It’s hard not to feel conflicted about episode 7.02 of Supernatural. On the one hand, I can’t help but be upset about Castiel – not necessarily that he might be gone (because I kind of resigned myself to that at this point), but because of the way that they got rid of him. On the other hand, the episode was so solid – presenting us with new enemies, solid bonding between the brothers, and a crazy cliffhanger about Bobby’s house.
A Floating Trench Coat
But let’s start at the beginning. It seems like a lot of these earlier season 7 episodes are meant to be told one after another, picking up shortly after the last one left off. In this case, we opened with Castiel having been taken over by the leviathans. But a problem quickly emerged: Cas’vessel couldn’t contain their power and nearly exploded. He quickly left the boys in the warehouse and made his way to the municipal lake, where he simply….walked into the water. And left his trench coat floating gently. Yeah, I know, we’ll get back to that shortly.
Knowing that the leviathans were now in the town’s water supply – and therefore extremely mobile – Dean and Bobby quickly found Sam and returned home to regroup. Fortunately, Sam spilled the beans that he’s hallucinating Lucifer, who was telling him that his world was not real. Later, as Dean headed off to investigate a possible leviathan case, Sam kept going crazier and crazier, until Dean finally tracked him through GPS and confronted him. He used the real-world pain of Sam’s hand to prove that Lucifer was just a hallucination.
This was a terrific bonding moment between the Winchesters and one that harkens back to the earlier days of the show. For all of their fights and the discord between them, there is no one who but Sam and Dean who can pull their brother back from the brink. And the fact that Dean had been to Hell – and knew what Sam was going through to a degree – means there is no one else who could reach Sam like Dean did.
Those kind of scenes are the reason why I love this show. Because, yes, it’s about things like Team Free Will andd the awesomeness that is Bobby Singer, but it’s really a show about two brothers. We can never forget that.
A Smarter Big Bad
As for the leviathans – let’s just say they are far more organized than we may have otherwise suspected. Not only do they have a ‘boss’that they report to, but they’re also slowly making their way through the human population, trying to figure out what makes us tick and how to best feed their hunger. One of them quickly realized that having access to a hospital – and the bodies within it – is the best place to be. Unfortunately for Sheriff Jodi Mills, she had a run-in with one of them and called Bobby for help. He managed to extract her, escaped from one of the leviathans himself, and then headed home.
The same home that Sam and Dean were headed to after Dean finally convinced Sam what was reality. Except when they returned to the Singer homestead, they found a burned-out shell of a house, with Bobby missing and a leviathan hell-bent on destroying them both. He quickly gave Dean a broken leg and, just before they dropped a car on him, he smacked Sam in the head with a crowbar. Now Sam is experiencing severe head trauma, Lucifer is again starring in his hallucinations, and both boys are headed to the same hospital that the leviathans have taken over.
And that leviathan crushed under the car? He’s still alive.
Cas-taway
Let’s return to the Castiel situation for a moment, which is the only part that upset me in an otherwise stellar episode. The truth of the matter is that the season 7 premiere was an incredible episode for Castiel and Misha Collins. Even though Cas was traveling the world and smiting people, you still had to love seeing him on screen. In the end, he got his genuine moment of redemption and then he quickly slapped on an evil grin. And we loved it.
But now he’s walked into a lake and….that’s it? Well, probably not. The truth is, what happened to Castiel was a cop-out. Frankly, I don’t believe he exploded (I’m convinced if his vessel exploded that the trench coat would have been shredded, but don’t ask me why I believe this so fiercely). I believe that we will see Castiel again. Could the big leviathan boss now be the only leviathan currently inhabiting his body? Perhaps. But to just have him disappear like that felt like a weak ending to an otherwise stellar season beginning. And although the boys – Dean, in particular – seemed to brush off his ‘death’, I think they will all feel repercussions going forward. But, like I said, this was perhaps the only dark spot in the episode. On the other hand, I’m hard-pressed to figure out another way that they could have simply put Castiel on hiatus until a point in time when we might see him again, so perhaps it can be forgiven.
Brotherly Love
Like I said, this was a terrific episode for the Winchesters’relationship. In fact, the whole episode had a theme of family. They just lost one member – Cas – and then Dean nearly cracked under the pressure of his disintegrating family. Nowhere was this more obvious than when he called a potentially dead Bobby and basically said that if Bobby died, he was just going to drive himself and Sam off a cliff. Already we’re seeing the Winchesters’world getting smaller, which we knew was going to happen this season. Castiel is gone, a strong and smart new enemy has emerged, Bobby’s house has been destroyed, Sam is very unstable and Dean is desperately trying to hang on to everything.
As much as I just want to hug these poor boys for all the crap they’ve had to go through, I can’t help but be reminded why I like Supernatural when I sit down to watch an episode that showcases the strong relationships and myriad of emotions that this show does so well.
In the October 7 episode, we’re treated to a look into Sam’s past when Colin Ford returns to a play a teenage Sam. For those of you who may be worried about Bobby’s fate, let me share a little spoiler with you. Go check out the photos for the October 7 episode of Supernatural here. Do you understand what I mean? Good. Then go check out a promo.
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Thanks Clarissa.
I'm really disappointed with how the show treated Cas, but like you I do think he'll be back. However… I think the showrunners have reached the point where they aren't treating their audience with the care and respect it deserves. Our collective chain has been jerked so hard over this, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'm at the point of no longer caring enough about the show and its same-old same-old brotherly angst to bother tuning in live, though I will be back when Cas/Misha is.
I don't have a Neilsen box, so my choice won't impact the ratings. But the premier barely passed 2m viewers and the demo fell too. Traditionally the ratings decrease as the season progresses. Grimm starts in a week, increasing the competition. While I don't have that all-important box, I wouldn't be surprised if enough people who do tune out of the show now to seriously affect the ratings. Whatever fans may think of Cas, I think apparently writing Cas/Misha out is a huge mistake.
HAY CAS GOODBUY
Amazing, amazing, amazing episode. My fingers are still gripping the edge of seat and have been white for the whole hour. This is crazy! Bobby and Cas gone in the same episode, talk about getting back to basics. [Spoiler] Bobby is featured in the promo photos for next week so no worries on that front, thankfully, and that means that Dean can keep his “Beautiful Mind brother” and his own self away from the pier. Two episodes in and I’m totally excited. For me it’s the mounting tension that keeps drawing me in and I love it! These eps have been true thrill rides and yet they are still providing giggles with plenty of good lines. I enjoy the lighter episodes, but lets face it – dark looks good on Supernatural and this was a dark and menacing episode. I know people are upset about Cas, and to all the Misha fans out there (I am minion!) I feel your pain and just want to remind you that this is Supernatural – nobody is ever gone for good. John came back and saved Sam and Dean at the end of Season 2, Ellen was back last year, we got to see Ash and Pamela in season 5, Adam was brought back to life, Jo will be back in two weeks, Cas has died a few times and has come back, and Sam and Dean have been to hell, Heaven and back. I’m not worried that he won’t be back in some capacity, the only question is when. In the meantime, don’t worry about Cas, he’ll be back, instead worry about our boys who are facing seemingly insurmountable problems and nowhere to run.
cass is gone!!!
i really hate the show treat cass in this rough way.
very dissappointed~~
What an awsome episode! Okay, Cas is gone. But I think he won´t stay gone forever. Mark Pellegrino was brilliant. For me it seems one of the best seasons of Supernatural so far.
What an awsome episode. Ok, Cas is gone. But I think he won´t stay gone forever. So, let´s just wait. Mark Pellegrino was brilliant. So far it seems to be one of the best seasons of Supernatural.
S6 almost did me in, but S7 has been super good. This episode was really good. Ben Edlund's script covered a lot of ground and the pacing was perfect.
No, Cas is not dead and gone. I would prefer he be, as I would like the angels put to bed once and for all. But for those fans that like him, he will be back.
I'm hoping they wrap up Sam's crazy pretty quick and move on. Jared is doing wonderfully, but I just don't like the story. For me, all the tension came to an abrupt halt during his hallucinations (except for the Sam/Dean warehouse scene, which was awesome).
Jensen is awesome in everything he does. Dean may not have a story this season, but he is the fulcrum for all that goes on, and I'm okay with that.
I was bored by it. I can easily forget the show once was about two brothers. That it keeps trying to stay in the past is it's greatest weakness. The Winchesters and their unhealty codependent relationship is the worst part of the show. They only have each other only because the show kills off every other interesting character. The brothers are stuck together like prison cellmates. If they had been allowed to have friends, a network of other hunters, extended family, the show could have been so much more than it is now. The end of Cas is the end for me.
I loved the episode it was fast paced, well acted, and well written. Looking forward to the rest of the season.This is still the best show on tv
stunning. just stunning. what an incredible episode. i think if ranks as one of the best ever. i was enthralled the entire time. brilliantly written, acted, and produced. wowwowwow. (also loved the muscxi score — esp. when sherrif mills was stealthily following the creepy doctor as he wheeled her roommate down the hallway — and the special effects monster mouth.) i even liked the monster/horror storyline, which i usually don't give a lot of creedence to. it was quite well done. i can't say enough positive about this episode. keep up the tremendous creative work SN team … and please hire edlund to write many more epi's. !!! congratulations to all involved and thank you for producing such a terrific episode and season thus far. :)
oh, i also LOVED the sam/mental break psychological torture storyline and was completely absorbed by it. jared's acting was tremendous.