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As you already know, this past week’s episode of Supernatural was one of my all-time favorites. I thought it was well-written, exciting, well-acted and a real love letter to the fans who have been with the show since day one.
However, there are a number of fans who don’t feel the way I do and it has sparked a great deal of debate not just here but all across the fandom.
So, in the spirit of the great political debates of the past weeks, I give you a Supernatural rebuttal written by Jen M.
* * * *
Supernatural Hits the Easy Button
This episode reminded me of those Staples commercials, with the Easy button. Don’t feel like doing things the way they should be done? Too lazy to actually fix things? Slap the big red button and your problems are solved. I have a sneaking suspicion that a similar line of thinking lead to the finished product of “In the Beginning”.
I hated it. Hands down the worst episode of the series. Worse than “Bugs” with its ‘instadawn’. Worse than “Route 666” with its killer racist truck and the total lack of chemistry between Dean and Cassie. Worse even than “No Exit”, despite the abundance of Jo in that episode, and the mishandling of what could have been an amazing story.
It was aimless, plotless, and then at the end they slapped a big fat “to be continued” on it. To be continued when? Why not just label it “Oops, we didn’t feel like writing an ending for this one so we’re taking the easy way out”? So next week we get tossed an average monster of the week episode, which appears to have nothing to do with this episode we just sat through. When do we get answers? The other half of the episode? Why on earth would they do that and then just skip off to save some random person next week?
TO BE CONTINUED
This is poor planning, poor timelining, and half-hearted storytelling. There is no reason for the episode to just dangle like this. If it needs its second half to be complete, then it should be aired the week before the second half airs. Or better yet, take it back to the writers and tell them that you won’t accept an episode that isn’t strong enough to at least limp along on its own. I’m not sure this episode was capable of sitting up without assistance, much less standing.
If next week is the second half to this episode, why wasn’t it billed that way? It would make sense that the audience would want to know the resolution to the cliffhanger they gave us, so why not make it clear to us that we would get at least some of the answers in the next episode?
LET’S MAKE A DEAL
Another demon deal. Is that the only way to fix problems in the Supernatural universe? I would call it a Deus ex machina, except that the definition of that term states that it is “an improbable contrivance in a story characterized by a sudden unexpected solution to a seemingly intractable problem”. What I have a problem with here is the word “improbable”. At this point, a Winchester (or soon to be Winchester in Mary’s case), making a deal for their loved one’s life is hardly an unlikely event. Neither is it “sudden” or “unexpected”. It’s almost a guarantee. If they had revealed something about the deal at the time that “Home” aired, to explain the apology in that episode, it would have been a shocking and heartbreaking moment. With two Winchester deals already under our belts, however, it smacks of laziness to me.
Mary’s deal left a sour taste in my mouth on more than just a convenience front. Up to this point, she was a tragic figure, the cause for our heroes’ crusade. Now I can’t help but feel like her death was nothing more than what she deserved. If she had been ignorant to the machinations of demons there might be some excuse for her choice. Having been raised a hunter, and given her assumption that Azazel wanted her soul as payment for the deal, which would have been correct had she been dealing with a different demon, it seems that she had a fair idea of how these things work. She had to have known that whatever he wanted from her in ten years time would be big, and something that she likely would not want to give up when the time came. I have a very hard time finding her death a tragedy when she sacrificed her youngest son, unknowingly or not, just because she couldn’t bear to be alone.
It is nice to finally know what Mary was apologizing to Sam for in “Home”. She owed him more than just an “I’m sorry” if you ask me, since every single thing he’s gone through since the day she died has been a direct result of the deal she made. She was young, and scared, and confused, I get that. Those are reasons for what she did, but they’re not excuses. Everyone she loved wound up paying a very high price for the choice she made that night, and I can’t help but wonder how it could possibly be worth it.
WHO’S RUNNING THIS SHOW?
It seems that Kripke didn’t even care enough to write this one himself. If this was the big payoff to his story so far, why didn’t he write this one? Putting myself in his shoes, it would have been hard to let something that was supposed to be pivotal to the whole series out of my hands. Or why not at least give it to Sera Gamble, who can write a solid episode, or Cathryn Humphris, who has delivered some good, deep scripts. Carver was all over the place. It reminds me of a first grader’s art project, with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in just because it’s shiny and fun to play with. There was no coherency, no cohesion, no nothing. I knew I recognized the writer’s name when it first popped up on screen, but I had to look him up to see what episodes he had written before.
It was no surprise to me to find “Sin City” as one of his credits. Once I saw the connection, I realized that a lot of the issues I had with “In the Beginning”, I had also had with Carver’s first credit in this series. The difference was that “Sin City” didn’t suffer from the same delusions of grandeur that this latest effort did. The strange, aimless wandering of the plot, and the completely disjointed feeling were a lot easier to forgive when it was an episode that, though it did have salient points, wasn’t claiming to be the episode to end all episodes. “In the Beginning” wanted so desperately to be ground breaking, to be amazing, almost, dare I say, cosmic. It had all the wrappings and trappings of an awesome episode, but inside it was hollow.
Carver is capable of more, evidenced by “A Very Supernatural Christmas”, which was an enjoyable, fairly solid episode. There were a few holes in the plot, but it was a satisfying installment. That has been one of the most consistently frustrating things about Supernatural to me. Like the old nursery rhyme, when they’re good, they are very good, but when they are bad, they’re horrid. The audience is spoiled by knowing what awesome heights they are capable of, making us even tougher critics when things go awry.
Fortunately they soar more often than they fall.
WE’RE ONLY ACTING!
One place that the fault does not lie is with the cast. Everyone in this one was excellent. Jensen Ackles was stunning, as is almost always the case. His scene with Mary, particularly the bit where he begged her not to even get out of bed on that fateful night, was heartbreakingly beautiful. Mitch Pileggi was stellar, especially when his character was possessed. The one flat note I had found in the cast earlier in the episode was with the actor playing the possessed doctor. He failed to act anything even remotely like Azazel has been presented to us over the course of the series. Pileggi, on the other hand, nailed it. Nuances of Fred Lehne’s performance were there, but not enough to make it seem like an impersonation, just a solid nod to the actor who had the longest run in the role. I was amazed by the familiar expressions that found their way across Samuel Campbell’s face, an excellent, quiet reminder of his connection to Sam and Dean. Both Amy Gumenick and Matt Cohen handled their roles very well, though I would have to argue that this young version of John Winchester seemed awfully naïve and a bit clueless. That fault most likely lies in the script, and perhaps the direction, not with the actors themselves.
It would be nice to know what lead to the decision to nearly completely exclude Sam, and by obvious extension, Jared Padalecki from this episode. Various explanations have been tossed around between fans, but I don’t think we’ve gotten an actual answer for that from anyone in the know, besides the quote from that interview with Mitch Pileggi, and that particular version of events seems exceedingly odd. Whatever the reason, I don’t think it was a good choice, and I know it was one that hit home with a lot of fans, and hurt them.
BROTHER, BROTHER, BROTHER. . .
This show has always been about two brothers, something that it seems the people in charge might need to be reminded of. I don’t like seeing either brother shoved aside, dumbed down, or made superfluous, and it needs to stop. Less Castiel, more brothers.
Hopefully it’s just an aberration, and all will be well soon.
I just…I’m at a loss. I feel like someone has torn my show to shreds and danced on the remains. This fandom attracts people who are very passionate about their show, and I’m proud to count myself among their numbers. But seeing this travesty splashed across my screen as an episode of Supernatural almost makes me heartsick.
I have one tiny, nearly guttered flame of hope left. One last wish that may still be granted. We all know that Kripke loves to tease the fans, to watch us react as he jerks our chains. Perhaps this is just a rather hard pull on our collective legs? Is he hiding the second half to this episode up his sleeve, and behind a misleading promo just to watch us squeal?
Improbable. But not impossible. And right now that’s enough for me.
*sigh* This is getting so old. I’m a Sam!Fan, but even I loved this episode. Honestly, I don’t want it to be two brothers on the road every season. Because, you know, I enjoy the plot-line. Which some people just seem to feel the need to get in a hissy-fit when one brother is missing. And I love Castiel. Less Castiel my ass. They need to grip Misha Collins tight and hold on to him.
I didn’t miss Sam at all. Sorry, but I just didn’t.
What a surprise, now the Sam fans are attacking Castiel. My gosh you people are transparent.
No it is not all Sam!fans. I am a Sam!fan, and I love the addition of Castiel. I love the brothers together, but people seem to miss the point that this can’t be the same way they did the first three seasons. We only have one more season after this, and it can’t just end with no progression to the storyline whatsoever.
I love Castiel, and definitely think Misha Collins is a keeper. I loved this episode and whole heartily think SFuniverse is the place where demons live. I have never seen this type of overwhelming stupidity and hate before. It’s not only ridiculous but massively embarrassing.
Doesn’t anyone think that being raised from hell by an angel of the Lord in order to save the world from Satan is important? Does the fact that Satan may be in some way released or led by Sam really negate the value of Dean’s role?
Dean coming back from Hell is not something you can explain in passing. And I bet you anything that SAM’s still the central storyline. I don’t think he’s being treated badly, or unhappy.
People are reading too much into this three eps in.
“DEAN IS ALL WE’VE SEEN FOR THREE FREAKING EPISODES.”
I guess you’re right? Huh. Maybe that’s why this season is so freaking brilliant so far? Lately, I sort of feel like I have to apologize for this because of some Sam (only?) fans … but I LOVE Dean!! He’s such an awesome and fascinating character and he’s really the reason I watch this show.
I like Sam too, but I didn’t miss him in this episode because it was so good. I totally cried in that scene where Mary told Dean she didn’t want her kids to have to grow up in this life. Jensen did such a fantastic job in this ep. Wow.
Oh, I like Castiel too. He and Dean have an interesting and intense dynamic. I hope he sticks around for awhile. Dean can learn from Castiel and maybe Castiel can learn from Dean too. Also, Dean needs someone to hang out with while Sam is sneaking off with his demon. I think it will be fun to see Sam go darkside though.
From what I can tell, this is the first season that the show isn’t only about Sam’s potential evil destiny as far as the over-reaching mythology. It’s now also about Dean’s destiny (yay!). I hope Dean’s destiny is HIS own, just like Sam’s is his own. But then they’ll meet and the brother’s will have to work that out.
I think Kripke is doing a great job this season. I’m so glad the ratings reflect this too!
Did Jared have something he had to do that week and so was written out? Or does Eric simply have a little man crush on Jensen and want his show to be All About Jensen and his perfect little Tear?
AGREEE AGREEE AGREEEE WHY!!!!!!
Three episodes in and all heck is breaking loose.
If you guys were know-it-alls you’d be the writers of the series, so relax and enjoy the show instead of criticize just because Sam isn’t on your screen for more than a minute.
Brother vs. brother on the screen? Or in these messge boards? Because it seems to me most of the violence is amongst the disgruntled fans.
There’s a whole lot of other shows on Thursdays you can watch if this is so stressful and disappointing to you. Let the Magnificent Bastard tell his story already.
Can’t wait for next week’s episode.
Most of those examples are lines. A line in an episode here, a line there. The only reason most people even know about the Michael thing is because Sera talked about in an interview, it was nothing more than a line about who Michael was and what he did. Sam’s had the whole mytharc all to himself for 3 years.
Right now we have no evidence that Dean’s “job” is anything more than what it’s been in the past – all.about.Sam. He’s brought out of Hell because the Superest, Specialist, Most Awesome Sammy just might make some bad choices to lead him down the wrong path. Sam seems to be important to the “endgame” and Dean’s got an “in”.
I don’t remember God tossing anyone in Dean’s path, or dragging Dad out of Hell to stop Dean from throwing his life away and selling his soul to eternal torment. Nah Dean could go to Hell for all the rest of the universe cared.
But Sam? Hey they send an angel down there to get Dean out of Hell to tell him he needs to try and get Sam back on the straight and narrow and see if he can find out anything, being as he’s Azazel’s last psychic standing’s brother, about the end game.
As of right now all we know is that Dean was “saved” because of who he knows, not who he is – not because of a lifetime of self-sacrifice or saving people’s lives. Who he knows is SAM.
That’s Dean’s “job” is anything else at this point is little more than wishful thinking.
I like the show. But I think, that, “jen” is exaggerating so much, in that part when she said that is worse than “bugs” “route 66″ and “no exit” I like route 66 and the racist truck I liked it. at the end, it´s superantural. anyway, “bugs” I didn´t find it, bad, just that part of the bees, that was unbelievable. because, it started at 12.00 and in just 2 minutes it´s 6.00??? come on! but, I think, Jen looks in here like a girl who wants destroy a simple episode, and said the worst of it. Supernatural is not a perfect show, even the writers, but treat like jen did, it is not right. Just, she looked like a freaking girl saying her thoughts, but.. that´s all, each person have their thought that´s right, but, compare this episode with the others???? what they want to show is TOTALLY different!. Here, you can know why Mary say “so sorry” how the gran parents died, we learn that finally Dean know what Sam almost knew in one episode, about that mary knew YED. we learn some stuff, I can´t find why jen, said that is plot less, from where? and that part from the when we will have the next part.. well, to some people it´s not good, and for others, it´s just it´s keeping in your sit to wait for it. just it´s a game with your mind, or can be try to catch the viewers in their hand, how knows, but, all those thing depend of the people, but, you , jenn sounds like you just wanted to… ¡ hacer pedazos el episodio por que se vino en gana! No por que fueras la gran cosa haciendo estas cosas!
Sam has clearly been downgraded in the series. Little in episode one, third to Bobby in two, and given a clip in three as if someone wanted to be able to say: “We did have him appear in the episode.” In the promos for 4, Sam appears once. Padalecki has been downgraded even more than the character Sam. Discussion of Sam dominated episode 3, but no Padalecki. Some of you reporters or bloggers need to find out why. Either there is a good reason or Padalecki is being treated terribly. I like the Dean character, but I bought into a brother act, not the Dean show, and I hate seeing one of the actors who made this show such a favorite of many treated so badly.
I know you’re actually whining about it, Kelly, but I’m hoping and praying that you’re right. I pretty much couldn’t take it if the sole reason Dean was pulled from Hell was because his brother is so uber-speshul. I have to believe someone gives a crap about him for himself, rather than because of who his brother is. He seriously deserves it, after THREE FREAKING YEARS.
“There is and was, as far as we have seen, no other reason that Dean was brought back from hell other than he is someone that Sam might listen to or might be able to stand Sam’s way long enough for Sam to be reasoned with.”
I’d like to refer you back to Season 1, epsiode named “Faith.” Dean asks why he was the one LeGrange healed, and LeGrange says that he looked into Dean’s heart and saw that there was work for Dean to do, and it wasn’t done yet.
I’d like to refer you to a season 2 episode, “Houses of the Holy” in which it’s very heavily implied, if not flat out told, that Dean and Sam are by definition angels, because when Sam and Dean are talking to the priest, they see the icon of St. Michael the Archangel, and St. Michael is described as a warrior for good against evil–kind of like the Winchesters are.
So, yes, actually, there are reasons unrelated to Sam specifically that Dean is brought back time and again, and Castiel points out that “God has work for you”, not “God intends for you to manage your little brother.” Is it heading that way? Sure it is.
I’d like to also refer you to “What Is And What Should Never Be” in which we find out that all the people Dean and Sam saved, died when he wasn’t a hunter. Ditto the same message Castiel told him, “if you change the future all of people you saved… will die.”
Think the fact that Dean’s pretty good at kicking demonic ass–moreso than any other hunter, considering by those two examples, nobody else took Dean and Sam’s cases–has anything to do with why Dean was chosen?
So far, the only thing Castiel has said about Sam is, he’s going down a dark path, and stop him before we kill him.
So, sorry. This is still as much (if not more) about Dean than it is about Sam, evidenced by the fact that DEAN IS ALL WE’VE SEEN FOR THREE FREAKING EPISODES.
I thought this episode was fantastic and, so that everyone knows…I saw an interview with Kripke in which he introduces this week’s episode. He says in that introduction that this week’s episode is, in fact, the continuation of last week’s episode. There are also some early pictures from 4.04 that confirm it. No, it’ s not being labeled the way AHBL 1 and 2 were, but it is the continuation. In fact, if you think about the episode’s title as a double entendre, it could mean not only for the character they are trying to save but for Sam, too. He certainly isn’t the same person he was before 3.16. (I see the HellHound scene when he was able to stop Lilith from killing him as the beginning of his new found powers)
I, personally, like the twists this show uses to keep us guessing. Who’d have ever thought Mary a hunter? How about the fact that Mary sealed the deal in exactly the same way Dean did to save Sam? How about the fact that this episode took place between 4/30 and 5/2 1973. Was Sam not born 5/2/1983?? Meaning that Azazel gave her 10 years and 6 months. I thought this episode was terrific, as has every single episode thus far in Season 4.
Now…please, please, PLEASE, no SAG strike!!!!!!
bgeesfan
You don’t necessarilly have to see a character for the storyline to be about them. This episode was all about Sam as has been the first two episodes of Season 4.
Dean wasn’t pulled out of hell for anything to do with him personally. He was pulled out of hell because there was work for him to do to get through to Sam. Once more Dean’s storyline is ALL about Sam, about protecting him, about having a job to do that involves being responsible for Sam.
For me the bottom line is Dean just traded one ‘father figure’ for another as making him their blunt little instrument and making him responsible for Sam’s actions.
There is and was, as far as we have seen, no other reason that Dean was brought back from hell other than he is someone that Sam might listen to or might be able to stand Sam’s way long enough for Sam to be reasoned with. And that is sad because what it is saying is Dean is not userful as a person for any other thing but to focus on Sam.
I mean it makes for intriguing storyline and I loved the dynamic that it had when the series first began, but it’s really just a rehash of Dean’s secondary storyline of the first two seasons. Dean is still only there as a someone that is driven to react to the things happening to Sam or is under the threat of having something terrible happen to Sam if Dean doesn’t take care of him. Dean is still the one who is having the same old pressures put on him to sacrifice his own individuality for the greater good of saving/protecting Sam. It’s the same storyline Dean has had since episode one of season one.
Sam is really the one with the fresh, ongoing and evolving storyline for his character and I think that says a lot about how the writers see Sam and that they intend him to be the showcase character of the series.
What a surprise, now the Sam fans are attacking Castiel. My gosh you people are transparent.
All this bile directed at Kripke and yet I suspect the reason this episode was Sam lite was because of his own commitments to things other than Supernatural. Not that I think there is anything wrong with that, except it’s his fans who are being so small minded. I wonder, will you all eat crow when and if there is confirmation that Jared is the reason there was so little Sam in this episode?
“It was aimless, plotless, and then at the end they slapped a big fat “to be continued” on it. To be continued when? Why not just label it “Oops, we didn’t feel like writing an ending for this one so we’re taking the easy way out”? So next week we get tossed an average monster of the week episode, which appears to have nothing to do with this episode we just sat through. When do we get answers?”
Uh right at the the beginning of this coming Thursday’s episode if I’m not mistaken. That’s what Kripke said in his little video blurb about this episode over on Youtube.
According to Kripke, Sam and Dean have a confrontation that is a direct result of Castiel’s last statement to Dean at the end of In the Beginning.
“… think it’s showing the progression Dean is making towards having to finally put his foot down to Sammy (whereas before he couldn’t/wouldn’t). He’ll be able to now.”
Why does he need to be able to? I mean, I certainly understand the whole possibily of Sam being evil, but I don’t understand how Dean angsting over his mother and angsting over the deal she made and angsting over the lost grandparents and angsting over this and angsting over that and giving off the One Silver Tear Of Everythingness is really making a whit of difference one way or the other about Dean being able to stand up to Sam.
Maybe if we, oh, I don’t know, saw a little more of what Sam is doing or what Sam is feeling, I might actually be inclined to CARE if Dean can handle it, but right now, it’s all a tempest in a teapot.
I thought this story was necessary in the over-all picture. I think it’s important to see where Mary was coming from, why she did what she did, and know that she wasn’t some angel on a pedestal as Dean had previously viewed her. She was so much like Sam was for the first few seasons, and it’s an interesting parallel given the fact that she basically sacrificed him.
Don’t forget people, without her choice that night, No Dean, No Sam.
Duh!
I loved the episode personally. I thought it was brilliant and necessary. And even though I adore Sam and he was barely in it, I think it’s showing the progression Dean is making towards having to finally put his foot down to Sammy (whereas before he couldn’t/wouldn’t). He’ll be able to now.
Great ep.
While I don’t agree with Jen’s sentiments on Jeremy Carver’s writing (he has become my favorite – certainly more than Ben Edlund or even Eric Kripke himself), I do agree with the rest of her review.
No Sam in the backstory of all backstories? No Sam in the episode that explains his whole life? Shame on you Eric Kripke. Shame on you.
I also want to say that I agree with Shelby02′s statment that “…Supernatural has moved from a show about two brothers hunting things and saving people to a show about one brother (Dean) and his journey to save his younger brother.”
Please Kripke, bring back the brother’s story. Bring back the show we fell in love with.