The third (and final, it's been announced) season of this half-hour HBO sitcom remains as quirkily deadpan as its predecessors, but the charm is clearly fading. Goofy Jason Schwartzman again holds center stage as Jonathan Ames (the real name of the show's creator), a neurotic writer who moonlights as a private investigator. Jonathan's two buddies—magazine publisher turned restaurateur George (Ted Danson), who has a strong libido and some self-destructive tendencies, and Ray (Zach Galifianakis), a nebbishy comic book artist with relationship problems—are also both off-the-wall. Jonathan's oddball cases underpin the storylines, but the dominant theme is parenthood: George reunites with his estranged daughter, who is romantically involved with a much older man, while Ray tries to connect with his infant son, born to a lesbian couple from his sperm. Jonathan, meanwhile, is abruptly informed by his parents that he was also the product of a sperm bank, and he spends the season tracking down his biological dad (while becoming romantically involved with a girl who turns out to be his half-sister). While there are some wonderfully droll moments, and Danson's oversized performance remains a tour de force, the writing here has grown excessively cute, and Galifianakis's Ray is increasingly irritating. Compiling all eight episodes from 2011, extras include intros by Ames, audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and outtakes. Optional. (F. Swietek)
Bored to Death: The Complete Third Season
HBO, 2 discs, 203 min., TV-MA, DVD: $39.98, Blu-ray: $49.99 December 17, 2012
Bored to Death: The Complete Third Season
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: