Plot: What’s it about?
A few years ago a former co-worker of mine and I were talking. I’d just seen the movie Priest and had commented to her that I’d enjoyed it, particularly the more religious aspects of it that the film never really seemed to touch upon. She (knowing me to be the “DVD Authority”) asked me if I’d ever seen Supernatural and I had to be honest with her and say that I hadn’t. In truth, I really had not in spite of having the seasons sent to me by Warner (that are now gathering dust in the garage). After that, I’d noticed some episodes on television but just didn’t have it in me to start a new show. My perpetual “to be reviewed” pile always beckons. So when the eighth season of Supernatural showed up I told myself no more excuses. I was going to sit down and watch a season of this show if it killed me! Now, granted, coming into a well-established show in its eighth season isn’t exactly ideal but I wasn’t going to watch seven previous seasons simply for the sake of this review (there’s a fine line between dedication and certifiable insanity) and with that all being said, here’s my take.
Taking up where the previous season ended (a fitting place, of course) this season focuses on the fallen angels. After they fall to Earth, Sam and Dean (Jared Padelecki and Jensen Ackles) must now deal with the crazed and powerful beings who form coalitions to try to kill Castiel (Misha Collins). Dean makes an agreement with Ezekial (Tahmoh Penikett) to take possession of Sam’s body in order to heal him (from the Trials of God in the previous season). Abaddon (Alaina Huffman) has escaped Hell and when Sam and Dean kidnap Crowley (Mark Sheppard), he’s rendered helpless. All the while Cass if off familiarizing himself with his newfound humanity, Crowley is now the new kid on the block. Will Sam and Dean be able to keep everything in check or will the demons of Hell literally take over the world?
Supernatural has some very interesting roots and I’ll probably hit up Netflix or see if I can find any of my older seasons as the show is intriguing. Written and developed by Erik Kripke, who has found new success with Revolution, he tried to pitch the show to networks for over a decade. Originally the characters were set to be “Sal” and “Dean” with an obvious nod to the novel On the Road by Jack Kerocac. I don’t know if I’ve found a new series to follow, especially after feeling somewhat lost during this season. Bear in mind this isn’t a soap opera where you can take a few years off and be caught up in an episode or two. No, this show has layers and that’s good. It makes you think and I have always been fascinated with the occult, though not in that way. Clearly the show has a following as it’s entering its ninth season, so hopefully by the time that rolls around to Blu-ray, I’ll be a bit more prepared.
Video: How’s it look?
Some of the promos I’ve seen for the show have made it look a bit low budget. Let me assure you that the 1.78:1 AVC HD transfer on this Blu-ray set is second to none. The entire series is more on the darker side as we might expect for two anti-heroes that fight demons. Contrast and blacks are rock solid and though a few of the special effects aren’t up to some of those that I’ve seen, it’s not bad for a weekly television series. Detail is amazing, showcasing some of the scenery and we see the pores on the actors’ faces. Truthfully, this is about as good as I’ve seen from a television series and Warner has done a fine job with this release.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Complimenting the video is a rather amazing DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack. I think we’re past the days when a television series has to sound dated and this is certainly not the case as this mix simply resonates in some of the episodes. Vocals are strong and concise, surrounds are used often and the LFE are very active (though in some episodes more than others). Some general ambiance is always present for a very active, all around mix. Again, a fine job.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentaries – Three audio commentaries feature a track, including one for the backdoor pilot of “Bloodlines”, a possible Supernatural spin-off set in Chicago about warring supernatural families trying to control the city. Also included is “Mother’s Little Helper” and “Blade Runners”. Granted, the more die-hard fans might get a little more out of this than I did, but these are all very in-depth and informative.
- The Men of Letters Interactive Set Experience – This interactive feature allows the viewer to tour various rooms inside the bunker and along the way you’ll gain entrance to 9 short featurettes that reveal the Men of Letters lore as well as some other secrets of the show..
- Behind the Scenes of Supernatural: A Fan’s Perspective – One lucky fan of the show gets a look at what really happens on the set of their favorite show. Since my favorite show is The Simpson’s, I don’t think the experience would be quite the same for me..
- 2013 Comic-Con Panel – The cast and producers of the show give a preview of the ninth season’s story lines as well as some of the various character arcs..
- Deleted Scenes – Nearly every episode has a couple of deleted scenes and all are shown here.
- Gag Reel – A bit more than your standard “gag reel” here, but the cast and crew is obviously having a good time.
- UltraViolet Copy
