Paramount Home Video presents

Reno 911!: The Complete Fourth Season (Uncensored) (2006-2007)

"We would kill each other for pizza. And then we'd rape the dead one. Even if we weren't hungry. Or horny."- Lt. Jim Dangle (Thomas Lennon)

Stars: Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney, Carlos Alazraqui, Thomas Lennon, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Mary Birdsong, Niecy Nash, Cedric Yarbrough
Other Stars: Carrot Top, Kyle Dunnigan, Paul Rudd, Paul Reubens, Oscar Nunez, Tracey Walter, Brian Posehn, Nick Swardson, Zach Galifianakis, Taylor Negron, Matt Besser, Patton Oswalt, Mitch Rouse, Guy Stevenson, Dave Holmes, Rachael Harris, Mather Zickel, Kristina Hayes, David Lincoln, David Koechner, Chelsea Handler, Magdalena Zielinska, Rachel Sterling, Lisa Lampanelli, Masi Oka
Director: Brad Abrams, Michael Patrick Jann, Ben Garant

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (language, mature situations)
Run Time: 05h:08m:00s
Release Date: 2007-06-26
Genre: television

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
A	A	B-	B	B

 

DVD Review

One of the great things about the Cops parody that is Comedy Central's Reno:911! is that it's not necessary to have seen all the previous seasons to get up to speed. You can pretty much jump right in at any time. There is the occasional overlap of plot or characters, but the drawing card is the endless parade of inept and strange calls that the dysfunctional officers respond to.

This full set of 14 Season Four episodes offers more of the same, augmented by a season-long story arc about the parental origins of Deputy Trudi Wiegel's soon-to-be-born baby, which builds to a cliffhanger that features some hilarious nudity, an unorthodox wedding of a main character, and a couple of potentially big revelations.

But regular viewers of Reno 911! know that some of these cliffhangers ultimately get glossed over come the next season—the way the Season Three final episode storylines get wrapped in the first episode is rather abrupt, with little in the way of carryover going forward, with the exception of Wiegel's pregnancy. The same principle cast of law enforcement is present (Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Carlos Alazraqui, Thomas Lennon, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Mary Birdsong, Niecy Nash, Cedric Yarbrough), and their ability to continually improvise and ad-lib 99 percent of the dialogue is what gives this series its distinctive "live, as it happens" feel, and says much about the raw comedic talents of its leads. The continual riffing and banter has a very natural flow and gives Reno 911! its comedic edge.

There's a number of returning secondary characters and guest stars—such as Toby Huss' dim-witted Big Mike or Nick Swardson's roller-skating Terry—and they often outperform and more than hold their own alongside the main cast. Swardson, who gets a more key role in Reno 911!: Miami, is a scene-stealer everytime, as is Patton Oswalt's nerdy Renaissance Faire character Boozehammer of Galen. But one of the best moments occurs in Episode 4, with Paul Reubens guest-starring as a raspy-voiced member of the Citizens Patrol investigating a series of murders in Reno, and besting the deputies at every turn. Paul Rudd spends a few eps as Wiegel's touchy-feely Lamaze instructor ("How's your vagina today?"), while other familiar faces like Upright Citizen Brigade's Matt Besser and comedian Zach Galifianakis return as hapless Reno citizens, as does The Office's Oscar Nunez, reprising his Season One role as the dangerous Spanish Mike Alvarez.

Aside from the continual arc of Wiegel's pregnancy (and the gross-out effect her descriptions of her lactation has on Dangle), most of the episodes are just a series of random police calls balanced by standalone plot points such as promotions for Jones and Garcia, a cursed jet ski, and the two-part investigation into the suspicious death of the Reno sheriff. There's a Hooters-like corporate sponsor who provides hot-pink uniforms and major flatulence in Episode 8, while Episode 9 offers up an off-duty look at Deputy Kimball and features an out-of-control Deputy Johnson, who turns a riverside baptism into the equivalent of a wet T-shirt contest.

As was done with recent season sets for Reno 911!, all of the previously bleeped dialogue is presented uncensored. And for all of the rich, frequent obscenities that flow, it's hard to imagine that the humor could be quite the same censored.

Rating for Style: A
Rating for Substance: A

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Aside from a couple of small imperfections during Episode 11, these 14 fullframe transfers appear clean and bright, with no trace of dirt or debris. Image quality is generally sharp and defined, sporting strong colors and rich black levels.

Image Transfer Grade: B-
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	yes

Audio Transfer Review: Audio is provided in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, and it delivers clear voice quality without much in the way of anything dramatic or showy. The presentation befits the mock-documentary design of the series quite well.

Audio Transfer Grade: B 

Disc Extras

Animated menu with music
Scene Access with 84 cues and remote access
3 Other Trailer(s) featuring Reno 911!: Most Wanted, The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner, South Park: The Complete Ninth Season
3 TV Spots/Teasers
1 Deleted Scenes
8 Featurette(s)
5 Feature/Episode commentaries by Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Mary Birdsong, Carlos Alazraqui, Cedric Yarbrough, Kerry Kinney -Silver, Niecy Nash
Packaging: Thinpak
Picture Disc
2 Discs
2-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extras Review: On Disc 1, there's a single commentary track with Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon talking up Episode 4 (the one featuring Paul Reubens), and once an impromptu singing intro gets out of the way there is some funny back-and-forth between the two. Considering this is probably one of the strongest episodes of the season, it seems appropriate to have them offer some background. Also present is the first part of Profiles In Valor (14m:11s), with brief talk-to-the-camera introductions and clips highlighting officers Dangle, Johnson, Garcia, and Jones. Disc 1 also has a few Comedy Central previews and "quickies", which are bumpers featuring scenes from shows like The Colbert Report, South Park and Reno 911!.

Over on Disc 2 there are four additional commentaries, featuring Garant and Lennon (Episode 8), Wendi McLendon-Covey and Mary Birdsong (Episode 9), Carlos Alazraqui and Cedric Yarbrough (Episode 11), and Kerry Kinney-Silver and Niecy Nash (Episode 14). Pairing up the participants keeps the tracks from becoming too overcrowded, and gives an opportunity for someone like the often overshadowed Birdsong to reveal a little more about herself (and the origin of her character's unusual first name). The Kinney-Silver/Nash track had me laughing the loudest, most of it relating to some fine self-deprecating humor about the shape of eight months pregnant Kinney-Silver.

Disc 2also houses the remainder of the up-close-and-personal Profiles In Valor (13m:13s), this time featuring officers Junior, Kimball, Wiegel, and Williams, as well as a very funny extended scene entitled Lt. Jim Dangle Explains Reno911.com (09m:08s).

Each episode is cut into 6 chapters.

Extras Grade: B
 

Final Comments

Season Four of one of television's funniest half-hours gets the unbleeped, uncensored treatment, making watching the censored series on Comedy Central seem rather pointless. Kerry Kinney-Silver's Trudi Wiegel and her mysterious pregnancy is the recurring story arc throughout this season, leading to a double-layered twist in the season ender.

Highly recommended.

Rich Rosell 2007-06-26