Television - DVD

The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 73 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A barroom toast to Det. Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), a one-man good cop/bad cop, offered in The Wire's final episode could very well serve as this series' epitaph: "When you were good, you were the best we had." Season five bears witness to this. The 10 riveting, wrenching episodes focus on yet another beleaguered Baltimore institution, The Baltimore Sun daily newspaper, whose staff, much like the police, is forced to do more with less. One editor (Clark Johnson) struggles to maintain the paper's journalistic standards in the face of declining ad revenues, employee buyouts and bureau closures. An ambitious reporter (Tom McCarthy) undermines him by taking a page out of the Stephen Glass/Jayson Blair playbook, manufacturing sensational quotes, and eventually, whole stories, while bean-counter management encourages its rising star and keeps its eye on the (Pulitzer) prize. Meanwhile, on the streets, the year-long investigation of rising drug lord Marlo Sansfield (Jamie Hector) and the 22 bodies found in "the vacants" has been discontinued and police morale is at an all-time low (the money promised to the department has been diverted to the schools). McNulty manufactures a serial killer case that will have far-reaching repercussions in the mayor's office, where Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) is mounting a run for governor a mere two years into his term. "I wonder what it would be like to work at a real police station," McNulty rages at one point. The Wire, as ever, is all about real. It's a gritty and unflinching look at life in one of roughest districts of a "broke-ass city." There is street justice for some characters, and street injustice for others. Some meet sad, sudden, or shocking ends that defy TV convention. Referring to Marlo, McNulty declares early on, "He does not get to win; we get to win." The hard-earned victories are mostly small, or come with a price. Not that The Wire does not offer glimmers of hope. Bubbles (Andre Royo) struggles to maintain his sobriety (Steve Earle portrays the leader of his 12-step program and also does the theme song honors this season), and the final episode features a cameo by Jim True-Frost as the once overwhelmed teacher, "Prez," who now seems to have the hang of the job. The ratings-strapped and criminally Emmy-snubbed The Wire has always been a critic's darling with a passionate fan base. To the show's credit, it did not make itself more accessible in its final season (consequently, its send-off did not receive near the fanfare of The Sopranos or Sex and the City). That should not dissuade newcomers to the show. It is heavy lifting, and if you're just joining The Wire, a visit to the show's official website for orientation is recommended. But buy it, watch it, and be patient. It's so worth it. From the masterful storytelling to the peerless ensemble, it just doesn't get any better than The Wire. But that's not exactly news. --Donald Liebenson

The Office - Season Two

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 259 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Clearly, the best season of "The Office" 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Season Two of the The Office is; hands-down the best season out of all the seasons so far. The latter ones just have captured the magic, IMHO. However; this is one DVD set I keep watching over and over. I highly recommend it for fans of this show!

The Office is Awesome! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I could watch these episodes over and over and they are still funny! I'd recommend them for anyone who works in an office and appreciates intelligent humor!

Awesome! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

We watch this over and over. We are big fans of this show and love having the DVDs to watch any time we want!

Even better than the first season 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It's unfortunate that Season 1 had so few episodes, but Season 2 more than makes up for that. At more than double the episodes, it's also double the hilarity. Michael is even more absurd, if possible and the rest of the cast more enjoyable. We get to know them even better and we laugh and sympathise and have a great time watching them interact with each other. From long-awaited confessions (which btw, is an AWFUL, AWFUL EVIL way to end the season), to the outrageous ideas that Michael randomly concocts, The Office is a brilliantly funny viewing experience.

For everyone that likes well-written, perfectly acted comedies with heart, The Office is the perfect choice.

Editorial Review:

All 22 hilarious episodes from season two. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/12/2006 Starring: Steve Carell Run time: 480 minutes Rating: Nr

Weeds - Season Two

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 90 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Nancy is not a good person 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

It's amazing, I guess the writers figured by episode 8 that the Peter Scottson character was too like-able and elicited too much sympathy that the writers intentionally wrote him in to be a racist and vindictive on the fly. It wasn't cool and didn't flow well. I supposed they miscast him with Martin Donovan from the start, an inherently like-able actor. It was about episode 8 that I wanted something very bad to happen to Nancy and her entire sanctimonious and whiny family. None of them are good people and they seem less interesting because of it.

A great show 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a great show. It's primarily a comedy, but has great drama and some occassional action threaded in. I Have the first 2 seasons now and have watched both twice. Laughed my head off. As I will when i watch it again!

Has great writing and acting. Buy it! It's cheap for a series and excellent replay value!

Even Better Than Season One 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I could resort to an "addicted" pun or throw in some sly jokes about dealing out as much laughs as Nancy does weed, etcetera, etcetera. But when it comes down to this, the best way to talk about the second season of Weeds isn't marijuana puns, it's the simple truth. This is a strong season of what was already a damn good show. The writers pretty much took everything that worked about the first season and made it better. They took risks, which in itself is a special thing in television, and each of those risks paid off in the end.

The status quo of the show changes, because Nancy graduates from small time dealer to a big wig grower/supplier, which leads to tension between her and... well, pretty much everyone. The show manages to keep a healthy balance of drama and comedy while juggling the many on-going arcs of the series. Each short episode in this collection is so textured and so crammed full of little moments of greatness that the season could probably be watched in one season.

I said it about the first season, and I'll say it again here. From the acting, to the music (different artist performing the theme song each time now), to the direction, to the writing, this is a seamless show that is among the best series currently airing.

9/10

Editorial Review:

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 05/13/2008

Gilmore Girls - The Complete Second Season

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 111 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Love was in the air at the beginning of the second season of Gilmore Girls, as both Gilmores found themselves in the midst of perfect, giddy relationships--or so they thought. Lorelai (Lauren Graham) had accepted the proposal of English teacher Max (Scott Cohen) and was excitedly planning her first wedding; Rory (Alexis Bledel) was back on happy footing with townie hunk Dean (Jared Padalecki) after a dust-up near the end of season one that prompted a mini-break for the teen twosome. However, series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino had anything but smooth sailing on the horizon for her heroines, giving Lorelai a severe case of cold feet and Rory a major distraction in the form of Jess (Milo Ventimiglia), the bad boy newly arrived in town. Soon, Rory found herself extremely attracted to Jess, while Lorelai rekindled the flame of passion that once burned long ago with Rory's father, Christopher (David Sutcliffe), who made his way back into her life despite a girlfriend in the wings.

After the minor romantic speed bumps of the first season, the introduction of actual conflict into the second season of Gilmore Girls helped give the happy-goofy atmosphere of Stars Hollow a decided tension, as Rory tangled with her emotions over Jess and began the first tiny steps away from her good-girl persona. The episode "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," centered around the annual town auction of picnic baskets, was a wonderful portrait of Rory's conflicting adolescent feelings for both Dean and Jess. However, it was Lorelai's simmering chemistry with former flame Christopher, only hinted at in the first season, that gave the show its energy as well as its heartbreak, culminating in the stellar season finale "I Can't Get Started." But lest you think Gilmore Girls was centered only on romance, the second season also gave the expansive ensemble cast many hilarious moments, ranging from the hallway politics of Rory's private school to the town antics that shaped the Gilmores' daily lives. Through it all, the appealing Bledel and the radiant Graham exuded wit, charm, and a way with snappy patter not seen since the golden days of '30s screwball comedy. --Mark Englehart

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Series Megaset

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

DVDs Skip 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I LOVE Dr. Quinn and was thrilled to find the entire series and movies in one set. I spent nearly and entire month watching the series form top to bottom. I was disappointed though to find several of my DVDs SKIP!!! and it just happened to be my favorite episodes that were interupted. I was sent a second set only yo find DVDs in that set skipped as well! Now I am in the process of going through both sets and swapping out bad disks for the good ones...a pain!
Love the series and concept, just wish quality control was a little bit better. My advice...go through your set and check for bad disks.

Major sound problems 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I just received this for Christmas and was so excited to reconnect with Dr. Quinn. I loved this show when it was on and I started watching right away. Unfortunately the sound was completely out of sync. I jumped around to many episodes and they were all out of sync. I will be sending this back and hope that the new set doesn't have these problems so I can enjoy the show!!!!

Anyone else had these problems?

Editorial Review:

Packaged in a gorgeous faux-leather photo album that will pop off shelves and coffee tables, this collectible scrapbook of memorabilia chronicles the beautiful romance of Dr. Quinn and Sully and contains the entire series together for the first time---a must have for any fan.

One Tree Hill - The Complete Fourth Season

Amazon Price: $42.99 List Price: $59.98 Usually ships in 7 to 11 days By: Warner Brothers - Model: WARD116182D Amazon Marketplace: 72 new & used starting at $21.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 91 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

One Tree Hill: The Complete Fourth Season finds the dramatic final year of high school for the series' major characters full of grudges, pregnancies, partner-switching, big mistakes, and dashed hopes. But there are also renewals of friendship and new possibilities in love and independence. The season is overshadowed by the murder of Keith Scott (Craig Sheffer), uncle to brothers Lucas and Nathan Scott, neither of whom realizes that the killer was their own father, Dan (Paul Johansson), Keith's brother. While Dan is haunted by his conscience over his misdeed, Nathan himself feels Keith's ghostly presence during a season-opening crisis in which he dives into a lake to rescue Rachel (Danneel Harris) and Cooper (Michael Trucco). Nathan, struggling to understand the meaning of his experience, puts a strain on his new marriage to Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) and becomes the target of Rachel's predatory sexual advances. Rachel's friend Brooke (Sophia Bush) breaks up with Lucas after the latter's close friend Peyton (Hilarie Burton) confesses she has feelings for him. (Brooke also turns her back on her old friendship with Peyton, making for several episodes of nasty, verbal volleys between the girls.) Lucas' sudden availability puts the possibility of romance with Peyton in play, but she's also busy dealing with the discovery of a brother she didn't know she had--a guy who isn't quite what he appears to be.

As if that's not enough, there are pregnancies and presumed pregnancies galore in season four: Haley and Nathan, for sure, plus Lucas' mom Karen (Moira Kelly), who is carrying Keith's child. Two other characters either believe or maintain they are pregnant. Meanwhile, Nathan's mom, Deb (Barbara Alyn Woods), develops a personality-altering drug addiction and carries around a loaded pistol; Lucas' pal Skills (Antwon Tanner) gets a shot at playing basketball for the Ravens; and Mouth (Lee Norris) gets drunk and complains that girls only want to be his friend. Everything heads, inexorably, toward graduation day, which finds several crises simultaneously overlapping with the joy of moving on. As with every One Tree Hill season, The Complete Season Four is easy to get hooked on, with a very good cast and audacious storylines.--Tom Keogh

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 107 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Just adding another voice to the cheers 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

THE HOMECOMING was probably the first Christmas movie, apart from A Charlie Brown Christmas, that I can recall watching as a child. For nostalgia alone, I love this movie, but watching it as an adult, I am always struck by the depth of Patricia Neal's performance as Olivia Walton, and Richard Thomas as John Boy. Also, I always loved Cleavon Little as Rev. Hawthorne Dooley (he died far too young).

The only thing that ever bothered me about the movie is the hairstyles --the younger boys' are a little too 1970's. Aside from that, I think the producers really caught something of the Depression era.

This is a classic Christmas story, and a classic television presentation -- the kind of television that should be made, but just isn't anymore. Just compare THE HOMECOMING with something of recent Christmas vintage, like, Drake & Josh's Christmas movie on Nickelodeon, and you will see how far standards have fallen. If producers would only concentrate on quality productions instead of fads and giving airtime to teenybopper stars, we wouldn't all have to rely on DVDs so much!

Editorial Review:

The Waltons' Love and Courage Face a Difficult Test. Patricia Neal, Richard Thomas, Edgar Bergen and Cleavon Little star in this award-winning drama that inspired the long-running, vastly popular TV series, "The Waltons." Set on a Depression Christmas Eve in 1933, this heart-tugging story centers around the Waltons. They're a rural American family preparing to celebrate Christmas together. Though times are tough, love and sharing are abundant in this family. An inspiring tale of love, hope and spirit, this deeply moving story goes far beyond the boundaries of time and place to reach out and touch everyone, everywhere.

24 - Season Six

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 187 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

STILL MISSING JACK 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

THIS NEVER ARRIVED. I HAVE CONTACTED THE SELLER BUT ALL HE WOULD SAY WAS THAT IT WAS SENT. HE NEVER TRIED TO MAKE IT RIGHT.

No Show 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 3 people found this review helpful.

What would I have wanted to know before I purchased the product? Perhaps that I was never going to receive the product in the first place!!! Still no season 6 of 24 and no refund either. Seller does not reply.
Will never use Amazon.com again. I learned my lesson.
Joyce Harris

Jack is awesome as usual! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Some critics don't think this season is as good as some earlier seasons. That may be so, but the tension and suspense are still great! Buy it...you'll like it.

Jack Bauer Power! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

As always, I enjoyed this season of 24. I always buy a season and then go on vacation and watch it ALL!! I simply just cannot wait from one week to the next to see what is going to happen. However, this season, in my opinion was not as good as it probally could have been. Nevertheless, it was still fantastic. Looking forward to the next season, and vacation!

Editorial Review:

At the end of Season 5, Jack Bauer was kidnapped, beaten, and taken captive in retribution for his involvement in a raid on the Chinese Consulate eighteen months earlier. Now, there's a new president, Jack Bauer is missing, and the U.S. is under siege from terrorist attacks more threatening than anything we've ever encountered! There is only one thing that can save the nation: Jack Bauer must die.

Gilmore Girls - The Complete Fifth Season

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 112 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Perennially one of the WB's highest-rated series, Gilmore Girls hit its creative high point to date with its stellar fifth season, which started out with young Rory (Alexis Bledel) feeling the fallout of doing something terribly non-Rory-like: sleeping with Dean (Jared Padalecki), her married ex-boyfriend. Rory's indulgence in adultery put, for the first time, a serious, sharp wedge in her relationship with her mother, Lorelai (Lauren Graham), who was both shocked by her daughter's behavior and worried Rory would repeat the mistakes Lorelai made at her age. But while Rory jetted off to Europe with her grandmother (Kelly Bishop) for the summer, Lorelai finally got her relationship with diner owner Luke (Scott Patterson) into a serious groove, starting with an official (and incredibly sweet) first date and others that involved, if you can believe it, a Swedish Pippi Longstocking movie. And as Lorelai navigated romantic terrain in Stars Hollow (terrain that of course did not run smooth), Rory found life more complex in her second year at Yale, as her relationship with Dean became increasingly strained. Not only that, she found her attention turned towards preppy Logan (Matt Czurchy), a spoiled rich kid who represented everything Rory couldn't stand--and was of course immediately attracted to. Little did Rory know that Logan's entrance into her life, and her interaction with his family, would be the catalyst for one of the most momentous decisions she would ever make.

With this season of Gilmore Girls, creative forces Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino finally found a way to make the Stars Hollow-Yale dichotomy work perfectly, as each location still stood alone but had decided repercussions on the other. Gone were freshman-year anxieties for Rory and in their place were more adult romantic concerns as well as a class consciousness that, for the first serious time, found Rory on the side of the haves and not the have-nots. While the Rory-Dean drama played itself out nicely and succinctly, it was the devilish Logan who lit a fire underneath this Gilmore girl; the episode "You Jump, I Jump, Jack" was a lovely twist on the '30s romantic comedies that found rich folk at play with words and deeds. Bledel started to fully blossom as Rory grew from ingénue to leading lady, and she was matched peerlessly by Graham, whose passion, anger, stubbornness, and ravishing beauty all came to a head in "Wedding Bell Blues," which featured her two greatest nemeses: her mother and Rory's dad, Christopher (David Sutcliffe). The show's trademark eccentricities were all in place--including a Pulp Fiction party and an elementary school production of Fiddler on the Roof, among other things--but it mined the best drama of its run with the season's last four episodes, which found Rory's confidence shaken to the core. To give any of the proceedings away would spoil the drama, but suffice it to say you will be glued to the TV for this season's final four hours; it's Gilmore Girls at its phenomenal best. --Mark Englehart

Lost - The Complete Seasons 1-3

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Lost Season 1:
Along with Desperate Housewives, Lost was one of the two breakout shows in the fall of 2004. Mixing suspense and action with a sci-fi twist, it began with a thrilling pilot episode in which a jetliner traveling from Australia to Los Angeles crashes, leaving 48 survivors on an unidentified island with no sign of civilization or hope of imminent rescue. That may sound like Gilligan's Island meets Survivor, but Lost kept viewers tuning in every Wednesday night--and spending the rest of the week speculating on Web sites--with some irresistible hooks (not to mention the beautiful women). First, there's a huge ensemble cast of no fewer than 14 regular characters, and each episode fills in some of the back story on one of them. There's a doctor; an Iraqi soldier; a has-been rock star; a fugitive from justice; a self-absorbed young woman and her brother; a lottery winner; a father and son; a Korean couple; a pregnant woman; and others. Second, there's a host of unanswered questions: What is the mysterious beast that lurks in the jungle? Why do polar bears and wild boars live there? Why has a woman been transmitting an SOS message in French from somewhere on the island for the last 16 years? Why do impossible wishes seem to come true? Are they really on a physical island, or somewhere else? What is the significance of the recurring set of numbers? And will Kate ever give up her bad-boy fixation and hook up with Jack?

Lost did have some hiccups during the first season. Some plot threads were left dangling for weeks, and the "oh, it didn't really happen" card was played too often. But the strong writing and topnotch cast kept the show a cut above most network TV. The best-known actor at the time of the show's debut was Dominic Monaghan, fresh off his stint as Merry the Hobbit in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films. The rest of the cast is either unknowns or "where I have I seen that face before" supporting players, including Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly, who are the closest thing to leads. Other standouts include Naveen Andrews, Terry O'Quinn (who's made a nice career out of conspiracy-themed TV shows), Josh Holloway, Jorge Garcia, Yunjin Kim, Maggie Grace, and Emilie de Ravin, but there's really not a weak link in the cast. Co-created by J.J. Abrams (Alias), Lost left enough unanswered questions after its first season to keep viewers riveted for a second season. --David Horiuchi

Lost Season 2:

What was in the Hatch? The cliffhanger from season one of Lost was answered in its opening sequences, only to launch into more questions as the season progressed. That's right: Just when you say "Ohhhhh," there comes another "What?" Thankfully, the show's producers sprinkle answers like tasty morsels throughout the season, ending with a whopper: What caused Oceanic Air Flight 815 to crash in the first place? As the show digs into more revelations about its inhabitant's pasts, it also devotes a good chunk to new characters (Hey, it's an island; you never know who you're going to run into.) First, there are the "Tailies," passengers from the back end of the plane who crashed on the other side of the island. Among them are the wise, God-fearing ex-drug lord Mr. Eko (standout Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje); devoted husband Bernard (Sam Anderson); psychiatrist Libby (Cynthia Watros, whose character has more than one hidden link to the other islanders); and ex-cop Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez), by far the most infuriating character on the show, despite how much the writers tried to incur sympathy with her flashback. Then there are the Others, first introduced when they kidnapped Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) at the end of season one. Brutal and calculating, their agenda only became more complex when one of them (played creepily by Michael Emerson) was held hostage in the hatch and, quite handily, plays mind games on everyone's already frayed nerves. The original cast continues to battle their own skeletons, most notably Locke (Terry O'Quinn), Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Michael (Harold Perrineau), whose obsession with finding Walt takes a dangerous turn. The love triangle between Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway), which had stalled with Sawyer's departure, heats up again in the second half. Despite the bloating cast size (knocked down by a few by season's end) Lost still does what it does best: explores the psyche of people, about whom "my life is an open book" never applies, and cracks into the social dynamics of strangers thrust into Lord of the Flies-esque situations. Is it all a science experiment? A dream? A supernatural pocket in the universe? Likely, any theory will wind up on shaky ground by the season's conclusion. But hey, that's the fun of it. This show was made for DVD, and you can pause and slow-frame to your heart's content. Just try and keep that head-spinning to a minimum.

On the DVD

Commentaries by various cast members and producers reveal little other than the occasional easter egg (the Dharma logo on the shark fin, Walt's mumbling translating to "Don't push the button; the button is bad" backwards). But disc seven opens with an eerie Hanso Foundation instructional video, leading you to eight hours of bonus features, including cast members' own theories, deleted scenes, and featurettes on specific episodes. It's all well and good for Lost fanatics, but if you want the cream of the crop, check out: "Lost Connections," an interactive feature that reveals how all the islanders are actually linked (for instance, one of the officers who captured Sayid during the Gulf War is Kate's father); a Channel UK promo for the show directed by David LaChappelle in which cast members suck in their cheeks and, dressed in evening wear, tango in slow motion as if in a Calvin Klein ad (it has to be a joke, right?); and "The World According to Sawyer," which strings together each of the un-PC nicknames and pop culture references spewed by Holloway's character. Favorites include "Chewie" for Jin and "Ponce de Leon" for Ana Lucia. It's by far the cherry on top of a sweet dessert. --Ellen A. Kim

Lost Season 3:
When it aired in 2006-07, Lost's third season was split into two, with a hefty break in between. This did nothing to help the already weirdly disparate direction the show was taking (Kate and Sawyer in zoo cages! Locke eating goop in a mud hut!), but when it finally righted its course halfway through--in particular that whopper of a finale--the drama series had left its irked fan base thrilled once again. This doesn't mean, however, that you should skip through the first half of the season to get there, because quite a few questions find answers: what the Others are up to, the impact of turning that fail-safe key, the identity of the eye-patched man from the hatch's video monitor. One of the series' biggest curiosities from the past--how Locke ended up in that wheelchair in the first place--also gets its satisfying due. (The episode, "The Man from Tallahassee," likely was a big contributor to Terry O'Quinn's surprising--but long-deserved--Emmy win that year.)

Unfortunately, you do have to sit through a lot of aforementioned nuisances to get there. Season 3 kicks off with Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) held captive by the Others; Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Sun (Yunjin Kim), and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) on a mission to rescue them; and Locke, Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) in the aftermath of the electromagnetic pulse that blew up the hatch. Spinning the storylines away from base camp alone wouldn't have felt so disjointed were it not for the new characters simultaneously being introduced. First there's Juliet, a mysterious member of the Others whose loyalty constantly comes into question as the season goes on. Played delicately by Elizabeth Mitchell (Gia, ER, Frequency), Juliet is in one turn a cold-blooded killer, by another turn a sympathetic friend; possibly both at once, possibly neither at all. (She's also a terrific, albeit unwitting, threat to the Kate-Sawyer-Jack love triangle, which plays out more definitively this season.) On the other hand, there's the now-infamous Nikki and Paulo (Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro), a tagalong couple who were cleverly woven into the previous seasons' key moments but came to bear the brunt of fans' ire toward the show (Sawyer humorously echoed the sentiments by remarking, "Who the hell are you?"). By the end of the season, at least two major characters die, another is told he/she will die within months, major new threats are unveiled, and--as mentioned before--the two-part season finale restores your faith in the series.

The extras are as well-stocked as a Dharma Initiative food pantry on this seven-disc set. Commentaries by producer Damon Lindelof, show writers, and numerous cast members reveal a whole lot of juicy trivia; plus, the DVDs even provide a subtitle track for the commentary (rarely seen other than on foreign-language director's commentaries) so you won't miss a thing. "Lost Book Club" goes through the parallels between what characters are reading and the show's storylines (The Wizard of Oz and Stephen King are heavily referenced). "Lost: On Location" gives a lot of insight to some of the biggest episodes, and "Lost in a Day" gives a 24-hour glimpse at the drama's arduous production. If you're a Lost fan who gave up during this season, the bonus features alone might lure you back for the next round. --Ellen A. Kim