Kung Fu: Season 3 [DVD]

The third and final series of the greatest show of the '70's is coming! David Carradine unexpectedly walked out of the show at the end of this season, he's a man of many interests so he couldn't be tied down to the one show for too long. At least we have close to a hundred episodes of this tv classic as his legacy. These final episodes are:1. "Cry of the Night Beast" (Prod #166251) October 19, 1974 - Caine hears a baby buffalo crying (supernaturally) and stops a hunter from killing its mother. But when mother and baby get separated, Caine must find a way to keep the baby alive until he can reunite them. This is connected in flashbacks to a connection the young Caine felt with an unborn baby.2. "My Brother, My Executioner" (Prod #166252) October 12, 1974 - Caine tracks down Danny but doesn't get the kind of reception he expected from his brother. Soon thereafter a gunfighter arrives saying that this Danny Caine had been a very fast gunfighter with a different name just three years previously and he wants to see which one of them is faster.3. "The Valley of Terror" (Prod #166253) September 28, 1974 - When Caine learns a young woman has visions of the signs of the dragon and the tiger that are burnt on his arms, he rescues her from those who are trying to return her to an insane asylum.4. "A Small Beheading" (Prod #166254) September 21, 1974 - While he is working for a woman on a ranch near a coastal town, a sea captain (married to the sister of the Emperor's*1* nephew, whom Caine killed) delivers to Caine a pardon if he returns to China. The catch, according to the captain, is that Caine must allow the 'beheading' of the little finger of his right hand.5. "The Predators" (Prod #166255) October 5, 1974 - Caine needs a man to return with him as a witness to the fact that he didn't kill a sheriff. But the witness is one of a gang of hunters seeking Apache scalps and an Apache, who Caine has befriended, has had a vision to kill the whole gang.6. "The Vanishing Image" (Prod #166256) December 20, 1974 - Caine seeks out a dying photographer (Lew Ayres: nominated for an Emmy for the performance) who might be able to identify Danny in a group photograph. Meanwhile, Caine is tracked down by another Chinese assassin and the old man is tracked by an Indian who believes the camera has stolen his spirit.7. "Blood of the Dragon", Part I & 2 (Prod #166257-8) September 14, 1974 - Caine shows up in Gurneyville, on the California coast, knowing (supernaturally?) that his grandfather died there the night before. As Caine tracks down what happened to his grandfather, he is being tracked by three agents of The Imperial Guards of the Dragon Throne's Order of the Avenging Dragon which needs to kill Caine to end the shame of having failed to protect the Emperor's nephew (showing that the hunt for Caine won't end with the Emperor's death in 1875*1* - though, the Dowager Empress*1* might have continued anyway).8. "The Demon God" (Prod #166259) December 13, 1974 - In flashforwards Caine is stung by a scorpion and faces again a hallucination that he first experienced when, as a young student, he was poisoned by a Mandarin's son who wanted to learn from the temple student what awaited his dying father in the land of the dead.9. "The Devil's Champion" (Prod #166260) November 8, 1974 - In China a strange challenger shows up at the temple gates to challenge Master Kan to ritual combat to the death. Caine, who is having visions, must find out who or what is behind the situation.10. "The Garments of Rage (Prod #166261) November 1, 1974 - After the events in "The Demon God" (#47 the last episode set in the present), Caine is left battered with his clothes torn, and he is taken in by railroad workers. The railroad is being harassed by a Shaolin master who has also fled China. This former teacher offers Caine clothes that had belonged to his nephew who died in a railroad accident. (At first Caine refuses to wear the clothes which might symbolize that he would help sabotage the railroad, but later Caine accepts the clothes and wears them for the rest of the series).11. "Besieged", Part 1: "Death on Cold Mountain" (Prod #166262) November 15, 1974 - In China Master Po and Caine are dispatched to rescue the survivors of another Shaolin temple which has been destroyed by the warlord Sing Lu Chan. One of the survivors happens to be a girl.12. "Besieged", Part 2: "Cannon at the Gates" (Prod 166263) November 22, 1974 - In China Master Po and Caine are dispatched to rescue the survivors of another Shaolin temple which has been destroyed by the warlord Sing Lu Chan. One of the survivors happens to be a girl.13. "A Lamb to the Slaughter" (Prod #166264) January 11, 1975 - Caine goes to a village on the coast of Mexico to pay a debt the priest owes to a man whose father died saving his father. But the only payment the man will accept is for Caine to teach him fighting/killing skills.14. "One Step to Darkness" (Prod #166265) January 25, 1975 - Caine comes to the rescue of a woman and for his trouble is arrested by her army officer husband. The woman turns out to be addicted to a Chinese drug (opium?) and she introduces Caine to a mystical world where he meets a demon who claims the priest's life for a wish the very young Caine had made while sick with typhoid.15. "The Thief of Chendo" (Prod #166266) March 29, 1975 - Master Po and the young Caine visualize what it will be like when Caine leaves the temple. The two imagine (?) in a 'flashforward' (?) that Caine, now a priest, has been sent to help a duke. The young priest "finds royalty everywhere" as he runs into a prince of thieves who wants to help a princess.16. "Battle Hymn" (#166267) February 8, 1975 - While chasing Caine for the reward, a man falls from his horse and is killed. The useless death leads Caine to shaving his head. Then he undertakes to return the dead man's belongings including, it turns out, a treasure map to the man's wife in Sovalo. On the way he runs into a pair of traveling musicians who are going the same way.17. "The Forbidden Kingdom" (Prod #166268) January 18, 1975 - While fleeing the Imperial troops after killing the royal nephew, Caine tries to escape into Tibet. And in the process he is helped, betrayed and loved by Po Li. (She was the mother of the son who turns up in the sequel movie of 1986 "Kung Fu: The Movie".)18. "The Last Raid" (Prod # 166271) April 26, 1975 - On his way to Lordsville to answer a summons from Serenity Johnson (which he does in the following episode "Ambush" even though it seems "Ambush" was originally broadcast first), Caine visits old friends from "The Well" just as their son is kidnapped by former Confederate raiders who continue to fight the Civil War.19. "Ambush" (Prod #166272) April 4, 1975 - Serenity Johnson from "Dark Angel" & "The Nature of Evil" sends for Caine and then lies about how sick he is to get the priest to help him claim a $2000 debt. While with Serenity in Arizona City, Caine is shown a poster with information on the whereabouts of his brother, Danny.20. "Barbary House" (Prod #166269) February 15, 1975 - The poster from #58 "Ambush" leads Caine to an establishment outside San Francisco. Danny has left but the owner is holding Danny's son, Zeke, and Caine is forced to become a prize fighter to stay with his nephew. (This is the first of a four part story line.)21. "Flight to Orion" (Prod #166270) February 22, 1975 - Caine, Zeke and Zeke's mother try to find Danny before the search party which plans to find/kill him for a $10,000 reward (strange how both brothers turn out to have the same price on their heads).22. "The Brothers Caine" (Prod #166273) March 1, 1975 - Zeke sells himself to his grandfather so that he can acquire information to help Kwai Chang find and warn Danny. Meanwhile, Danny is told that Kwai Chang is an assassin hired to kill him.23. "Full Circle" (Prod #166274) March 8 or 15, 1975 - Finally the journey ends but then again it doesn't and won't until, as Caine says, "it comes full circle at my death."Enjoy!

This season has a great many wonderful episodes, a few stinkers, and as other reviewers here have often lamented, an unfortunate tendency to delve into mysticism and the occult resulting in an embarrassing loss of realism and dramatic "quality" on occasion. In addition, four episodes, (five actually; one is a two-part episode) take place entirely in China and, other than providing some colorful insights into Kwai Chang's temple years, are wholly unrelated to Caine's ongoing western adventure. Though I generally enjoyed these China episodes I could have just as easily done without them being tossed into the middle of the "western experience" as they were. They generally do not flow with the unique "moral dynamic" established in the first two seasons: i.e. Caine's "temple reflections" brilliantly juxtapositioned against the violence of the American west.This dynamic was so utterly well conceived by Spielman and Miller it's lamentable that the third season so often strays away from it. The original concept of Caine in America with the philosophy weighted "flashbacks" to his past broke completely new ground and made the series what is was. Thus, the "continuity" that fans had come to expect from episode to episode (Caine sauntering off into the wilds at the end of an episode and then walking back into civilization in the next) suffers greatly when one suddenly is thrown back to China for episodes that have little to do with or add many insights into Caine himself or his western adventures.That said, die-hard fans of this series should heartily enjoy the third season but much more if THE EPISODES ARE WATCHED IN ORDER OF THEIR PRODUCTION SEQUENCE , not broadcast date. What's the issue here? Like Seasons 1 and 2 Warner has released Season 3 with the discs arranged in order of broadcast date. Makes sense right? Wrong. The problem is that the NETWORK (ABC) appears to have originally broadcast many of the episodes completely out of sequence from the order that the production company delivered them and presumably intend them to be broadcast in. How do we know this? Look at seasons 1 and 2. They were broadcast (and subsequently released by Warner on DVD) in the exact production sequence in which the episodes were made. Because of this their episode "continuity" is perfectly intact. But was this the intention of the production company during season three? Taking a closer look, it soon becomes evident it may have very well been their intention. For when watching the season in broadcast sequence, the order in which the Warner discs are arranged, many nagging incongruities appear:For instance:The episode "Full Circle" was clearly intended to end the season, as the three episodes leading up it make clear. Caine and his brother are reunited. But the network broadcast an addition three episodes AFTER this (one a "China" episode) where Caine has apparently again lost touch with him. The Warner release repeats this incongruity.In the opening of "The Garments of Rage", Caine's well worn yellow shirt has been completely destroyed (in some mysterious accident) and he ends the episode in all new garb (the renegade Shaolin priests nephews black and white silk clothes). However when he next appears in the west (after the two-part "Besieged", set in China) he appears in the episodes "The Demon God" and "The Vanishing Image" with the yellow shirt again. In the following episode "A Lamb to the Slaughter" he is inextricably wearing the new garb acquired in "The Garments of Rage" again.There are several other examples but to cut to the chase, if the PRODUCTION SEQUENCE is adhered to, these flaws dissappear and the episodes flow seamlessly:"Full Circle" ends the series as intended. The "mysterious accident" which has apparently occurred prior to the opening of "The Garments of Rage" is now explained by the events of the preceding episode "The Demon God". When Caine next appears in the west he is properly clothed in the new garments he acquired at the end of "The Garments of Rage", as it should be. And "The Vanishing Image" happens before all of these while Caine still has his yellow shirt intact, etc.Just how the network and Warner missed the importance of broadcasting or releasing these episodes on DVD in the right sequence is puzzling, but the remedy for purchasers of season three is simple. Just watch them in the order listed below and the season's originally intended continuity will be preserved. In fact, if one wishes to bypass the all the episodes that are set completely in China, marked by an "(All in China)" note, you can enjoy the unbroken saga of Caine's "western" adventure without the interruption the stand alone China episodes which have little to add to Kwai Chang's American sojourn and his continued search for his brother. Afterwards they can serve as a nice group of "Special Feature" episodes to watch!(We'd like to thank [...] for turning us on to this list. We have used their suggestion of placing "The Vanishing Image" after "Blood of the Dragon" as it is clear the production team meant for the arrival of yet another member of "The Avenging Dragons" society to follow "Blood of the Dragon" not precede it.)Suggested Episode Watching Sequence for Season Three:1. DISC 2, SIDE A "Cry of the Night Beast" (Prod #166251) October 19, 19742. DISC 1, SIDE B "My Brother, My Executioner" (Prod #166252) October 12, 19743. DISC 1, SIDE B "This Valley of Terror" (Prod #166253) September 28, 19744. DISC 1, SIDE A "A Small Beheading" (Prod #166254) September 21, 19745. DISC 1, SIDE B "The Predators" (Prod #166255) October 5, 19746. DISC 1, SIDE A "Blood of the Dragon", Part I (Prod #166257) September 14, 19747. DISC 1, SIDE A "Blood of the Dragon", Part 2 (Prod #166258) September 14, 19748. DISC 3, SIDE A "The Vanishing Image" (Prod #166256) December 20, 19749. DISC 2, SIDE B "The Demon God" (Prod #166259) December 13, 197410. DISC 2, SIDE A (All in China) "The Devil's Champion" (Prod #166260) November 8, 197411. DISC 2, SIDE A "The Garments of Rage" (Prod #166261) November 1, 197412. DISC 2, SIDE B (All in China) "Besieged", Part 1: "Death on Cold Mountain" (Prod #166262) November 15, 199413. DISC 2, SIDE B (All in China) "Besieged", Part 2: "Cannon at the Gates" (Prod 166263) November 22, 197414. DISC 3, SIDE A "A Lamb to the Slaughter" (Prod #166264) January 11, 197515. DISC 3, SIDE B "One Step to Darkness" (Prod #166265) January 25, 197516. DISC 4, SIDE B (All in China) "The Thief of Chendo" (Prod #166266) March 29, 197517. DISC 3, SIDE B "Battle Hymn" (#166267) February 8, 197518. DISC 3, SIDE A (All in China) "The Forbidden Kingdom" (Prod #166268) January 18, 197519. DISC 4, SIDE B "The Last Raid" (Prod # 166271) April 26, 197520. DISC 4, SIDE B "Ambush" (Prod #166272) April 4, 197521. DISC 3, SIDE B "Barbary House" (Prod #166269) February 15, 197522. DISC 4, SIDE A "Flight to Orion" (Prod #166270) February 22, 197523. DISC 4, SIDE A "The Brothers Caine" (Prod #166273) March 1, 197524. DISC 4, SIDE A "Full Circle" (Prod #166274) March 8 or 15, 1975"Barbary House", "Flight to Orion", and "The Vanishing Image" are the only three episodes that violate the "production sequence" rule, but it seems clear from their content that this is likely the intended exception from the producers.That the network may have intentionally broadcast certain episodes out of sequence because of "ratings" wars during the third season's run is certainly not without precedent. Whether the above list is the "quintessential" order in which these episodes were meant to air by the series producers is of course uncertain. But if the production sequence is generally adhered to (as strictly done in seasons 1 and 2) there are little to no continuity problems with story lines, costumes, or David Carradine's slowly lengthening hair for that matter.Finally, as recommended above, if one wishes to bypass the episodes set completely in China and sets them aside for another time, the continuity of the Caine's western saga, and an experience more akin the formula and magic of the first two seasons can be more easily retained.-Ed Truthan

Look, I could write a very lengthy review of this series, going into one or two episodes that border on the loopy, but by and large this series is more relevant in 2021 than it was when it was first created. It's amazing how much racism made it through this show, that censors today probably would never permit; but it's reflective of how life certainly was in the Old West that is idolized by so many. Carradine plays the role masterfully and makes it his own. Bruce Lee would have undoubtedly been great, but he also would have played it very differently. Short and sweet this series is a classic that never got the true recognition it deserves. Everyone who wants solid, quality TV should watch this, purchase it, and support it. There will never be another show like this because there can't be.

Ich bin mit der DVD Box sehr zufrieden

Die Filme sind gut, nur leider bleiben mehrere Filme immer hängen, kein Vergnügen mehr dann. Die Hälfte der Staffel kann man so nicht gucken.Vielleicht hat das was damit zu tun, dass die dvds beidseitig bespielt sind.

Niet ontvangen

ein paar ganz gute Geschichten, aber man merkt das Ego in der Figur Caine aufsteigen. Insofern gefällt mir die 1. und 2. Staffel besser.

Initially, i was wary of buying the third and final season of this classic seventies series. Its highish price and region one issue were dissuading factors. Additionally, i did not have especially fond memories of how things concluded. I decided to relent, when the price became a bit more reasonable, so as to complete the journey.How does it stack up, after all this time? Well, I suppose not too badly. The early episodes are actually quite good. "A Small Beheading", with a wiggy, bewhiskered William Shatner in the role of a Scottish sea captain, is a major highlight. The middle episodes see things taking a bit of a turn for the worse, however. There are a couple of weird episodes, set in a cave. We also get quite a few which take us back to Kwai Chang's time in Chiina. Thematically, it almost felt as though they would fit better into season one. And then we get through to the four-part arc where the search for Danny Caine finally concludes. Here, with a view to getting things across the finish line, the storytelling feels relatively conventional. The eastern philosophical elements are largely absent. Indeed, Philip Ahn is completely missing from the proceedings and Keye Luke makes only the odd appearance. (Might health issues have had something to do with this?) The other oddity, is that we get three episodes which were aired AFTER the Danny Caine search had ended. (Although clear reference is made to his continuing search which, well, had concluded.) From a narrative point of view, they should absolutely be viewed BEFORE the "Barbary House" epiosde which opens the concluding arc.The good news is that this Japanese-looking edition plays perfectly well on my very finnicky region two player. Potential purchasers should not, therefore, be put off by this potential compatability issue.