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The Hemptress Returns: Weeds Season Five

by Blogger on 02-01-2010 09:39 PM - last edited on 10-27-2010 03:30 PM

Weeds Season 5 on Blu-ray has done something I'm thoroughly impressed with: it has delivered an undeniably awesome TV-on-Blu-ray experience. Opting for gorgeous 1080p video and 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, it's one of the highest quality TV experiences I've ever enjoyed. Seeing a show so entertaining with this much attention to presentation detail puts other TV-to-Blu-ray sets to shame.

The Plot
If you're getting into Weeds for the first time you'll want to start at the beginning. Thankfully seasons 1-4 are available on both Blu-ray and DVD. 1080p transfers have been a hallmark of the series on Blu-ray since its inception, so you'll be happy with what you see. There's a quick recap at the beginning of the

We can't get into the plot in too much detail without giving things away, but it's safe to say that Season Five is filled with the same tongue-in-cheek, delightfully irreverent humour and convoluted events that have driven the previous four seasons. The Weeds cast returns in full force, led by Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin. If you've already fallen in love with Weeds you'll find that Season Five doesn't disappoint.

Video
There are 13 episodes distributed over 2 discs. There's plenty of room for the 1080p AVC-HD video and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks for each. The video stream is a lower bitrate than you'll find for feature films, but it adequate to produce a great result for this show. Colours are rich, the show is well lit, and even more subtle elements are clear and clean. It's much better quality than even the HD broadcast you'll find on HD cable and satellite; even if you enjoyed the show during it's run on TV you'll find something new here to love.

Audio
Be warned that each episode starts with the DTS-HD Master Audio sting, which will scare the life out of you if you're not ready for it. Having a 7.1 positional audio track on a TV show is becoming more popular; Weeds makes use of the surround channels, but it's not an overt workout. Dialogue from the centre channel is incredibly clear, however, which is key in a show with scripts as witty as this. Volume levels are dynamic, but not to the point of needing to turn it up or down because of extremes.

Extras
You can tell a lot about about the houses that produce TV shows by how much effort they put into their Blu-ray extra features. Weeds is a labour of love for Jenji Kohan and crew; every season has had a myriad of extras, including some Blu-ray specific features.

On Weeds Season Five you'll find:

  • Cast and Crew commentaries
  • Bloopers
  • History of Weed - a micro-documentary/Showcase promo about the hypocrisy of cannabis prohibition
  • Yes We Cannabis - Kevin Nealon delivers an Obama-like speech on the saving graces of bud.
  • Crazy Love: A Guide to the Dysfunctional Relationships of Weeds - this is invaluable if you've ever had trouble keeping track of who fancies who and why in the world of Weeds.
  • Little Titles - this is a cute micro-doc that covers the use of the Weeds title and how it's presented in a unique way in each episode.
  • University of Andy
  • Really Backstage with Kevin Nealon


These features are split across two discs and they do a great job of embracing and extending the Weeds experience.

Conclusion
If you haven't checked Weeds out before, start off with Season 1 on Blu-ray and work you way up; it's a show that's worth your time. If you have been following along, well, go get your copy! Weeds Season Five hit stores on January 19th, and is available now both in-store and online.