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Fans of Aaron MacGruder's The Boondocks (based on his popular daily comic strip) should take note that all 15 episodes of the fearless animated series are included on this second-season boxed set. While complete seasons should be a given for the DVD presentation of most television series, most programs didn't undergo the same level of scrutiny and negative press as The Boondocks, which saw two of its second season episodes pulled from its network run over allegedly offensive statements about the cable channel BET and its senior executives (including filmmaker Reginald Hudlin, who is also credited as executive producer on The Boondocks). Both episodes--"The Hunger Strike" (which sees Boondocks hero Huey Freeman protest BET's negative programming) and "The Uncle Ruckus Show" (BET airs a reality series built around the self-loathing title character) - are presented here in their entirety, and include fairly straightforward commentary by MacGruder and producers Rodney Barnes and Carl Jones which, while never going so far as to point fingers at individuals who may have caused the episodes to be banned, does provide a succinct history of the troubles they incurred for the show. It should also be noted that while both episodes are solid and ruthless pieces of satire, they're not the high points of the season--episodes that strike a stronger balance between humor and social commentary include "… Or Die Trying" (Granddad, Huey, Riley and Jazmine sneak into a screening of Soul Plane 2: The Blackjacking! and wrangle with Uncle Ruckus), "Invasion of the Katrinians" (Granddad learns to regret taking in his displaced New Orleans relative Jericho, voiced by Cedric the Entertainer), and "The Story of Catcher Freeman" (a Rashomon-like take on the history of the Freeman's saintly ancestor). These and others come closest to achieving the level of quality of "The Return of the King," the best episode of The Boondocks' first year, and do much to suggest that the show will continue to hit high-water marks in subsequent seasons. In addition to the previously mentioned commentaries, MacGruder, Barnes and Jones are heard on two other episodes ("Stinkmeaner Strikes Back" and "The Story of Gangstalicious, Part 2"), and MacGruder is seen in video introductions for the banned episodes, as well as a making-of featurette which profiles the behind-the-scenes elements of the show in detail. "Trouble in Woodcrest" is a light-hearted look at a supposed feud between voice talent Cedric Yarbrough and Gary Anthony Williams, while "What N****s?" pokes fun at criticism of the show's use of the epithet by compiling footage of the voice-over artists repeating it in recording sessions. Five-minute interviews with the main cast and minisodes of "Spider-Man" and "Married… With Children" bring the extras to a close. -- Paul Gaita
Product Description
Popular Adult Swim show on Cartoon Network! Based on Aaron McGruder's comic strip which was distributed in 350 newspapers nationwide. Granddad sneaks the boys into the movies to be cheap. Sarah's obsession with Usher after meeting him threatens her relationship with Tom. Riley and Granddad refuse to talk with cops about two local thieves, even after Granddad's car is stolen. Stinkmeaner's spirit possesses Tom and he tries to get revenge on Granddad. Riley joins the basketball team, and the boys fight over who will be boss while Granddad's on vacation.
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Boondocks: Complete Second Season
- DVD: 0 pages (2008-06-10)
- Publisher: Sony Pictures
- Label: Sony Pictures
- Starring: Boondocks
- Encoding: Region 99
- Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
- Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1,
- Rated: NR (Not Rated)
- Studio: Sony Pictures
- DVD Release Date: 2008-06-10
- Run Time: 325
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 40 reviews
- Sales Rank in DVD: #917
Avg. Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: The smartest show this side of South Park 2008-10-11
Comment: I love this show. It's a breath of fresh air, and manages to make the viewer think as well as laugh. BET is a horrible blight on society, and this show is the only one to make the point. I have to give Aaron credit for taking shots at BET, mindless of the consequences. Great show. I hope it continues for many seasons, like South Park. A move to Comedy Central would seem to be a better place for the show.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Funny as ever 2008-10-05
Comment: Loved the show the first season and there was no let down this season. I would have liked more original material however it was still as funny as ever.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: funny 2008-09-13
Comment: This season was funny as hell; the first one was funny too but this one takes the cake.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Boondocks does it again!!! 2008-09-11
Comment: Once again the Boondocks have amazed me with the issues they address in it's animated comedy series. It's a must but for all who enjoyed season 1. If you have never seen the Boondocks, please purchase season 1 before purchasing season 2. There are season 1 continuation episodes in season 2. Regina King is amazing! How she can pull off the voices of the two main characters is truly amazing! Looking forward to season 3.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: A Disappointing Follow-Up To Season 1 2008-09-07
Comment: Aaron McGruder's thinly veiled self hate from Season 1 has devolved into a full-blown call for self destruction here in Season 2. The insightfulness and humor that made the first season so funny are gone, replaced by harsh invective and boundary-pushing for the sake of seeing how much the producers can get away with.
The first season of Boondocks was freer and smarter than the strip and slowly won me over. I looked forward to Season 2, but after watching it am sorely disappointed in the wasted potential. There are a few funny moments spread throughout these three discs, but they don't make up for the rest of the garbage on display. And the social criticism is all but gone.
The stand out episode of this collection is "Invasion of the Katrinians," a well played, funny, accurate appraisal of the fall out from Hurricane Katrina. In this episode Granddad and the boys take in some extended family from New Orleans. This one episode lampoons everything from bleeding heart do gooders to the misinterpreting media to the so called "victims" who might not be above a little opportunism in the face of tragedy.
Unfortunately, the rest of the episodes are typified by "The Uncle Ruckus Reality Show," an episode which looks like it actually mirrors the producers' motivations. In it, BET and a stand-in for Reginald Hudlin (President of Entertainment for BET and executive producer of the Boondocks) seek to air a television series so vile and destructive to the African-American image that it actually hastens the destruction of Blacks in America. Sadly, the plot line for this episode doesn't seem to be too far away from the reality of the Boondocks: Season 2.
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