The year before last, when the WB (before becoming the CW) rolled out its usual suspects of new shows, I kept my eyes peeled for any that looked like they might stand out from the rest. There were only a couple, but one in particular seemed like it might have the makings of something good. "Supernatural" was sold as being an occult thriller and the previews offered promise. My one worry was that the series would be one of those 'hip & cool' shows that feature models instead of actors in order to attract the still burgeoning MTV crowd. Most of the ads featured stars Jason Paledecki and Jensen (Jenson???) Ackles who, at first glance, seem as though they fit into that exact category.

However, my wife and I decided we'd give the show a try in the hopes that it would exceed our expectations. That's where the magic of having satellite TV comes in handy as we could 'record' the show and watch it whenever we felt like it. (Yes, I realize we used to be able to do that with VCR's, but who has those anymore?) Anyhow, we ended up being totally sucked in by the first episode and continued to enjoy the show as the season carried forward. Both Ackles and Paledecki proved to be decent actors, but it was the show's stories and style that really 'hooked' us.

As the series began we were introduced to the Winchester brothers, Sam (Paledecki) who is whiling away his hours at college and Dean (Ackles) who prefers to follow in their father's footsteps. Of course the job is a rather odd one, in that Dean crosses the country in search of supernatural events on order to a) fight demons and send them back to Hell and b) track down the demon that killed their mother when they were children. Sam had chosen to leave this life behind, but is drawn into the never-ending battle by Dean after their father goes missing. Reluctant at first, Sam's resolve is set after a tragedy that mirrors his mother's demise strikes his new life. Together, the two brothers set off in '67 Chevy Impala (that my wife loves) in search of their father.

In many ways "Supernatural" both lived up to and exceeded my expectations. There was a bit of the 'hip & cool' feel to it, but it did not pervade the series. As a matter of fact, as that first season wore on, that style seemed to drop off a bit. What we really liked about the show was the idea it used that each of the 'demons' they fought were linked to popular urban myths. One week would find them fighting off the 'Hook Man', while another brought them face to face with the mysterious 'Lady in White' who stalks the streets late at night looking for a ride home. They even did an episode about 'Bloody Mary', which I thought was especially effective.

Of course, as the season hit us with 22 episodes, I cannot say that every one of them hit a home run, but the great majority of them were excellent. One that stands out as particularly frustrating was "Bugs", where the boys set up shop in a new housing development plagued by strange murderous… well… bugs. Truth be told, the episode as a whole was actually still pretty good, but when it is learned that the bugs only attack at night it falls apart. When Winchesters find themselves holed up in one of the house fending off the horde, the 'night' only appears to last about 15 minutes. As the sun sets, the bugs start coming and our heroes keep finding new places in the house to hide. But the bugs get through each door pretty quickly. When they finally make it to the attic and you think they are just about to die… the sun starts to rise. There's no way the sequence of events, no matter how they were edited, could have taken place over several hours. That ending pretty much ruined an otherwise good episode. But, if that's the only complaint I have over a full season, that's saying something.

The second season continued to focus on some great urban myths, but they did not completely take over the show. This season brought in a more cohesive story arc, which brought the boys face to face with their long-lost father… as well as his fate. This caused a big rift in their relationship, which could not have come at a worse time. The boys not only catch up with the demon that killed their mother, but the outcome of the confrontation causes Sam to question his place in the wart against evil. Again, almost every episode was a winner, but my favorite had to be "Hollywood Babylon", which featured Gary Cole as a smarmy producer. His performance makes the entire episode worth watching. I was also very impressed with the episode "Bloodlust", which featured Amber Benson as (of all things) a vampire. This was an especially interesting episode in that it dealt with the idea of whether or not all things supernatural are necessarily evil.

But the cream of the crop had to be "No Exit", which brought the boys into a battle with the spirit of H.H. Holmes. Holmes was known as America's first serial killer and was featured in the superlative documentary “H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer" by John Borowski. You can catch my review of that DVD here. I recommend it as a great film to watch before checking out this particular episode.

This month, Warner Brothers is releasing the full second season on DVD in a 6-disc set. All of the episodes are in place and are presented in widescreen. The transfer is very nice, which is really noticeable when you have a series that features so many dark scenes. But there is also a nice selection of extra features to go along with the package. Along with a handful of deleted scenes, there are three commentaries. The first is from actors Ackles and Paledecki, who are joined by director Kim Manners on the episode "In My Time of Dying." This is a pretty interesting commentary in that we hear a lot from the actors about they prepare for their shots and how difficult some of the work actually is. Series creator Eric Kripke chimes in on "What is and What Should Never Be" and is joined later on "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1" by director Robert Singer and writer Sera Gamble in a very lighthearted and humorous commentary.

You'll also find a featurette on the filming of "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2" and look at Paledecki's original screen test for the show. One of the more ambitious features, The Devil's Road Map, is an interactive map of all of the places the brothers have traveled. When you click on the different places, you are given little mini featurettes on whatever episode is related to that location.

"Supernatural" was a welcome surprise in that it is a smartly written and acted show that has fun with the urban legends we hear about all of the time without pandering to an audience too dim to understand them.

Episodes:
In My Time of Dying
Everybody Loves a Clown
Bloodlust
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things
Simon Said
No Exit
The Usual Suspects
Crossroad Blues
Croatoan
Hunted
Playthings
Nightshifter
Houses of the Holy
Born Under a Bad Sign
Tall Tales
Roadkill
Heart
Hollywood Babylon
Folsom Prison Blues
What is and What Should Never Be
All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1
All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2

Starring: Jason Paledecki, Jensen Ackles
Extras: Unaired Scenes, Commentary on Three Episodes by Series Stars and Creative Team, The Devil's Road Map, Jared Paledecki's Screen Test, The Episode From Hell, Gag Reel, Webisode Gallery
Specifications: Widescreen, English Stereo
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 10/18/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
Website

We'll give Supernatural: Season 2 a B.