Supernatural: The Complete Third Season

Even though Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) only has a year on Earth before being doomed to eternal torment in hell, he and brother Sam (Jared Padalecki) continue their endless road trip across America battling demons, monsters, ghosts and many other supernatural forces in the third season of this gory CW hit. While this season doesn’t pack the wallop of its impressive sophomore outing, it still proves itself one of the better things to pass time with on the boob tube. It’s actually surprising what this show manages to get away with on network television, as it features explicit decapitations, unorthodox surgeries, fingernails getting torn off, eyeballs getting scooped out of heads and a scene with a man getting thrown on a table saw that almost matches parts in some recent unrated French gore-fests Haute Tension and Frontiere(s). The third season focuses mainly on Dean’s struggle with his self-worth and the consequences of the sacrifice he made for the life of his brother. Unwilling to roll over without a fight, he searches for a way to thwart the demonic deal while preparing Sam for life on his own. Mixed in with this is a demon named Ruby (Katie Cassidy), whose affiliations remain a mystery as she attempts to help the boys, as well as a rogue thief named Bella (Lauren Cohan), who has an agenda of her own. The five-disc DVD release features an option to skip the "previously on” portion of each episode, which should be greatly appreciated by those watching episodes back-to-back. Also, rather than having drawn out commentary, many of the episodes have brief add-ons (called "closer looks”), with the episode writer discussing their motivations and intentions. They are succinct, information appropriate and much appreciated. The 22-minute visual effects featurette is comprehensive and elaborates on most of what you see in season three but the "Impala” featurette is a dud, as is the "Ghostfacers” confessional, given that the "Ghostfacers” episode was one of the weaker of the season. Also included is a gag reel that centres mostly on Ackles and Padalecki making Zoolander faces at the camera.