Boy Meets World: Season 7 [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Boy Meets World has enjoyed an odd home release run. After 3 seasons released several years ago, there was a lengthy hiatus until September 2010 when those same seasons were re-released by Lionsgate. The company quickly followed that release up with the rest of the seasons in about a one-year period.

Season 7 was not as universally beloved as seasons 2-5, which are generally viewed as the series' high point. The season picks up from the cliffhanger ending of season 6 where Cory and Topanga postponed their wedding after Topanga's parents broke up. Now the cover of this season sort of gives away that eventually Cory and Topanga did get married, but the lead up is pretty interesting. After the wedding episode, the rest of the season deals with them getting adjusted to married life. It ends with a 2-episode clip show that wraps up all of the characters' stories by giving them all futures to pursue, some with more development than others. The Cory-Topanga wedding was a ridiculously important moment in ABC's TGIF lineup back when this show was first airing, and it's still a great moment all these years later.

Shawn went through a lot of character development through the series, and in this season, we really see him working through his various issues. Eric hit his all-time low in terms of intelligence in this season, but he still has some fantastic moments that show he's not really as dumb as he acts. He also has one of the best lines said to him by Angela's father: "Matthews! You are a disgrace to this university, this country, and humanity in general!" This prompted his reaction, "Wow." It's clear the cast is enjoying themselves, and in the end of the day, this season is just plain fun and a good way to end the show's run. Finally, the last scene in the old John Williams High School classroom set with Mr. Feeny is emotionally charged and brilliantly executed, a perfect ending to the last episode.

[EDIT: Based on information I received, and after checking that information, I need to note that a minor scene is removed from this set. Apparently it was censored after its initial run and never re-aired. It's detailed in one of the comments below if you're interested. Thanks to J. LaFollette for pointing that out to me!]

PACKAGING
The set is stylistically identical to the other Lionsgate releases. The color scheme in the background of the cover is used along the rest of the insert minus the confetti. Consistent with the other releases, the spine has a picture of Cory from this time period. Specifically, it's the same image that appears on the cover. Lined up, these sets look very nice next to one another. The back cover has a basic write-up and four screen shots, including one with the whole main cast. The discs continue the trend of the last 6 releases by featuring Cory, Topanga, and Shawn on discs 1, 2, and 3, respectively. I will note that the case is one of those Eco-cases which are more likely to damage the insert because of the obnoxious holes in it, so if you're buying from a store, inspect the package to make sure it's not punctured.

MENUS
Basically the same we've been seeing with the Boy Meets World releases since season 4, the menu uses the cover's color scheme and has a play all and episode selection option on each disc. The background music is still the season 4 title theme, which is weird. As a note, that was the theme used for seasons 1-4 when this show had a Disney Channel run in the early 2000s, so it's identifiable as associated with the show, but it's still an odd choice given that the seasons 5-7 music is readily available. No complaints; it's just a strange choice.

VIDEO
The video quality of this show is pretty good from beginning to end. This season was viewed using a standard DVD player with component cables, and the picture quality is as good as or better than other shows of this era.

SOUND
This set has a standard stereo mix. There are no other audio tracks like commentaries, so what you see is what you get. Most of the audio is in the middle, but there is some decent use of panning.

EXTRAS
Like seasons 4-6, this set has no extras to speak of. The episodes are completely uncut, though that's not an extra. I reviewed seasons 5 and 6 and pointed out that the lack of extras is a reasonable trade-off for finally having this series, but it's still worth mentioning that there aren't any bonuses here.

For those who need it, this season is closed captioned according to the specifications on the back of the case.

I'll end this by thanking Lionsgate for finally getting this show released in its entirety. It's taken far too long overall, but Lionsgate did a great job of pushing these sets out. While the absence of extras is a little annoying (at least include an interview or something!), I still have to recommend this set. If you've been collecting these DVDs, there is no reason to skip the final season. Further, since the whole series is available, now's the best time for TGIF kids to introduce their kids to this show so that a whole new generation can enjoy it. This is a great set and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

There is not enough space on Amazon to write all the great things about this show. I truly believe that everything I ever needed to know about life, I learned from Boy Meets World. I highly recommend this, especially if you have kids that are turning about 10. Like many children of the 90's I grew up with Cory, Topenga, and Shawn. I cannot stress the impact they had on me as role models. I know I saved these with the intention of watching them with my little sister once she turned 10 and now we are slowly getting through the seasons and learning the life lessons in almost every single episode. This show has had a huge impact on how many people of our generation turned into kind, compassionate human beings. This was my favorite childhood show, and I know that if I ever have kids of my own, this will be the kind of show I will want to enjoy with them.

Awesome love this show! All seven seasons are great! Buy them all if you can! Today's tv just doesn't have good sitcoms like this.