Blu-ray Review Nurse Jackie Season 6 Blu-Ray Review (1 Viewer)

[mattCR]

Nurse Jackie Season 6 Blu-Ray Review

When Nurse Jackie first premiered, fans wondered how Eddie Falco - best remembered for her role of Carmella in the Sopranos - the question many had was whether or not the role of Jackie Peyton would suit her. Multiple emmy and award nominations later, there is little doubt that Eddie Falco made the role of Jackie Peyton into something special.

The question for season six of Showtime's drama is simple: can the show make the transition to a Jackie on the mend, or will it slide back into the same storylines?

Studio: Lionsgate

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA

Subtitles: English, English SDH

Rating: Not Rated

Run Time: 48 Min per Episode

Package Includes: Blu-ray

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region:

Release Date: 02/10/2015

MSRP: $29.97

The Production Rating: 4.5/5

As Season 5 ended, Jackie Peyton had been caught and had moved to straighten her life up through rehab. It was rewarding to see a character go through such a major change - from the Jackie we watched for seasons who had evaded being caught and swiping pills to a Jackie that finally recognizing that she needed to change.




Still, as with all good things most fans of the show recognized this kind of change simply couldn't last. Season 6 begins with Jackie working the program to stay clean.. and quickly falling back into old habits. The show presents some of the same problems that Jackie ran through in prior seasons. The premiere episode "Sink or Swim" seems to reach the point a bit too quick for my taste, and the entire season moves at a breakneck pace as Jackie falls back into the same beats that have followed her in previous seasons.


The season as a whole felt too much "been there, done that" but Eddie Falco continues to sell her role in a series that has become far more dramatic than comedic as time has gone on.

Video Rating: 4.5/5  3D Rating: NA

The encode of Showtime programming has been very well done, and Nurse Jackie is no exception. Encoded in a VBR format, the video has a peak bit rate of 37.0 Mbps, and the look is exceptional. Blacks are rich and deep and the color saturation is solid. This is a clean look and it fits the show.


Testing using a Oppo 105 on my Sony VPL-600ES, I found no noticeable flaws. I also tested using a 55" Panasonic Plasma and a PS4 and found the output to be solid.



The only reason for the 4.5 rather than a five is that the series simply isn't setup for as something I'd call a display reference.

Audio Rating: 4.5/5

There is something interesting about the choice made here. Nurse Jackie season 6 is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD. When I first saw the 7.1 kick on, I wondered what benefit there would be in a show that is so driven by quiet talking scenes, but I find the subtle differences in the rear channel are nice touches.

The wider mix may be overkill, but I'd prefer series go overboard with a high quality mix rather than play it safe, and there is nothing wrong with the 7.1 mix provided in this release.

Special Features Rating: 2/5

For episodes feature audio commentaries.. and frankly, I found most of the audio commentary very perfunctory and nothing I think I would go back and listen to again if I didn't feel obligated to sit through them.

There are a few shorts:
Deleted Scenes (1080p, MPEG4; 10:32) - Deleted scenes. There are none that stand out as anything special.

Deceit, Descent, Destruction: Jackie's Fall (1080p; MPEG4, 11:57) If you want to get a quick synopsis of the entire season without watching the season, you can watch this short and get a good idea of everything that happens.

Growing Up Peyton (1080p; MPEG4, 8:32) we profile some of the most annoying characters on TV. Considering how much I dislike the children, it's good seeing how hard they work to make them.. undesirable.

Overall Rating: 4/5

If you're a fan of Nurse Jackie, Lionsgate put together a very solid presentation of a series that is worth a watch. The audio mix and video are solid and the season as a whole is entertaining. Now is the time to get it into your system as Season 7 gets underway.

Reviewed By: MattCR

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[Tina_H_V]

This is a sure birthday buy for me this year--one of the few TV releases I get for my birthday, given its annual release period (per when Showtime airs the series). However, since this upcoming seventh season is the last (a la Mad Men), this will probably be the final new release of Jackie I will receive for my birthday--as the next one may likely follow underneath the tree later this year!!! We shall see!!!!