So you think you’ve had a bad day? Well, spare a moment for the Winchester boys. When we left them at the end of season two, their dad was dead, Dean had sold his soul to the devil to save his brother’s life, oh... and just to put the sweet icing on this particularly depressing cake, they had opened a huge gate to hell releasing untold hordes of evil upon the earth. Yep there’s nothing like a battle with the occult to put things into perspective. If you have managed to avoid Supernatural so far then here’s the 411: the show follows the Winchester boys Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles), ‘hunters’ who criss-cross America investigating and combating a ton of bizarre paranormal events. Small town by town and episode by episode the brothers take on a new nasty, each one an individual chapter in the season’s wider story that also helps the boys to discover much more about themselves and indeed each other along the way. The show is a sort of mash-up of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files all wrapped up in a classic road movie; and following this format, so expertly forged by Whedon and Carter, the show’s writers are given the freedom to craft some brilliant standalone episodes whilst also building a satisfying season-long narrative. It’s fair to say this epic journey has taken its toll on them. As we join the boys in season three, Dean only has a year to live before the contract on his soul is up and the Hell Hounds turn up to collect. With this hanging over their heads the season is as much a personal journey for our two paranormal protagonists as it is about rescuing Dean’s soul before his time is up. Dean’s journey is perhaps the most intriguing. Living the life of a man who knows his number is up he survives the early part of the season on a diet of racy women, cholesterol filled breakfasts and reckless abandon for his own safety.

However, as his end draws near, he becomes a reflective, somber character. This seriousness, alongside some well-constructed episodes that pry the brothers apart, provide an intriguing examination of Dean and Sam’s relationship, and for me, this is the highlight of the run. Whilst the entire series is superb, there are some memorable moments and some standalone episodes that are head and shoulders above the rest. Some best bits that come to mind include the sequences of good and bad luck that the brothers experience after finding a cursed rabbit’s foot in the third episode, the shaky-cam-esque reality show footage of the Ghostfacer episode and a nod to Assault on Precinct 13 in the season’s final stages. But the standalone entry has to be Mystery Spot, a superbly written hour of entertainment where Sam watches his brother die over and over again in a Groundhog Day style. The episode is brilliant in its own right but also as it offers an insight into how Sam will struggle after Dean has gone and what he might have to become to actually survive on his own. One of the show’s sibling protagonists is in trouble: to quote the packaging itself, “the Doomsday Clock is ticking for Dean.” There’s a certain allegorical value to this statement: the show has always been quite soundly on the bubble with the network in terms of its potential cancellation, facing stiff competition in its time slot, and potentially performing below expectations.

But, judging by the quality of the show’s third season, and the fan support given to the series over the past couple of years, it is clear that the Doomsday Clock is not ticking for Supernatural. Despite some roadblocks involving the introduction of new characters (always a difficult role for a series heading beyond its first few years), this strike-shortened season demonstrates the show’s central strength: two brothers, their fates intertwined, protecting humans from all things demonic and ghoulish. And as long as Supernatural delivers on this promise, chances are that the Doomsday Clock will stay silent.

Jensen Ackles, in particular, gets to infuse into the character (Dean) any actor would love: someone who has resigned themselves to death and wants to spend most of it drinking, having sex, and slaying demons with a reckless abandonment that makes for engaging television. While said recklessness has its comedic qualities though, Ackles does a spectacular job of emphasizing those smaller moments where, as the older brother, we realize that this is still a sacrifice he’s making for his brother, and that he does fear the fate that (potentially) waits for him at season’s end. The season is defined by an underlying tension that has Sam making decisions and choosing actions inconsistent with his moral code before being resurrected, the end result of which is a character who is desperate to save his brother but who, in the process, perhaps loses sight of the safest path. Despite these complications, however, the show maintains its best element: two brothers who riff off each other, enjoy a good skin magazine, and who (most importantly) get into a bunch of harrowing and legitimately scary situations on a weekly basis. As a “road trip” show, this is the kind of series that needs its leads to interact in a way that draws viewers in, and Supernatural has this in spades.

From the manifestation of the Seven Deadly Sins to Changelings, and including a Cursed Rabbit’s Foot, a twisted Christmas episode, and suicide-pushing phone calls, the show knows its genre and its strengths within it. The creative forces behind the show toss in uncharacteristic swaths of humor through Dean’s situation which takes the viewer by surprise. We’re not used to seeing this usually somber and troubled man having a sense of humor and the (unintended?) effect is that it’s kind of creepy. On the flip side, last season saw the brothers accidentally open the gates of Hell and now they and other “slayers” like them have their work cut out for them. Dean, knowing he will be dead soon, is a bit of a loose cannon. “Hey I’m dying, what could happen to me?!” UB
 

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Television Shows



Jensen Ackles
Jared Padalecki
Jim Beaver
Katie Cassidy
Lauren Cohan


As for the DVD extras... here we are in luck, as Supernatural has an enjoyable mix of throwaway tidbits and in-depth featurettes. I particularly enjoyed the ‘Scene specifics’ on each disc— short segments which offer a creative insight into individual episodes. Also of interest is the 'Impala' extra from disc 4 that takes a closer look at the show’s mechanical star. Perhaps the most interesting extra the box-set advertises is a bonus digital copy, which— for those of you aren’t familiar— offers an easy way to get the disc contents onto a portable media player without any additional fuss and expense. From Legend to Reality: Supernatural effects; Supernatural Impala featurette: A look inside the classic 1967 Chevrolet Impala; A Closer Look: Short segments showcasing favorite aspects of specific episodes; Ghostfacers! Confessionals mini-featurette gallery; Gag reel


http://www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural

 

Bridget Petrella is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of UPBEAT Entertainment News Online. At this point in her lackluster life, she's seriously contemplating a complete and unbridled abandonment of all typical network television... opting instead for Silver Surfer comic books, novels with wordy titles, Retro TV Land, HBO and Showtime's Original Programming schedule and of course... Nick at Night.
 

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