Writers refusing to trust their audience is a personal pet peeve of mine. I don’t see the point of holding the hand of show watchers because 99.9% they don’t need the assistance. Supernatural does this all the time (and to be fair, most network shows do this) and it really, really annoys me. They did it more than a few times as they dumped expository all over us.
But in the face of such a strong episode, it’s a small and ultimately meaningless complaint. This episode had the strongest writing of the season, in both dialogue and plot. There was a distinct lack of clunkers in this episode; usually Supernatural is good for at least five or six. The characterization was consistent, and also very revealing. For the first time in a while I’m really happy to dive into a Supernatural episode.
I want to start with Dean, and with good reason: he’s made a near-wholesale change in his personality and I love it. The Winchester MO (ie the writers not being ready/capable to creating tension other than the boring and nine seasons old Winchester angst) has been to hide things from one another until the dam finally bursts blah blah blah. But Dean’s honesty (and Sam’s in turn) allows for a deeper understanding of the two characters. It’s almost as if Dean was cleansed by his time as a demon, or, that his demoness instilled in him a much healthier attitude towards his past. That give-a-crapness of Demon!Dean has rubbed off his mortal counterpart and I (we) can only hope that this lasts more than one episode.
I also have to give the writers credit for long-term planning, as this episode has conceivably been in the works since 2012. Kate’s first appearance in season 8 seemed to many as a throwaway plot to fill an onerous 22 episode order. But to have it come back in such a way that creates a powerful parallel between the Winchesters is really impressive work. I really, really, very much hate creating characters just for plots sake and then discarding them; I find it cheap and lazy. Burn Notice, if I may tangent, did this all the time. They’d bring in Tom Card or John Barrett or some other schmuck and just use him/her for a few episodes before killing them off. When they stuck with a character, let him/her breathe, it worked out so much better. Carla, Victor, Simon: all great. Barrett and Card: not so much.
The use of Kate in this way made it much more powerful than some random doing the same thing. You bought her explanations and actions and had a real opinion on her fate because you already had some knowledge of her. It reduced the need for exposition and allowed Supernatural to show instead of endlessly tell. So, four for you, Glen Coco.
Part of what makes a show good is random character moments; certain actions or bits of dialogue that reinforce character characteristics (hell yeah) and reveal interesting and rewarding stuff. The dialogue between Sam and Dean after they kill the two werewolves is near-perfect; a throwaway joke by Dean and a look by Sam say more than any angel/demon plotline ever could. This is the kind of stuff that brings you back, makes you want more; watching Sam and Dean interact in an honest way is the whole reason we’re here, or with any other sort of show or book or film.
This episode was truly good. Not just Supernatural-good, but good good. I am so happy with this season; maybe there is something new in this show. Maybe this will be the season that it’s disparate parts finally come together. I am hopeful, as always.
No Castiel this week, which wasn’t unwelcome. He didn’t really fit into the storyline and they made a good decision by not trying to shoehorn the overarching plot into this standalone episode.
Grade: A-
[Photo via The CW]
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It woulda been nice to have Cas in this however. Just sayin’.
Not necessarily! Sometimes it needs to be just Sam & Dean.
Agree to disagree ! :D
I am very happy with this episode, which I feel was pretty much the
producers saying: “Wait. We know. We’ll get there.” From the initial
sunglasses-as-personal-walls opening scene, to the parallels with the
sisters, to the aborted discussions of what both brothers were feeling,
it’s vintage SPN in keeping with where things stand now while taking big
steps toward recapturing the whole brother thing.
Viewers who loved the early years may be disappointed, but it’s important to
remember that over ten years, the boys have been through
hell–literally! They can never be what they were. So I am happy to
give them time to knit themselves–and their relationship–back together
again . . . so long as the issues are not ignored. And what was
established with this episode is that the producers are *not* ignoring
arc subtexts. Note there was no Cas or Crowley, just the brothers
trying to become brothers again. I consider this signal in healing the
boys, and recapturing the brother dynamic.
Good Episode.
I almost fell asleep. Boring episode.
I’m disapointed in the werewolves, the conversation between the brothers, how easy it was for a one-armed Sam to take out the werewolves and that Dean didn’t participate in that kill. If there was a reason Dean wasn’t part of the kill, that was the only anvil not dropped in this episode.
I don’t want the show trying to start fresh and clean with the brothers like the past couple of seasons didn’t happen. The show broke them and the show needs to fix them, but that means bringing up Seasons 8 and 9. Sam took some desperate actions here to save Dean, just like Dean did last year for Sam, they need to come to an understanding, especially Sam. He’s now been in the same place Dean was, so Sam’s speech from The Purge and what he said to Dean need to be resolved.
Yeah I didn’t care for Kate’s story at all. I liked that actress in Bitten but here she was pretty amateurish in her delivery. The Sam and Dean parts were much better of course. I have a theory as to why Dean didn’t participate in the kills. I have a feeling the story coming is he is going to be reluctant to feed the Mark. Just a thought. Even though there really wasn’t a place for Cas in this episode a remark or two would have been appreciated.
An absolutely appallingly awful episode. Horrible characterization. Dean Winchester would never press anyone, especially Sam, to open up and discuss things, because he knows they will press back. Sam feeling no remorse or responsibility for the setting up a poor fool at his lowest to get info on Dean’s location because…”it was for family.”
Atrocious dialogue: A few examples like “I was adrift.” “This curse, that had brought me nothing but pain and suffering,” and “I did the unthinkable.” Or how about yoga keeping a monster from her dark side.
Then there is the basic concept of the story itself. Go a little further than ‘let’s bring that cute Barbie werewolf back’ and think about one daughter disappears from college, never writes or calls. Then the other is lying at death’s door and disappears from the hospital. Wow, the parents must be on the verge of suicide. Nice commitment to family, there, which is exactly the point Glass was trying to make, but failed to look at his hair-brained concept one little bit.
Or how about, “She just saved our lives” … Really? Two big hunters can’t take care of one little newbie werewolf? Wow. Yoga helps monsters? Double wow! I suggest that Sam and Dean immediately quit hunting and take up yoga.
Or how about, “It was embarrassing” … that’s the sum total of DDean’s story? Perfect.
The reuse of Jody’s cabin and Cole’s barn so soon.
Mostly, what I object to is that the writers think the fans are stupid pre-pubescent girls who have to have a flashback of Sam and Lester FROM JUST LAST WEEK, because we don’t have one brain cell in our little air heads. Take note, writers. The fans are not that stupid.