This second season, pound for pound, swung the hardest overall. It's not only the longest series of Tracey Takes On (boasting 15 episodes), but it's probably the most consistent as well. There are plenty more guest stars during this second season, serving as the perfect complement to Ullman's ever-changing lineup of alter egos. Jon Favreau returns to the part, and even first-time viewers will have no problem spotting Simpsons regular Julie Kavner, Michael McKean, Seymour, Cassel, Ron Perlman, Jon Stamos, Melinda Dillon and several others. Getting back to Ullman herself, we're introduced to a few new "personalities" this time around, as well as the last appearances of others (Virginia Bugge, for example).

As always, the sketches come fast and furious during each and every episode---and though the show retains roughly the same format as Season 1, this is anything but a sophomore slump. Among other improvements, the scope of the series is a little bigger this time around---and not just due to a few more episodes, but for the higher amounts of surrealism sprinkled throughout. This creates an even more unpredictable atmosphere to each episode, and what comedy series hasn't benefited from keeping the audience guessing?

Another noticeable highlight is the show's new opening sequence: centered around Ullman's pop hit "They Don't Know" (from her debut album in 1983, You Broke My Heart in 17 Places), the tune is cleverly lip-synched by a number of her alter egos. Though Ullman rarely brought this aspect of her past into the forefront after pursuing comedy as a career, it's nice to see this part of her life return to the surface. So in more ways than one, this second batch of episodes is even more personal than ever...and in this case, that's never a bad thing.

HBO's presentation, unfortunately, doesn't raise the stakes much higher than the first collection did, but it's still a serviceable 3-disc set that fans should appreciate from top to bottom. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Not surprising for a mid-1990s TV series, these 15 episodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and look passable for their age and budget. The picture is slightly better in quality than the first season, while there aren't any major digital problems to speak of. It's about as good as the show will look on DVD, so fans of Tracey Takes On… shouldn't be disappointed. The English 2.0 Stereo mix (also available in Spanish) is roughly of the same quality overall, offering a generally clean mix that gets the job done. No optional subtitles have been included for the episodes, but Closed Captioning is available if your setup supports it.

It's a fair shake stronger than the first season (as evidenced by a number of Emmy wins), so it's no surprise that this sophomore collection of Tracey Takes On should appeal to fans of sketch and character-driven comedy. Ullman once again proves her versatility from start to finish, as this consistent batch of episodes holds up very well some 10 years later. HBO's presentation is strictly a by-the-book affair, offering a decent technical presentation and a small but appropriate collection of bonus features. All things considered, it's another solid collection of entertainment for a reasonable price and comes firmly Recommended.