Customer Reviews

Ally McBeal: The Complete Season Three [Region 2 Import - Non USA Format]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

After a stellar second season (which, among several awards, won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series ), season three had big shoes to fill. It is no surprise, then, that this season received some backlash from both critics and fans. And, truth be told, the series did suffer creatively, but only in the last quarter. That being said, I don't think those last 5 episodes can erase the fact that the season had 16 great ones.

Season three starts off with Ally reliving an encounter she just had in the car wash, which sets up the season's theme: change. All the main characters take an emotional journey, some for the better (Elaine realizing others' views of her affects her more than she thought), and some for the worse (Billy prioritizing certain old-fashioned values). Also in this season, the characters explore both their sexuality and their pasts a bit more. One of the series' best episodes is the Thanksgiving episode ("Troubled Water") which gives us a dark, yet poignant view into how Ally became the person she is. "Blue Christmas" and "Boy Next Door" mark two tear-jerking episodes, but that's not to say the show loses the humor that made us fall in love with it. John's usage of a hairbrush is one of the funniest moments in the show, and Georgia's interaction with Santa's elves is a classic Ally moment. The cases also become more interesting, especially the episode ("Over the Rainbow") where Cage & Fish become the defendants in a lawsuit. There are great musical numbers throughout (one of the first TV shows in which characters suddenly burst into song) as well as cameos from great performers (Al Green, Macy Gray, and Tina Turner among others), although it must be said that the finale ("Ally McBeal: The Musical, Almost") was quite disappointing. Other guest stars this season include the late Farah Fawcett, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Betty White (in a role she told Entertainment Weekly was one of her favorites).

Though the end of the season does decline, it does set up a great Season 4, so the incredible David E. Kelley (who wrote or co-wrote every single episode) does find his way back. All in all, I think Ally McBeal is one of the best shows of all time. It was not as "trendy" as Sex and the City, but that also means it remains more relavent a decade later. This is still an amazing season and one of my favorites.

My wife and I fell in love with Ally McBeal when it was in its first run on TV and wanted to buy the series. Unfortunately you could get only partial reproductions in the US market so we bought Series I through 4 from Amazon UK. Also unfortunately, you need a region-free DVD player to run them but I found one for a reasonable price. It was, all-together, an expensive process but we really enjoy them.

The one bad thing is that, just like the Northern Exposure DVD's, there are still some problems about reproducing all of the music. You get some samples here and there but not nearly the whole thing and music was VERY important in these series, especially in Ally. Boo Hiss! Why can't the musicians and the DVD producers get together on some kind of compromise? We need a consumer's bill of rights to force them to get together and give us the whole thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was a great buy, the seller was awesome. There were no problems with this transaction; the product came within the time frame and in the condition as stated by the seller. I would definitely use this seller again.

I really tried to like this but it is so overtly sexual it is actually degrading and disgusting, but with today's world it is probably seen as wonderfully funny and even relevant. If you are in your right mind-spirit at all you will not like this or even make excuses for it. Don't waste your money on this product. It will be interesting to know what happen to the people involved in this production especially the writer. I threw it in the garbage.