She joined a cult, battled anorexia, beat sexual harassers at their own game, got fake-married, and so much more. Ever since the Comedy Central series "Strangers with Candy" first aired, Jerri Blank has seemed fated for humiliation, disease, and a boxed set--here, her ultimate destiny is finally fulfilled.
In creating Jerri, the 46-year-old high school freshman, Amy Sedaris and her co-stars/co-writers Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert imagined a person who is both startlingly crass and strangely innocent. One minute Jerri is uttering the immortal line "I like the pole and the hole"--the next she's only interested in "pizza, pizza, pizza," and joining the cheerleading squad. Her world view is completely unaffected by her 32 years as a "junkie whore." It won't take a rabid "SWC" fan--just a lover of wicked satire--to appreciate this trapper-keeper-shaped package and the "After School Special"-based stories inside. Some of the bonus features, including an interview with the stars at the Museum of Television & Radio, will be familiar to folks who have previous, single-season DVDs. However, certain new additions, such as "The Trip Back" PSA, which stars a real-life Jerri clone, make this set a worth-owning item. Other highlights include deleted scenes--one of which features an inspirational meeting between Jerri and Buddha Stalin, Flatpoint's most controversial rock star. A clever film strip by closeted lovers Chuck Noblet and Geoffrey Jellineck on their "research trip" to Mexico also draws chuckles. Over 30 episodes, the jokes do become a touch repetitive, but the series never loses its energy or sharp wit. If you're looking for a show that will teach you how to do the wrong things the right way, the "Strangers with Candy" boxed set has the lesson plan for you. "--Leah Weathersby"