Mad Dogs - Season 2 - DVD

Content: What was supposed to be a relaxing guy's holiday, a laid-back reunion of old friends, has turned into a real nightmare for Rick (Marc Warren), Baxter (John Simm), Woody (Max Beesley) and Quinn (Philip Glenister). After their friend Alvo, in whose villa in Majorca they had met, was murdered by a stranger, the four men have been drawn into a dangerous web of drugs, money and intrigue. It all ended with the death of a corrupt policewoman and the opportunity for Rick, Baxter and Woody to leave the island and return to their normal lives. But at the last moment, they decide to go back to save Quinn. Now there's one more dead body and only one way to leave the island: by ferry. Too bad that in the heat of the moment they take the wrong ferry and end up in Ibiza, where a lot of new trouble awaits the men. Because Baxter has kept the drug money, making them all potential millionaires. But in order to enjoy their new wealth, the money must first be laundered. A seemingly chance encounter with the mysterious Carmen (Leticia Dolera) could quickly solve that problem. But of course Ibiza has a few surprises in store for the quartet, especially since the owner of the money (David Warner) wants to get his five million euros back at any cost. And so the next holiday paradise for the Mad Dogs turns into a real hell...

Season 2 of the series Mad Dogs follows directly from the end of the first season and continues its story in the same style consistently. Humour, drama and thriller mix here in a very entertaining way to create an exciting story about friendship, letting go of dreams that didn't come true and dealing with the loss of youth. As in the first episodes, there are some overlong dialogue sequences that slow down the action a bit. But boredom never sets in. Series creator Cris Cole and director James Hawes know how to prevent that very well, for example through an episode in which you learn more through flashbacks about how Alvo (Ben Chaplin) got into the drug story that was ultimately fatal for him and who is pulling the strings in the background.

The good chemistry between the actors, for whom this series was a dream project anyway, because they all wanted to work together (again), also consoles over some small dramaturgical hangs. In addition, the change from Mallorca to Ibiza provides a breath of fresh air. Alone the fact that the makers remain faithful to the concept of the change of location also in season 3, makes now already desire for the continuation, which is intensified by the nasty cliffhanger at the end of the last episode of season 2.

Mad Dogs offers bitter humor, dark drama, suspense and a little bit of action. Who can overlook minor lengths, gets here very entertaining, with four episodes but also very short TV entertainment, which is carried by a great ensemble of actors. The next episodes can't come fast enough. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: For a current TV production, the implementation of image and sound of the DVD is on a good to very good level. The very clean picture has a decent overall sharpness, which only in the darker scenes small quality losses such as slight image drizzle. On the other hand, the colouring is again very positive in the second attempt, through which the sea and the landscapes of Ibiza are very well accentuated and spread a real holiday mood despite the explosive story. The sound mixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 is not really spectacular, but has some decent surround moments to offer through some sound effects such as explosions, sea noise or tire squeal. For a TV series, this is perfectly satisfactory. Good!

Extras: Bonus features include a trailer on the first DVD and a couple of short interviews with the cast on disc 2.

Conclusion: Mad Dogs continues in season 2 the successful mix of thriller and drama spiced with bitter humor in an exciting as well as amusing way. Consistently, the old childhood friends maneuver from one mess to the next, until a return to their old lives seems almost impossible. The four-episode season is again very short and is presented on two DVDs in good picture and sound quality, only the extras are this time even more meager than in the first season. But given the quality of the series, that's easy to get over. And therefore there is also altogether for this set a more than deserved: Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp