The Show
Creator Eric Kripke intended Supernatural to run for five years ideally, and Season Five did indeed conclude in grand fashion, but the show's growing popularity in recent years convinced the network to order a Sixth Season, with number seven set to premiere this week on The CW.
One year has passed since Sam (Jared Padalecki) sacrificed himself both to help save the world and so that his brother Dean (Jensen Ackles) could put his evil-hunting days behind him and live a happy, normal life. And so he does, with the love of his life and her son, but as we should have expected, bad things come looking for Dean, and so he walks away from it all to resume his unofficial career, joined by a mysteriously-returned Sam. But he's not the man he used to be.
These days it's not all day-to-day hunting of Alpha monsters and such, as bigger forces are at work, with a civil war raging in Heaven and secret deals being struck to locate and pillage the souls in Purgatory. Ally angel Castiel figures prominently in the Winchester brothers' ongoing quest, but he too seems different, and the ultimate reason why is a doozy.
Season Six feels remarkably fresh despite its extended life, highlighted by "The French Mistake," one of those great for-the-fans episodes wherein Sam and Dean are literally thrown into the "real" world, as actors Jared and Jensen filming a weekly TV series. It's funny, scary and smart, just the way we like it.
The Picture
The 16:9 image quality is generally fine, occasionally outstanding (love those pores in well-lit close-ups!), even if the colors are a little off, a little flat at times. Packing 22 42-minute episodes onto four discs takes its toll, and the resulting AVC bitrate is down in the teens (megabits-per-second), marked by varying black levels that are sometimes pleasingly detailed, other times stark and problematic, sucking the tops of brunette heads into the shadows.
The Sound
The benefits of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1-channel soundtrack here--a welcome step up from last year's Dolby Digital--are heard not in the mix so much, which tends to be front-heavier than I'd like, but in the impressive clarity, as in the vocals in the pop/rock songs throughout. The rears are deftly utilized for weird, bigger-than-life effects around us, and for aggressive scene transitions, as well as convincing echo and the engaging action of flying debris and other creative touches.
The Extras
Supernatural continues to provide viewers with some of the most elaborate Blu-ray-exclusive special features out there, capped by Disc Four's "Hunter's Guide to Season Six," yet another wonderful interactive experience that amasses dozens of featurettes, plus photos and more, covering all aspects of the latest batch to hit high-def disc. These are organized by episode, with Easter eggs thrown in too.
There are audio commentaries on two episodes, "Clap Your Hands If You Believe" and "The French Mistake," from executive producers Robert Singer, Sera Gamble and Ben Edlund. "French Mistake" also offers an optional trivia track, as well as alternate takes and outtakes centering mostly on Sam and Dean's humorously blown scenes.
A pair of episodes from Supernatural: The Anime Series (45-and-a-half minutes total, plus a live-action introduction, all in HD) serves as a tease to the excellent companion program. In "Jensen Ackles: A Director's Journey" (27 minutes, HD) we see the genesis of the star as he steps up to helm Episode 4, "Weekend at Bobby's." "Supernatural and the Quest for the Soul" (29 minutes, HD) meanwhile explores a vexing topic from a philosophical, quasi-scientific point-of-view.
The gag reel runs eleven minutes in HD, and all four discs in the set offer BD-Live connectivity.
Final Thoughts
The minds behind Supernatural make it very easy to become swept away in the adventures of Sam and Dean, and their dedication even six seasons in is evident both in the show and across this fine, well-featured Blu-ray set.
Product Details
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