The first four episodes of the third series of Hurt are in the can and we had the pleasure of looking over them. This is episodes 1 to 4 of Hurt Season Three.
Having watched and reviewed the first two seasons of Hurt in the last four months, we have really come to know and like Stone and the other characters in the independent web series Hurt. Whilst the productions of what has come before haven’t been perfect, and marred with a few technical issues, Craig Selbrede and his team have managed to create a series that touches on important subjects such as depression, suicide, addiction, and relationships. One can’t but admire the intention of all involved.
Only the first four episodes of season three are complete, so we shall take a look at those, right now. What we understand from the season notes though, each episode is based on a certain genre or topic, and Alvin Edwards III decided not to return as Fin (boooo).
The first episode of season three, entitled “Death By A Thousand Cuts” is shot in the mockumentary style. Think The Office, and you’re on the right track. With Fin gone, and many of his friends and family working away or on vacation, Stone has to adjust. It’s not only Stone who has to adjust to things, as Huntley also has to come to terms with his roommate Sailor’s departure. It was humorous to see the two main characters break the fourth role, with Selbrede’s Stone giving knowing glances to the camera like Jim from the aforementioned The Office. Stone and Huntley have a little spat in the episode, with Huntley getting some advice from Stone’s old friend. We also get to see a younger version of Stone (played by Amann Memon) and his first-ever friend. These flashbacks appear in all subsequent episodes too.
In “Nothing Is Ever Really Lost” Hurt is played out like a horror film, and the black-and-white photography works really well. Stone, aspiring director Noa, and Jasmine get together to watch a horror movie, though they aren’t Stone’s bag, so to speak. Soon, Stone starts to hear voices, and Jasmine becomes hysterical, believing that someone is close by with the intention of killing the trio. It turns out that Noa is a Nepo baby, with her father being a director of major Hollywood movies, including ones in the MCU. Things soon turn worse, when a strange-looking character appears in the window of the house, and in the woods surrounding the property.
Episode three is a two-parter based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and called “I Want To Live”. Three days before Christmas, Stone is bored but finds himself face-to-face with Fin’s ex-girlfriend (acting as a sort of Ghost of Christmas Past). The once abusive person seems to have come to her senses and actually thanks Stone for setting her straight. Later that night, friend Kelly comes to visit Stone, who is now a successful Wardrobe Assistant in film and television.
The second part of the Christmas special is called “I Want To Live Part II” starts with Stone and Kelly in a diner. It’s Christmas Eve and Stone invites Kelly over for Christmas, seeing as she has no one. There is a problem though, Kelly is a vegan, and Stone is a fussy eater. The day comes and they both sit down for a Christmas Day Pizza. After conversing, they decide now is the best time to forget about the past and look to their futures, which is a good thing to do.
When receiving season three of Hurt, I totally didn’t expect Selbrede and the team to take such a turn in how they present each episode in a different style, but it worked out great. I think the imagination and the guts to change the way they went about things should certainly be applauded. It worked, and I hope they keep this up in future episodes and series.
As with the other seasons, there are still a few instances of technical problems, mostly instances of audio issues, with some obvious cases in the use of single, reverse single. We get background noise on one shot, like an AC, then on the reverse, it’s gone. Using room tone on this would help fix the issue. There was also a lot of wind interference in the scene with Stone and Fin’s ex-girlfriend, when a dead cat could have prevented the issue.
Still, I have to say, that I really enjoyed catching up with Stone, seeing some familiar faces, and meeting new characters. Yes, it would have been nice for everyone to return from seasons one and two, but the new style of genre and inspiration in each episode more than made up for them. Great work.
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