Showing posts with label tv dvds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv dvds. Show all posts

2/28/2012

The Shield - The Complete Fourth Season (2002) Review

The Shield - The Complete Fourth Season (2002)
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At the end of the third season of FX's the Shield, crooked cop Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and his strike team split up. As the fourth season opens, the Farmington precinct meets their new captain in Monica Rawling (Glenn Close), and it's not long before she makes herself noticed. With Aceveda (Benito Martinez) on his way to political office, Rawling makes her presence felt re-organizing the force with Vic as her right hand man, and they both put their sights on charismatic drug dealer Antwan Mitchell (Anthony Anderson). In the meantime, Vic's ex-partner Shane (Walt Goggins) works vice, and gets in way too deep with Mitchell, which leads to the reformation of the strike team in an effort to save Shane, and themselves, before it's too late. Sub-plots throughout the season include Aceveda discovering a dark side he never knew he had, Julian (Michael Jace) looking to be transfered as he opposes Rawling's approach to the seizures, and Dutch (Jay Karnes) finding romance with Vic's ex-wife (Cathy Cahlin Ryan) while trying to get both his partner (CCH Pounder) and himself out of the doghouse with the DA. Many agree that the third season was a step down compared to the landmark first two, and the fourth season delivers firing on all cylinders. Glenn Close is perfect casting as the no-nonsense new captain, while Michael Chiklis is excellent as always as crooked cop Mackey, who this season, appears to be searching for redemption. The Shield is back on track, and it's once again the best original drama on cable TV. By the end of the season, there is a big change for all the main players, and it will leave you salivating for what's coming next.

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Heart-pounding. Intense. Gripping. Keeping the streets safe has never been more brutal. Season 4 introduced Glenn Close in a leading role and was the highest rated season yet. Live the suspense with THE SHIELD SEASON 4 on DVD!

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2/12/2012

Reno 911 - The Complete First Season (2003) Review

Reno 911 - The Complete First Season (2003)
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RENO 911 is a hilarious spoof of COPS. Set in Reno it follows a rag tag group of inept police officers as they fumble and fall all over the place! It's a lot of fun, and surprisingly well done. Each episode is about 20 minutes of the whackiest footage you will see - shot on video exactly like COPS. My favorite character has to be Lt. Dangle with his "Daisy Duke" shorts and penchant for going undercover as a female prostitute (on his day off!). Amazingly all the lead actors play both the cops and the criminals for the most part! A wig and a well placed blur usually means someone in the cast is pulling double duty. It's like COPS meets SPINAL TAP! But surprisingly as the stories develop you grow to love this group of enforcement misfits!
The DVD set shows you all of season one's episodes in order! Which is a great bonus since they aired somewhat out of order on Comedy Central initially. You noticed this the most with Clementine as her pregnancy didn't unfold in the correctly in the original airings. You get commentaries from the cast on the episodes - including some truly funny "hidden" commentaries which can be found by highlighting the push pins on the photos in the menus. It's a great set for a great show!

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RENO 911!:COMPLETE FIRST SEASON - DVD Movie

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2/08/2012

The Amazing Race - The Seventh Season (2001) Review

The Amazing Race - The Seventh Season (2001)
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Having Rob and Amber from "Survivor" compete on this show's Season 7 was obviously a bit of stunt casting (and, to a degree, was regrettable, because TAR shouldn't really need to resort to such attention-grabbing ploys) but as far as that goes, they were a definite upgrade from Alison from "Big Brother", who appeared in Season 5 along with her boyfriend Donny. It really shouldn't come as a shock that they proved to be excellent competitors, and there's one leg of the race in particular where the Robfather pulls a Jedi mind trick to convince some of the weaker-willed to dance to his tune.
Personally, I think Seasons 3 and 6 have been the strongest, but this edition has one really great team (Brian and Greg), the requisite team you love to hate (Ray and Deana), the token old couple (Meredith and Gretchen) that refuses to go quietly into that good night (NEVER bet on the old couple to be eliminated first on any TAR season), a stereotypically snarky gay couple (Lynn and Alex), and the ever-popular team where you can't believe the words that are coming out of their mouths (from Kelly--not so much from Ron). At least one of the teams had no real business being on the show--the word is that they were actually recruited by the casting agents, rather going through the audition tape process like everyone else, and it is pretty much evident. A member of another team spends so much time groaning and complaining about inevitable defeat that you'll want to hit the mute button whenever he shows up on the screen.
This season spends rather more time in South America than in previous outings and, unusually, scarcely hits Europe at all, and then takes a literally surprising direction for the home stretch.
There's plenty of drama, and at least three photo finishes with desperate flat-out sprints to the mat, and one of these is among TAR's all-time great moments to watch. And thankfully, no one proves to be as wretched and vile as TAR5's Colin and Christie or TAR6's truly loathsome Jonathan and Victoria.
Plus there is llama herding, so you know that you're in for quality entertainment. Until TAR3 and TAR6 come out, this edition is not too shabby.

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AMAZING RACE:SEVENTH SEASON - DVD Movie

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12/05/2011

The Best of Art Linkletter's Kids Say the Darndest Things, vol 1. (2005) Review

The Best of Art Linkletter's Kids Say the Darndest Things, vol 1. (2005)
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I enjoyed watching this DVD - it brought back memories of watching the "House Party" TV show with my mom back in the 60's - probably on school vacation days. I don't really remember what the rest of the "House Party" show was about but the 'Kids Say the Darnest Things' segment was what I tuned in for. This DVD is funny although somewhat repetitious but even my teenager got a kick out of the DVD. Seeing the prizes the kids received was interesting too - a trip down memory lane.

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We can relive Art Linkletter's shining moments and discover that kids do indeed say the darndest things. The Very Best of Art Linkletter's Kids Say the Darndest Things is 2 hours of hilarious family fun. Relive the memories and share some laughter with this great collection.

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The Sopranos: The Complete Fourth Season (2002) Review

The Sopranos: The Complete Fourth Season (2002)
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While the death count has steadily decreased in subsequent seasons, The Sopranos is not going soft, but rather evolving. In the first season, everything was put together. In number two, an emphasis was placed on Tony's business: busting out, poker games, scams, power struggles, traders, etc. In season 3, the series showed it is not prone to repetition. Instead of Ralph becoming another Richie, his ability to make money kept him alive.
Now the fourth and still not the last season. Seemingly every episode ended with an uncomfortable shot of Tony and Carmela alone together, but still apart: In bed with Carmela facing away, in the kitchen with Tony leaning on the couch, in the bathroom with Carmela in the tub. And after all this, Tony bought "Whitecaps", his way of saying that he wanted to keep his family together forever. But Carmela saw it as just "a bigger version of a diamond ring." As Dean Martin sings at the end of the finale, "It's because, my girl's right here."
Then the demise of Ralph, foreshadowed when Jonny Sack comments "I should have let Tony cut your head off last year." Ralph was kept around only because of money and when he hands Tony an envelope and says "At least I'm good for something," Tony can't help but agree. And when Ralph is being `silenced' by Tony in `Whoever Did This', Tony comments "She was a beautiful creature, what did she ever do to you?" It becomes hazy whether he is referring to Pie-O-My or Tracy when he sees her picture at the Bing. The "thousand incidents with that guy" finally catch up to Ralph.
By the end of the season, Tony has a business predicament that will likely be settled somehow in season 5. Tony has conspired with Carmine to kill Jonny Sack, and negotiated with Jonny to kill Carmine. It is unclear by season's end exactly who knows what and who is being set up.
The biggest gripes from viewers seemed to be the oddness of the Carmela / Furio and Janice / Bacala storylines. I think more in depth viewing will help people to understand the subtleness of season 4. And mind you a lot of season 4 storylines will likely carry over into 5. The Sopranos is ongoing, and doesn't play by the national network `close all storylines in the finale and leave one cliffhanger' rule.
My biggest beef was HBO's ruining the finale with posting online that Uncle Junior's would get a mistrial and showing in the trailer a black SUV being shot into. Of course when it aired and a black SUV pulled up, any element of shock was completely ruined.
Season 4 is very deep and intriguing, and has taken me dozens of viewings to understand underlying themes, and will take many more to grasp them all and catch all the jokes (like Tony feeling like the 'Reverend Rodney King Jr.') Hopefully the DVD and its audio commentary will help. Like what was Tony's `Italian Immigrant' dream suppose to mean?

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It's tough times in Jersey for Tony Soprano. The sluggish economy hasn't been good for the family business. His wife Carmela is angling for more financial security. Some longtime lieutenants aren't happy with Tony's recent decisions. A rival boss wants a bigger piece of the suburban pie. A Sopranos is actually heading to trial for the first time in decades. At least one child seems to have lost interest in higher education. And the ducks aren't coming back anytime soon. PROGRAM INFORMATION Number of Episodes: 13 1. For All Debts Public & Private 2. No -Show 3. Christopher 4. The Weight 5. Pie O My 6. Everybody Hurts 7. Watching Too Much Television 8. Mergers & Acquisitions 9. Whoever Did This 10. The Strong Silent Type 11. Calling All Cars 12. Eloise 13. Whitecaps

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12/02/2011

The Sopranos: The Complete Fifth Season (2004) Review

The Sopranos: The Complete Fifth Season (2004)
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The death of Carmine, family crime boss of New York, sets up the organizational tug of war that operates through the fifth season. The brutal push and shove between Little Carmine and Johnny Sack provides the dramatic backdrop as tensions mount between the families. Through it all, Tony tries to maintain neutrality but finds himself, as usual, in the thick of things.
On the home front there are several touching and poignant moment between our lovable thug, Tony, and his long-suffering wife, Carmella. Slowly and sweetly, they inch toward each other; each painfully aware of the sensitive issues and the deep divide which separate them. In a grimly amusing scene, Tony may have found Carmella's price.
Without question, this is Gandolfini's finest hour. He gives a performance which portrays not only the ruthlessness and thuggery of Tony Soprano but also the maturity, thoughtfulness, humor and depth of a caring husband father. No humanitarian awards just yet, though, this is brutal gangsterism and intimidation of innocents, after all. Carmella, Christopher, and Adriana also deliver their very best performances to date. Well-deserving of their awards and recognition.
Adriana's episode commentary in bonus features is worth listening to.


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His separation hasn't been working out. His nephew's fiance has become a distraction. His paroled cousin is giving off bad vibes. His business rival is looking for payback. His therapist isn't buying into the "other Tony." It's enough to send any mob boss over the edge. Hell hath no fury like The Sopranos.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryOther


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12/01/2011

The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season (2000) Review

The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season (2000)
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The Sopranos is one of HBO's greatest achievements (although I admit that I think it lost some of its momentum and spark with seasons three and four). When I first saw the show, I was hooked. I'd watch anywhere from three to four episodes a day. One of the great things about first watching this show on DVD was that I could watch any number of episodes instead of just watching one per week.
"The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season" has to be my favorite season. As much as I love the first one, this was when things were really funny, intense, dramatic and involving. The season doesn't let us down when it comes to Tony having more problems than ever before. Both in his Mafia Family and his immediate family, Tony can never get a break. His wife gives him grief while his kids keep doing things that upset him. And don't get me started on his ill mother and self-centered sister. Life isn't much better in his Mafia Family when the brother of Jackie is released from prison and is giving Tony a hard time both personally and professionally. Not to mention that his long time friend, Big P. comes back from a long hiatus when he was first suspected of turning rat to the Feds. All of this leads to one incredible and unpredictable season that showcases the show like none other.
For me, this was the most entertaining season of them all. I loved the characters, the constantly changing storylines, and the personal and business life of Tony Soprano, which is superbly balanced in this season. There's still the much appreciated humor in these episodes that were found lacking in the next two seasons. It doesn't feel like a soap opera, but a more enhanced look into the Mafia world. There's plenty of action as well as dramatic storylines that will make everybody happy for the most part.
This season comes in a set of four discs, totaling at 13 episodes. The great thing about the show is that it is presented to us in a widescreen format that is enhanced for widescreen TVs. This really makes the show that more effective because you feel like you're actually watching a movie rather than a show on cable. The picture and sound quality is great and really shows. There are some nice little extras, such as featurettes, brief previews and recaps of episodes, web-links and more.
"The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season" is a bundle of laughs, suspense, drama, action and surprises. You're always on your toes and you never know what's coming next. One thing's for sure; this is the most unpredictable season out of the four seasons (the fifth one looks pretty promising thus far). While you'll want to start with the first season if you've never seen the show before, you'll know that you will have something special to look forward to once you get to the second season. In my opinion, this is where Sopranos is flawlessly at its best. -Michael Crane

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For Tony Soprano, there's no such thing as business as usual. Balancing the demands of his immediate family - wife Carmel, daughter Meadow and son Anthony Jr. - witht the demands of his other family - Paulie Walnuts, Silvio Dante and Big Pussy Bompensiero - means walking a tightrope no self-respecting mobster should have to walk. With his mother and uncle plotting against him, his older sister Janice wreaking her own special kind of havoc, and the very real threat that one of his closest allies is wired by the F.B.I, Tony needs the support of his psychiatrist Dr. Melfi more than ever.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryBiographiesFeaturetteFilmographiesOtherScene AccessTV Spot


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11/25/2011

The Sopranos: Season 6, Part 1 (2006) Review

The Sopranos: Season 6, Part 1 (2006)
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It's lonely in the ranks that believe that season 6 of The Sopranos was as good, if not better, than the seasons before it, but I am convinced that the first 12 episodes of season 6 are amongst the bravest, best written, and most telling episodes of the series. The Sopranos has long been a show with the most complex, multi-layered characters on television, but by using the mantra of "Who am I, where am I going" as a rallying point, season 6 probed the nature of what drives its family, and gets in intense focus of who each of them is. The problem, I think, was that it did its job TOO well this season - it's not that there wasn't action (the death count this year was as high as any other, and Tony does, after all, nearly die himself), but that because the show wanted so much to get the specifics of the ordinary right, it's easy to overlook the rather consternated implications of their everyday events. What I mean is that in showing each character at his/her essence, we get what really drives them, but we don't necessarily get that explained to us - we, for example, identify with Carmela's sense of longing and uncertainty staring off at the Eiffel Tower, or we register that Paulie is adrift in guilt and anxiety over his actions in life, but we get it in the details of their everyday action and, these characters experiencing these implications alone, get little of that wrapped up for us. To me, that speaks to a level of characterization and examination that doesn't exist in television and barely exists in film - it probes the specifics of its fictional characters so precisely, it winds up speaking to the heart of what drives Americans and the materialism of American culture that makes things like mobs possible. In that, it brings forth insurance agent, real estate claimsmen and salesmen, actors, and (in one unforgettable shout-out) Dick Cheney - comparisons of the same urges. Yet this season does more than critique the impulses, it allows them to exist, allows all of their very real virtues to be present, and lets them arise from its characters distinct, full-bodied personalities - money helps keep AJ out of jail, gets him laid, repairs Tony's relationship with his sister, keeps Carmela from probing too deeply into Adriana's murder, gets Tony reasonable health care, and nearly spares Vito's life and stops a cross-river gang war. I may be alone in the level to which the Sopranos makes me think, but I do think David Chase's intentions are to use his astonishingly vivid characters to go into depth about the American mentality (or, they're not, and it's just a product of three dimensional writing). However, even if it weren't, the season gives you extraordinary moments to savor - Paulie's confrontation with mortality ("The Ride"), Carmela crying at Tony's bedside ("Join The Club"), Christopher's gut-shaking relapse ("Kaisha," with a fearless guest turn by Juliana Marguilles), AJ's inability to carry out his "big plan" against Junior ("Johnny Cakes"), and, unforgettably, Philly's cold stare as his machinations to kill Vito are achieved ("Cold Stones"). They're moments of magnificent acting that fulfill characters even as it surprises you with their humanity and personality. And, in the premiere, "Members Only," it gives you it all in an hour - a suicide, heart attack, and gun shot that seem to tell you everything you've ever needed to know about the mob life, about why they - if not you - do what they do.

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Several crises threaten Tony and his crew; for starters, rival boss Johnny Sack (Vince Curatola) is in prison, and the always-tense relations between the New Jersey and New York families are strained through the unpredictable behavior of Sack?s surrogates. Then there are the inevitable power struggles that ensue when certain family members are eliminated, by natural and other causes.DVD Features:3D Animated MenusAudio CommentaryFeaturette


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8/23/2011

Crank Yankers Uncensored - Season One (2002) Review

Crank Yankers Uncensored - Season One (2002)
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Unlike some people, I don't review DVDs until I have actually watched them. This collection includes all 10 first seasons episodes of Crank Yankers, now with the curse words unbleeped. There are still a few bleeps, though; mostly the names of businesses. Like when Terrence calls Spago to make a reservation for Bill Cosby, "Spago" is bleeped. Oddly, though, on the CD version of that call, "Spago" was unbleeped. Watching the early episodes of Crank Yankers, it is interesting to observe some of the ways the show has "evolved" since then. Some of the puppets didn't have quite the same look as they do now. The most notable difference is in Cammie, who was originally a blonde. Also, the show was more experimental during the first season. They tried things like having musical performances and "wise sayings" from Confucius. These bits were later dropped to concentrate entirely on the crank phone calls. The bonus materials on the DVD include a documentary about the making of the show, which is interesting, at least the first time you watch it. There are also two unaired calls, which are not as funny as the calls that actually did air. If you like this show, this DVD set is well produced and worth the money.

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CRANK YANKERS - SEASON 1 - UNCENSORED features outrageous crank calls from well-known comedians to real people and delivered to viewers through puppets called the "Crank Yankers" who live in the make-believe world called Yankerville.Special guest star voices include Dave Chappelle, Jack Black, Wanda Sykes, Tracy Morgan, Jimmy Kimmel and more.

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The Best Of Crank Yankers (2002) Review

The Best Of Crank Yankers (2002)
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For those who have managed to skate through the last couple of years and remain blissfully unaware of Crank Yankers, or Comedy Central, or even the concept of cable television, the following explanation is necessary - everyone else can skip right to the next paragraph. This show was built around the concept of an assortment of youngish comedians making prank calls to various more-or-less unsuspecting individuals, customer service centers or businesses... and then dramatizing the resulting audio with various puppets.
The results are definitely uncensored; think of the anatomically correct puppets as PG-13 rated Muppets. The definition of "best" is certainly rather flexible; over sixty calls are included in this collection. Fans of the original series will have their own favorites and feel miffed if those were not included in this collection, and yes, Special Ed's "I've got mail" is included - probably as an example of a gag being beaten into the ground with a sledge hammer. Oprah Winfrey was skewered lightly, and the call from the deaf guy through an IT assistance operator to a phone-sex line was funnier than it sounds described; you picks your call and you takes your chances with this collection.
The calls themselves are a mixed bag; for every one that is laugh-out-loud there is one that is labored and embarrassing, or just plain cruel. I guess it says something for the average Americans' savvy that recipients of some calls were quick-witted enough to play along with the gag. Others declined to have anything to do with whatever outrageous proposal was put to them and ended the call with varying degrees of courtesy - which says much for American telephone manners, although I would be interested to know how often the `crank yankers' were hung up on.


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Now sixty of your favorite Comedy Central Crank Yankers calls are available in this glorious DVD collection. Look back on all your favorite moments, from Hadassah’s obnoxiously uncomfortable questions about poop to Spoonie Luv’s liberal use of the word "ho," to the time Special Ed yelled "I got mail!" 48 different times in one call (we counted).

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6/06/2011

Joan of Arcadia - The First Season (2003) Review

Joan of Arcadia - The First Season (2003)
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This was one of the finest television series on the air. The writing was superb, the characters were believable, and the storylines were to die for.
If you loved the Touched by an Angel series, you will enjoy this one.
The main character, a high school girl named Joan talks to God all day every day as she sorts through the pains of growing up. What I love about this show is that God appears as every single race, color, creed and religion - from a middle aged chess player to a Gothic punk rocker. Joan never knows what God will look like, but has blind faith God is always there.
I also love that she does not always appreciate the advice she is given and gets annoyed with God from time to time. I can relate to not liking the answer I get to my prayers. I don't always get what I ask for. But I always get what I need. Just like Joan.

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After patriarch Will gets a job as the chief of police, the Girardi family moves to the small town of Arcadia from the big city. Middle child Joan isn't happy, and her family, consisting of science nerd Luke, paralyzed former jock Kevin, and their perpetually flustered mother Helen, isn't helping. Joan finds herself talking to God, in the form of random people who give her assignments to help the people around her. Joan keeps following God's assignments, never sure if she's really speaking to him, or just going crazy!

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5/24/2011

The Sopranos: The Complete Third Season (2001) Review

The Sopranos: The Complete Third Season (2001)
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The third series of 'The Sopranos' consolidates the brilliance of the first two, rather than taking it in any radically new directions. The characters, their relationships and their environment are so strong; the dramatic irony between our sympathy with and enjoyment of these people, and our knowledge of their brutal and unhypocritically presented crimes, is so complex, that any blatant originality merely for the sake of it would be a betrayal.
But, because the central components are so strong, there is plenty of room for play - in the way narratives are set up to encourage then defy expectations; in the interplay with canonical gangster texts, especially 'The Godfather'; in the consistently creative use of music - for mood and to emphasise character, yes, but also to create ironic distance, to add montages of 'commentary' over the stories, to connect apparently disparate scenes, to add a depth of texture. Because it is in texture that 'The Sopranos' has really developed - the recklessly confident film-making; the layered scripts; the rich dialogue; and the knowing acting combine to create programmes of truly, yes, operatic density.
There are a number of new plot developments in this series - Meadow goes to Columbia University; the FBI (in a supremely funny handful of episodes) attempt to bug the Sopranos; the Russian mafia grow in menacing importance; Janice takes up with a Christian musician; Anthony Jr. becomes increasingly unmanagable at school and at play, but proves an unexpectedly skilful footballer; Ralph (Joe Pantoliano) replaces Richie Aprile as the major made-guy thorn in Tony's side; Carmela feels increasingly guilty about her mob-financed luxury; Tony begins an affair with a beautiful, smart, successful car saleswoman (Anabella Sciorra) who has even more mental problems than he. Most crucial for the series is the role of Jackie Aprile Jr., college-mitching son of Tony's former mob boss and best friend, who wants to see some of the criminal action, and starts dating Meadow as a spectacularly misjudged entree. The major weakness of the second series - the tokenistic continuation of the Dr. Melfi framing scenes long after they've outrun their dramtic usefulness - is corrected by both bringing the psychotherapist (dangerously) closer to Tony's life, and by having Carmela join in the sessions, to comic effect.
There is a brooding, elegiac feel to the series, with Tony thinking not just about his mother, but his dead friends, Pussy's actions in the last series, and the future possibilities open to the younger generation. If nothing else, Series 3 boasts the best-ever episode of 'The Sopranos', directed by one Steve Buscemi, which begins farcically, with Paulie and Christopher accidentally killing an irate Russian, and bungling the disposal of his body in a snow-wasted forest; before turning into a nightmare, as they lose their bearings after the corpse runs off, and they are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Loosened from the secure ties and identity-affirmation of family and Family, the episode brilliantly encapsulates what's at stake in the series, as unforgettably as the immortal 'Seinfeld' episode when the quartet can't find their car in the shopping mall car park.

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Some suburban households have two cars. Some have two houses. But Tony Soprano has two families. This could be why the FBI is going to such lengths to wiretap his home. Why the son of his dear late friend Jackie Aprile is causing him such agita. Why a Russian housekeeper is searching for her missing leg. Why his son is vandalizing school property and his daughter is getting her heart broken. Why his wife Carmela is both consulting a psychiatrist and confessing to a priest. And it's also why Tony Soprano is still seeing Dr. Melfi for his anxiety attacks. It isn't easy heading-up the mob in New Jersey. But that's what puts dinner on the table for the two families of Tony Soprano.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryBiographiesFeaturetteInteractive MenusOtherScene Access


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