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The Movie: A show that I watched fairly regularly when I was younger, sitting down to watch "Seaquest DSV"'s first season on this DVD set, I went in with fond memories of the overall show, but I was a bit sketchy on the details after not seeing the series after all these years. "Seaquest" aired on NBC for about three seasons, and took place in the near future, where mankind has started to explore and populate the world's oceans, taking up territories and getting into conflicts. The UEO is created in order to oversee the developments taking place within the deep seas around the globe. Captain Nathan Bridger (Roy Scheider) is chosen to pilot the Seaquest, a massive vehicle designed to put a stop to any illegal activities happening in the undersea domain. I'm pleased to say that the series holds up pretty well after about 12 years. The show still seems pretty slick and expensive for its time, and production values appear to run pretty high throughout. The cast is also terrific, with Roy Schneider offering a terrific performance as the conflicted Bridger, who ends up captaining the ship he designed, despite his wishes not to. Also good as members of the crew are Ted Raimi, Darwin the Dolphin, Stacy Haiduk, Royce D. Applegate, the late Jonathan Brandis and others. This set includes the entire first season on four dual-sided discs, and also includes the extended pilot episode, where Bridger assumes command of Seaquest, and must face off against a rebel sub lead by Captain Marilyn Stark, who thinks she knows how to take down the Seaquest. Overall, this first season was great to sit down and view again, as, at its best, the series offers tense, enjoyable adventures. It's still a great-looking show, and the cast is superb. Pilot 1993 (seaQuest DSV) 1. 0- 1 12 Sep 93 To Be or Not to Be (120 min) 1st Season 1993 2. 1- 1 19 Sep 93 The Devil's Window - When Darwin becomes ill during some experiments going on nearby, Bridger must decide whether to continue with the important experiments or save Darwin's life. 3. 1- 2 26 Sep 93 Treasure of the Mind - When exploring the Mediterranean, the Seaquest discovers an annex to the great library of Alexandria, which causes an international incident, as several countries claim ownership. 4. 1- 3 3 Oct 93 Games - Bridger rescues a warden and his prisoner near the Antarctic. However, trouble occurs when the prisoner escapes and threatens the Seaquest with a toxin. 5. 1- 4 9 Oct 93 Treasures of the Tonga Trench - Lt. Krieg finds a gem in the deep sea, and Captain Jack Clayton gives operating proficency exams to the crew. 6. 1- 5 17 Oct 93 Brothers and Sisters - Bridger and his crew find a deserted munitions plant, as well as children abandoned inside. It's up to the Seaquest to try and get the kids a safe distance away from the dangerous plant. 7. 1- 6 24 Oct 93 Give Me Liberte - Several members of the Seaquest come down with a virus when investigating a space station that had crashed into the sea years prior. Bridger must find the antidote before a submarine - whose mission it is to destroy the space station - arrives. 8. 1- 7 31 Oct 93 Knight of Shadows - Bridger and crew find themselves facing odd, supernatural events when exploring a sunken luxury liner. 9. 1- 8 7 Nov 93 Bad Water - When trying to rescue a French submarine in hurricane conditions, Bridger has to decide who to save first, the crew of the sub, or his own crew, who have now also gotten stranded. 10. 1- 9 21 Nov 93 The Regulator - When the air conditioning breaks down, Bridger must call upon The Regulator to try and keep order. 11. 1-10 28 Nov 93 seaWest - Bridger gets a distress call from the Great Barrier Reef, and when the crew arrives at a mining facility, they're faced with a situation that seems like it's out of the Wild West. 12. 1-11 19 Dec 93 Photon Bullet - The Seaquest arrives at an undersea communications facility run by computer hackers, which delights Lucas. However, he soon realizes that the young hackers are engaged in criminal work. 13. 1-12 2 Jan 94 Better Than Martians - When the first manned mission to Mars falls into the sea, the Seaquest is the only hope to save them. However, there's an obstacle: the waters also contain a drug syndicate battling the local government. 14. 1-13 9 Jan 94 Nothing But the Truth - When only a small crew aboard, the ship is taken over by a group of commandos lead by Col. Steven Schraeder, an environmentalist. 15. 1-14 16 Jan 94 Greed for a Pirate's Dream - After performing experiments on volcanic erruptions, the Seaquest is called to an uninhabited Carribean atoll that shows a volcano is set to errupt. When the crew find treasure seekers on the island, they have to convince them to leave. 16. 1-15 6 Feb 94 Whale Song - The Seaquest is ordered to investigate the disappearance of whaling ships. Bridger finds that environmentalists are behind it, and must try and stop them without comprimising his own values. 17. 1-16 20 Feb 94 The Stinger - Several comparies are in competition to develop a single-seat sub, but when the Seaquest tests theirs with Lucas at the controls, the ship is stolen by a competitor. 18. 1-17 27 Feb 94 Hide and Seek - Westphalen is working with Dolphins at the home of a scientist when they are attacked by a former dictator who wants to return to power. When Westphalen thinks her work can help the dictator's austistic son, he strikes a deal with Bridger to come aboard. 19. 1-18 20 Mar 94 The Last Lap at Luxury - When the Seaquest escorts General Andrea Drew to a UEO summit, she is impressed by Lucas and Darwin's communication, and invites Lucas to the summit. When the members of the summit are held hostage, it's up to Bridger and crew to rescue them. 20. 1-19 1 May 94 Abalon - Commander Ford is captured by Abalon, a scientist who claims to have discovered a way to create a genetically perfect human. Bridger and the crew have to race to recover ford before he becomes the focus of an experiment. 21. 1-20 8 May 94 Such Great Patience - The Seaquest gets caught in an underwater quake, uncovering an alien craft that had been buried. As they investigate, it becomes clear that Darwin is the only hope of communicating with any alien beings. 22. 1-21 15 May 94 The Good Death - The Seaquest is tricked into capturing a sub believed to be smuggling emeralds. When they board, they find Westphalan's daughter, who is rescuing underclass children from death squads. 23. 1-22 22 May 94 Higher Power - Dr. Lawrence Wolenczack is about to realize his dream of free electricity for the globe with an underwater hydro-electric plant. However, he's not aware that the ocean floor is cracking near the plant and the project may cause a global disaster. The DVD VIDEO: "Seaquest" is presented by Universal in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. The series still looks stellar, with very good sharpness and detail throughout. Although my memories of the details are a bit vague, the series does look a touch better than what I can imagine it looked like when originally broadcast. Some minor shimmer and a few very slight artifacts pop up at times, but the image is otherwise smooth and clean. Colors looked bold and rich, with nice saturation and no smearing or other faults. SOUND: "Seaquest" is presented in Dolby 2.0, and sounds better-than-average, although a 5.1 remix would have been really nice. Sound effects seemed crisp and clear, not to mention fairly powerful at times. Music also seemed well-recorded, as did dialogue. EXTRAS: Deleted scenes on some episodes. Final Thoughts: A pleasant surprise, "Seaquest" still stands up really well, as the first season offers great performances and quite a few terrifically entertaining adventures. Universal's DVD set is light on supplements, but offers very good audio/video quality. Recommended for fans, others interested should try as a rental first. |