As season three begins, Teri Joseph (Nicole Ari Parker) the type-A personality of the group and a labor lawyer, has accepted a job as head of the labor department at her old firm. Terri has also started a serious relationship with her old lover, sports agent Damon Carter (Boris Kodjoe). Maxine Chadway is in the midst of a separation from her husband Kenny (Rockmond Dunbar), who hopes they can eventually reconcile. Tracy “Bird” Van Adams the youngest and the feistiest of the sisters, owns a beauty salon and is married to ex-con Lem Van Adams (Darrin Dewitt Henson) who is in a constant struggle to keep his temper in check.
It is clear from the first episode of season three that all is not as it seems for the Joseph family and their friends. In the first scene Damon is finishing a shower, when he hears a female voice complementing him on his butt. Naturally, Damon assumes it’s his roommate Terri, but it turns out to be the ghost of his dead girlfriend Christine Hughes (Anais Granofsky). In the next scene, it is Parent Appreciation Day, where an award for “Best Teamwork” is given to Mr. and Mrs. Chadway. Kenny takes the microphone and gives high praise to his wife and son Ahmad (Aaron Meeks). No one at the ceremony is aware of the Chadways’ recent separation.
One of the most effective narratives used in Soul Food are Ahmad’s voiceovers. Children are often the most observant individuals in the room and offer a unique perspective on things. Ahmad plays the biggest role of the supporting players in all the drama that surrounds Soul Food. At thirteen, he has to deal with all the hormonal changes going on in his body, being a young black man, his parent’s marital problems and issues related to his parents getting back together.
As in the past, the third season of Soul Food is chock full of professional drama to balance out the personal. Teri is constantly maneuvering to impress her bosses at the law firm and play the big sister role within the family. Lem is trying to set up business ventures of his own, instead of working for Kenny at Chadway towing. Meanwhile, Bird is dealing with newfound success in television.
Ahmad takes center stage in an episode titled “Child Safety” when he observes a drug-related shooting and he has to be hidden from the crime boss intent on eliminating the witness to the crime. Aaron Meeks gives a standout performance and the way the family rallies to protest Ahmad shows their immense devotion to one another.
On the back of the Soul Food: The Third Season DVD it says that the total runtime is approximately 6 hours/33 minutes. In actuality the 5 disc set runs approximately 16 hours/34 minutes. The set contains 20 episodes from the third and fourth broadcast seasons. The fourth season was originally broadcast some eight months after the third season. The fourth season (the last 10 episodes on the set) is far more dramatic than the third season.
Damon is arrested on drunken driving charges, Bird is being stalked by her former algebra teacher, Bird struggles with her feelings for another woman and Maxine tries to help a drug-addicted mother get back on her feet by taking a urine test for her.
Soul Food is an enjoyable drama to watch. While the show definitely plays like a soap opera at times, it’s nice to see a sassy show about an African-American family. Because Soul Food ran on Showtime, the writers and producers were able to develop each character’s personality more broadly then network television allows.
A few notable people show up in guest starring roles during Soul Food’s third season. Faye Dunaway plays Terri’s boss at the law firm (Ms. Dunaway always plays a great boss, see Network), Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Diahann Caroll as the girls tempestuous aunt Ruthie, Rip Torn and R&B star Usher.
Fans of Soul Food should be very happy with this set. The show’s 1.33:1 aspect ratio is presented in a sharp, colorful DVD transfer. The audio is presented in Dolby digital 2.0 surround sound. Soul Food: The Third Season has no special features and a notice on the back of the packaging notes that some episodes have been edited from there original versions. There is also a notice that some of the music has also been changed. No further details regarding the changes are provided but don’t interfere with the continuity of the show.
