Married with Children is a risque television series takes a slapstick approach to comedy about a man whose life couldn't be any worse. Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) is a former high school football star turned women's shoe salesman. After his glorious high school days, nothing has really gone in the right way for Bundy. He's such a loser that you can't help but laugh. Al's wife Peggy (Katey Sagal) was his high school sweetheart and the major cause of his headaches. They also have two kids: Kelly (Christina Applegate) and Bud (David Faustino). Next door are their neurotic neighbors Marcy (Amanda Bearse) and Jefferson (Ted McGinley). Together, the Bundy's, Marcy, and Jefferson D'Arcy get into outrageous and comical situations.

Season five features some big changes for the series. The biggest change is a cast change. In season four, David Garrison left the series, as his character Steve and Marcy got a divorce. Without Garrison on cast, Bearse went solo for several episodes. In the early portion of season five, she remarries. The new character is Jefferson, a face fans of the series should be familiar with. Other big events include an attempt at a spin-off series with Friends stars Matt LeBlanc, Kelly graduates high school, extraterrestrials pay Al a visit, Bud scores with a girl, several episodes with Buck in the spotlight, the Bundies go head-to-head with the D'Arcy's in a grocery store contest, the cast gets gold fever, and much more. Overall, season five is worth a lot of laughs and there are some very clever episodes with a swift and successful integration of the new character Jefferson.

The season begins with the episode "We'll follow The Sun". Al decides the family is going on a road trip for Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately, just about everyone else had the same idea. The Bundy's get stuck in traffic for the entire weekend, with the house just a stone's throw away. What is impressive about this episode is that it was conducted completely from the car and the results are hilarious. In "Unnatural", the Bundy's are on the verge of winning the softball championships. Al is, however, in their way of winning. His slump and bad luck has cost the team several games. At the prospect of losing, the team convinces Peggy with a hunky replacement and Kelly and Bud with food to vote Al off the team. It is a silly story with a great ending that really embodies Al's personality.

In "The Dance Show", Peggy meets another man. With Marcy single (Jefferson has not entered the picture yet), Peggy and Marcy hit the town and Peggy meets another man. Their relationship is strictly professional, as they only dance together. But it is an affair Peggy believes will become more if Al doesn't stop her. Of course, Al doesn't really care. He isn't the jealous type. However, his interest is sparked when he learns her dancing a married man, who is married to another man. "Kelly Bounces Back" guest stars Tia Carrere as Piper. Kelly, Piper, and several other ditsy models compete with each other for a modeling gig. Bud coaches Kelly to win the competition and there are some fun scenes with Bud and his horrible pickup lines.

"Married... With Aliens" is not the funniest episode the season has to offer, but it is still worth a few laughs. In it, everyone thinks Al is going crazy when he claims aliens are visiting him in the night and stealing his socks. What I like about this episode is how ridiculous Al looks/acts when he meets the Aliens face to face. "Married... With Who?" is an important episode for the series. It is the episode where Jefferson is introduced. While at a wild and crazy banker convention, Marcy got drunk and woke up with a wedding ring on her finger and someone she didn't know next to her. Despite their impromptu marriage, they give it a shot. The storyline includes several background details about Jefferson's past and a disastrous wedding.

"All-Night Security Dude" is a chance for Al to relive the glory days. In this episode, Al temporarily loses his job while the shoe store is being remodeled. He takes a job as a security guard at his alma mater, Polk High. But he loses the job after the championship trophy he won in his youth was stolen. It turns out it was his old archrival from Spare Tire who stole the trophy. Al and Spare Tire relive the final seconds of the championship game. Of course, they both find in their old age they are not the athletes they once were. "Top Of The Heap" is included in this season set, but it is also the pilot episode for a failed sitcom of the same name. The series starred Matt LeBlanc and Joseph Bologna. The show is about the Verducci's trying to attain a better station in life by marrying a rich woman. The pilot episode is worth a few laughs, but it is evident why the series did not get very far.

Near the end of the season, there are two classic two-part episodes. In "You Better Shop Around", the Bundy's and the D'Arcy's go head-to-head in a grocery store contest. In part one, during a heat wave the Bundy's move into the local supermarket. While in the market, they are forced to buy something. Al cuts in front of Marcy to be announced the one-millionth customer. The prize is a one-thousand dollar shopping spree. Marcy contests Al winning and the manager declares a contest. Whoever gets closest to one-thousand dollars worth of groceries gets to take them home. The competition in part two has some classic moments with Al, Peggy, Marcy, and Jefferson. The other two-part episode is "Route 666". In part one, Al decides to go to Los Angeles and the entire family invites themselves. While driving cross country, the Dodge breaks down and the family gets stuck in the middle of nowhere. In part two, Marcy and Jefferson come to their aid with money. Instead of fixing the car and continuing their journey, the cast spends everything they have on a gold mine. They get struck with a deadly gold fever. What they don't realize is that they are on a national park and it is fool's gold.

Overall, the season five episodes offer some great moments in the Bundy household. The cast comes together and turns some dull, daily situations into a riot. This season also marks the addition of Jefferson as Marcy's betrothed. I like how Jefferson fits in with the rest of the cast in comparison to Marcy's first husband Steve. In the end, season five has some classic episodes in its lineup and you should not hesitate to purchase this season set.

Episode Guide
1. We'll Follow The Sun
2. Al... With Kelly
3. Sue Case, His Casa
4. Unnatural
5. The Dance Show
6. Kelly Bounces Back
7. Married... With Aliens
8. Wabbit Season
9. Do Ya Think I'm Sexy
10. One Down, Two To Go
11. And Baby Makes Money
12. Married... With Who?
13. Godfather
14. Look Who's Barking
15. A Man's Castle
16. All-Night Security Dude
17. Oldies But Young'uns
18. Weenie Tot Lovers And Other Strangers
19. Kids! Wadaya Gonna Do?
20. Top Of The Heap
21. You Better Shop Around, Part I
22. You Better Shop Around, Part II
23. Route 666, Part I
24. Route 666, Part II
25. Buck The Stud

The DVD

Video:
This presentation is given in 1.33:1 ratio full frame color. Like previous season DVD release the video quality could have been better. The problem is that the episodes are distributed over three dual layered DVDs. The result, the picture has a distinct grain and noticeable compression artifacts. However despite its imperfections, it is still more than viewable.

Audio:
The audio track in this release is given in English Dolby digital stereo sound. The audio sounds pretty clean and is very flat. It is as basic as TV on DVD releases get. This release also supports closed captioning.

Extras:
There are no extras included with this release.

Final Thoughts:
I've always enjoyed watching Married with Children. It's crude and risque approach to slapstick comedy is something that I feel can be enjoyed over and over again. I still enjoy this series even after many years of watching re-runs on television. The fifth season offers some great comical moments. You will definitely want to relive classic episodes like "You Better Shop Around" and "Route 666".