The Big C: The Complete First Season

The “big C” of the title is cancer—specifically, stage IV melanoma, a diagnosis Cathy Jamison (Laura Linney) receives in the first episode of this Showtime original series. A tightly wound high school teacher and fairly affluent suburban woman, Cathy exhibits a classic case of denial by unwinding in a burst of life-changing turns: she kicks out husband Paul (Oliver Platt), goes tough-love on teenage son Adam (Gabriel Basso), indulges every whim (a permits-be-damned backyard swimming pool, a sports car, a love affair), and keeps her condition a secret from all but elderly neighbor Marlene (Phyllis Somerville), while handsome young physician Dr. Todd Mauer (Reid Scott) becomes her confidant. Reality eventually takes hold, however, and Cathy decides to confront the challenge, seek treatment, and make amends with her family. While there's nothing wrong with using humor as an approach to serious issues, The Big C presents Cathy's sunny kookiness as some sort of empowerment in the face of certain death without fully acknowledging the damage left in her wake. Tony Award–winner John Benjamin Hickey costars as her eccentric eco-warrior brother, Sean. Compiling all 13 episodes from the 2010 debut season, DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, cast member interviews, and deleted scenes. Optional. (S. Axmaker)