Supernatural: Sympathy for the Devil Review

In early Greek theater there was a device known as the deus ex machina – God from the machine – a crane that would deliver an actor who was playing a God on to the stage at the last moment in order to help the hero get out of a jam. Though it was commonly used for several centuries, many literary geniuses have warned against the use as it goes against the logic of the story and thus is considered bad form. (Yes, I know I’ve sung this song before, but read on.)

For example, on last night’s episode of Supernatural, Sam and Dean Winchester, who have spent their entire lives holding their own against supernatural beings, come up against an angel so powerful he can remove their lungs with just a nod of his head. Oh no! How will they get out of this one?

Poof. Deus ex machina in the form of supercharged Castiel, who we were previously told was part of the new paint job back at Chuck’s place. And therein lies the problem with this season of Supernatural. Kripke has written these guys into such a dark corner, that there’s no way out but to bring on God — literally.

Let’s go back to the beginning. The episode begins with the usual full season recap. A good one, though nothing has ever beat the “Carry on My Wayward Son” montage and likely nothing ever will. Lucifer is rising up, the boys make a run for it, they’re trapped and the high-pitched whine begins. This is Lucifer talking, I assume, just as Castiel tried to speak to Dean back in that gas station at the start of last season. (Wow, has it really been a whole year since that episode aired?) It looks like the boys are doomed, but poof – they’re on an airplane which is about to run into a heaven to earth cosmic waterfall. I don’t get it. I don’t think we’re supposed to get, either and that bothers me. That airplane scene took a lot of set up. Extras, the cockpit shots with pilot, the special effects and for what? The final shot of Dean through the window was very reminiscent of Shatner in “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” but if there was something more than that, I missed it.

From there, we go to the boys in a rented car. I must say I love the fact that the production company remembered where they parked the Impala. Dean drove it to Bobby’s in the season finale and from there on in he was transported by angel power, so there it remained. As Sam flips through the radio stations, we hear reports of terrorist fears, natural disasters and swine flu. These are all real horrors that have been escalating in recent years. I do believe Kripke was making a point about the nature of hell on earth and I’m with him there.

Then it’s on to Chuck’s, where we find the remains of a battle royale and remains of Castiel stuck in Chuck’s hair. Zachariah appears and tries to make nice with Dean but he’s not having any of it. Dean pulls out the pocket door and sends the angels into the cornfield. But I’m confused. When did he draw the symbol on the door? We saw him and Sam enter the house and there wasn’t a break. So it had to have been when they visited Chuck in the season finale. But Dean was desperately looking for Sam then so I can’t see him stopping to finger paint. Speaking of fingers, isn’t it Dean’s left hand that is bleeding but it’s his right hand that he slaps against the sign on the door? I know these are all really small points but they’re so distracting!

On a good note, I loved that overpass location outside of the motel. Is that a train station in Vancouver? Very atmospheric and something really different for the eye.

In the motel room, Sam gives Dean a hex bag than hesitates (lies?) to Dean about where he learned to make them. What’s that all about? Then Sam claims he’s over the blood addiction. Huh? All that detox last season and now he’s just fine? Supernatural methadone, indeed.

Chuck and the fangirl? Don’t get me started. I’ll just say that if he knew he wasn’t being watched, why call her? Why not call Sam and Dean? I did get a laugh out of the fangirl’s website, morethanbrothers.net. That URL, like BustyAsianBeauties.com is owned by Warner Brothers. I’m sure someone had to do a lot of explaining to accounts payable on that one.

When Bobby arrives, we finally get to the meat of the episode. The angel Michael sent Lucifer to hell with his magic sword, so the boys need to find the sword so they can do the same. But first, Bobby has a few choice words for Sam and ouch, that hurts. But that was just the demon talking. Bobby’s possessed and he’s got playmates. Meg arrives in a cool new body and I’m digging this. Rachel Miner rocks it out as Meg putting just enough Nicki Aycox into her voice to make it sound like the same person. She’s a keeper.

A battle ensues and at the last moment, Bobby overcomes the demon in his body (for the love of the boys, no doubt) and he stabs himself to save the day. Bobby goes into surgery and the boys go to John’s lock up where they meet Zachariah who is powerful enough to get Chuck to give the boys the location but not powerful enough to know where he left Michael’s sword. I know I had it when I left that Halloween party in 1854. . . .

Zachariah informs Dean that HE is Michael’s sword and that sounds vaguely dirty. When Dean refuses to live the rest of his life as “an angel condom,” Zachariah rips Sam’s lungs out and gives Dean stomach cancer. Points for creativity. And now we’re back to where I started this review — Castiel arrives and kicks some serious butt. (I have it on good authority that Misha spent some time training with a stunt man so I imagine these won’t be the last butts he kicks this season.)

Then, because everyone is too powerful and we have to have a way to keep things on an even playing field, Castiel magically carves an anti-locator sigil into the boys’ ribs so no angel can find them. I’m hoping we went with rib carving and not skin branding because that would have added hours in the makeup chair every time the boys took their shirts off — which is going to happen a lot this season, right Kripke?

As the episode winds down, Sam pushes Dean to speak his mind and he does. There’s no forgiveness here and it’s not about the apocalypse and Lucifer. Dean cannot forgive his brother for choosing Ruby over him. I think it’s not even about her being a demon, because Dean knows how easy it is to be tricked. Dean has that guy thing that you don’t dump a buddy — a brother — for a girl. It’s not that simple, I know, there are layers and Jensen does such a fabulous job playing every one of them. But turning your back on blood, on family, is at the heart of it. Because family is all Dean’s ever had.

Woven in with all of that is the story of Nick, played by Mark Pellegrino. This guy’s had a tough time, losing his wife and child in a horrific manner but he’s not at all what I expected Lucifer’s meat suit to be. I thought we’d have someone slick and charismatic. Lucifer is smart. Why jump inside a broken man? Couldn’t find a charming politician or hedge fund manager willing to sell his soul? I’m curious to see how this plays out but I wish they’d taken a little more time with it.

On a scale from Wow to Nevermore — Sympathy for the Devil comes in somewhere between “interesting” and “I’m not watching that one again.” My husband says I never like the season openers and I guess he’s right. I’ve always preferred the stand-alone episodes to the mythology-based ones. I may be alone in that, but I don’t mind because I know that a few episodes from now I’ll be jumping up and down with love, love, love for my favorite show. My husband says it happens every season and I’m sure this one won’t disappoint.

Supernatural airs Thursdays at 9:00 on The CW.

Photos: The CW ©2009 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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