Supernatural Season 10 Episode 19 Review: “The Werther Project”

Tonight’s Supernatural episode, “The Werther Project,” takes its name from a French opera. Composed by Jules Massenet in 1887, it tells the story of a lonely suitor and his attempts to woo the love of his life away from the man she is engaged to marry. The suitor (the titular Werther) succeeds in his task, but finds out too late, and dies from self-inflicted wounds as he lays in his love’s arms.

The story is all about codependency, but it’s all more or less one-sided. Yes, the woman eventually falls in love with Werther, but she gets to live with Albert, the man she was happily married to. So, Werther got to prove his point about his love being worthwhile, but in the end, it’s the woman who is left on Earth, and who still has someone to return to.

Who does that sound like to you?

Werther, in his dying breath, asks for forgiveness.

Who does that sound like to you?

It’s also interesting to me how close ‘Werther’ is to ‘Weather.’ As in, a power than can be understood, and survived, and used when the opportunity arises, but is totally 100% uncontrollable. Both boys are dealing with power outside of their control, but it’s interesting how Sam goes about dealing with it and how Dean goes about dealing with it. Dean regards The Mark as too powerful and in total control; he freely admits that he’s killing vampires to take the edge of and that The Mark is one of the only things preventing him from blowing his brains all over the walls.

But Sam does not. He steals the Book of the Damned, knowing that the dark magic inside requires an unknown, but catastrophic, cost; he steals it knowing that the Stein family will never stop searching, and that plenty more convenience store clerks and innocent bystanders will die in the process. He activates the Werther Box, without a Plan A, or B, and pushes Dean closer to death and reclamation by The Mark than he has been since he was already a demon. He costs Suzy her life, and he nearly took his own in an effort to get the Codex. And then he shackles Rowena, forcing her to do his bidding until he’s done with her. Sam is attempting to put a leash on these dark magics, and he might just get away with it if he’s just dealing with the Codex and the Book; they are just spells, and spells can always be beat.

But Rowena?

Rowena is not a weapon. She is not The Mark. She is not the Colt. She is not The First Blade. She is a living, breathing, feeling organism that has the power of the gods at her fingertips. Rowena isn’t a mindless guard dog, snapping at a chain-link fence or a poor little girl; no, Rowena can make plans. She survived the Witch Trials and the Coven’s exile. She survived three centuries on the barest of magic. She knows more than any witch living. To put chains on her is like building a wall against a hurricane; it’s not a matter of if, but when. Eventually she’ll find a way around those chains; eventually, that hurricane will break down a weakening wall. Everyone slips up at some point; it only takes one missed maintenance check for a crack to go unnoticed.

It’s interesting, isn’t it? The more Sam tries to help, the more he makes things worst. The more he tries to control, the more it slips through his fingers. His recklessness killed another person today and nearly killed him and Dean as well.

But Sam’s recklessness is understandable; he truly doesn’t have anyone else. It’s been interesting to note how many friends Dean has made this season. He and Crowley are actually on good terms. He and Cas are, well, he and Cas. Dean has other options, other people to turn to. He had that with Benny two seasons ago, as well. But Sam is well and truly alone with Dean. He has no other options.

So, Werther tries to get his true love to be with him, instead of the man she actually does have real feelings for. Werther does that, but not knowing this, mortally wounds himself. He gets to spend the rest of his life with his love as he dies in her arms.

Is it that hard to imagine that being the end for Sam Winchester?

This all leads to one inevitable, unavoidable question: is Sam Winchester trying to save Dean, or dying while trying?

Stray Thoughts:

– I’m still not convinced that Sam would let Rowena anywhere near that much power, but I liked the direction this episode took enough to overlook it for now.

– Rowena is officially my favorite side character. Ruth Connell bring so many dimensions to the villainess; I hope she gets to stick around for a while.

– No Cas this episode.

– The reveal of Rowena as a figment of Sam’s imagination was really well-played. I didn’t get it until the very end. This has been happening to me a lot lately. 

[Photo via The CW]