Fantastical Musings

Okay, I have a lot of THOUGHTS about this episode. First of all, I’m really disappointed in how Cas and the Winchesters decided to handle the situation with Claire. I can hardly believe that Cas allowed Claire to go off and live on her own! I’m not quite sure how old she is, but we know for sure that she’s under eighteen because of the events of the previous episode. Claire is tough, but it is inconceivable to me that Cas and the Winchesters would let a child go off to make her own way in the world! It’s just so irresponsible. They didn’t even leave her with a car or money. Like, what are they thinking??? My feeling is that, if Cas wasn’t going to care for Claire as his child, he should have left her in the juvenile center. Although she didn’t like being there, it was a safe place full of people who would have helped her transition successfully to the adult world. This is a situation in which Cas should have left well enough alone. His presence in Claire’s life has only inflicted deepe...

Well, this episode was a downer. I’m guessing that Cas went in search of his vessel’s family because of his conversation with Hannah a few episodes ago. I think it’s nice that Cas tried to reconnect with Jimmy Novak’s family, but this is a situation where Cas probably should have left well enough alone. While Claire was not having a great time at the juvenile center, she was safe there. When Cas “broke her out” of the center, he took responsibility for her welfare with no plan or understanding of how to care for her. If Cas hadn’t taken her out of the center, she wouldn’t have been sold by Randy, and she wouldn’t have had to witness Randy’s death. So, if we’re being honest, Cas only succeeded in traumatizing her further. It’s not a great situation. I am, however, glad that Cas and the Winchesters were there to help Claire when she needed it. That guy Randy was scum. It’s no great loss that Dean killed him. (Although, it is disturbing that Dean is going on random killing sprees. That’s ...

Well, that was a pretty shocking finale!  I have to say that I had no idea that the villain was Frank until Duke found that gas mask in his closet (by the way, I had no idea that the Victorians had gas masks. I thought they were invented during World War I. You learn something new everyday)! By the way, that gas mask is terrifying. Watching Frank point the gun at Henry while wearing the mask was absolutely chilling. There's something extra scary about a villain that doesn't show you his face.  Although I'm glad that Frank is paying for his crimes, I am surprised that he turned out to be the leader of the forgery gang.  To be honest, I just thought that Frank was too dumb to be the mastermind. It's possible that someone else was using him as a puppet, and there's a larger organization at play. However, it's equally possible that Frank was just playing dumb to deflect suspicion. I suppose we'll find out in the next season.  Regardless, I thought that it was an...

Now this was a GOOD episode. (Although, to be fair, I love every episode that involves Jody Mills.) In case you need a quick recap, in this episode Jody attends a sheriff’s retreat in Hibbing, Minnesota. While she’s there, she meets Sheriff Donna Hanscum, who we meet in the fat-sucking episode (one of the weirdest Supernatural monsters we’ve encountered). As Jody suffers through the retreat, dead bodies begin to appear in town, and she soon realizes that monsters are involved. Sam and Dean arrive to investigate, and, shortly afterwards, Donna realizes that vampires are to blame! After a quick crash course in monsters (for Donna), the four of them set out to hunt vampires, which happen to include the sheriff of Hibbing. They manage to kill them all, and Jody offers to teach Donna more about hunting monsters. Personally, I think Donna is going to be a great hunter. She’s such a fun character! Sweet and soft on the outside, but rock hard and tough as nails on the inside. I really hope th...

So, now we know where Crowley gets his penchant for witty remarks and his love of Machiavellian tactics. His mother is a trip! I love her sense of style and panache! I can already predict that Rowena is going to be one of my favorite characters this season. I can’t wait to get to know her better and explore her relationship with Crowley! Last season we got a glimpse of his relationship with his son, and now we get to fill in even more of his family tree. It’s going to be fun. As I said, I like Rowena. She’s very stylish, and her accent is fun! I particularly like her exaggerated cat’s eye eyeliner. It’s a look. On the other hand, I was kind of disappointed that the Cole plot seemed to come to an end in this episode. I’m not sure what I was expecting from this storyline, but I certainly wanted it to go on a little bit longer. I definitely expected a more dramatic conclusion then “well, Dean, you were right all along; I forgive you for killing my father.” Talk about anticlimactic! Frankl...

I think the best word to describe this episode is charming. It reminded me of an Agatha Christie style cozy mystery. And, there’s nothing I like better than a cozy mystery. I never get tired of reading about or watching the hunt for a murderer at an elegant house party in a richly-appointed mansion. It’s the core of the mystery genre! Anyway. I think the writers of this episode intentionally played on the storytelling conventions of mystery novels. If there’s one thing Supernatural does well, it’s repurposing pop culture tropes for their own purposes. I was also really amused by all the references to the game Clue. Don’t think I didn’t notice that all the murder weapons from the game were shown at one point or another during this episode! I was particularly tickled by the random appearance of the wrench. The plot itself was wonderfully ridiculous. I love all the eccentric and absurd members of the LaCroix family (by the way, what kind of a name is Bunny?). The best line of the whole ep...

Bravo! Bravissimo! That may have been the best episode of Supernatural ever. And I mean that seriously. Even among the meta episodes—and, don’t get me wrong, I love them all—this one stood out as one of the most ridiculous, hilarious, over the top, and, yes, moving episodes of the bunch. I emphasize that it was hilarious. I laughed my way through the whole thing, from Marie’s mention of her one woman Orphan Black show (which I would love to see, by the way) to Castiel’s anthem about “just waiting here then.” On a serious note, however, I was genuinely and seriously impressed by the originality of this episode. I love the idea of a Supernatural musical. If it was real, I would totally go see it! (Although, I might leave before the aliens and robots showed up). It also gave us some really nice moments. I love that Sam and Dean now have a little fake model of the Samulet. I know it’s not real, but it’s a nice symbol of their renewed commitment to brotherhood and the family business. I ...

Oh my goodness, was this ever DRAMATIC! A secret crime syndicate, an abandoned prison, and a mysterious man in a gas mask! I adored it all.  (As you may or may not know, I am a big fan of DRAMA on TV.) First of all, I loved the ambiance of this episode. I cannot imagine a creepier setting for a mystery than an abandoned prison with dramatic smallpox contamination signs covering the doors. (I'm guessing this episode takes place before the vaccination against this ailment was developed). The echoes were also a nice touch.  Eliza's faint cries for help bouncing off the walls of the desolate jail were particularly eerie. I congratulate the show runners on their attention to atmospheric detail.  Setting all of this aside, I think the plot was the most important aspect of this episode.  In case you need a recap, in this episode Eliza sets out to investigate some information that she found in her father's journal. This leads her to an abandoned prison that seems to be ...

You know what? I’m actually kind of shocked that the show writers decided to return to the plot of Kate and her werewolf friends (well, I guess they’re not her friends anymore). Seriously though, we haven’t seen Kate since season eight! I have to admit that I hated the episode “Bitten” (and, when I say hated, I mean that I really despised that episode). However, Kate redeemed herself a bit in this episode. In fact, I thought this episode was pretty interesting and entertaining. It was a bit “monster of the week”; however, I think we’re supposed to draw parallels between Sam/Dean’s situation and Kate/Tasha’s situation. In both cases, the characters are faced with the impossible situation of a sibling who has become a monster, and they must make a decision about whether or not to destroy them. The episode also held up on the pure plot level. Kate’s story about turning her sister and trying to live as a “vegetarian” werewolf was pretty riveting, and it was even more interesting to see how...

Okay, I take back what I said about demon Dean. While I enjoy his demonic joie de vivre, his antics were WAY out of control (to put it lightly). I’m actually shocked the Dean—even demon Dean—would try to kill Sam. Obviously, that’s the sort of behavior that needs to be dealt with, and I’m glad that Sam and Cas were able to turn him back into a human. HOWEVER. As I said in my previous review, I don’t think the demons plot is completely done with. I would be shocked if the writers dealt with and dismissed such an important plot line in only three episodes. The Mark of Cain turned Dean into a demon, and as long as he has it, he can be a demon again. My guess is that the rest of this season is going to be devoted to freeing Dean from the Mark of Cain and dealing with the demonic energy it has the power to unleash. Setting all of that aside, however, I think this was one of the most dramatic episodes of Supernatural ever. And that’s saying something! It was just so emotionally fraught! Lot...

Now THIS was a fun episode.  (I mean, if you consider death photography, ghosts, seances, and the like to be fun).  I have to admit that the idea of death photography (by the way, that was a real thing that the Victorians did; look it up!) is pretty creepy, and the atmosphere of this episode was pretty hair-raising (how could it not be with all those pictures of dead people around). However, all and all, I thought this episode was all good fun. It was basically the perfect campfire ghost story with a great twist at the end.  In case you need a quick recap, in this episode, Eliza is hired to investigate the case of a death photographer who is mysteriously receiving doctored photos of his dead wife. Naturally, that causes the photographer and his new fiancée some justifiable distress. Amelia, the fiancée, believes that Catherine,   the photographer's dead wife is delivering the photos through ghostly means. Her mother, who is a medium, encourages this belief....

Well, that was DRAMATIC.  Seriously though, the subject matter of this episode was very serious and sad. To me, the stakes of this episode felt a little more real and genuine. I felt like I really understood Eliza's moral dilemma, and I was also sympathetic to how Margaret felt (although, of course, I do not condone bombing clubs!). In any case, it was the first episode of this show that has kept my eyes glued to the screen the entire time!  In case you need a recap, in this episode Eliza is hired by Duke to infiltrate a group of suffragettes, which Scotland Yard is suspicious of. Shortly after she joins the group, a man is found dead and the group's leader is implicated. At first Miss Scarlet doesn't necessarily believe that the leader—Margaret—was involved. However, Margaret later tells her that she was forced to kill the man in self defense. Eliza believes her until the Yard uncovers evidence that Margaret is planning to bomb a gentleman's club. The episode ends afte...

So, remember when I said that I loved demon Dean? Well, I’m re-thinking that a little. Don’t get me wrong, I still love demon Dean. HOWEVER. I do not love the random acts of violence and the mean streak that accompany him. It’s pretty disconcerting to hear Dean say that the Impala is just a car. I mean, that’s Supernatural sacrilege! I do, however, love that Dean is being wild and unrestrained. As I said in my last review, it’s very refreshing. Seeing him defy Cole, Crowley, and Sam was all pretty satisfying. I mean, the look on Crowley’s face when Dean told him he killed the husband instead of the wife was priceless. Crowley clearly thought that he had Dean under his thumb. Boy was he wrong! You can’t count on anything when you’re dealing with demon Dean! I assume that Sam snatched Dean to try to wrangle the demon out of him, which is a little disappointing. However, I don’t think the show is going to let Dean be healed too quickly; it’s too big of a plot point for that. In my opinio...