The first 10 or so episodes of Samantha Who? find the new-and-improved heroine trying hard to capitalize on a different personality and perspective on things. She apologizes for old slights and unintentional, new mistakes, and leaves a lot of goodwill and some confusion in her wake. But with time and flashes of remembrance of her old life, Samantha slowly becomes a hybrid of her new sweetness and vintage schemer. Both devil and angel, she becomes a more balanced survivor and pretty funny character. The show's creators and writers give the superb cast great material and lines on the theme of rampant dissatisfaction in relationships and hope for the future. The scenes between Applegate and Smart, especially, are the stuff of an instant classic. The second half of Samantha Who: The Complete First Season loses a bit of steam, generating a little less laughter, though story ideas are still fresh and original. But on the whole, this is a series to embrace. --Tom Keogh