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DVD
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Publisher: Paramount
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Actors: Amber Tamblyn, Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Michael Welch, Jason Ritter
An average 16-year-old, Joan is going through the growing pains typical of any teenager. But after she and her family (Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Ritter, Michael Welch) relocate to Arcadia, her life gets especially interesting when God starts paying her visits.
For two years, CBS's Joan of Arcadia managed the neat trick of warming the heart, while keeping the gag reflex at bay. And for a family drama based around faith--and the lack thereof--preachiness was always in short supply. At the end of the first season, Joan (Amber Tamblyn) decides it's all in her head: God isn't really speaking to her. Over the summer, she attends a camp for troubled kids, and now she makes lamps. Her boyfriend, Adam (Christopher Marquette), is as confused as ever; he was just starting to believe her. While Joan questions God's existence, her mother, Helen (Mary Steenburgen), plans a return to the Catholic Church. To that end, she starts meeting with chain-smoking former nun Lilly (Constance Zimmer, Boston Legal) to help with her confirmation. Joan's father, Will (Joe Mantegna), older brother Kevin (Jason Ritter), and Helen must also contend with the lawsuit filed by the boy who caused Kevin's accident, while Joan's younger brother, Luke (Michael Welch), continues to see the surly Grace (Becky Wahlstrom) in secret. New Arcadia arrivals include Will's controlling boss, Lucy (Annie Potts), Joan's "crazy camp" friend, Judith (Sprague Grayden), and enigmatic do-gooder Ryan (Wentworth Miller, Prison Break), who shares Joan's gift. Despite critical kudos and respectable ratings, Joan of Arcadia wasn't picked up for a third season, but its spirit lives on in such disparate shows as Medium, in which a woman communicates with the dead, and My Name Is Earl, in which a man goes around doing good deeds. This six-disc set features commentary by creator Barbara Hall, producer James Hayman, and writer Stephen Nathan. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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| Some Strong Episodes, But Character Development Is Lacking |
| Customer Rating: 3 out of 5 |
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THE GOOD
+ The Joan/God missions are far more interesting than last season. Aside from a few cheesy missteps like "Out of Sight," the standalone plots were fairly well done.
+ The romance between Luke and Grace takes center stage for a lot of the season, and managed to have the two characters bond without compromising Grace's outlook on public happiness or Luke's pride.
+ Kevin had an interesting plot, and was definitely a more interesting character this season. The stuff with Andy and a certain ex-nun was especially entertaining.
THE BAD
+ The writers totally lost the feel for a few of the characters. While there was an obvious attempt to give each of the characters a story arc, their efforts resulted in making Adam whiny, Will unreasonable, and Helen sort of became someone who jumps to random conclusions and behaves completely erratically. A lot of this was done in service of the plot, and if writers are making their characters act oddly in service of the weekly episode or theme, that is just weak writing. The show used to aim for character driven, but a lot of this season was more concerned with plot than the integrity of the characters.
+ Overall weak writing. The use of high school stereotypes, particularly in The Election, is overwhelmingly false. When the series started, it seemed as if the creative team had a somewhat solid understanding of the high school experience... but that was thrown away this season in favor of tired old Saved by the Bellesque high school tropes.
THE GREAT
+ There were a few moments of excellence sprinkled throughout this season. Creator Barbara Hall is a great writer, and all of her episodes (especially the premiere) are particularly strong. The episodes that feature the death of one of Joan's friends and how her group deals with it were fantastic as well. The last few episodes were also quite a bit stronger than the majority of the season.
+ The supporting cast totally surpassed expectations. Old favorites Friedman, Glynis, and Ms. Lischak are back, along with all the best versions of God that appeared in the first season. Also, a new and fascinating character--Judith--is thrown into the mix early on. She's played by Six Feet Under's Sprague Grayden, so you really can't go wrong there.
Overall, it was a pretty good series that I will definitely miss. Some of the characterization was wonky this season, but the relationships between the characters is what I'll remember most about this series.
6/10
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| Joan of Arcadia season 2 |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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It is an excellent series. The characters are real. The dialog and situations are excellent. I highly recommend this series.
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| Sad that it was dropped. |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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A great series that was doomed for failure on Friday nights. The DVD set is a great way to remember what good TV can be like. I still can't believe that Seventh Heaven went so long and even got revived when they cut this show off. *sigh*
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| Wonderful Series |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I was disappointed when this series only lasted two seasons.
Had sort of forgotten about the series until I saw a rerun of it on SciFi channel.
Purchased the season one and have now ordered season two.
Was actually better and more thought provoking than I had remembered.
Glad I now have it in my library.
The opening song was a favorite of mine.
What if God Was One of Us?
Indeed, what if God was one of us, just a stranger on a bus. If we all thought that was a possibility wouldn't we treat those strangers better?
Jesus said: 'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
Could that stranger be Christ?
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| darker than the first season, but nice to have |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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I was sad when they canceled Joan, and was sad again when it seemed like the second season might never come out on DVD, but then it did and I was happy to be able to buy it. I'm a Christian and I think Joan's fictional struggles with God are not far off from real-life struggles by people of faith. (No, he doesn't talk to me out loud or show up as various characters in my life.) The second season is darker than the first, but the quality is still good.
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