The History Channel's hit series is back for another season of otherworldly thrills as astronomers explain the mysteries of the universe, brought to life by dazzling computer-generated graphics that send viewers on a wild ride through outer space. The experts explore death stars that are poised to explode, the importance of Earth's moon, the composition of planetary rings and how to destroy a galaxy.
While fans of the series may start to get the feeling that they may be running out of ideas for episodes this is still a fascinating journey through our universe and all the possibilities it holds. The strongest episode of the season is "Dark Fate of the Sun". It explores the very real fact that one day five billion years from now, the sun will evolve into a red giant and then destroy planet Earth if it is still around at that point. It is a dark look at a very far off future. 9/10
The Universe: The Complete Season Five arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. A remarkably crisp transfer with beautiful color saturation. Blacks were inky and deep that made me feel as though I was in the outer reaches of space. Interviews with scientists and theorists exhibit some nice fine details in clothing and faces. Another gorgeous presentation for the series. 9.5/10
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Taking place mostly in space this track performs well with a constant but never overbearing amount of panning and space effects. They are complemented by strong bass performance. The talking head interviews and narration were crisp and clear. A really fun presentation. 8/10
