The theme is simple enough, “captives.” There are plenty of those in “Supernatural.” The angels are captives on earth. Kevin is a captive in the veil. Mrs. Tran is a captive of Crowley. Castiel is a captive of Bartholomew and his treachery. Sam and Dean are captives of a fractured relationship, as well as their…
Much like Sharp Teeth this episode was by and large stand alone, a pretty good one if you ask you me, but with a much deeper undertone and some not-so-subtle swipes at the note we left on last week. Also like 9×12, this had a brotherly heart-to-heart at the end but instead of simply leaving…
“The Purge” is aptly named. This episode is all about purging—both physically and emotionally. In some ways, both are tied together. In other ways, both are metaphors for one another. Purging is a process we all go through at some point in our lives—be it physically purging our bodies or living spaces or be it…
Reviewing this week’s Supernatural episode, “The Purge,” wasn’t easy on many levels. The monster of the week story offered some thrills, some chills, an excellent fight and Sam in a tank top. So far, so good, right? Then it followed last week’s format of closing with a short brother scene that punched the audience in…
I don’t know about you, but I needed this light episode after all the heart-crushing drama of last week. Sure, this wasn’t all laughs, but it certainly provided some much needed comic relief. I love any time we get to see Sam and Dean undercover working normal jobs. Besides law enforcement, of course. We get…
So much to say about this episode and yet not much to talk about at the same time. This episode served largely as a pallet cleanser after the heart-stopping, mind-numbing dramatic roller coasters of late and didn’t do a bad job over all. The general plot was satisfying and didn’t stray too far away from…
Supernatural has always peppered its seasons with stand alone episodes—but what makes them work is how they manage to loop back in some way to the overall story. These episodes allow them to look at other creatures and mythologies. This gives the show a chance to expand the world of the Winchesters beyond just the…
Well. Hmmm. This was a hard episode for me. I didn’t enjoy it. When I get a strong negative reaction to an episode, I try and let it sit for a bit, simmer in the background. What I’m hoping comes to the surface is a sense of which parts I’m not enjoying because the story…
I’ve got to be honest. This episode left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Going into the episode I was expecting a bit of comic relief after last week’s awesome drama-fest. But what I got instead was a whole lot of awkward tension. There was some comedy, but not enough to relieve that…
“Stretching back to Cain and Abel. It’s in your blood, your father’s blood, your family’s blood.” —Michael, “The Song Remains the Same” Supernatural has explicitly laced Biblical lore through its mythology since season four—and season nine has shaped itself around that of Genesis. The Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man was a focal…
“First Born” is a powerhouse of an episode, showing off Robbie Thompson’s narrative skills and fuelled by compelling performances from both the regular and guest cast. Not only does the episode tell its own story beautifully, it weaves together strands from previous seasons to illustrate the overall arc for this one. Free will is the…
I think we would all agree that Supernatural is best when Sam and Dean are hunting side by side. It just is. But episodes like this make me really appreciate just how awesome they each are on their own too. This episode was so much fun because it gave Sam and Dean room to shine…
