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Review | 8x14 | Trial and Errror
Trial and Error by Andrew Dabb continues the latest string of 'old-school' Supernatural episodes, which further reinforces the impression that the writers deliberately turned the season around, because they realised their narrative in the first half of the season was not working all that well. Now, as was to be expected after a run of mostly standalone episodes, Trial and Error returns to the demon tablet storyline, but it does so in a surprisingly interesting manner. Granted, the case-of-the-week is handled rather clumsily – the pacing is off and most of the one-off characters are incredibly grating – but the episode makes up for those flaws by giving us some truly touching moments between Sam and Dean. Overall, I am really happy with the way things are going at the moment. Keep it up, writers!
Sam: "You made these?"
Dean: "We have a real kitchen now."
Sam: "I know. I just didn’t think you knew what a kitchen was."
Dean: "I’m nesting. Okay. Eat!"
It is no secret that domesticity, Winchester style, is one of my favourite aspects of the show, so the opening scene of Sam and Dean 'nesting' in their new Batcave won me over right away. As I already pointed out in my last review, the Batcave allows the brothers to create their own personal spaces for the first time in their lives – Rufus’ cabin was just too small, and Bobby’s house may have felt like a home to them, but they had no rooms of their own – and it is fascinating and heart-warming to see Sam and Dean, the perpetual travellers, put down roots. ♥ Dean in particular visibly enjoys making his new room into a home by furnishing it with personal items and memorabilia – the photo of him and Mary is a particularly nice touch – and I think his enthusiasm shows that, even though Dean would never have admitted out loud that he even wants a stable home or a place to call his own, it is something he actually really appreciates and maybe even secretly desired for quite some time. I love especially the little moment where Sam deliberately plays the bratty younger sibling and riles his brother up by throwing his gum paper on the floor just as Dean points the cleanliness of his new room out. Sam’s content smile as he looks around Dean’s room after his brother indignantly stormed out the door tells its own story though. It is apparent that Sam loves to see Dean so happy and content. ♥
Another highlight is Dean making burgers for them, of course. I love that, instead of just tucking in, he eagerly awaits Sam’s verdict first, and his obvious pride at Sam’s praise is just adorable. ♥ Dean loves his food, we all know that, but home-cooked food in particular is fraught with memories of his early childhood, like the tomato-rice soup Mary used to make him when he was sick (The Song Remains the Same) or the sandwich she made him in his memory in Dark Side of the Moon and in his fantasy in What Is and What Should Never Be. Dean obviously associates home-cooked food with family, happiness and safety, so the fact that he starts cooking for himself and Sam the moment they settle in the Batcave tells us a lot about his state of mind. Despite having only lived in his new home for a couple of weeks, he already feels connected to the place, to an extent even, where their normal accommodations whilst being on the road are suddenly unappealing to him. Now, all these moments stand out to me, not only because they are fun and heart-warming, but also because they suggest to me that Dean started a tentative healing process. I always mourned that, over the years, depression considerably undermined Dean’s unique ability to live in the moment and take satisfaction from the little pleasure in his life, so I find the fact that restoring his relationship with Sam and finding the Batcave renewed his capacity for joy particularly gratifying.
Dean: "I’m a grunt, Sam. You’re not. You’ve always been the brains of this operation. And you told me yourself that you see a way out. You see a light at the end of this ugly ass tunnel. I don’t. But I tell you what I do know. That I’m gonna die with a gun in my hand. ‘Cause that’s what I have waiting for me. That’s all I have waiting for me. I want you to get out. I want you to have a life. Become a Man of Letters, whatever. You, with a wife and kids and grandkids, living till you’re fat and bald and chucking Viagra – that is my perfect ending."
Trial and Error gives us two highly emotional, complementary conversations between the brothers, and in both conversations Sam and Dean not only openly speak their minds, but also hear what the other is saying. ♥ Let me look at Dean’s speech to Sam about his limited future prospects and his dreams for Sam first. Now, unlike Dean’s words to Henry about his need to save Sam in As Time Goes By, his speech here does not lack reference to his personal history, but there are still some glaring problems with continuity. I mean, Dean’s fervent assertion that his perfect ending is for Sam to quit hunting and live a happy apple pie life, obviously stands in stark contrast to his open dismissal of Sam’s desire to retire from hunting, go back to college and settle down at he beginning of the season. Of course, Dean’s hostility in episodes like Heartache or Southern Comfort was rooted in his immediate hurt in light of the fact that Sam did not look for him, and his abandonment issues did not help his attitude either. However, Dean’s recent behaviour gives reason to believe that he has moved past his hurt these past few weeks, and where his abandonment issues are concerned, well, Dean clearly talks from the perspective of a man who assumes that he will not live to see the day Sam’s 'perfect life' becomes reality. In his current scenario, it is not Sam who is abandoning him, but he who is abandoning Sam, and I think that figures into his feelings here. Still, all this remains speculation since the brothers have still not addressed the reasons for their recent conflict and, as I said before, that will at times impact brotherly moments like this.
Anyway, I have no such issues with the rest of Dean’s speech. His resigned fatalism where his future is concerned feels very in character. I mean, Dean may have regained his sense of purpose when he was in purgatory, but obviously that does not mean that his general outlook on life has changed. After all, years of loss and sacrifice left their permanent mark on Dean, and it is one thing for him to recover his enthusiasm for the hunt, and another thing entirely to anticipate a bright future for himself. I daresay that death has been Dean’s only future prospect for a very long time. We can track Dean's fatalism as far back as Shadow, where he had no doubt that hunting (and its inevitable end point) is all there is to his future. "It ends bloody or sad. That’s just the life," Dean told Sam in Criss Angel Is a Douchebag, and their experiences these last few years only served to substantiate his assessment. As he rightly points out, this is not the first time that they go up against forces that are way out of their league, and one of them always paid the ultimate price – and that Dean should be the one to pay said price goes without saying, well, in his mind at least.
Now, back in Swan Song Dean acknowledged that he has to let Sam make his own choices, even if those choices involve putting his life on the line. He also acknowledged that he has to grow past his self-sacrificial role as Sam’s protector/caretaker and find new ways to define himself as a person. However, in the years that followed, Dean failed to make any progress in either regard. While he has taken to treating Sam as an equal adult for the most part, he still has problems accepting his brother’s choices at times, especially if Sam puts himself in harm’s way, a point explicitly made in Unforgiven. Similarly, Dean’s inability to let go of his unnecessary guilt (Defending Your Life) or his alarm when faced with the prospect of having to take care of himself for a change (Time for a Wedding) clearly illustrated that Dean has no idea how move past his self-destructive behavioural patterns. However, as long as Dean’s skewed self-image warps his perception of himself and prevents him from seeing himself as anything but the expendable 'grunt' of the operation, he will always be limited as a person as well as a hunter. After all, Dean's belief that death is his only possible destination limits his ability to see alternatives for his choices and actions - and that will inevitably lead him to the destination he anticipates. At first glance, all this may contradict my earlier statement that Dean started a healing process, but there is a huge difference between the restoration of Dean’s basic ability to take pleasure from the positive things in his life and Dean growing past his deep-rooted self-worth issues. Still, maybe Sam and Dean’s conversations in Trial and Error will be the starting point for Dean’s character growth. I know I say that almost every year and it never comes to pass, but maybe this time will be different. Hope springs eternal, after all.
Sam: "I want to slam hell shut, too, okay. But I want to survive it. I want to live, and so should you. You have friends up here, family. Hell, you even got your own room now. You are right, okay. I see light at the end of this tunnel. And I am sorry that you don’t. I am. But it’s there. And if you come with me, I can take you to it."
Dean: "Sam, be smart."
Sam: "I am smart. And so are you. You’re not a grunt, Dean. You’re a genius. When it comes to lore, to – you’re the best damn hunter I have ever seen. Better than me. Better than dad. I believe in you, Dean. So please, please, believe in me, too."
Sam’s heart-warming speech to Dean is undoubtedly my favourite scene of the episode, if not the season so far. ♥ Sam counters Dean’s earlier low opinion of himself with praise, and he meets his fatalism with hope, and I think that is very in character. These last couple of years, Sam has often been the voice of hope and faith in the brotherly relationship, especially when Dean was weighed down by depression. Like, for example, in Criss Angel Is a Douchebag, where Sam was convinced that they can win against Lilith, when all Dean could see in their future was blood and death; or in Point of No Return, where Sam offered Dean his unconditional faith, even though Dean had given up on him; or in Mannequin 3, where Sam still believed in the value of hunting, when Dean could only see their professional failures. In the first half of S7 in particular, Sam’s continued strength and optimism in the face of his mental problems built a poignant counterpoint to Dean’s lasting depression. In fact, I expected for Sam to voice a sentiment similar to the one he expresses here back in S7 at some point. After Dean offered himself as Sam’s stone number one and thus allowed his brother to get a grip on his hallucinations, I hoped that Sam would return the favour and become Dean’s touchstone for faith and hope, thus giving his brother something to hold onto and overcome his depression, and I was very disappointed when it never happened. So, I find the fact that Sam finally steps up and offers himself as Dean’s guide towards hope very gratifying.
Moreover, I love that Sam finally finds the right words to talk to his brother, something he was unable to do in the first half of the season, because his emotions were governed by hurt and disappointment when Dean came down on him for his choices in the year they spent apart. As I already pointed out in my review for Southern Comfort, the conflict between the brothers would probably not have escalated as much as it did, if Sam had been able to tell Dean what he told Amelia – or later Amelia’s dad – namely how much he values Dean as a person. It would have worked against Dean’s impression that Sam’s decision not to look for him was motivated by a lack of love, and that would have gone a long way to appease Dean’s feelings of hurt and abandonment. Presently though, Sam gets to the heart of Dean’s insecurities right away and counters them with an open recognition of his brother’s capabilities, and I love the way Sam’s words reflect both the childhood hero-worship for Dean he expressed back in Fresh Blood and his adult appreciation for his brother at the same time. ♥ The fact that Dean acquiesces to Sam’s plea for Dean to have faith in him gives me hopes that at least some of Sam’s words have reached his brother. Dean may still have a long way to go to actually believe Sam’s earnest assertions of Dean’s worth as a hunter and a person, but it is a first step in the right direction.
Anyway, I assume the devoted Dean fans will not take it kindly that Sam is the one who will face the 'gates of hell' trials, but I love that Sam gets to make that choice. I mean, the majority of Sam’s storylines in the show have been about control and choice and his lack thereof. In the past, Sam often dealt with the consequences of things done to him – like, Azazel feeding him demon blood, for example, or Castiel raising him soulless or destroying the wall in his mind. His choice to take the trials, however, allows him a measure of control over his own, as well as Dean’s, immediate future, and it will be interesting to see how he handles said control. Besides, we all know the Supernatural writers love their symmetries. So, even if the hell trials are centred on Sam, it stands to reason that closing the gates of heaven will require a similar set of trials – and who better to take them than Dean? I think it is appropriate that Lucifer’s vessel takes the trials that will enable him to close the gates of hell, while Michael’s vessel takes the trials that will enable him to close the gates of heaven. I admit, I am rather taken with the introduction of the trials storyline. I mean, it is no secret that I have become increasingly disenchanted with the mytharc – well, the demon/angel/tablet part of it at any rate – mainly because I feel that Sam and Dean have become entirely incidental to it. The trials, however, actually make the brothers central to this part of the mythology again. I daresay that taking the trials will take its toll on Sam and Dean, and since they now have a personal stake in their mission, I am reinvested in the storyline as well. All told, Trial and Error proves that the writers can still tell mytharc related stories that are all about the brothers, and I whole-heartedly approve of that.
What else is noteworthy:
(1) I really like the insight the episode offers into Kevin’s gruelling daily routine. The teaser sequence, where we see Kevin work himself into an utter state of exhaustion, builds a stark contrast to the subsequent opening scene of the brothers comfortably settling into their new home, and I cannot help but wonder if, at some point, it will become inevitable for Sam and Dean to offer Kevin refuge in the Batcave. After all, it is in no way guaranteed that Kevin and the tablet are secure on Garth’s boat, and it would certainly help Kevin if he could feel entirely safe. Anyway, the brothers’ concern for Kevin’s well-being is just heart-warming to watch, and I like that Dean takes care of Kevin’s physical needs, while Sam tries to improve his mental state. Now, just like in the season opener, there are obvious parallels between Kevin and Sam. I mean, Kevin’s obsession with the translation of the tablet mirrors Sam’s obsession with Jessica’s killer at the beginning of the show. Just like Kevin, Sam believed at the time that if he could just finish this one momentous task, i.e. kill Azazel, then he would be able to return to his normal life and be a person again (Shadow), and just like Kevin, he had no regard for his own life, only the end goal mattered (Salvation). Of course, Sam had to learn the hard way that what he thought was the finish line was, in fact, the starting line, and his advice to Kevin, namely that fighting evil is a marathon, not a sprint, reflects that experience.
(2) I am intrigued by the new elements the writers add to the show’s lore lately, like the 'devil’s trap bullets' in As Time Goes By or the 'hellhound glasses' here. I think it makes sense that, from time to time, Sam and Dean prove already established lore wrong or discover new aspects of it. Supernatural lore is not exactly science, after all. So, I find the information that glasses scorched in holy fire can make hellhounds visible to the normal eye, a perfectly valid expansion of the hellhound lore, especially since there is nothing in the lore that would outright contradict it. Plus, it gives us Sam and Dean in glasses, and I would never complain about that. However, there is other information I find harder to accept. For example, I find it hard to believe that Crowley would make deals without telling people about the ten year timeframe of the contract. I always considered that an integral part of the deal. I find it particularly irritating in light of the fact that Crowley was outraged when one of his minions dared to make deals and then collect on the payment ahead of time in Time For A Wedding. He emphasised that integrity is a necessity to keep the soul business running, and I think telling people that their time is up in a decade really falls under the integrity clause. Sure, Crowley made those deals with Margeaux, Carl and Ellie ten years ago and he has since become king of hell, which may well have changed his perspective on deals, but still, it bugged me.
(3) I find Dean’s solution to Ellie’s hellhound problem, namely hiding her from demons with a protection hexbag, quite interesting. It reminds me of the fact that Ruby was very proficient in creating protection hexbags against demons and angels as well, and yet she only gave them to Sam and Dean in S4, after Dean went to hell. If she had assembled anti-demon hexbags for the brothers earlier, she could have easily bought Sam and Dean more time to find a permanent solution to their problem with Lilith. It really highlights that she had no intention whatsoever to make good on her promise to help Sam save his brother. Not that this is new or anything, but the thought that she could have used hexbags never occurred to me till now.
(4) The Cassity family is terrible in every sense of the word. I mean, obviously they are horrible people, but on top of that the characters are badly written and poorly acted. The writers probably intended to create caricatures of the Ewing family from Dallas or the Carrington family from Dynasty here, but those kind of one-dimensional, soap characters really have no place in Supernatural. They are not particularly funny or relatable and every scene that involves them is groan-worthy. They would probably have worked a tad better in a comedy episode, but in Trial and Error they somewhat undermine the serious tone. Ellie, on the other hand, is quite likeable; I find her straightforward attitude and level-headed personality rather appealing. However, the fact that she is the one who made the demon deal is obvious right away, and Dean looks pretty stupid for not making the connection earlier. When Ellie tells him that the one-night stand is a one-time offer only, Dean really should have become suspicious of her. Overall, I feel that the scenes at the ranch are awkwardly paced and filled with annoying characters, so they are the weakest part of the episode for me.
In conclusion: The clumsily handled case-of-the-week results in a slight point deduction for Trial and Error, but overall I still enjoyed the episode tremendously. I just wished the problems of the first half of the season would stop messing with the brotherly scenes, but I guess it cannot be helped. Anyway, it seems that the introduction of the Batcave, the Men of Letters and now the Trials not only revitalised the show, but also fandom. The increase in creative output dedicated to the new aspects of the mythology has been impressive, and I really enjoy the renewed positive atmosphere in fandom. It was about time!
Sam: "You made these?"
Dean: "We have a real kitchen now."
Sam: "I know. I just didn’t think you knew what a kitchen was."
Dean: "I’m nesting. Okay. Eat!"
It is no secret that domesticity, Winchester style, is one of my favourite aspects of the show, so the opening scene of Sam and Dean 'nesting' in their new Batcave won me over right away. As I already pointed out in my last review, the Batcave allows the brothers to create their own personal spaces for the first time in their lives – Rufus’ cabin was just too small, and Bobby’s house may have felt like a home to them, but they had no rooms of their own – and it is fascinating and heart-warming to see Sam and Dean, the perpetual travellers, put down roots. ♥ Dean in particular visibly enjoys making his new room into a home by furnishing it with personal items and memorabilia – the photo of him and Mary is a particularly nice touch – and I think his enthusiasm shows that, even though Dean would never have admitted out loud that he even wants a stable home or a place to call his own, it is something he actually really appreciates and maybe even secretly desired for quite some time. I love especially the little moment where Sam deliberately plays the bratty younger sibling and riles his brother up by throwing his gum paper on the floor just as Dean points the cleanliness of his new room out. Sam’s content smile as he looks around Dean’s room after his brother indignantly stormed out the door tells its own story though. It is apparent that Sam loves to see Dean so happy and content. ♥
Another highlight is Dean making burgers for them, of course. I love that, instead of just tucking in, he eagerly awaits Sam’s verdict first, and his obvious pride at Sam’s praise is just adorable. ♥ Dean loves his food, we all know that, but home-cooked food in particular is fraught with memories of his early childhood, like the tomato-rice soup Mary used to make him when he was sick (The Song Remains the Same) or the sandwich she made him in his memory in Dark Side of the Moon and in his fantasy in What Is and What Should Never Be. Dean obviously associates home-cooked food with family, happiness and safety, so the fact that he starts cooking for himself and Sam the moment they settle in the Batcave tells us a lot about his state of mind. Despite having only lived in his new home for a couple of weeks, he already feels connected to the place, to an extent even, where their normal accommodations whilst being on the road are suddenly unappealing to him. Now, all these moments stand out to me, not only because they are fun and heart-warming, but also because they suggest to me that Dean started a tentative healing process. I always mourned that, over the years, depression considerably undermined Dean’s unique ability to live in the moment and take satisfaction from the little pleasure in his life, so I find the fact that restoring his relationship with Sam and finding the Batcave renewed his capacity for joy particularly gratifying.
Dean: "I’m a grunt, Sam. You’re not. You’ve always been the brains of this operation. And you told me yourself that you see a way out. You see a light at the end of this ugly ass tunnel. I don’t. But I tell you what I do know. That I’m gonna die with a gun in my hand. ‘Cause that’s what I have waiting for me. That’s all I have waiting for me. I want you to get out. I want you to have a life. Become a Man of Letters, whatever. You, with a wife and kids and grandkids, living till you’re fat and bald and chucking Viagra – that is my perfect ending."
Trial and Error gives us two highly emotional, complementary conversations between the brothers, and in both conversations Sam and Dean not only openly speak their minds, but also hear what the other is saying. ♥ Let me look at Dean’s speech to Sam about his limited future prospects and his dreams for Sam first. Now, unlike Dean’s words to Henry about his need to save Sam in As Time Goes By, his speech here does not lack reference to his personal history, but there are still some glaring problems with continuity. I mean, Dean’s fervent assertion that his perfect ending is for Sam to quit hunting and live a happy apple pie life, obviously stands in stark contrast to his open dismissal of Sam’s desire to retire from hunting, go back to college and settle down at he beginning of the season. Of course, Dean’s hostility in episodes like Heartache or Southern Comfort was rooted in his immediate hurt in light of the fact that Sam did not look for him, and his abandonment issues did not help his attitude either. However, Dean’s recent behaviour gives reason to believe that he has moved past his hurt these past few weeks, and where his abandonment issues are concerned, well, Dean clearly talks from the perspective of a man who assumes that he will not live to see the day Sam’s 'perfect life' becomes reality. In his current scenario, it is not Sam who is abandoning him, but he who is abandoning Sam, and I think that figures into his feelings here. Still, all this remains speculation since the brothers have still not addressed the reasons for their recent conflict and, as I said before, that will at times impact brotherly moments like this.
Anyway, I have no such issues with the rest of Dean’s speech. His resigned fatalism where his future is concerned feels very in character. I mean, Dean may have regained his sense of purpose when he was in purgatory, but obviously that does not mean that his general outlook on life has changed. After all, years of loss and sacrifice left their permanent mark on Dean, and it is one thing for him to recover his enthusiasm for the hunt, and another thing entirely to anticipate a bright future for himself. I daresay that death has been Dean’s only future prospect for a very long time. We can track Dean's fatalism as far back as Shadow, where he had no doubt that hunting (and its inevitable end point) is all there is to his future. "It ends bloody or sad. That’s just the life," Dean told Sam in Criss Angel Is a Douchebag, and their experiences these last few years only served to substantiate his assessment. As he rightly points out, this is not the first time that they go up against forces that are way out of their league, and one of them always paid the ultimate price – and that Dean should be the one to pay said price goes without saying, well, in his mind at least.
Now, back in Swan Song Dean acknowledged that he has to let Sam make his own choices, even if those choices involve putting his life on the line. He also acknowledged that he has to grow past his self-sacrificial role as Sam’s protector/caretaker and find new ways to define himself as a person. However, in the years that followed, Dean failed to make any progress in either regard. While he has taken to treating Sam as an equal adult for the most part, he still has problems accepting his brother’s choices at times, especially if Sam puts himself in harm’s way, a point explicitly made in Unforgiven. Similarly, Dean’s inability to let go of his unnecessary guilt (Defending Your Life) or his alarm when faced with the prospect of having to take care of himself for a change (Time for a Wedding) clearly illustrated that Dean has no idea how move past his self-destructive behavioural patterns. However, as long as Dean’s skewed self-image warps his perception of himself and prevents him from seeing himself as anything but the expendable 'grunt' of the operation, he will always be limited as a person as well as a hunter. After all, Dean's belief that death is his only possible destination limits his ability to see alternatives for his choices and actions - and that will inevitably lead him to the destination he anticipates. At first glance, all this may contradict my earlier statement that Dean started a healing process, but there is a huge difference between the restoration of Dean’s basic ability to take pleasure from the positive things in his life and Dean growing past his deep-rooted self-worth issues. Still, maybe Sam and Dean’s conversations in Trial and Error will be the starting point for Dean’s character growth. I know I say that almost every year and it never comes to pass, but maybe this time will be different. Hope springs eternal, after all.
Sam: "I want to slam hell shut, too, okay. But I want to survive it. I want to live, and so should you. You have friends up here, family. Hell, you even got your own room now. You are right, okay. I see light at the end of this tunnel. And I am sorry that you don’t. I am. But it’s there. And if you come with me, I can take you to it."
Dean: "Sam, be smart."
Sam: "I am smart. And so are you. You’re not a grunt, Dean. You’re a genius. When it comes to lore, to – you’re the best damn hunter I have ever seen. Better than me. Better than dad. I believe in you, Dean. So please, please, believe in me, too."
Sam’s heart-warming speech to Dean is undoubtedly my favourite scene of the episode, if not the season so far. ♥ Sam counters Dean’s earlier low opinion of himself with praise, and he meets his fatalism with hope, and I think that is very in character. These last couple of years, Sam has often been the voice of hope and faith in the brotherly relationship, especially when Dean was weighed down by depression. Like, for example, in Criss Angel Is a Douchebag, where Sam was convinced that they can win against Lilith, when all Dean could see in their future was blood and death; or in Point of No Return, where Sam offered Dean his unconditional faith, even though Dean had given up on him; or in Mannequin 3, where Sam still believed in the value of hunting, when Dean could only see their professional failures. In the first half of S7 in particular, Sam’s continued strength and optimism in the face of his mental problems built a poignant counterpoint to Dean’s lasting depression. In fact, I expected for Sam to voice a sentiment similar to the one he expresses here back in S7 at some point. After Dean offered himself as Sam’s stone number one and thus allowed his brother to get a grip on his hallucinations, I hoped that Sam would return the favour and become Dean’s touchstone for faith and hope, thus giving his brother something to hold onto and overcome his depression, and I was very disappointed when it never happened. So, I find the fact that Sam finally steps up and offers himself as Dean’s guide towards hope very gratifying.
Moreover, I love that Sam finally finds the right words to talk to his brother, something he was unable to do in the first half of the season, because his emotions were governed by hurt and disappointment when Dean came down on him for his choices in the year they spent apart. As I already pointed out in my review for Southern Comfort, the conflict between the brothers would probably not have escalated as much as it did, if Sam had been able to tell Dean what he told Amelia – or later Amelia’s dad – namely how much he values Dean as a person. It would have worked against Dean’s impression that Sam’s decision not to look for him was motivated by a lack of love, and that would have gone a long way to appease Dean’s feelings of hurt and abandonment. Presently though, Sam gets to the heart of Dean’s insecurities right away and counters them with an open recognition of his brother’s capabilities, and I love the way Sam’s words reflect both the childhood hero-worship for Dean he expressed back in Fresh Blood and his adult appreciation for his brother at the same time. ♥ The fact that Dean acquiesces to Sam’s plea for Dean to have faith in him gives me hopes that at least some of Sam’s words have reached his brother. Dean may still have a long way to go to actually believe Sam’s earnest assertions of Dean’s worth as a hunter and a person, but it is a first step in the right direction.
Anyway, I assume the devoted Dean fans will not take it kindly that Sam is the one who will face the 'gates of hell' trials, but I love that Sam gets to make that choice. I mean, the majority of Sam’s storylines in the show have been about control and choice and his lack thereof. In the past, Sam often dealt with the consequences of things done to him – like, Azazel feeding him demon blood, for example, or Castiel raising him soulless or destroying the wall in his mind. His choice to take the trials, however, allows him a measure of control over his own, as well as Dean’s, immediate future, and it will be interesting to see how he handles said control. Besides, we all know the Supernatural writers love their symmetries. So, even if the hell trials are centred on Sam, it stands to reason that closing the gates of heaven will require a similar set of trials – and who better to take them than Dean? I think it is appropriate that Lucifer’s vessel takes the trials that will enable him to close the gates of hell, while Michael’s vessel takes the trials that will enable him to close the gates of heaven. I admit, I am rather taken with the introduction of the trials storyline. I mean, it is no secret that I have become increasingly disenchanted with the mytharc – well, the demon/angel/tablet part of it at any rate – mainly because I feel that Sam and Dean have become entirely incidental to it. The trials, however, actually make the brothers central to this part of the mythology again. I daresay that taking the trials will take its toll on Sam and Dean, and since they now have a personal stake in their mission, I am reinvested in the storyline as well. All told, Trial and Error proves that the writers can still tell mytharc related stories that are all about the brothers, and I whole-heartedly approve of that.
What else is noteworthy:
(1) I really like the insight the episode offers into Kevin’s gruelling daily routine. The teaser sequence, where we see Kevin work himself into an utter state of exhaustion, builds a stark contrast to the subsequent opening scene of the brothers comfortably settling into their new home, and I cannot help but wonder if, at some point, it will become inevitable for Sam and Dean to offer Kevin refuge in the Batcave. After all, it is in no way guaranteed that Kevin and the tablet are secure on Garth’s boat, and it would certainly help Kevin if he could feel entirely safe. Anyway, the brothers’ concern for Kevin’s well-being is just heart-warming to watch, and I like that Dean takes care of Kevin’s physical needs, while Sam tries to improve his mental state. Now, just like in the season opener, there are obvious parallels between Kevin and Sam. I mean, Kevin’s obsession with the translation of the tablet mirrors Sam’s obsession with Jessica’s killer at the beginning of the show. Just like Kevin, Sam believed at the time that if he could just finish this one momentous task, i.e. kill Azazel, then he would be able to return to his normal life and be a person again (Shadow), and just like Kevin, he had no regard for his own life, only the end goal mattered (Salvation). Of course, Sam had to learn the hard way that what he thought was the finish line was, in fact, the starting line, and his advice to Kevin, namely that fighting evil is a marathon, not a sprint, reflects that experience.
(2) I am intrigued by the new elements the writers add to the show’s lore lately, like the 'devil’s trap bullets' in As Time Goes By or the 'hellhound glasses' here. I think it makes sense that, from time to time, Sam and Dean prove already established lore wrong or discover new aspects of it. Supernatural lore is not exactly science, after all. So, I find the information that glasses scorched in holy fire can make hellhounds visible to the normal eye, a perfectly valid expansion of the hellhound lore, especially since there is nothing in the lore that would outright contradict it. Plus, it gives us Sam and Dean in glasses, and I would never complain about that. However, there is other information I find harder to accept. For example, I find it hard to believe that Crowley would make deals without telling people about the ten year timeframe of the contract. I always considered that an integral part of the deal. I find it particularly irritating in light of the fact that Crowley was outraged when one of his minions dared to make deals and then collect on the payment ahead of time in Time For A Wedding. He emphasised that integrity is a necessity to keep the soul business running, and I think telling people that their time is up in a decade really falls under the integrity clause. Sure, Crowley made those deals with Margeaux, Carl and Ellie ten years ago and he has since become king of hell, which may well have changed his perspective on deals, but still, it bugged me.
(3) I find Dean’s solution to Ellie’s hellhound problem, namely hiding her from demons with a protection hexbag, quite interesting. It reminds me of the fact that Ruby was very proficient in creating protection hexbags against demons and angels as well, and yet she only gave them to Sam and Dean in S4, after Dean went to hell. If she had assembled anti-demon hexbags for the brothers earlier, she could have easily bought Sam and Dean more time to find a permanent solution to their problem with Lilith. It really highlights that she had no intention whatsoever to make good on her promise to help Sam save his brother. Not that this is new or anything, but the thought that she could have used hexbags never occurred to me till now.
(4) The Cassity family is terrible in every sense of the word. I mean, obviously they are horrible people, but on top of that the characters are badly written and poorly acted. The writers probably intended to create caricatures of the Ewing family from Dallas or the Carrington family from Dynasty here, but those kind of one-dimensional, soap characters really have no place in Supernatural. They are not particularly funny or relatable and every scene that involves them is groan-worthy. They would probably have worked a tad better in a comedy episode, but in Trial and Error they somewhat undermine the serious tone. Ellie, on the other hand, is quite likeable; I find her straightforward attitude and level-headed personality rather appealing. However, the fact that she is the one who made the demon deal is obvious right away, and Dean looks pretty stupid for not making the connection earlier. When Ellie tells him that the one-night stand is a one-time offer only, Dean really should have become suspicious of her. Overall, I feel that the scenes at the ranch are awkwardly paced and filled with annoying characters, so they are the weakest part of the episode for me.
In conclusion: The clumsily handled case-of-the-week results in a slight point deduction for Trial and Error, but overall I still enjoyed the episode tremendously. I just wished the problems of the first half of the season would stop messing with the brotherly scenes, but I guess it cannot be helped. Anyway, it seems that the introduction of the Batcave, the Men of Letters and now the Trials not only revitalised the show, but also fandom. The increase in creative output dedicated to the new aspects of the mythology has been impressive, and I really enjoy the renewed positive atmosphere in fandom. It was about time!
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I loved that scene especially for how well it connected to Sam's speech at the end. They make it clear that Dean is a good cook, which is a nice understated way of reminding us that his belief that he's just a 'grunt' utterly wrong. And they also show that Dean really only values his talents through Sam. Sure, he's a bit proud of his handiwork, the way he sometimes takes pride in saving the world, but he also drops it the moment the next crisis comes up. It's Sam's appreciation that he really enjoys, and Sam clearly values the results of Dean's hard work. Given that it's usually Dean who makes sure to bring lunch along no matter what, I thought that was a nice touch.
I mean, Dean may have regained his sense of purpose when he was in purgatory, but obviously that does not mean that his general outlook on life has changed.
I think purgatory might even have cemented it. Most of Dean's previous traumas have been related to heaven and hell, and those are essentially passive places. Purgatory certainly knocked the desire to lie down and die out of him, because there you have to fight, but that's the thing: sooner or later you die (again). There is no other ending in purgatory. And while the fight is 'pure' because it's unclouded by moral concerns, it's also futile because it's all you have.
While he has taken to treating Sam as an equal adult for the most part, he still has problems accepting his brother’s choices at times, especially if Sam puts himself in harm’s way, a point explicitly made in Unforgiven.
Depending on how this plays out, I think this could be a wonderful antidote to Swan Song. That is, in context Dean's decision in Swan Song was a huge step forward, but it was also bound to leave its own scars. He had to accept Sam's choice to destroy himself. And you can do that once, but the trouble is Sam's stories since have kept repeating that threat - 'Don't do X or you will vanish into agony forever'.
If Sam can pull this off and survive the trials, it could go a long way toward proving to Dean that it's safe to let Sam make his own choices. That Sam can save himself (with a bit of brotherly backup, perhaps) as well as the world. Mind you, that was the story I wanted from the hell wall - and then The Born-Again Identity happened, so I guess we'll see.
Anyway, I assume the devoted Dean fans will not take it kindly that Sam is the one who will face the 'gates of hell' trials, but I love that Sam gets to make that choice.
You know, I've seen that one around. And though it's a close call Dean is my favourite character ... and yet it makes perfect sense to me that Sam do the trials. I guess I'm doing this fan thing wrong? :)
For example, I find it hard to believe that Crowley would make deals without telling people about the ten year timeframe of the contract.
This is what's been bugging me about Crowley's characterisation all season. The only thing they're interested in is that he's evil. In any given scenario he should do the most evil thing possible. But that flies in the face of his previous characterisation - that he balances evil with diplomacy. Crowley was a villain in season six, but the style of his villainy made sense to me there: he negotiated, he minimised his visibility. The way he's behaving here just makes no sense to me at all. I'm not even sure why they had Crowley make the deal. The people weren't important. Any random demon could have done it.
I mean, obviously they are horrible people, but on top of that the characters are badly written and poorly acted.
I did think there was a bit more meat to Alice's obvious shellshock than to the other characters, but in a way that makes it worse. Her situation was traumatic, awful and not of her making, and if you're going to put something like that in a story you should do something with it, not just use it as set dressing. But Dabb didn't seem to grasp that in Time for a Wedding so I suppose I should be grateful that this time he confined the travesty to people I don't care about and kept Sam and Dean solid. :)
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And that right there is Dean in a nutshell. I love the way this is illustrated later, when they're at the ranch. Dean has no problems telling the Cassity family with absolute conviction that he is the best damn hunter around, because they don't count. But only minutes later, in his conversation with Sam, he can suddenly only see himself as a lowly grunt.
I think purgatory might even have cemented it.
Oh, most definitely. I've just seen some comments that suggested that Dean's attitude here is not in keeping with his purposeful demeanour since he came back from purgatory and I think that the one really has little to do with the other. I also don't think Dean is actively suicidal or depressed at the moment. It is just a grim fatalism based on his experiences, and purgatory is part of that as well.
That Sam can save himself (with a bit of brotherly backup, perhaps) as well as the world.
Man, if we could have that please, I could die happy! I, too, have been majorly disappointed with the resolution to Sam's post-cage arc in The Born-Again Identity. The writers really need to allow Sam a more active part in his own story.
I guess I'm doing this fan thing wrong?
ROFL nah. I mostly see that kind of attitude from Dean fans who really do not enjoy Sam's story in its own right and who see Dean's value in the show as tied to the mytharc, which is entirely missing the point of his story IMO, but whatever.
Her situation was traumatic, awful and not of her making, and if you're going to put something like that in a story you should do something with it
Exactly! This really shows the differences in quality between Edlund and Dabb as writers. The brotherly moments in Dabb's and Edlund's episodes have both been very solid, but Edlund managed to make the side characters as vivid and important to the story as the brothers and it really gives the whole episode an entirely different flow and consistency.
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As a big Dean fan, I honestly am not disappointed in him not doing the trials, it made more sense for the overall story to have Sam end up doing them. I think Dean's trial or challenge is going to be wrapped up in letting himself let Sam do them; acknowledging his brother's competence, and supporting him when needed or asked; accepting that his brother is right about their chance to have a future together; and the biggie, demonstrating that he is a person worth saving, worth his brother's potential sacrifice. I just hope that they show us even a smidge of all this character growth he'll have to go through to survive at Sam's side.
The BatCave is just the best thing since Sam got his soul back. Feels like they a just-in-time save for the continuation of the series. I kind of hope they keep it just for themselves and don't let anyone in there with them.
I have similar issues with the whole Crowley thing, and also for being the "big bad" of the season we sure haven't seen him around much.
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As a big Dean fan, I honestly am not disappointed in him not doing the trials
Yeah, I think it's mostly fans who really have no love for Sam who are disappointed about that. And I agree with you. Dean doesn't really need to prove his worth; we all know that he is perfectly capable of passing the trials. But is he capable of growing out of his issues as well? That is a far more interesting challenge for Dean.
The BatCave is just the best thing since Sam got his soul back.
Amen! It's amazing how something as simple as giving the brothers a place of their own was able to rejuvenate the show and give us tons of new layers for the characters.
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Yeah, I consider myself more of a Dean girl but it didn't bother me - as you said, Sam has never had any choice in everything that happened to him, so it's good that he can have some measure of control for once! And the show had been so hopeful lately, I want to be able to believe in Sam's speech.
I haven't had much time for fandom lately, but it's great that the new elements are leading to more creativity!
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Yeah, the outburst of creativity in fandom is great. It's been a long time since the atmosphere in fandom has been so positive. :)
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But I'm not inclined to watch this week's episode. I think it pays to be judicious at this point!
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Up to this point I've liked Sam but right now, I just find him annoying and really hope that the last few episodes of S8 aren't as bad as I fear they might be.
Maybe one day the writers will treat both their main characters equally and let Dean have the odd story-line now and then.
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Well, I daresay Dean didn't want to say yes to Michael any more than Sam wanted to say yes to Lucifer. They both just thought at the time that it was the only way to stop the apocalypse. It was never about what they wanted at all. Almost all of Sam's storylines in the show are about things done to him rather than things he chooses, and that's why I think it's appropriate that he takes the trials. Besides, as I said before, I am pretty sure that Dean is the one to take the heaven trials.
Now Sam gets to have the life he always wanted as a man of letters and gets to prove (again) that he's a fantastic hunter and Dean gets to ??? Stand and watch I guess.
Dean has proven time and again that he is a born hunter. He doesn't have to prove anything in that regard at all. Throughout the show Dean was depicted as a man who found his calling in hunting, but Sam was never tied to hunting in the same way. The Men of Letters storyline finally pulled Sam into the lifestyle the way Dean always was, so I think there is really no reason to complain about that. What Dean's storylines these last couple of seasons have been missing, however, is emotional growth, and I am all for Dean getting a storyline that allows him to grow past his various issues, instead of a storyline that, once again, is all about the fact that he is a great hunter.