The final season of one of the most fascinating, eccentric and entertaining shows on television, Desperate Housewives the Complete 8th and Final Season has been released on a 5 disc DVD set.  You don’t have to be a rabid fan and follower of the show, but it helps.  Each season from the start of Season One we find the four leading ladies, making up the neighbors living on Wisteria Lane, dealing with their personal lives while digging up local mysteries.  Seen through the eyes and narration of a dead neighbor who committed suicide, the show has worked its way through 8 successful seasons on ABC Television.

In Season Eight the women have to deal with the death of Gabrielle’s (Eva Langoria) pervert stepfather Alejandro Perez (Tony Plana) that took place at the end of Season 7.  In fact it starts where the show left off at the dinner party with the accidental murder by Carlos Solas (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) Gabrielle’s husband.  (If you haven’t seen Season 7, the complete 23 episodes have been released on DVD May 15, 2011).

From here we are treated to a lot of serious problems involving the other three lead characters the charming yet klutzy Susan Delfino (Teri Hatcher), noble homemaker Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) and OCD sufferer Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) who conspire to cover up Perez’s death to help Carlos.  Following the death we find Lynette getting back with her ex Tom (Doug Savant) with a impromptu sexual interlude after a lengthy separation, getting her children involved in her secret cover up, attempting to hook up with a married man, and other involving personal problems. Bree gets advice to break her relationship with Chuck Vance (Jonathan Cake), her problem with a missing body, goes back to drinking and turns her life into a nightmare.  Gabrielle has to deal with Carlos who had guilt feelings that are pushing him to confess, problems in the bedroom with her husband, works out a lot of troubles from her past and ends up taking on an unpredictable profession.  Susan has to deal with her feelings of guilt related to the murder, gets involved with consoling Carlos leading to jealousy, tries to rid herself of guilt by visiting Alejandro’s family, finds out a dark secret about Alejandro, and continues on a downward spiral to the very end.

Felicity Huffman plays Lynette Scavo in Desperate Housewives

Actually it’s very hard to describe 23 episodes without giving away a lot of fun elements.  I will say that the girls are wild and wicked and certainly enjoyable to watch throughout season 8.  I’m sure for many there will be an empty feeling to see the four leads end their years of friendship, antics, catty relationships, quirks and many other words that describe the habits of these nicely created characters that make Desperate Housewives a hit.

How about some bonus features to cheer you up?  The following never before seen extras are very witty and memorable, especially for those that are huge fans of the show.

• Extended final episode
• “I Guess This is Goodbye”- Take one last stroll down Wisteria Lane with members of the Desperate Housewives family as they reflect on what the past eight season have meant to them.
• “Final Commentary” – Creator Marc Cherry saves the best for last as he shares insights into the show’s final episode.
• Last days on the set
• Bloopers – always embarrassing and fun to watch
• Deleted Scenes

The Desperate Housewives series is also available in a Complete Collection that includes all eight seasons running over 128 hours on 45 discs.  The bonus features are on an additional disc with exclusive extras. “Experience the sexy, scintillating series that blew the lid off suburbia and exposed a world of sin and secrets hidden behind the façade of manicured lawns and pampered lives. Revisit the ladies of Wisteria Lane and relive every delicious, decadent moment with the collection that’s completely “Desperate” and utterly divine!” – ABC Studios.

The Video Quality is extremely good when played on my Blu-ray player through my HD Television.  The HD formatted enhanced for 16X9 televisions makes the presentation as good if not better than when it ran off the network (especially since there are no distracting TV ads). Warning: If you play it through your Blu-ray player, make sure to update the player on the internet at your Brand Name’s website.

The Audio Quality presented with Dolby Digital 5.1 is crystal clear played through my surround speakers built into my HD television.

FINAL ANALYSIS:  A must for dramedy lovers and a guilty pleasure for “Desperate” addicts. (B)

Specifications and additional film information:

• Cast: Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria, Vanessa Williams, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Doug Savant, Jonathan Cake, Charles Mesure, Madison De La Garza, Brenda Strong, and James Denton
• Created by: Marc Cherry
• TV Rating: TV14 DLSV
• Genre: Drama, Mystery, Women
• Running Time: 987 minutes (23 episodes)
• Street Date: September 25, 2012
• Original Television Release Date: September 25, 2011 to May 134, 2012
• Language: English, French, Spanish
• Format: DVD
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Digitally Mastered, Widescreen 1.78:1 Enhanced for 16X9 Televisions
• Video: Dolby digital 5.1 Surround Sound
• Subtitles: English SDH, English, Spanish and French
• Number of Discs: 5 Discs
• Distributed by: ABC Studios