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| Eureka - Season Two | 
 enlarge | Actors: Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson, Joe Morton, Jordan Hinson, Erica Cerra
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.98
Buy New: $23.99
You Save: $15.99 (40%)
New (45) Used (14) from $20.04
Avg. Customer Rating:  38 reviews
Sales Rank: 1266
Format: Ac-3, Box Set, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 3
Running Time: 540
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.4 x 0.4
MPN: MCAD61102106D
UPC: 025195017176
EAN: 0025195017176
ASIN: B0017INRFE
Release Date: July 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 07/15/2008
Amazon.com
Plenty of new television series need a season or two to sort themselves out, and as this three-disc, 13-episode (plus bonus features) box set from the second season (2007) reveals, the Sci-Fi Channel's Eureka is still a work in progress--which is not a bad thing, considering that it's one of the more provocative and ambitious shows out there. For the uninitiated, here's the basic premise: Sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), accompanied by his teenage daughter Zoe (Jordan Hinson), is stationed in Eureka, a picturesque little burg somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Eureka is hardly Anytown, USA; indeed, this is the place where "the world's greatest thinkers" live and work, most of them at Global Dynamics, "the most advanced scientific facility in the world." It's also a place where exceedingly strange things happen on a regular basis. In Season Two, those happenings include people spontaneously combusting, becoming invisible, turning into gold, or simply disappearing (and leaving nothing behind--not even a memory that they ever existed); a "personal force field" that's growing so large and so fast that it will soon engulf the whole town, and maybe even the whole world; freaky weather that changes by the moment; and even an experiment to re-create the Big Bang inside a Global Dynamics lab, leading to some unexpected side effects. These developments are all presented with enough cool special effects and scientific techno-babble to make Eureka a perfectly viable and sometimes quite dramatic science fiction diversion. But there's more--much more. Sometimes this is a show about relationships: Jack and Zoe (custody becomes an issue when Jack's ex, played by Olivia D'Abo, shows up in the early episodes); Jack and Allison Blake (Salli Richardson), Global Dynamics' new boss (their growing attraction is complicated by the continued presence of her ex, a genius scientist type); Jack and his pal Henry (Joe Morton), who blames Jack for his girlfriend's death but gradually learns there's more to it than that. Much of the time it's a comedy, heavy on the quirks; and, in a change from the first year, it's also a serial, with several story arcs continuing over the course of the season. All of that can make Eureka a but convoluted and hard to get a handle on, but this show is a keeper. Extensive bonus features include deleted scenes, gag reels, podcast commentaries, and a good deal more. --Sam Graham
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| Customer Reviews: Read 33 more reviews...
 Today's forecast calls for heat, frost, rain, hail, gale force winds and severe lightning... April 10, 2008
65 out of 68 found this review helpful
Apparently the little genius town of Eureka hasn't quite run out of disasters yet, even with the destruction of the Artifact.
In fact, Eureka's problems get worse as the show's writing becomes better, starting with the citizens bursting into flame. The second season of "Eureka" is more confident and well-balanced than the previous one, and it takes the characters, quirky humor and tight writing into brand-new territory. Including Carter walking around naked.
The timeline has been restored, and Carter (Colin Ferguson) and Henry (Joe Morton) are trying to adjust to their past lives. Carter also is convinced that the future will unfold just as it did in the other timeline.
But during a solar flare viewing, a guy violently combusts -- and soon other people start combusting. Carter searches for a link between the victims, and finds that someone near him may be next. Meanwhile, the Pentagon decides to remove Nathan Stark (Ed Quinn) from Global Dynamics' big chair, and replace him with his estranged wife Allison (Salli Richardson-Whitfield). My, that's awkward.
Other problems pop up over the season -- shared dreams, personal forcefields, "ice funnels of death," falling debris clouds attracted to the GD headquarters, invisibility projects, Fargo's frozen grandpa, Biblical plagues, Carter becoming unnaturally attractive to all women, and an attempt to recreate the Big Bang that apparently turns everyone (except Carter) into driveling idiots.
But while the Artifact has been effectively destroyed, its presence is still felt -- Allison's autistic son Kevin has formed a strange connection to it. And when a brilliant scientist creates a deadly alchemical bacterium -- which turns all iron into gold, then rust -- it may lead to a showdown over Kevin's future....
There's a darker current running through the second season of "Eureka" -- Henry is more subdued and haunted, and a little boy's life is in danger. But don't worry, because thankfully the writers don't switch too far into the dark zone -- the focus is always first and foremost on our Everyman Sheriff, and how he tries to deal with the Horrific Crisis of the day.
In fact, the second season flows very easily, with a more relaxed pace and a colourful, diverse array of science-based problems -- including robot geese. There's lots of great dialogue ("Jo made it seem like the sky is falling." "That hasn't happened since 2004, and that was more of an igniting of the ionosphere") and hilarious comedic moments, such as Carter's naked public shower and the shared Zorro fantasy. But there are some sweet moments too, such as Fargo's grandfather coming to terms with the life he missed out on.
I wasn't too impressed by Ferguson in "Eureka's" debut season, but he really gets to blossom in this one -- he's quirkier, cuter and has a knack for physical comedy. He fits in better with the Eurekans. And he brings a lot of life to Jack's problems, whether it's the weird stuff, or the more realistic threat of his ex-wife taking his daughter out of Eureka.
Quinn and Richardson Whitfield also do well, as Allison and Nathan try to adjust to their new positions, as well as some renewed sparks. And the other characters get rounding out -- Jo gets in touch with her inner girly-girl, Zoe clashes with some genius "mean girls," Taggart has a maternal experience, and Fargo gets in touch with some family members. Also has to deal with the possibility of dying.
Of particular note: Morton brings a feeling of dark pathos into many of Henry's appearances, reminding us what he's lost and leaving us wondering what he's planning. And it's worth noting that a trio of "Stargate SG-1" actors make some very solid guest appearances -- particularly Michael Shanks as an embittered, myth-obsessed scientist.
The second season of "Eureka" sticks to the humorous sci-fi angle, but expands the characters -- as well as some of the darker subplots. Definitely a great little series, and promises to stay fun and suspenseful.
 Eureka is Fantastic April 27, 2008
9 out of 12 found this review helpful
Eureka seasons one and two are both fantastic with a cast of great characters and great scripts. There are fun episodes and serious episodes. Drama to Comedy this was a great series! And worth purchasing! :D
Eureka, I'm home Sarah May 7, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
If you enjoy a good deal of comedy with your SciFi you will probably enjoy Eureka. There certainly are plenty of serious events, but with a regular mix of comedy to keep things from getting to dark. Kind of like the X-Files which had plenty of serious episodes but then were visited by unusual people including "The Lone Gunmen" to keep things in perspective. The second season is a must have for anyone that bought the first. This season continues the investigation of the alien artifact along with the further emersion of Sheriff Jack Carter and Zoe into Eureka's community.
Many of the budding relationships have now fizzled and new ones have began that may seem less odd or more depending on your perspective. This is not high brow SciFi for the most part although some of the ideas are based on conceivable research. Eureka is a town of Mensa types that have their own projects and inventions that they develop. It seems they aren't under the same rules as the rest the country so anything can happen when their experiaments go wrong. Good quality DVDs and excellent replayability, but I'm still not crazy about cardboard fold up cover.
 Love the show, LOATHE the packaging September 17, 2008
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
First off, I love this show. It's brilliant in just about every way imaginable. So I apologize for the low rating, but I have to make my point.
The distributors of this DVD must be just absurdly lacking in IQ (irony shouldn't be lost). For the first season, they chose a nasty styrofoam wanna-be that not only shed on the discs, forcing you to clean each disc thoroughly each time you wanted to watch it, but it didn't even hold the discs. They just rolled around, free to get damaged.
NOW, they've chosen some cheap plastic that SCRATCHES the discs.
I repeat:
THE CASE SCRATCHES THE DISCS.
Now, call me old fashioned, but I think a case should protect the disc from damage, not damage the disc.
If the company is making an attempt to force consumers into downloading the show electronically, they succeed. With iTunes and other ways of downloading this show, I see little point in owning these round pieces of plastic that are now good for little more than flinging at ninjas who may attack my house (yes, a 3 Ninjas reference) besides the fact that I already own them.
This packaging is supposed to be "environmentally conscious," as if the case is meant to be disposal. Again, I think the case is kind of important for protecting a disc, and I don't plan on throwing the disc out right after I buy it. It's not a coffee cup.
This company needs to stop worrying about making "green" products and start worrying about making "good" products.
 Content 5 Stars, Delivery 2 Stars August 1, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I am thoroughly captivated by this show, having missed the first two seasons and catching up with them on these two DVD sets. Even before I saw season 3 Episode one in HD on cable the other night, I was struck by the softness of the picture, which could not be improved by my upconverting Playstation 3. Displaying the details during playback confirmed that the average bitrate to be about 4Mbit per second, which indicates a very aggressive compression rate. This was likely necessary to squeeze 4 epsidoes onto one DVD.
At 10Mbs, a single layer DVD will hold 60 minutes of video. At 5Mbs, it holds about 120 minutes. That only 4-42 minute episodes at a total of about 4Mbs will fit on one DVD tells you that they are not even using dual layer DVD's!
Considering you are paying about $30 for a relatively short season show, there is simply no excuse for cheaping out and being so stingy with DVD's, which are very inexpensive. There should be no more than two episodes per disc, with an average bitrate of 8-9Mb, not 4.
This quality is even more unnacceptible considering the look of the show is simply amazing, with impressive artistic design and first-rate special effects. Even the scenery is breathtaking. If they cannot offer this show in BLu-Ray, they need to make the only available format looks as pristine as possible. High bitrate DVD can looks simply amazing. If I want the show to look as soft and fuzzy as this, I'll record it onto VHS.
This show is inventive, funny, poignant, and simply entertaining. It deserves better delivery.
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