Season 5 takes off right from where season 4 left off following Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) as they fight against the forces of evil. Sam has just broken the seal that will allow Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) raise from the bowels of Hell. Dean had just finished off Ruby for her backstabbing and suddenly a mysterious force saves both brothers. Dean and Sam know that their lives are stake and they find themselves in the middle of a war between Heaven and Hell. Lucifer is about to ascend to Earth and new monstrosities leave the brothers in a bad position. To make things worst Michael and Gabriel are sent down to check on the situation. This fifth season is a must see and is much better than the previous four seasons.
From the beginning of the series the show has shown some promise and to be able to make it to a fifth season some of that promise has turned into a reality. Supernatural continues to entertain the fans with the great story and interesting plot lines that incorporate many of the urban legends and bringing them to life. This fifth season continues following Sam and Dean on their preparation for Armageddon with the help of Eric Kripke and his team of writers this has been a very satisfying season. The series continues as fresh as ever moving on using the same plot of incorporating myths into the mix. It isn’t as simple as that though, the writers continuously show the fans that they aren’t sitting on laurels and continuously improve the show as it moves on. Sure, the beginning of the season was slow, but as soon as it begin to take off it’s very entertaining and engrossing.
The producers understand the importance of casting and being able to incorporate new faces in the show. However, the writers avoid the, at times, per episode bad guy plots. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padelcki continue reprising their role as the demon hunters and they continue to surprise me as to how well they handle the characters they play. The show remains the same as ever with the brothers waging war against monsters, demons, angels, etc. and somehow the show’s producers have always been able to make it very entertaining. This season is much more chaotic in the sense that the war between good and bad has escalated into larger proportions with the inclusion of Lucifer, the Four Horsemen, and Heaven’s finest, Gabriel and Michael. While at first it seems like it could be a very chaotic and convoluted season is actually very well written and well thought out. Now, at this point if you are a fan you know that this is the final season that Eric Kripke is part of the production so I suppose most will ask the same thing if the series will continue on the same good path. Only time will tell.
Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p VC-1 encode framed at 1.78:1. This season of Supernatural is by far the best looking of them all. Colors are natural and well reproduced throughout the show. Black levels are excellent and spot on. Fine details are excellently displayed throughout especially during front shots and with clothing textures among other things. Skin tones look very natural and lifelike. There are a few issues specifically with artifacts, but these problems are minimal and the shows has had an impressive improvement over last season. Supernatural looks fantastic!
Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season arrives on Blu-ray with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio track. This is one of those releases that would greatly benefit from a lossless track. While the lossy track does a decent job, there are a few instances where it really needs a more robust track. Dialogue is clean and clear and very well prioritized. The rears are used to reproduce atmospheric sounds to help engross the viewers and capture the creepy musical cues that set the mood for what’s to come next. The LFE output is very well balanced and helps deliver the pounding action, the shooting, the monsters appearing, and all the creepy sounds that spur from time to time, but they can sometimes be a hit or miss. Supernatural has a very front heavy audio and it does a decent job with the material.
Audio Commentary – Executive Producers Bob Singer, Eric Kripke, and Ben Edlund tackle everything about season 5. The track is found on episode four “The End” and it deals with the shows direction, characters, the production’s take on the Apocalypse, the theme of the season, and more. Very entertaining and informative.
Supernatural: Apocalypse Survival Guides – This features plenty of extras and it’s over 2 hours long.
Ghostfacers: The Web Series – This is a ten piece web series.
Unaired Scenes
Gag Reel
Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season is a complete hit. One of the vest shows out there without a doubt. It has evolved ever since it first aired and is getting better and better. Sam and Dean’s quest to stop Lucifer will take fans of the show into the (at times) nightmare that is demon hunting. Supernatural looks excellent, but the audio does bring down the experience a tad bit. Don’t be discouraged though as the supplements should keep you entertained for hours and they are well worth your time. Fans of the show should not think twice to get this!
