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Commander in Chief on DVD: Part 1 • Part 2
"Commander in Chief" Part 2 DVD Review
By Albert Gutierrez "Commander in Chief"'s term is not quite over yet, as her final eight episodes arrive on DVD with a few choice but somewhat lacking bonus features. For a refresher, here is my review of Part One, in which we left President Allen (Geena Davis) as she was trying to save a U.S. submarine downed in Korean waters. Perhaps a testament of ABC’s faith (or lack thereof) in the show, after Bochco’s run, the series went on a two-month hiatus, and returned in a very competitive timeslot, Thursdays at 10 pm, and against powerhouses “Without a Trace” and “ER” (on CBS and NBC, respectively). Viewership by now was hovering around the 8 million mark, only half of what it had been in the fall, and the series was pulled yet again at the end of April. ABC opted instead to burn off the last three episodes in June, and its conspicuous absence on ABC’s Fall 2006 schedule was an industry head-scratcher, especially considering the fact that “What About Brian”, a romantic dramedy with even lower ratings than “Commander in Chief”, was renewed.
By the time these episodes aired, "Commander" had already headed into the standard political-centered-show territory. It wasn’t tiresome yet; after all, “The West Wing” lasted in this format for seven years. But its novelty of a female president was already wearing thin. Mac was put into situations that any president could face, and writers tried hard to make things Mac-centric, in that as a female president, decisions would be tougher for her to make and for others to accept. Perhaps it was too difficult to maintain this theme from episode to episode. As writers tried to revise it, Mac was slowly becoming just another president... except she was female. Unlike early episodes, which gave this tiny but important detail its due, the episodes here downplay it greatly, which perhaps strengthen her character and make a female president stronger than one would expect. Campaign advisor Dickie McDonald (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) probably said it best in the episode "Unfinished Business": "You've reached a point in your presidency where the people finally see you as The President, not a female president." Still, at the heart of it, we’ve got the Mac and her family, struggling to adapt to their newfound celebrity status, and their attempts at a normal life. It’s perhaps the most endearing focus of the series, and the only element consistently present. Each showrunner knew how to write for the family, how to keep the chemistry among the actors, how to make them believable. Even if this wasn’t about the first female President of the USA, it would be the best family drama on the air.
There's not much else to say that I haven't already said in Part One. I view this as an extension of that review, More can be said, however, for two characters: Dickie McDonald and Kate Allen (Polly Bergen). Since their introductions late in Part One, these two figures have been fleshed out much more within these episodes. This is especially true of Dickie, a character often at heads with Mac on decisions that affect her public image, proving him to be one of those personalities that is a pain in the neck and one you don't want to root for, but is still fun to watch. (It's Zack Morris!) The tension between Mac and Dickie culminates in his firing by the last episode, and the fallout from that would have been very interesting to see in Season Two, had the show been renewed. Kate Allen, Mac's mom, comes to live with the First Family, and while she's still just a sounding board for characters to go to, she's got some...gusto to her that makes her enjoyable to follow. It remains a somewhat small role, but perhaps more interesting on screen than daughter Becca (who I still don't care for in Part Two).
DISC 3 Part Two of the DVD set aptly begins with part two of “Sub Enchanted Evening”, the cliffhanger aired on January 10th. North Korea has declared the sub’s presence an act of war, with advisors pushing for a war, and giving them even less time to rescue the crew. Meanwhile, Jayne considers rejoining with Templeton. 12. Wind Beneath My Wing (41:28) (Originally aired January 24, 2006)
13. State of the Unions (42:42) (Originally aired April 13, 2006)
14. The Price You Pay (41:17) (Originally aired April 20, 2006)
15. Ties That Bind (43:16) (Originally aired April 27, 2006)
DISC 4 16. The Elephant in the Room (42:27) (Originally aired May 31, 2006)
17. Happy Birthday, Madam President (43:07) (Originally aired June 7, 2006)
18. Unfinished Business (43:05) (Originally aired June 14, 2006)
VIDEO and AUDIO Though I don’t expect much to change, video and audio here are just as good as Part One’s. The show is crisp and clear in its 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation, which thankfully has lost the “Family Friendly Widescreen” banner. Audio is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround. Unfortunately, this time I could only play the discs on regular surround, but it’s still just as even as it could be expected.
The first bonus feature, “A Conversation with Madam President” (5:54), is a letdown for those expecting a meaty featurette about the show. In this all-too-brief piece, we get quick clips of an interview Geena Davis gave about her work on the show. She starts off talking about how she got the part, and it segues into a mix of her thoughts on the character and her love of working on the show. There are show and behind-the-scenes clips to accompany what she’s talking about, and you can tell that she has a lot more to say beyond six minutes, which makes me wonder what substantial bonus features this set could have received. Up next are 20 deleted scenes, which run 21 minutes and 41 seconds long with the "Play All" option. Scenes are listed at ten to a screen, though the menu makes no mention of which episode it was cut from. They appear in non-anamorphic widescreen and have inferior video quality compared to the episodes. A commentary or introduction for each scene could have better explained why they were cut, but viewers will have to make do with watching a scene, and trying to remember which episode this could have been from. “White House Humor” (3:18) is a short series of bloopers and outtakes. It’s mostly flubbed lines, odd faces, and in one instant, Geena Davis making noises with her tongue. It’s not a rip-roaring hilarious blooper reel, and contains only a few chuckle-worthy moments, ending with perhaps the best outtake of all. Like the deleted scenes, this is presented in non-anamorphic widescreen. Two solo audio commentaries were recorded for this set. The first, in a huge surprise, is by creator Rod Lurie for the Pilot. Yes, the pilot episode is back! A pleasant surprise, but it makes me wonder why they didn't bother tacking this to Part One. This is probably the best bonus feature offered in the set, and Lurie’s got a lot to talk about in his 40-odd minutes. He mentions a lot of good-to-know production tales and responses to some criticisms about the series. Early on he sets the record straight about speculation that the show was nothing more than a “Trojan horse” for Hillary Clinton. He's not even a big fan of Hillary. So there.
The second commentary is for the episode “The Elephant in the Room”, The discs are labeled Disc 3 and Disc 4, and retain the same design theme of the first set, even down to the menus, which are still static 16x9 with a loop of background music. Episodes 11-15 take up Disc 3, and the remaining four (#16-18, plus pilot) are on Disc 4. Nine chapter stops are provided on each episode, all of which open with their broadcast recaps. Like Part One, there are no individual episode menus for scene selection and there are no airdates provided. The original ad for Part 2 posted a blue version of Part 1's cover art. This was later changed to its final form, which features President Allen and her family. The two discs are packaged in a dual amaray keep case, with the swinging page for the first disc. There are side snaps, as usual, and inside is a two-sided insert, with Episode Listings on one side, and an ad for "Desperate Housewives": Season Two - Extra Juicy Edition on the other. Also provided is a coupon with a code that gives you special rebate based on which of the Touchstone Television season sets you buy this year. It’s good for this set, as well as the second seasons of "Desperate Housewives", "Lost", and "Grey’s Anatomy", and expires October 31. Disc 4 opens with the trailer for Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto, along with DVD trailers for “Alias”: The Complete Fifth and Final Season, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (which could easily pass for a theatrical trailer), “Lost": The Complete Second Season, and the Touchstone film Annapolis. From the menu, you can also find trailers for DVD releases of “Scrubs”: The Complete Fourth Season, “Grey’s Anatomy”: The Complete Second Season Uncut, and “Desperate Housewives”: The Complete Second Season. It also features promos for Goal! The Dream Begins, and “Grey’s Anatomy” on ABC.
CLOSING THOUGHTS The release of Part Two brings a bittersweet sense of finality to “Commander in Chief”, and it joins the ranks of other brilliant but cancelled shows. Perhaps the only good news to come from this is the prospect of a television movie, which has been confirmed by both creator Rod Lurie and star Geena Davis. In the meantime, one can find solace and entertainment in this one-season wonder. While I will never like the fact that this series was split in two (costing consumers about an extra $20), Part 2 is still well worth the price, and still highly recommended. I can only hope when the eventual TV movie comes to DVD that they don’t split it into two 45 minute discs as well... |
Related Reviews:
Commander in Chief on DVD: Part 1 • Part 2
Reviewed September 4, 2006. UltimateDisney.com Top Stories:
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