The 23-episode ninth season of Supernatural hits Blu-ray and DVD today, with a beautiful looking set that also includes a whole lot of extras. Here’s a review:
The Episodes: This season finds the boys keeping secrets from one another yet again, in a season full of angels and demons. The season also has a few diversions, as Supernatural often does, and it even has an attempted spin-off called “Bloodlines,” which we all know now did not end up becoming a separate series. “Bloodlines” wasn’t too great, but it is interesting to see, at least. And hey, it’s 23 episodes, so there’s a lot to watch and enjoy.
In many ways, Supernatural is going through its third life under showrunner Jeremy Carver, and I’m enjoying it. Obviously you’d probably want to start the series from the very beginning, but it’s definitely a show worth catching up with.
The Extras: There’s an almost 20 minute long “Behind The Scenes Of Supernatural: A Fan’s Perspective” video that is staged, silly, and – with no offense to the people involved – not particularly funny, unless you like the whole “ha ha, hey, look at us, we’re so funny” brand of trying too hard. I think I expected to see more of the fan’s perspective – hence the name – of what really goes on there. I’ve been to set and it’s a great place, and the focus was more on being silly than it was to explore the studio and what goes on there. It wasn’t for me.
There are a handful of featurettes related to the Men of Letters, and this (beyond the episodes) is what gives fans their money’s worth. Writers, producers, and crew talk about aspects of the series in interviews and clips from the show – from the Winchester legacy through the design of the Men of Letters bunker. There’s so much to explore within; to see it all would take hours, and I mean that in a good way. A much better use of time than the fan thing. I really felt like this was a great way for me, as a peripheral fan of the show, to learn more about the world of Supernatural.
This set also features some commentaries! “Blade Runners” has Mark A. Sheppard (Crowley) and writers Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner; “Mother’s Little Helper” has Executive Producer/Writer Adam Glass and Misha Collins (Castiel), and “Bloodlines” has Executive Producers Jeremy Carver, Robert Singer, and Andrew Dabb.
There is also a gag reel, that was surely intended for the crew, but fans can enjoy it too.
Graphics & Sound: Supernatural looks AMAZING on Blu-ray. It’s definitely worth a few extra bucks to see it this way.
The Packaging: I liked the Season 9 Supernatural key art, and it’s put to good use here. The inside booklet looks great, and the individual discs look dynamic too. I like it.
Is It Worth It? Having the show looking this good is definitely worth it, and Supernatural is frequently rewatchable. Beyond that, the extra features make this set worthwhile, like I said.
Order Supernatural: The Complete Ninth Season from Amazon.com and support this website! Blu-ray – DVD
