Supernatural 9.01 Review: There's a Lot of Work To Do

All those that have yet to watch the ninth season premiere of Supernatural, entitled ‘I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here’, feel free to leave now. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

A brief recap of where we left off last season. Sam didn’t go through with the last trial to close the gates to hell, but he still ended up losing consciousness. Dean pledged that they both look out for each other, for real this time. Castiel thought he was going through trials to close Heaven, but in actuality it was a spell to clip the angels’ wings. Angels fell from Heaven. That’s about all.

Not a bad opening to the season, gets us caught up on where things ended last season, while teasing us with new things to come this season. There’s just one thing I’m confused about. By completing the three trials, Sam would have died, but the gates of hell would be closed. But Dean stops Sam before he can finish the third trial. Now, where I get confused is, why would that still lead him down the path towards death, if he never finished the trials? He should be weak, certainly, but not close to death, otherwise how could he have finished the trials in the first place.

This series has grown far too consumed with the traipsing’s of angels and demons. I didn’t use to mind the demons so much, but the fact that this series is so heavily buried in mythology, that’s almost all there is. I miss the monsters, the different foes that needed to be discovered and fought. The good old days of Supernatural where it actually was about the supernaturals. Now it’s just all about two groups of supernatural beings, and that’s really getting on my last nerve. I love Sam and Dean, though they’re not the brothers they used to be, but it’s getting to the point where I’m about ready to call it quits. Honestly, if this season doesn’t get really good, back to Kripke territory, that’s it for me. This is my last season, I can’t do a tenth. They’re running these people, these characters I’ve grown to love, into the ground. And please Sammie, cut your damned hair.

One thing I did like about this episode was the dreamlike overtone they covered Sam’s dreams with. It gave a kind of foggy overlook to it that I enjoyed. Made it easy to understand it was a dream. Especially since the first scene in the car I was rather confused with. I thought maybe Dean was in Sam’s head, or one of them was dreaming, seems logical for it to be Sam after watching it. I don’t think that was great use of Bobby Singer. I love the character and all, but it’s time to let him go. At least being dead, he can’t continually be run into the ground like this series.

While I loved Tahmoh Penikett in Dollhouse, he always seems to have that same tone to his voice. He looks great all rugged and downtrodden, but as soon as that “angelic” voice emitted from his mouth, I had to try and step back and remember ‘oh, yeah, he’s supposed to be an angel’. Not particularly great, though I was looking forward to him. I do think Jared Padalecki did an almost spot on imitation of the man. But seriously, cut your hair.

Again, while Grace Phipps was great in The Nine Lives of Chloe King, as a super peppy, wealthy teenager, I haven’t liked her in her roles in this series, or The Vampire Diaries, she isn’t much of a convincing actress. I’ve genuinely tried to like her, but she needs to work on her skills because she’s not all that great.

Overall, like I said, not a bad episode. But then, not good compared to the great episodes this series has created. Please bring me back to the days of the first three seasons, with Skinwalkers, Wendigos, hex bags, and other such fascinating items. That’s all I ask, for great, original writing, that’s not heavy with the mythology. Oh, and for Sam to cut his hair. Have I mentioned that already?

My rating: 7 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“I have no idea what you just said, but continue.” – Dream Dean tells Sam.

“I would fly, but I have no wings.” – Fallen Angel Cas, sounding like a crazy person, or, with a different tone, like someone sarcastic.

“Well that just got damn uncomfortable.” – Dream Bobby, popping up in the front seat between Sam and Dream Dean.

“Let a few Japanese tourists take some pictures. Nobody got handsy.” – Dean explains the time away to freshly awoken from a coma Sam.

I’m off to watch Revolution now, so stay tuned for that. Then I’m going to try to muster through American Horror Story: Coven, but don’t expect a review for that tonight, that’ll be out tomorrow. I have to work in ten hours.

How I Met Your Mother 9.01 and 9.02 Review: The Beginning of the Longest Wedding Weekend Ever

For all those of you that have yet to watch the first two episodes of How I Met Your Mother that premiered almost six hours ago consecutively, titled ‘The Locket’ and ‘Coming Back’ respectively, please divert your eyes now. As with all my previous reviews, there may be spoilers. Again, THIS BLOG REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS AHEAD! You’ve been warned.

Despite this being a review of two episodes, I’m going to keep it short. One, because I find it more difficult to review sitcoms in great detail, and two, because I don’t think I have much to review in this series. Now let’s get to what you came here for.

Regardless of the fact the show creators, that have obviously been there from the beginning and nursed this series to the point it’s gotten to, have stated this final season of the show will be wrapped up in Barney and Robin’s wedding, and after having watched the first two episodes, I’m not as excited about it. I’ve given them an hour of my time to demonstrate that this will be good idea, and from a writers standpoint, I can understand the logistics behind that idea, but I just don’t feel as much pizzazz in the show that it used to have. I’m still feeling as though this season will disappoint. I know that a lot of the core characters were separated, and we had to see them come together, but that was done in one episode. I can’t see an extreme amount of things interestingly happening over the next fifty-fourish hours. I’m desperately hoping the writers can change my mind over the course of the season, although let’s hope it doesn’t take them too long.

My other only real problem with these two episodes is the whole nonchalant way in which they approached the whole James cheating thing. This man loved his husband, they adopted two kids together, they’ve been together how many years, and he just cheats on him? And then expects that not to be a despicable way to get out of a marriage? Couldn’t he have just worked on his marriage, without having to go chase tale somewhere else? If he was so unhappy in a monogamous relationship, why didn’t he just get out? As someone who’s known someone close to me to be cheated on, I can only help but dislike James immediately. There’s no good reason to cheat. I know this is a sitcom, but does he know the trust he broke with his husband? And the ramifications of that man not being able to trust another man anytime soon? Honestly, couldn’t the writers have come up with a better reason to have them divorce? His two kids, when they grow to find out why they’re daddies aren’t together, will only despise him for it, at least for a time. I don’t think that’s right to them.

One final side note before I get too blown up about the whole cheating element and sign off with my favourite lines, was anyone else a little bored by the Marshall storyline? I just thought it was a little tedious, and maybe overdone. I get that he’s from Minnesota, but the niceness is a little boring.

My rating for the two-episode hitter: 2.5 out of 5.

Best Lines:

“Pick it up, grandma.” – Lilly to Ted after she finds him driving 40 in a 65 zone and lays into the horn.

“They are Canuckin nuts.” – Robin, telling Barney about her relatives.

Alright, I think I’m going to have to call that it for tonight. I’m exhausted, and my brain is so not going to let me review anymore until tomorrow. So check back then to see my reviews of Bones, Sleepy Hollow, and The Blacklist. And tomorrow night, check back for reviews of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Agents of Shield, New Girl, and Trophy Wife, and possibly Lucky 7, if I don’t just decide to scrap that altogether.