Wings: The Fifth Season – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews

Available at Amazon.com

Creators

David Angell, Peter Casey, & David Lee

Cast

Tim Daly………Joe Hackett
Steven Weber………Brian Hackett
Crystal Bernard………Helen Chapel
Tony Shalhoub………Antonio Scarpacci
Thomas Hayden Church………Lowell Mather
David Schramm………Roy Biggins
Rebecca Schull………Fay Cochran
Farrah Forke………Alex Lambert

DVD Release Date: November 6, 2007
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 720 Minutes on 4 discs

The Show

In an age when sitcoms just aren’t what they used to be, Wings has both positive and a negative factors attached to it. Considering how horrible most sitcoms are today, if Wings were to just begin airing then it would probably fail midway through the first season. But back in the late eighties and early nineties when it was first on the air, it succeeded because it was the type of sitcom that just fit right in with everything else.

Joe and Brian Hackett are brothers that own a small company called Sandpiper Airlines in Nantucket, Massachusetts. They only have one plane and operate out of a very tiny airport inhabited by other small airlines and businesses. Together they are some of the most well known pilots in the area, but also some of the nuttiest. Well, Brian is a bit nutty and carefree while Joe is more business-oriented and serious. Still, in order to deal with the people around them, they’d have to be a little nutty.

An older woman named Fay Cochran runs their front counter and takes reservations. She has a way with words and a smart-aleck wit to match. Roy Biggins runs another small airline and is ready to insult anyone that walks by. Helen Chapel stands behind the lunch counter and takes care of the food orders all day. Antonio Scarpacci is an Italian cab driver that is usually found sitting at Helen’s lunch counter more often then driving passengers. Then there’s Lowell Mather who is the bumbling mechanic/maintenance man that is extremely lovable but dumb as a rock. These are the people that you would see in nearly episode although there are a few others who stopped in from time to time.

Most notably this season would be Alex Lambert who was only around for two seasons, but played a huge part. She is a helicopter pilot who moved to Nantucket to start her own business and eventually ends up in a relationship with Brian. As you’ll notice with Brian though, relationships don’t always last that long. Helen’s sister Casey eventually showed up and also falls for Brian, but that’s still one more season away. Brian and Alex’s romance seemed to be only one of many in season five as people were hooking up with one another all over the place.

While the focus seemed to be on relationships (Brian/Alex; Lowell/Bunny; Helen/Davis; Helen/Joe) , there were some other moments that made season five very memorable. After Lowell and Bunny get divorced, he has to move in with the Hacketts which makes for some incredibly funny moments. The two-part episode “Joe Blows” really causes everyone to take things into perspective as to how it would be if Joe wasn’t around. Not only that, it shows a different side of Joe that hasn’t yet been seen at all through Wings‘ first four seasons. He’s actually acting like Brian while Brian is being responsible and acting like Joe.

It was a great show and when I was younger, it was one I always looked forward to, but it just isn’t the same. All the episodes seem to be exactly like the one before it except for the one or two random ones they’ll throw in focusing on Roy or better yet, Antonio. The Hackett brothers are exact opposites with Joe being business oriented while Brian wants to play the field. Helen sits behind the lunch counter and has dates all the time while Antonio lusts for her and Joe secretly pines for her. Fay and Roy make smart-alecky comments and Lowell is a comedic moron. Wings just wouldn’t make it today like most sitcoms on the air shouldn’t, but fifteen years ago it was genius.

Episodes

Disc One:

Stop In The Name Of Love: Brian gets word from Alex that she’s ready to consummate their relationship. But Joe, Helen, and the others tell him he better not, or he’ll ruin a good thing.

Terminal Jealousy: When Brian injures himself, Alex volunteers to take his shifts and spends a little too much time with Joe. Helen’s health inspector turns out to be her nemesis.

Bye-Bye, Bunny: Lowell reluctantly asks for a divorce from Bunny, but after it becomes final, they start acting like newlyweds. And Antonio finds a philanderer’s cell phone.

Business Or Pleasure: Joe courts Davis Lynch, a potential investor, who takes an immediate liking to Helen. Meanwhile, Antonio works overtime at the lunch counter.

An Affair To Forget: Brian arranges for a romantic getaway, but it gets interrupted by Joe and Helen. And as Lowell records his thoughts on tape, Roy gets a makeover.

A Black Eye Affair: Helen frantically prepares for her last-minute date with Davis. But with green hair, red blotches and a black eye, she’s finding it hard to keep calm.

Disc Two:

Joe Blows (Part 1) : While dealing with an angry customer, Joe’s bombarded with everyone’s problems and finally explodes, walking out on his job.

Joe Blows (Part 2) : Brian tracks down Joe on an island, but Joe says he doesn’t want to return. So he sells the airline to Brian, who has to run it all by himself.

2 Good 2 B 4 Gotten: Joe’s convinced that a female ex-classmate has come back to talk him, but no one will believe him. And Antonio sells his belongings for cash.

Come Fly With Me: Bored and restless on a Saturday night, the gang makes their way to a party in Boston, where all the attractive women can be had…for a price.

Happy Holidays: While Fay and Helen try to organize a party on Christmas Eve, Brian is forced to visit Alex’s family, and Antonio is seduced by Lowell’s ex-wife Bunny!

Ready, Teddy, Go: Helen is shocked when she finds a gift from Davis in his suitcase, a black negligee from Paris she finds way too revealing.

Disc Three:

Oh, Give Me A Home Where The Mathers Don’t Roam: Tired of Lowell’s controlling ways, Joe and Brian finally get the mechanic to move out of their house, but aren’t prepared for the fact that he has never lived alone.

The Faygitive: A privative detective comes looking for Fay, but won’t tell her why. Meanwhile, Antonio gets–then loses–illegal cable television.

Say Uncle, Carlton: The obnoxious old man Carlton Blanchard is back, and he hires Antonio to chauffeur him around. Only now he’s joined by his equally obnoxious nephew.

Hey, Nineteen: Joe is smitten with Fay’s new study partner, a 19-year-old beauty who Helen used to babysit. And Roy and Antonio find a dog that women can’t resist.

Exclusively Yours: Brian and Alex make it official. They will only see each other from now on. But then a planeload of models arrives, and they’re partying at Brian’s house!

Moonlighting: During the off-season, Alex is forced to take a job in a theme restaurant. So the others regale her with stories of their previous jobs from hell.

Disc Four:

Sleepless In Nantucket: Brian and Alex move in together, but aren’t prepared for each other’s annoying sleeping habits. And Lowell has to come up with the perfect name for a baby.

Boys Will Be Girls: Joe and Brian get revenge of their old high school football coach by dressing him up in drag while he’s asleep, not realizing that he’s actually dead.

Roy Crazy: Roy’s ex-wife arrives on the island, and she’s giving him strong signals that she wants to get back together. And Helen has a not-so-secret admirer.

Long Distance Lament: Alex convinces Helen to dump Davis after he repeatedly breaks their dates, and urges her to go out with a pilot. But then Davis flies in to apologize.

Call Of The Wild: Brian’s old skirt-chasing buddy, now a successful author, is in town and ready to carouse. But when Brian joins him, it causes a rift in his relationship with Alex.

A Decent Proposal: Brian regrets breaking up with Alex and tries to win her back. And while Helen’s prepared for a break-up, Davis proposes! But then Joe comes a-knockin’.

The Video

The episodes are shown in 1.33:1 Full Screen format and look good for the most part considering they are close to fifteen years old. Colors are bright when they need to be and the picture is sharp except for a few moments now and then where slight grainy effects are evident.

The Audio

The episodes are heard in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Sound and considering you are going to hear virtually all dialogue here then it does a-ok.

Special Features

None

The Inside Pulse

Wings is worth a rental at best and you can pretty much start with any season you please up until now. The later seasons see Amy Yasbeck come in as Helen’s sister Casey and Lowell eventually disappears entirely. That was when the series really started to go downhill. But aside from a few continuing storylines, you can pick up anywhere and follow right along. There are some good laughs and even a few dram-filled episodes, but not enough to make you want to watch again and again. No special features are included in this set and that seems about right. A lot of TV DVD sets never do have any and Wings isn’t the kind of show you’d expect any from. I would have enjoyed a blooper reel from this cast though. None the less, this set is fun for a night or two but then it’s done. Thank you for flying Sandpiper Airlines.

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

5
THE VIDEO

6
THE AUDIO

7
THE EXTRAS

0
REPLAY VALUE

4
OVERALL
4
(NOT AN AVERAGE)