to the Tammany Hall party organization of the ruthless William Eustace (William Baldwin), who wants to bring Five Points under his control at any cost. And that's where a dedicated cop like Corcoran sometimes just gets in the way. When Matthew receives a tempting offer from his old mentor, the small team threatens to break up for good. Horrible murders, personal strokes of fate, the danger of epidemics or even a brutal occupation of the precinct by the gangster Philomen Keating ensure that there is simply no peace in Five Points. But then something unimaginable happens that could change the future of the neighborhood and the entire country forever...

Copper returns with ten more episodes after a successful first season. Unfortunately, after the dramatic end of the second season, it's already over. Despite good reviews and enthusiastic viewers, BBC America has decided against a third season of their first self-produced series due to the poor ratings. The good actors, the very atmospheric set and the suspenseful scripts can not really be the reason that the series has not found its audience. Maybe the broad masses found the very authentic staging simply too dark and brutal. Of course, this is pure speculation. The fact is that Copper has become an absolutely thrilling, relentless, dirty and gritty historical thriller, which admittedly doesn't necessarily offer what is commonly understood as light entertainment. However, the events in Five Points are gripping and enthralling.

The second season has some very intense storylines to offer, which are not only very exciting, but also emotionally stirring. These are carried by a very strong ensemble, including a more than convincing Franka Potente as a shady brothel owner. The dramatic climax is undoubtedly reached in the last two episodes, in which a historical event completely reshuffles the cards. But also a very personal loss of Corcoran or a terrible plague that is rampant in Five Points make for very intense moments.

Although there are some clear parallels to the British series Ripper Street, Copper has an atmosphere all its own, somewhere between Gangs of New York and Deadwood. If you don't need constant feel-good material and are definitely into dark, brutal stuff, you definitely shouldn't miss this very good second season. Absolutely worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The image of the DVD pleases with its very earthy, atmospheric coloring and good image sharpness. Real weak points can hardly be made out with the very clean picture even in the numerous dark scenes. The sound is dominated by the dialogues in many scenes, but has pleasantly dynamic surround moments to offer from time to time. Good!

Extras: Unfortunately, there is no bonus material.

Conclusion: Copper is dirty, gritty and relentless. The US answer to Ripper Street is superbly cast and impresses with an authentic set. The exciting stories also ensure that you are entertained as a viewer in the best possible way. It's a shame that after this very good second season, this lavish production has already come to an end. But even if the ending is somewhat unsatisfactory and the DVD box set has no extras to offer, the purchase of both seasons is well worth it. Because Copper is told in such a complex way that you can watch the series several times without getting bored. Therefore, there is a very clear: Recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp