Featured TV on DVD Review: Big Time Rush: Season One, Volume Two
June 19, 2011
Big Time Rush: Season One, Volume Two - Buy from Amazon
Not too long ago, I reviewed Season One, Volume One of Big Time Rush. I was not won over by the show. However, now that the second half of the first season is coming out, will I change my mind?
First a recap, Big Time Rush is about four friends from Minnesota who move to Los Angeles in order to make it as a boy band. Under the tutelage of Gustavo Rocque, they hope to become the next big thing, while avoiding all the pitfalls of stardom.
There are four short behind-the-scenes videos, but the total running time is about four minutes, they are are hardly substantive enough to count. There is also the pilot episode to House of Anubis, which is a show about a mysterious boarding school in the English country side and the new American girl going there. It is described as the first soap opera on Nickelodeon; however, here the term "Soap Opera" just means it has a continuing storyline, as opposed to most sitcoms. This does make it more intriguing than most shows aimed at the same target demographic, but much harder to judge after just one episode.
Big Time Rush: Season One, Volume Two shows little improvement over the first volume, which means it is still below average for the current crop of Nick shows. Some of the supporting characters are starting to grow on me more than before, but with most episodes, I find little that is interesting in the main story. Also, with only 20 episodes, there's no reason to split the season into two volumes. It should have been released as one three-disc set.
The Show
So how is the second half of season one compared to the first? About the same, but that's not good news. All the same problems are there with the nondescript stars, overdone sound effects, predictable jokes, cartoonish characters, repetitive songs, etc. The B-plots are usually better than the main ones are, which is a bad sign, but Katie's run-ins with Mr. Bitters is the only part of the show that consistently works. Jo is progressing as a character, although she's underused. The same can be said of Camille.
In order to build a web-presence, the four have to spend the day with Deke, the most influential music blogger out there. However, Gustavo has them prepare so much, that they come off as phonies. Meanwhile, Gustavo signs up for a Scuttlebutt account and accidentally insults Belgium. Finally, Mr. Bitters tries to beat Katie at anything.
The guys think Palm Woods is haunted, all of them except Logan. Or possibly Kendall. I still can't tell those two apart. They go about trying to crack this mystery. Also, Gustavo has to stay with them because his mansion is flooded and he can't stay at any hotel, because he's been blacklisted due to his wild days.
It's the end of the school year for the actors and musicians in training at the Palm Woods hotel, so the class tries to put on a dance, but they only have the day to prepare. They need a place to hold the dance, entertainment, and of course, dates.
Jordin Sparks guest stars as herself. She's working with Gustavo, who is producing her next album. Gustavo has banned the guys from interacting with Jordin, because he considers them to be jinxed. However, he has a bigger problem on his hands, as his rival, Hawk, is trying to steal Jordin away from him.
James has Hollywood Fever. That is to say, he has let the Hollywood lifestyle go to his head. If the gang can't get him back down to earth, Gustavo will fire him. Meanwhile, Katie is looking to take advantage of the heat wave to get rich selling snow cones.
Camille is about to go home, which would be the end of her Hollywood dream. However, the guys are about to shoot their first music video and offer her a part so she can convince her dad she can stay. They offer parts in their music video to more than a dozen people, but in the end Gustavo refuses to let any of their friends be in the video. So the solution is simple, make the video behind his back.
The album is done and the studio wants them to go on tour to celebrate. However, there's a lot that needs to be done to prepare for a tour. The have to learn how to dance on stage without crashing into each other. They have to learn how to survive insane fans. Katie has to get all her bootlegged Big Time Rush merchandise ready to sell. They are just about ready when... well, that's a spoiler. The Extras
The Verdict
- Submitted by: C.S.Strowbridge
Filed under: Video Review