Customer Reviews

Soap - The Complete Fourth Season

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have to admit, I was very disappointed in this installment of Soap DVDs. Granted, I didn't expect extras, since they didn't really do any after season 1, but it seems like they could have tried harder for the last one.

Granted, it's been 25 years since they first aired, but I don't remember them dropping the "In the last episode of Soap..." openings in the 4th season, but they only include that on the season's first episode.

Also, I know they were probably filmed as half-hours, but the last portion of the season orginally aired in hour blocks and it seems they should have presented them that way on the DVD.

I was already annoyed that seasons 2 and 3 didn't include the retrospectives that they aired before each new season started. especially season 3's which also served as Benson's exit. However, leaving out the great season 4 one with Jessica in heaven telling everything to Bea Arthur is unforgiveable.

Since the last season was messed up by the anti-Soap campaign by Donald Wildmon, why not include the ads ABC aired explaining why it was pulled temporarily and urging people to call and voice their opinion on the show? Where is a Susan Harris interview discussing this or saying how she planned to resolve the unresolved cliffhangers in a 5th season? At the very least, they could have included the episode of Benson that sort of resolved what happened to Jessica.

While it's true the once-brilliant "Soap" suffers major, terminal creative problems in its fourth and final season (why is Burt suddenly the sanest member of the family?), it bests practically every comedy on the air today with its daring mix of comedy, drama, romance, suspense, and pathos. Season Four offers up plenty of memorable TV moments, if fewer than the previous three seasons, including Burt's crisis of faith, El Puerco and his Juans' hilarious introduction to the family, Chester's touching and too-late realization that he loves Jessica, Dutch and Eunice's tacky wedding, and Mary's struggle to maintain her sanity amidst some veritable insanity. No show today even comes close to "Soap" even in this, its weakest season.

What Sony has done to the fourth season is appalling and a mystery. While its presentations of Seasons One through Three were technically unremarkable, much of that due to so-so source materials, at least the episodes remained intact and were presented as they were originally on ABC and on the VHS release of the series by Columbia House in the 1990s. For some reason, Sony has opted here to edit the fourth season of "Soap" by lopping off most of the pre-episode recaps ("In the last episode of 'Soap' . . ."), some of which were quite clever and none of which consumed more than 40 or so seconds of time. Worse, Sony has edited the final five, one-hour episodes of the season into ten half-hours, omitting entire scenes and essentially including heavily-edited syndicated versions of the show's home stretch. (I do not know if these are indeed the syndicated versions of these episodes, but they are significantly different than the episodes as they appeared on the Columbia House tapes, which offered uncut episodes as they appeared on ABC in 1981.) Given Sony's thorough and whole releases of "Soap" Seasons 1-3, this shoddy, incomplete packaging of Season 4 is a puzzle, a disappointment, and of value only to fans who just have to have the entire series on DVD. Otherwise, true fans of the unabridged, unedited series should hold on to--or find--the final year of "Soap" on VHS and suffer the inferior quality until Sony rights this wrong.

It's pretty much universally acknowledged that Soap's final season was not its best. I think a large part of the blame can be attributed to the additon of several new writers to the staff. The brilliant Susan Harris was still at the wheel, but must have lost some control over the other writers. Characters we've grown to know and love seem to have changed for the worse. Two of the best-loved ones (played by, arguably, the show's best comic actors), Jessica and Burt, suddenly became less sympathetic. And Danny Dallas was certainly never that bright, but he seems to have undergone a lobotomy by the fourth season. Dutch and Eunice became increasingly irritating, Billy and the Major were neglected; and of course the loss of Diana Canova as Corinne didn't help matters.

And let me join in the chorus of Soap fans unhappy with the DVD presentation of this, the FINAL Soap set we'll ever see. A retrospective segment would seem essential, considering the way the show ended. We know the creators are still out there, as well as several cast members. Longtime fans will recall that the ghost(?) of Jessica Tate appeared in the 5th season of BENSON in an episode appropriately titled "God, I Need This Job." What a terrific "extra" that would have been for this set.

I give it 3 stars simply because Soap was a fantastic, funny, touching and original show. And even with the aforementioned detriments, season four wasn't a complete waste. And if you're a fan of the show, you'll want to have it. I just wish Sony would have spent a little more time and effort to reward our loyalty.

I've got all the "Soap" DVD sets, but this is by far the worst. By the time the series came to it's fourth season, too many good characters had left, some really dumb ones had been written in, and the plots were nothing like as entertaining as in former years. The main casualty was the loss of Robert Guillaume as Benson in the last few episodes of Season 3, his ultra-dry wit was never equalled or replaced by the lack-lustre Saunders. Secondly we also lost Diana Canova as Corrine, who was one of the better actors among the younger generation of the cast, and had been particularly effective in several emotional scenes that featured her character.

All the best and funniest plotlines such as Chester's memory loss, Corrinne's possessed baby, Billy and the Sunnies and Burt's UFO abduction (ok that one was pushing it a bit!) are distant memories. The dramatic stories were also much better, with Billy's courtroom battle for custody of his daughter as a fine example. Now, with such meagre stories as Jodie being turned into an old Jewish guy and Jessica lost in the revolution, the series struggles to maintain the viewers interest.

After greedily consuming all the episodes in the first three season DVDs - sometimes in batches of 3 or 4 at a time - I really couldn't rustle up much interest in seeing all of the Season 4 episodes after watching the first few. With Jessica not able to interact with any of the other cast due to being lost in the jungle with the dire El Puerco, and Mary turning into an alcoholic (what a horrible storyline to give one of the warmest and most level-headed characters of the whole show), you just don't feel that this is the same story any more.

If you are a fan or just want a nostalgia trip, I would recommend buying the first 3 seasons and then retiring on a high. This last DVD set does nothing but drag the series into the mud. There isn't even an end or conclusion to any plotlines, as the series was not expected to end here. And if you watch this season, you'll know why it did.

I can't wait for this to be released on DVD in October. I was beginning to think they were going to leave us hanging. I have never seen a comedy better than this on tv. Thank you Thank you Thank you for bringing the final installment.

Please take the review here that talked of low ratings in context. The show was no less funny in it's fouth season than it was when it started. Because of the controversial (for the 70's!) plot lines the show had become a target for the conservative elements in the US who began to boycott advertisers who bought time during the show. This is what forced the makers to finally cancel it.

Also, this is not the end, at least not for Jessica who appeared later in an episode of the spin-off Benson.

I was always a fan of SOAP. It was upsetting to see the show go off the air. The only complaint I have is, one special episode was not included in the box set. Jessica went to a comma and ended up in heaven. An angel played by Bea Arthur famously for Maude Tv Show was reviewing Jessica's life to see whether she qualified to enter heaven or Jessica may have to return back to earth. This episode was really a special broadcast 3 weeks before Season 4 began. It's a shame, it should have been included in this box set for a complete set. They could have made it a separate menu. Interview of the cast could have been added to the disc as well. Other than that, It's a must have in anyone's collection.

Not as good as the other three series, relying a lot on similar catch phrases and situations we have met before. There were familiar hysterical rantings from Dutch and Chester when Jessica is sick or in trouble.
There are however a good sprinkling of laughs in most episodes. Slants on the much repeated peoples' reaction to Chuck and Bob still invariably produces a chuckle.
The highlight for me is probably Jodies long term, hypnotic regression to a 90 year old Jewish man.
The number of cliff hangers at the end of the series indicates some uncertainty if there was to be a fifth series and perhaps someone had decided that a once refreshing and very funny concept had got a little tired.
Having said the above the laughs per buck or in my case Pound Stirling is exceptionally high.
If you have bought the other three series you just have to have it

I adored this series from the moment it hit TV in 1977. Every Tuesday night, 9:00 PM, the kids were in bed and the phone off the hook. My husband and I rolled with laughter each week and couldn't wait to see what the Tates and Campbells would get into the following week. I was crushed when it was cancelled. I have often wished one of the networks would have reruns. They did for a while, but they came on late at night and I couldn't stay up each night that late. Now, years later, I mentioned to my Mother that I wish you could go somewhere and purchase the series, but I had no idea where to look or if it would even be available. She called my sister who is a computer shopper and told her she would like to find this for my Christmas present. Sis went on line to Amazon.com and low and behold, there it was. Mother ordered for me and it was delivered on December 23rd. Imagine my shock when I opened that box. WOW!! I almost cryed. What a great surprize. My husband and I once again can laugh til we cry. Thanks to my Mother and Amazon for making my wish come true.

The original series and well worth the purchase to complete the not very long lived series of only 4 years. VERY funny, however, at times extremely SERIOUS. With the occassional contemporary political dig. What is so funny about this series it that I know people exactly like the characters in this series - sad to say. Overall my friends and I enjoyed the series. VERY sad to have seen the series end so suddenly.