"REBA: THE COMPLETE SIXTH SEASON"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars) STARRING Reba McEntire as REBA HART Christopher Rich as BROCK HART Melissa Peterman as BARBRA JEAN BOOKER HART Joanna Garcia as CHEYENNE HART-MONTGOMERY Steve Howey as VAN MONTGOMERY Scarlett Pomers as KYRA HART Not Rated Studio: 20th Century Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Reba Hart (Reba McEntire) is a single mom who is currently in the real estate business with her son-in-law Van Montgomery (Steve Howey). She also lives next door to her ex-husband Brock (Christopher Rich) and his dimwitted yet sweet wife Barbra Jean (Melissa Peterman). Van and his wife Cheyenne (Joanna Garcia) live with Reba, as she tries to keep her sanity in the midst of her family whirlwind. The sixth season is the final season of “Reba,” featuring only thirteen episodes before it’s cancellation.
WHAT I LIKED
I am possibly a bit ashamed to admit that I was looking forward to watching the sixth season of “Reba.” I had seen a season before this one, and I will say that the series grew on me. As long as the stories weren’t trying to tackle any heavy issue, like alcoholism and teen pregnancy which were dealt with in the past, the show is actually quite funny.
Reba McEntire does a fine job rallying the troops. She’s got a real knack for comedy, which became apparent decades ago to anyone who saw her as the gun-toting wife in “Tremors.” And the series has toned down the white trash elements that are all-too-prevalent in similarly-themed shows like “Roseanne” and “Grace Under Fire.”
The two anchors to this show, aside from Reba herself, are Steve Howey as Van and Melissa Peterman as Barbra Jean. The character of Van has lost some of his dimwittedness for just plain zaniness, making him more akin to the character of Spencer in the Nickelodeon hit “iCarly.”
The character of Barbra Jean has also changed a bit this season, not just in tone but in a physical sense. Peterman slimmed down for this season, which was used as a key plot point in the show, putting her more at odds with her husband Brock. Still, Peterman uses her brilliant comic timing and hilarious stage presence to her own advantage throughout the season.
“Reba” has become a guilty pleasure for me, and I have to say that I am sad to see the end of the season, and when I only could watch thirteen episodes in this DVD release, I had a small amount of sadness. Is that so wrong?
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
As is the case with any family sitcom, there are characters that tend to fade into the background, especially when they’re kids that were cute once but are now in their awkward teenage years. Such is the case with Reba’s son Jake (Hitch Holleman). He only crawls out of the woodwork when it’s convenient for the family.
This loss of character was actually joked about with the reappearance of Kyra (Scarlett Pomers) in the opening of the season. Pomers has grown from the awkward teen to a striking beauty, and her appearance after many episodes absent was at least tossed away with a joke that she went out for a bite to eat. It was a nice cover.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD has no special features, and is crammed onto a lone double-sided disc.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of the “Reba” show... and closet fat guy fans like myself.
