7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
Season 3 begins with Ray and his unlikely pimp Tanya (Adams) taking matters into their own hands in the face of a (still) recession-plagued economy by opening the “Happiness Consultants Wellness Center for Woman” – a front for their gigolo business complete with “orgasmic living” seminars run by Tanya and “private consultations” with Ray. Meanwhile, as their business begins to yield dividends, Lenore seeks revenge upon Ray and Tanya for stealing her “lifestyle” idea, and transforms a 25-year-old busboy named Jason into a new male hooker to rival Ray.
Starring: Thomas Jane, Jane Adams (II), Anne Heche, Charlie Saxton (III), Sianoa Smit-McPheeErotic | 100% |
Dark humor | 90% |
Drama | 50% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 2.0
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It's not TV, it's HBO. I would add: unless it's a half-hour series, in which case there's no guarantee. While the premium cable network's hour-long, Emmy-darling dramas are nestled all safely and snuggly in their beds, its half-hour comedies and dramedies aren't afforded the same luxury. Quality may be higher, content may be more adult in nature, the writers' rooms freer to pursue their showrunners' visions, but the chance of cancellation? Cancellation can come just as swiftly on HBO as anywhere else, particularly when it comes to shows that clock in at thirty-minutes per episode. How to Make It in America: booted after two eight-episode seasons. Bored to Death, one of HBO's finest and funniest: gone to the great city in the canceled series sky after three eight-episode seasons. And now Hung as well, ousted after three quirky, desperate-to-offend ten-episode seasons. Truth be told, though, the announcement that HBO wasn't planning to bring back creators Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson's divisive series didn't stir up any emotion whatsoever. No pleasure, no tears, nothing that might suggest I was attached to it in the least, which is more telling I suppose than anything else that follows.
Mano e mano
Hung's third season comes to Blu-ray with an *insert well-endowed pun here* 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation that hits the same frequent highs and thankfully limited lows as its previous season counterparts. Noise surges on occasion and crush plays a small role, but little else distracts. Colors are warm and gratifying, skintones are seductive (with only a few minor saturation mishaps), primaries are primed to please, and black levels are deep and satisfying on the whole. Detail is terrific, with crisply resolved fine textures, clean edges and decidedly decent delineation. Encoding anomalies are few and far between too; the vast majority of the inconsistencies that appear trace back to the series' source and nothing more. There isn't much in the way of artifacting, banding and what not, making Hung's third and final Blu-ray release a solid one.
Hung lets it all hang out with another impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that, like its predecessors, is more involving than you might expect. Street noise, crowd chatter, passersby, the sounds of a healthy Wellness Center with... erm, active membership; the soundfield is full of huffy hustle and breathy bustle. Directional effects are nimble and precise, pans are smooth and dynamics are excellent, as is low-end output, restrained as it often is. When the music kicks in and lust is in the air, though, the LFE channel responds with confidence and charisma, granting the soundscape welcome weight and presence. Dialogue is clear and nicely prioritized as well, without any muddled voices or unsupported ambient effects to report. Cancellation be damned. Hung looks and sounds like a winner.
Here lies Hung, a deeply flawed guilty pleasure that was on the road to recovery when it met its tragic end. Loved by only a few, it teetered between the perverse and the poignant to its fans' delight without sacrificing its sensibilities, even as ratings fell and viewers drifted away. It will be missed. Not by all, but by those faithful few who will find comfort in the series' final Blu-ray release. With an excellent video presentation, a strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and more than two hours of commentaries and additional extras, it should help take away some of the sting from the series' passing. It was a decent run, Hung. You weren't for everyone, but you were a decent show all the same. Here's to you, buddy.
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