Everyone has a little dirty laundry. And when it comes to the housewives of Wisteria Lane, nobody showcases it better. Since fall 2004, ABC’s award winning series, Desperate Housewives, has continued to entertain both men and women viewers alike. The combination of five fervent women, along with compelling mysteries, juicy scandals and a little murder on the side, proved to be just the right mix when it came to crafting an addictive television series. Now the series has hit DVD racks with “Desperate Housewives: The Complete Fourth Season – Sizzling Secrets Edition” and fans will be able to catch up with their favorite gals whenever they want.
The fourth season saw the housewives dealing with a variety of dramatic situations. Happy homemaker Bree Hodge (Marcia Cross) faked a pregnancy. Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) battled cancer and klutzy Susan Delfino (Teri Hatcher) enjoyed her newfound blissful marriage. All the while sultry Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan) and gorgeous Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria Parker) engaged in a battle for Carlo’s affections. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough to add to the water cooler gossip, Dana Delaney joined the cast as Katherine, a woman with secrets so dark, it had the entire neighborhood wondering. Just as the fourth season was beginning to take off, the screenwriters went on strike, reducing the original 23 episodes to a sequence of 17. Nevertheless the writing, acting and storylines were superb.
Unfortunately the DVD set isn’t exactly on the same level.
Included in the “Sizzling Secrets Edition” are all 17 episodes as well as an array of bonus features including bloopers, deleted scenes and several featurettes. The best of the bunch is “Getting Desperate From Beginning to End” which goes behind the scenes of the infamous tornado episode and gives viewers an inside glimpse into what it takes to make a full fledged television show.
When it comes to the audio and video of the set, a single flaw can’t be found. The video is the same as the first three DVD releases with a 1.78:1 widescreen format that is clearly different from the full screen aspect of the episodes’ original airing. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, which proves to be very satisfactory for viewers who want to relive the excitement of their favorite housewives.
With perfect audio, faultless video and nice packaging, it is a shame that ABC Studios decided to change things around with the individual designs of each DVD. Instead of showcasing a specific housewife on each disc, the studio opted to choose a rather lame design of either a diamond ring, a champagne bottle or a plate of brownies. Another low point is that the opening montage on each disc has been cut and breaks up the continuation.
Other than those minor missteps, the DVD set is pretty decent. It isn’t the best of the bunch but it’s certainly a welcome addition and that should leave viewers ‘desperate’ for more.