Supernatural - The Complete Second Season - DVD Review

I was looking forward to seeing the second season of Supernatural to find out which direction the show would be taken in after the intermittent excitement of the first season. The show really has a lot of potential and works on a higher level as well as being a little more serialised this time around.

The opener "In My Time of Dying" was an excellent start to the season and immediately dealt with the cliffhanger that closed the first. I was a little skeptical at first as, generally speaking, having characters in a car crash as an end of season cliffhanger is usually pretty lazy and simplistic. That's not to say that absurd cliffhangers aren't awesome... Can I get a high-five for Melrose? It was just something I didn't really expect from this show. Anyway, the episode was very eventful and set-up the season and the rest of the series while also retaining a lot of character nuance that makes the show so great. Almost a perfect season opener. The episodes following range from above average to good. Some of them help set-up the seasonal arc which has to do with the 'special children' like Sam who the Yellow-Eyed Demon 'wants'. This is purposefully vague to begin with and the story progresses and closes by the end of the season. I commend Kripke for wrapping a story up without dragging it on too long but it felt meandering even before the middle of the season. I don't think this particular story-arc of the season was balanced properly and there could have been much more progression earlier in the season rather than having the bulk of the story in the final two-parter. The finale was great but after all the incredible episodes from episode 12 Nightshifter to episode 20 What is and What Should Never Be, I wasn't that excited for the 'special children' story. The transition just felt a little jarring. However, this was one heck of a season and from Nightshifter onwards are the best episodes the show has produced. They range from intense character-study to horror to comedy to action and drama. It's just amazing stuff and make the season amazing regardless of any other minor flaws. There are some great guest stars during the season such as Linda Blair (The Exorcist) and Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica). The comedic episodes too suggest a more self-reflexive show like Buffy and The X-Files were, and I'm sure as the show goes on there will be breather episodes that go even further than Hollywood Babylon.

Video

I found the widescreen transfer to be very clean and the great visual style of the show intact and represented well. Not a single issue.

Audio

The Dolby 5.1 sounds flawless, everything is mixed properly and the source music is fantastic.

Extras

Special Features:

• Unaired scenes
• Commentary on 2 key episodes by series stars and creative team
• The Devil's Road Map: Interactive U.S. map guide to urban legends and factoids pertaining to each episode
• Jared's original screen test for the role of Sam
• Gag reel
  

Four episodes have deleted scenes and the two commentaries are on great episodes. There aren't a load of special features, but of course, it could have been a lot worse and Jared's screen test and the interactive map are nice touches.

If your a fan and have already seen the first season then pick this up as soon as possible 'cause your in for a treat. If you haven't seen the show then go back and see the first season and know that it will be worth it because the show hasn't been canceled or jumped the shark. Especially if you are a fan of shows like Buffy and The X-Files as this seems to be heading in a similar direction - in a good way.

Supernatural - The Complete First Season - DVD Review

Initially I passed this off as a attempt to create a WB version of The X-Files - which it actually kind of is, but it's a little better than that. However, as it often does, my telephilia drew me to a place I didn't think I would go.

Pilot-machine David Nutter directs the first episode with impressive skill, creating an awesome visual style that was the first thing that stuck out to me and still does. I would wonder why he hasn't stuck around for any more with the exception of the second episode - but the man is a pilot-machine and there will always be pilot's to make. He generally directs the first couple of a series and then moves on - with the exception of directing one of the best episodes of The Sopranos late in its run. The visual style matches that of The X-Files, with the dark wash that gives all light a white look. This really helps the issue with shooting with digital - it still has a filmic look due to its style.

Supernatural is about two brothers road tripping around America hunting evil. They stay alive with credit-card fraud and gambling, oh and also a car boot full of varying weaponry. Urban legends such as Bloody Mary and Hookman make up a lot of the episodes - and the show plays with these myths and legends to freshen them. Creator Eric Kripe, from such terribleness as Boogeyman gets lucky with a series pickup, and a second chance at a good career. One thing I must congratulate him on is the pace of the first season. Usually the first has to be comprised of entirely stand-alone episodes, bar the last one or two - due to the wish of the network, I should add. However, this wasn't too evident for me while watching this first season. The long-running story was well incorporated into the many episodes of the season - and I was never all that bored - not hoping that please God do not make me sit through yet another monster-of-the-week episode. Some of them were pretty effective, some were rip-offs of X-Files episodes, and some were kinda scary. Veteran X-Files director Kim Manners directed some of the best episodes of the season and drew some great performances, as he often does.

The one thing that did weaken the mythology aspect of Supernatural was this Meg character. She was straight outta Charmed and it really did not work for me - I know it's The WB but I didn't think Supernatural would go down that path. Anyway, not a huge deal as Buffy did the same and that show reaches staggering heights of goodness.

Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles play the leads Sam and Dean Winchester. Unexpectedly, they often outshine the guest stars on most of these episodes - considering one was from Gilmore Girls and the other from Smallville they are doing a really good job this early on. This further highlights my initial comment that this show is very much a WB take on The X-Files, but better. Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays John Winchester, the boys father who is absent while trying to find the demon who killed his wife when Sam was a baby. The brothers come together in the pilot to search for him. There is a fair share of family angst on the show which I predict will just escalate in the second season. This stuff is very intriguing to watch and gives a strong emotional edge that the show needs.

The cliffhanger in the season finale was very odd, but I still can't wait to see what happens in the second season. I Recommend Supernatural to anyone who really misses The X-Files or horror on television, or anybody who misses Buffy, as this show has the potential to go in that direction in the future.