Synopsis
Season Three finds our earnest characters dealing with the usual assortment of relationshipand other problems. As the season opens, Dawson and Joey have broken up, and Dawson meets arather sexually forward young woman on a bus. By the end of the season, Joey is involved withPacey. The headline-grabber from these episodes was Jack’s gay kiss.
As I believe I mentioned when reviewing the series finale, I am at a distinct disadvantagewhen it comes to talking about this …how. I never watched it, and landing in the middle ofstorylines is very confusing. There is some very sharply written dialogue here, but my generalsense is of a teen soap opera, rather like Beverly Hills 90210 but with the sleaze replacedwith aching sincerity.
Audio
A fairly run-of-the-mill 2.0 track, very much what you’d expect for a TV transfer. The soundis crisp and clear, but not exciting. There are not very many surround effects, though when calledfor they are present. For the most part, the rear speakers are the domain of the music, some ofwhich, according to the box, is new for this release.
Video
Not the sharpest TV image going. Rather, it is subject to the flaws that seem to afflict manyTV releases. The picture is quite soft and grainy. The colours, on the other hand, are decent, asare the flesh tones. An acceptable picture, then, but certainly no better than broadcastquality.
Special Features
Exec-producer Paul Stupin and actor Kerr Smith (Jack) provide commentary on twoepisodes: “First Encounters of the Close Kind” (disc 2) and “True Love” (disc 4). The tone israther exaggeratedly cheerful, and Stupin dominates the conversation. The interactive mapof Capeside on disc 1 is rather cool. From a general map of the area, you zoom in through acouple of screens to land on the selected location with a selected clip. Finally, there’s a Weblinkfor creating your own soundtrack. The menu’s main page is scored.
Closing Thoughts
Obviously, a release for fans, since new viewers are likely to be baffled by the goings-on.The interactive map is a fun feature, but there isn’t really that much beyond the episodesthemselves.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentary on 2 Episodes
- Interactive Map of Capeside
- Weblink
