The Second Season

Melrose Place is a spin-off series from Beverly Hills, 90210 that first aired in 1992 and ran for seven seasons. Melrose Place is a soapy, melodramatic show about the tenants of the apartment complex at 4616 Melrose Place in Los Angeles, California. The show offers viewers a soapy look into several twenty-somethings as they struggle through life: careers, romances, friendships, successes, failures, etc. Overall, it is a solid over-the-top, dramatic television show. And despite being over a decade old, the series' content works well, although the styles from the nineties look a little silly. For more details, refer to DVD Talk's review of season one.

In the first season, there were several changes made in regards to cast members, character personalities, storylines, and general direction. After the kinks were worked out, the show developed a very soapy, over-the-top mentality, which is utilized to good effect in the second season. The season two content is a huge step-up from season one and it comes off as unbelievable, but it is so intense that it is hard to put down. At the root of every storyline are romantic affairs, business deals gone south, and scheming characters that you love to hate.

The notable storyline this season ties into the Michael-Jane-Kimberly love triangle. It is taken up a notch with more people caught in the love affair and goopy drama. With Michael and Kimberly together, Jane's younger sister Sydney comes to Melrose under the guise of helping her big sister get through a tough time. She, however, has other thoughts in mind. She engages in a sexual relationship with Michael--becoming the other woman to the other woman! Michael is dirty dog and the various events that follow just show what a bad person he is. This plotline explodes as other people are brought into the fold - which includes Rob Estes as a guest stars and Jane's divorce attorney Robert Wilson (Steven Eckholdt) - and new dramatic situations, such as a death defying car accident, blackmail, murder attempts, and a whole lot of sex.

Tying into the new character Sydney, she brings a lot of drama by her lonesome. She never really fits in with the gang, which is partly because Jane wants nothing to do with her and she keeps making bad decisions. The fact she is not shy to blackmailing other people doesn't help. The notable plotline involving this redheaded vixen is her line of work. She becomes a working and eventually takes over the business as the Madam.

Matt is at the source of some drama in the early parts of the season, which are soapy, but about an oversexed bunch of people. Matt loses his job and Michael helps him get a position at the hospital in social services. He meets a Russian medical doctor who is an intern. She is on the final stretch of her visa and has to return to native land. But she does not want to leave the United States and Matt agrees to marry her so that she can get a green card. The situation gets sticky when I.N.S. questions the validity of their relationship. Matt also gets in deep with Michael's dark side.

The Alison-Billy relationship is also at the fore as the two are on and off again throughout the season. In the early episodes, her ex-boyfriend Keith is around. And at the same time, Alison is being stalked. The stalker turns out to be none other than Keith, which ends with a big tragic bang. While Keith is still in the picture, Billy and Alison's relationship suffers greatly. Further complications develop when Alison develops a strong chemistry with Steve McMillan (Parker Stevenson). Steve is a rich genius who works closely with Alison on an ad campaign. Sparks fly. Both Amanda and Jo find themselves caught in this love affair at one point or another. For the rest of the season, Alison and Billy continue to run into problems.

The final major love triangle is Jo-Jake-Amanda. Jake and Jo, who went into business together last season, continue their relationship as more than just partners. They move in together and quickly find they are not as compatible with each other as they thought. Amanda comes into the picture and has a relationship as serious as they get in Melrose Place with Jake. It comes crashing down when Jake gets a job with Amanda's dad and the F.B.I. employ Jake to do another job. The love triangle is back and forth and gets complicated and messy. Of course, there are other people brought into it, like Jo's crazy ex-boyfriend Reed. It is another plotline that ends with a big bang!

In general, what works for Melrose Place's second season is the nonstop drama. This season's plotlines are bigger and more over-the-top than the first season. My favorite parts were the stories involving Michael. He was just such a bad guy, and just how dark he got this season was fantastic. Also, how the people whose lives he touched respond to his scheming make the storyline pretty darn intense. Overall, Melrose Place's second season is a must own for fans of the show and viewers who enjoy nonstop drama. This series is fantastic in its soapy melodrama and delivers intense plotlines that will leave you wanting to know what happens next.

Episode Guide

1. Much Ado About Everything: Everyone at Melrose Place appears to be looking to the future as Billy and Alison, Jo and Jake, and Michael and Kimberly move their relationships forward, while Jane hires a new divorce attorney.
2. Long Night's Journey: Suspicion is in the air as Billy distrusts Keith's motives, Jo believes that Amanda wants to be more than just friends with Jake, and Jane's sister Sydney moves in, but soon aligns herself with Michael.
3. Revenge: New Job opportunities abound when Amanda makes Jake an offer he can't refuse and Michael helps Matt get a job at the hospital; Keith's talking comes to a catastrophic conclusion that strongly affects Alison.
4. Fire Power: Jane cautiously re-enters the dating world while Alison struggles to navigate the business world; Jake's bike shop burns down and his hope for an insurance settlement goes up in smoke when the cause of the fire is suspicious.
5. Of Bikes And Men: Michael continues to juggle the three women in his life as the divorce proceedings move ahead, an out-of-town work assignment allows Billy and Alison some time together, and Jake finally agrees to Amanda's proposition.
6. Hot And Bothered: Group activities cause problems when Jo, Jake and Amanda must work together on a photo shoot, and Michael invites his old friends to a party at the beach house.
7. Flirting With Disaster: The partying at Matt's wedding allows real feelings to surface, and Alison has trouble saying "I don't" to a new and demanding assignment at work.
8. No Bed Of Roses: Professional opportunities present Jake an Alison with personal troubles, Sydney's scheming continues, and Jane feels uncertain about how to live the single life.
9. Married To It: Deceit runs rampant as Michael works to win back Kimberly, the I.N.S. visits Matt and his new family, and Alison appears to support Jo's relationship with Steve.
10. The Tangled Web: Billy, Alison and Jo spend a weekend at Steve's ranch, and Kimberly considers leaving town after receiving an offer for a job in the Midwest; back at home, Jake continues to inquire about Amanda's childhood.
11. Collision Course: Michael and Kimberly's brutal car accident brings everyone together at the hospital where passions and tempers flare.
12. Cold Turkey: As the tenants of Melrose Place evaluate their personal and professional relationships at Thanksgiving, the line between business and pleasure blurs.
13. Duet For One: After learning that Kimberly has died and that Michael has nowhere to go other than a county rehabilitation ward, Jane allows him to stay on her couch temporarily; Sydney and Alison are both rewarded for jobs well done.
14. Strange Bedfellows: Jane and Jake struggle with feelings of guilt about Michael and Amanda, while Alison is conflicted about her emotions for Billy and Steve.
15. Under The Mistletoe: Christmas approaches and brings new beginnings as Jane and Michael trade gifts, Billy and Alison exchange a kiss, and Matt must say goodbye to Nikki at the airport.
16. Reunion Blues: Memories of the past resurface as Billy worries that Alison will find out about his tryst with Amanda, Jo's upcoming high school reunion brings recollections of an old friend, and Michael's progress at physical therapy sets him back with Jane.

17. Michael's Game: Michael and Sydney devise a plan that they hope will break up Jane and Robert, and Billy is affected when Alison and Amanda go head-to-head at the office.
18. Arousing suspicion: Love and business don't mix well when Reed takes Amanda on his boat in order to recruit her as a potential investor, Billy allows a co-worker to share the apartment with him and Alison, and Sydney reveals the sordid details of her former "profession" to her sister.
19. The Young Men And The Sea: Change is in the air when Billy is offered a promotion in New York, Matt helps Jeffrey reveal his to identity, and Michael lets his addiction to painkillers interfere with his relationship with Jane.
20. Parting Glances: Curiosity causes problems for the Melrose group when Alison makes a surprise visit to Billy in New York, Sydney reveals that she knows Michaels secret, and Jo makes a shocking - and potentially deadly - discovery aboard Reed's boat.
21. Swept Away: It's terror on the high seas for Jo but everyone is felling the tension when Billy and Alison call it quits and Sydney blackmails Michael for her own twisted pleasure.
22. With This Ball And Chain: No longer divided, Billy and Alison decide to unite themselves in matrimony, but Jo's courtroom woes and Amanda's dirty little secret just may prevent their "I do's."
23. Otherwise Engaged: Sydney's got marriage on her mind, whether Michael wants to or not, and Jo finds herself burdened with a reminder of her passionate relationship with Reed.
24. Love, Mancini Style: Revenge is bittersweet when Michael takes his sadistic bride on their honeymoon, Jane finds out the truth about the car accident, and Jake takes a stand against Amanda - which she counters passionately.
25. The Two Mrs. Mancinis: Family matters get messy when Alison announces her engagement to her stunned parents and Jane finds her inheritance challenged by her ruthless ex-husband.
26. In Bed With the Enemy: Danger lurks close to home when the new handy man shows up uninvited in several apartments, Jane reluctantly agrees to take on Michael as a business partner, and Sydney entertains call girls, her new "employees."
27. Psycho Therapy: Secrecy is the name of the game when Michael discovers his supervisor in Sydney's black book, Alison opens up to her psychiatrist, and a showy figure is intent on spying on the residents.
28. The Bitch Is Back: Surprises abound as Michael is reunited with his former fiancee, Alison's parents pay for an obnoxious Beverly Hills wedding planner, and Amanda is forced to apologize to a business competitor that she'd just as soon forget.
29. Imperfect Strangers: The past comes back with a vengeance when Kimberly pushes Sydney to the sidelines, Amanda hires her mother's young lover, and Jo is put in a precarious position when a model comes to her for help against her violent boyfriend.
30. Devil With The G-String On: There's plenty of personal mortification to go around when Michael's medical actions are questioned, Billy and his friends discover Sydney working at the strip club they've chosen for his bachelor party, and Jake finds out about Amanda's little "stress reliever" at work.
31. Till Death Do Us Part: In this scandalous 90 minute season finale, Amanda is accused of sexual harassment, Kimberly and Sydney plot to destroy Michael, and Alison and Billy find a rocky path on the way to their wedding vows.

The DVD

Video:
The video is given in 1.33:1 ratio full frame color. The picture quality is average for a television series from the early 90s. Generally, the episodes look fine, but there are noticeable visual distortions and some problems with color representation. There are also traces of dirt in the film and a couple glitches from damaged film. Overall, the picture is acceptable and should not ruin the viewing experience.

Audio:
The audio track included with this release is English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound. The sound quality is decent with dialogue consistently audible. It is an average TV on DVD audio track, dialogue driven and is pretty flat with little use of the stereo sound. Music is also very flat and bland.

This release does not come with subtitles, but it is closed caption enabled.

Extras:
While the second season content is pretty intense, the extras are not nearly as entertaining. The extras include two audio commentaries, character biographies, and several montage featurettes that detail the show's key events and plotlines. The commentaries are good for the fans, although cast participation would have been nice. The character biographies don't really tell you anything you didn't already know. The featurettes are good to refresh your mind about the key season two events, but having just seen the entire season, not a special experience. Overall, the extras are decent, but the commentaries are probably the only item of real interest.

• Audio Commentaries: are included for episodes "Collision Course" and "The Bitch Is Back", both of which feature Darren Star.
• Melrose Place - Meet The Neighbors: is a series of readable biographies for Jake, Matt, Alison, Billy, Amanda, Michael, Jane, Jo, and Sydney.
• Melrose Place - The Best Of The Worst Part 1 (12:04): is the first part of two, which have various season two clips of the biggest moments. Do not watch it before seeing the entire season. There are some big time spoilers!
• Melrose Place - The Best Of The Worst Part 2 (9:03): is the second part of two, which have various season two clips of the biggest moments. Do not watch it before seeing the entire season. There are some big time spoilers!
• Melrose Place - Complex Relationships - Billy And Alison (9:31): is a narrated compilation of different key season two events in this relationship with clips from the events.
• Melrose Place - Complex Relationships – Amanda, Jake, Jo And Reed (10:12): is a narrated compilation of different key season two events in this relationship with clips from the events.
• Melrose Place - Complex Relationships – Michael, Jane, Kimberly, Sydney, and Matt (17:19): is a narrated compilation of different key season two events in this relationship with clips from the events.

Final Thoughts:
Melrose Place's second season is filled to the brim with drama from ex-boyfriends-turned-stalkers to prostitution to suspected arson to love triangles to kidnapping to murder attempts to I.N.S. agents and Russian brides to the F.B.I. and Amanda's rich daddy. The season has plenty of soapy content to draw you in, and even more to keep coming back for more. Season two is a huge improvement over season one. It comes Highly Recommended.

Please note that the DVD covers claim "Music has been changed for this home entertainment version. Some episodes may be edited from their original network versions."