Alias: The Complete Fourth Season. Jennifer Garner is back as CIA agent Sydney Bristow, she of the infinite supply of wigs. Along with her are Victor Garber as spy daddy Jack, Michael Vartan as spy boyfriend Vaughn, and Mia Maestro as her spy half-sister Nadia. Buena Vista has packaged all twenty-two butt-kicking episodes with plenty of extras as usual. There are commentaries on four episodes, interviews with Garner and Maestro, deleted scenes, and a blooper reel. There’s plenty of behind the scenes material with a featurettes on the impressive guest stars for the season, construction of two complicated scenes, a guided tour of the set by actor Kevin Weisman, and a gallery of candid shots by actor Greg Grunberg. Fans will want to snag, if they have not already.
Commander In Chief: The Inaugural Edition, Part 1. Vice President Mackenzie Allen is a capable, smart woman, but she was seen more as a vote getter than an actual successor. When the President unexpectedly dies, instead of following the Speaker of the House’s “suggestion” and resigning so he can take over, she decides she likes being Madame President. Besides having a seriously pissed off Speaker and dealing with the problems, both foreign and domestic, she has to help her husband and children adapt to being the First Family. Geena Davis shows her dramatic chops playing the first female American President and won a Golden Globe for her efforts. And Donald Sutherland gives his usual excellent performance. Since this is the first half of the series, the extras were put on the second half box set, but if you’re a fan, you’ll probably end up with both anyway.
Night Stalker: The Complete Series. Buena Vista has released all ten episodes of this “reimagining” of the cult classic. This time our intrepid reporter is played by pretty Stuart Townsend and now has a skeptical pretty fellow reporter played by Gabrielle Union. This version has Kolchak obsessed with the mysterious and violent killing of his wife and his investigations have him encountering dark forces and the bodies they leave in their wake. Sound familiar? Well, Frank Spotnitz, one of the producers and creative forces of the series, was also a producer of The X-Files. The series also tries to add story arcs that were such a success in Lost. The set comes with four episodes that never made it on the air, an interview with Spotnitz where he lays out his vision for the series, commentaries on two episodes, and deleted scenes. If you’re a fan of the dark and mysterious, this could be for you.
Walker, Texas Ranger: The Final Season. Chances are you’ve heard of the Chuck Norris Rules. You know: “Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.” and such. Many Internet-ologists have determined that Norris’s last series (which is constantly rerunning on cable) is the source of this phenom. Paramount is furthering this meme’s lifespan by releasing the series on DVD, beginning with the last season. Some may be confused by this decision, but you can see the show running with machine-like efficiency. You can see Walker performing picture perfect roundhouse kicks that never ever miss, Walker helping troubled yet attractive children, and Walker talking to the animals and Native American ghosts. While this set has no features, it does deliver near Baywatch levels of campy goodness.
