Region: One
Episodes
Disc One: “The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II”, “Family”, “Brothers”,
“Suddenly Human"
Episodes
Disc Two: “Remember Me”, “Legacy”, “Reunion”, “Future Imperfect”
Episodes
Disc Three: “Final Mission”, “The Loss”, “Data’s Day”, “The
Wounded”
Episodes
Disc Four: “Devil’s Due”, “Clues”, “First Contact”, “Galaxy’s
Child”
Episodes
Disc Five: “Night Terrors”, “Identity Crisis”, “The Nth Degree”,
“QPID”
Episodes
Disc Six: “The Drumhead”, “Half A Life”, “The Host”, “The Mind’s
Eye”
Episodes Disc Seven: “In Theory”, “Redemption, Part I”
Stars: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Levar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Wil Wheaton, and Gates McFadden
Guest
Stars: Whoopi Goldberg, John DeLancie, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Colm Meany,
Andreas Katsulas, Denise Crosby, Dwight Shultz, Richard O’Reilly, Mark Alaimo,
Sherman Howard, Jennifer Hetrick, Charles Cooper, Suzi Plakson, Rosalind Chao,
David Ogden Stiers, and Jean Simmons
Writers: Michael Piller, John Whelpley, Jeri Taylor, Rick Berman, Ronald D. Moore, Lee Sheldon, Joe Monosky, Thomas Perry, Jo Perry, J. Larry Carroll, David Bennett Carren, Kasey Arnold-Ince, Hilary J. Bader, Alan J. Alder, Vanessa Greene, Harold Apter, Stuart Charno, Sara Charno, Cy Chermax, Philip Lazebnik, William Douglas Lansford, Bruce D. Arthurs, Dennis Russell Bailey, David Bischoff, Scott Zicree, Maurice Hurley, Thomas Kartozian, Pamela Douglas, Sheri Goodhartz, Brannon Braga, Ira Steven Behr, Timothy DeHaas, Peter Allan Fields, Michael Horvat, and Rene Echevarria
Directors:
Rob Bowman, Winrich Kolbe, Gabrielle Beaumont, David Carson, Robert Scheerer,
Cliff Bole, Rob Wiemer, Jonathan Frakes, Timothy Bond, Chip Chalmers, Robert
Wiemer, Patrick Stewart, Marvin Rush, David Livingston, Tom Benko, Robert
Legato, Larry Shaw, Les Landau, Tom Benko, Corey Allen, Paul Lynch, and Robert
Iscove
Executive Producer: Gene Roddenberry
Feature
length: 46 minutes each/ 19 hours total
Extras:
“Mission Overview: Year Four”,
“Selected Crew Analysis: Year Four”, “Departmental Briefing – Year Four:
Production”, “New Life And New Civilizations”, “Chronicles From The
Final Frontier”
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Pro Logic Surround 2.0
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions
Packaging:
Gatefold Within A Box
Chapter Stops: 8 per episode/ 208 total
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Pro Logic Surround 2.0
Year of Original Television Broadcasts: 1990-1991/DVD Release: 2002
Home
Video Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
I
remember the fourth season of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” vividly
because it was a time when even the casual viewer could not deny the series had
come into it’s own and truly earned a place among fans as a classic series in
the making. At this time there was still only two first run sci-fi series on
American television and they were “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and
“Quantum Leap.” How ironic it is that now Scott Bakula is the newest Captain
to grace a series inspired by “Star Trek?” As it states within the insert
that comes inside the green and black glossy gatefold that holds the 7 discs
together, Season four of “The Next Generation” was about family in many
ways. It was a time when the series had completed its metamorphosis into a more
character driven series and began to tackle more personal storylines while at
the same time the cast and crew who had worked side by side for four years
celebrated their 100th episode with the fourth season finale
“Redemption, Part 1.” By this point the series was in it’s prime and as
with all great successes, it inspired both the networks and syndicated companies
to produce more sci-fi inspired series including “Star Trek” itself, but I
am getting a bit ahead of myself here. These ramifications are best saved for
what I hope will be fifth and sixth season reviews of “The Next Generation”
on DVD in the future. So here are some of the notable episodes that makeup the
body of season four on DVD.
While
the obvious choice of disc one would be to mention “The Best Of Both Worlds,
Part II,” I think the episode that serves almost as an epilogue to the
two-part adventure is “Family.” After seeing Picard (Stewart) survive his
ordeal with the first attempt by the Borg to assimilate the Earth, we do not
just simply jump into another adventure as if nothing ever happened. Wounds have
to heal and we get a glimpse into Picard’s personal life when he visits his
brother, sister-in-law, and nephew at the family winery and vineyard in Labarre,
France. At the same time we have Worf (Michael Dorn) meeting with his adoptive
human parents while the Enterprise is undergoing repairs at the McKinley Space
Station from the previous episode’s encounter, and we even get to see via a
holographic recorded image Wesley Crusher’s (Wil Wheaton) father. Writer
Ronald D. Moore mentions in one of the featurettes that in this episode we see
that contrary to what the audience might believe, it is Worf who actually grew
up with the most supportive and perhaps least dysfunctional family upbringing. I
never considered that before, but he’s right and I find that alone
fascinating.
Another
great episode that is on disc two of the set is “Reunion,” which greatly
expands upon Worf’s life with the return of his lover “K’Ehleyr,” and
their son born out of wedlock that he never knew had, and some tragic loss that
follows. This episode expands upon the events introduced in “Sins Of The
Father” and carries ramifications that will effect both Worf, Picard, and our
understanding of Klingon politics through the rest of the series and into
“Star Trek: Deep Space 9.” Now we are starting to learn much more than ever
before about the societal customs of the Klingons and by this point they were no
longer a fan favorite because they were the villains so to speak of “The
Original Series.” The Klingons were a favorite because as a race they were
developed so vividly that one might think they were real.
Disc
three features our first encounter with the Cardassians and expands on Chief
O’Brien’s character backstory in “The Wounded.” Disc four features an
extremely well thought out if not classic “Star Trek” episode dealing with
the “Prime Directive” in “First Contact” and we even get another episode
featuring Dwight Shultz as “Barclay” in “Galaxy’s Child.” Jean Simmons
nearly steals every scene she shares with Patrick Stewart in “The Drumhead.”
Characters such as the introduction of “The Trill” in the disc six episode
entitled “The Host” actually asks the question how do we determine what it
is to love another unconditionally in the same manner that “Star Trek” has
always questioned the human condition with science fiction conventions. The
season four cliffhanger finale will set the tone for much of what would occur in
both “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Star Trek: Deep Space 9,” and
even “Star Trek: Generations.” There are so many excellent episodes in this
set that it would be impossible to go into great detail on every single one, but
my final ruling on this set as with the others is that I was able to sit through
all 26 season four episodes in about 3 days and never did I get tired or want to
take a break, and despite the ability to pause the episodes I was watching, I
found myself delaying trips to the bathroom or the kitchen because I was simply
too glued to the TV screen to get up before the episode I would be watching
would end.
The
menus display full motion scenes with images of a computer demonstration of what
appears to be either the Enterprise’s warp field or shields and the subsequent
standard interactive still frame menus feature a look at the impulse systems and
all are easy to navigate. The insert within the glossy gatefold that comes in
the shiny silver cardboard container has a montage of the cast circa season 4 on
one side and an alphabetical listing of all 26 season four episodes complete
with a notation containing the airdate and what disc the episode is on as well
as notes on the character of “Q.”
The
picture quality is the best yet for a “Next Generation” DVD season box set
and the new English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound mix is excellent. An
English Dolby Pro Logic Surround Soundtrack is also included as a listening
option and all of the episodes as well as the featurettes include optional
English Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired.
With
over 80 minutes of extra value materials, “Star Trek: The Next Generation: The
Complete Fourth Season On DVD” includes a new season four “Mission
Overview” that runs for nearly 17-miutes and discusses with new interviews
with select writers and cast members the themes and challenges that made season
four what it was and it also features footage of a cake cutting ceremony with
the late Gene Roddenberry celebrating the show’s 100th episode.
Selected Crew Analysis discusses much of the same material in the first
featurette, but focuses more on the growth of the characters of Picard, Worf,
the Crushers, and Troi on the series. The Departmental Briefing includes a
discussion of episodes directed by cast members such as Jonathan Frakes and
Patrick Stewart.
“New
Life And New Civilizations” discusses the radical developments in the series
that was in no small part due to the select gust stars who appeared during that
season as well as the chances taken with the storytelling that would make “The
Next Generation” a standout among television programs of it’s time.
“Chronicles From The Final Frontier” goes into great detail on the effect
the writers had in making “The Next Generation” unique on to itself and
setting the tone for what would come in both later “Star Trek: The Next
Generation” seasons and programs.
“Star
Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Fourth Season on DVD” is a winner in
nearly every way and will debut from Paramount Home Entertainment on Tuesday,
September 3, 2002. Make it so and buy it now!
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
The Top Ten TV On DVD-Videos Of 2002 As Reviewed At GENRE ONLINE. NET