TotalTelly.co.uk
Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV
Dead Zone: The Complete Fifth Season (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Our Price: £9.68 (subject to change)
Not Yet Dead, but Dying
Review date: 2007-08-10 Rating: 6 out of 10
Season 5 of 'The Dead Zone' continues the storylines that have had fans gripped for around 50 episodes, but unfortunately the quality takes a turn for the worse. The Stilson set of stories remain the best in the show giving it much needed angst and darkness. Unfortunately, the majority of episodes available in the box set are standalone episodes and the quality of writing has fallen tremendously, especially compared to the fantastic seasons 1-3.
The acting is still of a high quality and Anthony Michael Hall is a charismatic lead. The side roles are pretty much left out this season with the ex-fiancée getting short changed in particular. Despite all my misgivings the show does still have some good stories and likable characters. Returning fans are sure to still like it, but it no longer has any appeal to new viewers. Rumours are abound that the next season returns to darker storylines and this can only be a good thing.
Similar Products
- Dead Zone: The Complete Fourth Season (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Dead Zone: Complete Third Season (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Dead Zone: The Final Season
- The Dead Zone - Series 2 [2003]
- The Dead Zone - Season 4 [2005]
Reviews
A journey to the heart of predictable television...
Review date: 2007-07-29 Rating: 4 out of 10
This fifth season of the `Dead Zone' is on a par with the mediocre fourth season, which I struggled to watch. There are some stand-out episodes here, which perhaps exceed those best example from the previous season in terms of experimental stories that attempt to mix up the familiar formula, but in general this is another lacklustre, predictable and disappointing year of this once great paranormal fantasy series...
(1) `Forbidden Fruit' (3/10) - A terrible start to the season. The introduction of love interest Miranda for Senator Greg Stillson at the end of season four suggested some advancement of the Armageddon plot-thread in the near future, or at the very least some development of the Senator's character/ambitions. Wrong on both counts. An episode that goes nowhere at a torturously slow rate.
(2) `Independence Day' (7/10) - A very self-contained story, but surprisingly enjoyable, as Johnny and Bruce are stranded on a stretch of highway with a killer on the loose picking of holiday revellers. Ahh the good old days!
(3) `Panic' (4/10) - A blatantly obvious take on the film Panic Room. Dull.
(4) `Articles of Faith' (6/10) - Surprisingly dark fare for `The Dead Zone' that tackles different types of prejudice. The one-off, but welcome return of feisty reporter Dana into Johnny's life is oddly made without any fanfare.
(5) `The Inside Man' (8/10) - A purely action-oriented episode that borrows much from the film of the same name. Solid.
(6) `Lotto Fever' (3/10) - Sentimental and not in the least bit funny.
(7) `Symmetry' (5/10) - A promising idea very similar to season two's `Precipitate' that experiments with the perspectives of Johnny's visions, but doesn't succeed anywhere near as well.
(8) `Vortex' (4/10) - A superbly gripping start harking back to the early political leanings of the show descends into an all-too familiar story about a cult whose leader is hell-bent on bringing about the mass-suicide of his pathetically naïve followers.
(9) `Revelations' (6/10) - Any episode that involves Reverend Purdy is always worth a look. The story is just about diverting, but the problem with the episode is the relationship between Johnny and Purdy and the lack of any resolution between the two characters. Purdy has always been a good man whose beliefs have led him to make bad choices. He was cleared of causing the death of Johnny's mother and has since supported Johnny any number of ways and yet Johnny continues to persecute him. Clearly the series producers want to keep the audience unsure to whom his allegiances lie for as long as possible, but this is emblematic of the series- stories and characters are prolonged and prolonged, but never advanced, which is very unsatisfying for the viewer.
(10) `Into the Heart of Darkness' (6/10) - Journey to the centre of mediocrity through corridors of boredom, exploring hitherto uncharted depths of the ordinary and unremarkable (sorry, couldn't help myself). This episode isn't half bad and acts as a second-parter to season four's `The Collector', but is really only noteworthy for the return of Sarah who has been conspicuous this season and last only by her inexplicable absence.
(11) `Hunting Party' (4/10) - Even less successful than season four's season finale `Saved'. At this rate Stillson will eventually become President and the destructive wave will finally sweep Washington in season twenty two.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Chris Bruno
Anthony Michael Hall
Recording label: Lionsgate
Manufacturer: Lionsgate
EAN: 0031398213956
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 3
Format: AC-3, Box set, Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC,
Release date: 2007-06-05
Universal product code (UPC): 031398213956
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 452 minutes
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)