Quarry: The Complete First Season (Digital HD Review) at Why So Blu?

Quarry: The Complete First Season (Digital HD Review)

December 12th, 2016 by Gerard Iribe

Set in and around Memphis in the early 1970’s, Season 1 of this thrilling series centers on Mac Conway, a stigmatized Marine who finds himself lured into a lucrative offer from The Broker, a shady criminal involved in a network of killing and corruption.

The Series

Mac Conway (Logan Marshall-Green) has just returned home from two grueling tours in the war with Vietnam. His wife, Joni (Jodi Balfour), is elated but this being 1972 and the anti-war sentiment not wrapped up, make things really awkward for Mac. In addition to the anti-war protesters, Mac carries the weight of something that happened overseas that made its way over to the states and into the hands of the media – all this involving Mac and his unit.

Mac does not have a job to go to and relies on the pittance from the government while searching for work. Again, this kicks up resistance from prospective employers, because they do not want to involve themselves with a war veteran and potential “war criminal.” Mac is a savvy person and a “jack of all trades.” He lives a great town, owns a great house and actually built and installed his own swimming pool – a fact that constantly blows people away, because it doesn’t look like many take on do-it-yourself projects like pool installation – at least not in 1972.

All of the rough patches aside – Mac has caught the eye of a mysterious stranger known only as The Broker. The Broker and his organization seem to know everything there is to know about Mac, his family, Vietnam, and home life, that there is to know about. They know that Mac has developed a certain set of skills that are conducive to their shadowy element. The Broker offers Mac a job. He’s to become a hitman. This proposition obviously kicks up serious suspicion but without any prospects Mac may have to make a hard choice sooner rather than later.

Quarry is a show that went under my radar but was quickly elevated back up by the fact that it’s by the same folks that did Banshee and I freakin’ loved Banshee! Quarry: The Complete First Season is a different beast altogether. You’ve got Mac, who is likable, but his constant struggles with PTSD don’t really make you root for the guy, because he’ll be ok one minute before lashing out the next. His wife Jodi is supposed to be the glue that grounds them but she has her own set of problems and can be a serious pain in the ass. It’s ironic that those that add levity to the show come from the colorful characters introduced throughout the series. The Broker (Peter Mullan), Karl (Edoardo Ballerini), and Buddy (Damon Herriman) are not only hysterical, but add some serious depth to what’s going. It is a dangerous world out there and there is plenty of money to be made for everyone involved regardless of what side of the law they’re on.

Quarry: The Complete First Season is an 8-episode series that aired on Cinemax. Whether the show gets/got renewed for a second season is not known yet – it is available for purchase through various Digital HD streaming services online. Consider this review a “glowing” one, because it does hit you over the head with a sledgehammer…in a good way. Quarry: The Complete First Season is highly recommended.

Episodes

You Don’t Miss Your Water

Figure Four

A Mouthful of Splinters

Seldom Realized

Coffee Blues

His Deeds Were Scattered

Carnival of Souls

Nuoc Cha Da Mon

Extras

The extras on this Digital HD release are somewhat substantial and full of merit. We get some deleted scenes, interviews, and additional bonus scenes (not deleted) scenes involving certain characters that add extra depth to the series. I’m sure most, if not all, will be ported over for the eventual Blu-ray/DVD release.

About Quarry – Delve inside the settings, characters and storylines of Quarry with the cast and crew of the series

Trailer – A stigmatized former Marine in early 70’s Memphis goes into the killing business in this Cinemax series

Deleted Scenes – A fascinating selection of deleted scenes from Season 1 of the Cinemax series Quarry

Extra Scene, “Hitmen in Cars” – What do hitmen talk about while waiting in cars? Find out in this amusing collection of scenes from the Cinemax series Quarry

Extra Scene, “No Money Down” – A bonus scene from Season 1 of the Cinemax series Quarry

Quarry: Inside Quarry: Episode 1: You Don’t Miss Your Water – Get an inside look at Sn 1 / Ep 1 with the cast and crew of Quarry

Quarry: Inside Quarry: Episode 8: Nuoc Cha Da Mon – Get an inside look at Sn 1 / Ep 8 with the cast and crew of Quarry

Summary

Quarry: The Complete First Season is a breath of fresh air – coming off the high that was Banshee. Quarry does have some instances of slow burn but the viewer is rewarded handsomely in terms of pay off. I hope folks gravitate towards the show, so that we can get a second season rolling in the near future, because 8 episodes is not enough! Quarry has not been released on any physical media formats yet – it’s currently only available for purchase (in high definition) via Amazon, VUDU, iTunes, and other digital streaming services.