Best of TV on DVD

The Sopranos- Season 6, Part 1

The Sopranos Season 6, Part 2, the conclusion of the series, won't be released on DVD until the Fall, so what better time to recap one of the best shows on TV? A lot of Soprano-heads have bitched about this season, mostly because it's more character-driven and less intense--people aren't getting whacked left and right, etc etc. I guess it's ample evidence that the show is split into two types of viewers: those that like the constant stream of tension/action, and those who appreciate the subtleties, dialogue and character nuances.

The first part of Season 6 deals with Tony's struggle to recover from his coma after being shot by Uncle Junior, giving us the best episode of the season, "Members Only," with Tony stuck in a sort of purgatory as Kevin Finnerty. Meanwhile, Johnny Sack (Vince Curatola) is in prison, meaning that Phil Leotardo (the menacing Frank Vincent) is handling all of the family business in his absence. Christopher (Michael Imperioli) is eager to kick off his awful horror movie, Cleaver, which is described as "Saw meets The Godfather: Part II." Vito (Joseph Gannascoli) has dreams about taking Tony's place should he not make it out of his coma, which is quickly dismissed once his homosexuality is revealed, prompting him to move to New Hampshire. Poor Vito tries to reconcile, but Phil Leotardo sees it as a "f****** disgrace" and takes matters into his own hands.

There's a bit of a lag in Part 1, but taken as a whole, it's just as satisfying as any of other seasons.




Big Love- Season 1

Bill Paxton must've had it written somewhere in his contract that he has to show his ass at least once in every episode of the HBO series Big Love. With three houses, three wives, and a business just getting its legs, Bill Henrickson (Paxton) has got a lot on his plate. It doesn't help that the snaky Roman Grant (a superb Harry Dean Stanton), the father of Bill's wife Nicki (the conniving Chloe Sevigny) is trying to complicate matters even more by demanding a cut on the second Henrickson's Home Plus store. Polygamy isn't an easy subject to tackle, but it's done with considerable panache, and although the "perks" of plural marriage are well documented, it also examines the ugly heart of Mormonism.



Extras- Seasons 1 & 2

HBO is setting a new standard for quality shows, what with the success of The Sopranos, and other respected shows like The Wire, Deadwood, Six Feet Under, Band of Brothers, Oz, Carnivale, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Da Ali G Show. Well, I guess it has to. Prime time isn't gonna do it. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's new show, Extras, is a welcome addition to that growing list. Gervais and Merchant had a lot to live up to with the massive success of the BBC show The Office, spawning an (arguably) inferior U.S. version, but they're more than up to the challenge, poking a bit of fun at themselves and recruiting an impressive list of celebrities to do the same.

Season 1 gets off to a bit of an awkward start, with Andy Millman (Gervais) and sidekick Maggie (Ashley Jensen) wallowing in thankless extra roles in big-budget Hollywood films. Millman's intent on moving past the extra world is hindered by his inept agent (Stephen Merchant), who is only able to get him the most menial work possible. The episodes with Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Stiller and Kate Winslet emerge as the clear winners, with plenty of uncomfortable comedy and embarassing moments to spare. Gervais and Merchant have no shame or boundaries to their comedy, which results in some hilarious scenes that are painful to watch, just like many in The Office.

Season 2 is the better of the two. The main difference this time is that Millman has his shitcom "When The Whistle Blows" picked up by the BBC, and much to Millman's chagrin, it is not what he'd envisioned, despite growing popularity as a "catchphrase-based comedy." The episode with David Bowie is destined to become a classic, with the former Aladdin Sane performing an impromptu song on the piano about Millman that starts out with the line "chubby little loser..." and turns into a free-for-all sing-a-long ridiculing him.

The following episode with Daniel Radcliffe (a.k.a. Harry Potter) is just as good. Radcliffe plays a Potter-like boy scout in a fairy tale movie, and a wood elf (Warwick Davis) has his flute restored by the "magical kid with glasses." I was in stitches.

Ian McKellen shows up in an episode, telling Millman of his ingenious method of acting. Millman and Jonathan Ross share a homoerotic moment in another key episode, with a surprise appearance by Robert De Niro. Now that the rest of the world has taken notice, it seems that Gervais and Merchant's options for comedy are pretty much limitless.



Not Just The Best Of The Larry Sanders Show

There would be no Ricky Gervais without The Larry Sanders Show, so it's appropriate that this was finally released on DVD. Garry Shandling was approached about the possibility of filling a late night talk show slot, but instead he created this groundbreaking show-within-a-show that acted as an allegorical dagger through the heart of showbusiness and the trappings of fame and ego. Rip Torn is so hilarious that he could've quite possibly carried the show on his own. It also the marked the beginning of Janeane Garofalo's career, as well as writer-director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up), who wrote a number of the show's episodes, and X-filer David Duchovny. Plenty of great extras, with Shandling interviewing old stars of the show and offering insight into the show's creation.



Twin Peaks- The Second Season

David Lynch and co. are planning a deluxe Definitive 10-disc Gold Box Edition of Twin Peaks to come out at the end of October, complete with the show's original pilot (both U.S. and European theatrical version), all of the episodes, as well as a bonus disc with special features. Normally, I cringe at this sort of excess, but in Twin Peaks' case, it's entirely necessary and long overdue--Season 1 is already out of print, and Season 2 was released just this April, after a nearly 6-year wait.

What else can be said of Twin Peaks other than it's one of the greatest shows ever to make it on to network television? I have no hesitation in thinking that there's no way in hell that ABC would ever air something this radical now, and it's still completely surprising that it lasted as long as it did back in the salad days of the early 90s.

Kyle MacLachlan totally immerses himself in the role of Agent Dale Cooper, a guy who enjoys the simple pleasures in life, those primarily being a good steaming hot cup of coffee and an irresistible piece of cherry pie. MacLachlan and Lynch created one of the most likeable and bizarre of all characters, one who immediately engages you and makes you laugh at the absurdity of his process.

Season 1 was great and laid the basic groundwork for what was to come. With Season 2, we finally get to see the duality of Bob/Leland Palmer in an episode so frightening that it's a wonder that it ever aired.

There's a lot to like about Season 2, especially the episodes that Mark Frost and/or David Lynch were actively involved in. Forensics expert Albert Rosenfield (Miguel Ferrer) returns for more sarcasm, and Cooper's boss Gordon Cole (David Lynch) makes a few brief appearances, at one point comparing Cooper to "a small Mexican chi-wow-wow."

Season 2 loses focus about halfway through, and the neverending chess game between Windom Earle (Kenneth Welsh) and Cooper gets tiring, as does the random/unnecessary romance between Nadine (Wendy Robie) and Mike (Gary Hershberger), the ongoing soap opera between Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle) and James (James Marshall), and a British fellow (Ian Buchanan) involved with Lucy (Kimmy Robertson) who may or may not be the father of her child, which causes Deputy Andy (Harry Goaz) to become jealous.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The finale caused a lot of frustration with fans, but my interpretation of it is that Cooper seemed to be the only pure, "good," untainted character on the show- maybe Lynch's intention was to show that evil can inhabit even the purest of souls, who knows. Evil is very allegorical in the show, being represented by Bob/the owl, Leo (Eric Da Re) and others. Lynch likes to deal with the duality of man and the dark side to human nature a lot in his films--as a Lynch fan, it's not surprising to see the way he handled it in the show. Mostly I think he wanted audiences to think the show was going to end on a conventional note and then proceeded to throw scalding hot coffee in our collective faces. Lynch had no intention of even revealing who Laura's killer was--he acquiesced only after network pressure made it necessary.

If you still haven't been welcomed to the wonderful, strange world of Twin Peaks, now would be a good time to start.