Ghost Whisperer – The Final Season + Medium – The Sixth Season
(2010/CBS DVD Sets)
Picture: B-/B Sound: B- Extras: B/B- Episodes: C/B-
In recent years, television has had a resurgence in series with supernatural
themes, from reality shows like Ghost Hunters and its imitators, to
shows like Buffy and Angel that each incorporates their own take
on the afterlife. Often in the past,
shows that took on subject matter such as this would be presented as anthology
series. Since those are no longer commonplace (one of the most recent examples
I can bring to mind would be The Hunger), the focus has shifted to place
emphasis on a single character and their circle of friends or family whose
lives become entangled with the supernatural.
Both The Ghost Whisper and Medium operate on this same basic
premise. In them, the focus is placed on
a young woman attempting to balance real life with the struggles associated
with being sensitive to the world of the spirits. Often there has been some form of injustice,
and the protagonists endeavor to help the souls of those who have passed on, as
well as to aid those still living who were once connected with the deceased.
There are differences in the tone of these two series, but they are both geared
toward roughly the same audience of women, and about the same age demographic
as well. Medium comes off as
being the better program. It has more interesting characters that display
growth and there is a greater sense of an overall story.
This is exemplified even more in these later seasons. Ghost Whisper feels like more of the
same and by this point is somewhat stale. Medium, however has found ways to try
to remain fresh - such as in its Night of the Living Dead-inspired
episode, which finds Allison inserting herself into footage from the original
film while she is dreaming.
Picture quality on the sets is good, with Medium scoring slightly higher
due to its better use of cinematography. The image is presented in anamorphic
widescreen on both sets, with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Sound is offered on both stereo and Dolby 5.1
surround tracks that are of above average quality, and are relatively equal on
both sets.
Extras on the sets include behind the scenes interviews, making-of
documentaries, and each set contains a 100th episode celebration.
These sets are good buys, and fans of the shows will wish to add these to their
libraries immediately.
- David Milchick
