I’d have to do a binge re-watch of the entire series, which I am perfectly willing to do by the way, but I’m pretty sure that with tonight’s “Road Trip,” Supernatural actually made my jaw drop.
The review is up a little later than usual. I had to sew my heart back in my chest after that gut wrenching cold open. In a matter of seconds I misted up as I watched Dean Winchester experience all the death and grief he had caused simply because he couldn’t part with his brother. Over a few bars of Bob Seger’s “The Famous Final Scene,” Dean wept and raged. If you’ve not heard the song in its entirety and feel like having your emotions destroyed all over again, click that link.
A re-graced Castiel answers Dean’s call and assists to formulate a plan to expel Gadreel that doesn’t involve killing Sam (am I the only one who forgot you can’t exorcise an angel?). Their last hope is the captive King of Hell hidden in the basement. Crowley agrees to assist, and one of the greatest trios in television history sets out to find Gadreel and his vessel. Meanwhile The Metatron is still delegating angel hits, and orders Gadreel to smite his only true friend. The meet up with his old partner in crime finally clued the audience into the crime that resulted in Gadreel being locked up at the beginning of time – he turned a blind eye and allowed Lucifer into the Garden. Which implies that the burden of all of this, the greed, shame, weight, heartache, and pain of our lives, rests on Gadreel’s shoulders. His Metatron cahoots are merely a misguided attempt to climb back to lead the ranks and regain some heavenly honor. Gadreel is captured, but Crowley’s attempts at angelic lobotomy are unsuccessful so the boys reluctantly move to plan C. More on that later. After a successful expulsion, Gadreel returns to his Helo vessel to regroup with the Metatron, and in a finale that was as heartbreaking as it is assuredly temporary, Dean and Baby leave Cas and Sam standing, broken, in the rain.
Criminey. It was rough, you guys. But it was also brilliantly paced, hilarious, and tragic. So let’s start with a teeny tiny…
Meh.
- Ye tho’ there is something inherently catchy and intriguing about a gorgeous, ginger, lady Knight of Hell, I’m still not buying her as a real challenge. I mean sure there’s that whole “can’t be killed” thing, but as Crowley stated tonight she’s nothing but a brute. And we’ve been watching Winchesters kick brute ass for nine years. Something is missing from the character’s threat. Still interested in how the Campaign for King of Hell plays out, but there’s no mystery or suspense for me in regards to her impact on the Winchesters.
- That’s it. That’s the only “meh.” This episode was boss.
The “God I Love This Show:”
- Mark Sheppard, you are a treasure. Early in the episode I jotted down that I’d love to see a Crowley/Cas spin-off. Lo’ and behold next week’s preview tells me I’ll get a Dean/Crowley buddy romp, which is wildly promising, but I don’t really know how they can top tonight’s Crowley quips. My personal favorites include Crowley calling shotgun, calling Baby a “phallus on wheels,” and referring to Dean and Cas as “LaVerne and Shirley.”
- Jensen Ackles has that emotional-twitchy-face thing down to a science, yeah?
- There’s one aspect of Supernatural that has never really grabbed my attention. It’s never breathtaking or bad, it’s just there. But tonight the show’s score was sweeping and modern and complimented the scenes’ moods perfectly. It’s a show about handsome dudes killin’ stuff, so of course the focus doesn’t often aim for our ears. Well done on that tonight.
- Plan C. Dean Winchester and Castiel Angel of the Lord allowed the King of Hell ne Crossroad Demon Crowley to possess Sam Winchester. And it was fabulous. Raise your hand if you were waiting for Crowley to refuse to vacate, and therefore seeing Jared Padalecki do what would surely be a hilarious Sheppard imitation. *flings hand in air* But since you don’t ascend to a throne, even in Hell, by breaking deals, Crowley did his job and vacated the premises as promised
The “I Really Feel Like Genre Television Will Never Get the Recognition it Deserves and That is Simply Criminal”
- I know I rave about Jensen Ackles a lot. But I really think that, as far as watching talent evolve during the expanse of a series, Ackles wins the prize. The aforementioned cold open was merely a sampling of his range tonight. The scene between Dean and Cas in the torture chamber was one of the best performances I have ever seen on the show in its nine years. That entire sequence, down to set design choices, lighting design, and incidental score, exceeded my standards for television in every way possible.
- Is it my imagination, or is Misha playing Cas a little differently? He yoinked some grace from a big dumb violent guy so I can buy into some temperament changes, and tonight I saw a little more impatience and anger and, well, sass. I liked it a lot.
- Padalecki upped his game tonight as well. I’ve been enjoying his transitions between angel and hunter so far, but the actual Gadreel aspect had that “trying to be badass” quality that often irks me in villainous portrayals. But tonight his direction was spot on, with cold eyes and quiet menace. Gadreel became a bit scary, a nice change of pace from haughty and mildly simpering.
I had some issues with the first half of the season. It felt a bit scattered and I wasn’t really sure which plot would emerge as primary. Cas is being hunted? War between angels? War between Demons? The Metatron? Abaddon? Sam’s angel is a dirtbag? Wait, what? While there are still many questions hanging, after tonight I feel like I can at least narrow it down into teams. Teams that will surely trade players in the next 13 episodes (Crowley is certainly playing the brothers because he needs their help reclaiming his throne), but whatevs. Crowley and Dean are goin’ a-huntin’ next week, so who cares?