Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 4 (Book)
Steve Barton
|
Reviewed by Mr. Dark
Written by Nicholas Knight
Published by Titan Books
Angels. Black and white lederhosen. Alastair. Suicidal teddy bears. Ah, Season Four of “Supernatural”, how I adore thee.
Season Four brought us Castiel, Alastair, Ruby 2.0, the Prophet Chuck, and so much more goodness. The boys went back in time to meet their grandfather, Dean was ‘rehymenated’, Dracula ordered pizza (with a coupon), and yeah, they even raised the devil out of Hell.
The Official Companion Season 4 is, to put it simply, amazing. It’s every special feature you ever wanted on a DVD but would never fit on that extra disc. Author Knight was allowed complete access to cast and crew to dig up every single detail to be had about the episodes and creation of what many (myself included) consider to be the finest season of the Winchesters’ adventures.
After a foreword by the always amazing Ben Edlund (best writer working on TV right now, take that to the bank), we have a lengthy article discussing the creation of the season overall. We learn about the budget issues that lead to a tempestuous and troubled season behind the scenes and many more details not seen before elsewhere.
Then, we begin the episode guide. Each entry contains all the key info about the episode and a description of its plot, followed by a great deal of behind-the-scenes info. Interviews with guest stars and anecdotes specific to the episode in question are mixed in with key snippets of dialogue, sidebars of bonus info, and photos from the ep. Inserted in the episode section are separate pages getting in-depth on creatures, themes, or episodes such as the brilliant black and white “Monster Movie”.
By the time you finish this section, you will be an expert on every detail of Season Four. As they say on TV, but wait, there’s more! After a lengthy piece on season finale “Lucifer Rising”, there are articles on almost every major character in the season, including Alastair and psychic Pamela, as well as articles about everything from casting to stunts on the show. There’s even a section of full-color photos of the cast for the ladies out there.
After a piece about the beliefs of the cast and creators regarding the supernatural, we have a short bit on the fan reaction to the season and it’s all over…until Season Five.
This is 157 pages of “Supernatural” fan goodness. At $15 (list price, US) it’s really worth it. You figure you’ll pay twice that or more for that season Four DVD/BD collection, and this is the perfect way to complete it. It easily beats any commentary or ‘making of’ press kit video studios attach to TV DVD collections.
If you’re a fan of the show, this is highly recommended. You won’t regret it, if only for the explanation of just how that viral version of “Eye of the Tiger” really came about.
4 1/2 out of 5
Discuss Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 4 in the comments section below!
Categorized:Reviews
