Counterpart Season 1

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

Better known lately as the face of those heavily exposed Farmers insurance ads, J. K. Simmons knows a thing or two because he’s seen a thing or two.

Not so in Starz’s new Counterpart, where his character knows a lot less than he thinks and hadn’t really seen anything yet until meeting his hard-edged double from a parallel dimension. Lookalike cousins Patty and Cathy Lane from The Patty Duke Show simply had disparate tastes in styles, music and manners. The contrasting Howard Silks of Counterpart, both played by Simmons, are playing for far higher stakes, even if profane, take-charge Howard also thinks that meek, real-world Howard dresses like a dork. It’s much more complicated than that, though. As the old sitcom song goes, you could lose your mind.

The first episode of Counterpart was sneak-previewed on Dec. 10th following the Season Three finale of Outlander before having its official premiere on Sunday, Jan. 21st. Due to some technical problems and a crush of other series launches, we’re playing a bit of catchup. But Starz has made the first six of Season 1’s 10 episodes available for review, so it’s good to still be ahead of the game. And what a game it is.

-ED BARK

Starz’s “Counterpart” could aptly be described as John Le Carre meets Philip K. Dick. It is essentially an espionage thriller, but the two nations involved in the spy vs. spy game are actually duplicates of each other—one on the Earth you and I share, the other on an alternate reality right alongside it. 30 years ago, an experiment not only opened a portal to this alternate reality but essentially created it. At first, these two realities were identical, but they quickly diverged. Imagine the butterfly effect multiplied in a universe just like our own. What if one less scientific discovery was made? What if Steve Jobs wasn’t encouraged to create his tech? What if an electoral college vote swung differently? Over the three decades, the two Earths, if you will, have become radically different, and trade secrets and information not unlike East and West Berlin once did. And into this crazy sci-fi idea, creator Justin Marks thrusts an everyman named Howard Silk, played to absolute perfection by Oscar winner J.K. Simmons. Of course, I don’t need to tell you that he also plays his doppelganger.

-Brian Tallerico

The Twins TV Trend of 2017 has crossed over to the new year, and it’s chosen a worthy vessel for the voyage. After getting double doses of Justin Theroux (“The Leftovers”), Ewan McGregor (“Fargo”), James Franco (“The Deuce”), and Kyle MacLachlan (“Twin Peaks”) last year, J.K. Simmons is keeping the streak alive in the new Starz science-fiction thriller, “Counterpart.” Though one might think creators are running out of viable conceits to get a two-for-one special on their leading actor, Justin Marks makes sure this acting bargain pays off far beyond Simmons’ superb performances; Overall, “Counterpart” is very, very good.

Meet Howard Silk. Howard (Simmons) is a devotee: He’s been working for the same company in the same job in the same clothes, location, and conditions for 30 years. He’s been married to the same woman, Emily (Olivia Williams), for most of that time, faithfully at her side through thick and thin. Beyond his devotion to both company and companion, Howard is a man of routine. He gets up and goes to work, always arriving early, not late. He goes through his mysterious job with such a strict adherence to procedure that he gets in trouble for pointing out a spot on a co-worker’s tie. He plays the board game Go with his friend Andre every Tuesday and Thursday. Andre is his only real friend, and Howard only met him because his routine changed.

–
Ben Travers

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Actors: Harry Lloyd
Format: Box set, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: Spanish
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 3
Rated: NR – Not Rated
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: July 31, 2018
Run Time: 547 minutes
ASIN: B07BZ455PG