ICE: SEASON ONE

This May, Entertainment One (eOne) invites home audiences to buckle up for the "sharp and stylized" (Deadline) high-impact crime series, ICE.  An AT&T Audience Network/DIRECTV Original, ICE, executive produced by Antoine Fuqua (The Magnificent Seven), delves into the dark, gritty and dangerous underbelly of the diamond trade with an all-star cast featuring Cam Gigandet (Twilight, Easy A, "The O.C."), Jeremy Sisto ("Suburgatory," "Law & Order"), Ray Winstone (The Departed, The Sweeney) and Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games series, Forsaken).  On May 16, eOne delivers the shiny goods with ICE: SEASON ONE, a 3-disc DVD set featuring all 10 original broadcast episodes and bonus content, priced at $40.99srp.

ICEfollows the prestigious diamond-dealing Green Family, as they plunge into the high-stakes underbelly of the Los Angeles diamond trade.  Jake (Cam Gigandet, The Magnificent Seven, The Twilight Saga franchise) and Freddy (Jeremy Sisto, Six Feet Under, Law and Order, Suburgatory) are brothers brought together by their father, Isaac (Raymond Barry, Training Day, Born on the Fourth of July), the patriarch behind Green & Green Diamond Company, and their uncle Cam (Ray Winstone, The Departed). After wildcard Freddy kills a prominent diamond dealer, his brother Jake must bail him out and save the family business from Lady Rah, a ruthless diamond dealer who is not afraid to get her hands dirty (Judith Shekoni, Heroes Reborn, The Twilight Saga franchise).

In saving Freddy, the family falls under the thumb of Lady Rah, who begins to involve the Greens in her business deals. As she steps up her demands, the Greens must maneuver amongst blood diamond deals and double-crossing criminals, while attempting to stay one step ahead and keep the doors to the business open. But when Pieter Van de Bruin (Donald Sutherland, The Hunger Games franchise), a ruthless diamond smuggler with designs on Green & Green Diamond Company, arrives in Los Angeles, the family realizes their problems have only just begun. Extras on the set include a "Premise" featurette, interviews with Sisto and Gigandet and a "Diamond Girl" music video from Rachele Royale.

My Thoughts

Ice is a series about a family who deals in diamonds. This can be a dangerous trade because there is a lot of money on the line. The Green family consists of patriarch Isaac and his two sons. Jake is trying to keep the family business together, but his brother Freddy is always causing problems with this bad temper, especially after he kills one of their rival dealers. Things go from bad to worse when Lady Rah, another rival dealer, decides she wants to take the business over  herself. In each episode, the family finds themselves in more and more trouble, and their empire threatens to crumple beneath them.

Season one of Ice is off to a great start. The show is packed with action, has a stellar cast, and original story lines. The whole series is a new and original concept, and a nice switch from reality shows and cop shows. My teen daughter enjoyed the series too, especially with so many stars coming from her movie favorites like Twilight and The Hunger Games.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with in Season Two. If you'd like to grab a copy of this DVD set for yourself, you can find it online at Amazon or in stores nationwide.