Parenthood Season 2 DVD
5 Discs
DD 5.1 Audio
Studio: Universal
The Story 4.5 / 5
It's hard to make it on broadcast TV. When procedurals and soap opera dramas rule the airwaves, is it possible to make a smart, funny, well written show and actually get people to watch?
If you've never seen Parenthood, you may be in for a treat. How do you make a show where: teen sex, troubles with pregnancy, dating disasters, an older couple struggling to make it, and a man discovering he has a five year old son out there and avoid the cliche handling that soaps fall into?
That's the tightrope that writers walk on a weekly basis with Parenthood. It's hard for me to sum up quickly, in short paragraphs what it is that makes a show like Parenthood a truly must-watch program. But watching back through season two, I find that very few shows on the air had episodes that hit the high-highs like Parenthood.
I have discussed in the Official Thread much of my thoughts ( http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/303728/parenthood-season-2-thread ). If you haven't had a chance, I would tell you that as you watch this series on DVD or elsewhere, refer back to that thread, because there is some powerful analysis and great comments to show you how most of us feel. It's one of the few shows on the air that can get that kind of raw emotion out of it's audience.
What helps make that happen is that the stories while having high drama are so superbly acted and so well scripted that the characters face issues that pull you in and make you feel as though you can relate to them (for the most part).
Mae Whitman turns in a powerful performance that just ties you to the screen. The married life of Julia & Joel (Erika Christensen and Sam Jaeger) is one of the best well rounded stable marriages on TV. Sure, they have issues, but they are handled in such a well written way that even when you disagree with a character (and I shook my fist at Julia a few times) you still find that they are written so well that you can imagine how it plays.
Most know that much of my commentary in the thread and elsewhere has been about the married life and children of Adam and Kristina Braverman (Peter Krause and Monica Potter). Both turn in fantastic performances as parents of their autistic son, Max. More then almost any program I can remember hitting the air, Parenthood takes a real look at the impact of Autism on the life not just of the child but of parents, siblings and other family members. The program manages to deliver a few of the most powerful moments I saw last year in any TV show - ANY TV show, and it does so while not turning any of the characters into sockpuppets of ideas or philosophies and lecturing to the crowd.
How good is the story of "Parenthood"? It was one of the five best dramas on TV. Not broadcast TV, just TV last year. I will be grateful to see it separated from "The Good Wife" this year, because these two dramas represent the best of what the broadcast networks offer.
The Video Quality: 3.5 / 5
The show was filmed in 1080P on a Panasonic Genesis Camera system. It is presented on the DVDs in 1.78:1 DVD Quality Video. The video quality is good, quite good for a DVD. However, there are moments in this where obvious set scenes, I'm thinking specifically of Camping and the School Play tend to wash out and become too soft. That having been said, the Season 2 DVD has better skin tones, color quality and is sharper then the Season 1 release.
This is an issue that's hard to avoid when you're taking HD source material and downconverting to DVD. Universal has obviously optioned this to DVD based on cost, but it's sad to see the program air in a much lower quality then it was originally viewed in and as filmed in.
Audio Quality 3.5 / 5
Audio for Parenthood Season 2 is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. The soundtrack and mix are effective. Dialog is clear, and background use of music is actually quite good in several places.
HOWEVER, if you haven't purchased the Season 1 DVDs, you may be in for a surprise. As we know, the title sequence has been changed for the DVD release, Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" used in the broadcast and online is replaced with "When We Were Young" by Lucy Schwartz. The title sequence is changed to match.
I will have to confirm against my recordings, but it seems to me as though some other elements of music were also changed in the DVD release, though I will have to confirm that, it's just a suspicion at the moment.
Extras: 3.5 / 5
The extras here are pretty skimp, but at times quite good. Spread out amongst the discs, they include deleted scenes from: "The Booth Job" "A House Divided" "Do Not Sleep with Your Autistic Nephews Therapist" "New Plan" and "Hard Times Come Again NO More".
None of the deleted scenes particularly made a major difference in any program, and all were reasoned cuts, frankly.
"From Page to Screen" is a 14:20 featurette which covers a lot of the move from the written word to the performance and direction of the episode "New Plan". It's quite good.
There are commentaries for these episodes:
"If the Boat is Rocking" - Peter Krause and Allison Liddi-Brown, Director.
"Just Go Home" - Lauren Graham and Laurence Trilling. This is a VERY good commentary. Definitely worth the listen.
"Do Not Sleep With Your Autistic Nephews Therapist" - Jason Katims, executive producer. This gives a good look at the difficulty of trying to make complex moments involving kids believable.
Conclusion: 4 / 5
I have no problem saying that I love this program. I think it's smart, funny, moving, well written, exceptionally well acted and it's cast delivers. If someone asked me "Should I watch Parenthood" I would tell them: if you haven't you should, right now. But recommending the DVD set is a very difficult thing. With "Parenthood" available in HD from HuluPlus and iTunes, it's hard to really jump on the bandwagon that says you must by the DVD. Especially considering the Hulu version, and I'm assuming other streaming versions keep the original title sequences & music, which is definitely missed.
The DVD is still a great set. For me, it's a must buy. The series itself is worthy of my giving it a buy in hopes that someday I'll see a bluray. The show looks good, the performance still hit home, and nothing changes the story. Frankly, part of me hopes that my $35 on a season set will help influence them to back this show more. As a "bubble" show, I get that protective feeling of: if I can tell the studio people out here love this mid to low rated program, maybe it gets heard.
But how loyal do you have to be to buy this show on DVD? That's tough. For the core audience, this is a must buy. But for a lot of people, the ability to see streamed copies will make this a tough sell.
But no matter how you find a way to watch this show, I'd strongly encourage you to take a bit and give "Parenthood" a chance.
