Featured TV on DVD Review: iCarly: Season Two, Volume Three
April 2, 2011
iCarly: Season Two, Volume Three - Buy from Amazon
The latest iCarly release is a three-disc set for Season Two, Volume Three, which is misnamed, as it features episodes from the past two seasons, I think. Some sources call them two separate seasons, even though the production numbers are all from season two and there were a more or less continues release of new episodes. The gap between seasons two and three was just a few weeks, while there were gaps just as large in the middle of the seasons. To make matters worse, the episodes here are not presented in production order or air date. It's a little confusing.
Episodes start with...
There are two short featurettes, the first on Guppy, Gibby's younger brother. The second is a best of season two.
There is also the pilot episode of T.U.F.F. Puppy, the latest series from Butch Hartman, who previously made The Fairly OddParents and there's definitely a continuity of style between the two shows. In this series, Jerry Trainor provides the voice for Dudley Puppy, a mutt hired by Turbo Undercover Fighting Force to be their newest secret agent. What he lacks in training, he makes up for with a perfect mix of doggie D.N.A. He's partnered with Kitty Katswell, whose natural leadership skills and training are in contrast to Dudley's idiocy and dumb luck.
There were 45 episode in season two of iCarly, including five two-parters. That's more than a lot of shows make in total. Season Two, Volume Three presents 17 of these episodes for just $15 (at least that's the current price on Amazon.com). That's an excellent deal for shows aimed at this target demographic; however, of those 17 episodes, only 6 are new. If you own all three of the previous releases, then the price-per-minute of new material is a little bit higher. On the other hand, if you own all three previous releases, chances are you are a dedicated fan of the show and will be willing to pay the little extra to grab them.
The Show
From the end of season two. I reviewed it here as part of iSaved Your Life. On the one hand, it's kind of disappointing to start with a double-dip. On the other hand, this is a very good episode and its fun to see Jennette McCurdy play the dual role.
It's the girls choice dance and Carly waited too long to ask the guy she wanted to go with and now she doesn't have a date. But it's Sam (Jennette McCurdy) to the rescue. She hijacks the webshow and gets every boy interested in dating Carly to e-mail. Hundreds do. Meanwhile, Carly makes Sam ask Gibby to the dance, as he still doesn't have a date and Carly is a little worried about it. It's another strong episode full of good character bits and some throwaway jokes. ("Crotchety.")
Previously reviewed as part of iFight Shelby Marx. Not a very good episode, as it is more of a clip show than one with a real plot.
Principal Franklin (Tim Russ, a.k.a. Tuvok from Star Trek: Voyager) asks for a favor from Carly, Sam, and Freddie. He wants to wish his daughter a happy birthday on the show. But after his boss sees the show, he's fired for conduct unbecoming a principal. Now it's up to the iCarly crew to get him his job back. Another good episode with good humor, and even a bit of heart.
After yet another prank on Lewbert the doorman (Jeremy Rowley) the iCarly gang find out he used to be a happy person and was in love with a beautiful woman. So they decide to track her down and get them back together. If you've seen a single episode of this show, you know it will backfire. And if this is the only episode of the show you've seen, you're a bit unlucky, because it is weaker than most. The character of Lewbert is just too over-the-top to be dramatically compelling.
Previously reviewed. Below average for the show, but better than average for the target demographic.
Previously reviewed. The double-length episode is better than average for the show, but not quite the TV movie the DVD calls it.
Previously reviewed when it was released on iSpace Out. I love seeing Sam in a different light, so this is a really fun episode.
Previously reviewed. It's a solid episode, but that's it.
Previously reviewed. A very good episode with a balance of humor and character development.
Previously reviewed. Its a solid episode, but not one of the best for the show.
Previously reviewed. Solid episode, but the B-plot is better than the A-plot.
Previously reviewed. I very hectic show that is quite fun, but not as memorable as some of the best the series has to offer.
Previously reviewed, which makes six out of the past seven episodes from the same disc. Only a solid episode and not great.
The iCarly gang are off to WebCom, but first they agree to stop off at a fan's house, Nora, for her sweet 16 birthday party. They have a tight schedule, so they can't stay long. When they get there, the party is such a bust that they decide to stay a little bit longer and broadcast an webisode of iCarly live. This draws in the cool kids, and suddenly its the biggest party of the year. When the party is over, everyone's happy, until Carly, Sam, and Freddie try to leave. Meanwhile Spencer and Gibby decide to pretend the apartment is a summer camp, and the fun begins, just as soon as Spencer fixes the counter-top. For an artist, he's amazingly inept at such a simple home repair job. It's a two-part episode that starts out great, but kind of runs out of steam near the end. Still better than average for the show, but I'm not sure it needed to be as long as it was. (Daniella Monet was in the episode, and she's on another Nickelodeon show, so perhaps it was cross-promotion.)
A heatwave has hit Seattle and with triple-digit temperatures, the gang is struggling. At least they were till Spencer plugs in his Norwegian air conditioner and blasts the apartment with cool air. The relief is short-lived as there's a citywide black out. Fortunately Spencer also has a powerful generator to keep the power going. Unfortunately, this means every tenant in the building wants to hang out at their place till the power comes back on. Everyone. Another hectic episode with lots of little storylines going on. None of them are compelling enough to carry an episode, but combined they work.
The DVD ends with a blooper show. The only plot has Miranda Cosgrove playing a version of herself, as a powerful executive on the show. She has a meeting with Jerry Trainor (Spencer) to point out he's been messing up quite a bit and needs to work harder in rehersals. Of course, this is just used to setup the various blooper clips from the actors, stunts gone wrong, faulty props, etc. The Extras
The Verdict
- Submitted by: C.S.Strowbridge
Filed under: Video Review