Ice Road Truckers Season 2 - DVD

Content: The "Ice Road Truckers" are back! After having to take the dangerous route across a frozen lake in season 1, things get even more dangerous in season 2. Because this time, the route takes them from the McKenzie River directly across the Arctic Ocean, over 300 kilometers with no way to get themselves or the truck and its precious cargo to safety should the ice break. Hugh "The Polar Bear" Rowland, who led the driver standings in Season 1, the devout Alex Debogorski, who has 26 years of experience under his belt, the "Bad Boy" Rick Yun, who was forced to retire early last year due to a faulty heater, or the not-so-lucky Drew Sherwood, who was fired by Hugh of all people in Season 1, are all trying their luck again this season.

After all, a rider here can earn up to $70,000 due to the high danger posed by the Arctic Route. Every single tour is therefore highly sought after and the pressure of competition between the riders is extremely high. The advantage of the new route: here they are allowed to drive much faster than on the smaller and narrower route of last season. The disadvantage: their cargo is much heavier and the danger of collapsing in the ice is correspondingly higher. On top of that, there are quite a few difficulties like blizzards, sudden thaws, animals on the road and the extremely low temperatures that always cause trouble for the trucks.

The concept of "Ice Road Truckers" is actually extremely simple. And even though it's really just about watching some men load and unload their trucks and drive on a slippery road, it's always exciting and entertaining because of the adverse circumstances and the very different characters. Certainly, as in any docu-series, not everything should be taken for absolutely genuine. That some situations are dramatized to better entertain the viewer is clear. But even if the entire "plot"were made up - which it isn't - the series would still be absolutely worth watching. After all, forces of nature such as those found at the cold end of the world are difficult to manipulate.

Along the way, the viewer also learns many interesting facts, such as why it can be not only difficult but extremely dangerous to inflate truck tires in extreme cold, how on the route the failure of just a small part of the mechanics can become life-threatening, or what materials must be delivered to the various stations.

Besides the unpredictable and sometimes dangerous, but also beautiful nature, the drivers are of course the focus of the series and also provide the high entertainment value of the show. You can already look forward to season 3, where the tough guys get support from a tough as well as attractive female driver. Until that happens, fans of the series can watch 13 exciting episodes (plus three bonus episodes, more on that in the extras) as the truckers fight to finish this season as the leader of the driver standings and with as much money in their pockets as possible. And that's definitely: absolutely worth watching!

Picture + Sound: When it comes to the sound, it's noticeable that the German version comes across as much more powerful and loudly mixed, while the original English version, on the other hand, sounds a little more harmonious. The picture is on a good TV level and can score with a good overall sharpness and decent contrasts. Good!

Extras: Discs 4 and 5 of the set feature some extras worth watching. The fourth DVD has two bonus episodes, "Road to Season 2" and "Road to the Finale" to offer, which are well worth watching, but also have a lot of already familiar material to offer. DVD 5, which is entirely in original English without subtitles, features another bonus episode titled "Off the Ice - Season 2" with many interviews with the drivers, as well as five Behind the Scenes featurettes that cover, among other things.The Ice Road (approx. 9 min.), the truckers (approx. 12 min.), life in northern Canada (approx. 5 min.), the dangers on the ice (approx. 5 min.), and the animals of this region (approx. 4 min.). In addition, there are 8 trailers of the History Channel and its program. Very good!

Conclusion: "Ice Road Truckers" has lost little of its fascination in season 2. With great images presented on DVD in decent quality and some extras worth watching, this entertaining docu-series is absolutely recommended on DVD as well!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp