Reno 911 is perhaps the best series that Comedy Central still has on the air. Obviously, South Park is up there, but Reno 911 has really gelled into one of the best comedy shows that is currently being aired. Intrepid fans will obviously know that much of the staff of the Reno Sheriff’s department comes from the criminally underrated The State (which as of this point has not been placed for sale, despite massive demand and the cast and crew of the show working with MTV on it), but for my money, the comedy of Reno 911 has a level of sophistication present that seems to outstrip even The State.
“The Complete Fifth Season†has a number of solid episodes and features, primary of which would have to be the heavier focus on Nick Swardson’s character Terry. Another sketch – the Spanish PSAs – that are interspersed through the episodes may just be the one weakness that this season of Reno 911 has, as they have no subtitles or other clues to what exactly each member of the Sheriff’s department is talking about. The addition of George Lopez at points as Reno’s mayor will shock and amaze anyone that previously was only familiar with the weak family comedy that Lopez pandered a few years back. The episodes themselves on this DVD set have a sharper quality to them, due to the fact that Comedy Central has a somewhat less-sharp picture in their broadcast signal, while the audio is placed into Dolby 2.0 layers that will ensure that viewers understand what everyone is saying.
The bonus features here are legion, and are likely the reason why “The Complete Fifth Season†needed an extra DVD beyond the 2 provided the previous four season. There are episode commentaries done for 6 different episodes (typically throwing in five members of the cast), while a featurette in “Cop Psychology†has a researcher from UCB breakdown the actual psychologies exhibited by the members of the Reno’s sheriff department. The deleted scenes total about 40 to 45 minutes, and while they are from a limited number of scenes/episodes, they provide some additional comedy to a series and a season that is already bursting with it. Here’s to hoping that Comedy Central picks up the series for another season, but if not, “The Complete Fifth Season†will cap off one of the best cop comedies that has ever been committed to television.
Rating: 8.5/10
Reno 911 – The Complete Fifth Season / 2008 Paramount / 352 Minutes / http://www.comedycentral.com /