The AT&T Original Series Ice follows the members of the Green family, proprietors of a family-owned diamond trading business in Los Angeles. Isaac (Raymond J. Barry) is ailing head of G&G Diamond, which he runs with his brother-in-law Cam (Ray Winstone) and sons Freddy (Jeremy Sisto) and Jake (Cam Gigandet). As the series opens, Freddy has once again gotten himself into some trouble—during a deal gone bad, he killed a top diamond dealer in self defense, and the man’s employer wants retribution. Sister Rah (Judith Shekoni) threatens the lives of Freddy, Jake’s ex-wife Ava (Audrey Marie Anderson) and daughter Willow (Chloe East), demanding that Jake pay her back the $25 million that she lost due to the death of her top earner. While G&G has always been a legitimate business, the Greens aren’t unfamiliar with pushing the boundaries of the law. However, they are now forced to get involved in the seedier side of the diamond trade in order to pay back this debt. They soon find themselves involved in smuggling diamonds, forging certificates, and discover they are being set up by the Feds. And to make matters worse, there’s a power struggle within G&G to take control of the company, and a deadly man named Pieter Van De Bruin (Donald Sutherland), who’s been blackmailing Sister Rah, shows up to settle some old debts.

I enjoyed this first season—the series is action-packed with lots of twists and turns. It dives into this interesting world of diamond trading and smuggling, where the legal line is often blurred or tough to discern. The series explores the bonds between the Green family, and how they would do anything for one another. Besides the father/son, brother/brother, and brother/brother-in-law relationships, the series also delves into the unique relationship that Jake has with his ex, and how his dangerous new world affects her. Over the course of the season we learn more about how the family business came about and that some of the family members may be hiding some dark secrets. I was really impressed by the cast that was assembled for this series—a talented, recognizable group of actors who really deliver on the show’s more dramatic moments.

The season makes a great binge because each episode ends with some kind of big reveal or cliffhanger, and the next episode picks up immediately where the previous one left off. It’s like one non-stop twisty story that plays out over the course of the season. Unfortunately the season finale also ends with a suspenseful cliffhanger, so I really hope this show is renewed for a second season!

The DVD presentation is for the most part pretty decent, however, this can be a really dark series at times, and in those darker scenes, detail gets lost and the picture is a bit muddled. I wish there had been a Blu-ray release of this season as well because I think this would have looked a lot better in HD. That said, after an episode or two I found myself used to the SD picture and it was less of an issue. The DVD’s audio track provides clear dialogue, and makes decent use of the stereo and surround channels to add to the action on the screen (such as an airplane flying overhead in the first episode), or to showcase the show’s soundtrack. The first season’s ten episodes are spread across three discs, which are housed in a standard-size DVD keepcase. The third disc also contains a small assortment of bonus material, including two cast interview/behind-the-scenes featurettes as well as a music video.

What’s Included:

Episodes: (8:43:40)

• All 10 Episodes of the First Season:
  “Hyenas”, “Run You Bastards Run”, “The Line”, “Two Handkerchiefs”, “Tears of the Gods”, “Facet”, “Clarity”, “Side Trip”, “The Cut”, “Stand Off”
• 480p / Widescreen 1.78:1
• Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English

Extras:

• Premise (2:13)
  Cast members Jeremy Sisto (Freddy Green), Judith Shekoni (Sister Rah), Cam Gigandet (Jake Green), Audrey Marie Anderson (Ava Pierce) and Ray Winstone (Cam Green) talk about the premise of the series. Includes behind-the-scenes footage.
• Jeremy Sisto and Cam Gigandet Interview (2:02)
  Stars Jeremy Sisto and Cam Gigandet talk about their characters and what it was like working with one another. Also includes behind-the-scenes footage.
• Rachele Royale ‘Diamond Girl’ (Music Video) (4:58)
  Sexy music video featuring for the song “Diamond Girl”, which sounds like a cabaret song meets James Bond theme.

Final Thoughts:

Ice is a gritty and suspenseful drama that provides an entertaining tale of how the characters adapt when forced to do bad things in order to protect their family, business and lives. The 10-episode first season introduces some interesting characters and dynamics, and provides lots of interesting plot twists and turns. Being used to watching everything in HD these days, I found the DVD presentation to be a bit disappointing, especially with the show’s darker scenes. However, the quality is certainly decent enough to watch and enjoy the series, and the discs also contain a small but entertaining assortment of bonus features. The series has an excellent, talented cast and this first season is worth checking out.