Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The 4th Season of the Best High School Drama Ever!!!, August 21, 2006
I accidently stumbbled onto Degrassi several years ago over a Christmas break and found the show to be easily addictive. Not being one for the standard sterotypical high school scene like in the OC or Dawson's Creek I was stunned on how well the show was put together along side it's addictiveness.
Not only is the show intelligently written and plotted the acting from the youthful cast is spectacular. Each character (as partly a result from them being well written) is brought out onto the screen with that particular oddness and poignancy that is all to familar with someone who just left high school.
This is not a show where the entire cast is drop down gorgeous nor act exactly the same; there is a wonderful diversity with the roster of characters present. They all don't wear most expensive clothes or drive the most expensive cars to school and do not go around spouting out mindless phrases such as 'waxing philosophical.' This is a real life show displaying real life characters with real life problems and having those characters work through them with real life means.
About six months after I discovered this little gem of a show I found with much surprise that the DVD sets for each season were available and freaked out; quickly drove to the store and laid down my money. I bought season one sortly before season two came out in Aug. 2005, and saw that the release date for the third season was already scheduled for this past March and quickly pre-ordered. I watched them the entire way through and was able to pick up larger story arcs that I had missed when I saw the reruns on the Noggin Network and longed for more after the last episode had ended on the third season disk set. Once again I saw the release date was only about six months away after the third season (a very short time considering it takes over a year for each season of most other shows to be released on DVD).
I wrote a review for the third season of this show months back and claimed it the be the best season of the entire show (based on what I had picked up on TV and later watched on DVD) and still claim that, but must admit that season four is a very close second.
As in past shows Degrassi boldly faces down such issues as teen pregnancy, drinking, drugs, sex, cutting, homosexuality, violence, and much much more with a raw force that other shows would only dream of doing. The fourth season however goes even further with such issues as noted and beyond.
Not to give anything away (though I will give away some) a school shooting occurs, a student is murdered, another paralyzed, affairs of the heart go out of control, secrets are revealed, and pretty much the same intensity ignites as it has done in the past seasons.
Though some has called this show pretentious, overly dramatic, or just plain stupid they need to think again and take a look at the other shows out there depicting life in high school and recall what it was like for themselves years past in high school. I for one (as someone who just left it) find Degrassi to be all to true to the reality that teens go through as they walk the halls to class. It's safe to simply say this show gets it right.
As for the DVD as with the past three seasons the extras seem to be a step above one another with each passing season. Deleted/extended scenes, gag reels, casting tapes; the usual (I'm not one who does much with extra features on DVDs apart from deleted scenes). The quality of the print of each episode is great (the only drawback is it's in fullscreen (although apart from HBO DVDs not many TV shows that I own are in widescreen format)).
In the end is Degrassi worth laying down the money for? Absolutely...100%...YES!!! It is a must own for fans of the show, fans of high school programs, and fans of people who just like plain good old television; you will not be disappointed.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Best Seasons!, November 24, 2006
This is one of the best seasons Degrassi has ever made! The show took a more of an adult approach but still kept it more teen orientated. In this season you will see Paige facing her rapist in court and destroying his car. Craig dealing with bipolar and loses Ashley again. Emma contracts a STD. Then you have the world famous school shooting in "Time Stands Still". Plus, six couples also break up during this season. You also get deleted scenes (that will probably make you wonder why they didn't use 'that' in a particular episode). Also you get way more funnier bloopers from this season than you did with season two. It's a very good four disc dvd pack that any loyal Degrassi fan would enjoy!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
drama, drama, January 9, 2007
I bought this fourth installment for my stepdaughter, who is a huge Degrassi fan. We watched every moment of it as a family -- she's now got a full DVD collection with more to come, but she'd seen most of it on tv. Thought it's over-the-top drama and gets into almost every sordid teen situation imaginable, the series is a good educational exercise for everyone. Guns at school, bipolar disorder... you name it. Degrassi (a Canadian show) takes it on. I say go for it. Ideally, you have a mature teen to present the DVD pack to, but really, it doesn't matter... it's the real world. Watch it with your child. Your child will live it regardless.
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