Greek - Chapter Three

I’ve long since given up trying to keep track of the “seasons” of Greek. ABC Family is calling this latest installment on DVD the third chapter. The 10-episode season follows the characters as they deal with the consequences of spring break and embark on Greek Week. Greek is a dramedy series that follows a group of college kids, most of whom are a part of a fraternity or sorority. The lead characters are siblings Rusty and Casey Cartwright (Jacob Zachar and Spencer Grammer). While Casey is on her way to her senior year, Rusty is just a measly freshman pledge, looking to shed his geeky past and find his own identity. Cappie (Scott Michael Foster) is one of Casey’s exes and the head of the Kappa Tau fraternity (the frat Rusty’s pledging). Rusty’s friend, Calvin (Paul James), is pledging Omega Chi, headed up by another one of Casey’s exes, Evan Chambers (Jake McDorman). Senator’s daughter Rebecca Logan (Dilshad Vadsaria) doesn’t get along with Casey, but as a ZBZ pledge, they’re sisters regardless of whether or not they’re friends. Frannie (Tiffany DuPont) is the dethroned ZBZ president who’s getting a little bit of revenge on Casey by dating Evan. Finally, there’s Ashleigh and Dale. Ashleigh (Amber Stevens) is the bubbly best friend of Casey, while Dale (Clark Duke) is the über-Christian geeky roommate of Rusty.

The third chapter follows Rebecca as she deals with her parents split by acting out. This results in a break-up with Cappie that leaves him to ponder his own romantic future and whether or not he wants to be a serial monogamist. Meanwhile, Rusty and Calvin decide that despite being in different frats, they’re going to maintain their friendship no matter what. While Rusty attempts to find love after Jen K. and the “crabs girl,” Calvin is faced with the decision of whether or not he wants to be in a serious relationship with Michael. Evan and Frannie’s relationship goes from being an act of revenge against Casey to a serious thing. And when Frannie’s not busy encouraging Evan to go along with the future his parents have planned out for him, she’s working on her campaign to run for a new term as president of ZBZ. The election turns ugly as Casey and Frannie butt heads, and the results prove to be a big surprise to everyone. Meanwhile, Casey starts dating Rusty’s adorable, tragic, and semi-geeky R.A., Max.

As the “chapter” is only 10 episodes long, the progression of the story is fairly steady. The more enjoyable aspects of the chapter, aside from the usual clever pop-culture references and witty dialogue, is getting to see Casey move on from Evan and Cappie and date someone who’s not only likable but also good for her. And since Rusty and Calvin have been pledging for what feels like an eternity, we finally get to see the conclusion of this phase of their Greek lives in college. To add to that, the conclusion of the chapter will certainly leave you wondering what’s in store for ZBZ thanks to Frannie’s surprise announcement at the sister initiation ceremony.

As a fan of Greek, this installment of the series is just as good as the previous two. The writers have done an excellent job of not only establishing interesting story arcs between the characters but also moving forward by developing both the relationships among the characters and the characters themselves in a way that keeps the story flowing, slowly but steadily. The three discs that make up Greek – Chapter Three hold all 10 episodes of this installment of the series, as well as a few special features and some commentaries. Among the special features is a blooper reel that shows the cast goofing up and goofing off on set. There’s also a “20 Questions with the Cast of Greek feature that has the cast members sitting in small groups, answering questions about themselves and their characters. As the actors on this show are a charismatic group, the featurette is amusing and will definitely appeal to fans who want to know more about them and their take on the roles they play.

The DVD set comes with three commentaries, one on each disc. Each commentary features the episode writer (or, in the case of “Hell Week,” series creator Sean Patrick Smith) and a few of the actors in the show. I’ve complained in the past about them including too many actors on the commentaries. When it comes to commentaries, it’s my preference to hear more of the writer’s take on the episode than the actors’ anecdotes. As I said earlier, the cast of the show are a charismatic bunch and they have plenty to talk about, but this time around it seems the writers have more time to talk. Either that or these cluttered Greek commentaries are starting to grow on me.

For a 10-episode “chapter,” between the three commentaries, “20 Questions” featurette, and blooper reel, fans should be satisfied with what the DVD set as to offer.