Martin: The Complete Second Season – DVD Review

Archive


Available at Amazon.com

Creators:
John Bowman
Topper Carew
Martin Lawrence

Cast:

Martin Lawrence ………. Martin Payne
Tisha Campbell ………. Gina Waters
Tichina Arnold ………. Pam James
Carl Anthony Payne II ………. Cole Brown
Thomas Mikal Ford ………. Tommy Strawn
Garrett Morris ………. Stan
Jon Gries ………. Shawn

The Show

The second season of a successful new show goes one of two ways. Oddly enough it usually depends on what kind of show it is. For the most part, comedies usually tend to do much better in their second season than dramas. Comedies spend most of its first season giving depth to the main characters. In the second season of a TV comedy, they have much more time to have more jokes and comedy that made the show a success in its first year. Dramas, on the other hand, sometimes fall into a slump as they try so hard from the start, and throw so much into the first season, that they sometimes run out of ideas halfway through the second season. It’s rare for a TV comedy to have a slump in its second year, but it does happen. The question is can the season season of Martin live up to the first season or did they do too much in the first season?

The second season of Martin follows the same plot as the first season.

Martin Lawrence is Martin Payne, a disc-jockey for a local radio station. He has a girlfriend named Gina (Tisha Campbell), who he loves a lot. The only problem with her is that she has an annoying best friend named Pam (Tichina Arnold). Martin and Pam didn’t get along with each other in season one, and they still enjoy ripping into each other during this second season. Lucky for Martin, he still has the support of his friends, Cole (Carl Anthony Payne II) and Tommy (Thomas Mikal Ford).

The first season of the show was known for the crazy characters Martin Lawrence played. The most popular one was Sheneneh Jenkins. Martin is back as that character, along with other infamous characters from the first season. In addition, he doesn’t disappoint as there are plenty of new characters to laugh at in this second season.

While the characters that Martin Lawrence plays on this show are funny, the best comedy moments on this show occur between the main cast. There is so much chemistry between all of the main actors at this point in the show that it really makes the show funny and why it ultimately succeeds. We know all of the characters now and what makes them tick.

The negatives that could be said about season one of the show are pretty much the same ones that you could say about the second season. It’s not a show that everyone can laugh at and enjoy. There is a select group of people who will find this show not as funny as others. Still, Martin Lawrence knows who is audience is and makes this season even funnier than the first season, because he knows that’s what his audience wants to see.

Martin is still so “craaaazzzzyyy” and Martin Lawrence is loving every minute of it. While you may not be laughing non-stop, you still will be laughing 95% of the time during this season. It took what made season one a success and built upon it. Fans of the first season will no doubt like season two of Martin. In fact, they may even like it more than the first season. Martin Lawrence is still at his very best on this show.

Episodes:

Disc One:

Episode 1 – Do You Remember the Time?
Martin struggles with coming up with a new topic for his talk show. In desperation, he finally accepts some ideas from the gang. Finally, Gina suggests that he use the circumstances of how they first met and fell in love as a topic. As they go around the room, each of them has a different remembrance of the events of that night.

Episode 2 – Really, Gina’s Not My Lover
After a painful toothache, Gina has a bad experience at the dentist’s office. She has had novacaine, her face is swollen and bruised all over, she’s drooling uncontrollably, and her speech is badly slurred. She looks like a mess! But Martin is determined to win the “Man of the Decade” award at his high school reunion that evening. His pride makes him want to brag to all his old schoolmates that he is rich and famous, and has a beautiful fashion model girlfriend. If anyone saw what his girlfriend really looked like, it would completely shatter his contrived image.

Episode 3 – Got To Be There
When Martin finds out that Gina has to go out of town on business, he, Tommy & Cole decide they will go out and have some fun while she is away. Meanwhile, Gina & Pam are having fun of their own at a company party in her hotel room, complete with a surprise male stripper. When Martin calls the room to talk to Gina, Bob, the white guy, answers the phone and tells Martin they are having a wild party, with strippers. Martin then drives the 500 miles in the middle of the night, and tries to catch Gina in the act of being unfaithful to him.

Episode 4 – Beat It
Martin invites a crowd of friends over to watch boxing on TV, but can never get to watch it because he is constantly interrupted by his guests. Cole’s new girlfriend Tasha, takes a liking to Tommy, and comes on to him in the back room, causing friction with Tommy and Cole. Pam and Sheneneh argue in the hall, and Bro’ Man irritates Martin as well.

Episode 5 – Baby, It’s You
Martin agrees to help host a baby shower for some of Gina’s expecting girlfriends at his apartment. But he doesn’t expect one of the expectant mothers to go into labor. With the help of Tommy and Cole, Martin safely delivers the baby. Meanwhile, Gina and Pam can’t make it to the shower because they’re broken down in an alley, while a lyrically challenged mechanic sings to them and works on their car.

Episode 6 – Workin’ Day & Night
Martin decides to become more macho after Stan, as well as Tommy and Cole, convince him that Gina has been controlling his life, and that he is ‘whipped’. So to prove it, he decides to work double duty at the station just because Gina told him not to. And as usual, Martin takes things overboard and his antics to prove that Gina is not in control of his life cause other men to disrespect their women also, which leads to a big show-down at the radio station.

Episode 7 – Control
Gina accidentally throws away Martin’s tickets to a very important professional basketball game. She tries to get them out of the trash chute and replace them before Martin finds out, but is unsuccessful. She later finds out that Sheneneh also has a pair of tickets to the same game and begs Sheneneh for them. Sheneneh, who doesn’t like Gina and enjoys watching her suffer, decides to make it difficult for Gina to get the tickets. She compels Gina to work off the debt in her beauty salon

Disc Two:

Episode 8 – You’ve Got a Friend
Gina starts to hang around with a new male friend. They go shopping together alot. Martin gets suspicious, so he threatens the guy and drives him away. But after getting rid of him, Martin realizes he made a mistake when Gina drags him along to shop for ladies shoes.

Episode 9 – To Kill a Talking Bird
Mama Payne leaves her beloved talking parrot at Martin’s apartment for the weekend. The talking bird constantly insults Gina, which infuriates her. Gina tries to keep her cool, and cares for the bird anyway. But the bird dies and Mama Payne believes Gina killed the bird intentionally.

Episode 10 – Fat Like Dat
Gina convinces Martin that he’s putting on weight. So he, Tommy and Cole go on a diet and attend Gina’s aerobics class where they meet a tough physical trainer. Martin then decides that he will give up all the rich foods he used to enjoy, and in true Martin tradition, he takes his dieting and exercise to the extreme. Now Gina must figure out a way to bring the old Martin back.

Episode 11 – Hollywood Swingin’ (Part 1)
After Gina and Pam get promotions, Martin realizes his job is going nowhere. Especially after he meets Varnel Hill — the successful TV talk-show host. So Martin decides to chase his dream of having a successful career by quitting his job, and heading to Hollywood.

Episode 12 – Hollywood Swingin’ (Part 2)
In Los Angeles, Martin takes steps to ensure that he gets on Varnel Hill’s talk show. During a performance by Jodeci, Martin crashes the stage and tries to join the group in singing. Then on the street, Martin runs into Michael Jackson and gets beat down. Elsewhere, Pam believes that she has tracked down Denzel Washington.

Episode 13 – Thanks for Nothing
Martin’s crazy relatives and Gina’s parents arrive at Martin’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. When Mama Payne hears the news, she panics trying to get away fast, and jumps out of the window. Gina can only watch from the window as Mama Payne soars to the ground.

Episode 14 – Whoop! There It Ain’t
After Pam catches Martin and Gina sneaking out of her party to have quickie sex, Pam challenges them to see if they can abstain from having sex for two weeks. Martin and Gina decide to make a bet to see who will be the first one to give in to their primal urges. Martin tries lure Gina into giving in by using soft music & candles, but Gina wears her sexiest blue dress to entice Martin to give in.

Disc Three:

Episode 15 – Holiday Blues
It’s Christmas time and Martin is ready to spend the holidays with Gina, but Gina isn’t happy. She wants to be with her family in Philadelphia. Pam convinces Martin to take Gina home. But instead of flying out of Detroit, Martin decides for them to take the bus. While waiting, the bus gets snowed in, Martin fights with Miss Gerri, Gina beats up the station attendant, and the couple gets their luggage stolen.

Episode 16 – No Justice, No Peace
Martin gets a simple traffic ticket for running a stop sign. But he turns it into a Federal case when he decides to fight it in court and accuses the officer of civil rights violations, etc. As usual, Martin ends up botching the case and tries to resort to an insanity plea.

Episode 17 – Suspicious Minds
Martin’s new CD Walkman disappears. Stan convinces him that one of his friends must have taken it since they all have keys to his apartment. Martin goes around to each of his good friends and accuses them. Then it turns out he’s wrong when the real taker of the Walkman innocently returns it to Martin.

Episode 18 – Love is in Your Face (Part 1)
Gina is offered a job in New York and Martin, taking advice from Stan, tells her to take it. Meanwhile Gina, taking advice from Pam and Sheneneh, decides to leave on the assumption that Martin will stop her from leaving and ask her to marry him.

Episode 19 – Love is in Your Face (Part 2)
With Gina out of his life, Martin reconsiders his decision to let her go to New York to move on with her life, and he sets out to win her back.

Episode 20 – Arms are for Hugging
Martin and Gina admit that they are fighting and arguing too much. So they seek the help of a church Minister for counselling to help them resolve their issues. They end up being invited by the Minister to a weekend Marriage counsel session with other troubled couples at a mountain retreat.

Episode 21 – Guard Your Grill
After winning a charity boxing match, Martin thinks he is as good a fighter as anyone. And after Tommy Hearns makes advances towards Gina, Martin challenges the boxer to a 10-round grudge match, with potentialy disastrous results.

Disc Four:

Episode 22 – Yours, Mine, and Ours
When the small screen TV in the apartment needs replacing, Martin is enticed into buying a big-screen TV, and uses the money from Martin & Gina’s combined checking account to purchase it. This infuriates Gina, who makes him take it back, only to later be discovered buying items of her own in the same way.

Episode 23 – I Don’t Have the Heart
Pam starts dating an older, wealthy man who eventually asks her to marry him. Initially, the gang was concerned about he and Pam, because of the age difference. But as time went by, they began to enjoy the perks that go along with being in the entourage of a wealthy industrialist: skybox tickets to games, New shoes for Martin, exotic trips to far away places. But once Pam breaks her engagement, Martin’s hope of winning fame and fortune are dashed.

Episode 24 – Crunchy Drawers
Martin dreams he is attracted to Pam.

Episode 25 – No Love Lost
Martin and Gina fight just before going to their engagement party, which Snoop Doggy Dogg has crashed.

Episode 26 – The Hoe Down in Motown
Stan is getting busted by the IRS for 20 years worth of back taxes, so he must sell the radio station. The new owner takes over and turns it into a country & western station. Martin tries to adapt. He buys a big cowboy hat, boots and tight jeans, but he’s just not good at country & western.

Episode 27 – Martin’s on the Move
Martin has quit his job at the new country radio station. He tries his hand at working odd jobs to make money to make ends meet, but nothing seems to work out. Sad and depressed, he leaves Detroit. But he doesn’t tell Gina where he’s going. He only says that he will return when he finds himself. She can only contact him via his pager, but…

The Video:

The video is given in fullscreen color with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Transfer is good with minimal distortion. The quality is the same as it was for the season one DVD set, which isn’t a bad thing since that was fairly good for an early 1990’s TV show. The same thing goes here.

The Audio:

The audio included is available in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound. There are subtitles available in English, Spanish, and French. Again, it’s pretty standard quality for a TV show and the same as it was for the first season. The dialogue comes out crisp and clear.

The Extras:

Unlike the first season, there are no extras on this set at all. That’s disappointing, but really that is the only complaint you can have about this season.

THE INSIDE PULSE

Despite the lack of extras this is still a must buy for fans of the first season. If you haven’t seen the first season and want to start watching the show with this season, then that would be okay as well. You will be able to quickly pick up on the show and start enjoying it. Of course, if you don’t like Martin Lawrence, then you obviously won’t like this show.

The DVD Lounge’s Ratings for Martin: Season Two
CATEGORY
RATING
(OUT OF 10)
THE SHOW

9
THE VIDEO

8
THE AUDIO

8
THE EXTRAS

0
REPLAY VALUE

9
OVERALL
7
(NOT AN AVERAGE)

I'm not embarrassed to say that my favorite television show of all-time is The O.C. I live by the motto "you can't fight fate!" More importantly, I watch WAY too much television, but I do so for the benefit of everyone reading this now. So to my mom and my wife, I say thanks for reading! To everyone else that might stumble across this, remember TiVo should be your best friend!