Supernatural Season Four - Part One   Starring: Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles Warner Home Video RRP: £29.99 DY25367 Certificate: 15 Available 27 April 2009

The fearless Winchester brothers are back with a vengeance. Their battle against paranormal evils escalates as doomsday approaches. Twenty-five years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. They were raised as soldiers by their father, who later died in battle, to fight paranormal evils that infest the dark corners and back roads of America. When we last saw the brothers a Demon, that had made a deal with Dean, came back to drag Dean off to Hell. Now, four months later, Dean awakens in a pine box. He has escaped Hell's clutches with no recollection of his time there or how he was freed. The brothers are reunited but all is not the same, it becomes apparent that Sam is hiding secrets from Dean. Could Sam still possess supernatural powers as the Demon with yellow eyes prophesied...?

This box set contains three DVDs which house the first 11 episodes from the show's fourth season. In search of answers and demonic blood, the brothers hit the road to battle a legion of new supernatural forces including; malevolent spirits, Dracula himself and a drunk, rather depressed 7-foot-tall teddy bear. As their battle continues it becomes clear that these isolated paranormal cases are a small-part of a terrifying war heading their way. In an explosive twist rumours begin to emerge that the fearful Lucifer will soon be released from the fires of hell. If he should walk free the Winchesters will not just be soldiers they will become martyrs against the Apocalypse.

This season takes another twist for the series, as we learn that Dean was released from Hell by an angel and is keeping a dark secret, about his time there, from this brother, while at the same time Sam is also keeping a dark secret from Dean. We also learn that Dean is going to be useful, somehow, in the run up to the apocalypse.

Highlights in this collection include:

'In the Beginning' - This is an incredibly well constructed episode which fans of Back to the Future will love as there are quite a few homages thrown in, as well as scenes which are almost shot for shot the same. The episode sees Dean travelling back to 1973 to meet his mum, dad and grandparent's on his mother's side (Mitch Pileggi plays Dean's grandfather). Dean finds out about his family history and tries to change things so that his mother won't die prematurely in the future.

'Monster Movie' - This episode is in black and white, to reflect the old horror movies it's paying homage to. During an Oktoberfest celebration, Dean and Sam investigate a strange murder where the victim's neck appears to have vampire like bite marks. While the Winchester brothers poke around another murder takes place - this time it appears to be a werewolf attack. And finally, when a mummy rises from his crypt, the brother's realise that they are dealing with a movie obsessed shape-shifter.

'Yellow Fever' - This episode opens with Dean running for his life from a cute looking dog. Then we flashback to learn that the Winchester brothers are in town to investigate the strange deaths of a number of locals who all appeared to have died of fright. It appears that each of the victims has been infected with an illness that makes them see things that aren't there - and Dean has just become infected.

'Wishful Thinking' - This is one of this collection's funniest episodes. Sam and Dean investigate what appears to be a straightforward haunting, when a woman reveals that she was attacked by a ghost while in the shower. But, as the brothers hunt around, they soon discover a wishing well that is granting the locals wishes. The bathroom ghost is a teenage boy who wished to become invisible to spy on the naked women, but there are more of the townsfolk who have gotten what they wished for - including a man whose won the lottery, a girl whose teddy bear has come to life, a geek who has an attractive girlfriend who loves him more than anything, and a small kid who is fed up with being bullied and now has super powers. But it's not long before the Winchesters discover that all of the wishes eventually turn bad.

'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and 'Heaven and Hell' - These two episodes follow on from each other. The first episode opens with a woman being locked in a secure ward when she claims she can hear the voices of angels. It soon transpires that she can hear the angels talking, which is very bad news for her as the demons want to torture her so that they can use her as a means of finding out the angels moves, while the angels want her dead so that she can't be used by the demons. As Dean and Sam investigate they soon discover that there is more to this woman than they originally thought.

Extras consist of deleted scenes for six of the episodes as well as an audio commentary for 'In the Beginning'.

This box set contains another interesting collection of episodes and will certainly appeal to those that have been following the series.

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Darren Rea