Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Outlander: Season Five Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has once again released a beefy special edition for the hit Starz television show 'Outlander.' This fifth season release includes the four-disc set in a unique DigiBook-style packaging as well as a few additional goodies. At time of writing, the set runs about $15 more than its wide release counterpart. See the 'Special Features and Extras' section of the review below for more on this packaging and what's included therein.

Outlander: Season Five Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For a full Blu-ray video review, please click here.

Outlander: Season Five Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For a full Blu-ray audio review, please click here.

Outlander: Season Five Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Outlander's special edition ships in a fairly sturdy and lightly textured outer box that measures approximately 7.5 inches in height, 6.0 inches in width, and 1.5 inches in depth. The outer box is an eggshell/off-white color with faintly printed leaves and tree branches appearing randomly all over the front, back, and sides. An open oval reveals an image of Jamie and Claire that is actually from the DigiBook cover. The show's title appears in big, gold letters at the top. "Season Five" text appears in smaller type in the same color at the bottom. The same appears along the thick spine. It's a handsome look that thrives on simplicity. It feels good in the hand, too.

All of the content, including the DigiBook, is piled inside; a fabric tab offers some leverage to allow for easy removal. Inside is a Compact Disc, housed in a cardboard sleeve, featuring 18 tracks from season five's soundtrack, composed by Bear McCreary. The track listing is printed on the rear. In addition to a leaflet advertising various Outlander novels and goodies is a stapled, glossy mini-book featuring an excerpt from the new novel from Diana Gabaldon, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. It is nine pages in length. Following that are two pages with instructions on crafting a "Gathering Cape" while the final two pages include a recipe and cooking instructions for "Johnnycake."

The main event is, of course, the four-disc DigiBook. The outer cover features a high quality, vertically oriented photograph depicting Jamie and Claire lying down in a grassy field. The show's title and "Season Five" identifier appears centered at the top. The spine and the rear recreate the imagery from the outer box (also featuring the show's title and "Season Five" on the spine, here with a logo in between the words "Season" and "Five"). Inside, each disc appears on plastic, transparent hubs, discs one and two stacked directly one atop the other, separated only by their clear hubs, ditto discs three and four. Accessing the lower ones involves lifting the top hub, which snaps back in place, to flip it out of the way to access the disc underneath. Underneath the left side plastic is a sunset image that carries to the front of the DigiBook, which is secured inside the case. It is titled "Stand for All." The DigiBook includes an opening essay penned by Outlander Writer and Executive Producer Matthew B. Roberts. The book, printed on glossy, full-color pages, is quite impressive and extensive. It includes a number of still photographs and text blurbs that break down various scenes and plot points, costumes, and the like. The book concludes with episode summaries for all season four episodes. The DigiBook's rear side includes a two-panel image featuring the cross that plays a prominent role in the season.

For full coverage of the on-disc supplemental content, please click here.

Outlander: Season Five Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Outlander's fifth season special edition offers just enough to justify the price increase over the standard release. The packaging looks and feels premium, the CD soundtrack is a welcome addition (shame it was not included in a jewel case), the novel expcerpt is just long enough to whet any fan's appetite, and the DigiBook content is quite nice, offering a good balance between text and photographs. It's practically a must-own for any Outlander fan.