This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
When three suburban moms get tired of trying to make ends meet, they decide it’s time to stick up for themselves by robbing the local grocery store. From Executive Producer Jenna Bans (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal”) comes this comedy-infused drama that mixes a little “Thelma & Louise” with a bit of “Breaking Bad”. Beth (Christina Hendricks), Ruby (Retta) and Annie (Mae Whitman) are knee-deep in a life of crime and there’s no going back! Good Girls: The Complete Series is packed with twists and surprises, the ladies are taking control of their illegal business operations as they struggle to keep it all hidden and evade those desperate to take them down. Expect steamy romances, nail-biting drama and even higher stakes as the Good Girls have fully broken bad.
For thoughts on Good Girls: The Complete Series, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/17tejdPYFEY?si=QjYJK-m0ggkSv9e6&t=4686]
Video Quality
Good Girls: The Complete Series arrives on Blu-Ray with a gorgeous AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This release brings all four seasons together for the first time in high definition with 50 episodes on 10 discs. While we love the series, we did not think we would ever be lucky enough to see it on our shelves in high definition, but we are going to celebrate since it is here. The series keeps within the creative confines of most hour-long network dramas over the past decade, but it delivers a presentation that is crisp, clean and lovely. The details in the clothing and production design are rich and easily discernible with rigid textures and clean lines.
When compared to the Netflix stream where this series picked up popularity, this presentation offers a nice uptick in stability. There are no egregious instances of aliasing or compression artifacts detectable throughout. The series is never garishly lit, choosing instead to find the nuances within the colors on screen which are very appealing. Black levels are pretty deep and give way to a welcome amount of detail in shadows. The highlights of the show do not succumb to any blooming in this presentation. Skin tones appear very natural across the entire cast. The Blu-Ray presentation delivers everything you could want from this one.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that effortlessly realizes the soundscape throughout all four seasons. The sound design is not terribly complex, but ambient sounds are carefully placed in the rear channels. The music often permeates the room and perfectly accompanies the drama on screen. Dialogue always comes through clearly without being overshadowed by any music, thrilling confrontations or any other sound effects. Kinetic moments only occasionally pop up, but they are given a notable power in the mix when the low end needs to be engaged. The audio track engages in all the ways it needs to. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on these discs.
Final Thoughts
Good Girls could blithely be described as Breaking Bad for the suburban mom audience, but to leave it at this does a disservice to the complexity brought to these characters. Both series show the lengths people will go to when their backs are up against the wall, but Good Girls has the unique layer that comes with being a woman and how they are treated when making their way through a male-dominated system. The show can lean more towards the “soapy fun” side of the spectrum than the cable drama, but it holds a terrific amount of twists and turns that will have you gasping. We are disappointed that the show was not given a proper ending, but it is still a journey worth taking. Universal Home Entertainment has released a great complete series Blu-Ray set featuring a top tier A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. If you like your crime dramas with a little bit more fun, give this a shot. Recommended
Good Girls: The Complete Series can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
