The Girls Next Door - Season 3

Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 08/05/2008 Run time: 352 minutes Rating: Nr

Skeptics might suspect that this series would get stale due to so many episodes about party planning, modeling, and slumber parties, but The Girls Next Door grows more endearing as time progresses in the Playboy Mansion. Whereas Season Two revealed small doses of inner turmoil between Hef's three ladies, alongside some moments of grumpiness, stress, and anxiety, Season Three features Holly, Kendra, and Bridget as the trio comfortably settling in to their fairy-tale lives. Sure, we get the usual episodes detailing event plans for every holiday known to man ("Snow Place Like Home" and "Hearts Afire"), but some excellent shows about family excursions, such as "Snowboarded" in which Kendra pulls tricks with Shaun White, and "Surely You Joust" about the Renaissance Faire, show the viewer how close the family really is. Additionally, Hugh Hefner stars more heavily in this season. In episodes such as "Home, Sweet Suite," when the crew fly to Vegas to celebrate his birthday, one marvels at this man's empire and legions of fans. As the series progresses, in fact, one realizes how many girls not only long to participate with Playboy, but also idolize Holly, Kendra, and Bridget as career women who are sexy, silly, and fun. This DVD set also features a one-hour behind-the-scenes special, though the real treat, as always, is watching each episode to laugh with the girls' bubbly senses of humor, to gawk at their extremely charmed daily existence, and to live vicariously through the glamour. More hot tubs, more cocktails, more fluffy dogs—it's impossible to get enough. —Trinie Dalton