Plot: What’s it about?
HBO, long known for it’s excellent commitment to original programming, has done it again with thier hit series “Sex in the City”. This show takes a light-hearted, yet very realistic look at just that…Sex in New York City. Leading the way is Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), who writes a column in the paper, aptly titled “Sex in the City”. Rounding out her “posse” are friends Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon). Samantha is by far the most permiscous of the group, she runs her own PR firm and doesn’t understand the meaning of the word “No”…especially when it comes to men. Charlotte (my personal favorite) works at an art gallery and is the most reserved of the group, though she still dates plenty of men and has her own…uh, adventures in other areas as well. That leaves Miranda; she is a lawyer who has an on again off again relationship with local webmaster Skipper. Through thick and thin, these four talk about everything and help each other out through their particular problems dealing with the opposite sex…
These DVD’s cover the first season and there are twelve episodes (six on each disc). Here are some brief summaries of what to expect…
Disc One
1. “Sex and the City”-Basically is the pilot episode, we get to meet all the characters and figure out what they all do (and in some cases…who). A good introduction to all the characters and a baseline for what to expect in future episodes (I was hooked here).
2. “Models and Morals”-While doing some “research” for her next column, Carrie decides to find out what the obsession is with men who only date models.
3. “Bay of Married Pigs”-Carrie sees the “other” side of her friend’s husband while the rest of the group continues to have it’s difficulties with the dating scene. If you look real close, you’ll see how sneaky HBO is…look on the bus and you’ll see an advertisement for “From the Earth to the Moon”…clever!
4. “Valley of the Twenty-Something Guys”-The girls realize that they’re not getting any younger as they start to date men that are just a few years too young for them.
5. “The Power of Female Sex”-Realizing that she’s out of money (spent it on shoes), Carrie beds an Italian lover who solves her cash problem…but now she feels like a “professional”.
6. “Secret Sex”-Concentrates on those dates that you don’t want to introduce to your friends, should you happen to run into them. We also learn of a dirty secret of Charlotte’s…
Disc Two
7. “The Monogamists”-Carrie and Mr. Big (her on again off again boyfriend) are at an all time high as this episode explores the “single life” of all the characters.
8. “Three’s a Crowd”-Charlotte has finally found what seems to be the perfect man, though she’s having trouble deciding wheather or not to give into his demands of having a manage a trois…
9. “The Turtle and the Hare”-My personal favorite episode, had me rolling on the floor with laughter. Can Samantha make a guy with bad breath into a new lover? And what exactly is the deal with “the rabbit”?
10. “The Baby Shower”-The gang learns that times are indeed a changin’ as they see one of their ex-friends turn into a mom to be, when they can remember her as the “wild one” not so long ago…
11. “The Drought”-Carrie has an accidental, uh, emission in bed and as a result the show is dedicated to why Carrie and the others are having so much trouble getting a man.
12. “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”– Mr. Big is discovered with his mom in church, and Carrie pries until she is caught spying on them…the ending episode of the first season that leaves me wanting more.
If you’re a fan of the series, then there’s no reason at all why you wouldn’t want to own this set. As for me, well I’m thinking about subscribing to HBO just so I can see other episodes. While a bit raunchy and realistic at times, Sex in the City is very enjoyable and if you can relate to the humor, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t like it.
Video: How does it look?
Shot in full frame only, the video quality varies from episode to episode. At times there is a lot of grain and it has a “static” effect on the character’s faces, this is quite distracting. At other times, though, it is crystal clear. It’s hard to figure out, though it’s at least comparable to the HBO version that is on weekly.
Audio: How does it sound?
The sound is more active on the menu screens than in the actual episodes, but for the most part it’s very dialogue driven. Basically the only times you hear the front speakers kick in is at the end of an episode. Still, it’s very clear and not distorted at all. The Dolby Surround does it’s job here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
While not too heavy on the supplements, there is a mini trailer for each episode and a text-based synopsis for each episode as well. There are cast and crew bios and a very interesting Behind the Scenes look at the making of Sex in the City as well. Overall, I was very pleased and will be watching the whole set over and over and over…
