The Ninth & Final Season

The King of Queens is a sitcom about the daily interactions of married New York couple, Doug (Kevin James) and Carrie (Leah Remini) Heffernan, whose lives were disrupted when Carrie's father Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller) moved in with them. The series follows a basic format where Doug, Carrie, and Arthur manage to turn some everyday thing into some kind of sticky situation that is a bundle of laughs. Joining them for the ride are a variety of supporting characters, Danny Heffernan (Gary Valentine), Spence Olchin (Patton Oswalt), Holly Shumpert (Nicole Sullivan), and Deacon Palmer (Victor Williams). For more details about this series refer to DVD Talk's reviews of season one, season two, season three, season four, season five, season six, season seven, and season eight.

Season nine marks final moments of the series. Nine has a short billet, with twelve episodes, although the season finale is a double-length episode. The season kicks off with the show's regular fun tempo and continues with several solid storylines. The fun storylines include Doug making a bad investment decision, Doug getting promoted to temporary supervisor, a high school reunion gone bad with guest star Adam Sandler, and more. All of which builds to the dramatic series finale, where the Heffernans consider divorce and happiness.

"Mama Cast" starts off season nine with a bang. Carrie gives Doug their tax refund money and informs him to go see their financial advisor. Doug, with a good heart, gets distracted by the ice cream man and invests in an ice cream truck. The plan turns out to be good move, until Doug is stalked by another ice cream truck driver. Meanwhile, Carrie role plays as the mother in a nuclear family at a model home her company is trying to sell. It is hilarious how attached Carrie gets to her fake family.

"Moxie Moron" is a chance for Doug to shine, or at least he hoped. O'Boyle is forced to seek help for his alcoholism and leaves Doug and Deacon to decide who is in charge during his absence. Doug is quick to pass the opportunity over to Deacon, but later decides he should give it a shot. As co-supervisors, Doug messes everything up and eventually pushes Deacon out of the office, only to be left with a myriad of problems. One thing is clear, Doug Heffernan ain't no supervisor. His neurotic and over-the-top attitude give this episode charm.

"Offensive Fowl" is one of the season's best episodes. Doug takes on a new lifestyle when he learns the truth behind the various meat products he loves to eat. Knowing a face goes with his food, he gives the vegetarian lifestyle a try. Doug starts eating better and acting more sophisticated, much to Carrie's dismay. The "new" Doug is a fun portrayal of the Heffernan's we never knew.

"Mild Bunch" is another instant classic with guest star Adam Sandler. Doug goes to his twentieth high school reunion and is shocked with how dismal and bland everyone's lives are. He is especially taken back when he learns his buddy Jeff Sussman (Adam Sandler) is now the vice principal. Jeff used to be a wild and crazy troublemaker, but now he is a spineless jellyfish. Doug pushes him to relive his youth and it unleashes years of suppressed anger. Jeff goes on a spree, which is ended by the police.

As the season comes to an end, a dramatic storyline is set in place. In "Manhattan Project", when a Manhattan apartment Doug and Carrie put their names on the waiting list for years ago comes available, it unlocks old dreams in Carrie. She decides she wants to move into the city and expects Doug to go with her. They split up with Doug in Queens and Carrie in Manhattan. In "Single Spaced", they kiss and make-up when they realize they want to have a family together. However in "China Syndrome", their plans come crashing down when Doug finds out Carrie lied to him. It is a dramatic storyline that puts the Heffernan's relationship in serious jeopardy. Meanwhile, Danny and Spence realize the importance of their "friendship", Arthur gets engaged to Ava St. Claire (Laine Kazan), and Holly briefly returns to the show.

Overall, The King Of Queens' ninth and final season is another fun collection of episodes. The show continues to offer solid writing with the cast working well together. In particular, this season has some hilarious and dramatic developments, which include the series finale. In the end, while season nine may have a short billet of twelve episodes, it is still a lot of fun.

Episode Guide

1. Mama Cast: Doug decides to spend the Heffernans' tax refund on an ice cream truck. Meanwhile, Carrie fills in as a pretend mom at model homes, and discovers a reemergence of her maternal desires.
2. Affair Trade: Doug panics when he starts getting sexy phone message meant for another Doug Heffernan, but Carrie doesn't seem to care. Meanwhile, Danny tries to force a wedge between Spence and a new lady friend.
3. Moxie Moron: Doug and Deacon fill in for Supervisor O'Boyle at the IPS depot. Carrie regrets her decision to complain about her company's chintzy gift for work on an important project.
4. Major Disturbance: The Palmers' vacation plans are ruined when Doug frightens Major so much that he refuses to be babysat by the Heffernans. In the meantime, Arthur begins hiring out himself and friends from the senior center to ride with solo drivers so they can use carpool lanes.
5. Ruff Goin': Feeling hurt over not being invited to a block party, Doug adopts a dog just to prove to the neighbors that he's an okay guy - a decision he soon regrets. Meanwhile, Arthur falls prey to the gambling bug when trying to help Danny beat it.
6. Brace Yourself: An unflattering picture by Major prompts Arthur to ask Doug and Carrie for braces. Meanwhile, Kelly hires an out-of-work Spence to help out around the house.
7. Home Cheapo: Carrie is convinced that Deacon and Kelly were only able to afford a vacation home by being cheap. Meanwhile, Arthur tries to help Spence get a new job.
8. Offensive Fowl: Carrie soon grows tired of Doug's forcing his new vegetarian lifestyle down her throat. Meanwhile, Carrie's boss wants to start discussing novels with her and Spence takes on some humiliating new jobs.
9. Mild Bunch: Doug's 20th high school reunion seems like a dud until an old friend comes up with a way to retaliate for past grievances with their old principal, while Danny and Spence try to have a movie night together.
10. Manhattan Project: Carrie's ecstatic when an affordable apartment opens in Manhattan, but Doug's reluctant to leave Queens. Arthur meets singer Ava St. Clair.
11. Single Spaced: Seeing friends who recently had a child makes Doug and Carrie consider adopting.
12. China Syndrome (Parts 1 & 2): Arthur and Aya's wedding day turns problematic. At the reception, Doug and Carrie ponder whether they have a future together.

The DVD

Video:
The video is given in its original television format of 1.78:1 ratio widescreen color. The picture quality is generally good. There are occasional compression artifacts and traces of edge enhancement. But overall it is a solid picture.

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 season set.

Final Thoughts:
The King of Queens' ninth season is the series' last. The season has a short billet of twelve episodes, which are all pretty fun. In particular, there is a good focus on what the series does best, putting Doug, Carrie, and Arthur into one sticky situation after the other. The season also has a solid dramatic development that ties into the series finale, which brings good closure to the show. Overall, I was pretty happy with this collection of episodes and I think this should make for a fine addition to one's collection.