Sexy, supernatural soap opera Bitten is currently airing is third and final season just as the second season prepares to release on DVD.
Opening three days after the climactic events of season 1, these ten new episodes continue the ongoing story of the werewolves of the Stonehaven Estate in Bear Valley, Upstate New York. The only female werewolf in existence, Elena (Laura Vandervoort), is on the warpath, seeking revenge against villain Malcolm Danvers (James McGowan), but he’s soon to change sides when a greater threat emerges that has even him running scared.
Bitten is named after the first novel in Canadian author Kelley Armstrong’s fantasy series, Women of the Otherworld. The show features a ridiculously good looking main cast that doesn’t mind baring their butts and simulating sex but, with a plot centring around the politics and power plays of werewolves, the tension remains high and the action is also fast-paced and thrilling.
Season 2 offers two distinct changes from the show’s freshman year. Most successfully, the CGI has improved dramatically. For a story about werewolves, it was always surprising to find the animation of the wolves lacking in the first year, looking more like a modern cartoon than anything believable. This new season brings much higher production qualities and the CGI werewolves blend seamlessly into the live action.
The second big change is the focus of the show, moving away from concentrating exclusively on werewolf culture into the broader ‘Otherworld’. Much of the focus is on the introduction of witches – both good and bad – who pose new challenges, friendships and romances to the wolf pack. The international Alpha Council of werewolves is also introduced, upping the political threats and testosterone.
Many fans of supernatural television serials will fondly remember the popular US series Buffy The Vampire Slayer which often broke new ground, including its refreshing fight choreography. Bitten takes a leaf out of that vampiric tome by ensuring the ample fight sequences always offer something new. The fight choreography is excellent with new and surprising moves added for each brawl. The fit cast execute the choreography extremely well, ensuring Bitten retains the expectation of quality that it earned in Season 1.
Bitten is adult entertainment with a lot of flesh. The dialogue is often peppered with one liners that are corny enough to rival a “Dad joke”. There’s ample violence and enough intrigue to satisfy mystery buffs too. You do need to start at the beginning because there’s no stand-alone episodes in this operatic saga, but fans of the show should get a lot of enjoyment out of reliving the seductions of Stonehaven and all that comes with it.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 7
Bitten Season 2 will be released on DVD and Digital on 17 August 2016.
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