Release Date: June 10, 2014
Rating: PG
Running Time: Approximately 344 minutes

What happens when someone who you’ve mourned and buried mysteriously appears at your doorstep, as if not a single day has gone by? The lives of the people of Arcadia, Missouri are forever changed when their deceased loved ones miraculously return, causing them to confront the emotional depth of their relationship and what it means to be given a second chance.

We all saw the promos last year for Resurrection and were highly intrigued. When the show premiered, our expectations were met, in fact the show soared beyond what we could have ever imagined. It starts with a boy who died over 30 years ago but it ends with so many more. So many more people who died and have come back, turning their neighborhood upside down.

No, I haven’t read the book for which this show is inspired by but in this case, part of me doesn’t want to. At least not yet. The show is so complex, I think if I were to read The Returned by Jason Mott right now, both worlds and characters, similar but different would only confuse me. So I’ll save the reading for when the show ends. But I don’t want to think about the show ending because it has only just begun!

As a fan of Omar Epps and Samaire Armstrong’s work, I knew that with these two involved, the rest of the cast would be just as solid and I was not disappointed. Great premise and writing. Great cast and crew. Every episode is more shocking than the episode before. Every scene challenges the mystery of life and death and the in between or the beyond. Exhuming graves is just the beginning!

This show brings so many fantastic questions and thoughts to the surface that so many shows can’t or won’t so obviously be about thematically. This includes but is not limited to what it means to be honest and to trust, what it means to give and help when all eyes are on you, to be selfless, to sacrifice, forgive, move on, and boy oh boy, I could go on forever.

What’s especially fascinating in Resurrection is what happens to those who died and have come back. Yes, we follow Epps’s character, Bellamy as he is on a mission to keep those coming back safe while he tries to figure out the mystery of why they’re here, how they came back, and the benefits and dangers that come with it. Yes, we’re following multiple families who have had loved ones come back from the dead. Most are welcoming. Others, not so much.

But the actual people who come back…they know things that those not resurrected don’t know. They can do things that those not resurrected can do. The fantastical elements of this show keep me on the edge of my seat. It’s one of my favorite elements of this show on top of the tangled webs of life and death. And then there’s the sheriff who won’t cooperate with Bellamy or anyone else really and does what he thinks is best which ends up getting the entire town put under quarantine. And I haven’t even dove into the biblical influences of the show in this review! There would be way too much to cover! Simply put, if you were intrigued by this show’s promos but have yet to watch, there are only eight episodes in season one so go for it!

Bonus Features:

*Resurrection: Building a Mystery (4 minutes) – In this feature, the cast members share their theories for the mystery that has been built in season one. I think this feature should have been titled something differently because it’s misleading as only one writer is featured and he doesn’t talk about how the mystery was built. I also think that it would have been more interesting to have less of a summary of the show intertwined in this featured and hear more theories from more cast members. Is this worth watching? Not really. But of the bonus features on the DVD, I’d say this is the only one I’d recommend outside of the bloopers.

Appearing in this Feature:
Writer & Executive Producer, Aaron Zelman
Cast Members, Kathleen Munroe, Mark Hildreth, Matt Craven, Devin Kelley, Omar Epps

*On Location in Georgia (3 minutes) – In this feature, the cast and crew talk about filming in Georgia and the variety this state brings (it seems to have it all!) as well as what it’s like working on location in the South. Anything the cast and crew says here you can probably find they’ve said in interviews…so if you’ve seen or read those, no need to watch this 3 minute feature.

Appearing in this Feature:
Executive Producer, Joann Alfano
Writer & Executive Producer, Aaron Zelman
Dept. Head Make-Up Artist, Leigh Ann Yandle-Perry
Production Designer, Clark Hunter
Cast Members, Omar Epps, Kathleen Munroe, Devin Kelley, Mark Hildreth, Matt Craven, Kurtwood Smith

*Bloopers (2 minutes)

*Deleted Scenes (5 minutes) – There are three deleted scenes: “Philosophizing About the Dog” and “Recounting By the River” from the Pilot episode as well as “Cut Me Loose” from episode 106. “Recounting By the River” is the only deleted scene that has something to offer but even that is weak so it’s no wonder why all three of these scenes were cut. I’d skip this feature.

Own Resurrection The Complete First Season on DVD today. Stay tuned for Season Two on ABC this Fall.