DVD Review: Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season

July 3, 2008

Writers: Numerous
Directors: Numerous
Cast: Chuck Norris, Clarence Gilyard Jr., Sheree J. Wilson, Noble Willingham
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount & CBS
Release Date: July 1, 2008

I used to watch Walker, Texas Ranger with my dad when he was alive. My dad was a huge fan of martial arts films. One of his favorite American martial arts experts/actors was Chuck Norris. Needless to say, we both were huge fans of the show. I didn’t really get a lot of chances to bond with my father. He wasn’t always the most affectionate man. We had a few television shows we were able to enjoy and we both were passionate about baseball. Watching baseball and Walker, Texas Ranger together gives me a chance to remember the good times I shared with my dad.

Walker, Texas Ranger was more than just a show about a guy who could kick ass. Sure, Chuck Norris could do that. He also can act, and the show had both good writing and a lot of humor, all of which contributed to the success of this series. The show ran for eight seasons, starting in 1993 and ending in the year my father died, 2001. While shows generally go downhill after so many seasons, I don’t remember that happening quite as much with Walker, Texas Ranger.

Release Information:
As I mentioned previously, Walker, Texas Ranger ran for eight seasons. Before the first season, a three episode pilot debuted on CBS on April 21, 1993. Eight full seasons followed the pilot episodes. The fifth season ran between September 27, 1997 and May 16, 1998. There are 25 epsiodes included on the Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season DVD.

CBS and Paramount Home Entertainment have set out to release Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season. The DVD was made available in a seven disc DVD box set on July 1, 2008. This box set is just in time for celebrating Independence Day. Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season can be found at most retailers both online and off. At Amazon, Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season is available for $34.99.

Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season Plot
In typical Walker fashion, the fifth season of Walker, Texas Ranger starts out with a lot of action. The show begins with an episode that finds an undercover DEA agent dead and a group of law benders out to avenge her death. In the meantime, Walker and the other law enforcement agents try to stop the group while finding a way to convict the drug lord who killed the agent.

Texas Ranger Cordell Walker (Chuck Norris) is one of the good guys and he isn’t afraid to get down and dirty to show it. Along with his partner, James “Jimmy” Trivette (Clarence Gilyard Jr.), Assistant District Attorney, Alex Cahill (Sheree J. Wilson) and the advice of former, veteran Ranger, C.D. Parker (Noble Willingham) Walker is an unstoppable force in a show that blends martial arts and western styles with a good old fashioned police drama formula.

The list of 25 episodes included on the seven discs that make up the Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season is as follows:

Disc One:
5.1 – “The Fighting McLains”
5.2 – “Iceman”
5.3 – “Lucas – Part One”
5.4 – “Lucas – Part Two”

Disc Two:
5.5 – “Forgotten People”
5.6 – “Last Of A Breed – Part One”
5.7 – “Last Of A Breed – Part Two”
5.8 – “Brainchild”

Disc Three:
5.9 – “Mr. Justice”
5.10 – “Rainbow’s End”
5.11 – “A Woman’s Place”
5.12 – “Small Blessings”

Disc Four:
5.13 – “Tribe”
5.14 – “Saving Grace”
5.15 – “Money Talks”
5.16 – “The Crusader”

Disc Five:
5.17 – “In God’s Hands”
5.18 – “Undercover”
5.19 – “Everyday Heroes”
5.20 – “Warriors”

Disc Six:
5.21 – “Angel”
5.22 – “The Soul Of Winter”
5.23 – “Circle Of Life”

Disc Seven:
5.24 – “Test Of Faith”
5.25 – “The Wedding – Part One”

There were so many great episodes on the Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season DVDs. Here is a list of my favorite episodes with a brief description of each one.

“The Soul of Winter” – Paul Winfield guest stars as Roscoe Jones. Roscoe is a minister who ends up being the target of a white supremacy group. In a shocking twist of events, it is discovered the group is led by a former comrade of Roscoe’s from the military.

“Lucas – Part One” and “Lucas – Part Two” – Haley Joel Osment (already somewhat of a Hollywood veteran) appears as Lucas Simms a seven year old boy who has AIDS. Lucas seeks the help of Walker in an attempt to find his mother.

“Rainbow’s End” – This episode guest stars Randolph Mantooth as James Lee Crown. James is a hrose owner and breeder who will do nearly anything to win races and increase his stud fee.

“Saving Grace” – Only a miracle, and Walker can stop a group of prisoners who’ve escaped from prison that have taken several nuns hostage.

“The Wedding – Part One” – In the series finale, one heck of a cliffhanger ends the fifth season as something happens to Alex at Kim and Phil’s wedding. This episode guest stars Lauralee Bell.

“Mr. Justice” – While Walker believes young offenders can change their ways through his strick boot camp program, a U.S. senator opposes the camp and will do anything to ensure all the offenders end up in jail. This episode guest stars U.S. senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson.

As you can see, not only does the show have some fairly interesting storylines, there are also many talented and interesting guest stars that make an appearance during this season. Besides the guest stars I’ve mentioned above the fifth season also features former wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper, Branscombe Richmond, Carmen Argenziano, Mackenzie Phillips, Gwen Verdon, the voice of Cam Clarke, David Gallagher, Paul Gleason, Kaj-Erik Erikson, stuntmen Jimmy Ortega and Ousaun Elam, Marco Sanchez (in a reoccurring role as Det. Carlos Sandoval), James Wlcek (in a reoccurring role as Trent Malloy), Danny Trejo and Tobin Bell.

As you might imagine, the acting for Walker, Texas Ranger is top notch. Not only is the cast talented, but with so many excellent guest stars, all of the actors are able to play off each other fairly well. Sure, there are the corny moments. A show like this wouldn’t end right if the good guys didn’t find a way to win. Still, the storylines, plots and overall writing come together nicely thanks to all of the creative individuals who worked together to develop this amazing television series.

Storyline/Plot: [rating:]
Replayability: [rating:]
Acting: [rating:]
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Audio/Visual:
You shouldn’t be surprised to hear the video for the episodes in the Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season box set are presented at a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. This standard, full frame transfer is standard for television shows. On occasion, an anamorphic widescreen transfer can be found in a TV box set, but especially with shows made a decade or so ago, the standard full frames are more likely to be found. The video is pretty good considering this season was shot in the 1990s. There were minimal visual flaws and the quality looks as good, if not better than when the show was made.

The sound for Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season is as standard as the video quality. While the sound came through clearly and once I set the sound there was no need for toggling, it really wasn’t anything special. While it got the job done, it wasn’t as cool as the soundtracks you hear on movies and many of today’s television shows. The sound is presented in English Dolby Digital Stereo. This is common for television shows, especially those that are a decade (or more) old. Subtitles are also available in English.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
No big surprise here. There are absolutely no bonus features on the Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season DVD. This is typical for a box set released by CBS and Paramount.

Bonus Features: [rating:]

Bottom Line:
Walker, Texas Ranger, even in its fifth season, is a well written, well acted show. This show had a huge fan following especially throughout the middle seasons. It certainly was a hit for CBS. If you’re a fan of the series, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season. If you’ve never seen the show, the Hallmark Channel airs reruns regularly. Check it out there or rent this DVD. I recommend starting with season one if you want to get into this series. Either way, this DVD box set is definitely worth the purchase.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Walker, Texas Ranger, The Complete Fifth Season, TV Box Set, CBS, Chuck Norris, Parmaount, DVD Review, Action, Drama

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