'Taxi: The Final Season'
(Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Andy Kaufman, Christopher Lloyd, Tony Danza, et al / 3-DVD / NR / 2009 / Paramount)
Overview: This sitcom followed the life of a group of cabbies in New York. The group, employees of the Sunshine Cab Company, was made up a motley crew including Bobby (Jeff Conaway), a frustrated actor, Tony (Tony Danza), a struggling boxer, Louie (Danny DeVito), the tyranical dispatcher, and Reverend Jim (Christopher Lloyd), a spacey ex-hippie. The classic ensemble sitcom was hailed by critics and audiences alike after premiering on ABC Sept. 12, 1978.
DVD Verdict: This final season has some great episodes, but it nearly ends with a major atrocity for us "Taxi" fans. Remember the episode where Iggy buys Mario's and all the cabbies help him bring in customers, and he and Alex sits at the piano and everyone sings and has a great time? Well, the entire piano playing and singing was edited out. Absolutely no music or singing was viewed or heard. I was looking forward to seeing this complete episode again and they ruined it by that catastrophic editing.
That's just one disappointment. Another is the two part episode of "A Taxi Celebration". The picture quality and sound quality is very bad compared to the rest of the episodes. Luckily, they look fine on the original episodes but what a disappointment, nonetheless.
To me, the least appealing episodes were "Travel's with my Dad" Which is about Tony and his dad, "Sugar Ray Nardo" with Elaine's son wanting to try boxing and Elaine being way too overprotective. And "Love Un-American Style" was about Latka and Simka arranging for all the cabbies to meet someone who may be a good match for them. "Arnie Meets the Kids" is rather pathetic because Arnie is pathetic because Elaine is much too beautiful to be with such a balding doofus like him. It's kinda funny, but Arnie and Elaine? No way.
Now, the best episodes which is really like opening a great can of worms because all the other episodes are fabulous classic episodes. But, if I still have to pick some absolute favorites for this final season, it is definately "Sceneskies From a Marriage" where Latka has sex with another cabbie to stay warm and Simka knows just by looking at him that he "did it with another woman" so their minister tells Simka that she is suppose to be unfaithful to Latka to save their marriage. What an excellent interpretation of an extremely warped religion. Man, then there's "Crime and Punishment", "Alex Gets Burned by an Old Flame", "Louie and the Blind Girl", "A Grand Gesture", and well, all the others. [RS] This is a Full Screen Presentation (1.33:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.
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