Season OneEverybody was kung-fu fighting after the 1972 premiere of this mystic  western starring David Carradine (snatching the role from Bruce Lee) in  his signature, Emmy-nominated role as Caine, a stoic Shaolin monk forced  to flee China after killing the royal family member who slew his  Master. Our wandering hero roams the west in search of his long-lost  brother, while eluding American and Imperial bounty hunters, and  imparting his ancient wisdom on those he encounters and is compelled to  aid.Kung-Fuwas never a ratings force, but its cult status was assured long before Samuel L. Jackson referenced it inPulp Fiction.  Along with the inaugural 15 episodes, this three-disc set contains the  feature-length pilot that establishes the series' iconography: the  inscrutable aphorisms ("When you cease to strive to understand, then you  will know without understanding"); the flashbacks to Caine's youth,  where the orphaned half-American and half-Chinese boy served as disciple  ("Grasshopper") to the Old Man; and, of course, the anticipated moments  when the peaceful Caine, likeBilly Jack, is reluctantly  compelled by some frontier bigot to use his fighting skills. Look for  appearances by father John Carradine and brothers Keith and Robert in  the episode, "Dark Angel." That's 11-year-old future Oscar-winner Jodie  Foster in "Althea." Other notable episodes include the Emmy-winning "An  Eye for an Eye" and "Chains," featuring an Emmy-nominated turn by  Michael Greene as a not-so-gentle giant to whom an imprisoned Caine is  chained. "With each ending," Caine observes in the episode, "The Third  Man," comes a new beginning."Kung Fu's new beginning comes on DVD. Thanks to the timeless frontier setting and the uniqueness of its genre-bending concept,Kung Fudates better than other '70s series. As these episodes demonstrate, the show still has plenty of kick.--Donald LiebensonSeason ThreeWhile it may not rank with Richard Kimble's fateful meeting with the One-Armed Man in the series finale ofThe Fugitive, Caine's reunion with his long-lost brother, Danny, bringsKung Fu,  to quote the title of the four-episode story arc's conclusion, "Full  Circle." The series' rich iconography and episodes featuring returning  characters may make this final season heady going for newcomers. But  those who have faithfully followed Caine (David Carradine in his iconic  role) on his nomadic adventures will be richly rewarded with some of the  series' best episodes. The season begins with a stellar two-parter,  "Blood of the Dragon," in which Caine seeks the truth about his  grandfather's murder, while Imperial assassins are dispatched to kill  Caine. The venerable Patricia Neal guest-stars as the grandfather's  iron-willed, cold-hearted former lover. Eddie Albert also stars as a  doctor who sides with Caine. Other memorable guest stars this season  include William Shatner broguing it up, Scotty-style, as a sea captain  who arrives with an Imperial pardon for Caine (but at what cost?) in "A  Small Beheading." Barbara Hershey portrays an aspiring Shoalin priest in  the two-parter, "Besieged." In "The Brothers Caine," a pre-AirplaneLeslie Nielsen is a ruthless magnate who puts a $10,000 price on  Danny's head, making for an awkward reunion when Danny thinks that Caine  is a bounty hunter. David's father, John, returns as blind preacher  Serenity Johnson in "Ambush."This season was distinguished by  innovative episodes set in China during Caine's "Grasshopper" tutelage.  In "The Demon God," the youth, poisoned by a prince, experiences  mystical visions of his older, wandering self, who is stung by a  scorpion. In "The Thief of Chendo," young Caine's Master imagines an  adventure for the aspiring priest. Two Carradine commentaries, and a  near-hour long chronicle of Carradine's 30-years-on visit to a Shoalin  monastery in China (an incredible journey that ends with Carradine's  soulful rendition of "America the Beautiful") help to giveKung Fua worthy DVD send-off.--Donald Liebenson