Review | 7x23 | Survival Of The Fittest
Jun. 2nd, 2012 05:56 pm( Looks like you’re well and truly on your own. )
As is often the case, Supernatural counterbalances the drama of the previous episode with a more light-hearted offering. Party On, Garth by Adam Glass is an amusing standalone episode that, as the title suggests, puts a spotlight on the dorky hunter Garth. The differences in personality and attitude between the brothers and Garth not only make for some nice comedy moments, but also accentuate that Sam and Dean’s way to approach hunting is not the only way to go about it, and I like that. Overall, I enjoyed the episode, even though I think the writers missed some great opportunities to use the plot of the episode for the exploration of Dean’s arc this season.
( You’ve been Garthed! )
I guess it is fair to say that Sera Gamble’s script for Death’s Door is a love letter to the character of Bobby Singer, and the episode does what Supernatural does best, namely in depth exploration of the emotional landscape of its characters and the depiction of (dys)functional family relations. I think there is no doubt that Death’s Door is a stand-out episode of the show on all accounts – writing, acting and direction – and even though it leaves me grief-stricken, I cannot help but admire the writers for actually having the guts to bring the storyline they started in last week’s episode to its logical conclusion. The episode stayed with me for days after it aired, and I think that says everything about how much it affected me. ♥
( Idjits. )
After last week’s misstep Supernatural is back to top-form with Ben Edlund’s How To Win Friends and Influence Monsters. The episode mainly drives the mytharc forward, but it also gives us some insight into where the characters’ heads are at the moment. My favourite part is clearly the heart-warming interaction between Sam, Dean and Bobby, but I really have to say that I love the leviathan arc this season as well, and I am curious to see what their endgame is. Overall, the episode has just the right balance between humour, action and character drama – and the only real downside is that we have to wait two long weeks now to see the resolution to the rather worrisome cliffhanger.
( You die before me, and I’ll kill you. )
You know, every year there is this one episode, where the plot description alone makes me throw my hands up in horror and ask myself why the writers would think that actually going through with that particular story concept might be a good idea. Now, sometimes those episodes manage to surprise me positively, like The French Mistake for example, and sometimes they turn out to be just as bad as I expected, like The Real Ghostbusters. Time For A Wedding by Andrew Dabb and Daniel Loflin unfortunately falls in the latter category. In fact, I think it is one of the worst episodes Supernatural has ever produced. I daresay that, with the exception of a few brotherly scenes, the episode has barely any redeeming qualities for me. It is rather unfortunate that the season’s continuous run of excellent episodes has been interrupted in this manner, but I hope this misstep remains a one-off.
( We all need to face ourselves sometimes. )
The Mentalists by first time Supernatural writers Ben Blacker and Ben Acker is an enjoyable standalone episode in the vein of the first seasons – not unlike Shut Up, Dr. Phil, but considerably better written. The case file mostly serves as a backdrop for the resolution to Sam and Dean’s falling out from last week, and while it may not be the perfect wrap-up to the Amy storyline, it at least takes the characters in the right direction. Now, there are some minor issues that give me reason to worry, and I think the episode uncovers only some of the layers of a very complex situation, but I am pretty confident that this is just the first step on the brothers’ road towards healing. There is more to come, or so I hope. Overall there is some satisfying development for Sam and Dean’s relationship, and the episode leaves them (and the audience) in a good place, emotionally, so I am quite content.
( Sibling acts are tough. )
That? Was awesome! ♥ I am usually not a fan of plot driven episodes, but if they are done well, I can enjoy them just as much as character driven episodes – and this one definitely had me riveted to my screen. Robbie Thompson’s script for Slash Fiction is fast, but evenly paced, action heavy, sprinkled with brilliant humour and topped off by a row of fantastic side characters. It is not often that I am this impressed by a first time writer for Supernatural; Thompson hits all the right notes with the characters and proves to be knowledgeable where canon is concerned. Overall, Slash Fiction is definitely one of my favourite episodes of the season so far.
( Well, I’ll be darned. Psycho Butch and Sundance. )
Shut Up, Dr. Phil by (almost new) writers Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming – funny enough, the only other Supernatural episode this duo ever has ever written is Route 666 – is not a deep episode; it’s not even an outstanding monster of the week episode. What it is, however, is old-school Supernatural fun – cheese, clichés and anvils included – which is very welcomed after the more angst laden episodes that preceded it. Despite its lighter tone, the episode still maintains Sam and Dean’s current character arcs though, and I appreciate that greatly. Overall, we get some lovely brotherly banter, some deliciously gory deaths and some surprise guest stars in this episode, so what’s not to like?
( You can unload. That’s kind of what I’m here for. )
The current season seems to be on a roll. ♥ Defending Your Life by Adam Glass is a character drama that mainly focuses on Dean’s repressed guilt and self-worth issues, but it also uses Dean’s story to highlight Sam’s current state of mind. The episode does have its flaws – the execution of the excellent premise is not always as deep or extensive as I would have liked – but overall my excitement about the fact that Dean is finally forced to confront his issues outweighs my few points of critique for the episode by far. If S7 manages to keep this kind of quality up for the rest of the season, it could turn out to be one of my favourite seasons of the show.
( When your heart is heavy, real punishment is a mercy. )