Season 3 of Desperate Housewives certainly made up for the less-than-stellar second season.
Season 3 consists of 23 episodes that are spread out over the following six discs:
Disc 1: "Listen to the Rain on the Roof," "It Takes Two," "A Weekend in the Country," "Like It Was"
Disc 2: "Nice She Ain´t," Sweetheart I Have to Confess," "Bang," "Children and Art"
Disc 3: "Beautiful Girls," "The Miracle Song," "No Fits, No Fights, No Feuds," "Not While I´m Around"
Disc 4: "Come Play Wiz Me," "I Remember That," "The Little Things You Do Together," "My Husband the Pig"
Disc 5: "Dress Big," "Liaisons," "God, That´s Good," "Gossip"
Disc 6: "Into the Woods," "What Would We Do Without You," "Getting Married Today"
Video:
Having watched the broadcast version of "Desperate Housewives" in high-definition (720p), this DVD set´s 480p standard definition video resolution is still pretty impressive. Presented in anamorphic widescreen measuring 1.78:1, the video images are very detailed, featuring natural skin tones and very accurate color levels. Grain is only a slight irritant in some scenes but those instances are rare and barely noticeable. As such, there are no video transfer issues like dirt on the print, even after going through the hundreds of minutes on all the episodes. Three subtitle options are available on this DVD set and they are English for the hearing impaired, Spanish and French.
Audio:
Unlike the previous seasons´ DVD sets, apart from the English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, a new Spanish language Dolby Surround track is also included here. Danny Elfman´s whimsical but addictive theme song comes through clearly on the left and right speakers, providing a wide sound space in the front. The surround speakers, as expected from a non-action-oriented show, are used only sparingly and the dialogue is projected clearly from the center channel.
Extras:
Following in the tradition of previous "Desperate Housewives" DVD releases, there are no audio commentaries in this set. Also, all the special features are conveniently located on Disc 6.
Starting off, we have "On Set with Eva," a 6-minute vanity piece focused entirely on Eva Langoria. In it, you will see interviews with the cast and crew as they talk about how perky and crazy she is on the set of the show, etc. Don´t expect anything in-depth here, just a lot of fluff and feel-good talk.
Next, we have "Here Comes the Bride," a documentary looking back at the rush of weddings featured on Season 3. Don´t worry, I won´t give out any spoilers here for those who have yet to watch episodes from this season. Featured here are interviews with the cast and crew as they talk about the various aspects of the weddings.
In "Amas de Casa Desperadas," Marc Cherry takes a look at the Spanish version of "Desperate Housewives" for the very first time. The show has an entirely different cast but with the same exact storylines and even a frame-by-frame recreation of the scenes and an almost identical look of the original show.
"Desperate Moments" is a retrospective documentary looking back at the various storylines from Season 3. Here, you can watch cast interviews that are interspersed with footages from the show.
In "Cherry-picked: Creator Marc Cherry´s Favorite Scenes," Marc Cherry outlines the various scenes from Season 3 that stood out for him.
Rounding off the extras section are 8 deleted scenes with optional commentary by Cherry and a "Bloopers" segment.
Packaging:
The 6 DVDs in this DVD set are housed in a single continuous foldout package with the increasingly common configuration of two discs on a single tray, one partially on top of the other. The yellow and peach-themed foldout box is encased in a nice clear plastic cover that clearly illustrates the dirty laundry theme. Also included in this package is a nice booklet that contains a brief synopsis for each of the 23 episodes, a coupon and a promotional flyer.
Film Value:
Season 3 of "Desperate Housewives" certainly made up for the less-than-stellar second season. It continues to be a funny show with new and more intriguing storylines that are able to capture the attention of viewers. Having three weddings in the span of this season certainly helps and it proves to be a winning concept with the mostly female fans of the show.
Average user rating (1-5):
Not yet rated.
Not yet rated.
[release]22176[/release]