Dharma & Greg is a television sitcom about opposing personalities and how they attract each other, as well as get on each other's nerves. The series first aired in Fall of 1997 and ran for a total of five seasons. The show has a rather large cast with eight separate individuals, who together turn some normally common situations into some laughs. The comedy comes from the opposing personalities of a recently married couple, their parents, and two of their closest friends. The two cast members headlining the series are Jenna Elfman, who plays Dharma Finkelstein, and Thomas Gibson, who plays Greg Montgomery.

In the series pilot episode "Pilot", their entire situation is put together. On a chance meet, Dharma and Greg meet each other on the subway and it is love at first sight. On the same day of their first meeting, they marry in Reno. And from that point, their situation and its complications unravels. Dharma is a free spirited yoga instructor, who was raised by peace loving hippies, Abby (Mimi Kennedy) and Myron (Alan Rachins). Greg is an Assistant United States Attorney, who was raised by rich, snobby well-to-do types, Ed (Mitchell Ryan) and Kitty (Susan Sullivan). The cast is joined by their closest friends Jane (Shae D'Lyn), Dharma's gothic and weird neighbor, and Pete (Joel Murray), Greg's immature co-worker and friend.

At first, I wasn't quite sure what to think about Dharma & Greg. I have some experience from watching the re-runs on television, but I never really got into the show. Initially, when I started watching season one I felt the comedy was funny and enjoyable, but not quite as rich as some other sitcoms I enjoy. However after I put some more time into the show, it grew on me. I noticed the writing and dialogue improved and the show (while very cheesy) started to get funnier. Also, the cast's chemistry with each other substantially improved and their goofy antics became fun to watch. In the end, I found the first season of Dharma & Greg to be twenty-three episodes of fun.

The series pilot episode "Pilot" is a fun episode, but not one of the best season one has to offer. For the simply getting to know the cast and the general premise of the show, the pilot episode is a good to watch. The sparks begin to fly in the following episode "And The In-Laws Meet". This episode is the first real exposure of the rich socialites and the hippies meeting. From this single episode, it is apparent the remainder of the season is going to be full of cultural and personality clashes as the two polar opposite couples try to "get along" for the sake of the newlyweds. The story has the two families trying to plan a party for Dharma and Greg, so the two families can get to know each other. Of course, they both have different expectations of where and what the party will entail.

Somewhere around "And Then There's The Wedding", the show starts to get good. In this episode, Dharma and Greg go through a wedding ceremony, so that their family and friends can celebrate their marriage. And of course, lots of things go wrong because of the interesting and diverse thoughts on the wedding. "The Ex-Files" is a fun episode where Dharma gets wind of Greg's ex-girlfriend. She becomes very jealous when she learns the only reason they broke up was because of Greg's fear of commitment. So Dharma spends most of the episode trying to find the ex-girlfriend the new love of her life.

In "Mr. Montgomery Goes To Washington", Greg's dream is almost realized. After winning a big case, he gets substantial support to run for congress. What makes this such a fun episode is how Dharma acts to the situation. Kitty tutors Dharma to act like the perfect Washington wife, and she fits the spot all too perfectly. Also what keeps Greg from winning is a hoot. It turns out that it is not Dharma or her hippy ways, but a clever opponent who finds a way into San Francisco's heart. "The First Thanksgiving" is a holiday episode with a twist. Abby suspects Dharma is pregnant and slowly everyone finds out, but Greg. The fun part about this story is how well everyone gets along (despite their conflicting personalities) once they believe a baby is on the way.

In the beginning of the season, Dharma was jealous of Greg's ex, and in "The Second Coming of Leonard", Greg is jealous of Dharma's. Paul Johansson (One Tree Hill, Highlander: The Raven) guest stars as Dharma's ex-boyfriend Leonard. The catch is that everyone loves Leonard, even Greg's parents. Greg finds himself wanting to hate Leonard, but has a hard time himself. "Much Ado During Nothing" is a silly episode, where Dharma and Greg compete with friend Jane for a duck trophy. Dharma and Jane have a long running competition with each other, who can have the lewdest sex. Dharma and Greg get pumped up to win the duck from Jane by having sex in public while the series finale of Seinfeld airs. It is a fun episode that gets extremely goofy when they put their lewd plan to action.

Overall, Dharma & Greg has some fun episodes and goofy cast that is pretty good together. The show clearly has potential, with Elfman fitting perfectly into her role, as well as the older actors playing the parents of Dharma and Greg working quite well together. The weak link is Thomas Gibson as Greg. Gibson's character compliments Elfman, but aside her over-the-top performance, doesn't always feel right. Still, the show comes off as funny. Dharma & Greg season one should make for a good purchase if you enjoy a light hearted sitcom.

Episode Guide
1. Pilot
2. And The In-Laws Meet
3. Shower The People You Love With Love
4. And Then There's The Wedding
5. The Ex-Files
6. Yoga And Boo Boo
7. Indian Summer
8. Mr. Montgomery Goes To Washington
9. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father
10. The First Thanksgiving
11. Instant Dharma
12. Haus Arrest
13. You Want Fries With That?
14. Old Yeller
15. The Second Coming Of Leonard
16. Dharma & Greg's First Romantic Valentine's Day Weekend
17. The Official Dharma & Greg Episode Of The 1998 Winter Olympics
18. Daughter Of The Bride Of Finkelstein
19. Dharma's Tangled Web
20. The Cat's Out Of The Bag
21. Spring Forward, Fall Down
22. Much Ado During Nothing
23. Invasion Of The Buddy Snatcher

The DVD
The packaging for Dharma & Greg: Season One is a cardboard box that houses two slim DVD cases and three DVDs. The DVDs are dual-sided single layered discs.

Video:
The video is given in 1.33:1 ratio full frame color. The picture is the most impressive aspect of this DVD release, as it is very clean and crisp. There are no noticeable compression artifacts and colors tend to be very rich.

Audio:
The audio in this DVD release is given in two languages, English and Spanish. For both languages the audio is in the same format, 2.0 Dolby digital stereo surround. The majority of the audio in this release is dialogue driven, which sounds very good with no noticeable distortions. It comes off flat and takes very little advantage of the multiple channels. There is also subtitle support for English, Spanish, and French. The release is also closed caption enabled.

Extras:
The first set of extras include three audio commentaries for episodes "Pilot", "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father", and "The Official Dharma & Greg Episode Of The 1998 Winter Olympics" with Jenna Elfman, Mimi Kennedy, and Alan Rachins. Next there is "When Worlds Collide: The Dharma & Greg Story", which is a featurette with cast and crew talking about the series. There are also some "Post-Show Vanity Cards", which are writing that Chuck Lorre wrote and sometimes aired for a couple seconds at the end of an episode, and an interactive game "Reaching Your Inner Dharma". Overall the episode commentaries are the only items of real interest.

Final Thoughts:
The basic premise of Dharma & Greg is that opposites attract, as well as conflict. Two people with different lifestyles, personalities, and backgrounds meet and marry on a whim. The series details their romances as they get to know each other and their families and friends. The show started off decently, and after a few episodes started to get better. In the end, I had a good time watching the show. The dialogue and writing is cheesy, but handled pretty well by the majority of the cast. In the end, if you are looking for a light hearted fun sitcom, Dharma & Greg: Season One is recommended.