DVD Review : Chasing Shadows

Akin to detective dramas with brilliant though socially inept heroes like Bones, Monk, and Sherlock, Chasing Shadows makes its DVD debut on October 20, 2015 from Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand. DS Sean Stone (Reece Shearsmith, The League of Gentlemen, The Widower) has an uncanny ability to identify and predict patterns of human behavior. He knows how people work—but he doesn’t understand them. When no one else will work with the socially inept genius, Sean is cast out to the Missing Persons Bureau and partnered with empathetic analyst Ruth Hattersley (Alex Kingston, ER, Doctor Who). Despite the conflict and frustration between them, they make the perfect team as they protect the most vulnerable in society from the evil that stalks them. Originally broadcast on the UK’s ITV, the crime drama made its U.S. premiere on Acorn TV, the premier streaming service for world class television from Britain and beyond at www.Acorn.TV, in July 2015. Also starring Noel Clarke (Star Trek Into Darkness, Doctor Who), Don Warrington (Rising Damp), and Alfie Field (The Woman in Black), this DVD 2-disc set features four episodes ($34.99, AcornOnline.com).

DS Sean Stone (Reece Shearsmith) possesses razor-sharp intelligence—and an uncanny ability to get inside the minds of serial killers. Both a blessing and a curse, his gift makes him a brilliant detective, but he’s hindered by a personality disorder that rubs colleagues the wrong way. Following a disastrous workplace blunder, Stone is demoted from the homicide division to the Missing Persons Bureau, where he’s forced to team up with his polar opposite: warm, empathetic analyst Ruth Hattersley (Alex Kingston).

The mismatched partners clash from the start, but Stone dives headfirst into his new role; applying his genius to the bureau’s database to spot signs of serial killers behind some cases. Did the lonely teenage girl who posted on a suicide message board kill herself? Why did a lawyer with a secret psychiatric past disappear? To find them, Stone will have to harness the power of Hattersley’s talents and reckon with his own personality flaws before they destroy his career.

Street Date: October 20, 2015                                 SRP: $34.99

DVD 2-Disc Set: 4 episodes – Approx. 183 min. – SDH Subtitles

UPC 0-54961-2443-9-3                                              ISBN 978-1-62172-443-8

My Thoughts 

Chasing Shadows is crime drama that centers around a special unit that deals with tracking down missing persons. The story follows Sean Stone, a detective who is able to get inside the heads of serial killers, but who also has a personality disorder that makes him hard to work with. Because of this, he is demoted from homicide to missing persons. Here he is teamed up with Ruth Hattersley who is warm an caring and the total opposite of Stone. There are four different episodes in this DVD set including:

 Only Connect: Part 1- Stone's lack of social skills during a press conference leads to his demotion. His first case in the new position is to track down a suicidal teen. 

Only Connect: Part 2 - Ruth is attacked by a suspect and Stone finds her unconscious. People complain about Stone's behavior, but he is on the right track to finding a killer.

Off Radar: Part 1 -  Solicitor Steve Eli goes missing and Stone thinks he knows right away who took him, but can he find the evidence he needs to prove it?

 Off Radar: Part 2 - Stone is certain that their suspect Vance is innocent, but the lawyer is definitely keeping some secrets.

Overall, this is a great crime series with some unique characters whose quirky personalities give the show more depth than other crime dramas. I hope to see the series continued next year. If you'd like to get a copy of this gritty whodunit for yourself, it is available online at Acorn Media and on Amazon.