Supernatural 9.10 Review: Power Struggles

Anyone that has yet to watch last night’s episode of Supernatural entitled ‘Road Trip’, please kindly step away from the screen and go and do that. For this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

While I was very much hoping the entire time that Kevin would magically come back to life, this was still a pretty decent episode. We happily got to see Tahmoh Penikett grace our screens again, and it seems like he may be sticking around for a bit as Gadreel. Abbadon made her rounds this week once again, and it seems that her and Crowley may be vying for constituents now that the latter is free from the Winchester’s cletches. And an angel free Sam – who better get that tattoo back on his chest now that Castiel burned it off him – is finally back after all these weeks. All in all, it was a very packed episode this week.

The way this episode opened up, with the hunter funeral for Kevin and Dean trashing the bunker research area, was very well done, although I would liked to have at least heard the crashing of the lamps and books as Dean tossed them around them, it would’ve been more visceral. Also, watching Dean pat his baby (the Impala for all you not Supernatural-ly inclined) was characterally brilliant and on key. I was a bit surprised, though, that they couldn’t just use one of the vehicles from the bunker, rather than the pimp mobile Cas was driving. There were a lot of great little details that added up to this episode.

Although I do still feel like this season is headed more in the direction of what used to make this show great, I am still a little worried by how heavily angels and demons this episode was involved. Don’t get me wrong, they have their uses, and I always enjoy seeing Cas, but sometimes there are just too many of them. I really wish that this show wouldn’t try to be too mythologically heavy. It was nice to have the little ghouls and cheerleaders shout out in Sam’s dream, though.

Basically, this wasn’t too bad of an episode. I try to think of myself as a more glass is half full kind of girl, so this episode was pretty good. I still don’t like having to see Metatron so damned much, but I understand he has his uses. And while I’m not the biggest war between the demons fan, at least when we see Crowley we know what we’re getting, whereas Abbadon is a loose canon. The way they end this episode was heartbreaking in the way that Sam told Dean to go. I know he’d basically gotten him possessed, but they’re brothers, family is supposed to stick by each other. Why didn’t Sam stop him?

My rating: 7 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“You were stupid for the right reasons.” – Cas tells Dean.

“I see you again-“ – Dean starts. “I’m dead. Yes, I know; love you too.” – Crowley responds.

Okay, folks, that’ll be all for catch up tonight. Go back to your own business and check back in tomorrow night for reviews of Revolution, American Horror Story: Coven, and Nashville, and maybe a couple other catch up reviews.

Supernatural 9.02 Review: It's All About Family

For anyone that has yet to watch last night’s episode of Supernatural, titled ‘Devil May Care’, I suggest you do so now. This is not, and will likely never be, a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Maybe it’s because I went into this episode not wanting to watch it all that much, but it actually wasn’t all that bad. Sure, it’s no early season Supernatural, but I am glad that the Winchester brothers are finally back to a place where it’s about family first – and that includes the people they’ve brought in as family. Which is why I absolutely adored the speech Dean made near the end of the episode to Kevin. They’re family, and that’s all they’ve got. Sure, they’re in a field of work that’s dangerous, they’re sacrificing a bit of themselves daily, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be there for each other as much as possible. They have each other’s backs, that’s really what the message of the show has become.

That’s not to say that I don’t miss the old days of the series, where the boys would travel to a town to solve a monster problem, meeting new folks that would reflect their own lives. These episodes they travel too much in one episode, only really meet new people every so often, and have it a little too easy with the Men of Letters bunker. Sure I like that they have access to all this knowledge, but it used to be their dad’s book, and Sam’s laptop, and then researching in the town’s library or something, now it’s too easy. But I suppose it’s too much to ask to go back to the days of the series that were better.

Another thing, Abbadon is so much better than Crowley as a big evil. While I prefer monsters over the focus of angels and demons, I’m curious to know the whole situation with the Knights of Hell. Where did all the other ones go? Obviously there’s some way to kill them. Still, the Mother of All was a better foe; it was stupid of the writers to kill her off after only a few episodes, in preference of Crowley.

As always, there were some funny moments to episode. Any time Dean speaks sarcastically to a villain when he’s in peril, it’s hilarious. Kevin can also be pretty damn funny at times, like with the military lady in this one. And then there was that moment in the beginning of the episode, after Crowley says hello, and Dean just hits him. The face he gave was spectacular.

Basically, this series is no where near as good as it was in its first few seasons, even as far as the fifth season when Kripke made his farewell as showrunner, but it still has its moments. I will always love Dean, and the brotherly relationship between Sam and him. But they don’t have as much humour between each other anymore, and they don’t do the ‘Bitch’ ‘Jerk’ thing anymore. So, I’ll keep saying it, this series needs to come to an end soon, please don’t run it further into the ground.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Then we all go out for ice cream and strippers.” – Dean says.

“Cause I’m Kevin fricken Solo.” – Kevin tells the military woman.

“We gonna fight, or make out? Cause I’m getting some real mixed signals here.” – Dean remarks to Abbadon.

“Hey, look, Zeke – I’m gonna call you Zeke.” – Dean tells the angel Ezekiel.

“Oh, and uh, I’m awesome, so there’s that.” – Dean informs Sam.

Okay, folks, I’m off to go shower, but check back in about an hour and a half for my review of The Originals. Stay tuned.

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.

Sleepy Hollow 1.03 Review: Inaction Causes Evil to Triumph

If you have yet to watch yesterday’s episode of Sleepy Hollow, entitled ‘For the Triumph of Evil’, or are not caught up in the first three episodes of the series at all and hope to do so without being spoiled, then now would be the appropriate time to exit this blog. As always there is a chance of spoilers. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

This episode had to do with an incarnation of the Sandman. I’m not really sure how this kind of demon fits into the sea of demons that precede the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Last week was all about a witch wanting to kill those that were the birth line of the man that burnt her at the stake, so that she could become flesh again and wreak havoc on Sleepy Hollow once more. This week it was a demon coming to judge the people that caused a woman to be imprisoned in an insane asylum. Jennifer Mills is supposed to a good guy type character, right? Why would evil seek retribution on her behalf?

Along the lines of that character, I still don’t think she looks anything like her sister. The only similarity between the two seems to be that their skin tone appears the same shade. Otherwise, they have completely different bone structure, their faces look nothing alike, and they don’t even have similar body types. Also, who they cast as a young Jenny does not look anything like this present day Jenny. The younger version of the character looks more like Abby’s sister than this Jenny does.

I’m curious to know, is Abby a psychic? Why did these two sisters see the demon? What connection do they have to Crane? I’m sure there will be answers forthcoming, but I still ponder the questions. Crane refers back to two people in the prophecy going up against the league of demons and other such evil forces, but I’m curious to know more about that, and how it ties to Abby and her sister. Also, was she having a prophetic dream, or was the Sandman merely taunting her?

When it comes to the way the series is filmed, there are a lot of blue tones. I suppose it gives this series a cold, procedural feel, but this is about more than just detective work, there is a huge paranormal backstory. As someone that prefers a warmer tone to my series’, being that it quite often brightens it up and makes it easier for me to get involved in it, I’d like this series to at least throw in a bit of those tones, at least when they’re outside the precinct. I get that this is a gothic, eerie kind of series – and I do love the opening credits because of that – but it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily impossible to incorporate warm tones once in a while. Like in the scene when Crane views the nooses, and one body is missing.

I have to give a commendable shout out to the use of language, specifically when it comes to Crane. The words he uses just make me yearn for those days. I’m in love with the fact that short form and acronyms do not riddle this series, it just heightens it all the more. As a writer myself, proper usage of uncharacteristic words that aren’t heard often in today’s society, gives me a gleeful delight.

I quite enjoyed the Twilight Zone reference, very fitting for this series. It’s always nice to see a series with similar formatting give a nice little throwback to past pop culture. Almost like the writers are giving a nod to something that may very well have either influenced their writing, or inspired them to get into writing in the first place.

The friendship between Crane and Abby is something that I very much like about this series. It’s nice to see two people of opposite genders working together and not having the sexual tension visible enough to be able to be cut with a knife. Though Crane is still married in his mind, especially since his wife is merely between worlds, the show could still try and throw these two characters together. I desperately hope that they don’t, because I quite like them as partners, friends, and only that.

Lastly I have to comment on the Captain. There’s just something about him that’s often. Given that two of this show’s creators were also the creators of Fringe, they could just be trying to go the route of Broyles on that series, but I still believe there’s something sinister about this Captain. Something from the pilot just stuck in my head that this guy knows more than he leads on, and something that could very well get in the way of good.

My rating: 3 out of 5.

Best Lines:

“Fear cause inaction. Inaction causes pain. QED fear causes pain.” – Crane.

“I was born more than two centuries ago and my wife is a prisoner in some otherworldly realm. I’m no stranger to complications.” – Crane to Abby, referring to her complicated past with her sister.

“Assume I know everything.” – Irving, a statement that has possible foreshadowing to it.

“No more scorpions. Ever.” – Crane to Abby, about their need to induce control while they sleep in this Sandman’s realm.

Okay, I’m off to go watch New Girl now, then it’s Trophy Wife, and finally Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.