Supernatural Review Blog

Written by Ben Edlund
Directed by Mike Rohl

It’s hard to believe that “Supernatural” is being forced to endure another long hiatus this season, but that’s exactly what is happening. At least this episode manages to bring the season to a momentary pause with style. This story follows the Ben Edlund pattern to near perfection: starting with the absurd and ending with a crushing darkness.

When the show returned with “Sam, Interrupted”, I noted that the message was a lot more negative and foreboding than at first glance. Dean’s insistence that Sam bury his anger and focus on the mission was a reflection of his own crumbling defense mechanism, and it’s obviously not working well for him. He’s falling apart at the seams, and Famine’s observation about the emptiness of his soul was not just a metaphor. Dean hasn’t been whole in a long, long time.

Throughout this episode, I thought it was interesting how Sam’s anger and resentment was beginning to boil to the surface again. It’s always there to some extent, but it was a direct follow-up to “Sam, Interrupted” and the fact that Sam is even less likely to contain his negative emotions. For all that the Brothers Winchester look like they’re holding it together and keeping up the fight, they are about as close to falling apart as it gets.

Dean, in particular, is a complete mess. He’s not even trying to hide it anymore. All that exhaustion, both physical and spiritual, is killing him. The expression on his face throughout the final act of this episode was heart-wrenching. I don’t think we’ve ever seen him so lost. When Dean Winchester, the once-proud atheist, is begging God for help, you know he’s at the breaking point. It’s not going to take much more for him to give up completely.

And that’s exactly why I felt like the previous episode was all about Michael’s bid to play on Dean’s hopelessness. Michael all but tells Dean that he has no option left but to submit. And Dean is to the point where he’s hanging on to resistance by one tiny thread. Michael wants Dean to believe that free will is an illusion, because once Dean accepts that there is no other option, it’s just a matter of time.

Dean’s supplication in this episode is also another sign that the writers are preparing to introduce the God factor before all is said and done. If Dean is meant to resist, and the writers aren’t just dragging out the moment when Dean and Sam submit to their apparent destiny, then it makes sense that God would wait until both of them feel like there’s nothing left. Otherwise, God just becomes one more authority telling the brothers what to do. Sam and Dean have to be at a point where they are ready to hear what their true role was always meant to be.

While I’m not looking for “Supernatural” to become a polarizing Christian commentary by any means, I think the writers have opened that door a long time ago. There’s a certain endgame that has to play itself out now. And since the spiritual world of “Supernatural” plays by very different rules, it’s not the standard approach.

Yet at the end of the day, this series has been about the characters and their deep psychological issues. And at this point, those issues are threatening to overwhelm them. Michael and Lucifer aren’t promising to resolve those issues for Dean and Sam; they intend to use those issues against them. Even if Michael wins and lets Dean go, safe and sound, that crushing hopelessness is unlikely to disappear. And Lucifer wants Sam to be angry, because an angry Sam doesn’t think things through all that well.

So this presents the perfect opportunity for God to step in and offer something the brothers can’t find themselves: restoration. A chance to be healed of the wounds that are killing them from the inside. Even if God just comes along to tell the Brothers Winchester that it will all work out in the end, just to give them a sense of hope to work it out themselves, that could be enough. Because while I see God as a factor in the final equation that resolves this massive story arc, I also believe that the entire series comes down to the power of humanity’s free will.

This is supported more and more by the nature of the demons, the angels, and now the Horsemen. Demons take individual control of humans, possessing them and forcing them to act against their will. Angels require that a human voluntarily hand over control. The Horsemen act on a much more substantial level, co-opting the masses towards self-destruction. All of these actions boil down to the same critical point: the elimination of the individual’s ability to make a rational choice.

Famine’s ability is particularly gruesome. Based on a clever interpretation of Scripture, Famine takes the hungers and vices of human beings, pushing them to lethal excess. As disgusting as the gorging of food was, time and again, the opening sequence is the most psychologically disturbing. I’ll give Edlund credit for presenting common expressions of lust and taking them to a gruesome literal end.

The episode was not all darkness; the scene with the Cupid was hilarious and disturbing in one demented and brilliant stroke. Again, we see an example of an angel, however low-level, essentially co-opting human free will. It’s presented as a matter of course, a matter of helping things along as they would naturally progress, but it still begs the question. As with so much of recent genre television, the debate between pre-destination and free will continues.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Sera Gamble and Nancy Weiner
Directed by Steve Boyum

As soon as this episode began, it was clear that this would be a major turning point in the season arc. I haven’t always liked the depiction or treatment of Anna since her original entry into the story, but it was very clear that her presence marked a mythology-heavy piece of the puzzle.

The writers had to walk a very fine line in this episode. Anna’s plan is essentially the familiar “Terminator” plot: killer from the future goes back in time to prevent an obstacle to its plans from being born. The critical flaw to that plot is the needless complexity, especially when the assassin could essentially arrive at any point in time and make the necessary changes. Also, the more often the assassin fails to make a swift, clinical move to execute his or her plan, the less effective the plot device.

For much of the episode, it appeared that the writers were falling into the trap. Anna had several opportunities to kill Mary and John, even without Uriel’s help. Too often, she seemed to hesitate, when her righteous surety wouldn’t have allowed for it. Had the Brothers Winchester managed to defeat Anna and Uriel, then it would have been a deeply dissatisfying episode.

In that scenario, the story would have required that Mary and John know about the hunters, the future, and their own fate before much of it came to pass. While there’s a certain power to the notion of Mary and John choosing to accept their fate, as a compelling act of long-term sacrifice, it also would have been rather messy in light of the overall series narrative. (Though, the idea that John Winchester might have been led to the hunting lifestyle by Sam and Dean would have been delicious irony.)

Instead, the solution was near-perfect: the long-awaiting first meeting between Michael and Dean. Not only did Michael resolve the problems with the “Terminator” plot, but he allowed the writers to have the best of both worlds. Sam and Dean were able to have all those incredibly awkward and unsettling conversations with Mary and John, yet have it all erased by an established reset button that wasn’t. (After all, Team Free Will still remembers what happened.)

On the face of it, Michael’s argument is deeply compelling, and adheres to one very popular religious interpretation of human existence. In short, there is a grand design to everything and for everyone, but the perfection of the plan is that the pawns don’t ever realize that they are playing a destined role. Free will, the power of choice, is illusory; all the apparent choices still lead to the intended outcome.

It’s not hard to understand, especially when the destiny is decidedly harsh and painful, why such an interpretation of existence would bring despair. And it’s even worse when all the evidence points to that very conclusion. Mary came from a long line of hunters; John’s family line goes back to Cain and Abel, the original story of Brothers with Issues. Dean had to feel as though the weight of predestination was coming down on his shoulders.

But here’s the critical part: the entire plan hinges on a choice. In this case, two choices of identical nature. Michael and Lucifer cannot simply take Dean and Sam as their vessels and complete the plan on their own. They need the Brothers Winchester to make the conscious and willing choice to play those roles. And considering how much pressure each side continues to put on Sam and Dean to make that choice, there is a very real danger (from the angelic and demonic point of view) that they won’t get what they want.

So while Michael kills Anna and puts the brothers back where they belong so that the timeline proceeds as he understands it must, all his explanations to Dean are not simple confidence. It’s also a calculated effort to convince Dean that the choice is meaningless, because in truth, that choice is where the power lies. Right now, in this story, Sam and Dean are the most powerful beings in the world, because their choices define the course of history.

Which is why I am still convinced that God’s true plan is not what Michael thinks it is, and why the previous discussion of finding God is still relevant. Anna was wrong to lump that mission in with the use of the Colt. The Colt was always a longshot; it wasn’t designed to kill angels. More importantly, the brothers tried to use the Colt and it failed. That tactic was already disproven.

Finding God and going over the heads of Michael and Lucifer, and perhaps discovering the true plan (of which, necessarily, fooling Michael, the angels, and the demons into thinking they were right would be a part) has yet to be disqualified. In fact, because it was brought up and continues to be dismissed as impossible by the antagonists makes it all the more likely to factor into the story on one level or another. This kind of foreshadowing feels very much like what the writers did to prepare for Sam’s eventual fall.

I’m still confident that this is gong to default to one of the basic differences between humans and angels in many traditions: that humans have the gift of free will. Sam and Dean have a choice, or Michael and Lucifer wouldn’t be trying so hard to convince them otherwise. And when that’s the ultimate conclusion one is meant to draw from an episode where characters are constantly saying they have no choice, it’s just a sign of how strong an episode it was.

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

Final Rating: 9/10

Written by Julie Siege, Harvey Fedor, and Rebecca Dessertine
Directed by Robert Singer

After the last episode, I certainly wasn’t expecting another semi-comedic stand-alone romp. On a certain level, I can see why the writers would go there, but after so many of that kind of episode earlier in the season, I wasn’t quite in the mood for another.

Thankfully, this was one of those Trojan Horse episodes that has been a strength of the “Supernatural” format. Everything about Gary seemed to point towards the case that brought the Winchesters to town, even after Gary set fire to those bones. The truth was a lot more interesting. Tying this to the overall season arc, even in an indirect sense, was a great touch.

In many ways, that redeemed the episode. Sure, it was funny watching Dean react to Gary-Sam, and Sam’s approach to family politics tied into the previous episode’s point about his anger, without a doubt. But it was also filled with elements that have been done a thousand times before, and often better. The whole mirror routine has gone from being clever and funny to being more than a little self-indulgent.

There were some nice character moments. As much as it made Dean question whether or not “Sam” was himself, there was a part of him that enjoyed the notion of Sam drinking with him. As co-dependent as the Brothers Winchester might be, they are still very isolated within their own worlds. Beyond hunting, they only seem to bond when the situation forces them to do so. That constant state of managed conflict keeps them interesting, but it is part of what keeps them damaged.

Looking at the big picture, it makes sense that the soldiers on either side of the war would want to eliminate the destined vessel for the other side. Frankly, I’m shocked that it hasn’t happened earlier. It was getting to the point where one might have assumed that Michael and Lucifer were both demanding that both vessels be left untouched, so that the final battle could progress as planned. Logically, though, one side is going to try to undermine the viability of the other.

It serves to ramp up the stakes a bit more for the rest of the season. Not only do Sam and Dean have to avoid being cornered into playing their destined parts, but they also have to keep foot-soldiers from making a move along the way. All of which may point to one potential direction for a sixth season: even if Michael and Lucifer are defeated, the subsequent power vacuum will leave a lot of chaos to be managed.

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 James Conway

After the disastrous events of the previous episode (and a nice-sized winter hiatus), I wouldn’t have blamed the writers for dialing things back a bit. Not back to the overabundance of comedic episodes that marred the first half of the season, but some measure of respite would have been understandable. Thankfully, the writers went with something with more punch than punchline.

I’ve said it many times: the strength of “Supernatural” is the attention spent on character psychology. The writers understand that character is king, and that characters can be complicated under stress. Some may call this the “emo” approach, but I think it’s the smart approach. Tailor the plot to serve the purpose of exploring the characters, and in many respects, the characters will tell you where the story is going to go.

Under their current circumstances, the Brothers Winchester have to be honest with themselves about their weaknesses. Michael and Lucifer want to use them to carry out their grand conflict, in accordance with God’s apparent plan, and both sides are going to try to force the issue by preying on Sam and Dean’s vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, especially in Dean’s case, the brothers have a bit of a problem communicating on that level.

In this case, it’s not about presenting a strong macho front. The best offense is a good defense. Whatever avoidance tactics are needed will depend on where and how they think the enemy will come at them. Dean needs to see that his exhaustion and growing hopelessness, never mind his guilt complex, is eventually going to tear him apart. As his hallucinatory hot doctor said, there’s only so long that a person can drive themselves at such a harrowing pace with such an impossible goal. The burden is just too much to handle. If Dean ever gives in, it will be because he just can’t fight anymore.

Sam, on the other hand, is driven by rage and resentment. His guilt is largely a symptom of rage towards himself, at his inability to prevent his own weakness. It’s the kind of anger that has the potential to get out of control and overwhelm his judgment. And for better or worse, Sam’s ability to resist Lucifer is absolutely dependent on his ability to control his emotions. If Sam is pushed hard enough, to the point where he is no longer rational, then he could offer himself to Lucifer in a fit of nihilistic rage.

I also like the fact that the writers are not letting Sam off the hook in terms of Ruby and his choices in the fourth season. Ruby may have been one hell of a manipulater, pushing all of Sam’s buttons, but on a fundamental level, Sam knew what he was doing. Demon blood may be addictive, which made it easier for Sam to be influenced, but Sam was still responsible for his own actions. Tying that into his anger is a nice touch.

The setting of the episode was perfectly designed to explore all of these issues. The Wraith was an interesting creature on its own, with a requisitely nasty way of dispatching its victims. It was a nice comedic touch for Sam and Dean to use their actual life as a basis for their “delusions”, and it was even better that the Wraith pointed out how it completely undermined their mission! (And the ladies of the psych ward, delusions and Wraith-disguises included, were gorgeous!)

Perhaps the best aspect of the episode was the very end. To a certain extent, it could have been interpreted as a resolution of sorts. But in the end, it’s really just an acknowledgment that they have issues, and they just don’t know how to resolve them without losing it. Dean’s solution to Sam’s anger management issues is essentially his own psychosis! After all, the point of Dean’s subplot was to highlight how his inability to manage the extent of his burdens is slowly destroying him!

And because we know that Dean isn’t going to fix his problem, and we know that Dean’s approach only delays the inevitable, we also know that it’s just throwing a bandage over Sam’s issues. In other words, the end effect of the episode is to show the audience how the Brothers Winchester are most vulnerable, and that they have no idea how to fix it. And that is quite a nasty bit of foreshadowing.

And that makes sense. This is the mid-point of the season, so the writers are knee-deep in the complication phase. If the Brothers Winchester are going to get their act together, it’s not going to happen for quite some time. There’s still a long way to go before the end of the season.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Ben Edlund
Directed by Phil Sgriccia

After too many light-hearted episodes, the writers finally get back to the apocalypse. Despite the dialogue in several episodes suggesting that progress was halted for good reasons, it was never convincing. This is what we’ve been waiting to see, and the writers deliver a gut punch to remind us that they still know what they’re doing.

I’m very sorry to see Ellen and Jo go, especially since they were gone for so long and they were strong supporting characters. I was in the minority regarding Jo, especially when the backlash against her seemed to be based less on story and more on issues within the fandom. Ellen was sorely missed as a surrogate parental figure, though Bobby has shifted into that role more and more since the second season.

I expect that there will be some criticism for the killing of two recurring female characters, which seems to follow the pattern that minorities get the shaft on “Supernatural”. I even expect a few comments about sexism. I don’t see it that way. While some deaths might have been questionable earlier in the series, this is the apocalypse. This is war, and these are the soldiers. The characters themselves knew the risks, and they accepted that they might have to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the world.

Jo went down saving Dean, and she made a conscious choice to make her death count in the end. In other words, she went down like a Hunter. Ellen’s decision to stay with her daughter and sacrifice herself was both pragmatic and emotionally charged. In the end, if Ellen had not stayed, Jo wouldn’t have held out, and the bomb wouldn’t have gone off at the right time. I think it was a fitting end for two Hunters. If anything, they received the kind of heroic sacrificial moment that is typically reserved for male soldiers in war movies.

There is the small matter of the attraction between Dean and Jo. Frankly, I had no problem with this, and I really liked the fact that they had Jo deny Dean the “last night on Earth” play. While the writers never went down that road during the second season, they had clearly established the attraction, and it made sense to pay it off at the end. Had the apocalypse never come, would Dean and Jo ended up together? I seriously doubt it, but they had a history, and this was a good way to acknowledge it.

I also liked the portrayal of Meg and Lucifer in this episode. Rachel Miner is deliciously evil as Meg, and her interplay with the Brothers Winchester and Castiel was well done. I suspect that there may be a twist with Meg before all is said and done. A rather critical point was brought up by many of the characters: if Lucifer considers humanity a plague on creation, why would he keep demons around when they were just human souls twisted to become minions? If Lucifer wins, the demons are expendable. If Lucifer actually forces the final battle and then loses, the demons are finished. As Crowley says, the best option is to fight to maintain the status quo.

It doesn’t surprise me that the demons collectively never thought of that. After all, the angels collectively didn’t recognize that God’s absence might have been part of the plan. The minions bound to service on both sides were never meant to see their true role in the endgame. Only Castiel and Lucifer seem to get it: the entire point of it all comes down to the choices of those granted free will. It’s all about humanity, and in that sense, it’s been about the Brothers Winchester.

This is one reason why the interplay between Castiel and Lucifer was so compelling. Neither one of them seems to understand the true nature of the situation. Lucifer chose to rebel against the will of God, and his self-justifications cannot mask the ugly truth of his intentions. Castiel, on the other hand, rebelled against his fellow angels, who themselves had turned their back on God. Castiel didn’t fall; the rest of the angels did. It’s just that none of them have recognized that fact yet. The difference is faith: Castiel still firmly believes that God is still there and worth searching for, while the rest of the angels have assumed that God is dead.

For this reason, it occurs to me that God may not only be waiting in the wings, but he may have prepared himself a vessel. Thinking back on the analogy from “Changing Channels”, there were parallels drawn between Michael and Dean, Lucifer and Sam, and God and John Winchester. Assuming that John Winchester is not going to be brought back as some kind of avatar of God (which would be one predictable direction), who else could play that role?

The answer might lie in two unexpected but interesting possibilities. One would be the sole remaining father figure for Sam and Dean: Bobby. That might explain why he was paralyzed, and why the writers are having him struggle with finding a purpose as a Hunter and as a human being. Bobby may be on the path to be offered the chance to make a profound sacrifice on the behalf of his “sons”. Given Bobby’s personality and attitude, it would be an ironic choice.

But if the writers wanted to avoid the notion of having a human being act as God’s vessel, they may have already constructed an alternative. Castiel was brought back from the dead for a reason, and he has always served as the heavenly support behind the Brothers Winchester. Thematically, it would make a great deal of sense: Castiel searching the world for God, only to find God within himself. As the only angel to retain his faith in God, what better way to be rewarded? I think it would be a worthy end to Castiel’s character arc.

Whatever the case, this episode continued to demonstrate that “Supernatural” all comes down to human choices. Even during the apocalypse, it all comes down to free will. Things are getting dramatically worse, now that the Angel of Death has come on the scene, but the Brothers Winchester will keep fighting.

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

Final Rating: 9/10

Written by Eric Kripke and Nancy Weiner
Directed by Jim Conway

I must admit that I had some concerns when I first heard that an episode of the fifth season would be held at a “Supernatural” convention. I thought the writers were perhaps going a little too “meta” in the process. I’m still not convinced that it wasn’t a very bad idea, but it certainly had its charms.

Eric Kripke and the production staff love the fans, and they like to show it by gently mocking some of the sacred cows of the fandom. Just the fact that they tolerate the creepy Wincest fans is a testimony to their inclusivity. I think the writers did the fans justice by addressing, on a certain level, some of the common insults tossed at the super-fanatic. And I would hope that the fans enjoyed the recognition for what it was.

That said, I thought the episode was trying a little too hard to push its theme and moral underpinnings at the expense of the story. The entire ghost story aspect felt generic, and when even the main characters are wondering why they are getting sidetracked from their main mission, it’s telling. Only the fact that Chuck was able to toss out an unexpected lead on the Colt made it workable.

I mentioned in the review for the previous episode that the current run of relatively light-hearted episodes and side missions seemed to be designed to mitigate the darkness to come. Hopefully this will turn out to be true, and hopefully this trend is about to shift towards the darkness. Because if this continues for much longer, this season of “Supernatural” threatens to become a parallel to the disappointing sixth season of “The X-Files”.

As I’ve said before, comedy is a lot harder than drama. Most people can understand and relate to the core principles of the dramatic material, because it always boils down to the relationship between the Brothers Winchester. It’s a common language. Comedy, on the other hand, is largely subjective. Appreciation of a joke relies on relative context.

I also find it harder to appreciate the comedic episodes when the focus is less about revealing something interesting about the brothers and more on something external to them. The previous episode worked because, in the end, it was about Sam and Dean and the big picture. This was closer to “Hollywood Babylon”, though this episode did manage to still poke fan at something actually related to the show.

So far, this has been a somewhat surprising start to the fifth season, and not necessarily in a good way. While it has been solid and above average, the fifth season hasn’t been as strong as the fourth season. I think there have been some great episodes, but I haven’t been as hooked as I have been in the past. At least some of that must be the effect of too much light fare. There’s still plenty of time left for this season to ramp up, though, so I’m not expressing too much disappointment yet.

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

Final Rating: 7/10

Written by Jeremy Carver
Directed by Charles Beeson

I get the distinct feeling that the writers for “Supernatural” are trying to bring some of the lighter moments into the season early because the latter half of the season is going to be the darkest stretch yet. Even episodes like this, clearly based on an idea with pure comic potential, comes to a close with a heavy dose of dread. Considering that it’s the apocalypse, that’s probably not a huge shock.

Comedy is subjective, but I thought it was great to see the writers spoof their own most difficult timeslot competition. “CSI” has some truly awful writing and acting across the board, and “Grey’s Anatomy” is overwrought soap opera. I loved the sitcom opening credits and the “Knight Rider” spoof, and that commercial fooled me the first time through.

Not everything worked as well as it could have. I thought the Japanese game show segment had the right idea, but the real thing has a much more frenetic energy to it. I think the director played it too straight. And I was also a bit annoyed with the fact that Sam was getting the short end of the stick too often. Sure, the previous Trickster episode was rough on Dean, but it seemed a little one-sided.

I will give the writers credit for not beating the audience over the head with some of the context. When Sam brought up the idea of allying with the Trickster against the rebellious angels and demons, I was sure that Dean would rip into Sam with a laundry list of past transgressions. After all, after all that Sam did in the fourth season, making that suggestion is a questionable move. But Dean didn’t need to say anything; his expression more than said it all.

The heart of the episode, however, comes with the final act. I’m not sure about the revelation that the Trickster has always been Gabriel. While it does explain his ability to keep coming back for more and the similarity in powers, it does seem like unnecessary retroactive continuity. Despite that, it was a great opportunity for the writers to dispense some story exposition with a twist.

At this point, we must assume that the rebellious angels are unreliable in terms of information. They have their own perspective on matters, and that perspective is often skewed by their own assumptions and bitterness. Angel dialogue is as much about reading between the lines as anything else.

So I accept the idea that the Brothers Winchester were chosen because of their relationship to their father. It ties the whole second half of the series thus far to the first half, which is a brilliant move. Clearly the writers designed the whole God/angels/Lucifer dynamic around the earlier John/Dean/Sam dynamic, and that makes sense out of a lot of what has happened since the beginning of the fourth season. (And perhaps this will prove to those still insisting this is intentional Christian-hating blasphemy that they have been barking up the wrong tree.)

In fact, Gabriel’s explanation provides two strong clues that there is, in fact, a God waiting to be uncovered before the end. First, Gabriel says that Sam and Dean were always destined to play the roles of Michael and Lucifer, because the angels knew from the moment that God’s plan for humanity was set in motion that this was going to be the trigger for the end of the world.

While Christian lore is certainly different in the “Supernatural” mythos, this plays on the traditional notion that all things have evolved along a path that God determined was necessary for humanity. All the good and bad things are the product of events set in motion at the dawn of time. The subtext of that worldview is actually quite clear: God knew that this moment would come. In other words, if he’s absent from the perspective of the angels, it’s because that was part of the plan. And logically speaking, if the angels were always meant to stray and “go rogue” as part of the plan, they would not be privy to any outcome of the grand design that countered their anticipated result. The angels wouldn’t see another possible end to the apocalypse, because they were never meant to see the big picture. (Hence, why their perspective is unreliable.)

That means that God could still be out there, waiting for the Brothers Winchester and Castiel to find him, so that the real conclusion to the plan can unfold. This is supported by the “as above, so below” parallel. Sam and Dean both had their Daddy issues, and John was absent for a good long while, but John never really gave up on his sons. So it stands to reason that God is waiting for the right moment, and that he has his own ideas of the destiny for the Brothers Winchester.

To take the parallel further (and perhaps to reveal how long the hints of the parallel were right there to be found), John regretted bringing Sam and Dean into the hunting world. When he had another son, Adam, he chose to take a different path and give Adam other choices. In other words, Sam and Dean were given a path to follow and a life mission to obey, whereas Adam was given free will to make his own choices, good or bad. The writers clearly intended the parallel between the angels (Dean), Lucifer (Sam), and humanity (Adam).

It’s also worth noting that everything prior to this episode was simply the introductory phase of the season arc. This episode shifts the story into the complication phase, and that is typically when a lot of assumptions are proven wrong. At the same time, this is clearly the climax phase of the five-year plan, so even minor situations hold a powerful weight.

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

Final Rating: 9/10

Written by Julie Siege and Jen Klein
Directed by Robert Singer

If anyone was worried that the writers for “Supernatural” would have little time to tell some side stories this season, they have nothing to fear. This episode had almost nothing to do with the overall season arc or the troubled relationship between the Brothers Winchester, and could almost have taken place at any time in the series’ run. If it hadn’t been for the exploration of Bobby’s circumstance, it would have felt completely divorced from the ongoing crisis.

Not that I blame them for taking the time to delve into Bobby’s depression. It’s been covered tangentially since the beginning of the season, but now it factors into the story a little more directly. Bobby’s psychological wounds aren’t healing, and I’m not sure this situation really did very much to change that fact. I’m left to wonder if Bobby is going to recover or be forced to come to terms with his new situation. As long as the writers keep exploring it, I think either direction would be worthwhile.

The idea of a 900-year-old card shark witch certainly capitalizes on the popularity of televised poker, but it does rely on a bit of cliché. As usual, the most experienced players are the ones who lose, and the rookie walks in and manages to buck the odds and win the pot. It’s about as predictable as it gets, especially when one would expect a player with Patrick’s kind of expertise to see through Sam’s façade without a second glance.

Given the predictability of the plot (which was only partially saved by the revelation that Patrick’s partner wanted to help the Winchesters), it all comes down to the emotional core of the character development. It’s not surprising that Dean would put it all on the line for Bobby. Bobby is their father figure, and Dean definitely has a host of lingering daddy issues. He couldn’t prevent Bobby’s injury, and he couldn’t prevent John’s death, so why not make up for both at the same time?

And of course Sam would put anything on the line for Bobby and Dean, even if he started with the notion that he would simply have to keep playing long enough for the spell to be cast. Sam may have been forced to keep playing to the bitter end, but he was more than ready to leave the table and forfeit those years if it meant having a chance to save Dean. It just goes to show, once again, that the Brothers Winchester will sacrifice anything for each other, no matter what else has passed between them.

All in all, it was a nice, solid stand-alone episode. It was a bit too predictable to be among the best of the season, but it did everything it needed to do and continued to focus, despite the high concept ideas, on the characters.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Daniel Loflin and Andrew Dabb
Directed by Charles Beeson

After the previous episode’s strained comedy, I was a bit wary during the first half of this latest effort. One of the biggest concerns I had about “The X-Files”, especially in its later years, was the rising number of light-hearted episodes, even as the circumstances within the larger story arc darkened considerably. And I prefer when those lighter episodes speak to some aspect of the character evolution that might otherwise be left untouched.

The first half of the episode was interesting, at least in terms of how some items were being taken literally and how reality was being warped. It was also a bit frustrating. The one take-home message of the previous episode, its saving grace, was Sam’s insistence that the brothers must work together on an even playing field. There was no discernable change in the dynamic between the Brothers Winchester in this episode, which made things seem oddly disconnected.

By the time Castiel came along and explained what was happening, at least there was some context. Is it still appropriate to refer to Sam as the Antichrist Superstar? Probably not, but somehow, I still feel like he’s more of a candidate for the role than some kid channeling Bill Mumy from the Twilight Zone. I was shocked that no one was sent into the cornfield.

I’ve been looking for Sam to get a chance to address his issues directly, rather than in relation to Dean, so this was a step in that direction. Sam is hung up on the fact that he made the wrong choices (choosing the demon blood over his family, for one), and he wants to believe that Jessie could make better ones, if given the chance. Psychologically, it makes sense, but logically, it’s one hell of a chance to take.

The brothers were lucky that Jessie was willing to hear them out, especially when his entire world was falling apart around him. The kid who played Jessie gave a chilling performance. At any given time, it was impossible to tell which path he would take, which lent each moment a sense of foreboding. In fact, in the end, I wasn’t sure that Sam had made the right call. I wouldn’t ever want the Brothers Winchester to be saddled with a kid, but without some sort of guidance, Jessie could go darkside pretty damn quick. I wouldn’t be shocked if he returned in a big and bad way later in the season.

The confrontation between Sam and Castiel was one of the better scenes of the episode. The easy chemistry between Dean and Castiel sometimes makes it hard to see how strong Misha Collins’ portrayal of the embattled angel really is. This interaction with Sam brought out some subtle undertones to the characterization. As much as Castiel believes in Dean, he does not believe in Sam. He abides Sam for Dean’s sake. Castiel’s reminder that Sam made the wrong choice was devastating in its bluntness.

Perhaps because it took so long to reveal the true nature of the threat in this episode, or because the end of the story felt a bit abrupt with Jessie’s departure, things felt a bit open-ended and unresolved. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it did seem like the pacing was a little bit off. It wasn’t enough to derail the episode in any major way, but it did take off a bit of the usual polish.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Julie Siege
Directed by James Conway

Every season, the writers try to balance the darkness with the light, and the results are often mixed. For every smart send-up of the “Supernatural” formula that veils the usual excellent character study, there’s a misfire.

This episode is really about setting the stage for the changes in the Brothers Winchester dynamic that will drive the rest of the season and bring closure to their overall character arcs. Sam is absolutely right: while they are stronger together, they need to act as equals to balance out their weaknesses. And while Dean (and the rest of the hunters) have been justified in their distrust of Sam after all he’s done, it’s good to see him gain a bit of perspective on his own role in the apocalypse.

It’s easy to forget, but Dean was the one who broke the first seal, an act that allowed the whole “Free Lucifer” plan to gain momentum. As much as Sam’s loyalties and perceptions had been twisted by Ruby, he still couldn’t have known that killing Lilith was going to break the final seal. While this is the perfect example of good intentions paving the road to Hell, there are some mitigating circumstances involved.

Being the more draconian of the brothers, Dean was going to be the one who needed to set aside the anger and resentment the most. Dean tends to see things in black-and-white, even if he’s usually a lot more forgiving when it comes to Sammy. I suspect much of it was displaced anger and self-loathing. Considering how many of his own faults have been held up in front of him lately, it’s not too surprising that Dean would focus more on Sam’s issues.

Sam, on the other hand, really gained nothing from his time alone, other than the knowledge that Lucifer wants to inhabit his body. Perhaps he didn’t need more time to reflect on his personal shortcomings. His desire for redemption, however, has pushed him into a more self-confident stance. Hopefully it’s not that he’s been possessed by Lucifer already; luring Dean into giving up some control to gain advantage would be a subtle move.

As amusing as the rest of the episode tried to be, it felt like window dressing to the core emotional conflict of the episode. Unlike many other examples, the antagonist and situation didn’t seem to have a direct correlation to the character conflict. One didn’t feel into the other beyond the fact that Sam was right and Dean was wrong. That meant both elements had to stand up on their own, instead of strengthening one another.

Unfortunately, the whole “killer celebrity” idea didn’t quite work for me. I appreciate the fact that Paris Hilton was willing to play along, but I really didn’t care. Zombie Abraham Lincoln and Killer Gandhi were more fun, but even that felt forced. Add to that a number of scenes with little or no scoring, and it just didn’t seem to have the pacing necessary to keep up the tension.

The bottom line is that this was the first true disappointment of the fifth season.

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

Final Rating: 6/10