Turn - Season 2

Michael Cox READ TIME: 3 MIN.

If the dry textbooks we associate with our American History classes were anything like the AMC series "TURN: Washington's Spies," in its Complete Second Season, countless students would be much better informed about the birth of our nation. What most of us recited on multiple choice tests as various bits of trivia, important names and the dates of various battles is now absolutely thrilling television.

Now that the sophomore season is out on DVD you won't have to stop watching just because you've reached the end of an episode, nor will you want to as you experience the challenges of America's first spy ring.

As the season begins, the Patriots have lost Philadelphia, their capitol city, to the British, and George Washington's (Ian Kahn) army is disintegrating at Valley Forge through starvation, disease and the bitter cold winter of 1777 - 1778. Luckily, the General has a group of intelligence agents who have uncovered one of The Crown's biggest secrets, and if they can successfully deliver the information to Washington, he can gather the resources to win the war.

Unfortunately, Abraham Woodhull (Jamie Bell) and Anna Strong (Heather Lind) are finding it difficult to maintain their cover. Woodhull's wife Mary (Meegan Warner) and father (Kevin R. McNally) are on to him. Even though they won't expose him directly, they'll do everything in their power to undermine his revolutionary efforts.

Now that the British occupy her home on Long Island, Strong finds herself forced to charm Major Hewlett (Burn Gorman). This will allow her to keep passing information, and he may be the only one who can protect her from rogue murders like Captain John Simcoe (Samuel Roukin) and Robert Rogers (Angus Macfadyen), who serve the King to advance their own sociopathic interests.

As General Washington begins to lose his footing as a leader, it is ultimately the efforts of the chief intelligence officer, Ben Tallmadge (Seth Numrich), and his unpolished pal Caleb Brewster (Daniel Henshall) who will help pull the commander together.

Bonus features on this DVD collection take a short look inside each of the episodes, show nearly 12 extra minutes of deleted and extended scenes and examine the dynamics of some of the more intriguing character relationships - the connection between Benedict Arnold, Peggy Shippen and Major John Andre and the relationship between Washington and his black servant.

"TURN: Washington's Spies - The Complete Second Season"
DVD
$49.98
www.anchorbayent.com


by Michael Cox

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