Happy Nice Mall

Father’s Day is coming Sunday, and here are a few last-minute gift suggestions for the binge-watching dad who loves to eat an episodic series in his fun-guy cave.

Vikings: The Complete Series (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, unrated, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, 3,786 minutes, $139.99) – For six epic seasons between 2013 and 2020, History Channel has given viewers a bloody and violent look at the wars, customs and religious lore connected with a group of pagan barbarians trying to conquer parts of Europe and Britain.

Adapted from real-life Norsemen stories, the branching tale covers Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his family’s emergence as farmers in Kattegat to become kings and queens of tribes and further explore their heritage.

All 89 episodes are available on 27 Blu-ray discs, which include Ragnar’s first wife, the maiden-turned-queen Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick); sons Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig) and Ivar the Boneless (Alex Høgh Andersen); his collaborator brother Rollo (Clive Standen); boatbuilder, philosopher Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård); and leaders like King Ecbert of Wessex (Linus Roache), Emperor Charles of West Francia (Lothaire Bluteau) and the ferocious Bishop Heahmund (Jonathan Rhys Meyers).

“Vikings” is a spectacle where fathers will tear up like leg of lamb roasted on an open hearth as they watch the most primitive warriors survive, live and love in a world of enmity and gods.

Important extras: First, viewers get extended versions of all episodes that add more graphic content.

Then more than two dozen features spread over the discs, spanning the show and diving into the history of the Vikings.

Better still, multiple chart-like interactions are available to explore important characters as well as Viking mythology, customs, and culture.

Finally, check out 14 optional commentary pieces with series creator Michael Hirst and a variety of historical advisers and cast members to delve deeper into the Viking world.

The Boys: Seasons 1 and 2 To collect (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, rating: TV-MA, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 968 minutes, $45.99) — Amazon Prime’s popular live-action adaptation of the comic series from writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson comes on six Blu-ray discs and makes the perfect gift for fans who aren’t ready to pay for a monthly streaming service.

Presenting the first 16 episodes of the series, the collection introduces viewers to an elite group of vigilantes nicknamed the Boys, who are targeting a corrupt, company-run, artfully marketed team of superheroes called the Seven.

These super-powered individuals, like the Superman-like Homelander (Anthony Starr), the Flash-like A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), and the Aquaman-archetype The Deep, often abuse their power and enjoy public adoration. (Chance Crawford) has replaced truth, justice, and saving the innocent with greed, deception, and murder.

Led by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and vengeful technologist Hugh Campbell (Jack Quaid), The Boys found ways through blackmail, infiltrating the Seven, and outright assassination to try to keep them from controlling the geopolitical landscape.

The show offers pure entertainment value through unnecessary violence and gore while often drowning in cynicism, but it never ceases to captivate with plots that dive into the politics of the gods to rule individuals with their power and analyze the grayest lines between good and evil.

Important extras: Viewers only get about 35 minutes of deleted scenes and a five-minute story about The Butcher.

Rick and Morty: Complete Seasons 1 to 5 (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rating: TV-MA, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, 1.142 minutes, $89.99) — That’s right Mr. Meeseeks, Five seasons of the smartest, hottest, and most annoying animated comedy genre ever to dirty Cartoon Network’s screens comes in a five-disc Blu-ray set packed with extras and heartbreaking laughs.

Viewers scrutinize 52 episodes of sci-fi, pop-culture, interdimensional space travel antics concocted by the Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon lunatics since 2013.

The show focuses on the adventures of exploring multiple universes and dimensions with the ever petrified Morty, the 14-year-old grandson of brilliant and amoral alcoholic inventor and scientist Rick Sanchez (Doc Brown, who has a persistent hangover).

Complicating his plan to dominate all space and time, he lives on Earth with his daughter Beth, a worthless groom Jerry, and his feisty grandson Summer, as they always end up in the middle of ruining their countless missions.

Blending brilliance with sophomores, “Rick and Morty” won’t disappoint mature gift recipients looking for something very, very different in the world of animated absurdity.

Important extras: Compiled from all previously released season sets, the collection primarily includes audio commentary from the creators of the first three seasons (though Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson are actually discussing the first episode of Season Three (“The Rickshank Rickdemption”).

Additionally, most seasons (two to five) offer short, behind-the-scenes vignettes across all episodes, and several dozen introductions covering the making and challenges of the show.

Magnum PI: The Complete Series (Mill Creek Entertainment, unrated: TV-PG, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, 7,813 minutes, $179.99) — The show that turned Tom Selleck into a pop culture icon is released in high definition format to give dads a strong dose of 1980s nostalgia.

The adventures of private detective Thomas Magnum and his eclectic friends, such as local helicopter charter owner Theodore “TC” Calvin (Roger E. Mosley) and local bar Orville Wilbur Richard “Rick” Wright (Larry Manetti) and associates on the CBS network from 1980 to 1988.

Magnum, who lives on the Hawaiian private estate of wealthy writer Robin Masters with prickly guard Jonathan Higgins (John Hillerman) and two Dobermans Zeus and Apollo, acts as a field safety expert while living in the guesthouse and taking freelance gigs from finding missing persons. to become personal bodyguards to solve murders and overthrow drug lords.

“Magnum PI” also featured some of Hollywood’s most famous or soon-to-be-famous guest stars such as Frank Sinatra, Carol Burnett, Sharon Stone, Pat Morita, Carol Channing, Ernest Borgnine, Ted Danson, and Angela Lansbury (in her role). “Murder Written by” character Jessica Fletcher).

The set offers all eight seasons of the show, 162 episodes, over 30 Blu-ray discs.

Important extras: Viewers can enjoy optional commentary pieces for “Pleasure Principle” and “Legend of the Lost Art” and “Resolutions Pt. 2” with actor Charles Floyd Johnson.

Then, the extras feature a 30-minute look at television in the 1980s and interviews (11 minutes each on average) with Magnum alumni writer Chris Abbott, director Reuben Leder, actress Deborah Pratt, and composer Mike Post.

Also, as a nice ending to the set, viewers get two episodes of Mr. Selleck appearing in “The Rockford Files” with Jim Garner. In each of “White on White and Nearly Perfect” and “Nice Guys Finish Dead,” the future Magnum star played Lance White, the rich and perfect private detective.