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WONDER WOMAN
Season Three
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner
Directors: Various
Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Studio: Warner Bros.
Features: Episode Commentary,
Featurette
Length: 1137 Minutes
Release Date: June 6, 2005
"You
are most DEFINITELY female."
"Since
birth."
The
final season of Wonder Woman has arrived on DVD, and I approached it with
both appreciation and sadness. I
loved the show in my youth and continue to do so as an adult.
I was kind of heartbroken back in the day when I first learned the plug
had been pulled on the show because I thought it had a lot more to offer and
plenty of territory left unexplored. Reliving
season three in its entirety reminded me of that.
If only the powers that were had a little more faith in the show and
realized what a solid fan base it actually had.
But no magic lasso could change their minds, and so our heroine's glory
was painfully short lived.
But
those three years were enough to ensure immortality for the radiant Lynda
Carter, who embodied the role so perfectly no modern audience can think of
Wonder Woman without picturing her. The
potential new feature film may add a new chapter to the ongoing saga, but
nothing can take away the legacy Ms. Carter carved out for herself and for the
character.
This
was Wonder Woman's second year of adventures in modern times, and the comfort
level in bringing her, Diana Prince and Steve Trevor (Waggoner) up to date was
apparent. There was a confidence
about that last year that the creators had really found a new and exciting niche
for them, and that they were starting to explore the possibilities with fresh
ideas and a great sense of fun.
The
year's opener "My Teenage Idol is Missing" is a perennial fan
favorite, as it brought Wonder Woman together with then mega-heartthrob Leif
Garrett, who turned in a nice performance in dual roles as a pop star and his
unknown, shier twin brother. In it,
our leading lady foils a rather dastardly kidnapping plot in which Garrett is
held for ransom for...TWO million dollars (pardon me while I press my pinky to
my lips a la Dr. Evil).
But
many more of the series' best episodes took flight in the last year.
In "Disco Devil", Diana meets up with a pair of unusual men who
are capable of stealing the memories of others; one good, one very bad.
"Time Bomb" features Knots Landing stars Ted Shackleford
and Joan Van Ark as travelers from the future; HE has to stop HER from changing
the course of history! "Stolen
Faces" has Wonder Woman facing off against a master makeup artist, who
intends to use her to carry off his biggest heist.
And our heroine faces her most unusual enemy in "Gault's
Brain"...sing it with me now: "He....ain't
got no body..."
"Amazon
Hot Wax" is a personal favorite of mine, because in it, we get to hear the
lovely Ms. Carter sing as Diana poses as an up and coming artist to infiltrate a
crime ring centered around a recording studio. It also was one of the few real hints at a possible love
story for our leading lady...but sadly, as always, she headed off into the
sunset alone.
But
of the 24 episodes, the final ones were the finest, meaning that Wonder Woman
exited at the top of her game. The
two-part "The Boy Who Knew Her Secret" seemed to set up a future for
the character that would never play out, as Diana Prince was to be transferred
permanently to Los Angeles. But in
this adventure, she stumbles upon an out-of-this-world plot where
extraterrestrial beings are converging on a small town in hopes of capturing an
intergalactic murderer.
"The
Man Who Could Not Die" brought Wonder Woman together with the man who might
have been her perfect mate: a guy
who, thanks to an experimental serum, became invulnerable.
He and our heroine are the only two people who can truly understand how
the other feels, and as we last see him joining the IADC, we're left wondering
what kind of stories might have played out for them.
I
have a feeling that one was meant to be the last episode of the year...Diana had
completed her West Coast move, and Steve Trevor was no more (Lyle Waggoner's
credit was even gone). But the
season actually ended on another great two-parter, "The Phantom of the
Roller Coaster". Diana is
inexplicably back in Washington, and Steve is suddenly back, but no matter.
The story, which involves a kind but disfigured man living under an
amusement park, is truly wonderful, and the show (and therefore, the series)
ended on one of the most beautifully emotional notes imaginable.
As
usual, the show was peppered with great guest stars. Some of them, like Ted Shackleford, Roddy McDowall, Eric
Braeden and Rick Springfield made return engagements.
Others, like Craig T. Nelson, Judge Reinhold, Sarah Purcell and Dick
Butkus joined in the fun for the first time.
If
we could have only gotten more...I can never relive these shows without
imagining many possible storylines for Wonder Woman, but sadly, those episodes
will only ever play out in my mind. Everything
about that last year just seemed to click, and there's no doubt Diana, Steve and
Wonder Woman could have done much more.
Oh,
well...I guess I'll have to go back to wondering what kind of secret agents
Steve Trevor and the IADC employees were supposed to be when they never could
figure out Diana Prince was Wonder Woman...she didn't even wear her glasses much
that last year! Was that the first
sign that our country had problems in the intelligence community?
Looking
good...Wonder Woman goes out in style with some pretty solid transfers from
Warner Bros. The colors on season
three look more vibrant than ever, and detail level is quite sharp.
Much less noticeable grain this time around.
Audio
**
The
stereo mixes continue to do the trick...not a lot of dynamic range, but clear
dialogue, good effects and the always terrific music are a definite plus.
Features
**
There
are two basic extras with the disc...the first is a commentary by Lynda Carter
on the season's first episode "My Teenage Idol is Missing".
Her thoughts and memories are warm toward the show, her co-star (whose
name she pronounces like "life" instead of "layf", and
claims it's the correct way), even if the track is a bit sparse from time to
time. A new featurette "Wonder
Woman: The Ultimate Feminist Icon" has interviews with Ms. Carter and some
of the women who have written for and about Wonder Woman over the years.
I was hoping the studio might include the original little-seen pilot with
Cathy Lee Crosby as an extra, but it was not to be.
And...if
you act quickly, there is a limited edition disc included that features one
episode from another 70s superhero program, Shazam!
That show was cheesy beyond belief...I loved it!
Summary:
