Parker Lewis Can’t Lose – The Complete Second
Season (1991 - 1992/Shout! Factory
DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B- Extras: C+ Episodes: C+
Now in
its Second Season out of 3 on DVD Parker Lewis Can’t Lose did not change
up the winning formula too much for its second go-around. Fans waited an exhaustingly long time for
this series to hit DVD and now we get to see two seasons delivered within only
a few short months of each other.
The First Season was full of humor and
jovial pranks, but the Second Season decided
to switch it up a bit by adding some more serious content, while retaining the
humorous nature we all fell in love with originally. Parker
Lewis Can’t Lose may have only lasted three seasons, but left a serious
impact on the television community by being a hit for FOX that integrated both
a new edginess and wit.
The 25
episodes in this season continue to explore the chaotic nature of the teenage
years; emphasizing the different walks of life in high school. The seemingly medieval ‘class system’ of high
school sets the stage for plenty of humor as popularity and nerd-dom come front
and center. In episodes like ‘Geek
Tragedy,’ ‘Fat Boy and Little Man,’ and ‘Tower of Power’
the series emphasizes the supreme diversity it utilized to draw fans in. The series never too heavily focused on one
faction of the high school dynamic and instead showed that through its
differences high school was a wonderfully fluid environment, where no one was
alone in their angst.
I loved
the series ‘back in the day’ and I think it holds up well; even with the
dreadfully horrifying styles of the 1990’s YIKES!
For more
on Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, refer to
my previous review at the link below:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8745/Parker+Lewis+Can%E2%80%99t+Lose
The
technical features of Parker Lewis Can’t
Lose: Season Two are the same as Season
One except less extras are available to enjoy. The picture again is presented in a 1.33 X 1
full screen for these 25 episodes and looks as bad as Season One. It has bland
colors, debris, ugly contrast and noise throughout the darker scenes. I would like to tell you SHOUT improved the
series after the Season One debacle,
but no such luck. The sound again is
merely ‘blah’ as the 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo gets the job done, but leaves no
impression. Everything is clear as far
as dialogue and music, but it all felt a tad low and bland without life.
The
extras are cut back for Season Two and
only include Cast and Crew Audio Commentaries that are nice to listen to once,
but have little replay value.
Parker Lewis Can’t Lose is a great series that deserves a
second look as it is a wonderfully witty series that gets as many laughs today
as it did then.
- Michael P. Dougherty II
