Sanctuary Season 4
‘Are you saying you're better than me
because you're a werewolf? I resent that.’
I know the first rule of DVD reviewing is
never to steal a synopsis verbatim from the distributor, but in this
case the fine folks at Hopscotch, occasional grammatical lapse
notwithstanding, have put it so perfectly: ‘In the season four opener of
Sanctuary, Dr. Helen Magnus has pursued Adam Worth back to 1898 London
and must now stop him from altering - and quite possibly completely
destroying - the future. Back in present day, Hollow Earth Abnormals
continue to reach the surface in droves as the remaining Sanctuary team
scrambles to prevent all-out war. At the same time, they are desperate
to find Magnus, who was last seen heading to the Hollow Earth city of
Praxis just before it was decimated.’
That pretty much sums it up really. Season
Four comprises a potent culmination of the events which preceded it and
sees the Sanctuary team forced to question their alliances, their
motives and occasionally the very existence of the Network. Werewolves,
time travel, virtual worlds, suicide bombers, a Hollow Earth insurgency
and the occasional bloodthirsty basilisk - it’s all in a season’s work
for the tireless team at Sanctuary HQ.
Possibly in ‘homage’ to the infamous
Buffy episode ‘Once More With Feeling’ Season 4 also contains
Sanctuary’s first musical episode. In true Buffy fashion
it’s quite a novel and cheekily ironic treatment of the concept too
(assuming ironically referencing something that was ironic to begin with
doesn’t cancel out the irony altogether) with bed-bound Abby unable to
communicate in any other wise than song due to a condition in which ‘her
DNA is being over-ridden’ ensuring ‘she can only perceive certain
harmonic frequencies’ as the inimitable Magnus puts it. The episode is
also unintentionally hilarious on one or two occasions, as when Dr Will
takes a look at Abby’s brain scan results and mutters knowingly ‘the
superior temporal sulcus, right?’ - words that actor Robin Dunne can
barely pronounce. It tended to polarise fans, with some viewing it as
both refreshing and effective and others deriding it merely as awful,
but for my money the episode epitomises everything that makes
Sanctuary enjoyable: it’s a series unafraid to poke fun at the
conventions of its chosen genre, to push the boundaries of what should
and shouldn’t be allowed, and to somehow balance pseudoscientific
earnestness with monsters, mayhem and numerous moments of wry
tongue-in-cheekery.
Alas for those in the ‘refreshing and
effective’ camp, American producer SyFy have announced that Season 4,
which arrives on DVD in Australia on August 22, will be the show’s
last. It’s worthwhile send off, with each of the 13 episodes preserved
in pristine condition for posterity and with a host of worthwhile bonus
features on offer.
Audio & Video
On offer are a potent and immersive 5.1
Dolby Digital surround soundtrack, as well a two-channel audio track and
English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. Throw in a
crystal clear 16:9 anamorphic transfer (as we all know, any other aspect
ratio should be punishable by death) and all’s right with the world.
Bonus Features
- Cast & Crew Audio Commentaries on
selected episodes
- Behind the Scenes Featurettes
- Gag Reel
- Deleted and Extended Scenes
- Making-Of Featurettes
- and much more (!)
