Review for 2x09 'Croatoan'

[galathea]

Croatoan by John Shiban is an action-oriented episode that marks a turning point in Dean’s character development and raises a row of intriguing questions in regard to the mytharc. While I am not entirely convinced by the execution of Croatoan, I really loved the brotherly interaction, especially in the last third of the episode. The massive cliffhanger at the end was really cruel though, and I can't believe we have to wait over four weeks now, until we get to hear the rest of Sam and Dean’s conversation. The airing schedule of the show really kills me!



First off, I have to express that I am torn about this episode: On the one hand it has some immensely touching brother scenes and very important character development for Dean, as the events in the episode effectively push him to his breaking point and motivate him to tell Sam about the secret. On the other hand though the episode fails to portray the circumstances that lead Dean to that point in a believable fashion and hence it leaves me dissatisfied, at unease even, at least with some of the scenes, like for example the scene where Dean shoots Mrs. Tanner. I mean, if the writers have one of their main characters execute a person in cold-blood and depict him as overall trigger-happy, they need to make the threat tangible. The pressure weighing on Dean, the apparent hopelessness of the situation, the very real danger the infected people pose to the survivors – it all needs to come together and create a context that validates Dean's more extreme actions.

In Croatoan though, we have a classic case of 'show, don’t tell'. Sam and Dean (and the audience) are constantly told how dangerous the infected people are, but we never really see it. Mrs. Tanner is easily incapacitated by Sam, and Dean has no problem to take Mr. Tanner down or escape the roadblock. The few survivors at doctor Lee's clinic are supposedly under a siege, but a couple of shadowy figures that lurk in the dark hardly make an angry mob, there is no attack on the building and the infected people make no effort to get to the refugees. If they are indeed as strong and fast and rabid as the Sarge claims, a couple of glass doors shouldn't really stop them from coming in. So, the discrepancy in what we see and what we are told results in the fact that Dean’s behaviour comes off as overreaction, and that undermines the character’s struggle in this episode.

It’s only Jensen’s acting in the crucial scenes that somewhat salvages the integrity of Dean’s character by conveying his internal conflict. A more convincing execution of the circumstances though would have supported the character better. It was the first time in the show that I was uneasy with Dean’s actions, even if I can rationalise them, and I hope they avoid these kind of problems in the future.

Now that I have that point of critique out of the way, I can focus on the rest of the episode. First off, I have to say that I was surprised that Sam assumes in his opening argument with Dean that his brother would kill an innocent person. While we can concede that Sam comes straight off his vision, still reeling from the impact it had on him, he has no context to what he has seen in his vision, and I am kind of baffled that he concludes Dean would have no valid reason to kill the young man in his vision. In the past Dean has only been willing to kill humans if they have been evil or to protect his family. It’s true, Dean has been tail-spinning this season, he has been self-destructive to an extent, but to kill an innocent person is a completely different issue. So I am not sure why Sam would think that. His doubts here don’t ring true to me.

Sam: "I’m sorry, alright. I hesitated, Dean. It was a kid."
Dean: "No, it was an it. It’s not the best time for a bleeding heart, Sam."

Dean kills three (infected) people in this episode, and I think it’s worth looking closer into this issue, since he makes some quick and harsh decision, when nobody else is able to make them: When Dean kills Mr. Tanner, he doesn’t really have much of a choice. Mr. Tanner attacks them as soon as they enter the house and Dean clearly acts in self-defence. While it stands to reason that he could simply have incapacitated Mr. Tanner by shooting him in the leg, there isn't really much time to think this through and Dean pulls the trigger on instinct.

Now, for Sam the situation is slightly different. He hesitates to shoot a running kid in the back, after all, they have no idea what exactly is going on with these people and the kid could simply be scared. However, I think there is more to Sam’s hesitation here. I think it also stems from his belief that this is what the YED wants – to turn him into a killer. I have this theory that killing a human being is a trigger for those special kids to become evil. I mean, in the past 31 episodes Sam only actively killed one creature, namely the Rakshasa in Everybody Loves A Clown. In all other episodes either Dean takes the final shot or the monsters/perpetrators are killed by someone else. I just think this pattern is too conspicuous to be completely random, but I guess only time will tell if there is any deeper meaning behind it.

Anyway, the execution of Mrs. Tanner is much harder to digest. Dean is in a very difficult position here. He didn’t actually witness the strength, speed and determination of the infected people with his own eyes, he takes the Sergeant’s word for it. It’s clear that Dean trusts the Sergeant, so his claim that the infected pose an unstoppable threat once they are at full strength holds enough weight to convince Dean that drastic steps are necessary. After all, Dean’s objective is to keep Sam safe (see speculation below) and protect the survivors at all costs. However, matters are complicated by the fact that Mrs. Tanner seems to be perfectly lucid and harmless, terrified even. Sam is the only one who actually witnessed Mrs. Tanner’s transition, so Dean turns to his brother for confirmation before he takes any action. Dean may be the one to step forward and shoulder the responsibility, but it’s a joint decision between the Sarge, Dean and Sam that Mrs. Tanner has to die. Still, I have no doubt that Dean feels conflicted about killing her. His stony expression when he takes the shot and his subdued demeanour afterwards tell their own tale.

Last, but not least, there is the death of Pam. The situation here is similar to the situation at the Tanners’ house – it’s clearly a case of self defence. Pam’s attack on Sam doesn’t leave Dean a lot of options or even time to react. Out of the three deaths in this episode that involve one of the Winchesters, Pam’s is the easiest to justify.

Dean: "What does that buy us?"
Sam: "A clear conscience, for one!"
Dean: "Well, it’s too late for that!"

Sam and Dean’s argument about how to handle the potential threat of Duane’s infection is very telling. Dean argues to kill him right away, while Sam suggests to wait for the test results. Sam’s statement that they can come out of the situation with a clear conscience is an illusion though. I think Dean already sacrificed his clear conscience when he took it upon himself to kill Mrs. Tanner in order to protect those under his care. Dean has always been the one to make the hard decisions and go through with them, not least to protect his little brother’s innocence, but I think he pays with his peace of mind each and every time. So, his hardened mindset is at least partly a result of Dean’s past experiences. Still, Dean’s uncompromising response to the situation seems disproportionate: Why not wait, keep Duane under close watch, see if the sulphur shows in his blood and take him down then? After all, he is confined and poses no actual threat at this point. Why is Dean so determined to kill him, before he is even sure he is infected?

Speculations about Dean and John’s last words
Given that the writers dropped several clues about siblings murder this season (Gordon and his sister, Andy and Anseem) and considering the fact that Dean seems to feel a huge weight on his shoulders that has nothing to do with his father’s sacrifice for his life, I think that John’s last words to Dean revolved around the possibility that, under certain circumstances, Dean might be forced to kill his brother. Naturally, that prospect would send Dean’s protective big brother instincts into overdrive and motivate him to take any steps necessary to prevent such a scenario from coming true. And we know that there are no real limits to what Dean would do in order to protect Sam, he admitted as much in Devil’s Trap.

Now, in Croatoan this specific scenario seems to be a real possibility. A demonic virus that turns innocent people into monsters? What if this is the situation that John warned him about? What if he fails to protect Sam from the virus and has to witness his brother turning into one of those infected monsters? That’s a chance Dean is just not willing to take, better safe than sorry. And it’s not only for Sam’s sake, but also for his own. Sam is the one thing that keeps him going at the moment, that much is clear from his later decision to rather die with Sam than live on without him. So, overall I think Dean’s pre-emptive strike against Duane is motivated by fear as well as caution and a hardened mindset.

However, Dean doesn’t go through with the kill, and it’s the bitter irony of this episode that it is actually the one kill that would have been necessary. Not that shooting Duane would have done any good – he is a demon, after all – but still. So, what’s stopping Dean? I think Dean’s hesitation here ties back to the conversation he had with his brother at the beginning of the episode, where Sam suspects him of killing an innocent person in his vision. If he kills Duane, Sam’s vision has come true, and usually it is the other way round, usually they go out of their way to try and prevent Sam’s visions from coming true. If Sam is right and Duane is innocent, Dean violated his own principles by killing him. After all, protecting the innocent is the mission Dean dedicated his life to. He is in an impossible conflict between his moral principles and his need to protect Sam here and in the end I think he decides to listen to his brother’s voice of reason to let Duane go until they have proof of his infection.

Dean: "I am tired, Sam. I am tired of this job, this life, this weight on my shoulders, man. I am tired of it."

In the end though, all of his efforts are futile. Dean 'fails' and loses Sam to the virus. The scenes following Sam’s infection are absolutely heartbreaking. Dean’s initial angry denial and subsequent calm acceptance that not only Sam’s, but also his own fate is sealed was incredibly moving. His decision to rather die with his brother, than to leave Sam behind and save his own life just killed me, as did Sam’s offer to kill himself in order to spare his brother the trauma of doing it for him. There is no doubt that this is final. Dean even gives away the Impala, so he is not walking away from this place alive. The thought of Dean waiting for Sam to turn, so he can kill him and then take his own life is just impossibly bleak.

Anyway, it’s only now, in their (presumably) final hours, that Dean is able to let the mask of confidence drop and admit his bone-deep weariness to Sam. This life took everything from him! There is nothing left for him when Sam is gone, too. It’s not revenge that drives Dean - like it drove John - and the latest events even undermined the satisfaction Dean takes from 'saving people, hunting things'. He buckles under everything life threw at him in the last couple of months, he is just finished. Dean isn’t even bitter about it, he is resigned. Sam is thrown when he sees that his brother gives up on life so easily – to go out without a fight is so unlike Dean. Dean tends to keep his 'game face' on around Sam, so it's not surprising that the extent of his brother’s depression comes as a shock to Sam. I also think that Sam is unable to accept that Dean chooses to die because of him. Maybe it helps him understand though how Dean feels about John sacrificing his life to save him. It’s an impossible burden.

The love and devotion to each other the brothers convey in these scenes is heart-rending, to say the least. They are certainly amongst my favourite brotherly moments of the show so far. ♥ Kudos to Jared and Jensen for knocking these scenes out of the park. They could have easily turned out cheesy and over the top, instead they feel genuine throughout.

Dean: "I just think we should take a break from all this. Why do we get stuck with all the responsibility? Why can't we live life a little bit?"

I love the end scene between Sam and Dean – set at one of the most beautiful locations of the show – beyond words. ♥ The brothers just miraculously dodged death and as a result life suddenly seems worth living and exploring. The stark contrast between the bright, colourful scenery at the lake and the dark setting at the clinic beautifully highlights that change in tone. Dean’s wish to take a time out with his brother, maybe visit the Grand Canyon and just live for a while, is heartfelt and touching. However, Dean not only learned from the events in River Grove that he wants a different perspective in life, but also that he needs to tell Sam the truth. He was ready to reveal the secret to Sam at the clinic, so it's only consequent that he finishes now what he started then. Maybe sharing will make things a little bit easier on him.

Sam in his younger brother nagging routine is simply adorable. ♥ I just love that he is eager to help Dean to carry his burdens, gently nudging his brother to open up to him. The relative air of easiness and the emotional closeness between Sam and Dean in that scene is hard-earned, and I am pretty sure it is about to be destroyed again with the words Dean is about to say to Sam. So, I revel in the beauty of that serene scene, before they throw the next wave of angst towards us.

What else is noteworthy?

(1) This episode raises a whole lot of new questions about the yellow eyed demon’s plans. So, the Croatoan virus has been a test. What kind of test? Has he only been testing Sam specifically or has Sam been the stand-in guinea pig for all the other special children as well? Have the visions in Nightmare, Salvation and Simon Said also been part of a test? I mean, it’s clearly suggested that Sam’s vision at the beginning of the episode was a set-up to get him to River Grove, which begs the question if all of Sam’s visions were part of a test that served the YED’s plans. And if that is so, what exactly did he achieve with those other tests? Also, if Sam is immune to the virus, are the other children immune well? And why exactly is Sam immune?

The speculation that Sam is at least part-demon isn’t exactly new in fandom – it would certainly explain why he isn’t susceptible to a demonic virus. However, the demon himself wasn’t really sure of the outcome of his test either or he wouldn’t have needed a test in the first place. He was obviously willing to risk the death of one of his 'special' kids in order to get an answer, which suggests that this test was crucial to his plans somehow. Sam mentions that the virus could be part of a demonic germ warfare, like a biblical plague. Maybe the YED’s plan is to wipe out mankind with the virus and raise a new demonic kingdom on earth with his 'special' kids, the only survivors of the plague. If so, they better secured one of those blood samples for an antidote.

Anyway, we clearly don’t have enough information yet to formulate an accurate theory about the YED’s endgame, but the implications of Croatoan are certainly intriguing. It’s entirely possible though, that I just read too many apocalyptic novels! *g*

(2) The cinematography of the episode was stunning, as usual, but the action sequences have been spectacular this time: The slow motion effects in particular worked really well, especially in the opening scene with Sam’s vision and in the fabulous Impala escape manoeuvre. The camera work was excellent throughout the episode. ♥

In conclusion: Croatoan was an important episode, even if the execution left a lot to be desired. The characters are now effectively moved into the position to deal with the ominous secret that John entrusted to Dean, and I am sure it will throw our heroes into yet another crisis!