May 10th, 2008
| Posted in Reviews
| 2 comments
Time Is On My Side
Supernatural Season 3, episode #15.
Airdate: Thursday May 8, 2008.
Written by Sera Gamble.
Directed By Charles Beeson.
In deference to my overseas visitors wish not to be spoiled, episode review posts and images are no longer being displayed in the blog index. Please click on the post link or go to the “Reviews” category to read a review.
-
Synopsis: Click here to read the episode summary.
Dean has only 15 days left and no way out of the contract. The brothers attempt to force a captured demon to tell them who holds Dean's contract, fails. After Sam exorcises the demon, he mentions a case in Erie, Pennsylvania where a man was killed by something that took out his liver. Dean is puzzled by Sam's turnabout, but agrees to go on the hunt. In Erie, they learn that the killer is an old nemesis of their Dad's, Doc Benton, a 19th century physician, obsessed with immortality, who steals body parts to replace his own. About to close in on the doctor, the hunt is interrupted when Bobby calls and tells Dean that he knows where Bella is. Dean wants to drop everything and go. Sam refuses and admits that he wants to learn Doc Benton's secret. Sam thinks his immortality formula is a way out of the deal. An argument ensues. Dean goes off to find Bella and the colt. Sam stays behind to find the doc.
In Erie, Pennsylanvia, Sam finds Doc Benton's backwoods cabin, steals the doc's journal, rescues a woman, and is confronted by Doc Benton. In Canaan, Vermont, Dean befriends Rufus, a former hunter and recluse, learns from him about Bella's past, then confronts Bella in her hotel room. In Erie, Sam fights off the doc and runs over him with his rented jeep. In Canaan, Dean searches Bella's belongings but doesn't find the colt, threatens to kill her, then changes his mind and exits. A phone call later and Sam tells Dean of his success in finding the doc's journal and Dean tells Sam of his failure to find the colt. This conversation is abruptly cut off when Sam is chloroformed and kidnapped by Doc Benton.
Sam wakes up to find himself strapped to an operating table with his eyes taped wide open. Doc Benton is about to remove one of his eyes, when he is shot multiple times by Dean. Dean then stabs him through the heart with a knife dipped in chloroform, sedating the unkillable doc. With Sam's reluctant help, Dean buries the doctor and his journal in a refrigerator turned makeshift coffin that is chained shut.
That night, Bella sneaks into the Winchester's motel room and shoots into their twin beds, but the brothers are long gone. The phone rings and Dean is on the other end. He tells Bella he knows she made a deal with a demon and that her 10 years were up, tonight. She begs for help. He says it's too late. Bella then reveals the name of the demon holding his contract. It is Lilith, Sam's nemesis. The call ends and we hear the sound of a baying hound while a teary-faced Bella stares out the motel room window.
The end.
-
Praises: Sera Gamble has written another great Supernatural episode. She knows how to combine just the right amount of humor, brotherly angst, and suspense to make an interesting story. And she was right on the money once again, with one exception…this episode was way grosser than usual. In fact, this was the most gross-out, gory Supernatural episode that I have ever seen. I real slasher show…COOL!!! Heh..Heh. I admit it. I am one of the fans who enjoy Supernatural because of the weekly scary story, not just the brothers' relationship, though that's a nice bonus. Hell, if I only wanted a family story, I'd be watching Brothers and Sisters (blagh), not Supernatural. There were two scenes that were particularly gross: the woman's bloody arm covered in maggot (real maggots!! ugh), and Doc Benton pulling the still beating heart out of the man's chest (sticking out ribs, bloody goo 'n all). They didn't show the doc actually opening the chest cavity, but the sound of it was enough to make my skin crawl. Kudos to the special effects team for these realistic add ons. Supernatural is pushing the envelope on what can be shown on primetime TV, horror wise. Since this is an area where the show can stand out and get noticed, I am all for it. OK people, lets stoop to the level that Gossip Girl did with teenage sex, and sell the hell out of Supernatural's “blood and gore” to attract new audiences.
Doc Benton was a Frankenstein-like character that totally surprised me when he spoke politely, with a lyrical southern accent. The incongruity of that sweet voice coming from that grotesque face was creepy. As contrast, there was Rufus, the rude, antisocial former hunter who turned out to be a fountain of information for Dean. I actually liked this character a lot. He was quite amusing. And when he told Dean, “I’m what you have to look forward to in a few years”, I could see that…if Dean came back from hell with a seriously dark tan, that is.:)
The appearance of Bella in this episode was actually a good one. Gone was the snarky and superior biatch that we've all grown to hate. Seeing her bravado drop and her face crumble as she begged for Dean's help was kind of painful to watch, especially after the big reveal about her history. I feel like a heel for being so hard on her before (as would Dean, if he knew). I am glad Kripke left her departure from the show open-ended and didn't actually show her getting mauled by a hellhound. Lauren Cohan did a great job and I wish her all the best. I would have preferred that Kripke axed Cassidy, not her, but I'm not a typical fan, so who listens to me, anyway.
Both Jared and Jensen's acting was suburb. I particularly liked how Jared portrayed Sam's quiet and growing desperation. That Sam is willing to go over the line to save Dean, even to the point of turning both of them into the kind of thing that they hunt is alarming. Dean, thankfully, still sees the wrong in that. Then there was that ominous scene where Dean declares Doc Benton “a monster!” and the camera focused briefly on Sam, hidden in the shadows and looking quite creepy himself. Ohoooo. Makes me wonder what are we in for in SPN's future. Now that's a sign of a great episode…it leaves you wanting to see what's going to happen next.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Reviews
May 8th, 2008
| Posted in News, Supernatural
| No comments
Kristen at E!Online has a new interview with Eric Kripke in which he talks about the season 3 finale, Bella, season 4, and his 5-year plan for Supernatural.
It includes a couple clips from #3.15 Time Is On My Side. Click the link to read more. Link: Supernatural Boss Eric Kripke Spills…
You should also check out his April interview at TVGuide.com in which he answered “burning questions” about the season 3 finale and talked about the impact that budget cuts will have on season 4.
Both interviews are spoilery, but not overly so…Kripke can be very mysterious about the show, when he wants to be.
Tags: News, Supernatural, Eric Kripke
May 3rd, 2008
| Posted in Reviews
| 2 comments
Long-Distance Call
Supernatural Season 3, episode #14.
Airdate: Thursday May 1, 2008.
Written by Jeremy Carver.
Directed By Robert Singer.
In deference to my overseas visitors wish not to be spoiled, episode review posts and images are no longer being displayed in the blog index. Please click on the post link or go to the “Reviews” category to read a review.
-
Synopsis: Click here to read the episode summary.
The brothers take on a case in Milan, Ohio where people are killing themselves after getting phone calls from deceased loved ones. Disguised as company execs, they visit the telephone company branch office to trace a century old telephone number that showed up on one victim’s caller-id. Stewey, a sloppy, porn-addicted technician, reluctantly came up with a list of people called, but was unable to find where the number came from. Their own EMF check on Thomas Edison’s “spirit” phone in a museum also came up empty. Then Dean’s cellphone rings and he hears his dad voice on the other end before the call drops off. Dean thinks the call is genuine, but Sam is skeptical. That night, “John Winchester” calls again and tells Dean about a way to get out of his demon deal.
The next day, Sam heads out to rescue a young victim and Dean goes to the house that “dad” directed him to. Sam discovers that the “spirit” caller is a “crocada”, a soul-eater that lives in filth and says “come to me” to it’s victims, and calls Dean to meet him at the phone company. Sam confronts Stewey, the phone tech, but is captured when the real “crocada”, Steve, another phone company employee, hits him from behind. He learns he never actually spoke to Dean and that Dean was sent into another trap by the “crocada”. Sam manages to free himself and kills the crocada after a struggle. Dean, in turn, fights a man he thinks is a demon, then realizes his error and stops. Both brothers return to the motel a little worse for the wear, but alive and well. The end.
-
Praises: Supernatural's mytharc was front and center in this episode, plus it had a great standalone story with a new scary creature I never heard of before. There were plenty of Dean snark, a laugh out loud scene with a porn-addicted telephone guy, Dean angst, brotherly moments, good fights scenes, and a heart pounding scene where Sam grabs a little boy out of the path of speeding truck. I am always happy when television surprises me or brings me something new and interesting. This episode did that several times. The twist of the villain turning out not to be the sloppy, porn-addicted tech, Stewey, but his better groomed coworker, was surprising. I had not known that Thomas Edison, the actual inventor of the telephone, had been rumored to have an occult link or a “spirit” phone invention. The supernatural creature itself was a good one. The “crocada” is a soul-eater that calls you on the phone, pushes just the right buttons to send you over the edge, and says “come to me” over and over…wait a minute, if that were “come visit me”, that creature could be my mother.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Reviews, season 3
April 26th, 2008
| Posted in Reviews
| No comments
Ghostfacers
Supernatural Season 3, episode #13.
Airdate: Thursday April 24, 2008.
Written by Ben Edlund.
Directed By Phil Sgriccia.
In deference to my overseas visitors wish not to be spoiled, episode review posts and images are no longer being displayed in the blog index. Please click on the post link or go to the “Reviews” category to read a review.
-
Synopsis: Click here to read the episode summary.
This episode opens with the return of the season one duo, Harry Spengler and Ed Zeddmore, who are airing their reality show, Ghostfacers to the TV audience. On video, they introduce their cast of geeks which include, a cameraman, Spruce, Ed's adopted sister, Maggie, and the gay intern, Corbett, forming the “Ghostfacers” team, plus two grim-faced but handsome extras, Sam and Dean. The film is about the Ghostfacers' investigation of the Morton house, an abandoned house that is reputed to be haunted every leap year, on February 29th at midnight. We see the Ghostfacers set up their equipment, then get interrupted by a couple guys, Sam and Dean, who identifies themselves as police and orders the Ghostfacers off the property. But Ed recognizes them and declares that they are not cops. This leads to a heated exchange and several sections of bleeped out cursing on video.
Then the intern, Corbett, disappears after wandering off on his own and Sam and Dean take charge of the situation. They begin a search and find clues that the previous owner, Freeman Daggett (isn't that from The X-files?), a former hospital janitor, was a disturbed and paranoid individual who took home dead bodies to play with. Two of these were now restless ghosts caught on film reenacting their demise inside the house. Then Sam also disappears and all the house exits are sealed off. Dean's frantic search reveals a hidden bomb shelter and he manages to rescue Sam in the nick of time, but too late for the intern, Corbett, who was killed by the homicidal ghost. When Corbett reappears as a ghost, Ed appeals to his lovestruck feelings and asks for his help. Corbett then attacks and destroys his own killer.
Later, after previewing the pilot themselves, the Winchesters drive off leaving behind a self-made magnet that wipes the hard disk containing the Ghostfacers video. The end.
-
Praises: I am a fan of the original Blair Witch Project, so I looked forward to seeing Supernatural's take on this pseudo-documentary, pseudo-amateur film style. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the entire episode was filmed this way. Viewers were given the impression of watching a Ghostfacers video instead of an episode of Supernatural. It is a refreshingly different style for the show and this third party viewpoint was fun to watch, though a bit dizzying a times.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Reviews, season 3
April 5th, 2008
| Posted in News
| No comments
Congratulations to Jared Padalecki and Sandra McCoy on their engagement!
Jared broke the news at the Supernatural Convention in LA. He proposed to Sandy in Paris, France, and on their 4th anniversary too. Awww. Who know he was such a romantic? Here’s a youtube video of Jared talking about it to fans.
Sandy seems like a sweet girl and they make a cute couple, despite the huge height difference. If you are curious to learn more about Sandy there’s a nice interview on TV of the Absurd.com
Tags: News, gossip, Jared Padalecki
March 4th, 2008
| Posted in News, Supernatural
| 10 comments
Great news!
According to E!Online, Supernatural is on the official list of CW shows being picked up for the fall 2008-09 season. That means our show has been renewed for a 4th season! Whoohoo! This is the earliest renewal announcement I have ever seen for Supernatural. It’s even in time to make a wonderful birthday gift for Jensen.
The E!Online article is here and includes a list of other CW shows being renewed, including Smallville.
Tags: News, Supernatural, renewed, season 4
February 24th, 2008
| Posted in Reviews
| No comments
Jus In Bello
Supernatural Season 3, episode #12.
Airdate: Thursday Feb 21, 2008.
Written by Sera Gamble.
Directed By Philip Sgriccia.
In deference to my overseas visitors wish not to be spoiled, episode review posts and images are no longer being displayed in the blog index. Please click on the post link or go to the “Reviews” category to read a review.
-
Synopsis: Click here to read the episode summary.
The Winchester brothers walk into a trap set by Bella and are captured by local police led by FBI agent Henriksen. They are chained together and locked up in the small town jail while Henriksen arranges their transport to a federal prison. Then things really start to go badly for the Winchesters and everyone around them. It begins with FBI deputy director Groves who unceremoniously shoot Dean in the cell. Sam grabs his arms to stop him and and sees that the whites of his eyes are black. A few short latin phases later, the demon is exorcised and a dead body is left behind. Then, all the outside guards are killed, the helicopter transport explodes, and FBI agent Reidy is killed. This is followed by a now possessed agent Henriksen who kills the sheriff inside the Winchester’s cell before his demon is also exorcised by Sam. And thus begins an organized effort by demons to get at the Winchesters inside the jail.
The last 3 survivors join together with the now unshackled Winchesters to prepare for the impending demon attack. They lock down the building and apply road salt and devil’s trap symbols to every window and door. Soon, massive demon smoke descend on area, blanketing the building. That is soon replaced by crowds of demon-possessed people surrounding the building. When the young deputy accidentally breaks the line of salt at a window, one demon gets in and it is trapped. That demon is Ruby and Sam releases her from the devil’s trap. Ruby warns them that a new demon leader, Lilith, wants Sam dead and is behind this attack. She then tries to use a spell that requires the sacrifice of a virgin, secretary Nancy, to kill all the demons, including herself. Dean adamantly refuses but Sam remains ambivalent. Then Dean comes up with his own alternative plan.
Sam, Dean and Henriksen let the demons into the building while outside on the roof, the secretary and deputy wait to re-salt all the exits with the demons inside. Fighting the hoard of demons, Winchesters are disarmed and thrown against a wall. At Dean’s prompt, Henriksen turns on the speaker system and Sam’s exorcism ritual is heard throughout the building. All the demons are exorcised at once except one, who manages to escape while Nancy was sealing the last door. Afterwards, Henriksen lets the brothers go free and they leave. Then a young girl shows up, says her name is Lilith, and proceeds to vaporize the sheriff’s building and all it’s occupants, including Henrikson and Nancy. At the motel, Dean turns on the local news and hears everyone proclaimed dead, including themselves.
The end.
-
Praises: This is the episode that was shuffled so it could be the season finale if the writer’s strike did not end. So, do I think it measured up? Well…almost. There were some aspects of this episode that was truly great. There was fighting, some funny moments, a few truly tense and even scary moments, and some fantastic special effects. The best moments of this episode were it’s tense moments. When the deputy director unceremoniously shot Dean, it was shocking. The special effects of the black clouds approaching, then surrounding the building was just awesome and quite scary. I even appreciated the irony of Bella doing to the Winchesters what they did to Gordon.
Dean was at his snarkish best and the result was some hysterically funny scenes. I especially loved when Dean declared that they were not killing any virgins. The way he said it just cracked me up. That idea just had to come from Anteka’s plastic!Winchester theater where plastic!virgin sacrifice is not an infrequent topic. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Reviews
February 15th, 2008
| Posted in Reviews
| 2 comments
Mystery Spot
Supernatural Season 3, episode #11.
Airdate: Thursday Feb 14, 2008.
Written by Jeremy Carver & Emily McLaughlin.
Directed By Kim Manners.
In deference to my overseas visitors wish not to be spoiled, episode review posts and images are no longer being displayed in the blog index. Please click on the post link or go to the “Reviews” category to read a review.
-
Synopsis: Click here to read the episode summary.
While investigating a disappearance, the brothers sneak into a local tourist spot, called the “Mystery Spot, where the laws of physics have no meaning” and are confronted with a shotgun wielding owner. The nervous owner misfires his weapon and shoots Dean. Dean dies in Sam’s arms. Then Sam wakes up, Dean is alive and it’s Tuesday again. Thinking he had a strange deja vu experience, he stops Dean from going to where he died before. But Dean is killed when he is struck by a car. Then Sam wakes up and it is Tueday again and Dean is alive.
After 100 repeats of this cycle, Sam realizes that a trickster is responsible. He confronts the trickster disguised as a customer at the diner. Under threat of being staked through the neck, the trickster reveals himself and he is the same trickster that the brothers had tried to kill a year ago. When Sam decides to kill him, the trickster snaps his fingers. Sam wakes up and it’s Wednesday morning, and Dean is alive. The loop is broken. Packing up the impala to get out of town, Dean is robbed at gunpoint and shot. Sam rushes to Dean’s aid but Dean dies in his arms. This time Sam does not wake up and the day does not repeat.
Months go by and Sam is hunting by himself and obsessively searching for the trickster. He gets a call from Bobby that he’s found the trickster and Sam rushes over. Thinking it is Bobby who is the trickster, Sam kills him. But he vanishes and the trickster walks into the room. Sam begs him to bring back his brother. The trickster relents and Sam wakes up, and it’s Wednesday morning, and Dean is alive. The end.
-
Praises: Another great episode. That makes two in a row. Supernatural is stepping up its game. And finally we got what fans missed the most this season, Sam angst…loads of it. This episode was shocking, dramatic and funny all at the same time. The first death was sad, the second startling, the third outright funny, and I chuckled through all the other deaths, except the last one. When that occurred, I found myself crying right along with Sam. Jared is a versatile actor, but he really shines when doing angst. The scene of Sam mimicking Dean word for word was hysterical and so was Dean’s reaction when Sam told him he peed himself after being hit by the car. I also couldn’t help noticing Dean little dance to “Heat of the Moment” and was awed by Jensen’s natural grace (and beauty). No doubt about it, fans are going to be emulating that movement for some time to come.
After a comedic first half, the show took a dark turn both literally and figuratively. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Reviews
February 14th, 2008
| Posted in News
| 2 comments
Yes, it is true. According to the New York Daily News, our Papa Winchester, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, is engaged to his former “Weeds” costar, Mary-Louise Parker. She’s a lucky girl. I’d hate her, if I didn’t already love her from that show. Here’s the link to the article.
JDM and MLP on Showtime’s Weeds
4/11/2008 Update:
I am sorry to report that JDM’s engagement to MLP has come to an end. Their disengagement was amicable according to the Associated Press.
Both these actors deserve to find happiness after their previous bad relationships, but alas it looks like that won’t be with each other.
Tags: News, gossip, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, John Winchester, valentine
February 9th, 2008
| Posted in Reviews
| 2 comments
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Supernatural Season 3, episode #10.
Airdate: Thursday Feb 7, 2008.
Written by Sera Gamble & Cathryn Humphris.
Directed By Steve Boyum.
In deference to my overseas visitors wish not to be spoiled, episode review posts and images are no longer being displayed in the blog index. Please click on the post link or go to the “Reviews” category to read a review.
-
Synopsis: Click here to read the episode summary.
Dean gets a call from a doctor in Pittsburgh about Bobby who is hospitalized and in a coma. The Winchesters drive to the hospital where they learn that the doctor is stumped about what caused Bobby’s state. After some investigation, they find that Bobby’s coma is being induced by someone capable of manipulating dreams. To save Bobby, the brothers take a powerful dreamwalking herb that they acquire from Bella. With it they enter Bobby’s dreams where Dean finds Bobby being tortured by guilt over killing his possessed wife. There, Sam also encounters another dreamwalker, the person responsible for Bobby’s condition. Dean manages to persuade Bobby to wake up, pulling all three them from his nightmare.
From his hospital bed, Bobby admits that he became a victim of the dreamwalker because he foolishly accepted beer from one of the subjects in an experimental dream study. Dean too admits that he accepted a beer from Jeremy while interviewing him. Dean is forced to stay awake for two days trying to avoid a dream-based attack. Finally exhausted, he pulls over the Impala and decides to risk sleeping. Sam insists on accompanying him into his dreams despite Dean’s protests.
In Dean’s dream, the brothers get separated. Dean ends up facing his worst nightmare, himself, and Sam is confronted by Jeremy and impaled to the ground in a crucification like manner. But Sam has also acquired dreamwalking ability from using the herb and he turns the table on the dreamwalker. Sam summons Jeremy’s worst nightmare, his abusive father. This distracts him, causing Sam’s release. Sam then attacks and kills Jeremy, ending Dean’s nightmare.
Later, the brothers learn from Bobby that Bella had lied to them about her reason for helping them. Suspecting the worst, they check the motel room safe and discover that the demon-killing colt has been stolen. An angry Dean declares that he is going to hunt Bella down. The End.
-
Praises: Now this is more like it. At last, a great episode of Supernatural with some laughs, some angst (from Dean), and some fighting. There was even a little classic rock thrown in. The only thing missing was some good scary moments. The acting was top notch, the story was even better, and the special effects pretty good. I found myself really enjoying some parts. I got a good laugh over the scene where Sam wakes up from an erotic dream about Bella and has to stay seated when she walks into the room. Jared is such a natural at physical comedy and he plays the embarrassed, awkward geek so well. Dean also elicited a laugh from me when he asked Sam if he was dreaming about Angelina Jolie and, when Sam said no, asked if it was Brad Pitt. But this episode was no comedy. It included a touching scene between Dean and a nightmare-distracted Bobby: when Dean blurted out “you’re like a father to me” and that immediately snapped Bobby out of his nightmare trance. This episode made me realize that Dean and Bobby are much closer than I thought, though neither will ever demonstrate that outwardly. When Sam turned the tables on Jeremy in Dean’s dream, that came a little too easily and too powerfully for just a first effort, and that made it scary. As Bobby brought up, this may be a sign of Sam’s demon-linked abilities resurfacing. This episode also had hidden subtleties just for us fans. The symbolism of Sam being pinned to the ground in a crucification like manner was notable. Is this a hint that Sam believes he is what Gordon thinks, the anti-christ? I hope not. This episode was a welcome reminder of why I love Supernatural so much.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Reviews
February 7th, 2008
| Posted in News, Supernatural
| No comments
Updated: Feb 7, 2008
Original post: Nov. 13, 2007 8:33pm
Photo by devidarkwolf
It is now week two of the Writer's Guild of America strike and there's no sign of a settlement. This is not good. Supernatural is still filming new episodes but that will end in December without a strike settlement. According to Michael Ausiello’s Strike Chart, Supernatural will air at most only 6 more new episodes because being forced into re-runs indefinitely.
In an impromptu interview with fans “devidarkwolf” and “spadada” at the Warner Bros. picket line, Eric Kripke himself, said that there's only one more Supernatural script left to be filmed and…if the strike ended sometime within the month, they could “pick up and start filming without missing a beat.” But if the strike lasted into January, they might have to cut back on episodes OR they would have to halt production, leaving the total episodes for this season at only 12. You can read more of devidarkwolf’s picket line encounter with Eric Kripke here.
The latest news has the Governor of California, Arnold Swartzenager, talking to both sides. I hope he is able to help them see reason and come to an agreement. The last thing Supernatural needs is a shortened season which could lead to a premature cancellation of the series.
12/06/07 Update:
Supernatural will shutdown all production at their Vancouver studios this week. On the bright side, talks has resumed and moderate progress is being made toward a negotiated settlement.
2/07/08 Update:
Good News!!! A tentative deal has been made between the studios and the writer's guild.
It will voted on by the full WGA membership this Saturday, Febuary 9th, 2008 and it is expected to pass. The strike may soon be over. Thank God!!!
Tags: News, Supernatural, Eric Kripke, writers strike
February 2nd, 2008
| Posted in Reviews
| 6 comments
Malleus Maleficarum
Supernatural Season 3, episode #9.
Airdate: Thursday Jan 31, 2008.
Written by Ben Edlund.
Directed By Robert Singer.
In deference to my overseas visitors wish not to be spoiled, episode review posts and images are no longer being displayed in the blog index. Please click on the post link or go to the “Reviews” category to read a review.
-
Synopsis: Click here to read the episode summary.
The Winchesters are investigating an apparent case of death by witchcraft when Ruby shows up. She tells them to get out of town because a badass demon was in the area and they were in danger. Dean reviles her and tries to shoot her but Sam deflects his aim. Back in their motel room, Dean suddenly gets sick and starts coughing up blood. After searching frantically for a source of the spell, Sam grabs the colt and goes after the witches coven by himself. He finds a demon in their midst and attempts to shoot her, but she stops his bullet in mid air then pins him against a wall, demon-style.
In the meantime, Ruby saves Dean life by force feeding him a witches potion. When he recovers, he follows Sam and tries to kill the demon but, like Sam, he is easily stopped and pinned against a wall. Next Ruby shows up, but she too is quickly disarmed and set upon by this powerful demon. When the last surviving member of the coven uses a spell against the demon, this distracts her long enough for Dean to grab Ruby’s knife and stab the demon to death.
Later when Dean is by himself, Ruby appears and tells him that she was once a human who sold her soul to practice witchcraft. She became a demon after centuries in hell and that he too faces the same fate. She tells him that she is a different kind of demon because she remembers being human and that she needs his help to turn Sam into a killer who can continue to fight the demon war when he is on his own.
-
Praises: Like season two, episode #9 of season three is an episode focused heavily on Supernatural’s mythology. Sam changing personality, Dean’s impending demise and descent to hell, and the demon war were all touched upon. Plus new twists were thrown into the mythology to keep us fans guessing. The story was fast paced and at some points, heart pounding. I found myself drawn into it several times. Two things really stood out for me. One was that Sam felt strongly enough to forcibly stop his brother from shooting Ruby, a demon, yet was willing to kill humans because they practiced witchcraft…not a good sign about where Sam’s changing persona is going. The second was the badass witchcraft demon. She was the most powerful demon we’ve seen in season three so far. And she hid her viciously evil persona under a sweet, innocent facade called Tammy. Much like Meg did in season one. The pretty, petite actress did a great job of convincing me that she was an evil bitch demon. Tammy is an adversary I would like to see the Winchesters come up against again, but alas, Dean filleted her. Other notable aspects of the show was Sam’s frantic anxiety when Dean began coughing up blood…it was almost palpable, and, the demon stopping the bullet in mid air was an awesome special effect. I love it every time a Winchester fires the colt and effect is slo-moed to where we see the bullet actually traveling to it’s target. This time it didn’t make it all the way, but that made it even more startling.
-
Nags: Kripke…What the hell???? Where are u taking this show’s mythology? Demons were once people? No Way!!!! If your goal was to shock fans, you certainly succeeded with me. People don’t have the ability to levitate, stop bullets or bring people back to life…how in heaven’s name are they supposed to get this ability once in hell. Ruby better be lying through her teeth, playing on Dean’s fears in typical demon fashion and manipulating him in her goal to turn Sam evil. Also, this is the second time that you’ve tried to make a demon sympathetic on the show, in this case, Ruby…and I’m not buying into it! I wish you’d just stop that because it ain’t gonna work…not with most of Supernatural’s audience and certainly not with the portion of fans, like myself, who grew up Catholic. Katie Cassidy got a lot of screen time in her role as Ruby, but she failed to impress. Her only good scene was when she and Dean were shouting at each other, otherwise she was just plain bad. The mythology in this episode was a lot more interesting than the story itself. I am rating it “very good” because it mattered enough to me to get worked up.
-
My Rating: Very good episode. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Tags: Reviews