Threshold: The Complete Series On DVD Box Set Review

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Title: Threshold: The Complete Series

Region: One

Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller

Episodes Disc One) Trees Made Of Glass, Blood Of The Children, The Burning:

Episodes Disc Two) Shock, Pulse, The Order, Revelations

Episodes Disc Three) Progeny, The Crossing, Outbreak, Vigilante

Episode Disc Four) Alienville

Stars: Carla Gugino, Brian Van Holt, Brent Spiner, Rob Benedict, Peter Dinklage, and Charles S. Dutton

Executive Producers: David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga

Extras: Audio Commentary Track For “Trees Made Of Glass”, Deleted Scenes From “Trees Made Of Glass”, The Threshold Brain Trust, Threshold Visual Effects, Behind The Fractal Featurette

Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound

Subtitles: English Closed Captions For The Hearing Impaired

Packaging: Amaray Keep Case

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound

Year of Television Broadcast: 2005/DVD Release: 2006

Home Video Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

Threshold is another of the four genre TV shows that premiered on the major networks last fall and were subsequently not picked up for a second season or cancelled after a few episodes aired. Threshold opens with a certain degree of promise when an interdimensional extraterrestrial species sends a probe to Earth that emits a sound pulse that literally begins to change the DNA of those infected into extra-dimensionally controlled beings slowly evolving into fourth dimensional life forms. This bio forming works faster on less sophisticated life forms. Roaches for example turn into larger predator insects that kill uninfected roaches violently. The effect on humans while more complex but is no less dangerous. Now a think tank containing world-renowned experts in a majority of fields has been assembled to contain the alien invasion. Unfortunately a few members were accidentally exposed to a small dosage of the alien signal, which can even alter physiology through indirect or second hand sources like video and audio broadcasts through any means like cell phones and so forth. Now as these members struggle with their altered physiology that includes shared memories of the alien world with a glass forest and an insect like creature hiding among the trees, they race against the clock to save the world. What makes infection worse is that not every human being is genetically compatible and this results in deadly and twisted implosions with the remains looking like someone melted down a mannequin just enough to twist the features around into a grotesque visage of what might come if the invasion is not kept from spreading.

The cast included Carla Gugino, Charles S. Dutton, Peter Dinklage, and Brent Spiner, who is always good when he is featured in just about any film or television role I’ve ever seen him in. Carla Gugino is definitely not a soar sight on the eyes and Peter Dinklage has screen charisma. I have never seen a prime time network television series that featured a dwarf in a role that was not exploitive and having seen Dinklage recently opposite Vin Diesel in Find Me Guilty, I hope Hollywood continues to keep an open mind when it comes to casting talented actors. Ironically Charles S. Dutton, who has appeared in a number of genre films like Alien 3, seems uncomfortable and out of place in his role. It could be that his character is supposed to somewhat stiff, but somehow I think the writers should have given Mr. Dutton more to work with because considering his talent and resume, he just seems as though they were not utilizing his talents to benefit the show in any significant way.

The 2000s will be looked at as the decade when sci-fi went into the closet and came out successfully on the main broadcast networks under a guise where the roots were not always apparent. It has become the trend to strip away as much of the fantastic elements as possible in favor of human drama. This has worked well in cases like LOST, the new Battlestar Galactica, and Smallville, but what I think the producers and writers forgot about The X-Files, which in the audio commentary series executive producers David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga say they were trying to fill the void for, was that Chris Carter and his writing team knew that to hook viewers you need to show them something fantastic in the shadows every so often to capture their imaginations and remind them what the show deals with and or is about. The perceived dangers faced and chemistry between David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are what made that show a hit. Threshold just somehow loses momentum sometimes because the cast chemistry feels off and ultimately it never fulfills on the promise set by the pilot and in addition since the series was cancelled, it never will. However the series producers were able to add a scene to the last episode that ultimately gives an idea of a resolution ahead so in a way the scene actually gives the show an end, but there were lots of interesting story ideas and character developments that were never explored as a result of the cancellation. The series had a three-year story arc, one for each phase of the invasion. Season one was Threshold, which deals with an attempt to contain the invasion secretly. Season two would have been dubbed Foothold, with worldwide panic setting in as the invasion could no longer be held secret, the story would have dealt on a broader scope with how martial law is ultimately declared and in the process society begins to break down even more. Season three would have been dubbed Stranglehold with humanity being overrun by the invaders and now the most desperate actions are taken to save what is left of our world. Brannon Braga and David S. Goyer go into these details and more in both the premiere episode audio commentary as well as the companion documentary. Among other things discussed was CBS’ desire for the show to be more procedural and more in line with the network’s hit franchises like CSI. In my opinion if you take a sci-fi show onto your network then you should embrace it for what it is and take the chance that the people who sold the network the series actually know what they are doing otherwise there is no point. Character developments to come are also discussed. Peter Hyams helped direct episodes for the show and the producers tried their best to make the show as much like a feature film as possible. While high production values never hurt, the best series on TV regardless of genre focused on character and storytelling first before anything else. No matter how slick something looks, if one does not care about the characters or storyline, one will not watch it.

Two deleted scenes presented in (1.33:1) are included on the first disc too along with an 18 second trailer for The 4400.Now there is a show that has no fantastic aliens and doesn’t depend on eye candy that works because viewers care about the characters and are intrigued by the storyline. The deleted scenes can be viewed individually or as one reel using a “Play All” feature (2:59). The pilot without commercials clocks in at one hour and 24 minutes while the average episode length is less than 44 minutes. The original pilot was to be just one hour of television broadcast time with commercials, but test audiences and CBS brass liked it so much that they ordered the pilot to run longer and bumped up the series premiere date by two weeks, which added pressure upon the producers and writers. All twelve produced episodes, which include four that never aired on CBS, are included within the four discs that come housed within two single size double-disc slim cases within a glossy cardboard slipcase. The episodes are presented in a 16 by 9 enhanced (1.78:1) widescreen aspect ratio with a dynamic English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. As expected, the episodes look excellent and optional English Dolby Surround Sound as well as English Closed Captions for the hearing impaired have been encoded for all the episodes too. The menus are all standard interactive still frames that are easy to navigate.

The balance of the extra value features are on disc four and they include a four part documentary entitled The Threshold Brain Trust (32:58), which can also be viewed in individual segments and features newly recorded interviews with series producers and writers about the genesis of the series, casting, and more. Cast member interviews recorded during the production are also featured in the documentary. Next are three short featurettes that explore the special effects for the show’s alien object, infected cockroaches, and the glass forest. These segments can also be viewed collectively with a “Play All” feature (10:01). Finally Producer and science advisor Andre Bormanis reveals the mathematics behind the iconic alien fractal pattern seen in every episode (4:45). All of the bonus materials for this DVD set, including the audio commentary are quite interesting and entertaining too. The documentary and featurettes are also all presented in a full frame (1.33:1) aspect ratio. The packaging states for this home video release, some of the music has been replaced.

While the series was never given enough time to refine itself, the DVD set is quite impressive considering CBS never even aired all of the produced episodes. I think fans of the series should be pleased. Threshold: The Complete Series is available on DVD now at retailers on and offline courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment.

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