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Blu-Ray : For Fans Only
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Release Date: September 13th, 2011 Movie Release Year: 2010

Supernatural: The Complete Sixth Season

Overview -

The prize: ending the Apocalypse. The price: Sam’s life. Season 5’s horrific finale left Dean alone, as Sam descended into Hell. Now a different man, Dean vows to stop hunting and devote himself to building a family with Lisa and her son Ben. Then, mysteriously, Sam reappears, drawing Dean back into the old life. But Sam’s a different man too. He’s returned without his soul. . As the brothers struggle to reunite, they must also battle deadly supernatural forces. Demons. Angels. Vampires. Shapeshifters. And a terrifying new foe called the Mother of All.

OVERALL:
For Fans Only
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
4 BD-50 Blu-ray Discs
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/MPEG-4 AVC
Length:
924
Aspect Ratio(s):
1.78:1
Audio Formats:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles/Captions:
English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch
Special Features:
Two bonus episodes from Supernatural: The Anime Series - “All Hell Breaks Loose” Parts 1 & 2
Release Date:
September 13th, 2011

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

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The guys have saved the world from the pending apocalypse. Defeated Satan, and have now plunged the world into a time where God has ceased to be found in heaven. Some angels are vying for their own places trying to gain as much power as possible. With Lucifer out of the picture, his minions are doing the same, led by the demon Crowley who has taken over the leadership of Hell for the time being.

When season six starts we see Dean happily working away at a menial job. He's no longer a hunter. It's been a year since the end of season five and Dean has moved on. He's accepted his brother's fate, which for all we know, is that he's still trapped in Hell. Dean has moved in with a woman named Lisa and her son Ben. He has no regrets about leaving the life, and for once he actually looks happy.

It isn't long before Sam appears to Dean after Dean notices weird things happening around his family. It seems that he can't actually get out of the life. Sam reveals that he's actually been back for almost a year. That he was sent back from Hell almost as quickly as he arrived, but he has no idea why, or who orchestrated it.

Like every other season of the sci-fi paranormal show, this season has its season-long story arcs, mixed in with creature-of-the-week episodes. Usually, each episode features something pertaining to the overall endgame though.

The thing I like about 'Supernatural' is that it blends the monster-of-the-week episodes in as well as 'The X-Files' did. They're nice respites in between the numerous complicated episodes that dive into the show's mythology headfirst and don't come up for a breath until it's over.

One of my favorite episodes in this season is the episode that shows everything from Bobby's perspective. We've come to know Bobby as the "get it done" guy. The guy with all the answers who's always there for help. In this episode though, Bobby's life is shown in a better light. How exhausting it must be to be helping hunters the world over complete their missions all the while trying to trick the demon Crowley into giving him back his soul.

Vampires, demons, fallen angels, and a bunch of other mythical beasts play a huge role in this season. The show hasn't ceased to be a fun ride just yet. Through six seasons creator Eric Kripke, and the team of writers, have kept the show feeling fresh and fun. In a world where the paranormal is becoming increasingly mainstream, it's nice to have a show like 'Supernatural' that steps back and puts its own spin on the world's paranormal stories. That, and it's hilariously fun to watch them endlessly rip into the 'Twilight' series whenever vampires are mentioned.

'Supernatural' is one of the best shows the CW has to offer. It isn't as soap opera-y as 'Vampire Diaries,' which is nice. It can be just as funny and clever as 'Buffy' was in its prime. Sadly though, it's hard to jump into this series at this point. If you're interested in the series head on back to season one and start there. There's just so much you need to know to be ready for what season six has to offer. If you do, you'll be glad you did.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

The show's Blu-ray release comes on four 50-GB Blu-ray Discs that are housed in a slightly oversized keepcase which features two swinging disc hub arms that house discs back-to-back. The keepcase stores nicely in an outer cardboard box for safe keeping. Finally, there's a booklet included that outlines each of the season's 22 episodes, along with what special features one can expect.

Video Review

Ranking:

'Supernatural' has consistently strong Blu-ray video presentations and this is no exception. The 1080p/AVC-encoded image looks great, even better than the high-def TV broadcast. What am I saying? It looks much better than the blocky, limited bandwidth broadcast presentation.

'Supernatural' features a decidedly dark look and feel, but that's okay because it's treated so well in high definition. In lesser presentations, the blacks would lack depth and would never approach that inky state which we all love. Not here though. Blacks are extremely well defined, creating dark dimensionally-sound shadows which add much needed depth to the very dark picture. Even though darkness pervades the show's cinematography, we're still given splashes of color – mostly bloody crimson – which remind us just how great the video presentation is.

Fine detail is just another success in the long list of things done right here. Facial detail is simply Uh-mazing. Each blemish, pore, freckle, and beauty mark is visible. Textures fair just as well, offering a picture full of depth. Some visual effects are a little on the cheesy side, due to the budget constraints of a sci-fi cable show, but even then most of them look fine given their limitations. Fans will be impressed with another stellar Warner transfer of 'Supernatural.'

Audio Review

Ranking:

Is it possible that the audio is even better? I don't know, but it's close. The show's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 presentation is a rocking good time. It's chock-full of everything you'd want from an action-packed paranormal show. LFE is the overriding factor here. It's almost always engaged, whether it be from the show's foreboding soundtrack, it's startling thumps as something scary happens, or its numerous explosions and gunfire. This is some of the best bass I've heard come from a television set on Blu-ray.

Dialogue is always clear, but there are a few times where lines get lost in the hectic action. It's understandable though, and probably even done on purpose to highlight just how crazy it can get on this show. Rears are alive and well, with everything from friendly bar atmospheres, to the growling of a hundred hungry vampires. The surrounds feature a wide array of nuanced sound that keeps you enveloped in the show's action.

Special Features

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  • Audio Commentaries – There are two episode commentaries included in this set. A team of executive producers is in charge of these commentaries. Robert Singer, Sera Gamble and Ben Edlund discuss the day-in day-out managing of a TV show, trying to come up with new ideas, and how the show progresses through the seasons. The first comes on episode nine, "Clap Your Hands if You Believe" (Disc 2) and the second is featured on episode 15, "The French Mistake" (Disc 3).

  • Jensen Ackles: A Director's Journey (HD 27 min.) – Jensen Ackles, who plays Dean on the show, takes a shot at directing an episode this season. The episode in question is the one I mentioned in my review as one of my favorites, "Weekend at Bobby's." Ackles discusses what it's like to step behind the camera and lets us in on what it takes to create an episode for the series.

  • Supernatural and the Quest for the Soul (HD, 29 min.) – Interviews with different "experts" try to determine the meaning and origins of the human soul.

  • "The French Mistake" Alternate Takes and Outtakes (HD, 4 min.) – A bunch of laughs and such from the 15th episode of the season.

  • 'Supernatural: The Anime Series' Episodes (HD, 45 min.) – Hardcore fans will be pleased with the inclusion of two episodes from the show's anime series.

  • Alternate Endings (SD, 8 min.) – Three different alternate endings are included here, and none of them any better or worse than the ending in the movie.

  • Gag Reel (HD, 11 min.) – Cursing ensues as actors mess up lines of dialogue.

Final Thoughts

'Supernatural' is now currently in its seventh season and shows no signs of really slowing down. It's one of the few shows that's ramped itself up season after season. There haven't been too many lulls in the non-stop paranormal action. The stellar video and audio presentations are just icing on the cake. Fans will be elated by the way this release turned out. Even though this is a great set it's only recommended for fans, since the story is so complex that it would be almost impossible for someone to jump into this series not knowing anything about it and still get what's going on.