“Gossip Girl” is a fun tween soap opera with various storylines which help keep the attention span even when the episodes can sometimes sputter. The DVD itself offers up good video and audio transfers and a decent set of features, though it’s still fairly light and only worth one viewing. Given the price, and assuming you’re a fan, this fifth season is worth it.
“Gossip Girl” The Complete Fifth Season (2011-12)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Drama
Warner Bros. | NR – 1008 min. – $59.98 | September 25, 2012
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Various
Writer(s): Cecily von Ziegesar (book); Stephanie Savage & Josh Schwarts (developed by)
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Kelly Rutherford, Matthew Settle, Kristen Bell
DISC INFO:
Features: Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel
Number of Discs: 5
Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
THE SHOW
Everyone’s favorite socialites are back to their wicked ways in Gossip Girl’s scandalous fifth season. As the season begins, a suntanned Serena (BLAKE LIVELY) found the perfect summer job in Los Angeles when Chuck (ED WESTWICK) and Nate (CHACE CRAWFORD) pay her a visit. Back on the Upper East Side, Blair (LEIGHTON MEESTER) is still dealing with the impossible choice between Prince Louis (HUGO BECKER) and Chuck, and Dan’s (PENN BADGLEY) world is suddenly shattered when he discovers that someone has gone behind his back and found an editor to anonymously publish one of this stories. Finally, the surprise return of Serena’s cousin Charlie (ELLA RAE PECK) threatens to destroy the van der Woodsen family from within. Watch out, Upper East Sides, this season nobody’s safe and everybody’s going to be sorry!
Episodes:
01. Yes, Then Zero
02. Beauty and the Feast
03. The Jewel of Denial
04. Memoirs of an Invisible Dan
05. The Fasting and the Furious
06. I Am Number Nine
07. The Big Sleep No More
08. All the Pretty Sources
09. Rhodes to Perdition
10. Riding in Town Cars with Boys
11. The End of the Affair?
12. Father and the Bride
13. G.G.
14. The Backup Dan
15. Crazy, Cupid, Love
16. Cross Rhodes
17. The Princess Dowry
18. Con Heir
19. It Girl, Interrupted
20. Salon of the Dead
21. Despicable B
22. Raiders of the Lost Art
23. The Fugitives
24. The Return of the Ring
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.25/5
As with the previous releases, this one comes with a side-sliding matted slip cover. Inside the case is a small fold out paper with episode listings and outlines.
Unaired Scenes (TRT 15:05) – Episodes 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18 and 21 all include at least one scene that, mostly for time constraints, were not included in the original broadcast. None of them are of particular interest but are fine to watch at least once.
Gossip Girl Turns 100! (15:54) – This featurette covers the 100th episode the series and features interviews with the cast and crew as they reflect over the series five years on the air.
5 Years of Iconic Style (16:20) covers the wardrobe and style done over the years and how they express the characters.
Lol (3:49) is your standard gag reel.
VIDEO – 4.0/5
“Gossip Girl” arrives on DVD with a 1.78 anamorphic widescreen transfer. It’s standard affair here with your normal amount of artifacting for standard def but the colors are fairly vibrant and this mostly matches what aired on television.
AUDIO – 4.0/5
The set comes with the standard Dolby Digital 5.1 track which sounds quite good and more than adequate for a show like this. The dialogue levels are nice and clear coming out of the center channel while the surrounds mainly get used for ambient noises or some choice pop/indie music.
OVERALL – 3.5/5
Overall, “Gossip Girl” is a fun tween soap opera with various storylines which help keep the attention span even when the episodes can sometimes sputter. The DVD itself offers up good video and audio transfers and a decent set of features, though it’s still fairly light and only worth one viewing. Given the price, and assuming you’re a fan, this fifth season is worth it.
Published: 09/25/2012