While this sophomore season of “Desperate Housewives” did not come close to the excellence achieved by the show in its debut season a year earlier, it cannot be described as a failure either.
The 24 episodes of Season 2 are divided evenly between the following 5 discs:
Disc 1: "Next", "You Could Drive A Person Crazy", "You´ll Never Get Away From Me", "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", "They Asked Me Why I Believe In You"
Disc 2: "I Wish I Could Forget You", "Color and Light", "The Sun Won´t Set", "That´s Good, That´s Bad", "Coming Home"
Disc 3: "One More Kiss", "We´re Gonna Be All Right", "There´s Something About A War", "Silly People", "Thank You So Much"
Disc 4: "There Is No Other Way", "Could I Leave You?", "Everybody Says Don´t", "Don´t Look At Me", "It Wasn´t Meant To Happen"
Disc 5: "I Know Things Now", "No One Is Alone", "Remember (Part1 & Part2)"
Video:
Having watched the broadcast version of "Desperate Housewives" in high-definition (HD) 720p, this DVD set´s 480p video resolution is still a pretty impressive sight. Presented in anamorphic widescreen measuring 1.78:1, the video images are spot on, featuring natural skin tones and very good color levels. Grain is visible in some scenes but those instances are rare and barely noticeable. There are neither any video transfer issues that I could see nor any hints of dirt in the hundreds of minutes that you would spend going through all the episodes. The only subtitle option available on this DVD set is English for the hearing impaired.
Audio:
Only a single audio track is provided on this DVD set and it is the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Danny Elfman´s whimsical but impressive theme song comes through the left and right speakers in great fashion, providing a wide sound space in the front. The surround speakers, as expected from a non-action-oriented series, are used only sparingly and the dialogue is projected clearly from the center channel.
Extras:
In the show´s first release on DVD, all the special features were sprinkled all over the 6 discs, which made it hard to watch all the extras at once. This time around, I´m happy to report, all the extra features are conveniently gathered on a single disc.
Again, like the previous season´s DVD release, there are no audio commentaries on any of the 24 episodes. There is, however, a pretty impressive list of features that should satiate the appetite of the show´s biggest fans.
Marc and Mom: This feature is an interview with Marc Cherry together with his mother, Martha. Focusing mainly on the various aspects of Marc´s childhood, it also examines how his experiences during that early period of his life have an effect on shaping the stories that we see on the show. Obviously, you also get to hear Martha describe some of Marc´s embarrassing moments when he was a child.
Directing Desperate Housewives: This is a behind-the-scenes peek at the inner workings of the pre- and post-production and filming process of an episode of the show. Focusing specifically on the 13th episode of Season 2, we get to see interviews with the director of that episode, Larry Shaw, and also with the main cast members, as they describe the fluidity of the script even up to the moment that filming was to take place and the perpetual tight schedule that everyone on the set have to endure.
Desperate Role Models: This one is pretty interesting. It brings together interviews with some of television´s most recognizable moms as they talk about the ever-changing roles of women reflecting on television and the impact that the five main female characters on "Desperate Housewives" have had on them and American culture in general. The interviewees here include Joanna Kerns ("Growing Pains"), Marion Ross ("Happy Days"), Shirley Jones ("The Partridge Family") and Michael Learned ("The Waltons").
Cherry-Picked: Creator Marc Cherry´s Favorite Scenes:
Here Marc Cherry presents 11 of his favorite scenes from Season 2 and each one comes with an audio commentary. They are:
"Rex´s Funeral", "Wedding Dress Meltdown", "Candy From a Stranger", "George´s Death", "Lynette Makes Her Point", "One Hell of a Kiss", "The Nun Fight", "Mrs. McCluskey´s Fudgesicle", "Tough Love", "Xiao Mei Can Stay" and "Hospital Visit".
Unaired Story Lines: As with most, if not all TV shows, there are always story lines that are cut and left on the floor of the cutting room. Here we get to watch two of them. These are not deleted scenes but entirely new story lines that were removed from the final aired version. They are: Susan´s Drama: Unaired story line from the episode "Color and Light" and Lynette´s Return Flight: Unaired story line from the episode "No One is Alone". Optional audio commentary by Marc Cherry can be turned on as you watch each of these.
Deleted Scenes: There are a total of 11 deleted scenes offered in this section and again, they can be viewed with optional audio commentary by Cherry.
Fashion and Couture: One of the biggest elements in a show that features five leading ladies is of course, the clothes that they wear. Here you will see interviews with Catherine Adair, the show´s British-born costume designer, as she talks about her job on the set and how differently she dresses each of the main characters.
Juicy Bites: In this segment, each of the main cast members describes some of their juicier moments in Season 2.
The Whole Story: This is a brief recap of the main events that happened in Season 1 of the show. I´m guessing that this segment was shown on TV prior to the start of the second season.
And finally there are trailers for "Desperate Housewives: The Game" and several upcoming TV DVD releases from Buena Vista.
Packaging:
The 6 DVDs in this new set are housed in a single foldout box with the increasingly common configuration of two discs on a single tray, one partially on top of the other. The apple red-themed foldout box is encased in a nice clear plastic cover. Also included in this package is a booklet that contains a brief synopsis for each of the 23 episodes and a couple of coupons and promotional flyers.
Film Value:
While this sophomore season of "Desperate Housewives" did not come close to the excellence achieved by the show in its debut season a year earlier, it cannot be described as a failure either. In fact, if you look at the bigger picture of the entire season as a whole, you would find some really great storytelling moments that are only punctuated by some mediocre episodes. Without a doubt, "Desperate Housewives" is still one of the better shows on television today.
Disc 1: "Next", "You Could Drive A Person Crazy", "You´ll Never Get Away From Me", "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", "They Asked Me Why I Believe In You"
Disc 2: "I Wish I Could Forget You", "Color and Light", "The Sun Won´t Set", "That´s Good, That´s Bad", "Coming Home"
Disc 3: "One More Kiss", "We´re Gonna Be All Right", "There´s Something About A War", "Silly People", "Thank You So Much"
Disc 4: "There Is No Other Way", "Could I Leave You?", "Everybody Says Don´t", "Don´t Look At Me", "It Wasn´t Meant To Happen"
Disc 5: "I Know Things Now", "No One Is Alone", "Remember (Part1 & Part2)"
Video:
Having watched the broadcast version of "Desperate Housewives" in high-definition (HD) 720p, this DVD set´s 480p video resolution is still a pretty impressive sight. Presented in anamorphic widescreen measuring 1.78:1, the video images are spot on, featuring natural skin tones and very good color levels. Grain is visible in some scenes but those instances are rare and barely noticeable. There are neither any video transfer issues that I could see nor any hints of dirt in the hundreds of minutes that you would spend going through all the episodes. The only subtitle option available on this DVD set is English for the hearing impaired.
Audio:
Only a single audio track is provided on this DVD set and it is the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Danny Elfman´s whimsical but impressive theme song comes through the left and right speakers in great fashion, providing a wide sound space in the front. The surround speakers, as expected from a non-action-oriented series, are used only sparingly and the dialogue is projected clearly from the center channel.
Extras:
In the show´s first release on DVD, all the special features were sprinkled all over the 6 discs, which made it hard to watch all the extras at once. This time around, I´m happy to report, all the extra features are conveniently gathered on a single disc.
Again, like the previous season´s DVD release, there are no audio commentaries on any of the 24 episodes. There is, however, a pretty impressive list of features that should satiate the appetite of the show´s biggest fans.
Marc and Mom: This feature is an interview with Marc Cherry together with his mother, Martha. Focusing mainly on the various aspects of Marc´s childhood, it also examines how his experiences during that early period of his life have an effect on shaping the stories that we see on the show. Obviously, you also get to hear Martha describe some of Marc´s embarrassing moments when he was a child.
Directing Desperate Housewives: This is a behind-the-scenes peek at the inner workings of the pre- and post-production and filming process of an episode of the show. Focusing specifically on the 13th episode of Season 2, we get to see interviews with the director of that episode, Larry Shaw, and also with the main cast members, as they describe the fluidity of the script even up to the moment that filming was to take place and the perpetual tight schedule that everyone on the set have to endure.
Desperate Role Models: This one is pretty interesting. It brings together interviews with some of television´s most recognizable moms as they talk about the ever-changing roles of women reflecting on television and the impact that the five main female characters on "Desperate Housewives" have had on them and American culture in general. The interviewees here include Joanna Kerns ("Growing Pains"), Marion Ross ("Happy Days"), Shirley Jones ("The Partridge Family") and Michael Learned ("The Waltons").
Cherry-Picked: Creator Marc Cherry´s Favorite Scenes:
Here Marc Cherry presents 11 of his favorite scenes from Season 2 and each one comes with an audio commentary. They are:
"Rex´s Funeral", "Wedding Dress Meltdown", "Candy From a Stranger", "George´s Death", "Lynette Makes Her Point", "One Hell of a Kiss", "The Nun Fight", "Mrs. McCluskey´s Fudgesicle", "Tough Love", "Xiao Mei Can Stay" and "Hospital Visit".
Unaired Story Lines: As with most, if not all TV shows, there are always story lines that are cut and left on the floor of the cutting room. Here we get to watch two of them. These are not deleted scenes but entirely new story lines that were removed from the final aired version. They are: Susan´s Drama: Unaired story line from the episode "Color and Light" and Lynette´s Return Flight: Unaired story line from the episode "No One is Alone". Optional audio commentary by Marc Cherry can be turned on as you watch each of these.
Deleted Scenes: There are a total of 11 deleted scenes offered in this section and again, they can be viewed with optional audio commentary by Cherry.
Fashion and Couture: One of the biggest elements in a show that features five leading ladies is of course, the clothes that they wear. Here you will see interviews with Catherine Adair, the show´s British-born costume designer, as she talks about her job on the set and how differently she dresses each of the main characters.
Juicy Bites: In this segment, each of the main cast members describes some of their juicier moments in Season 2.
The Whole Story: This is a brief recap of the main events that happened in Season 1 of the show. I´m guessing that this segment was shown on TV prior to the start of the second season.
And finally there are trailers for "Desperate Housewives: The Game" and several upcoming TV DVD releases from Buena Vista.
Packaging:
The 6 DVDs in this new set are housed in a single foldout box with the increasingly common configuration of two discs on a single tray, one partially on top of the other. The apple red-themed foldout box is encased in a nice clear plastic cover. Also included in this package is a booklet that contains a brief synopsis for each of the 23 episodes and a couple of coupons and promotional flyers.
Film Value:
While this sophomore season of "Desperate Housewives" did not come close to the excellence achieved by the show in its debut season a year earlier, it cannot be described as a failure either. In fact, if you look at the bigger picture of the entire season as a whole, you would find some really great storytelling moments that are only punctuated by some mediocre episodes. Without a doubt, "Desperate Housewives" is still one of the better shows on television today.
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[release]18926[/release]