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Dailies (DVD)—November/December 2007 #2
A roundup of the current best and rest in TV on DVD. In this installment: Lost: The Complete Third Season, Jericho: The First Season, Alias: The Complete Fifth Season, My Name is Earl: Season Two, Family Guy: Season Six, Entourage: Season Three, Part 2.
Lost: The Complete Third Season (BV/RS, $99.95)
The season which divided many – both figuratively and literally – took a ratings dip in America after being split into two parts, while critics and fans alike were at odds over the quality of its initial episodes. Overall though, it’s a stunning season which returned the show to its creative heights. To recap: the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 crashed on an island which was not all it seemed; an island full of mystery and contradictions. Season Three begins by concentrating on the triumvirate of Jack, Kate and Sawyer (Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lily and Josh Holloway respectively) who were taken captive by the mysterious tribe known as the Others, who also inhabit the island. The first episode inverts everything we’ve come to know of Lost – where those perceived as bad guys are portrayed as a normal community whose lives were disrupted by the initial plane crash – and from there on, it doesn’t let up. It’s an epic progression, much maligned, misunderstood, and one which is clearly keeping with the mythology of the show – though as ever with Lost each answered question proffers a further dozen unanswered. But to the true fans, that’s always been the appeal of the show. Admittedly, characters we invested time in are sidelined for the sake of the Others – but creators always maintained there was a larger mosaic in place here; one which is now only becoming clearer. A splattering of extras as part of the ‘Unexplored Experience’ complements the 23 episodes and will satisfy fans – although the fact there are only commentaries on three episodes is a severe disappointment. New to DVD. (7-disc set; 23 episodes; optional English subtitles; extras as above).—Darren Bevan
Jericho: The First Season (Paramount/RS, $79.95)
Jericho was a revelation, both on and off screen; it fizzled quietly thanks to a word-of-mouth campaign and a hardened bunch of fans both in America and abroad. However, CBS’s decision to place the show on a longer than expected break very nearly sank it for eternity, as those all-important viewing figures were not as good as was to be hoped. After returning from hiatus, it looked as if it was to be consigned to the “Prematurely Axed” bin, a fate suffered by some of the best television in history. But fate had other plans... Skeet Ulrich (Scream) and Lennie James star as natives of Jericho, a small town which is turned upside down when a nuclear mushroom cloud appears on the horizon. The residents of the Kansas village are plunged back into Cold War living; where the uncertainty of who is behind the attacks divides many, isolates the entire township, and leads them to consider the very real possibility they could be the only ones left alive. The drama, which screened on TV3 earlier this year, is one of the best shows to emerge in a long time. Reminiscent of the best 60s paranoia TV, its slow burn storytelling initially put audiences off and made many think the writers didn’t have a clue where they wanted their show to go. However, episodes like “The Day Before”, which revealed background on the attacks, why they happened and who played what part in them, go a long way to satiate greedy viewers who demand instant gratification rather than the chance to savour and appreciate the bigger picture. Extras include commentaries on six episodes, deleted scenes, an in-depth look at the genesis and creation of the show, as well as a fascinating look at how the nuclear arms race evolved since the end of World War II. New to DVD. (6-disc set; 22 episodes; optional English subtitles; extras as above).—Darren Bevan
Alias: The Complete Fifth Season (BV/RS, $79.95)
Sometimes, like it or not, stories just run out of steam. TV history is littered with casualties; shows which were destroyed by the complexity of their original premise; shows which were swamped by their own mythology. Sadly a fifth installment Alias was a season too far – real shame because from its initial run, the JJ Abrams vehicle certainly revamped the sagging spy franchise. Jennifer Garner takes one last swansong as secret agent Sydney Bristow, struggling to muster the energy to see the show past its magic 100th episode (a milestone which helps secure a show’s future in US syndication repeats), while on another front is sidelined by the introduction of a new recruit (played by Rachel Nichols), no more a retread of her own character. The season opens with Sydney facing the possibility the man she’s always loved Vaughan (Michael Vartan) is a liar; a secret agent who had his own secrets and was never entirely honest with her. Sadly, she’s not going to get to the bottom of it as he apparently dies in the opening episode. But if the JJ Abrams touch has taught us anything (step forward Lost), not everything is what it seems – and soon Sydney is caught up in a world within a world as she tries to discover the truth about her love, and finally unscramble once and for all the Rambaldi mystery which has been in play ever since Season One. The 17 episodes are solid and the finale, if an inadequate send off for a show deserving of more, brings much needed resolution and pay off. Extras are on the light side for what’s the final season set – they include a celebration of the 100th episode, a look at the Rambaldi mythology which has permeated the show, and a smattering of commentaries, as well as the now obligatory bloopers reel. New to DVD. (5-disc set; 17 episodes; optional English subtitles; extras as above).—Darren Bevan
My Name is Earl: Season Two (Fox/RS, $59.95)
The first season of My Name is Earl was fresh and funny, and the challenge for the writers was to see if they could carry it into a second season. The good news is they have – and wonderfully so as well. The basic premise remains the same – hapless Earl sports a list of people he’s done wrong by and must redeem himself through – but with a new story arc which has consequences for all by the end of the year. His ex-wife Joy (played with southern trash glee by Jaime Pressly), following an argument with a department store over their returns policy, ends up facing serious kidnapping charges which could land her in jail. Earl’s list ties in with this as he tries to do right by Joy as well as himself, only it could be a leap of karma too far for him... A virtue of this second season, while at times blatantly sentimental, is that there’s a sense of joy to be found in every episode. Jason Lee is excellent as the titular simpleton, but Ethan Suplee’s idiot savant (with more of the emphasis on idiot) Randy steals the show. The remainder of the cast are a revelation and quite clearly enjoy themselves; elsewhere, name guest stars like Burt Reynolds, Roseanne and Giovanni Ribisi have since queued to take part. Extras are fairly sparse (though they would be tough to top the Season One feature when Earl decides it would be better to be bad): they include commentary on selected episodes, a blooper reel, the stoner files, and an intriguing segment entitled ‘The Web Cam’. New to DVD. (4-disc set; 23 episodes; optional English subtitles; extras as above).—Darren Bevan
Family Guy: Season Six (Fox/RS, $59.95)
How a cartoon which does eveything in its power to be politically incorrect has survived this long is, at times, a surprise. But Seth McFarlane’s Family Guy continues to march on, careless about who it offends or what boundaries it tests. Having survived cancellation once already on account of strong DVD sales, the writers appear to think they have carte blanche to be as offensive as they like – and my goodness, they just about get away with it. Season Six is much the same as previous seasons: a series of continually ludicrous stories that possess a degree of narrative, but otherwise are a scatterbomb of truly bizarre moments thrown in for laughs. These days, Family Guy comes in two formats: the censored version which is screened on TV, and the uncensored version which is found on the DVD releases. It’s not for the faint hearted and even carries an M rating with occasional F-words used for effect. 11 of the 13 episodes are uncensored which demonstrates how jumpy the American networks can be – or on the flip side, just how often the creators are willing to push it. The only problem with this DVD set is that it’s a curtailed release of 13 episodes (as opposed to the standard 20+). The extras, however, are heaving and extensive: every episode has a commentary by McFarlane as well as the cast and writers; there’s a raft of deleted scenes on each episode; an excellent featurette on how to draw the main star of the show Peter Griffin; and three animatic episodes which break down the cartoon making process. New to DVD. (3-disc set; 13 episodes; optional English subtitles; extras as above).—Darren Bevan
Entourage: Season Three, Part 2 (Warner Bros, $39.95)
Proving the Entourage mojo has wilted, power agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), in a rare moment of weakness, lowers his homophobic guard to save not only personal assistant Lloyd from the clutches of a lewd television writer (whose price for signing with the Miller-Gold agency is a night of gay debauchery), but his own irrecoverable soul. Needless to say, the old Ari would have made no such ethical and moral concessions, and as the great white shark of Doug Ellin’s Hollywood infiltration, is at his most lacerating as a predatory dealmaker oblivious to conscience or reason. Disconcertingly, he spends the initial episodes of this third season/second stanza emasculated and hung over from the loss of star client Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), whose only ticket back into Piven’s alpha male domain of fist pumps, corridor struts, and f-bomb laden assaults is pet project Medellín, the Pablo Escobar story. Unlike The Sopranos, the decision to split this season into two halves stifled momentum, and the eight remaining episodes stutter from having to jumpstart from a standstill. Worst of all, they’re couched in complacency, content to act out the entourage’s leisurely work-play scenarios within limited boundaries – no longer do the lives of Vince, Eric, Drama and Turtle mingle or even co-exist with Variety headlines, industry megalomaniacs, or the box-office gross of Spider-man. Even the cameos have dried up: a smug Brett Ratner is no substitute for James Cameron. Season Four promises a return to form, opening with the gang of four at Cannes in an attempt to recapture the guerrilla magic of the Sundance episode; here’s hoping the psychotic Harvey Weinstein look-alike makes a reappearance. New to DVD. (2-disc set; 8 episodes; optional English subtitles; three audio commentaries; "Anatomy of Entourage" featurette; "Museum of Television & Radio Panel" interview).—Tim Wong
* * *
Lost: The Complete Third Season (BV/RS, $99.95)The season which divided many – both figuratively and literally – took a ratings dip in America after being split into two parts, while critics and fans alike were at odds over the quality of its initial episodes. Overall though, it’s a stunning season which returned the show to its creative heights. To recap: the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 crashed on an island which was not all it seemed; an island full of mystery and contradictions. Season Three begins by concentrating on the triumvirate of Jack, Kate and Sawyer (Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lily and Josh Holloway respectively) who were taken captive by the mysterious tribe known as the Others, who also inhabit the island. The first episode inverts everything we’ve come to know of Lost – where those perceived as bad guys are portrayed as a normal community whose lives were disrupted by the initial plane crash – and from there on, it doesn’t let up. It’s an epic progression, much maligned, misunderstood, and one which is clearly keeping with the mythology of the show – though as ever with Lost each answered question proffers a further dozen unanswered. But to the true fans, that’s always been the appeal of the show. Admittedly, characters we invested time in are sidelined for the sake of the Others – but creators always maintained there was a larger mosaic in place here; one which is now only becoming clearer. A splattering of extras as part of the ‘Unexplored Experience’ complements the 23 episodes and will satisfy fans – although the fact there are only commentaries on three episodes is a severe disappointment. New to DVD. (7-disc set; 23 episodes; optional English subtitles; extras as above).—Darren Bevan
Jericho: The First Season (Paramount/RS, $79.95)Jericho was a revelation, both on and off screen; it fizzled quietly thanks to a word-of-mouth campaign and a hardened bunch of fans both in America and abroad. However, CBS’s decision to place the show on a longer than expected break very nearly sank it for eternity, as those all-important viewing figures were not as good as was to be hoped. After returning from hiatus, it looked as if it was to be consigned to the “Prematurely Axed” bin, a fate suffered by some of the best television in history. But fate had other plans... Skeet Ulrich (Scream) and Lennie James star as natives of Jericho, a small town which is turned upside down when a nuclear mushroom cloud appears on the horizon. The residents of the Kansas village are plunged back into Cold War living; where the uncertainty of who is behind the attacks divides many, isolates the entire township, and leads them to consider the very real possibility they could be the only ones left alive. The drama, which screened on TV3 earlier this year, is one of the best shows to emerge in a long time. Reminiscent of the best 60s paranoia TV, its slow burn storytelling initially put audiences off and made many think the writers didn’t have a clue where they wanted their show to go. However, episodes like “The Day Before”, which revealed background on the attacks, why they happened and who played what part in them, go a long way to satiate greedy viewers who demand instant gratification rather than the chance to savour and appreciate the bigger picture. Extras include commentaries on six episodes, deleted scenes, an in-depth look at the genesis and creation of the show, as well as a fascinating look at how the nuclear arms race evolved since the end of World War II. New to DVD. (6-disc set; 22 episodes; optional English subtitles; extras as above).—Darren Bevan
Alias: The Complete Fifth Season (BV/RS, $79.95)Sometimes, like it or not, stories just run out of steam. TV history is littered with casualties; shows which were destroyed by the complexity of their original premise; shows which were swamped by their own mythology. Sadly a fifth installment Alias was a season too far – real shame because from its initial run, the JJ Abrams vehicle certainly revamped the sagging spy franchise. Jennifer Garner takes one last swansong as secret agent Sydney Bristow, struggling to muster the energy to see the show past its magic 100th episode (a milestone which helps secure a show’s future in US syndication repeats), while on another front is sidelined by the introduction of a new recruit (played by Rachel Nichols), no more a retread of her own character. The season opens with Sydney facing the possibility the man she’s always loved Vaughan (Michael Vartan) is a liar; a secret agent who had his own secrets and was never entirely honest with her. Sadly, she’s not going to get to the bottom of it as he apparently dies in the opening episode. But if the JJ Abrams touch has taught us anything (step forward Lost), not everything is what it seems – and soon Sydney is caught up in a world within a world as she tries to discover the truth about her love, and finally unscramble once and for all the Rambaldi mystery which has been in play ever since Season One. The 17 episodes are solid and the finale, if an inadequate send off for a show deserving of more, brings much needed resolution and pay off. Extras are on the light side for what’s the final season set – they include a celebration of the 100th episode, a look at the Rambaldi mythology which has permeated the show, and a smattering of commentaries, as well as the now obligatory bloopers reel. New to DVD. (5-disc set; 17 episodes; optional English subtitles; extras as above).—Darren Bevan
My Name is Earl: Season Two (Fox/RS, $59.95)The first season of My Name is Earl was fresh and funny, and the challenge for the writers was to see if they could carry it into a second season. The good news is they have – and wonderfully so as well. The basic premise remains the same – hapless Earl sports a list of people he’s done wrong by and must redeem himself through – but with a new story arc which has consequences for all by the end of the year. His ex-wife Joy (played with southern trash glee by Jaime Pressly), following an argument with a department store over their returns policy, ends up facing serious kidnapping charges which could land her in jail. Earl’s list ties in with this as he tries to do right by Joy as well as himself, only it could be a leap of karma too far for him... A virtue of this second season, while at times blatantly sentimental, is that there’s a sense of joy to be found in every episode. Jason Lee is excellent as the titular simpleton, but Ethan Suplee’s idiot savant (with more of the emphasis on idiot) Randy steals the show. The remainder of the cast are a revelation and quite clearly enjoy themselves; elsewhere, name guest stars like Burt Reynolds, Roseanne and Giovanni Ribisi have since queued to take part. Extras are fairly sparse (though they would be tough to top the Season One feature when Earl decides it would be better to be bad): they include commentary on selected episodes, a blooper reel, the stoner files, and an intriguing segment entitled ‘The Web Cam’. New to DVD. (4-disc set; 23 episodes; optional English subtitles; extras as above).—Darren Bevan
Family Guy: Season Six (Fox/RS, $59.95)How a cartoon which does eveything in its power to be politically incorrect has survived this long is, at times, a surprise. But Seth McFarlane’s Family Guy continues to march on, careless about who it offends or what boundaries it tests. Having survived cancellation once already on account of strong DVD sales, the writers appear to think they have carte blanche to be as offensive as they like – and my goodness, they just about get away with it. Season Six is much the same as previous seasons: a series of continually ludicrous stories that possess a degree of narrative, but otherwise are a scatterbomb of truly bizarre moments thrown in for laughs. These days, Family Guy comes in two formats: the censored version which is screened on TV, and the uncensored version which is found on the DVD releases. It’s not for the faint hearted and even carries an M rating with occasional F-words used for effect. 11 of the 13 episodes are uncensored which demonstrates how jumpy the American networks can be – or on the flip side, just how often the creators are willing to push it. The only problem with this DVD set is that it’s a curtailed release of 13 episodes (as opposed to the standard 20+). The extras, however, are heaving and extensive: every episode has a commentary by McFarlane as well as the cast and writers; there’s a raft of deleted scenes on each episode; an excellent featurette on how to draw the main star of the show Peter Griffin; and three animatic episodes which break down the cartoon making process. New to DVD. (3-disc set; 13 episodes; optional English subtitles; extras as above).—Darren Bevan
Entourage: Season Three, Part 2 (Warner Bros, $39.95)Proving the Entourage mojo has wilted, power agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), in a rare moment of weakness, lowers his homophobic guard to save not only personal assistant Lloyd from the clutches of a lewd television writer (whose price for signing with the Miller-Gold agency is a night of gay debauchery), but his own irrecoverable soul. Needless to say, the old Ari would have made no such ethical and moral concessions, and as the great white shark of Doug Ellin’s Hollywood infiltration, is at his most lacerating as a predatory dealmaker oblivious to conscience or reason. Disconcertingly, he spends the initial episodes of this third season/second stanza emasculated and hung over from the loss of star client Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), whose only ticket back into Piven’s alpha male domain of fist pumps, corridor struts, and f-bomb laden assaults is pet project Medellín, the Pablo Escobar story. Unlike The Sopranos, the decision to split this season into two halves stifled momentum, and the eight remaining episodes stutter from having to jumpstart from a standstill. Worst of all, they’re couched in complacency, content to act out the entourage’s leisurely work-play scenarios within limited boundaries – no longer do the lives of Vince, Eric, Drama and Turtle mingle or even co-exist with Variety headlines, industry megalomaniacs, or the box-office gross of Spider-man. Even the cameos have dried up: a smug Brett Ratner is no substitute for James Cameron. Season Four promises a return to form, opening with the gang of four at Cannes in an attempt to recapture the guerrilla magic of the Sundance episode; here’s hoping the psychotic Harvey Weinstein look-alike makes a reappearance. New to DVD. (2-disc set; 8 episodes; optional English subtitles; three audio commentaries; "Anatomy of Entourage" featurette; "Museum of Television & Radio Panel" interview).—Tim Wong
