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The Movie: This set offers the entire second season of the WB sitcom, which stars popular singer Reba McEntire. The first season set everything up in the opening minutes: Reba Hart (Reba McEntire) and husband Brock (Christopher Hart) are breaking up, due to his mistress, dental hygenist Barbra Jean (Melissa Peterman). They've been together and she put him through dental school, but things have proceeded a bit too far for them to settle. To add to the chaos of their break-up, it comes out that their teenage daughter, Cheyenne (Joanna Garcia) is also pregnant, from star football player Van (Steve Howey, who tries to be Ryan Reynolds and does fairly well.) The second season has Cheyenne and Van continuing to try and work out their relationship and family issues (and having to move back when Van gets injured and loses his scholarship) and Reba looking for a job, ending up at ex-husband Brock's dental office. The series is another family comedy/drama, often shuttled forward by one-liners. However, there are a few elements that really elevate the series a bit beyond the standard sitcom - for starters, the performances. McEntire is funny, believable and sympathetic as the mother struggling to juggle family issues. Hart and Howey are also amusing in supporting efforts. Despite the familiarity of some aspects of the show, it's a warm and likable sitcom that has gained a following. Season 2: 23. 2- 1 2AES01 20 Sep 02 House Rules 24. 2- 2 2AES02 27 Sep 02 Skating Away 25. 2- 3 2AES03 4 Oct 02 Proud Reba 26. 2- 4 2AES04 11 Oct 02 Reba Works for Brock 27. 2- 5 2AES06 18 Oct 02 It's Jake's Party, Cry if You Want to 28. 2- 6 2AES07 1 Nov 02 Safe Dating 29. 2- 7 2AES05 8 Nov 02 Mommy Nearest 30. 2- 8 2AES08 15 Nov 02 Switch 31. 2- 9 2AES09 22 Nov 02 Ring-a-Ding 32. 2-10 2AES10 13 Dec 02 Cookies for Santa 33. 2-11 2AES11 10 Jan 03 A Moment in Time 34. 2-12 2AES14 17 Jan 03 The Vasectomy 35. 2-13 2AES12 24 Jan 03 The Rings 36. 2-14 2AES15 31 Jan 03 Seeing Red 37. 2-15 2AES17 7 Feb 03 Terry Holliway 38. 2-16 2AES16 14 Feb 03 Valentine's Day 39. 2-17 2AES13 21 Feb 03 The Feud 40. 2-18 2AES18 28 Feb 03 And the Grammy Goes to... 41. 2-19 2AES19 7 Mar 03 The Wall 42. 2-20 2AES20 14 Mar 03 The Best Defense 43. 2-21 2AES21 28 Mar 03 For Sale, Cheap 44. 2-22 2AES22 25 Apr 03 The Will 45. 2-23 2AES23 2 May 03 Location, Location, Location 46. 2-24 2AES24 9 May 03 Your Place or Mine? The DVD VIDEO: "Reba" is offered in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. The picture quality is perfectly fine, with no major concerns. Sharpness and detail remained satisfactory, as the picture remained well-defined and crisp, coming in at about the same level as broadcast quality. The presentation remained largely free of flaws, although a few brief traces of pixelation appeared during a few scenes. Edge enhancement wasn't spotted, but some light shimmering was seen. The elements used were free of wear or damage. Colors remained bright and well-saturated, with no smearing or other flaws. Flesh tones looked accurate and natural, as well. Overall, this was a very pleasing presentation of the material. SOUND: "Reba" is presented in Dolby 2.0. The show's soundtrack was a basic mixture of slight score, dialogue and laugh track. Audio quality seemed perfectly fine, with no concerns. Nothing to write home about, but fine for the material. EXTRAS: Commentary by executive producers Kevin Abbott and Matt Berry on "House Rules", "A Moment in Time", "Seeing Red" and "Location, Location, Location". A featurette that offers an overview of the second season is located on the B side of the third disc. Final Thoughts: "Reba" is, at its core, a pretty familiar sitcom, but the performances are good and the characters are a bit more well-developed than one might expect. Good-natured and pleasant, "Reba" remains watchable. Fox's DVD edition provides a nice showcase for the series, as audio/video quality is solid, and the features provide nice insight into the production. Recommended for fans, others may want to try a rental first. |