Diary of a Supernatural Virgin – Expect the unexpected

Season 2, Episode 16-19

I got myself a mixed bag with this installment of Supernatural. Man, these writers really do try everything, don’t they? And it always works … almost. I loved two of these episodes, but then had my issues with the other two. Neither of them were stinkers, per se, but one failed to click with me and the other was a bit slower than I am used to. Still, though, I get whet the writers were trying to do and even though they weren’t my favorite episodes, I got something out of them.

“Roadkill”
Sam and Dean need to return two spirits from a car accident 15 years ago to where they belong, one evil and one oblivious.

“You know, just once I’d like to round the corner and see a nice house.” — Dean

You never know what you’re going to see when you turn on an episode of Supernatural; that’s why it’s so fun. For this one, I barely took any notes and I wasn’t sure what I’d write about … until I got the end. I soooo didn’t see that one coming!

I love that I can expect the unexpected from the clever writers, and that Sam and Dean are such amazing characters that they can be tough with the evil spirit and tender with the confused one, incidentally played by Tricia Helfer of BSG and Burn Notice fame.

The way they built up to the reveal was masterful, and I loved that they went back through the episode and showed us choice scenes to explain it all. I even loved it when Dean called Sam “Haley Joel.” I didn’t even miss the story arc!

“Heart”
Sam falls for a girl who doesn’t know she’s a werewolf and yep, it ends badly.

I’m not a cold-hearted bitch, really I’m not, but I just couldn’t get into this episode for the reasons that I think I was supposed to. The Madison / Sam relationship was so rushed and forced that it just didn’t make me all mushy-gushy inside. Even the sex scene was so awkward and urgent that it didn’t do anything to further the viewer in believing this was the real thing for Sam.

I hope TPTB at Supernatural have decided to do what they do best — stick to the spirits and leave the sex scenes on the cutting room floor. When Dean met up with his old flame in “Route 666″ and had no chemistry with his onscreen babe, you think they would have learned something, but now that they’ve tried it with the other brother, perhaps we can be spared. Pardon the digression….

I knew Madison was going to be the werewolf, I just knew it, so this episode didn’t even have that sneaky fun surprise for me, like “Roadkill.”

What this episode did have, though, was Sam’s first human kill. That was pretty huge for the big sensitive lug, and the fact that Dean shed tears over it was the most touching part of the whole episode. I wonder if this kill will lead to a more sinister, cynical Sam. I’ve enjoyed his bushy-tailed optimism, such a nice foil for Dean, but the whole Demon Sam thing a few episodes back gave us a glimpse of Dark Sam; now I wonder if he’ll come out and play some more.

In case you didn’t catch it, the fake names Sam and Dean used — Landis and Dante — were the directors of An American Werewolf in London and The Howling, respectively.

“Hollywood Babylon”
Sam and Dean investigate murders on the Hollywood set of  a horror flick.

This episode was really slow for me, though I get that they were trying to do a tongue-in-cheek commentary about the Hollywood scene. The premise really was pretty clever, that the guy who summoned the spirits to murder did it because he was pissed at Hollywood for re-writing his script. That’s funny, and so is:

• The fact that Sam wanted to visit the Gilmore Girls set to see the stars.
• Dean’s amused looks about the Hollywood folk not buying that salt would scare the spirits.
• “It’s like Three Men and a Baby all over again,” when they saw the spirit in the movie dailies.
• The repeated, “You are one hell of a P.A.” to Dean, from various people on the set.
• That the salt gun and the camera phone ended up in the movie.
• Dean getting to boink his favorite actress.
• The boys heading off into the sunset, and the beautiful backdrop turns out to be a stage set.

I can’t help but think the writers were trying to give us a break before the final (intense?) four episodes of the season with this slow and hokey episode.

“Folsom Prison Blues”
Sam and Dean battle an inmate-hating spirit from inside a prison.

We got a lot of story arc in this one, with Agent Henricksen back for the boys, who get themselves thrown into prison on purpose so they can help their dad’s friend Deacon rid the prison of a murdering spirit.

I liked seeing my old friend Jeff Kober from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Zachary from “Helpless” and also Rack, Willow’s evil warlock friend from season six who says she smells like strawberries. Yeah.

Dean was all about the prison life and it was funny how he fit in so well: making the distractions to get the job done, playing poker for cigarettes, and of course having the perfect wise mouth. Though he was able to turn off the wise guy and sweet talk the lawyer into being on his side, which helped the boys get away from Henricksen once again.

So here’s where this episode takes on some greater meaning for the story arc, at least I think it will. The boys are now adding escape from a major penitentiary to their list of crimes. They realize that they’ve gotten themselves in a pretty big mess, and that they’ll have to go deep under cover. Methinks there could be a game change a’coming. Really, how much deeper can they go? They never use their real names or credit cards and they are homeless as it is. I think it’s going to be telling to see how the boys handle this.

I’m in the home stretch … next installment: the last three episodes of season two!

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Apr 19, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT