Riese: The Series - episode 1 (spoilers)

Well, Riese: the Series is finally here. Episode 1 - The Hunt - has been posted. What do you think?




Personally, I enjoyed it. The opening episode has high production values for a low-budget web series and I was pleasantly surprised by how realistic this fantasy Steampunk world appears. Loved the 'passport' scene. Such a little incident but it fills in quite a bit of detail about the kind of world Riese inhabits.

There's a CGI frame depicting of a settlement seen by Riese from afar which is perfectly understated and fits right into the forest location used for the shoot. I enjoyed the twisting setup of the relationship between Riese and the wolf. It made for an opening that hooked me right in.

I admit I was beginning to grope around for the Steampunk element in Riese until what I can only assume was a suitably nefarious mechanical automaton/hybrid showed up mid-way through. That such a character spoke the first line of dialogue in the show was a compelling touch.

It's only the first episode so how the rest of the series pans out is anybody guess at the moment. Let's hope it lives up to the quite considerable promise this initial installment shows.

Visit http://riesetheseries.com for the latest episodes and info.