THE PLOT THUS FAR
Saddle up and ride back to the days when the land was untamed and the West was still wild with The Big Valley The Final Season, the television Western classic starring Barbara Stanwyck, Lee Majors, and Linda Evans. Victoria Barkley (Stanwyck) is the matriarch of one of the most powerful families in 1870s California, controlling cattle herds, gold mines, citrus groves, and logging camps. Along with her close-knit brood, Victoria must persevere though the trials and tribulations of the Old West. Share the drama and adventure with the Barkley’s in all twenty-six Season Four episodes of this beloved saga!
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“The Big Valley” entered its last season with more of the same. While it’s neat seeing Linda Evans so young, there’s not a lot that changes since the first season. A few supporting actors change, but it’s still a story about a woman running a family that dominates a town. If anything, one could call it “Dynasty” on the frontier. But, that might be asking a lot since “Dynasty” didn’t give women that strong of a role. Barbara Stanwyck never drops her dominating performance, but it’s easy to see how she could lose focus.
TV Westerns were so plentiful in its heyday, but “The Big Valley” bares the same problems that caused the genre to end. Terrible writing coupled with waning influence shut the show down after four years. How many times can Linda Evans be boy crazy or Barbara Stanwyck can be chased off her property? The young guy keeps taking off his shirt and everybody returns to the same standards. It’s infuriating, unless you grew up with the material.
The DVD comes with a bonus segment that provides trivia about the show as the sole special feature. The A/V Quality is the best that you could hope to see. The mono track is period appropriate. The same goes for the transfer. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to fans.
RELEASE DATE: 10/28/2014