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The most famous episode in franchise history, "The Trouble with Tribbles," is one of the highlights of the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series.A deserved classic, the humorous story centers on an ever-expanding mass of furry creatures that memorably rain themselves down on top of Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and into the middle of a Federation-Klingon showdown. It inspired one of the most memorable episodes in the spin-off series Deep Space Nine, "Trial and Tribble-ations."Also in the second season, the Vulcan culture of Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is fleshed out in "Amok Time" (in which Spock is faced with the possibility of killing his captain and friend) and "Journey to Babel" (introducing Spock's father, played by Mark Sarek, in what would turn out to be a long-recurring role).A new character, navigator Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig), was introduced; his Monkees haircut was intended to appeal to the younger audience, but he was also a Russian, which at the height of the cold war reflected Gene Roddenberry's optimistic vision of a more enlightened future.Other social-commentary opportunities presented themselves in "The Omega Glory," "The Doomsday Machine," and "Assignment: Earth," the last also one of those periodic opportunities to scrimp on the budget by time-traveling to an earlier version of Earth.Another example was "A Private Little War," a comic episode set in the Roaring Twenties and memorable for, among other things, Kirk's teaching a made-up card game called Fizzbin.In other significant episodes, "I, Mudd" saw the return of the bounder from season 1, "The Changeling" was the original inspiration for the first Trek feature film a decade later, "Wolf in the Fold" (penned by the author of Psycho) provides an example of the series' great writing, and "Mirror, Mirror" introduced the concept of the parallel universe inhabited by vicious, amoral counterparts of the regular crew, another theme later borrowed (more than once, and to good emotional effect) by DS9.

Special features are a bit lighter than on the season 1 set, but they do feature such contributors as Shatner, Nimoy, George Takei (Sulu), Koenig, Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), and editor-writer D.C. Fontana. Of chief interest are "To Boldly Go," a 20-minute season recap; " Kirk, Spock & Bones: The Great Trio," discussing the interplay among Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley); "Star Trek's Divine Diva," shining the spotlight on the development of Nichols's character (she was originally considered to play Spock); and "Writer's Notebook: D.C. Fontana," discussing her various roles in the series (she used her initials to avoid the anti-female bias in science fiction at the time).--David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Second Complete Season in an 8-DVD Set! Fantastic!
When Paramount Home Video first started to release the original series of "Star Trek" in 1999, I was aghast at the fact that only one DVD with two episodes per DVD were being released one DVD at a time at a very high cost. The cost to own all 40 volumes (DVD's) was staggering. Of course, this doesn't even address the amount of shelf space required for all 40 DVD's.

Now, with this repackaged version, all 26 episodes of the second season are being released together on 8 disks. This is the packaged version of the original "Star Trek" that I fully intend to purchase because even at full list price, the cost of owning the second complete season is less than half the cost of owning its earlier cousins on an equivalent 13 DVD's. Also, the packaging itself has been designed similarly to the packaging used for other "Star Trek" series released in complete seasons, meaning that it will only require a small amount of shelf space. It is also possible that extra documentary and commentary material not released originally will be included in this complete second season box set.

The original series of "Star Trek", that ran for three complete seasons between 1966 and 1969, started a franchise that has included six television series and ten big screen motion pictures. The main original characters of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Lt. Commander/Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard H. 'Bones' McCoy (DeForest Kelley, 1920-1999), Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott (James Doohan), Lt. Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Keonig from 1967-1969), Yeoman Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney from 1966-1967) and Nurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett) have become an inseparable part of Americana. Though series creator Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991) was not able to keep the original series alive for five seasons as originally envisioned (it was cancelled after its third season), he, along with the countless series fans, was able to resurrect it in the form of six motion pictures beginning in 1979 and the first series spin-off, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1987, which ran for seven years and had spin-offs of its own. There was also a 22-episode animated version based upon the original series that ran from 1972 to 1974.

The most memorable episodes of the second season include "Amok Time" (Spock's Vulcan mating ritual), "The Changeling" (the inspiration for the 1979 film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"), "Mirror, Mirror", "The Apple", "The Doomsday Machine" (with guest star William Windom as Commodore Matthew Decker, the father of the character Capt. Willard Decker (Stephen Collins) in the 1979 film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"), "I, Mudd" (with returning guest character Harcourt Fenton 'Harry' Mudd, as played by Roger C. Carmel, 1932-1986), "Journey to Babel" (which introduces Spock's parents: Ambassador Sarek as played by Mark Leonard (1924-1996) and his human wife Amanda as played by Jane Wyatt), "Friday's Child", "The Deadly Years", "Obsession", "Wolf in the Fold", the fan-favorite "The Trouble with Tribbles", "A Piece of the Action", "The Immunity Syndrome", "A Private Little War", "Return to Tomrrow" (with guest character Dr. Ann Mulhall as played by Diana Muldaur, who also played the unpopular character Dr. Katherine Pulaski in the second season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"), "By Any Other Name", "The Ultimate Computer" and "Assignment: Earth". The were no truly awful episodes during the second season, but there were a few that had rather weak plots, including the ancient-Greek-inspired "Who Mourns for Adonais?" the gothic "Catspaw", the Nazi-inspired "Patters of Force" and the twentieth-century version of the Roman Empire in the episode "Break and Circuses". The episode "The Omega Glory" was rather good until the final scenes that are somewhat corny.

Overall, I rate the 8-DVD set of "Star Trek: Original Series Season 2" with an anticipatory 5 out of 5 stars. Clearly, this is how Paramount should have released the original series to begin with. Thank you Gene Roddenberry for taking all of us "where no man has gone before".

The pinnicle of TOS
After barely getting renewed for a second season, ST came back the next year in full force.The biggest hero was not Captain Kirk himself,but Gene Coon.The executive producer who contributed some of the best episodes, as well as set the tone for the show which inspired future Trek's as well.
One of the prime factors for the second season's brilliance was the charater's themselves as the actors found the tone of their characters.And the famous trio of Kirk-Spock -McCoy were finally established at the focal point of the show.The remaining supporting characters performed admirably as well, even with the introduction of Paval Chekov (Walter Keonig). Many classic episodes came from season two(Mirror,Mirror, Amok Time, Doomsday Machine, Deadly Years,Trouble With Tribbles, A Piece Of The Action, Journey to Babel).
As brilliant as season two was, it was not enough to get high numbers in the Nielsons.Thanks to a letter campaign by fans led by Bjo Trimble,ST was renewed for a third season.But with Coon's departure from the show after the second season,the third season suffered and even the fans couldn't save it. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fine Classic Viewing. A Must for Patrick McGoohan Fans
This megaset is well worth the price. Each episode in original broadcast order, crystal clear uncut in glorious black and white, except for the final two episodes of course. Relive the excitement along with excellent characterizations over 47 episodes. Includes the original U.S. opening Secret Agent Man them.

FIRST SEASON NOW AVAILABLE!!
First off--I wanted to let everyone know that the first season of "DANGER MAN" (all 39 half-hour episodes filmed in 1961) is now available on DVD at www.deepdiscountdvd.com. Type in "danger man" then hit 'search by title'(this item is NOT available on Amazon; that is why i mentioned it!). This 13 disc megaset contains all 47 HOUR-LONG episodes filmed in 1965-66. This is a fantastic show with the great actor Patrick McGoohan and great stories too! I am so glad to see all of these classic TV shows coming out on DVD. As far as i'm concerned, today's television is mostly crap. They don't have the actors, the stories, or the decency that the old shows had. The talent just isn't there in these new shows. When trying this show also try "THE AVENGERS" and "THE SAINT". You'll love every minute!

Good ... for TV
It's important to place any review in context. In the history of TV this was quite a good show, and compared to present-day TV, it is a masterpiece.

It works because it offers a sort of purity, a sincerity. It isn't top-heavy with the preening narcissism that dominates modern acting. McGoohan was a good, though not great, actor with limited range, but he infused the Drake with character, self-effacement, and decency. All one has to do is compare McGoohan to another star of the same vintage, Roger Moore, to appreciate the former's acting substance. After watching dozens of episodes, though, McGoohan's methods are somewhat wearing.

Compared to a good book, the plots are thoroughly characteristic of TV; they are superficial and unrealistic.

An expensive and extensive set like this is for devotees, and they already know they will like it, naturally. Casual viewers will more likely watch a few episodes and leave the box on the shelf gathering dust. But if you have the spare cash, you could do a lot worse than Secret Agent when you crank up the idiot box.

Prince of Spies
What was golden about "Secret Agent" in 1965 remains golden: it tackles the familiar spy-story themes---duty, honor, country; loyalty, brotherhood, betrayal---with a theatrical style, with romanticism, wit, and grace, often with deep human feeling. In 1965, when the moral norms in television and movies were starting to go to hell in a handbasket and the spy genre was characterized by the comic-book vulgarity of the James Bond films and the moral pessimism of John Le Carre, the strong moral tone and absence of promiscuity in "Secret Agent" were remarkable. That turned out to be a deliberate device, at the personal insistence of the star. Certain of the writers and directors seemed to recognize the possibilities and seize on them, deftly exploiting their star's unique characteristics to create some fascinating, unforgettable television.

With this reissue of the complete '65-'66 series on DVD---and now that things in the culture have gotten a lot darker---my own thanks go to Patrick McGoohan for that particular moment in his career: for the glowing, graceful Cold Warrior he made of John Drake; for his insistence on a principled approach to the character; for the enduring mystery of personality he brought to a small-screen hero.

Can't go to the theater? Watch McGoohan, with his strange quality of aggressive shyness, in a repertory of amusing impersonations: the tipsy playboy, the wheeler-dealer businessman, the shy schoolteacher, the crisp colonial officer, the langorous beachcomber, the insolent artist, the veddy English butler, the flirtatious German encyclopedia salesman, the supercilious physician ("It's Bailey-Carpenter---ehm---there's a hyphen"). The darkness of "The Prisoner" and 35 years of villain roles haven't dimmed the glow of this princely performance, or the image of the decent, thoughtful man behind it, who seemed to care so genuinely about his influence on the television audience.

Faulkner said, "The artist's duty is to lift up men's hearts and help them endure." The people who worked on this series did their duty.

So spend your money. This is great stuff.
M.E.M.

Question about other shows
Is this the complete set without the first season, then? If the first season ended in '61, and the rest of this megaset starts from '65, are there episodes from '61-65? My email is Jadziaq@hotmail.com if anyone would pls let me know, Thanks!

Leanne ... Read more

Amazon.com

To the ranks of shows too brilliant and outrageous for prime time (The Ben Stiller Show, Andy Richter Controls the Universe), add Seth McFarland's Family Guy. This animated series, which debuted after the 1999 Super Bowl, simply sparked too much controversy and offended too many sensibilities to survive (Entertainment Weekly dubbed it "the Awful Show They Just Keep Putting on the Air"). That the Fox network also played hackysack with its schedule, ensuring viewers would not be able to find it, sealed its fate (it was cancelled in 2002). This boxed set containing all 28 episodes from the first two seasons is payback for the show's devoted cult following, who may be moved to echo the words of infant Stewie Griffin, the megalomaniacal 1-year-old bent on matricide and world domination: "Victory is mine!"

The dysfunctional Griffins of Quahog, Rhode Island, invite comparisons to The Simpsons. The testicular-chinned father, Peter Griffin, is a clueless oaf in the Homer mold. "Peter, what did you promise me last night?" asks his long-suffering wife Lois in one episode. "That I wouldn't drink at the stag party," he replies. "And what did you do?" she asks. "Drank at the stag part--oh ho ho, I almost walked into that one," he cackles. Other family members include teenage daughter Meg, a desperate high school social pariah; 13-year-old son Chris, a chip off his father's blockhead; and Brian, the family's sarcastic talking dog. But this series' true inspiration is football-pated Stewie (voiced by McFarlane, who earned an Emmy), who was born to be a Bond villain once he escaped his mother's "ovarian bastille." Family Guy recklessly ventured where The Simpsons feared to tread. In one episode, Meg's one and only friend turns out to be the member of a suicidal cult. In another, Death (voiced by Norm McDonald) becomes an unwanted houseguest. Each episode plays fast and furious with surreal flashes (in one episode, Peter turns his house into a puppet) and pop-culture references and TV, movie, and commercial parodies that invite repeated viewings. Freed from its own family-hour bastille and the whims of dim network executives, Family Guy can be appreciated at last on its own profane, sacrilegious, and irreverent terms. Welcome to the DVD family, Griffins. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (471)

Excellent series.
As someone posted here, this set contains 28 episodes (entire first and second season by air dates) and the unaired episode When You Wish Upon a Weinstein (which would've been part of the 2nd season by production number). Despite no pages having this information yet, if you check the front cover you can clearly see it states 'Seasons 1 & 2'. These are the seasons according to air dates.
Eight episodes total will have commentaries, and word has it there are other features. These features don't count towards the running time of the set.

All in all an excellent series. Family Guy packed as much humor as it could in every episode without ever overdoing it. It's comedic style is very different from the Simpsons and South Park (more pop-culture oriented), but i personally find it superior and more clever. The production quality is excellent and constant from the very first season (unlike the Simpsons). Probably best of all is Seth Macfarlane's outstanding job giving the voices of Peter, Brian and Stewie. Excellent story lines with a remarkable and memorable cast of characters. Definitely my favorite animated TV show of all time.

This set is the first part of a two volume collection. Unfortunately Family Guy was only three seasons long when it got canned by Fox.

The Simpsons lost their edge but Family Guy found it.
Let me start my review off wih some good news: Seth MacFarlane revealed in an interview with Cinescape.com that he is hashing out a budget with FOX to create more Family Guy episodes (on tv or dvd, I don't know) and a feature length movie (direct-to-dvd). The projects should take bewteen a year and a year and a half. Now before I decided to write my review on this great show I decided to read the 1 and 2 star reviews (at this time a combined 12) and the 4 and 5 star reviews (at this time a combined 311, mine not included) and alot of the 1 and 2's had kept saying that this show is just a blatant rip off of The Simpsons. Well I'm sorry to tell you this 1 and 2's but it's not. Family Guy is better. Now don't get me wrong, I love the Simpsons, I remember watching their first episodes when they were airing on Thursdays I believe. But after about 13 years the show can get a little stale. This will eventually happen to King of the Hill, Futurama and of course Family Guy. But since Family Guy is the new baby in the house maybe it's about time for the Simpsons to bow out gracfully and pass down the torch. Now alot of the 1 and 2's said that the members of both families were exactly the same but this is not true. And I'll prove it to you by playing Simpsons vs. Griffins. I will take the same member of each family (mom vs. mom, dad vs. dad) and I will compare them. We start off with Homer vs. Peter: Same height, same colored hair (if Homer still had his) but Peter is fatter. Now one worked at a toy company making sure they were safe to play with. The other works as a safty inspector at a power plant. Different jobs, same responibility. But while Homer learns from his mistakes, alot of the time Peter learns nothing, like in the episode "He's too sexy for his fat". But in the end: Homer and Peter might have been long lost brothers. Marge vs. Lois: Lois is around 5'2", Marge is around 7'5"-8' (with hair). Both are house wives. One became a flight attendent for a while and ones father was a flight attendent. Lois was born rich, Marge was born just below middle class. Marge and Homer like to do it in public. Lois and Peter do it with whips, chains, leather, and Peter dressing up like the Gimp in Pulp Fiction. In the end: Both are kinky and at times can be as bad as there husbands. Now when it comes to the parents it's almost identical but the kids aren't alright. Take Bart vs. Chris: Both have blond hair, but that's all. Bart is a little chunky, Chris is just fat. Bart is a smooth talker that can get himself out of almost any problem. Chris is kind of an idiot and might be "special". Bart rides a skateboard. Chris can barely walk staight. Bart fears almost nothing. Chris is afraid of the evil monkey in his closest. Sorry but in the end: They maybe two Jacks but their of a differnt suit. NO MATCH. Lisa vs. Meg: Lisa and Meg are both whiners but Lisa whines about social issues, Meg whines about her social life and not having the things her friends have. Lisa is basicly an intellectual loner that doesn't really care what others think about her, all Meg ever cares about is what poeple think about her. In the end: One is a political and environmental activist, the other is just a brat (of course to some people that's two of the same thing). NO MATCH. Maggie vs. Stewie: You can't get more opposite then this. Both are the same age but most of the time Maggie acts her age. Stewie acts like a gay, british Lex Luther hell-bent on taking over the world and getting rid of his mother once and for all. Maggie loves her mommy and her bo-bo (pacifier). Stewie talks eloquently and creates weapons and devices for world domination. Maggie creates drool and the only word I ever heard her say was daddy. In the end: they may be a pair quarters, but ones facing heads and the others facing tails. NO MATCH. When I said you couldn't get more opposite then Maggie vs. Stewie I was wrong beacuse I forgot about Santas Little Helper vs. Brian: S.L.H. eats dog food, drinks water out of his bowl, barks when he wants too and is basicly a stupid dog (stupid as in not smart not stupid as in he sucks). Brian eats whatever the Griffins are having for dinner while sitting at the dinner table. He drinks martinis, gin and tonics, jack and cokes, and other forms of alcohol. He speaks, not like when you ask a dog to speak but he talks like a person (english and bad spanish). He is almost always out-smarting Stewie so he is very intelligent. In the end: Sorry but S.L.H. isn't fit to be near Brians martini glass. NO MATCH. The neighbors are different as well. The Simpsons have Flanders (extremely religous guy), Reverend Lovejoy (not as religous as Flanders) and an old couple. The Griffins have Cleavland (smart black guy), Joe (suped-up cop in a wheelchair) and Quagmire (sex-crazed weirdo). On the political side you have Mayor Quimby and Mayor Adam West (yes, Batman). One is an embezzler (never proven of course) and the other is insane (proven everytime you see him). Some people say that Family Guy is sexist, racist, misogynistic and a little bit anti-semitic but that's what makes it funny. Its political incorrectness is what gives it its edge. Take away the edge and then your ripping off The Simpsons.

Totally Helarious!
This DVD is so funny you'll literally split your sides until you're done watching it you don't want to go to the hospital.

Great Show, Horrible DVDs
I recently fell in LOVE with Family Guy, so I was thrilled when I recieved this set as a gift. I love the episodes, but there is one problem that is bothering me a lot. I can't get to the opening scenes! A lot of the episodes start at the main theme and not the opening scene that is listed in the scene selection. I know it can't be the malfunction of one disc, because they all do it. Also, viewing in "Play all" mode is extremely difficult as it doesn't seem to know which chapter it wants to play next. Worth buying for the episodes, but its worth it to know about the malfuction.

Simply hilarious
If anyone is a fan of animated cartoons with a certain amount of adult-based humor, this is the set you have to get. There are currently two volumes out, but this is the best to start off with. Whereas the 3rd season set has 21 episodes, this first set gives you the 7 extra episodes from their short first season. So- same price, more episodes.

That being said, this set is hilarious in every aspect. I could spend pages of text describing individual bits of hilarity from each scene of each episode, but that would just be mundane and unneeded. The humor ranges all over the spectrum, and some of it isn't quite suitable for younger children (if they see it, just hope they don't understand the sexual innuendo). The commentary is funny as well, although it is only for occasional episodes in the set. They also did an interesting thing with the commentary- it is actually rated R. There is a warning saying that the commentary is not suitable for people under the age of 18, since they made the decision to allow profanity for the commentary.

This does not bother me, but some people may be more sensitive to those kinds of things. But if that offends you, I doubt that you'd appreciate Family Guy's humor. The show is like a combination of The Simpsons' family based wry humor with South Park's outrageous lack of inhibitions. All in all, it equates into hours of laughter.

This DVD set is simply hilarious, as has been stated repeatedly. If you've ever seen an episode of the show, you'd realize that. If you like to laugh (and don't mind the occasional "did they just say that!?" moment), buy this DVD. ... Read more

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As the sixth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation went into production, everyone knew that attentions would soon be permanently divided by the debut of Deep Space Nine. Sure enough, that meant crossovers ("Birthright"), guest stars, and references back and forth. The sense of baton-passing drew the TNG family closer, however. Directorial debuts begun in season 5 allowed for repeat group-huddle ownership of several shows. Jonathan Frakes bettered "The Quality of Life" by "The Chase," which finally offered an explanation why most races in the Trek universe are humanoid with knobbly foreheads. Patrick Stewart crowbarred a Western into the franchise in "A Fistful of Datas." LeVar Burton introduced the far more exciting Riker clone Thomas in "Second Chances." But here we still find an inability to follow through a good idea, since it was intended for the clone Tom to replace the real Will. Barclay outstayed his welcome with a lackluster "Ship in a Bottle" (despite a hammy cameo from Stephanie Beacham) after he'd injected creepiness into "Realm of Fear." The same happened with Q and the painfully weak "True Q" contrasted by the philosophically challenging "Tapestry," in which Picard faced the decisions of his youth.

Yet ultimately the year provided more memorable moments than either year 5 did or year 7 would. There was the fun of a pint-sized Starfleet in "Rascals," the shocking comment on political torture in "Chain of Command," the endless Matrix-like guessing game of reality in "Frame of Mind," and even a jokey genre nod often called "Die Hard Picard" instead of its official title, "Starship Mine." The two biggest attention-drawing moments came via stellar cameos. There was the bittersweet sight of James Doohan revisiting the original Enterprise bridge on "Relics," then a quick contribution by Stephen Hawking in the cliffhanger "Descent." Both were attempts at keeping TNG the connoisseur's Trek incarnation of choice. --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (27)

The Season Of The 2 Parters
The 6th season of Star Trek-TNG began on right foot with some really exciting episodes. Then in its latter half got a bit muddled. This season had the most 2 parters, of any TREK series to date. Aside from the usual resolution to the cliffhanger from the previous year, and the cliffhanger at the end, there were two more multipart stories. Some of the remaing shows were true clunkers. For the most part. TNG kept its cool though, even as the next spin-off, Deep Space 9, made its debut.

Early on, yet another original series character, bridged the generation gap. "Relics" saw the return of Captain Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) What a great episode that was. Picard's first nemesis Q (John De Lancie) made up for being absent last year with 2 appearances "True Q" and the wonderful "Tapestry" saw the charater raise the stakes a bit. Fan favorites Barclay (Dwight Shultz) and Ensign Ro (Michelle Forbes) made return trips as well. The best 2 parter though was called "Chain Of Command" It saw the Enterprise being commanded by Captain Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox) and Picard (Patrick Stewart in his best performance in the series) being kidnapped and tortured by an evil Cardassian (the great David Warner) Semi regular character Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) departed for DS9, while actress Whoppi Goldberg ended her episodic tenure as Guinan with only 3 episode appearances A "crossover" with DS9's Doctor Bashir (Alexander Sidig) fell kind of flat in "Birthright Part 1" while the 2nd half saw a klingon mishmash The year's cliffhanger missed the mark as well. Actor Levar Burton, joined fellow cast members Jonathan Frakes and Stewart, and got a directing gig with "Second Chances" Finally Leonard Nimoy's Son Adam, got a chance to follow in dad's footsteps and directed the clever "Rascals" and "Timescape"

The 7 DVD box set has about an hour's worth of feturette that discuss the 6th year in depth. The extra stuff is fashioned in the same way as it was on the other sets in the collection. Mixing old and new interview footage, nothing you see or hear on the documentaries should suprise you, if you are already a fan of the show.

Thanks to some strong shows at the start and a couple towards the end of the season, this is another recommended box set. Then again, if you have all of the other sets in the series, you didn't really need me to tell you that, did you?

Stewart's Season
By the sixth season of Star Trek: TNG, the characters had gone through many changes- and the writers, through many ideas. I thought that season six would contain the decline of the quality of the episodes, and that new, unique ideas would be thrown to the wayside as writers focused their efforts on Deep Space Nine. Instead, Star Trek: TNG managed to continue being one of the best shows on television, largely due to the excellent performances of Patrick Stewart.

"Chain of Command, Parts 1 and 2" contain what I consider to be some of the best acting from Stewart ever. Picard is tortured for days by the Cardassians, and Stewart plays the role of the victim perfectly. Not only did Part 2 contain some of his finest performances, but it actually managed to convey a message as well. It focuses mainly upon the roles of the characters. The Cardassian who tortures Picard and tries to break his will is left himself a broken man at the end of the episode, while Picard attains true victory by never giving in. An entertaining, powerful episode.

However, this was only one of the many amazing episodes that season six showcased. "Relics", which featured the return of Scotty from the original Trek, was great. "Schisms" put an eerie but interesting spin on the whole "alien invaders from another dimension" idea. "Tapestry" was another episode that made use of Stewart's amazing ability as an actor. John de Lancie guest starred as "Q" in that episode, and forced Picard to relive events in his life. "Face of the Enemy" finally gave the Romulans some action again after being shadowed by the Borg and the Cardassians. "Starship Mine" was probably the most "action-packed" episode of the season, and "Timescape" was another interesting episode involving being stuck in a moment in time. Finally, "Descent, Part 1" lacked the bang of most season finales, but wasn't all bad - after all, it did involve the Borg.

Overall, season six had episodes that really shined, despite suspicions that it might not.

Improvement on Season Five
In the sixth season, Star Trek: The Next Generation decided to go off in some new directions and new ideas. The season opens with the conclusion of the cliffhanger Time's Arrow. The second adventure is better than the first...a great way to finish the story. We revert again back to the Original series a bit with "Relics" which contains James Doohan guest starring as "Scotty". Humor came through in "A Fistful of Datas" and we saw Patrick Stewart give arguably his best performance of the series in "Chain of Command". The sixth season contains my personal favorite sequence of the series which is Data's dream sequence in "Birthright, Part I". I think the sixth season was when Star Trek: The Next Generation was at its best. It was the climax of the entire show. It ends with Descent...probably the best cliffhanger since "The Best of Both Worlds".

Personal Favorite Episodes:

Time's Arrow: Part II, Relics, Schisms, True Q, Rascals, A Fistful of Datas, Chain of Command: Parts I and II, Face of the Enemy, Tapestry, Birthright, Part I, Starship Mine, The Chase, Frame of Mind, Timescape, and Descent: Part I

As Nice as Previous Seasons
Like the previous five seasons, this one has the same physical look and layout, four episodes per disk, six disks full, and the last two episodes on the seventh, special features disk. I have to confess the purple of this box is probably my favorite colour, and it really looks nice stacked up with the other DVDs.

They changed the clip format for this box set, choosing to go with one screen showing clips of the four episodes back to back. While this allows you to focus your attention on only one screen, it can also be annoying. Season six seems to be in heavy rotation on television, and if you've seen a lot of the episodes the wait can be annoying, but it's worth it.

Bring back Wesley Crusher
Wesley Crusher was the best character on any Star Trek series. Since his departure TNG hasnt been the same. He was the ultimate SciFi hero. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation seemed like the year of family. After quickly resolving the breathtaking cliffhanger of "The Best of Both Worlds," the show took pains to show some of what the Federation was fighting for. We meet Picard's brother, Data's father, Tasha's sister, and Worf's adoptive human parents, plus an old flame with a surprise son in tow. The Klingon heritage subplot that begins here and builds to the cliffhanger finale ("Redemption") would continue to the show's end and through into Worf's reappearance in Deep Space Nine.

The year also explored the implications of Data, Lwaxana Troi, Geordi, and Dr. Crusher being in love, while Miles O'Brien (given a first name at last) married Keiko. There were old friends revisited: the ubiquitous Q in a hilarious Robin Hood romp ("Qpid"), perennial screwup Reg Barclay ("Nth Degree"), and even the mysterious Traveler from season 1's "Where No One Has Gone Before" (played by Eric Menyuk, who was nearly cast as Data). There were new races introduced who would have an important bearing on Trek's destiny: the Cardassians and the Trill. Most of all, though, there were the one-off stories that impressed: "Clues," with its memory-loss mystery; "Night Terrors," with some genuine frights; and "Identity Crisis," with possibly the only time Trek technology really helped Geordi solve a puzzle. Then right at the end, reinforcing the year's familial theme, Denise Crosby returned as her own half-Romulan daughter! --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (28)

TNG Fourth Season...The Best Continues.
The fourth season of TNG begins with the rescue of Picard from the Borg collective, and ends with Worf leaving the Federation to join his people during the Klingon Civil War. In between these two landmark shows, lies a fourth season drenched with superior stories and consistently good character development. Star Trek really established itself in the third season and it never looks back as we go forward through the fourth. I liked this season only slightly less than the third, only because of a couple of episodes I didn't care much for. I didn't like "Remember Me," and "In Theory." Data falling in love was good for a subplot, but not the main story. Still, we get top-notch entertainment as the crew continues to explore places no one has gone before. High-lights include, "Reunion," "The Drumhead," "Qpid," "The Mind's Eye," "First Contact," "Clues," and "Future Imperfect." We meet Tasha Yar's sister in, "Legacy." We meet Data's father in, "Brothers." Also, while the Klingons and Romulans still play vital parts, we finally meet the devious Cardassians in, "The Wounded," where O'Brien finally has his moment to shine. All and all, this is a superb DVD set and I highly recommend it to any fan, whether you are a diehard Trekor or just getting started.

Television Entertainment At Its Finest
What can I say that hasn't already been said about how wonderful Season Four was? But with the weight of such episodes as The Best of Both Worlds Part II, one might hear a collective gasp from Trekkers who find that there's actually someone who enjoyed another episode more than the gripping conclusion to Season Three's nail-biting cliffhanger.

I love The Drumhead - it is my favorite episode of this season. An excellent courtroon drama directed by Jonathan Frakes with a style reminescent of Stanley Kramer's "Judgement At Nuremberg" and penned by veteran series writer Jeri Taylor, The Drumhead is an intelligent and often thought-provoking exercise in the dramatic.

After an explosion aboard the Federation flagship Enterprise, a Klingon exchange officer is found guilty of spying on behalf of the enemy, the Romulan Empire. Once cleared of being involved with the explosion, Admiral Satie (Jean Simmons) begins a witch hunt for a saboteur and finds him in crewman Simon Tarses (Spencer Garrett) on the grounds that Tarses' paternal grandfather was a Romulan.

This is television entertainment at its finest; on par with the best of Law & Order and JAG. Expertly directed with fine performances all around and presents a fine message that holds true especially today. The Drumhead is an excellent episode and one not to be missed, even if you're not a fan of the television series.

Continuing excellence
The third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation laid a new foundation for the series and season four does nothing but continue right where season three left off with more great plot development and story telling. In season four we saw the return of K'Ehlyr accompanied by Worf's son. Season four continued to elaborate on plot elements concerning the Klingon empire that were laid down in Sins of the Father in season three. The season built up to the major conflict with the episodes Reunion, Data's Day, The Mind's Eye, and brings it all to a climax in Redemption: Part I. This season also has a direct effect on many of the plot elements in Deep Space Nine in the episode "The Wounded". There is also a new villain introduced that has yet another direct link to season three, however, that is not brought to light until the second part of the season ending cliffhanger in Season five. A huge underlying theme in the fourth season is family. A great season of continued excellence and not the last.

Personal Favorite Episodes:

The Best of Both Worlds: Part II, Family, Brothers, Reunion, Data's Day, The Wounded, Clues, The Nth Degree, QPid, The Drumhead, The Mind's Eye, Redemption: Part I.

Danger Will Robinson!!!!!!
Dr. Zachary Smith is a great character. Nobody on The next generation even comes close!!!!

Season 4 - TNG Running at Warp 9.8!
Regarded by most fans of The Next Generation as the series finest hour. Everything about this season seems to gel incredibly well.

This is the season to show non-Trekkies (Trekkers for the purists), and those who say "They never will enjoy it" - I have converted a few myself *grin*

Starting off with the conclusion to the shocking Best of Both Worlds and ending with Redemption Part I, this season is packed full of action, character development and some first rate stories.

This boxed set should be top of your list to purchase - ideally this season and seasons 6 3 and 5, unless you are determined to go in chronological order.

All in all fabulous! ... Read more

Amazon.com

With the original conspiracy plot arc having fallen into a muddle ofloose ends, once-hungry lead actors on the verge of big-screen careers andmaking demands for more time off or shots at writing and directing, and theinitial wish list of monsters-of-the-week long exhausted, it's a miracle that byits seventh season The X-Files was still making its airdates, let alonemanaging something pretty good every other show and something outstanding atleast once every four episodes. The season opens with a dreary two-parter("Sixth Extinction" and "Amor Fati") and winds up with the traditionalincomprehensible cliffhanger ("Requiem"), but along the way includes a clutch ofepisodes that may not match the originality of earlier seasons but stilleffortlessly equal any other fantasy-horror sci-fi on television.

The highlights: "Hungry," a brain-eating mutant story told from the point ofview of a monster who tries to control his appetite by going to eating disorderself-help groups; "The Goldberg Variation," a crime comedy about a weaselylittle man who has the gift of incredible good luck, which means Wile E.Coyote-style doom for anyone who crosses him; "The Amazing Maleeni," guest-starringRicky Jay in a rare nonfantastic crime story about a feud between stagemagicians that turns out to be a cover for a heist; "X-Cops," a brilliant skiton the TV docusoap Cops with Mulder and Scully caught on camera as theytrack an apparent werewolf in Los Angeles (season-best acting from DavidDuchovny and Gillian Anderson); "Theef," a complex revenge drama with gauntBilly Drago as a hillbilly medicine man stalking a slick doctor; "Brand X," ahorror-comic tale of corruption in the tobacco industry; "Hollywood AD" (writtenand directed by Duchovny), in which Tea Leoni (Duchovny's wife) and GarryShandling are cast as Scully and Mulder in a crass movie version of a real-lifeX-file; and "Je Souhaite," a deadpan comedy about a wry, cynical genie at themercy of trailer-trash masters who haven't an idea what to wish for. --KimNewman ... Read more

Reviews (43)

The last of the true classic X Files Seasons!!!
...P>Mulder and Scully were still together for this, their last season as the two leading characters of one of the best dramatic series in television history.

After the movie, the move to L.A. and the predominance of humorous episodes throughout the Sixth Season and the incredible resolution of the original mythology, the seventh season started with a bang but not with a little anxiety on the fans' side because this was the much rumored final season. ...

Myth Episodes:

The Seventh Season starts with the two parts of a new mythology that started with the last episode of Season Six called Biogenesis.
The Sixth Extinction and The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati (Wich translated means "Love Of Fate")carry on with the theory that Mulder might be a succesful Human - Alien Hybrid!!!

It's extremely important that you don't miss the Two Parter:
Sein Und Zeit (Wich means "Being and Time") and Closure wich puts to rest, in an extremely precious form, the Samantha Mulder mistery giving the Fox Character one of his few moments of rest throughout the whole series.

And Requiem... The best of the best in Season Finale's. Although it would ultimately lead the series into only God knows what.

Stand Alone Episodes (Or Monster of the Week):

Orison:
Witnesses the return of a villain that appeared before in earlier seasons. Great script by Chip Johanessen (Former collaborator of Beverly Hills 90210 and Millenium).

The Amazing Maleeni:
Actually not an X File, but an excellent proof that the series still had a lot of fuel. Excellent Turn of Screw at the end!!!

X Cops:
Cops, The X Files and Vince Gilligan... What's not to like?

Theef:
Voodoo. Nuff Said!!!

Chimera:
David Amann at his best!!!

En Ami (Wich means "One Friend", although its a play on words wich in english can be understood as "enemy"):

Written by the CSM himself (William B. Davis)!!!

All Things:
Written and Directed by Gillian Anderson. Not the best, but the teaser (considered one of the most controversials in the whole series' existence) is worth the whole package.

Je Souhaite (I Wish):
Written and directed by Vince Gilligan.

After this, the series was transformed into a mix up that even Chris Carter didn't understand at all. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate Robert Patrick's character or even Annabeth Gish's but John Dogget and Monica Reyes didn't achieve to give the series that feeling we all know very well. That X FILES feeling.

I'm so sorry that David Duchovny got transformed into such an egotistical person. The series would have been succesful with him in it. You can see him act like a Zombie (Check out Chimera)and he already looks tired. Maybe the series would've finished here and continue in a new movie. Heck! The series could've even ended with Season Eight, but no! Fox had to continue exploiting fans. And we gladly let them... But not for long.

Hope you enjoy having the only and real seven seasons of what can be called the television phenomenon of the last century.

I WILL buy the las two seasons, only to feed my collectionist's hunger, and because the movie will start where the last episode of the Ninth (and worst season) left off.

Long Live the X Files!!!
Long Live the X Philes!!!

Wishing to encounter you all again in a dark cinema room.
Enrique Aguilar.
A Mexican X Phile.

Changing of the guard 4 1/2 stars
If season 6 was the high point for "The X-Files" (and many fans feel it is), than season 7 catches the series at the top of the other side. While some of the episodes play a bit flat, the bulk of season 7 is, contrary to other reviews, worthwhile picking up on DVD. The first two episodes of season 7 "The Sixth Extinction" immediately grabs your attention with a strong two parter that relates directly to the mythology episodes of previous seasons. We also have a conclusion, of sorts, to the running narrative about Mulder's search for his sister. The mythology episodes really isn't what the seventh season is about; it's the experimentation. Season 7 featured the most experimental, on the edge and downright strange episodes of the entire run. Running the gaumont from satire ("Hollywood A.D.") to melodrama with spiritual overtones ("all things")to traditional X-Files horror and a sympathetic look at a "monster" ("Hungry"), the series continued to push the envelope as to what was acceptable for the show.

Sure, there were some missteps. The "Millenium" episode where the two television series meet to resolve the cancelled series featuring Lance Henrinksen seems a bit out of place here. It's not a bad episode, it just doesn't really fit the series. Then again, it's part of the "risk" factor that happened during season 7. The comedic "The Goldberg Variations" where a man literally has great luck that leads to very, very bad luck also works quite well. Likewise, "X-Cops" with its satire on faux reality shows pushes the envelope of the series as well ditching the traditional filmic quality of the series in favor of the look of the show it satirizes--"Cops".

It's clear from the season ending cliff hanger and much of the latter part of the season that Carter, Spotnitz, Gilligan and the other main writers weren't quite sure if season 7 was the end. They set up a story that could have been resolved in a couple of two hour movies. The thing to keep in mind about season 7 is many of the episodes that are comdemmed as subpar actually are edgy, risk taking fare that doesn't fit into the more "traditional" types of stories that "The X-Files" told.

The extras are pretty good here. We get audio commentary including one from Gillian Anderson about the episode she wrote and directed ("all things") although Duchovny is curiously absent from the ones he wrote, co-wrote and/or directed as far as commentary tracks. There's also a fine featurette that discusses the direction of the series and the difficulties Carter and crew faced with Duchovny leaving.

Picture and sound quality are top-notch although I have noticed a lot of these boxed sets with episodes that are flawed with sound problems. The drop in the price of the sets are a welcome sight for fans who hadn't purchased the series on DVD (I was still watching my VHS and homemade DVD's before the price break). Frankly, I wish that Paramount and other studios would follow suit for these expensive boxed sets. The extras are nice but, really, you could record the stuff off TV so the price break is welcome.

In reality, with season 8 the series began anew with new characters and new story arcs. While the series had already peaked, it still had a very strong solid season or two of life left in it.

This is my least favorite season
I just couldn't get into Season 7 of The X-Files.

It's not from lack of trying, though. My wife and I watched each episode faithfully every night (sometimes two episodes per night) until they were all gone

Yet, despite the fact that we're huge X-Files fans, our conclusion is that Episode 7 is lackluster at best. The stories were one-offs (and weak ones at that), the monsters were ho-hum, the action wasn't gripping, and it seemed as if everyone was just walking through his/her part. Sleep walking, that is.

I think the lack of aliens and conspiracy villians really took a toll on The X-Files. Without the overarching threat of either alien invasion or government cover-ups, nothing much really goes on in the lives of Mulder and Scully.

The only hint that something cool *could* happen is when Mulder and Scully got closer emotionally and physically. Their relationship is a truly great one already (one of the best on television), but we wanted to see it taken to the next level. Alas, that was not to be.

We've watched Seasons 1-8 so far and I have to say Season 7 is the weakest of the bunch. Season 8 (see my other review), which receives a lot of grief because of Mulder's absence and Scully's emotionalism (hey, she's pregnant; give her a break!), is far superior to Season 7.

You can read other reviews to get a play-by-play of each episode in Season 7. All I want to do in this review is provide my two cents worth.

My advice: Unless you're a completist who needs to have every season, I'd skip Season 7 and go right into Season 8. You won't miss anything -- except for a lot of uneventful episodes.

Dissapointing
I was looking foward to seeing this series and from all of the episode synopsis I found on the internet it sounded like one of the best seasons. But the only good episodes are the ones that deal with the core of The X-Files and not the monster-of-the-week episodes. So here they are: the good (the 6th extinction 1 and 2, Orison, Sein and Zeit-very good with wonderful acting and a beautiful conclusion to the end of the search for Mulder's sister-Closure, En Ami, all things, and Requiem), the average (Orison, Brand X, The Amazing Maleeni, X-Cops, Rush, Theef, Millennium, Hungry, 1st Person Shooter, The Goldberg Variation, Chimera, and Je Souhaite-the only thing that keeps me from making this a bad episode is the comedy from the genie) and the ugly (Signs and Wonders, Hollywood A.D.-this episode would be funny if it didn't have the dead tango at the end, and, the worst episode of the series in my opinion, Fight Club. There is nothing good about this episode). Only get this if you are a die hard fan and want to see some good episodes that are pivital to the series, but not if you are a simple-minded fan.

Not the best, but still good
IMHO, this is the weakest season of The X-Files. The alien conspiracy we were following for six years ended in the middle of season 6, and was taken to a different direction by the end. So season 7 started dealing with the plot of aliens creating human beings, and then "resolved" the plot of Mulder's sister's abduction, and ended with a pretty good cliffhanger that took the show in an even more different direction in the next season.

[Spoilers]

The resolution to the plot of Mulder's sister wasn't satisfying to me. I think I speak for most X-Fans when I say that we wanted Mulder to find his sister alive, and have her be a part of his life again. Instead, we find out she's been dead since 1987! So this whole time Mulder's looking for her ends up just being a waste. All those years of us following this story ends up not really being worth following. Ok, so Mulder can end his quest. He's free. Fine. But couldn't that happen with his sister actually being alive?!

[End Spoilers]

Other weak points in the series were a couple of stand-alone episodes that were just rancid in my opinion. "Hollywood A.D." and "Fight Club." What the heck were they thinking when they wrote these episodes?! I have to admit though, the reference to Plan 9 From Outerspace in "Hollywood A.D." was cool though. But both of these episodes were just too absurd for what The X-Files was known for. This show always had humorous happenings throughout its run, but these two episodes were just too over the top.

But aside from the plot of Mulder's sister, and the two not-so-good stand-alone episodes mentioned above, I found this season to be pretty good. But I also thought since this was David Duchovny's last full season, that they kind of wasted his character. But the show ended with a band, which lead it into an interesting new direction for the show's next season.

Good season, great DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The second and last season of Dark Angel, the inventiveJames Cameron show about mutants during a future Depression, has some real strengths as well as one or two bad ideas that partly explain its much-regretted cancellation. Among the strengths are Alex (Jensen Ackles), the thoroughly unreliable mutant charmer whose flirtations with heroine Max (Jessica Alba)complicate her doomed love for Logan (Michael Weatherly), the crippled newshound whom she cannot now even touch--she has been infected with a deadly virus tailored specifically to kill him. The distrust this sows between the doomed couple does not always avoid soap-opera clichés, but often produces fine performances from all three, especially Alba.

On the deficit side, John Savage's memorably ambiguous villain Lydeker from season 1 (who is alternately the mutants' nemesis and their protector) disappears to be replaced by the melodramatically sinister Agent White (Martin Cummins). White appears to be just a shoot-to-kill operative of the state and turns out to be another sort of superhuman, a product of an occultist breeding program going back to the dawn of history. After White's first ruthless killing, Max's reluctance to use deadly force is tested to near-implausible limits. The show ends with a rousing and moving finale, "Freak Nation", in which a theme often neglected in this final year--Max's relationship with her fellow couriers at Jam Pony--reaches a powerful climax. --Roz Kaveney ... Read more

Reviews (55)

"Max and Logan--that's the plan."
I just recently watched the final episode of the 2nd season of Dark Angel, and I couldn't help wondering why it was cancelled. In watching the last few episodes, you can really see how the pace of the story is picking up. I admit that the creepy breeding cult seemed to be a diversion from the heart of the story, but at the same time, I think it was necessary to explain why Max was created. I also admit that some of the episodes were a bit diversionary and didn't really add much to the heart of where the story should have been going (not more than 3 or 4, I'd say), but as a whole, it was a great season. From reading the three novels, it's clear that in the third season, it might have taken maybe two episodes to rid us of the breeding cult and Ames White (although I personally thought Martin Cummins was quite good, though really, nobody beats Lydecker, who also would have returned, if they'd given the show a third season, I suspect). But it's so unfair. Lesser shows have been on the air, and yes, on Fox, for far longer. Why must the good ones die young?? If only they would give them one more chance. No one will hear my plea, I suppose. But at least, we can bask in the brilliance of this show again and again and remember the brief life of Dark Angel.

What it is all about
I watched it when it was a t.v show so i know a lot about it so i am going to tell you people who didn't get the chance to watch it when it was on t.v what it is all about. The show took place in the future and there was this place called maticore that was designing soliders for the military.The soliders were genetically engineered and very strong.One day the soliders escaped and one of the soliders names was Max. The show followed her and her life after escaping Manticore.If you buy this dvd you can see how she fights off the government and escapes them over and over again with the help of her friends and the other Maticore soliders. This is a great show for people who like a lot of action, some comedey, and adventure. I myself highly recommend the first and second season of Dark Angel.

What? That's It?
So let's see. Season 2 deals with the fallout of Manticore, a Breeder's Cult, and racism against transgenics. My my, how could it get good? You never find out what's up with the breeders cult or even have a final faceoff between Max and White. You don't find out what happens between Max and Logan, or even the Freak Nation for that matter. They never find a cure for the virus Max has. And humanity is still a group of dumb old morons, even after 2000 years of evolution.

Why couldn't they finish this with a happily ever after twist; is that oh so hard to do? Even the creators say there were several disapointments, in the final episode, with their audio commentary. Atleast I know they agree on that. I know I wouldn't mind seeing Amy Dumas and Jessica Alba duke it out again. As for Freak Nation, I say keep on fighting.

Why did they cancel this show?
After watching this season, I can find no reason why they cancelled this excellent show. Second season is pretty much a completely different show from first season, but it is still awesome.

Second Season focuses more on Manticore and the Mutants whereas first season was more about Max finding her brothers and sisters. I prefer first season myself, but I still love second season. Bling and Herbal are no longer in this season and their absences arent ever explained. But there are four new characters in this season. Jensen Ackles plays Alec, a twin of Ben from season 1 of this show. He was really a great addition to the show. He brought a lot of comedy to the show and a lot of drama at the beginning of the season. Ashley Scott plays Asha, a character I didnt care for too much only because I really like Max(Jessica Alba) and Logan(Michael Weatherly) together and she was only in the show to try to tear them apart. Scott even says so in the special features in Max:Ressurected. Kevin Durand plays Joshua, the first creation of Manticore with canine DNA. Joshua made the show more about science fiction. So if you like that, you'd like him. Martin Cummings plays Ames White who kind of takes over Lydecker's(John Savage) role as the bad guy. Although I hate him more than I ever hated Lydecker. Just watch Dawg Day Afternoon and you'll know why.

Some of the best episodes of this season are Designate This, Fughettaboutit, She Aint Heavy and Freak Nation.

The special features aren't as great as the first season. For one, there isnt any commentary by Jessica Alba and Michael Weatherly which was extrememly funny and interesting for And Jesus Brought a Casserole in first season. Also the bloopers werent as funny and were only about half as long. Of the three featurrettes, only Max:Resurrected was interesting. It was about 15 minutes long.

Go buy this today!

Another great season! (Some spoilers...)
Having never seen the show when it was originally broadcast, I bought season one and got hooked, so naturally I had to get season two. I had read some negative reviews about this season but after seeing it for myself I realized that those reviews were misleading...

Yes, season two was different in a lot of ways from season one, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment. One big difference was that Lydecker (John Savage) was phased out and replaced by Agent White (Martin Cummins). Although I really liked John in the first season I eventually found Martin to be quite good too. (You really get to hate White after a while!)

Another difference was the advent of the transgenics in season two. Other reviewers have stated that the show became a "freakshow" in season two but in my opinion this only happened in the last couple of episodes. Joshua was definitely an interesting character and a good addition to the show. Some of the other transgenics were quite good too, notably "Mule" who was in a couple of episodes. (He was cute and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him when he met his fate.)

Some of the new characters I actually preferred to the first season - I found Alec in season two to be very funny and fun to watch, as opposed to Zack from season one who was about as interesting as unbuttered toast...

This season still retained all that made the first season great - the chemistry between Max and Logan, Max's friends at Jam Pony, great action scenes, humor, and even a few genuine sad moments. (However, I was dissapointed that there were no episodes when Max was "in heat"; I loved those episodes from season one!)

The extras are not quite as good as the first season but still not bad. Another commentary by Jessica and/or Michael would have been nice, as well as more audition footage. (I would have loved to have seen Martin Cummins' audition for Agent White!)

All in all, if you haven't seen this season, don't listen to the negative reviews - buy it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Star Trek: The Next Generation's third year was an important development in syndicated television. After two shaky years, Paramount nonetheless decided the franchise still had plenty to do. Their confidence was bolstered by two significant factors. First, cast uncertainties were finally settled: Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher) was back for good; Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar) regretted her first-year departure, and so contrived a return in the Emmy Award-winning "Yesterday's Enterprise"; and Whoopi Goldberg happily continued her actor's-scale contributions.

Second, after the show had survived the previous year's writers' strike, new writing blood revitalized both characters and ideas: Data experienced fatherhood ("The Offspring"), Worf's Klingon heritage kick-started a huge story arc ("Sins of the Father"), and Picard got a saucy vacation ("Captain's Holiday"). There were memorable star cameos: John de Lancie played more mischief alongside Corbin Bernsen ("Déjà Q"); Dwight Schultz played truant in a gentle warning about addiction ("Hollow Pursuits"); and pleasing fans even more was Mark Lenard as Spock's dad ("Sarek"). The strongest evidence that TNG would continue for some time was the trend-setting cliffhanger finale. Fans and critics still agree that "The Best of Both Worlds" (properly introducing the Borg) was one of the greatest tricks ever pulled on TV to make audiences come back for more. --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Excellent Season
Season Three of Star Trek: TNG was full of spectacular episodes, from the philisophical "Who Watches The Watchers?" to the humorous "Deja Q", and the thrilling "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1". In other words, this season contains something for everyone.

The seven disc DVD set contains 26 episodes, with the special features available on the seventh disc. Special features include both character and episode analysis, which is entertaining. Unfortunately, not every episode is reviewed in the special features, making them seem a bit empty.

Aside from that minor flaw, fans should find plenty to enjoy about this season. Even if you only want the set for the amazing cliffhanger finale (and I would imagine some do) even casual viewers of The Next Generation will find hours of entertainment in this set.

ST TNG 3
This third release of Star Trek The Next Generation on DVD contains all of the episodes of its third season. During the third season we see Dr. Crusher return to the series, we see Sarek (Spock's Father) and a favorite of many the Borg are back.

All 26 episodes are contained on 7 disks.

Evolution - The crew assists Dr. Paul Stubbs in a research experiment. Wesley accidentally releases nanites and the ship is plagued by serious malfunction and possible disaster.

The Ensigns of Command - Data is sent to Tau Cygna Five to evacuate the human settlers there before the Sheliak come to destroy them.

The Survivors - The Enterprise finds two survivors on Delta Rana IV, an old man and his wife who refuse to leave. Troi is being driven mad by music in her head, and Picard wrestles with an elusive alien vessel in orbit.

Who Watches the Watchers - Riker and Troi masquerade as Mintakans, in an attempt to find a missing anthropologist. Picard is seen and believed him to be a god.

The Bonding - An archaeologist is killed on an Away mission, leaving behind his young son. Picard must play a game of wits with a powerful alien force that wants to raise the boy.

Bobby Trap - The Enterprise becomes ensnared in a 1000-year-old booby trap.

The Enemy - Marooned on Galorndan Core with a Romulan crash survivor, Bochra, Geordi and he must learn to put their differences aside in order to survive.

The Price - The Enterprise is host to the negotiations of the rights to the Barzan Wormhole. But a Ferengi DaiMon has plans to sabotage the conference, and Troi learns a dark secret about Devinoni Ral.

The Vengeance Factor - The Enterprise attempts to assist in the cease-fire between the Acamarians and the Gatherers.

The Defector - The Enterprise plays host to a Romulan defector who insists that the Empire will wage a war to regain the Neutral Zone in 48 hours.

The Hunted - A genetically altered veteran of a planetary war, escapes and brings his case to the Enterprise.

The High Ground - On Rutia Four, Dr. Crusher is kidnapped by a group of terrorists waging a war for independence.

Deja Q - While the Enterprise is on a mission to rescue a planet from an incoming asteroid, Q returns, deprived of his powers, and forced to live life as a mortal.

A Matter of Perspective - The Tanuga Research Station mysteriously explodes and Riker is accused of the destruction. The holodeck is used to recreate the events preceding the explosion from each witness' point of view.

Yesterday's Enterprise - A temporal rift caused by the Enterprise-C creates an alternate reality where the war-torn Federation is losing to the Klingons and Tasha is still alive. Picard must trust Guinan's intuition that history has been changed, even at the cost of his own life.

The Offspring - Data creates a child android called Lal, whom he adopts as his own, but Starfleet has its own, designs on her.

Sins of the Father - Worf's long-lost brother joins him on a personal mission to the Klingon home world, where Worf must challenge a ruling against his late father - one that condemns him as a traitor to the Klingon race!

Allegiance - Captain Picard is kidnapped by aliens who replace him with a duplicate.

Captain's Holiday - Picard's holiday on Risa is interrupted by an enigmatic young woman and a Ferengi, whom are looking for a legendary treasure

Tin Man - The Enterprise escorts a Betazoid named Elbrun to meet Tin Man, a life form in a remote system that only wants to die.

Hollow Pursuits - The Enterprise is stricken with a strange chemical affliction and an introverted crewmember becomes addicted to the holodeck trying to escape reality.

The Most Toys - Data is kidnapped by a ruthless alien trader named Fajo and made his prize possession in his collection of stolen treasures.

Sarek - Sarek, Vulcan Ambassador (Spock's Father), comes aboard the Enterprise for a meeting with the reclusive Legarans, but when an outbreak of sporadic violence is linked to Sarek, the mission is in jeopardy.

Menage A Troi - While on shore leave, Riker, Troi, and Troi's mother are kidnap by the Ferengi, set on learning the truth about Betazoid telepathy.

Transfigurations - The Enterprise aids the lone survivor of a ship crash, an amnesiac with remarkable recuperative powers.

The Best of Both Worlds (Part 1) - The Enterprise engage the Borg.

TREK AT IT'S BEST
THE THIRD SEASON OF STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION IS PROBABLY THE BEST OF THE SERIES.THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF CHARACTER DEVELOPEMENT AND THE STORIES ARE VERY WELL WRITTEN.
BEING A LONG TIME STAR TREK FAN FROM THE OLD DAYS, I MUST ADMIT I WAS SCEPTICAL ABOUT TNG, BUT I WAS VERY IMPPRESSED WITH
IT, AND THE THIRD SEASON IS A DELIGHT TO VIEW!

One of the best rebounds you'll ever see!
Let's face it...the Second Season for Star Trek: The Next Generation was by far the weakest of the seven, but it did manage to keep the show moving. It introduced the BORG, a villain that would remain a part of Star Trek all the way through Voyager and even into Enterprise. At the end of the second season you saw only 22 episodes due to a strike by the writing staff. Everyone was wondering how the third season would shape up and if the show would rebound. Boy did it rebound! The third season began with a brand new writing staff including Ronald D. Moore and Michael Pillar and began the series on its final five SUPERB seasons. In the third season we saw the return of Denise Crosby and Tasha Yar and we got a deeper and more personal look at the BORG. Season three also marks the return of Gates McFadden and Dr. Beverly Crusher (GREAT MOVE!). Season three truely ushered in a new era of Star Trek Storytelling.

Personal favorite episodes:

Evolution, The Bonding, Booby Trap, The Enemy, The Defector, Deja Q, A Matter Of Perspective, Yesterday's Enterprise, The Offspring, Sins of the Father, Sarek, and The Best of Both Worlds

For God's sake
If you need to get a Star Trek buy Deep Space NINE or wait for Voyager. Your best bet is to get the Farscape sets or Babylon 5. I have to admit Wesley Crusher is a great character!!! LOL ... Read more

Description

4 Disc Collection containing all 25 Full Length episodes from Season Four-over 10 hours of content. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

DOWN AT OUR RENDEVOUS THREE'S COMPANY TOO!!!
I was really looking forward to Season Four because it's when Don Knotts joined the cast as the swingin bachelor Ralph Furley!!! Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the Ropers, but they ran their course. The storylines were also alot funnier with the inclusion of the maneating Lonna! They had the perfect love-triangle, Lonna lusting after Jack,and Mr. Furley lusting after Lonna.
Although I really enjoyed this season I didn't like the way they made the character of Chrissy just too dumb. When Suzanne bleached her hair to an extreme shade of blonde and wore those childish ponytails she looked even more stupid! It was a sad downfall of her once funny character. However I thought Joyce DeWitt looked even better and was alot funnier in season four.
Well, it's a little bittersweet to write this review because John Ritter was the true star of this show and was even funnier this season. I still can't believe he's gone, and I find myself determined to collect every dvd of his body of work to preserve his memory. I look forward to the release of the show Hearts A Fire on dvd that John Ritter did with Markie Post. He also did a very touching Danielle Steel tv movie called Heartbeat, co-starring Polly Draper that will be released on dvd soon.
In the meantime I will savor and enjoy Three's Company season four until season five comes out in October!!!
JOHN RITTER WHEREVER YOU ARE I HOPE YOU KEEP THEM LAUGHING IN HEAVEN!!!!

SO FAR SO GOOD! But I am now concerned!
I have only watched 3 episodes from the set. And so far so good. Fans, please write your thoughts concerning the episode "Ralph's Rival" and "The Reverend Steps Out"; I read some negative comments in the customers reviews section and I am now very concerned. Somehow I am not looking forward to watch these two episodes. Please share your thoughts so that other viewers and fans are prepared. Love this show!

A Classic Never Dies
Three's Company is my favorite show, no doubt, but for me it really kicked into high gear when Mr. Furley moved in as the new landlord.I thought his brand of physical comedy was better suited to the show than the Ropers' (who were also great, in their own way) one-liners.The production values also seemed to improve.This is a great collection and the cast really seemed to gel this season.The two episodes with Dr. Prescott are among the best in the show's history.I wonder why he wasn't written into more episodes.And you can't help but laugh when Jack and Chrissy get handcuffed together.The extras are really nice; great to see the original cast interviewed after all these years -but no Suzanne Somers?Jeez, bury the hatchet already!

NOTHING WRONG WITH DISKS!! THEY ALL PLAY!!!
the reverend steps out episode does play on my player and so do all the other episodes so the guy saying they dont has a bad machine or bad disks!the other guy is right i like the commentary and whats up with the best of videos theyre boring!
TERI IS DA BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Hey Tarzan, can I swing on your tree?"
After they ran out of lost pilots to include, I expected the extras on these season sets to quickly dwindle down to nothing.That is definitely not the case with this season four collection.

The interviews with Nancy Ritter (John Ritter's ex-wife), Ann Wedgeworth, Don Knotts & Richard Kline are perhaps my favorite part of the extras section.Nancy Ritter's interview runs the longest, at about 20 minutes, and she has a great deal to say not just about the late John Ritter but about the show and the relationships behind the scenes as well.All the interviews are intercut beautifully with clips from throughout the series - not just clips from season four.

As well as these interviews were done, I have to wonder why anyone thought it necessary to bother with those 6 to 7 minute season four "best of" clip collections.As I sat watching, I felt as though I was getting the sales pitch after making my purchase.
Wouldn't a "Best of Season 5" clip collection - to stir interest in the next release - make more sense?

Although there've been various complaints that audio commentary has been supplied solely by a man who didn't work on the show during its run, I have to come to Chris Mann's defense.This guy's perspective is probably the most objective of anyone, and boy has he done his homework!If you doubt this, just grab a copy of his book and read the proof for yourself.Most celebrity/cast member commentaries I've heard on other DVD sets tend to meander through periods of silence and gasps in horror as they watch their younger selves on whatever screen they're pointed at during the recordings.But the insight Mann provided during his commentary for "Chrissy's Hospitality" was intelligent, concise and should help even the most casual fan appreciate what this show was about and what went into putting it together.

The episodes themselves (the only reason I bought the set, to be honest) look pretty sharp for the most part.I can almost make out the detail on that butterfly "Life" poster adorning the roommates' living room wall!There are no chapter stops, but it doesn't ruin the overall presentation.I can at least hit "play all" and have myself a lazy-day marathon.

My only complaint is that the tag scene in "Ralph's Rival" has been cut - and the edit is obvious and clumsy!Whatever the reason for this, it's a big point of contention for me that all the episodes are not complete.The people at Anchor Bay need to pay closer attention to the basics before wasting time on "best of" clip collections.Very bad form!

That one complaint aside, this season contains one of the THE best episodes of the entire series: "A Camping We Will Go."John Ritter's hammock routine still floors me. It also contains one of my all-time favorite TC lines: Lana cornering poor Jack in the woods and asking, "Hey Tarzan, can I swing on your tree?"
HYSTERICAL!TIMELESS!I LOVE IT!

I look forward to the release of seasons 5 thru 8 just as much as I looked forward to this and the first three.As great as many of us think the 1979-80 season was, I personally think Ritter, DeWitt, Kline and Knotts were continuing to master their act clear into year six. ... Read more

Amazon.com

At the heart of the first years of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the romance between Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), slayer of all things evil, and hunky Angel (David Boreanaz), the tortured vampire destined to walk the earth with a soul. The second season of Buffy took the Buffy-Angel pas de deux from ecstasy to agony in a now-classic plot arc that catapulted the show from WB teen drama to true TV greatness. You see, if the cursed Angel ever experiences true happiness for a moment, he'll revert to being an evil vampire again. And guess what happens after Buffy and Angel finally declare their love for one another and consummate their relationship...

Buffy found its true momentum during the second season, as geeky Xander (Nicholas Brendon) fell in love with popular girl Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Willow (Alyson Hannigan) gave up her crush on Xander in favor of werewolf boy Oz (Seth Green), and watcher Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) began a sweetly tentative relationship with computer teacher (and witch) Jenny Calendar (Robia LaMorte). Mayhem came to Sunnydale, though, in the form of evil vampires Drusilla (Juliet Landau) and Spike (drolly wicked James Marsters), who were more than ready to aid and abet Angel as he turned bad. It all sounds like horror-action mayhem (and there are great fight scenes), but Buffy took on its plotlines with amazing depth, intelligence, and humor. And oh, man, the love story! Buffy and Angel's tragic relationship is one of the most heartbreaking you'll ever find. Buffy's final dilemma finds her having to save the world at Angel's expense, and Gellar (who deserves a passel of Emmys for her work) is phenomenal at telegraphing Buffy's swirling conflicts between love and duty. This is some of the best TV ever made, period. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (362)

Incredible (spoilers below)
The second season continued one what was successfully started in the first season. The second season is a lot more ambitious (remember, the first season only had twelve episodes, unlike the rest which had 22).

The story arcs in the second season are brilliant. The romance between Angel and Buffy reached gothic heights with Surprise/Innocence (Surprise is astonishing). When Angel turns bad, David Boreanaz manages to do a sensational job of acting the transition (the episodes "Passion" and "I Only Have Eyes For You" are incredible in detailing this, and Buffy's reaction). Willow's romance with Oz is wonderful, and Giles attachment to Jenny Calendar a welcome addition.

This show still manages to be surprisingly funny (as seen in Halloween, and Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered) and packs a wallop (the two part season ender, Becoming I & II, are essential viewing for any Buffy fans. They are incredibly moving). Yes, there are some clunkers (Killed by Death, Bad Eggs), but they are more than redeemed.

My favourites are: Becoming I & II, Surprise/Innocence, I Only Have Eyes for You, Passion, School Hard, When She Was Bad, and Lie To Me

For a show set in high school, the writers have neatly side-stepped making a caricature of Anthony Stewart Head's librarian/Watcher Giles. His befuddled sexiness is immensely appealing. Alyson Hannigan's performance as wallflower Willow blooming into a witch (her growing powers are smartly charted by writers all the way through season six) is strong, and having the animosity between Xander and Cordelia boil over into lust was a masterstroke. Finally, we have to give the star her due. Sarah Michelle Gellar proved with this season that she's actually a capable actress, both with comic timing (Halloween) and pathos (Surprise/Innocence).

The second season was an immense improvement over the first season (a solid debut) and the quality continues. In my mind, the second and third season need to be bought together (or at least both bought). Story arcs introduced in the second season are wrapped up in the third season. Buy this set, you won't be disappointed.

Not the best season, but really well done!
A great season, episode breakdown:

When She Was Bad: 8.5/10 Great episode involving Buffy's nightmares about the master.

Some Assembly Required: 9.5/10 Two students try to assemble an ideal woman, using different body parts of girls they know, the head is Cordelia.

School Hard: 10/10 The best one to date, watchout, the number one vampire is in town, Spike! He's so cool in this season.

Inca Mummy Girl: 8.5/10 Good episode, where an old Inca princess is woken.

Reptile Boy: 9/10 Buffy and Cordelia attend a frat party and are being offered by reptile-like creature as human sacrifices. It's a good one!

Halloween: 9.5/10 Buffy gets turned into a 18th century woman, 1775 to be exact, Xander turns into a soldier, Willow is a ghost and the only one that remembers who they really are, who bought her costume from Ethan. Cordelia got somewhere else, so she's fine, as well as Angel and Giles. Funny episode!!

Lie To Me: 9/10 Vampire wannabes offer Spike the Slayer, but turns into a disaster! Buff