DVD Review: Great Second Season of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Deserves Better Set

CHICAGO – CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” had a good first season but, like a lot of sitcoms, it became much more confident in season two and really developed a rhythm that I expect will carry it for years to come. Don’t believe me? Check out the nearly-perfect and Emmy-nominated second season of “The Big Bang Theory,” now available on DVD.

DVD Rating: 3.0/5.0

The first season of “The Big Bang Theory” set up the concept - two dorky guys, their two even dorkier friends, and the pretty girl who lives across the hall. The set-up was funny, the cast was good, but it was sometimes predictable and stale.

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second Season was released on DVD on September 15th, 2009.
Photo credit: Warner Brothers Home Video

The brilliance of the second season was that it took the pretty girl across the hall and made her one of the guys. In season two, Penny (the highly underrated and gorgeous Kaley Cuoco) nearly became one of the guys, drawing closer to Leonard (Johnny Galecki) as a friend (and maybe more) and joining in on the social experiment that is Sheldon (Jim Parsons). Howard (Simon Helberg) and Raj (Kunal Nayyar) became their own distinct characters instead of just part of the dorky gang.

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second Season was released on DVD on September 15th, 2009. Photo credit: Warner Brothers Home Video

It wasn’t just the overall concept but the individual episode writing for season two was often brilliant with great episodes about Penny becoming addicted to online gaming, Sheldon learning how to drive, the best Christmas present that Sheldon could ever imagine, and one of the funniest trips to Vegas in the history of TV. Scene-stealing guest stars in season two include Sara Gilbert (who worked with Galecki on the great “Roseanne”), Christine Baranski, and Summer Glau.

The guest stars were fantastic, but the strength of “The Big Bang Theory” was in the cast. Parsons arguably deserved to win the Emmy he was nominated for having turned Sheldon into one of the most unique TV creations of the ’00s. Cuoco doesn’t get nearly the credit she deserves, more than holding her own with her quirkier male castmates. The “geeks” may get all the references and most of the physical humor, but Cuoco is the prettiest “straight man” on TV.

The show may be one of my favorite comedies on the air, but the DVD for season two of “The Big Bang Theory” is a bit of a disappointment.

First, it’s unacceptable for a current show, especially one with such a geek-centric audience, to not be released on Blu-Ray. “The Big Bang Theory” looks great in its original HD broadcast. It’s shameful that I can’t own it in the same quality. With the number of “BBT” fans who probably own a PS3 (the Comic-Con panel for the show was insanely popular and, well, there’s a bit of crossover between gamers and comic fans), you’d think that alone would justify a Blu-Ray release. The matted widescreen, Dolby Digital Stereo presentation of the show is the weakest thing about the DVD release.

Although the special features aren’t far behind. Wouldn’t it be fun to hear Galecki, Parsons, and Cuoco break character and do a commentary? No luck. All fans will find are a gag reel and two featurettes - “Physicist to the Stars” and “Testing the Infinite Hilarity Hypothesis in Relation to the Big Bang Theory”. The former is a look at the real physicist that serves as a consultant on the show and the second a look at the unique characters of season two. Neither are that interesting.

The second season set of “The Big Bang Theory” may have weak technical specs and light special features, but the show is good enough to warrant a look or maybe even a purchase. Let’s hope that season three is even better.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com