DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Commander In Chief – The Inaugural Edition, Part 1

By Patrick Luce Jun 27, 2006, 18:36 GMT

Although it might not have the political weight of West Wing, Commander in Chief is an entertaining show, and mixes family drama with the world of presidential politics. The series is now available in a two-disc Inaugural Edition, Part 1 that collects the first 10 episodes.

The series stars Geena Davis as the first female President of the United States Mackenzie Allen - who comes to office amid controversy, and has to quickly take charge to keep the country on track. Davis (who also serves as the series producer) excels in the role, and is joined by the talented Donald Sutherland (who plays the opportunistic Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton), Harry Lennix (her Chief of Staff Jim Gardner), and Kyle Secor (her husband Rod Calloway).Disc One kicks off with the pilot episode where we discover that the sitting President of the United States is dying. Instead of asking Allen to take the oath of office, he asks her to resign her position to clear the way for Templeton to take office. After giving it thought, she decides she has a duty to take the office. Episode 2: First Choice sees Mackenzie begin to sort out who will be on her staff and begin the process of selecting a new Vice President. She also has to deal with Templeton – who causes as much interference as he can at every turn. Allen’s family also begin to adjust to their new life as first family (including her husband Rod’s new role as First Gentleman). Episode 3: First Strike finds Mac dealing with her first military crisis as nine DEA agents are murdered in Latin America. Meanwhile, her two teenage twin children have to continue to deal with their new celebrity status. Episode 4: First Dance has the world focus on the White House as Mac holds her first official summit with the Russian President – including a state dinner. The event is almost overshadowed by scandal as Nathan Templeton's launches a plan to engineer a series of cabinet resignations to coincide with the summit. Episode 5: First … Do No Harm follows a terrorist threat as Mac announces her new National Security Advisor on the same day that news breaks of a plot to bomb schools on Halloween.

Davis is in command in the the role of Allen

Disc Two starts off with Episode 6: First Disaster where Mac is forced to deal with the aftermath of a hurricane that hit Florida while trying to bring a leaking oil tanker safely into a Florida harbor. Templeton again takes the opportunity to make Mac look bad and him good. Also, Mac’s husband is offered the chance to become the new Commissioner of Baseball and get out from the First Gentleman stigmata. Episode 7: First Scandal sees Mac dealing with her first big scandal in the press following the publication of a tell-all book that has sources close to the White House staff, and word gets out of the request for her to step down before taking the office. Episode 8: Rubie Dubidoux and the Brown Bound Express finds Mac in need of allies in the office and appointing her husband to an official position. She also fights Templeton with a little dirt of her own (although she refuses to stoop as low as he would go). Episode 9: The Mom Who Came To Dinner shows that even the President of the United States has to deal with Thanksgiving relatives as Mac’s mom descends on the White House. Episode 10: Sub Enchanted Evening is the DVD cliffhanger and finds Mac on the brink of war with North Korea when a U.S. sub goes down off the country’s coast.Although Commander In Chief’s politics might be a little bit lighter than other politically themed shows, it is very enjoyable thanks to the performances of Davis, Sutherland, and the rest of the cast. Davis (who earned a Golden Globe for her performance) is truly commanding in the role, and has a handle on the character. It is entertaining to watch her make it through one crisis after the other. At the same time, she balances being a strong President with being a mother and wife. This gives her a bit more human side than what is normally shown in political shows. Although Davis may be the Commander In Chief, Sutherland steals the series as Templeton (wasn’t that the name of the rat in Charlotte’s Web). The actor is always great at playing a villain and excels in this new role. Even when he claims to be helping Allen, you aren’t too sure if he is just getting ready to stab her in the back. His performance has all the weight of how the real political world is filled with double crosses.

Mac takes office amid controversy

The DVD is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen and 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Sadly, there are no special features on the DVD. The Inaugural Edition, Part 2 (scheduled for release in September) is reported to have a couple of features, but it would have been nice to see some kind of commentary with this set.Commander In Chief is an extremely good show that is easily addictive. It features solid performances from a cast of talented actors. I am not quite sure how the decision was reached to release the season in two volumes, but I would still recommend the DVD set. If you never caught the series on television (which I hadn’t), it is worth taking a chance on it. Commander In Chief - The Inaugural Edition, Part 1 is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.