“Supernatural” Episode 10.21, ‘Dark Dynasty.” Starring Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins; Guest Starring Ruth Connell and Felicia Day; Written by Eugenie Ross-Lemming and Brad Buckner; Directed by Robert Singer.
So, I think… No. Wait. Yeah.
I think I’m going to trash an episode of “Supernatural.” I’m not proud, and I’ll keep it civil. But I feel like it’s got to happen at this point.
I bet I can summarize this episode in one sentence: Sam enlists Charlie to help break the codex, Rowena acts like a brat, Dean finds out about the lies, Cas bumbles about, the Stynes reappear, and tragedy ensues.
There you go. That’s it. That’s the whole episode. I mean, there are some details that will matter in the next two episodes, and we will most certainly get to those, but there is only one element to that summary that hasn’t been a plot point A WHOLE LOT OF TIMES.
Let’s start with the thing I disliked the least. And be forewarned, the following contains naught but spoilers.
The Stynes. When the family of poorly accented thugs were initially introduced, I googled the name. “Supernatural,” more often than not, bases its Big Bads on real myth, legends, and history. And by “real” I only mean that they were stories before the show existed. So I googled “Stynes” and “New Orleans” thinking there might be some weird legends that told tales of handsome white dudes who hoard demony shit. Nope, nothing. So I just figured they were made up and would be done after their previous episode.
And then came the reveal in “Dark Dynasty.” Throughout Eldon Styne’s melodramatic monologue I just kept shaking my head and saying “nope. Nuh-uh. Nope, don’t do that.” But of course they did that, and we learn that Victor Frankenstein was a real dude and his descendants harvest body parts. And, also, collect demony shit. Just… oh my God.
Look, my issue is not this twist on classical lore. As I mentioned, the show does it all the time, and usually does it really well. But why in Gene Wilder’s name would you wait until the 18th episode to introduce that element, and the 21st episode for the reveal? Why would you waste all the screen time with Claire and Cole (Cole? Is that right? Jesus I don’t even remember his name, that’s how relevant and important that shit was)? I am not a professional screenwriter, full disclosure, but I do not get this at all.
And if Cole and Claire end up being important in the end, if they play a vital role in the removal of the Mark? Well, I’ll probably be pissed but if it’s really clever I’ll love it.
My first issue with the show was really more perplexity sprinkled with annoyance. A paper cut in the webbing between thumb and pointer. But that makes the second issue more of a smack in the face with, like, a chicken breast.
I want to preface this by stating I don’t think the last shot will be representative of any kind of finality. I was greeted this morning by a grey-faced coworker who asked “did you see ‘Supernatural’ last night?” She was still upset by what went down, and I reassured her by expressing my belief that “that won’t take. It can’t.”
I’m referring of course to Charlie’s death. Yup, Charlie got offed by a one armed Frankenstein because she refused to give up the cracked Codex. And now I’m pressing my fingers to my temples like my mother used to do when I’d ask her to allow me to go to a Guns and Roses show.
I just want to pull the showrunners aside and ask if they’re OK. I know creators avoid social media to steer clear of fan fic, criticism, and general vitriol, but these people have got to know the complaints of even the most die-hard fans, like myself. The biggest of them all? Introducing a female character only to pull a Dumbledore and kill her off when it’s the “right time,” as in the cheapest, biggest emotional punch. Or would that be pulling a Potter? Anyway. And Charlie was just what the show needed; she was neither a mother figure nor a potential love interest (worth mentioning, even though I know I’ve said it in previous reviews – I don’t care about shipping, I just don’t give a shit about romance in this show and I don’t want to invest a lot of time in it). She was an equal.
And they killed her. I still don’t think it will take. Cas has his juice back, Rowena exists, and there’s an all-powerful book of magic-with-a-k at the Winchesters’ disposal. But if Charlie really is gone? There will be a mutiny. I mean, tumblr wasn’t even reblogging gifsets from this episode. Tumblr, you guys.
I do appreciate the subtle foreshadowing through the season hinting at the oncoming Frankensteins, and I’m loving the development of Rowena’s character. She’s so much like Crowley with her bratty humor.
My prediction is that Charlie’s apparent death will send Dean all bat-shit black-eyed insane, but this time the focus of his hate will be Sam. Hijinks will ensue, and now we have to cram that story, Sam’s deal with Rowena, and the Styne family development into 84 minutes of airtime.
And despite all this, I still remain hopeful that the finale will make me eat my words.