7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
"Karma" should be a four-letter word. Just ask Earl, the lovable loser with a hilarious laundry list of dirty deeds that need undoing, from stealing a children's bookmobile to getting his babysitter pregnant-the hard way! And, while Earl's brother Randy starts a karmic list of his own, his ex-wife, Joy, and her husband are movin' on up to the suburbs. Trouble is, you can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can't take the trailer park out of the girl. Hilariously irreverent and outrageously over-the-top, Season Four of My Name is Earl proves, once again, that karma is a funny thing.
Starring: Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Jaime Pressly, Nadine Velazquez, Eddie SteeplesComedy | 100% |
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
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (4 BDs)
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
After surviving Y2K, a temperamental ex-wife, an aggressive swarm of angry bees, a tough stint in prison, literal head-on collisions with several cars, a coma, a string of deadly tornadoes, and countless other bouts with karma, Earl Hickey finally fell victim to cancellation. It wasn't altogether unexpected -- ratings for My Name is Earl began to nosedive after its first critically acclaimed season -- but fans made their dissatisfaction and frustration known nonetheless. So while its final episode closed with a "To Be Continued" tease and its ultimate fate remains unknown, one thing is clear: the series has successfully entertained its faithful Camden Country devotees for the last four years and given them ninety-six episodes of comedic bliss. Its fourth season may fall short of its first in this writer's humble opinion, but it still serves up plenty of laugh-out-loud exchanges, endearing characters, and wry wit.
Here lies Earl Jehosophat Hickey. He'll be missed...
TV releases, once the blocky bane of the Blu-ray universe, have steadily improved, pulling alongside their theatrically released compatriots with video transfers that look as good as, if not better than, most movies on the market. My Name is Earl: Season 4 boasts a striking, near-perfect 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation that, aside from the occasional appearance of slight ringing, looks fantastic. Camden County's lush green fields, bright blue skies, and dusty dirt roads are bold and beautiful; the primary-hued wonders that grace each episode even more so. Black levels are deep and satisfying, contrast is stark but spot on, and delineation is revealing. Detail is impressive as well: note the flecks of rust on abandoned cars, the thick stubble on the Hickey brothers' faces, and the crisp textures and refined clarity of nearly every scene. Sure, some softness pops up from time to time, but any instance should be attributed to the original source, not Fox's technical transfer. Better still, there isn't a hint of significant artifacting, aliasing, banding, or unintentional noise, and the presentation thoroughly trounces its DVD counterpart. My Name is Earl fans may be saddened by the series' cancellation, but this outstanding high definition offering should help soften the blow.
My Name is Earl: Season 4 features a sturdy and stable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, but the series' front-heavy sound design and limited sonics rarely take advantage of the power under the hood. Dialogue is clear and well-prioritized -- so much so that it occasionally blots out lesser soundscape elements -- and the LFE channel, while reserved for the Hickeys' more chaotic antics and shenanigans, flexes its muscles when called upon. The rear speakers prove themselves capable as well, handling each episode's environmental ambience with ease, but directionality suffers during their more passive engagements. Likewise, the series' music generally plays an appropriately lively part, but is sometimes shoved too far into the background to be effective. Still, given the nature of the show and its chatty comedy, I doubt Earl enthusiasts will expect much more.
My Name is Earl stumbles in its 4-disc Blu-ray debut with an all-too-short smattering of special features, all of which have been ported over from the standard DVD. The meatiest extra, Earl's Fan Mail (SD, 33 minutes), is an entertaining Q&A of sorts that allows the cast to provide insight into the production, discuss their characters, and share anecdotes from their time on the set. Beyond that, a semi-solid collection of Deleted Scenes (SD, 20 minutes) houses a few laughs, a Gag Reel (SD, 8 minutes) injects some sideline hilarity into the proceedings, and a fairly amusing faux-trailer for 2 The Max (SD, 1 minute) manages to steal the show. But no fitting farewell to the series? Not a single audio commentary? Standard definition video? A mere hour of material? Sigh... Earl's supplemental package is a complete disappointment.
While My Name is Earl struggled to redefine itself with each passing season, it was still canceled before its time. Luckily, laughs abound in the series' fourth and final season (even though its storylines sometimes drift off course) and the patented Hickey hijinks continue to entertain, for better or worse, until the very end. The Blu-ray edition is a mixed bag -- a magnificent video transfer is stifled by a ho-hum DTS-HD Master Audio track and a decidedly underwhelming supplemental package -- but series regulars will relish its various AV upgrades as well as the show's twenty-seven episode bow.
2015
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2013
35th Anniversary Edition
1989
2013
2020
2015
2015
1978-1982
2002
2009-2018
1985-1992
2011-2013
1970-1977
Life Happens
2011
1999
Retro VHS Collection
1995
2008
2-Disc Special Edition
2008
1995