It’s been five years since Hugh Hefner allowed E! cameras inside the gates of the Playboy Mansion to film a reality TV show called The Girls Next Door. The series featured Hef’s three girlfriends at the time, Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson. But as they say, “all good things must come to an end”. Season five would be the last one for Holly, Bridget, and Kendra. Not only as stars of this show, but as Hef’s girlfriends as well.
If you have watched the show before, you know that at first, Kendra, Holly, and Madison all looked alike, but we quickly learned that they each of them has a different personality. They have constantly changed and matured throughout the run of this show, but this season definitely has the aura of “change” surrounding it. Holly has always been Hef’s “main” girl, but you could tell she has gotten frustrated with Hef and his unwillingness to marry her. Bridget is still the energetic, who has her own radio show on Sirius Satellite radio. You could tell that bigger and better things were coming for her at the end of the season. Finally, the youngest girlfriend, Kendra, is still the crazy, tomboyish, naive girlfriend. But for most of this season, she appears to be depressed and less crazy when you compare her antics from previous seasons.
The storylines featured in season five are very similar to past seasons, especially in the beginning. Bridget is busy planning parties, Kendra doesn’t want to go to any of those parties, and Holly still wants to have Hef’s baby. Along they way, they also travel the country to pick a 55th Anniversary Playmate, visit Mardi Gras in New Orleans, go to Louisville, Kentucky for the Kentucky Derby, and swing by Aspen, Colorado, where former Playmate and ex-girlfriend of Hef, Barbi Benton, now lives in a 25,000-square-foot home with her husband George. Other highlights include Bridget planning for a crazy Las Vegas wedding, Kendra participating in the world’s sexiest softball game, and Holly deciding to redecorate the Playmate House. The real gem of the season, though, is the episode where we take a visit through Hef’s scrapbook library, featuring thousands of volumes from Hef’s childhood to present. You know the end is near for this foursome then.
Unfortunately, 20th Century FoX has decided to milk this show for all its worth. This is the final season of The Girls Next Door featuring Kendra, Bridget, and Holly, but the final two episodes where they all say their goodbyes are nowhere to be found on this Season Five DVD set. This obviously means that FOX will soon release these episodes on their own, which is a shame. Even more shameful, though, is the fact that the producers of this series think a sixth season will work with Hef’s new girlfriends, twin blondes Karissa and Kristina Shannon, and Crystal Harris.
The show might go on in theory, but The Girls Next Door without Kendra, Holly, and Bridget is a show not worth watching. Hef’s new girlfriends just appear to be annoying and far less interesting than the original trio. The fifth season is less than comparable to the previous four, but it might be the most emotional and heartfelt one. The usual wacky fun and unprecedented look at life at the Playboy Mansion is still the main focus of this season, but it’s hard not thinking of what is to come. So despite the fact that FOX is not giving you every fifth season episode at once, this DVD set is still a “must-have” for hardcore fans of The Girls Next Door.
Episodes:
Disc One:
Episode 1 – Change Of Undress
Holly decides to re-decorate the playmate house.
Episode 2 – Girl Crazy (Part 1)
Holly begins her tour to find Playboy’s 55th Anniversary Playmate.
Episode 3 – Girl Crazy (Part 2)
Holly finishes up her tour to find Playboy’s 55th Anniversary Playmate.
Episode 4 – Kentucky Fried
The girls and Hef go to the kentucky derby.
Episode 5 – Pleading The 55th (Part 1)
Holly invites the 55th anniversary playmates to the mansion for test shoots.
Disc Two:
Episode 6 – Pleading The 55th (Part 2)
Hef narrows the 55th anniversary candidates down. They do more test shoots, and Dasha is finally chosen for 55th anniversary playmate.
Episode 7 – Catcher in the Raw
Kendra organizes a Playmate softball game and practices for it by hitting the batting cages with Holly
Episode 8 – Glued To Their Sets
The girls shoot their 2009 calendar.
Episode 9 – Kickin’ Aspen
The girls and hef go to Barbi’s house in Aspen
Episode 10 – Happy Birthday, Anastasia
The ladies help Bridget’s sister, Anastasia, celebrate her 21st birthday.
Disc Three:
Episode 11 – Tying The Naughty
The girls go to Vegas for Stacy Burke’s wedding.
Episode 12 – Fangs For The Mammaries
Bridget produces, and stars in The Telling.
Episode 13 – The Spa Who Loved Me
The girls treat their moms to a spa day at the mansion.
Episode 14 – The Big Easy Does It
The girls go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Episode 15 – Third Time’s The Charming
Holly directs photo shoots at the mansion.
The video is given in fullscreen color with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The transfer is great with colors generally looking bright and vivid details everywhere. No major or minor problems at all here, and on par with previous seasons.
The audio included is in English 2.0 Stereo sound. There are subtitles available in English as well. The dialogue and music come out loud and clear. No major problems here either, and the same good quality as previous seasons.
Audio Commentaries –
There are audio commentaries from Holly, Kendra, and Bridget on all 16 episodes on this DVD set. These have always been great, and there aren’t any exceptions here. It’s always fun listening to the girls talk about these episodes. Definite must-watch viewing again after seeing the season the first time. These were also
recorded after the girls left Hef and the mansion.
Deleted Scenes –
There is a little over one hour of deleted scenes from this season. Once again unlike most deleted scenes, the majority of these are funny and worth checking out. Basically all of them were cut for time reasons. Overall, they are entertaining to watch.
Episode Promos –
Just like previous seasons, you have the option to view the promo and preview that was shown originally on E! for the next week’s episode before each of the episodes on this DVD set. Not really needed, since you don’t really need a reason to watch each episode when you have bought or rented the DVD set. But they are there if you want to watch them.
The Girls Next Door was a great fun reality show that didn’t take itself too seriously. This will likely be the last time you can enjoy this series, unless Hef’s new girlfriends show that they are more than just Paris Hilton wannabes. If you want to see the final goodbyes of Holly, Kendra, and Bridget, wait for FOX to release those episodes on their own. This “limited” fifth season DVD set is still a must-own for fans of the show, but for first timers, you need to start with the first couple of seasons to get a taste of what this show is really all about.
20th Century FOX Home Video presents The Girls Next Door: Season 5. Created by Kevin Burns and Hugh Hefner. Starring Hugh Hefner, Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson, and Bridget Marquardt. Running time: 390 minutes. Rated: NOT RATED. Released on DVD: June 23, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
