If you enjoy watching brilliant people do brilliant things, one or both of the releases below may be for you:
First we have Elementary, the modern-day telling of the story of Sherlock Holmes, a brilliant but flawed detective. In this Americanized version, Holmes (Johnny Lee Miller) works together with Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) to solve some of the most baffling cases presented to the NYPD. In the fifth season, Holmes and Watson come up against everything from a dangerous drug gang bent on murder to a serial bomber to a rogue intelligence agency. (Added to that challenge are the truly bizarre methods used, including snake venom-laced meals, invisible gunshots, and a superbug introduced into the city’s water supply.) With disparate personalities but a shared love of resolving complicated cases, the partners are on a constant quest to solve the puzzles presented both by criminals and by their own relationship. Out now on DVD is Elementary: The Fifth Season, which features all twenty four episodes of Season Five along with almost an hour of bonus content. Three featurettes form the bulk of the special features, including “Flashbacks” (where the production team discusses re-creating props to support the Byzantine story and how it worked into the show’s fictional timeline), “The Fifth Elementary” (a behind-the-scenes look with Lucy Liu and Aidan Quinn as they each take a turn directing), and “Reasoning Backwards” (a discussion with show runner Rob Doherty and the writers about creating the complex crime-based storylines). In addition to the featurettes are some deleted and extended scenes and a gag reel. Elementary: The Fifth Season is available on DVD on Amazon (currently priced at $29.87). You can also get the Season Five streaming option on both Amazon and iTunes for $34.99, but the only bonus feature on these is a 4-minute “Top Moments of Season Four” special. With a price at $5 less and fifty minutes more content than the streaming option, the DVD is the best choice on this one all the way around, unless you’re simply out of space on the shelf.
Next is Scorpion, the high-tech drama centered around a group of geniuses who comprise Homeland Security’s new think tank and operate as the country’s last line of defense against modern-day threats. Inspired by a true story, the series follows brilliant team lead Walter O’Brien (Elyes Gabel) as he guides his sometimes-too-smart-for-their-own-good band of misfits, including expert behaviorist Toby Curtis (Eddie Kaye Thomas), mechanical prodigy Happy Quinn (Jadyn Wong), and statistics guru Sylvester Dodd (Ari Stidham). Helping them navigate the real world are Paige Dineen (Katharine McPhee) and her gifted son Ralph (Riley B. Smith). Coming out on September 12 (right before the fourth season premieres on CBS on September 25) is Scorpion: Season Three, which includes all twenty four episodes of the third season, featuring guest stars Michael McGrady, Penn Jillette, and Lea Thompson. The set also boasts almost an hour of bonus features including a gag reel and four featurettes: “Unlikely Heroes: Scorpion Season Three” (an in-depth look at the third season and how the geniuses saved the world), “You’re Invited” (an examination of the courtship between two members of the team), “Scorp Beats” (a discussion with composer Tony Morales about the show’s music), and “Mock Me Up” (a behind-the-scenes specials looking at the graphic design of the show). Scorpion: Season Three is available for pre-order on DVD on Amazon and is currently priced at $27.99. If you don’t want to wait, you can go for one of the season streaming options on either Amazon or iTunes (both priced at $34.99) right now, but be aware that for bonus content these both only offer the 2-minute special “10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Cast of Scorpion (As Told By The Cast)”. So if you wait just one more week, you can not only save $7, but can also get fifty minutes more content to enjoy.
