Big Love – The Complete Fourth Season (2010/HBO DVD Set)/True Blood – The Complete Third Season (2010/HBO Blu-ray Set)
Picture:
C+/B Sound: C+/B Extras: C+ Episodes: B-/C+
Big Love, HBO's hour-long drama is now off
the air - but fans can take comfort, as all five seasons are out on DVD, and
there's even an all-inclusive boxed set as well (though the show has yet to
materialize on Blu-ray). In this Fourth Season, Bill Paxton resumes to
role of Bill Henrickson, a polygamist leader who is now trying to get elected
to the senate while still dealing with more familial troubles than you can
shake a stick at.
The show
remains as whip-smart as ever, and though sometimes a bit too soapy for my
tastes, it tackles a wide range of topics that other shows aren't brave or
intelligent enough to handle. Funnily
enough, after Big Love came on the
scene, TLC caught a whiff of some surefire ratings and addressed polygamy with
the kinda creepy show Sister-Wives. While it attempts to present a normalized view
of these kinds of relationships, it only ends up placing further emphasis on
how bizarre these family groups really are.
Another
HBO show that has done well as of late has been True Blood. The show is
produced by Alan Ball (also responsible for HBO's Six Feet Under) and based upon the wildly popular Sookie Stackhouse
books by Charlaine Harris.
For those
unaware of the mythology behind the story: in this reality, vampires are real,
have outed themselves publicly, and thanks to a synthetic blood substitute called
TruBlood, can coexist with humans on some level. While I remain somewhere in the middle of the
road with my feelings toward the program, this central idea is a good one, and
a more thoughtful addition to vampire lore than Twilight author Stephenie Meyer's half-baked idea that “they
sparkle”.
The Third Season has managed to hold together the
storylines and character development that made the show work so well before. This time around things are loosely based
around the plot of the third Stackhouse book, Club Dead. Although some of the changes improve it, this
is not always the case. While it isn't
bad, there's a lot that's been crammed into twelve hours of show, and it comes
off as weaker than the first two seasons, if only slightly.
Both
programs are presented in an anamorphically enhanced 1.78:1 image. Big
Love was shot on film, but has shots that are softer than expected
throughout. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is
more in the center channel than it should be, especially the dialogue, but
music is reproduced much more faithfully. True
Blood is looking good on Blu-ray – and with all the color, depth and detail
that one can expect of the format. The
DTS-HD lossless MA (Master Audio) 5.1 mixes for the show are pretty consistent
and better than we have been getting on most TV series of today.
Extras
include audio commentaries for six of the twelve episodes with Alan Ball and
some of the cast, including Anna Paquin and Steven Moyer. There's also quite a bit behind-the-scenes
stuff, and a music video from Snoop Dogg, for those who care.
These
programs aren't just bold - they're quality television that's willing to take a
few risks. True Blood, Big Love and
other shows geared toward an adult audience exemplify just why viewers are
flocking to cable and premium channels when they turn on their sets. Network TV has been left playing catch-up, but
because of their wait-and-see approach to programming, I don't see them holding
onto audiences for much longer.
For more Big Love coverage, try these links:
The Complete Collection
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11321/Big+Love:+The+Complete+Collection
The Complete Third Season
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9418/Big+Love+%E2%80%93+The+Complet
- David Milchick
