Mr. Show: The Complete Fourth Season

Four years into their quirky, sketch-based HBO series, comic partners Bob Odenkirk and David Cross were working, for the most part, with exceptional material. The 10 episodes included in this double-disc set start strong with a funny bit about Cross' need for medical marijuana to help him cope with Odenkirk, and there's a great "dueling bloopers" sketch that turns into an all-out effort to humiliate one another (all in good fun, of course). As usual, the best stuff has an abstract, surreal edge to it, such as a Jerry Springer-like talk show taking place on a life raft in the middle of an ocean, or a sports competition between the Dalai Lama's monks and fat kids from a summer camp. Sadly, the fourth season was also the last. DVD extras include Bob and Dave's commentaries (with guests) on all episodes, a blooper reel, a cast reunion featurette, a Mr. Show jukebox with 24 songs from the series, and a 1998 Comic Relief sketch in which Odenkirk bares all for the sake of his craft--or so he thinks. Highly recommended. (T. Keogh)