Supernatural Review Blog

Written by Robbie Thompson
Directed by Phil Sgriccia

The guest appearance of Jason Dohring in this episode as Chronos, god of time, was revealed in a press release a few months ago. Even so, I had all but forgotten about it, so I’m glad that the nature of this story was apparent before the name flashed in the credits. Even given that realization, however, this episode was less about the “villain” and more about the fun to be had with “Dean Meets Eliot Ness”.

After the more dour tone of the mid-season premiere, I suppose it was time to let Dean have a bit of fun. Granted, it wasn’t all puppies and rainbows, but I don’t think Dean has been given the chance to let loose in quite this way in a long time. More than that, he got to meet and hunt with Eliot Ness, a figure that he can look up to, and thus get a bit of objective advise from, perhaps setting him on a better road after all.

It was great to see Nicholas Lea on-screen again. I was beginning to wonder what happened to him, and then he came along and pulled off a solid Eliot Ness. (And it’s ironic, then, that he appeared a couple days later on a new episode of “Once Upon a Time”!) Dean had a great rapport with Ness, and the little references to pop culture were classic Dean. Even Ezra fit into the Bobby-esque role, to the point where I began to wonder if Dean was going to discover that she was Bobby’s grandmother or something!

I don’t want to make it sound as though Dean’s plot thread was the only one worth the time; Sam got to have some time with Sheriff Mills, who could turn out to be a good support character as things progress. I doubt we’ll see a lot of her in the future, but like Frank in this episode, she could become one of the unseen pieces of the puzzle as the Brothers Winchester struggle to rebuild some semblance of order in their fight against the Leviathans.

More than just delivering a nice little tale of time travel, this episode also continued the grand tradition of mocking the brothers without remorse. Dean’s sense of cool toughness was undercut left and right in this episode, and who is going to argue with Eliot Ness? I wouldn’t necessarily say that Dean is “soft”, given what he’s endured, but Ness takes a rather realistic approach to his craft. Those who say that you’ve just got to be willing to take life one day at a time can be a bit tiresome, but sometimes, that’s pretty much how it goes. (Though I don’t see Dean solving his problems with a little Hunter psychotherapy.)

On the other hand, the episode did end with a nasty little prediction from Chronos, indicating a future where the Leviathans are apparently successful in their bid for domination. I say “apparent”, because Chronos doesn’t quite put it that way. He implies it heavily, but there’s room to interpret that as a portent that Sam and Dean’s future is leading in that direction. Not a huge surprise, but regardless, we all know how good those Winchesters can be when it comes to stopping an apocalypse!

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Adam Glass
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

I don’t know that anyone was expecting “Supernatural” to come back with immediately answers regarding Bobby and his actual fate, but an episode devoted to the aftermath for the Brothers Winchester was certainly in the cards. When all is said and done, it wasn’t as dark as I thought it would be, but it did hit the right notes along the way.

Dean is focused on trying to decipher Bobby’s final message to the boys, but his drinking problem is not making it any easier. (If one interprets that missing beer as a sign of Dean losing it, rather than a subtle hint that Bobby is hanging around.) It also doesn’t help that Sam is off his game. When someone calls Bobby for help, Sam is ready and willing to jump into action, but Dean is a lot more reluctant. Events, of course, force him to step up to the plate.

One nice touch is that the situation drives Sam to take a separate path from Dean, and for the first time, they manage to go their own way without overwrought drama in the process. Perhaps Dean was too distracted with his own issues to make a fuss, but it might also be a sign that the oft-desired character growth is finally here to stay. They don’t have a support system at all anymore, and they have to trust each other. That also means trusting in each other’s ability to work independently.

Granted, Sam does end up needing Dean to save his hide, so it’s a bit of a work in progress. This leads to the titular “adventures in babysitting”, which aptly demonstrated that kids on “Supernatural” are as dangerous and effective as the adults. Perhaps even more so. Out of everyone in that room with the vampires, I was least concerned for Krissy. I think she could have taken them all out and still finished her homework without missing a beat.

Dean also had some interesting moments with Frank, who gives a bit of much-needed support and advice along the way. It’s the sort of thing that a near-stranger can get across to Dean, because he doesn’t have the instinctive shutdown response that comes whenever Sam tries to talk about this sort of thing. Still, it’s not hard to see that Dean’s slow but steady crawl towards maturity continues, given that advice to Krissy and her father.

Even so, that final scene said more than any amount of exposition could: Dean is not just turning that frown upside down and moving on. That’s just not how Dean operates, and he was already on the ragged edge before Bobby took that bullet. Bobby’s death is forcing Dean, as the older brother, to take on even more responsibility as the one leading the charge and fighting the good fight, and all those horrible coping mechanisms haven’t worked in a long time. The writers are all but setting the stage for Dean to self-destruct in spectacular fashion, because at this point, it’s hard to imagine how he could find his way back out of this abyss.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Sera Gamble
Directed by Robert Singer

After the end of the previous episode, I think it’s safe to say that I was terribly worried for Mr. Singer. While he had been in plenty of close calls over the course of the series, a bullet to the head is typically hard to walk away from. Sure enough, this was less about giving Bobby a reprieve than a proper sendoff. I honestly think this was a better swan song than the writers gave John Winchester back in the early days, and rightfully so. After all, Bobby has been more of a father to Sam and Dean than John was, in many respects.

I was initially worried that the episode would fall on its face. While the vast majority of the script was right on target, pulling at every possible heartstring while delving into precisely the right psychological impact on each brother, the opening was incredibly rough. You could practically see Jim Beaver’s effort to make some truly horrible dialogue work. Go back to that line about the “waking world” as an example of a line delivery that sounded more like rehearsal than a polished performance.

But damn, did it get better from there. While there were moments where the audience might have held out some hope for Bobby, it soon became clear that he was fighting just to give Sam and Dean the clue they needed to stop the Leviathans, before he succumbed to the inevitable. Now it’s just a question of whether or not Bobby is willing to leave the boys to save the day on their own.

For my part, the cliffhanger at the end of the episode was more about torturing the audience with the possibility of what the writers might do, more than a natural cliffhanger to the story. The only acceptable choice is for Bobby to move on, and mitigate the suffering that the boys will have to endure. Yes, this could be the final nail when it comes to Dean’s sanity, and Sam was clearly struggling to maintain control over his inner Lucifer, but how much harder would it be for them to have to watch Bobby’s ghost slowly lose control, to the point where they have to decide its time to take Bobby out once and for all?

Of course, there’s a possible out to all of this. Bobby could die and become a ghost, choosing to be there to guide Sam and Dean as best he can, and eventually be granted some form of suitable release if/when Castiel returns. (Yes, I still expect this to happen. Call me an optimist.) It might soften the blow a bit towards the end, but the process of dragging the brothers through the emotional wringer wouldn’t be lessened at all.

Beyond how this is hitting Sam and Dean (and damn, is it all too realistic), this is also the most complete look we’ve had at Bobby Singer’s life. Sure, we knew that he had to kill his own wife to free her from demonic possession, but that turns out to be icing on a really horrific cake. Bobby’s been carrying a lot of weight over the years, and in a very real sense, Sam and Dean were his redemption. I dare any “Supernatural” fan to remain stoic when Bobby boldly professes his pride in how he raised his “sons”.

Regardless of how the story ends up after the now-all-too-long hiatus, this episode was a fitting farewell to a key member of the “Supernatural” cast. It also underscores what so many fans have been feeling this season: all the events have been pointing to a series-ending finale in the spring. At this point, I think it may be necessary, since I have little reason to believe the Brothers Winchester could handle much more.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10

Written by Ben Edlund
Directed by Guy Bee

After “The Mentalists”, fans of Bobby Singer became a lot more concerned. Granted, while Bobby has been the Chloe Sullivan of “Supernatural”, rumored to be the next victim to raise the stakes for the Brothers Winchester (but always surviving to fight another day), the nostalgia-driven seventh season makes a lot of us nervous. After all, why not replicate the death of John Winchester by taking out Sam and Dean’s father figure, right when they are in the midst of yet another existential crisis?

I have to admit, I’ve never trusted the turducken, and now I have justification for that bias. What I love is that there was every reason to believe that Dean would be thrilled by a really well-constructed turducken sandwich, even if he usually defaults to a well-prepared burger. It effectively hid the source of the cannibalistic tendencies of the population, but also provided some insight into the long-term goals of the Leviathans.

That’s actually a point that needed to be addressed. The Leviathans were showing a penchant for killing humans to get a sumptuous meal, but they weren’t too concerned about body count, either. This initiative explains why they haven’t been ripping a bloody gash through the countryside. It’s a lot easier to feed without resistance when you’ve pacified the human population through their food supply.

There’s something appropriate to the notion that the leader of the most evil creatures on the block is a super-motivational guru who can’t stop tossing out the most obnoxious, pretentious stock phrases one can imagine. And he does it while killing with a smile. He is aptly named “Dick”, and if there is any better deconstruction of that kind of personality (and the dupes who fall for their nonsense), I’d love to hear about it.

But what makes the presentation of Dick work is his effective brutality. He has no problem holding his underlings accountable for getting in the way of progress. And that means that he really has no problem with eliminating his opposition. Hence the concern for Bobby: Dick doesn’t seem like the type to pull his punches or miss his targets.

Then again, the placement of the bullet hole (and the absence of an actual look at his wound) suggests that it could be a really bad wound, but not necessarily fatal. I think it all comes down to how certain the writers might be that this is the final season. If we knew this was the final season, I’d put money on Bobby’s demise. But I have the feeling this is going to be used to facilitate some unexpected plot twist instead.

Even if Bobby survives, I think we’re in for darker days as the season progresses. Dean has descended even more than ever into his own psychological morass, and I can’t imagine that Head Lucifer is going to leave Sam to his own devices forever. This episode was just a glimpse of how far it can go, when contrasted against the comic relief that was Dean blissed out on turducken. As always, Ben Edlund managed to find nuggets of hilarity in the darkest of places.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Andrew Dabb and Daniel Loflin
Directed by Tim Andrew

I’ve gone on at length in my commentary on the previous two comedic episodes this season about the relative lack of success. In both cases, the episodes were written by new writers (or ones previously less senior on the writing staff), and it just felt like the characters weren’t quite rendered correctly. More than that, they felt like episodes written for other shows that were repurposed to “Supernatural”, and simply didn’t take full advantage of the opportunities presented.

This episode, on the other hand, is a more of what I’ve come to expect from “Supernatural”. Not only did the premise of the episode come right out of the established continuity, but it also served to set the stage for an advancement of the overall season arc. Granted, so did the previous episode, but in that case, it seemed to force advancement, rather than allow it to evolve in its due time.

Dean is off on his own for a bit, “enjoying” some time at a strip club, when he gets a call for help from Sam. And with good reason: Sam is now happily married to none other than Becky, the fan of Supernatural from previous seasons, who has made a deal with an enterprising Crossroads Demon (without realizing it, of course) to ensnare the man of her dreams. And of course, hilarity ensues.

As if there’s not enough uncomfortable comedy to be mined from Becky using a love potion on Sam (and Dean’s inevitable reaction to it all), when Dean requests some local Hunter help, he finds himself pairing with a guy named Garth. Leaving aside the rather obvious reference there, DJ Qualis is absolutely hilarious in his total inexperience and utter lack of social skills.

But the underlying issue of the Crossroads Demon, who thinks he has figured out a way around the usual rules, is just a nice way to draw Crowley back into the story. Not only does he make it clear that he runs a tight ship as the King of Hell, but he tells the Brothers Winchester that he has ordered his minions to leave them alone, so long as they focus on taking down the Leviathans. Totally a matter of convenience, since he couldn’t make a deal with the Leviathans, but it still explains why none of the Winchesters’ usual enemies haven’t tried to take advantage of their current troubles.

Another nice side effect is the conversation between Sam and Dean at the end. I’ve always felt that the writers were going to have to address both Sam and Dean’s issues before the end, to give them meaningful character arcs. In that sense, Sam has been given a lot more opportunity. Dean, however, has been more resistant. That conversation at the end gave me some hope that the writers are setting the stage for Dean to take on his co-dependence with Sam head-on.

If there’s one downside to this episode, it’s that the character of Becky has never quite been as “popular” as I think the writers would like to believe. While I accept that she was a logical choice for this sort of plot element, she’s always been annoying. It’s clear that the writers are going for that, on some level, but I’m not sure they comprehend quite how irritating she is. The final act of this episode did a bit to mitigate that reaction, but it still kept this from being a complete success.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
Directed by Mike Rohl

Sometimes, when a show has delivered a really strong episode, the follow-up can be a bit challenging. This is particularly so when the writers try to follow up darkness with comedy. This is the second time this season that the writers have tried to take the current storylines into light-hearted directions, and it’s the second time that I’ve been less than enthusiastic about the results.

Part of the problem is that the writers went for low-hanging fruit, and I wasn’t entirely sure that the community in the crosshairs was going to see this as a friendly digging or not. It’s not unlike how I feel about the Ghostfacers: on the one hand, there are elements of the paranormal investigation community that absolutely deserve to be mocked, but it also feels a bit like branding a broad spectrum by its extremes.

Granted, when a place becomes known as the “most psychic town in the world”, the jokes practically tell themselves. Who hasn’t mocked a psychic for being blindsided by something they “should have seen coming”? And I’m sure that there are plenty of psychics in this world still employing the methods and tools of frauds from the Spiritualist movement from 100 years ago. Just recently, I’ve run across a couple of psychics that were highly recommended as authentic, only to find that they were employing nothing more than the most rudimentary “cold reading” techniques.

Of course, one can’t ignore that the story hinged upon individuals in Lily Dale with actual psychic ability, and Sam and Dean made it very clear that they’ve encountered actual psychics before in the course of the series (like Pamela). Even so, it seemed like they were only grudgingly letting some of the residents of Lily Dale be “real”, and those characters looked on the rest of the town like a never-ending circus act. (To be fair, I’ve never been there, so I leave it to those who have to comment on whether or not the town was accurately depicted.)

Perhaps the other problem is that the writers spent a number of episodes setting up the rift between Sam and Dean, to the point where it seemed like Sam’s decision to walk away would last much longer than the very similar situation in the first season. Instead, it played out in an even more watered-down manner, with Sam and Dean working together and more or less coming to terms within a single episode. While I’m sure that the character drama is far from over, this felt like a massive missed opportunity.

Like “Shut Up, Dr. Phil” before it, this appears to be written by new additions to the writers’ room (or, perhaps, the first headliner outing for a duo who has been behind the scenes for a while). I can’t help but wonder if that plays into the end result. The two episodes that tried the hardest to be funny, and also left me the most dissatisfied, were written by apparent newcomers. It’s not enough to be a trend for this season, but it is an interesting pattern.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

Written by Robbie Thompson
Directed by John Showalter

Since the start of the season, the Leviathans have been taking control of key portions of human civilization, at least in the Midwest, and sooner or later, that was going to hit the Brothers Winchester right where it hurts. And sure enough, this episode pretty much represents that moment. While their support system has been compromised since the destruction of Bobby’s home, they’ve still had their usual methods to fall back upon.

Not so much anymore, because the nature of the Leviathans has allowed a couple of them to take on the appearance of Sam and Dean, and terrorize the countryside. The fake Winchesters revel in their wanton destruction and systematic murder spree, and it doesn’t take long for their disinformation campaign to take full root in the media. Jared Padalecki has had a lot more opportunity to play different versions of Sam over the course of the show, so it’s just plain fun to see Jensen Ackles get in on the fun.

To some extent, the writers used this plot device to play up some of the usual meta elements, commenting on the established quirks of the main characters (and eventually Bobby) as a nod to the fans. But as soon as the captured Leviathan took on Bobby’s form, and started using his own memories against him, it should have been obvious where the episode would be going. And yet, when Sam was told the truth about Dean’s killing of Amy Pond in “The Girl Next Door”, it still felt like a punch to the gut.

It is literally a perfect example of pulling defeat out of the jaws of (partial) victory. Thanks to Bobby’s developing relationship with the Sheriff (a reason to be concerned for his future welfare, actually), they finally have a way to hurt the Leviathans, at least for a little while. Burn them with Borax, chop off the head, and make sure the pieces don’t get back together: it’s a stopgap solution that’s fun for the whole family.

I’ve said it a few times on the Critical Myth Podcast, but it bears repeating: this season feels like a thematic victory lap for the series as a whole. Not only are they providing a compelling ongoing coda to the apocalypse, but they are taking moments and elements from the previous season and reusing them in the current contest to tie the whole story together. It’s working well, and one part of that is Sam’s decision to go on his own, thanks to a major disagreement with Dean. It reminded me very much of a similar moment in the first season, which led to Sam’s first introduction to Meg.

With so much great Winchester action in this episode (both sets, for that matter), I don’t want to gloss over Bobby’s significant contribution. I was worried that the circumstances of the season would sideline Bobby a bit too much, but if anything, this episode promises that Bobby will not be left behind in the dust. Like I said, though: this may not be a Whedon show, but giving Bobby a hint of future happiness puts a huge target on his back.

The writers also dropped a very interesting twist at the end of the episode. Naturally, Crowley would want to forge an alliance with the Leviathans, since he is still looking to expand the borders and follow through on his plans with Castiel from the previous season. Unfortunately for him, the Leviathans look down on demons as much as they do humanity (logical, given the nature of “Supernatural” demons), and Crowley is all but told to wait his turn. This feels like a prelude to Crowley coming to the Winchesters in the future to ally against the Leviathans, which would be a lot of fun.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Brad Buckner and Eugene Ross-Leming
Directed by Phil Sgriccia

The first thing anyone will notice about this episode is the wide coverage regarding the mini-“Buffy” reunion. Yes, indeed, James Marsters and Charisma Carpenter guest star in this episode as a witch/warlock couple, causing problems as their latest marital spat leads to some gruesome killings. It’s up to the Brothers Winchester to investigate, and ultimately, talk down the uber-powerful lovers. The resolution is very touchy-feely, hence the rather amusing title.

Less obvious is the fact that this is the first script from a couple of new additions to the writing staff. Or I should say, it’s less obvious at the start, because anyone who has been a fan of the series would begin to suspect as much before too long. This just didn’t feel like a typical episode of “Supernatural” at all. In the end, it felt like a sixth-season episode of the “X-Files” written in homage to Joss Whedon, without making much effort to make it distinctly “Supernatural” in tone.

The sixth-season of “X-Files” was semi-notorious for featuring episodes where Mulder and Scully were little more than window-dressing in their own series. They would roll into a situation, be around to witness the guest stars and supporting characters do wacky and horrible things, and then barely factor into the resolution. And then they would leave for the next adventure, with perhaps a bit of mild flirting or canned character insight.

That ought to sound familiar, because that’s pretty much what happened in this episode. Sam and Dean did eventually talk the witches into ending their latest spat, but that’s part of the problem: it was just the latest fight in a long, long history of them. Meaning Sam’s approach of Psychotherapy for Witches wasn’t all that special.

I would also submit that there is nothing more disappointing than a script filled with scenes that are meant to play out as comedic, but just don’t work as well as they should. Hence the pseudo-Whedon comment: this felt like two writers trying to invoke the sly humor of “Buffy” or ”Angel” for the sake of the guest stars, and just missing the mark. James Marsters did a nice enough job with the wry sarcasm, but Charisma Carpenter was struggling with some of those scenes. (And it didn’t seem to be her acting, per se. She’s been in plenty of other things lately where she’s been perfectly fine.)

There was some effort to use the witchy couple as a parallel for the ongoing tension between Sam and Dean. I’m very happy to see that Dean’s choices in “The Girl Next Door” haven’t been ignored. If anything, they are weighing on him more than ever. Dean has never been one to cope well, as his enduring alcoholism over the years has aptly demonstrated. But starting with Castiel, Dean has been dealing with one situation after another where he feels responsible, despite his powerlessness. And Sam wants to talk it out, which might work, if Dean hadn’t long since been established as a guy who just won’t talk it out. Still, in the end, is this anything new? The coda felt like a way to smack the more dense elements of the audience into getting the subtext that was all over the episode.

Perhaps what felt a bit off was Sam’s level-headed approach to things. Remember, this is the guy with Lucifer in his skull, and a crumbling wall to memories of the fiery pit in his mind. Sam’s been on the teetering edge of sanity all season long, and it was only that experience that allowed him to walk through the gauntlet of Osiris unscathed in the previous episode. So how was he so “together” in this episode? It was classic Sam, to be sure, but that’s the point: is Sam really at a point where he can play Dr. Phil without his own issues coming to the fore?

There was also some movement on the Leviathan front. One of them tracked down Sam and Dean, and Don’s little magic trick gave them some confidence that an anti-Leviathan weapon might actually exist. It also continues to lay the foundation that the Leviathans have something nasty in mind to eliminate the Winchesters’ support system, more than they already have. One little aspect I found interesting was Bobby’s very limited ability to help them; it made some of the more routine tasks of previous seasons seem as hard as they were in the first season.

In fact, that might be the problem. If it hadn’t been for the guest stars, I don’t know that this episode would have been perceived by so many as favorably as it has been. Because to me, this feels like a throwback to the first couple seasons, when the dark comedy wasn’t quite as refined. Compare this to a Ben Edlund script, for example, and it just doesn’t compare. As much as I wanted to like this one, I felt like it was relying too much on the stunt casting.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

Written by Adam Glass
Directed by Robert Singer

“Supernatural” has occasionally introduced gods and assorted deities from outside the typical Christian tradition for a while now; in fact, in some respects, the Christian mythos was a bit of a late addition, circa the fourth season. Despite many of them being wiped out in preparation for the apocalypse, giving way to the angels/Lucifer conflict, there were sure to be survivors. We’ve already heard about some of them, and now we get Osiris.

As a way to explore Dean’s mental state after the previous episode, this worked pretty well. I felt that Dean was regressing a bit, in parallel to Sam shifting back into a second/third season persona. Thankfully, that’s not what the writers were going for. Dean thought he was doing the right thing, both for Sam and the community, but unlike earlier seasons, he can’t escape the guilt that comes with it.

Enter Osiris, who has taken refuge in a small town, judging those living with guilt and remorse and sentencing them to death. Dean’s decision to kill Amy, and then lie to Sam about it, is just one more pebble for the inevitable avalanche. As one would expect, the biggest boulder is Jo, and it turns out that Dean takes responsibility for Jo’s death on a number of levels, none of them pretty.

As one would anticipate, Bobby and Sam work together to find a solution to take down Osiris and save Dean. The twist is that Dean pretty much resigns himself to his fate, and if Sam hadn’t been extremely timely with his dashing heroics, Dean would be toast. The upshot is that Dean is alive. The downside is that he is willing to concede that he may not deserve to live. Even when hell was calling his name in the third season, he was just willing to pay the price for saving Sam; this is a bit different.

Sam’s relative lack of guilt, apart from being a convenient plot point, is actually rather telling. Sam started out with tons of empathy and remorse, but he went through Hell and came back. He’s struggling with it still, but to a great extent, he’s paid for his past mistakes. He can only avoid making new ones. Dean, on the other hand, has never really gotten over what he did during his 30+ years in Hell, and it continues to eat him up inside.

What it all adds up to is, I believe, a concluding arc for Dean this season. The ratings have been markedly lower this season, so it makes sense for the writers to consider this the final season for the series. (For the record, I don’t want the series to end; I just think the network will feel its run its course.) Now it’s just a question of whether or not the Brothers Winchester will survive their latest apocalyptic threat, and how intact they’ll be if they do. While Sam could still fall victim to the hellfire behind the cracked wall in his mind, Dean is on a path to self-destruction. In the end, I’m pulling for both of them to come to terms with the past several years, and ride off into the sunset when the series fades to black.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10