Sex and the City - Season 6 (Part 1)  (2003)

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Ron Livingston, Blair Underwood, Chris Noth, David Eigenberg, Jason Lewis

Creator: Darren Star

Rating: NR

Distributor: HBO Home Video

Release Date: May 18, 2004
Review posted: June 2, 2004

Spoilers: None

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

SYNOPSIS

They've experienced the pleasure of sex, the pain of heartbreak and the panacea of friendship. Now, Carrie Bradshaw (Parker) and her three best friends, Miranda (Nixon), Charlotte (Davis) and Samantha (Cattrall), are headed into an exciting new chapter in their lives that's as unpredictable as the metropolis they live in. It's the last hurrah for Carrie and Co.

CRITIQUE

I've heard great things about Sex and the City, but unfortunately I've never seen a single episode before sitting down to review the first twelve episodes of the sixth and final season. In a way, I'm not sure what to make of the show. Coming it at the end of the run, I didn't know the characters, their past relationships, and many other things, like subplots developed in prior seasons. So I'm not exactly sure how to go about reviewing the season, but I can give you an indication of my overall sense of the show.

Well, first of all, it's sexy. The four leads are terrific. I don't know their backgrounds, like I said, but it only takes two or three episodes to take a liking to them. They're a witty bunch of friends who all have their own preferences, priorities, fantasies, etc. The supporting characters are likeable for the most part, I think. Also, the acting is perfect from what I've seen. The cameos are fun, too.

Next, the show is pretty smart and sometimes genuinely funny as well. As a guy, I think I actually learned some new things, for which I'm thankful for, no doubt. Another definite plus point about the show is the writing. The storylines for the first half of the season (it was shown in two sessions) are pretty good. I like the freedom and intensity of the dialogue. Sex and the City also doesn't shy away from showing sex or nudity, or talking explicitly about it, which is essential and cool, yet refreshing. It wouldn't have "sex" in the title if that weren't the case.

Sex and the City - Season 6: Part 1 breaks down as follows:

Disc 1: To Market, To Market; Great Sexpectations; The Perfect Present; Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little
Disc 2: Lights, Camera, Relationship; Hop, Skip And a Week; The Post-It Always Sticks Twice; The Catch
Disc 3: A Woman’s Rights To Shoes; Boy, Interrupted; The Domino Effect; One

THE VIDEO

HBO presents Sex and the City in the show's original 1.33:1 fullscreen aspect ratio. Colors look bright and well-saturated. Compression artifacts do not appear, and the print quality looks quite good and fresh. There's softness to some images and grain appears in several spots, but all in all a fairly good presentation of a recent TV show.  Optional subtitles include English, Spanish, and French.

THE AUDIO

HBO presents Sex and the City in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround. The two front channels make the dialogue clearly audible without distractions or noise. Channel separation is good, as is some dynamic range. The surrounds hardly become active other than to project natural sounds, like honking, the wind, background music, etc. I don't think this show really requires a 5.1 track, but the presentation is pretty good. Also available is an English 2.0 track and a Spanish stereo dub.

THE EXTRAS

There aren't many special features here, but that's not news considering the previous season sets. Still, a good enough round up to please any fan of the show.

First are four audio commentaries by executive producer Michael Patrick King. He engages in informative discussions on episodes To Market, To Market and Great Sexpectations (disc 1), as well as Boy Interrupted and One (disc 2). I didn't care for every story he told, but it's very clear he knows the show from the inside out.

Disc three offers the 33-minute The Museum of TV and Radio Seminar Series - Sex and the City, a roundtable discussion featuring the four girls and King that took place on October 1st, 2003. There's various information on the characters, auditions, and other things about the show. The DVD for Oz - Season 2 offered the same seminar as an extra, and both seminars play more to the interest of real fans. While I enjoyed the majority of the sixth season's first twelve episodes, this seminar didn't do that much for me. Think James Lipton's "Actor's Studio", only slightly different.

Rounding out the extras is a season index that shows brief previews of the twelve episodes.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The first part of the sixth season ended September 14, 2003. There was a nearly four month wait for the last eight episodes, which eventually premiered January 4, 2004. They include: The Ick Factor; Catch-38; Out of the Frying Pan; The Cold War; Splat!; An American girl in Paris (part une); An American girl in Paris (part deux). These will be available at a later time, but HBO hasn't made the announcement yet. I think it's silly of the studio to release the season in two parts, and fans sure aren't happy about this. The only reason behind the break-up I can think of would be more money, and that's just business.

Sex and the City - Season 6: Part 1 may be a flawed DVD release, but nearly all of the first twelve episodes are enjoyable. The cast is great and extremely good-looking. Plus New York City looks gorgeous. And the sex feels and looks realistic. What more could a guy want? Well, that speaks to the individual.

Overall, the DVD comes recommended. Fans might want to pick it up. Newcomers should probably start at the beginning, I know that's what I should've done. What I've seen so far of the show is fun, that's all I can tell you at this point.

VERDICT: RECOMMENDED

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