Courtesy: Entertainment One/Syfy
Werewolves and vampires and ghosts, oh my! Werewolves and vampires and ghosts, oh my! That’s right. The werewolves, vampires, and ghosts are back for another season in Being Human Season Three. Syfy and Entertainment One have partnered to release the third season of the hit horror based prime time soap opera just in time to count down the days to the premiere of the series’ fourth season on Syfy. Season Three has been lauded both by fans and the cast alike as being the best so far for the series. And it is made even better now that Season Three has been released to DVD and Blu-ray. First and foremost, it is a serial , like so many other shows out there right now. But unlike so many serials, one doesn’t come into Season Three feeling like one needs a program to follow the show. That’s something rare to find especially among the overwhelming glut of serials that fill television’s Big 4 and the cable networks. Staying in that same vein (no pun intended), audiences will appreciate just as much the “built-in”episode guide included in the box. Each episode is listed within the box set. And each episode comes with a brief but concise summary, helping to set the stage for each episode. If the episode listing and summaries aren’t enough for fans, then perhaps the included bonus features will get audiences excited. All of these factors together make the new DVD and Blu-ray box set release of Being Human Season Three one that any fan of the show will enjoy as they count the days to Season Four’s premiere.
The first thing that audiences should take into consideration with the third season of Being Human—whether seeing it for the first time or not in its third season—is its writing. On the surface, this series is just one more of so many serials that crowd the airwaves in this era. But on a deeper level, it is a series that is largely easy to follow. There is no need for a program to keep up with this plot or that one or even another one. It actually maintains in large part, the same characters and same developing storyline that it started out with in the show’s first season. Far too many other serials on TV today continue to get that formula wrong. Their writers try so hard to keep things going that they end up writing themselves into the proverbial corner. In the case of this series, that hasn’t happened, even in the show’s third season. Audiences that have any knowledge of television’s other serial offerings will concur with this fact.
The writing involved in each of this season’s episodes is the foundation for the overall success of Season Three. Resting on that foundation of sorts is another aspect that audiences will appreciate in its new home release. That second aspect is the episode listing and summaries included inside both the season’s DVD and Blu-ray case. On the inside front and back of the case is a complete listing of each episode. Also included with the episode listing are brief but concise summaries of each episode. The summaries collectively are a positive for those that are more familiar with this season in that they serve as a refresher for said audiences. For those same audiences, maybe said audiences missed one episode or another. Then the summaries serve an even greater purpose. For those that are seeing Season Three for the first time, the episode list and summaries will set the stage for the episodes contained on the set’s four discs. As little attention as some audiences might give such a factor, this just goes to show how important the included episode list and summaries become in the bigger picture of things.
The last factor that audiences should take into consideration with this new DVD and Blu-ray box set is the included bonus features. Included in this set is a rather in-depth behind-the-scenes featurette, a standard blooper reel, and for those (like this critic) that have never had the pleasure of attending the famed San Diego Comic Con, the complete Being Human panel from said event. Fans of the show will enjoy the Comic Con panel. It’s a nice lighthearted moment from the cast that will leave audiences applauding and laughing along with those in attendance. The Behind-The-Scenes featurette is the key bonus feature among the bonuses. It advances the writing, the episode list and summaries even more. It expands on the events of Season Three while also offering some first person commentary from the cast on set. There are also segments highlighting the show’s special effects, the makeup work, and much more. Each of the segments in question is separated from the others by its own slate. Again, this seems like something minor at first glance. But on a deeper level, it helps to keep audiences’ attention and keep up with what is being discussed through the course of each segment. Far too few shows do this with the bonus features on their home releases. So audiences will appreciate this being done here. It is one more part of the whole in the complete Being Human Season Three that fans of the show will appreciate when they pick up their own copy. It is available in stores and online now. More information on Being Human is available online at http://www.facebook.com/beinghuman. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.
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