“Supernatural” came back like a champion from a vicious winter hellatus, only to throw us a few episodes before another break for the Winter Olympics. The momentum of those first couple shows was fierce, tense, and hinted that we would be in for one hell of a bottom of the ninth. And then tonight?
Well, it was an episode. It was not terrible. But it was decidedly not awesome, and “Sharp Teeth” threw the emergency brake on an upwards trajectory that was the best run of episodes I’ve seen in many a season.
After their most recent break up, Ross and Rachel oops I mean Sam and Dean meet by chance after hearing a potential case on the scanner. They both arrive at a John Doe’s hospital bedside to confirm suspicions that the unconscious cow killer is indeed their pal Garth Fitzgerald IV. Sam and Dean tersely discuss their new situation while Garth flies the coop. As he’s not very good at hunter things, the brothers easily track him to his newlywed roost and his new lycanthrope in-laws.
Wait, what? Garth got bit a few jobs back and was too ashamed to admit his failure to the Winchesters, but luckily for him he found a pack of non-killing werewolves to take him in and be his family. Or did he…
The “Meh”:
- I don’t mean to be too harsh, but this episode was in fact pretty “meh” on the whole. I love Garth. His soft nature always brings some comedy, heart, and humanity to the show, but for most of tonight’s episode he was apologetic and meek. Garth has always been a boob, but he’s always embraced it as a positive trait that sets him apart from other hunters. For a good portion of “Sharp Teeth” Garth seemed to be begging Dean not just to live, but for acceptance. It just made me kind of sad.
The “OK I Know it’s Kind of Your Thing but Can We Just, Like, Just, OK?”
- Sam and Dean are fighting again. *insert this masterpiece here* I get it. I really do. It would be super boring for the Brothers Winchester to get along swimmingly all the time. But I feel like there can be a bigger range of conflict than Dean not saying “I saved you not just because I love you but because I need you because Family is all I have left to believe in” and Sam not saying “look I get it but you gots to let me do my thing even if it’s a being-dead thing.” But NO. For nine years all we get are Dean’s backhanded apologies and Sam’s “how can I ever trust again,” with the occasional vice versa. The show will toss out a little development once in a while but inevitably relapses into familiar, dysfunctional territory. It’s a frustrating thing as a fan to believe that they will only move on in the very last episode, right before one of them dies. Oh ’cause you know that’s goin’ down that way. Not to mention the fact that the preview for 9.13 already negated tonight’s cliffhanger, as Sam and Dean are on the case once again.
The “I’m Really Sorry but I Don’t Have an ‘Awesome’ This Week”:
- The fellas have grown in one area, and it’s been an interesting progression to witness. They no longer equate all monsters with evil that must die. Dean pretty well set that ship to sail with Amy (and I’m anxious to see if her son makes another appearance, perhaps in league with Adam yes as a matter of fact I did go there again), and “monsters,” for lack of a better term, have not been the same since. Unfortunately, as far as the “letting the creature go” and werewolf stories go, the series will never top season Gr8’s “Bitten.” That was a damn good episode, and such a shift from the show’s standards on all fronts.
It’s a short review tonight, fellow hunters. I often sit down after an episode of “American Horror Story” and think “how the hell am I going to fill a review about this idiocy?” But then a thousand words pour out, simply because AHS might be stupid but it’s rarely boring. And I hold “Supernatural” to a different standard. It’s definitely my favorite show on television (it only fell to second place when “Breaking Bad” was airing) but to love it unconditionally would be a misrepresentation of my respect for everyone involved in creating these episodes. Supernatural can be scary, sad, thought provoking, and hilarious all in one episode. So when it’s none of those things I feel pretty let down.
Make sure to come back next week to find out if “Purge” makes kmc1138 Superpissed by showing vomit!