“Supernatural” Episode 10.07, “Inside Man.” Starring Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, and Mark Sheppard; Guest starring Jim Beaver; Written by Andrew Dabb; Directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green.
I was admittedly less than ravey about last week’s “Supernatural” fare, but every week I remain hopeful, if not excited, that the roller coaster will hit some tight curves and bouncy hills. Did this week deliver, or did the ride just end on a fake drop? Read on to see my verdict.
We open with a flash forward, and I am usually not a fan of such things. I tend to be a fuddy duddy when it comes to voice over narration and scenes that open with “24 hours from now” and the like, but this one involved showing us Bobby Singer’s Heaven, which involved him sippin’ whiskey, reading a book, and listening to Kenny Rogers. So, you know, also my Heaven.
Flash back those 24 hours, and we see Sam tricking Dean into staying home while Sam does some solo nerdy stuff. You know, for a hard livin’ ass kickin’ seasoned hunter, Dean is surprisingly easy to trick. He takes the bait and decides to sit out Sam’s film festival. Meanwhile in Hell, Crowley interrupts his skyclad mother during some ritual prep, and she parallels Sam’s ruse with tales of a date. Again, these bad asses are pretty gullible sometimes.
Turns out, Sam’s mission involves a clandestine meeting with Castiel and a plan to pay one more visit to Metatron. The Angels, sadly, are not down with this particular shenanigan, and by way of their refusal they let Cas know that he really doesn’t have the clout he used to. Moving on to plan B, Sam and Cas enlist a retired psychic to contact their old pal Bobby in the hopes he can smuggle out the scribe.
In a shocking turn of events, Rowena really wasn’t going on a “date” date. She manipulated a poor schmuck into locating Dean, and then popped up into an earthly dive to kill him. Spoiler – that was a fail. Her epic blood rune death spell washed off Dean Winchester like, I don’t know, like gentlemanly morals. She returned to Hell seeking solace, but did not receive the anticipated reaction from Crowley.
This was a very fun episode. It was just fun to watch, and that makes me so happy. That’s all I really ever want out of this show. The emotional moments are a definite plus, but I, like Dean Winchester, am mostly just looking for a good time when I’m off the clock. I deeply appreciate the switcheroos: Sam and Cas have great dynamics and I wish there were more moments for the two of them. In turn, sometimes I think I like the Dean/Crowley team better than the Winchesters. Sometimes. Don’t’ flame me. Dean’s monologue to Crowley, in which he educated the demon on the limits and values of family, was a stand out in the episode. And when Crowley evicted his mother from Hell it reminded me how frightening and cold this character can be – and I do think, as much as I love semi-silly Crowley, we need those reminders once in a while.
I had a few –hmm. I hate to call them complaints or issues, because that’s really too harsh. More like, “shower thoughts.” I had some shower thoughts a few times during the episode. And admittedly, a couple of them stem from my own probable cluelessness:
- Wait, they think the Mark is going to make Dean a demon again? I did not get that at all. I mean, maybe? Like, sure, he’d eventually be a demon. But I thought the pressing concern was that he would just be a shitty human, killing all willy nilly and stuff. Was this one on me? Did you all get that impression?
- Why did Hannah stay in her dude vessel up in Heaven? Why utilize Hannah at all? For the sting of the “no”?
- Wait a minute. Come to think of it, why the hell do the Angels use vessels in Heaven at all?
- Crowley is a girl drink drunk. That’s awesome.
- Here’s another one that’s probably my own issue. Did Rowena not know about the Mark? I know she knew about the Blade, but – really? And I swear I saw a little flicker when Crowley mentioned it. She acted like it was a harmless little hex, but I saw a flicker. And I wonder if it will play into her revenge schemes – ‘cause you know those are on the way.
The show ended with Sam reading a letter from Bobby. He of course had to keep the note secret from Dean. I really hope this isn’t a return to the long running “Supernatural” trope of brotherly secrets, but Bobby’s note would suggest that’s not the case. In it, he warned Sam of the dangers of half-truths and lies, even when we think we’re using them to keep others safe. I made a passing mention of the welcome emotional moments, and this is certainly a great example. The note, simply as a voice of a beloved character, was a punch in the gut. But seasoned hunters would recognize his sign off, “kick it in the ass,” as a signature line frequently used by Kim Manners, a long-time director of the show who passed away recently. Man. That’s a good ouch, but it hurt all the same.
We’ve got a week off, but when we come back? Charlie and spell books and fights, oh my!
What say you, friends? Did you think this was an improvement on the season’s pace? What are your predictions for the end game? Tell me below, and I’ll see you in two weeks!