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Ally McBeal, Series 5 Box Set 2 [1998]


RRP: £19.99
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

The fifth season was the last series of Ally McBeal, and probably the least satisfying. While always at least slightly entertaining, it was troubled by two conflicting imperatives: first, to steer its neurotic characters and multiplicity of sub-plots towards a coherent and credible resolution; second, to sustain another series of a programme that had, by now, exhausted all the plot possibilities that were remotely believable. The result is a bemusing onslaught of new characters (Ally's Mini-Me Jenny and a barely distinguishable phalanx of lantern-jawed male leads), celebrity cameos (Edna Everage, Christina Ricci, Barry White, Matthew Perry, Jon Bon Jovi), several storylines that would test the credulity of any of the curiously indulgent judges before whom Ally's firm practises (notably the arrival of a 10-year-old daughter that Ally didn't know she had) and one misbegotten attempt to anchor the programme to the real world (the "Nine One One" episode, an unwatchably mawkish allegory about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States).

Granted that Ally McBeal was never intended to be realistic drama, but when the programme spirals entirely off into the realms of the surreal, any possibility of the sort of identification with the characters on which the programme once relied is lost. Though not without its moments, the sudden redemption of Fish, always the best-written character, is deftly handled. Season Five will be of chief interest to adherents who stuck with it through the first four and so wanted to see how it all ends; in keeping with the central character's defining motifs of solipsism and self-pity, it does so with a whimper.

On the DVD: Ally McBeal has episode selector on each disc, and a scene selector within each of those. The final disc contains two short and desultory documentaries on the series billed, somewhat hopefully, as "Special Features". A French audio soundtrack is available, as are subtitles in English, French and Dutch. –-Andrew Mueller


The Best Season Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review date: 2005-11-29 Rating: 10 out of 10

This was the best season ever. Ally had responsibility and had to think about her choices. It was fun to see her interact with a daughter. She move into a more grown up part of life that most do how are around their early thirty’s so it was about time. It would have been interesting to see more of the mother thing carried out further than it was. The casting and script was amazing . This Season was the best ever!

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Reviews


It got better a little too late
Review date: 2005-01-23 Rating: 6 out of 10

After an extremely dismal first half, thankfully the show gains some of whatever credibility it once had. Sadly, by the time these set of episodes aired, the show's cancellation was set in stone. Some episodes misfire (mainly because of the insipid Victor) but there is enough good stuff to make this set worthwhile. Kicking off things is an episode up there with the vintage years (ala Seasons 1 and 2) called The New Day. Easily the best episode on this set, it's about a woman who is fired for having AIDS. Other highlights are: Woman (Ling!), Love is All Around (Liza!), Reality Bites (for Elaine and Nelle), All of Me (for Kyra Sedgewick's fantastic portrayal as Helen/Helena) and the teary Bygones (because it's the last-ever ep after all). After watching this set, you probably won't think twice about labelling the first half dismal and proclaim that this was the best series ever because it clearly wasn't. But it had it's moments, many of which are contained here.

What happened?
Review date: 2004-03-25 Rating: 2 out of 10

What happened to the show in season 5? Ally McBeal had been a more than entertaining series for four seasons (and season four was the funniest and most entertaining of them all) and then all of sudden it becomes as dull and boring as it was fun and entertaining. The first four seasons were brilliant although at times a bit silly but that was the style of Ally McBeal. We had excellent characters in all key positions. From Ally, Richard, Billy and John to the brilliant Ling, Nelle and Elaine. All the characters were strong and powerful enough to have a show about them. In season four we even had the greatest of guest stars in Anne Heche and Robert Donwey JR as Melanie and Larry (although their exits from the series was stupid. As if Larry would go from asking Ally to marrying him to leaving her in the space of one hour). And then season 5 arrived and then the scripts became awful, the new characters weren’t good enough (not that I am blaming them because the main reason for the show’s weakness in its final year was the script) and the old characters weren’t themselves (nobody more than Richard). And what were the producers thinking? They let the likes of Downey, Lisa Nicole Carson, Greg LeGros and newcomer Taye Diggs (who had a very interesting relationship with Renee and Ling and very cimical adversary relationship with Larry) leave the series and hired actors who weren’t funny and had no character. Nicholson and Marsden weren’t bad actors (in fact I thought Nicholson was the best of these new actors but she was fired while those worse than her continued) but they just weren’t funny enough for Ally McBeal. And on top of that great characters like Elaine, Ling and Nelle are all but written off the show (along with John Cage who quit midway through the season although he made the odd appearance). And who do they replace them with, Jon Bon Jovi and Dame Edna. Did they really think this would work out? Jovi is the most boring of all of Ally’s boyfriends through the years and if Ally thought Bryan (season 3-4) was boring, then I don’t know what she would have called Bovi’s character. But the worst aspects of it all was Dame Edna. I mean, what were they thinking. Why not bring Alexandra Holden back (Richard’s LA girlfriend from season 4). She had more character and charisma than all of those new characters put together. The appearance of Ally’s daughter made the second part of the season at least watchable (if you look behind the fact that Ally had a ten year old daughter she never knew existed. If they would only have made Matty, Ally and Billy’s daughter whom Ally had given away). And then there is the issue of Richard. His brilliantly entertaining character disappeared entirely and replaced with a Richard that was nothing like the man we loved and cherished. This Richard cared about people and wasn’t all about money. That is fine but that is not Richard. And then in the end he married a Ling clone (now that Lucy Lui had given up on the show) but the fact is that although I like Christina Ricci,. she is no Lucy Lui and never will be. And the great music numbers that were always with the series, disappeared as well – until the final episodes when Renee returned for one last time. The final show was good compared to others of the season and showed they could do it with the old characters back (all of them returned for the final episodes except Lucy Lui although Ling was there in spirit as Ricci’s character was so obviously based on Ling). While I am still a fan of the series, I will never watch season 5 again (except maybe the final episode). To me it doesn’t exist. For me the series ended with Larry leaving Ally for Detroit. My advise to the fans of Ally McBeal who haven’t watched season 5: DON’T WATCH IT.

Farewell!
Review date: 2003-09-17 Rating: 10 out of 10

It couldn't really go on as it was. Actors leaving left right and centre, storylines becoming more and more bizzare, but the five years of it that we had were some of the best in TV history. Inventive, original, inspiring, incredibly funny, incredibly sad...and it all came from the imagination of one man! David E Kelly, in my opinion, is a genius for inventing such a crazy, but believable world of characters that oozed warmth. So, onto the last series. After a very unsettling first half, season five picked up and the superfluous new characters were pushed aside to let the older and well-loved stars bring the series to a climax. It's no good describing what happens because if you're reading this you must've already watched Ally and know what to expect. All I will say is that you will need a big box of tissues and someone to hug whilst watching the last ever episode. It took me until last week to actually pluck up the courage to watch 'Bygones', but I'm glad I did. I've paid my final farewell to Ally, John, Richard and co and I thank the actors and Mr Kelly for the best 5 years of TV I've ever experienced! Truly a one off show!

Ally McBeal Series 5 Box Set 2
Review date: 2003-03-02 Rating: 10 out of 10

Well they say that all good things must come to an end and sadly that is the case for Ally McBeal.
This is a definite must for any true Ally fans. Ally has finally become grown up in this series after finding out that she has become a mother, although the plot to this was a little lame and slightly hard to believe! It was nice to see a deeper side to Ally than the slightly neurotic character that has been developed over the years.
There are some very interesting celeb apperances in this series with the likes of Matthew Perry, Christina Ricci & Jon Bon Jovi to name a few.
However, I don't believe there could have been a dry eye in the studio when they shouted "cut" for the final time in the episode "Bygones". A truly moving episode with some familar faces from the past returning for the final time.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Greg Germann
Calista Flockhart
Lucy Liu
Peter MacNicol
Jane Krakowski

Creators:
Calista Flockhart (Primary Contributor)
Peter MacNicol (Primary Contributor)

Recording label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
EAN: 5039036011440
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 3
Format: Box set, Full Screen, PAL,
Release date: 2003-02-10
Number of discs: 3
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Theatrical release date: 1997-09-08
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)

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