'Planet Earth: Blue Planet II' Recap - 'One Ocean'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK... 

Growing up, I was utterly captivated by the vast number of documentaries about our world and the wildlife that inhabits it that popped up on PBS on a regular basis. It was just simply amazing to know that so many incredible eco systems existed right underneath our noses and I watched as many of them as I could when I wasn’t at school and as it turns out, my love of those kind of documentaries followed me into adulthood as well.
 
If anything, being an adult allows for me to appreciate these documentaries on a whole new level, in part because I actually know exactly what every narrator is speaking to when they highlight a particular species in a remote part of our world. But also, because…these documentaries keep getting better and better. The progression of technology and high definition allow for us to see and experience our world like never before and now that some free time has come my way, I’ve been able to enjoy a brand-new documentary about our oceans on BBC America, Planet Earth: Blue Planet II.
 
If that title is any indication, this particular entry in the Planet Earth saga narrows its focus on the vast body of water that envelops our world and well, let’s just get it out in the open now, this season premiere is nothing short of spectacular, for so many reasons. For starters, ‘One Ocean’ wastes no time in teaching its audience something new and exciting about the ocean in question by highlighting fish in particular in this episode and well, who knew that there is a fish that knows how to open its own clams? Or that there’s a species (the Kobudai Wrasse) that can change genders to ensure the survival of its kind? I certainly didn’t, but thanks to this series I do now, and all of that learning is made possible, by the powerful visuals this series provides.
 
Because it’s the imagery that sucks you in and my goodness, is this series a feast for the eyes through and through. This episode features magnificent cinematography that instantly draws you into a world we simply do not understand, and the power of high definition is only enhanced further by brand new technology that allows for us to discover wonders that we simply never knew existed. Case in point, the incredible sequence involving Manta Rays wherein we are able to see Plankton glow beneath the surface of the ocean, adding a tranquil beauty to the wild and unpredictable world that nature inhabits. 
 
However, despite the beauty and majesty and learning on display in this episode, it also takes the time to remind us just how frail our oceans truly are, and the dangers the incredible creatures in and around the water now face as climate change transforms their homes and it makes this season premiere as poignant as it is beautiful and it’s simply more of what we’ve come to expect from this storied and wonderful saga. Either way, I’m hooked and ready for more and I do believe I’ll be binging this to the best of my abilities in the days to come so I can enjoy a brand-new episode on Saturday Night. Until next time.

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