DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Moonlighting - Season Five - The Final Season

By Jeff Swindoll Apr 11, 2007, 15:07 GMT

The nutty folks at the Blue Moon Detective Agency return for one last round. The show returned to its roots for this season but by this time the die of cancellation had already been cast. The three disc set collects the final episodes.

Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) and David (Bruce Willis) return for one last go round with the Blue Moon Detective Agency and this time the season returns to the zaniness that the show was known for. However, the season starts with an episode that attempts to combine comedy with the real life horror of a [spoiler] miscarriage [/spoiler] that only serves to turn those off that might still be watching. Disc 1:
Episode 1: A Womb with a View: He isn’t even born yet but Baby Hayes already knows the scoop on his wild and crazy parent’s relationship – courtesy of an angel who visits him as he waits to enter the universe.
Episode 2: Between a Yuk and a Hard Place: Trying not to drown in sorrow, Maddie gets wrapped up in her work and takes a new case where a woman is certain her husband still pines for someone from his past.
Episode 3: The Color of Maddie: Trying to get their relationship back on track, Maddie and David take a case for a woman whose husband of one week returns after a ten year disappearance.
Episode 4: Plastic Fantastic Lovers: A reclusive man who claims a plastic surgeon maliciously disfigured him hires Maddie and David to help prove what happened in the operating room.Disc 2:
Episode 5: Shirts and Skins: It’s the ladies versus the men at Blue Moon as Maddie defends a women who claims she shot her boss for destroying her career after she refused his sexual advances.
Episode 6: Take My Wife, For Example: A cold-hearted defense lawyer who helped split up a married couple now comes to Blue Moon for help in reconciling them, and Maddie tries to find just the right present for David.
Episode 7: I See England, I See France, I See Maddie’s Underpants: Dave and Maddie find themselves hanging out with a popular corpse when a man seeking a bodyguard suddenly drops dead in their office.
Episode 8: Those Lips, Those Lies: Maddie and David are at odds over helping David’s brother track down his fiancée’s ex-partner who’s run off with their company’s assets. Disc 3:
Episode 9: Perfetc: Wanting to prove to the world that he once committed the perfect crime, a dying burglar’s plea for help is met with resistance by Maddie and a resounding yes by David.
Episode 10: When Girls Collide: When David goes more than a tad overboard entertaining Maddie’s cousin Annie, Maddie comes to grips with the realization that David may be over her.
Episode 11: In ‘N Outlaws: When Agnes won’t find a man guilty who’s accused of murdering his partner/lover, she is forced to skip Burt’s family reunion, leaving a pouting Burt to solve a crime on his own.
Episode 12: Eine Kleine Nacht Murder: Maddie’s cousin Annie is back in California, this time trying to ponder the state of her marriage with some entertaining help from David and Maddie.
Episode 13: Lunar Eclipse: In the star packed final episode, David breaks it off with Annie, Burt and Agnes tie the knot, and the Blue Moon Detective Agency finally closes its doors, leaving everyone with memories they’ll have forever.

Although beginning with episode two, the show has a return to form that fans will appreciate but you wonder how many were still watching. It didn’t help that the ratings were tanking and that the network was bouncing the show around in the schedule. Seemingly the stars (Shepherd and Willis) had moved on in their personal lives and movie careers and were even perhaps glad to see the series end. Once you get past the deranged subject matter of the beginning episode you find a funny show that harkens back to the first episodes of the series. Moonlighting is presented in fullscreen as it was originally aired on television. Special features include two commentaries. The first episode features a track with creator/writer Glenn Gordon and director Jay Daniel. The last episode has a commentary with director Dennis Dugan. Disc one also features the 3 minute screen test with Shepherd and Willis with an optional commentary by Gordon and Daniel. Though the return to form is welcome, the first episode combines comedy and an event that doesn’t seem too funny. The remainder are funny and fans will no doubt be glad to complete their collection. A nice smattering of special features only sweetens the deal. Moonlighting - Season Five - The Final Season is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.