DVD Review: Supernatural Season 1 Blu-ray

It’s the first season of a series that would become a cult favorite. Supernatural has a fanbase that is just as devoted and passionate as any Joss Whedon series or sci-fi/fantasy show. Warner Brothers has had a piece of magic on their hands with this series since 2005, and I don’t feel like I’m going overboard by saying it is, hands down, the best sci-fi series since The X-Files.

The Winchester brothers played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are supernatural “hunters” who drive from one middle American town to the next in their ’67 Impala fighting supernatural creatures like Bloody Mary, a Windego, and the Hook Man. I’m not usually a fan of horror films and television – it may be a little hasty but I typically shun 95 percent of the horror film trailers I see and don’t even bother seeing the movies. And let’s face it, nearly every horror movie released is just plain bad. It’s obvious that the directors and producers of Supernatural were going for quality. From the acting, to the storytelling and the special effects – the show is quality all the way around. The two main characters Sam and Dean, played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles were virtually unknown actors before this series – though they had appeared in small roles on other shows. They shine brilliantly as lead characters here and the chemistry between them is pretty amazing. And instead of pandering to record companies and marketing teams, the producers decided to abandon the usual fare of sup-par angsty teen music and stick to a strict diet of 1970’s classic rock that consists of everything from Black Sabbath, and Bad Company, to CCR and Blue Oyster Cult, that gives the show that extra edge it needs.

Season 5 just finished airing on The CW in May, and it’s incredible when you look back at the season that started it all and see how far it has come. The creator, Eric Kripke, said he knew from the beginning the story he wanted to tell, and it would take 5 seasons to tell that tale. Watching the series from the beginning, I’m not exactly sure if I believe him. While the later seasons take on some very hard-hitting religious supernatural elements, Season 1 is simply Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) taking on the things nightmares are made of in pursuit of finding their father – a quest that sends them all over the country.

The Blu-ray special features include Paley Festival Panel discussions with the cast and crew, a new The Devil’s Road Map (which includes a U.S. map guide to urban legends and facts featured in the episodes of Season 1, unaired and extended scenes, commentary on select episodes, gag real, and an awesome featurette Day In The Life of Jared and Jensen and Supernatural.

Grade: A+

Review By: Emma Loggins

Official Site: www.supernaturaldvd.com

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