Hex: The Complete First Season DVD Review
By A.J. Carson
High school is hell-literally-for Cassie Hughes (Christina Cole). She attends a posh boarding school housed in Mendenham Hall, a rambling estate that what was once an 18th century English manor. Cassie has a crush on puppy dog-cute Troy (Joseph Morgan), but he seems out of her league. Thelma (Jemima Rooper), her lesbian roommate who seems to take her fashion tips from Kelly Osbourne and Cyndi Lauper, has a crush on her. Cassie is a social outcast, shunned by popular kids like slutty Roxanne (Amber Sainsbury) and rich pervert Leon (Jamie Davis). And did I mention that she is being pursued by the mysterious Azazeal (Michael Fassbender), the leader of the evil Nephelim-a group of demonic fallen angels, her mother is in the loony bin, and she is beginning to develop supernatural powers? Yep, high school is hell for Cassie Hughes.
In its early episodes, Hex: The Complete First Season promises to be a fresh, uniquely feminine take on a traditionally male-centric genre. (No, I haven't forgotten about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the critical success of that series didn't exactly lead to a surge in genre-busting shows.) Rooper and Cole make an excellent team, helping to create an onscreen relationship that is both funny and dramatic.
Then the series tips its hand, revealing too many (tarot) cards. New student Ella (Laura Pyper) arrives on campus ready to slay some monsters. Looking like a reject from a Joan Jett video, stomps onto the scene with a plan to foil Azazeal and his minions. It is here that the fun and uniqueness of the series begins to diminish, becoming instead a rehash of every supernatural thriller you've ever seen, including Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, old episodes of Dark Shadows, and, just for kicks, a little bit of Dawson's Creek. Bodies start to pile up (luckily, none of the adults seem to notice), special effects flash (and sometimes ooze) across the screen, and characterization flies out of the window.
The new trend in entertainment is to "reboot" popular film series, basically starting anew and pretending that the previous installments didn't happen (see Batman Begins, Superman Returns, and Casino Royale). In a way, this is what Hex's creators seem to do midway through the season, pushing aside Cassie and focusing instead on Ella.
One possible reason for this is revealed through a little investigation via the internet. It seems that The Complete First Season should be more properly labeled The Complete First US Season. The first six episodes included here are those that made up the first season when the series ran on British TV. The remaining four episodes are from the second British season. This could be why the change in tone in these episodes seems so jarring, and why the season is ultimately so unsatisfying.
The ten episodes that make up this release of Hex: The Complete First Season are divided onto three discs. The discs are housed in two slim, clear plastic keepcases, one of which holds two discs. The fronts of the cases feature designs that resemble old woodcuttings. The backs of the cases include titles and brief synopses for each episode along with a handful of production stills. The interiors of the cases continue the woodcutting/parchment theme. The keepcases slide into a cardboard outer sleeve.
The DVD menus are simple and easy to navigate. Viewers can play all of the disc's episodes or choose them individually. The episodes are divided into chapters, but there are no scene selection menus.
