THE SERIES:

This show is having an identity crisis. The Eli Roth-produced Hemlock Grove cannot decide whether it wants to be an intense, adult-oriented horror show or a teen-baiting sci-fi romance. There are werewolves and monsters and death - Oh My! - but season one is a hot mess. Plot threads dangle and get snipped in the unsteady narrative, and I finished the season not entirely sure what I had seen. Famke Janssen fervently chews the scenery as Olivia, the matriarch of the powerful Godfrey family that runs a small Pennsylvania town. Olivia's son Roman (Bill Skarsgard) and his Gypsie friend Peter (Landon Liboiron) search for the beast that has murdered a number of townsfolk, and themselves are implicated in the crimes. Parts of the show are fascinating, others are downright terrible. Between bursts of excitement I found stretches of interminable wandering and terrible dialogue. The show's seams are showing, and the whole murky affair threatens to combust.

Netflix charged into the television arena with House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, and Hemlock Grove feels like a natural complement to round out their genre wheelhouse. I do not mind the show using fantastical creatures, but calling the mythology here muddy is an understatement. The Godfrey family is a shady bunch with a complicated past. The town's Godfrey Institute is a phallic palace of medical mystery, and Olivia is the Queen Bitch of Hemlock Grove. She cavorts with her dead husband's brother, Dr. Norman Godfrey (Dougray Scott), while raising entitled rebel Roman and his deformed but insightful sister Shelley (Madeleine Martin). Roman and Peter form an uneasy bond to clear their own names, and discover that each holds relevant and surprising secrets.

I think Hemlock Grove may have gotten away from the writers a bit despite its basis in Brian McGreevy's novel. The show goes down so many paths that it gets lost. There are few, if any, plot threads that are appropriately concluded. Characters like Clementine Chasseur (Kandyse McClure), a Wildlife officer investigating the killings, are given bizarre backstories that are then largely ignored. The killings actually take a back burner to the Roman and Peter show, which is not complete without existential crises and a melodramatic battle over Roman's annoying cousin Letha (Penelope Mitchell). Skarsgard and Liboiron are strong actors, but some of the show's dialogue is appalling. I am not sure whether the writers were trying to be clever, but I ran out of fingers in the first episode when trying to count the show's useless, dead-end conversations. "Make your stomach growl" is something Letha actually says to Peter after sex. Pourquoi?

A TV series is given some license to carry plot elements over to its next season. I was not expecting a full resolution in this first season, but the show poses questions simply for the sake of confusing the audience. Shelley is the show's most interesting character. Unwanted at birth by her mother and prone to literally lighting up when emotional, Shelley is obviously a significant player in this story. It is too bad my interest in seeing the next season is minimal. Maybe her destiny will be revealed. Janssen's vulgar accent is actually a clever trick. At least I think it is. One early scene hints that Olivia puts on the haughty tongue as part of her staged rich-bitch act. But I'm not entirely sure the show is that clever. By the time the credits rolled in the final episode, I was not sure what to make of all the creature dynasty backstory and Oedipal peddling. The production values are as messy as the narrative, complete with mismatched lighting and rough editing. A train wreck might catch your attention, but you'll probably regret watching when the carnage concludes. You've been warned.

THE BLU-RAY:

PICTURE:

Each episode receives a solid 1.78:1/1080p/AVC-encoded transfer. The Arri Alexa-shot image is nicely detailed and textured. Wide shots are appropriately deep, and close-ups reveal minute facial details. The show sports a sickly green glow, which is not necessarily appealing, but colors and skin tones are accurate to this look. Black levels are good, and I noticed only minimal banding.

SOUND:

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks for each episode are good. The surround action is not blockbuster-impressive, but ambient and action effects both make use of the LFE and rear speakers. Dialogue is crisp and clean and balanced nicely with score and effects. Clarity is good, and the range is impressive. French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks are available, too, as are English SDH subtitles.

PACKAGING EXTRAS:

The first season's thirteen episodes are spread across three discs. They come in a hinged Blu-ray case, and the cover art is double sided. On disc one you can access a Pilot Commentary by Director and Executive Producer Eli Roth, which is much better than the actual episode. Disc three holds Seven Featurettes (44:13 total/HD) that look at the characters, plot and production of the series.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I was hooked during the first few episodes of the messy but initially entertaining Hemlock Grove. Unfortunately, the show jumps the rails as it moves toward a confusing, unsatisfying conclusion. The Eli Roth-produced series cannot settle on a tone, though I did enjoy leads Famke Janssen, Bill Skarsgard and Landon Liboiron. Dangling plot threads and terrible dialogue abound in this sloppy first season. Netflix subscribers may want to check out a few episodes and judge for themselves, but I think I'll tell most of you to Skip It.

William lives in Burlington, North Carolina, and looks forward to a Friday-afternoon matinee.