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[Guest writer - and longtime DVDFile supporter - Eric King was bvorn and raised in sunny northern California. Eric’s earliest theater memory is of watching the Charlie Sheen classic Major League. After that, Eric fell in love with big budgets, Bruce Willis, movies without subtitles and all things Jennifer Connolly. Mild-mannered office drone by day, underwear model by night, Eric spends his free time drinking beer, playing golf and drinking beer while playing golf. He is the self-anointed biggest Simpsons geek at DVDFile.]

Disclaimer:  I. LOVE. MELROSE. I’m not ashamed to admit it. Not even a little bit. And when the latest incarnation of the series showed up on my doorstep, I was literally giddy. Three discs; 15 episodes of the greatest drama of our time.

And no, I’m not overselling it.

While some of the original cast members remain, the revolving door of new characters continues here on this Fifth Season, Vol. 2 set. Alyssa Milano joins (and is wonderful as) Jennifer Mancini, the younger sister of Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro). Yet more upsetting than who joined, is who left: Jake Hanson (Grant Show) sells Shooters and buys a diner outside of Santa Barbara, Dr. Kimberly Shaw (Marcia Cross) is sacrilegiously killed off and taken home to Cleveland by her mother, and Alison Parker (Courtney Thorne-Smith) leaves Jake with his former family and is off to Atlanta! Scandal!

Also in this volume, Alison and Jake deal with the loss of their unborn child; Billy Campbell (Andrew Shue) and his girlfriend Samantha Reilly (Brooke Langton) find life with Sam’s escaped convict father less than appealing, and Amanda Woodward (Heather Locklear) and Kyle McBride (Rob Estes) play the will-they/wont-they game. 

You know, typical Melrose. 

Then of course, there is the amazing Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton). And if I may say, the treatment she receives in the new version is deplorable, but that’s another article all together. Conned out of her boutique, she sues, and then ends up working for Amanda Woodward at D&D Advertising. The season ends with Sydney’s wedding and a wonderful cliffhanger. I swear if a better television drama has ever been written, I’ve never seen it.

If there is a negative to Melrose, it’s the abominable Thomas Calabro. I don’t think I realized how truly dreadful he is during the show's original run, but he does a very good job at trying to single handedly destroy the entire series.He might be worse at acting than anyone is at anything. And yes, I'm looking at you Lindsay Lohan.

This particular set may not have the same knock-your-socks-off moments that have appeared in other volumes, but anything with Heather Locklear at her badass best is good enough for me.

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