Fantastical Musings

Well, that was DUMB. And, I don’t mean that from a storytelling perspective. I mean that the choices the characters made in this episode were dumb . Everyone behaved stupidly . Maybe I have an unpopular opinion on this episode (it’s happened many times before), but I think there were so many different ways to avoid getting into this situation. None of this was a foregone conclusion. The whole time I was watching, I was yelling “what are you doing!” at the screen. First of all, Sam’s decision to continue working on removing the mark against Dean’s wishes was very high-handed (as I mentioned in my last review). I don’t even think he told Dean that he was working with Rowena, which Dean really should have known. However, Sam’s decision to pursue removing the mark regardless of the consequences was positively idiotic. As much as I love Dean Winchester, freeing him from the mark isn’t worth destroying the world. Sam’s refusal to imagine that removing the mark might actually be worse than t...

Okay. The show has now convinced me that Dean is going off the rails. However, I’m not saying that for the reasons that Sam and Cas have been putting forward. I’m only saying it because he 1) beat up Cas and 2) killed the youngest Styne kid. Up until this point, I think Dean’s actions have been pretty logical. True, he’s been a bit more aggressive and amped up then he would be normally. However, he wasn’t really out of control; he seemed to be keeping the mark more or less in check. For instance, in this episode, Sam and Cas freak out because Dean brutally murdered the Stynes. Okay...so, if he hadn’t murdered the Stynes, what were the Winchesters going to do with them? They are a powerful magical family who carve people up for spare parts and were planning to torch the bunker and use Dean as a medical lab rat. Plus, let’s not forget that they murdered Charlie! Those people needed killing. I do think that Dean should have left the kid alive. However, I also think there’s a plausible ra...

Okay, I’m just going to say it: EVERYTHING 👏 THAT 👏 HAPPENED 👏 IN 👏 THIS 👏 EPISODE 👏 WAS 👏 SAM’S 👏 FAULT. Seriously, I am ENRAGED with him. Charlie is DEAD because of him! The whole situation just made me so angry! I mean, Sam has thrown caution to the winds and deceived Dean in some very drought and dangerous situations, all in the service of removing the Mark of Cain, which Dean is managing very well at the moment! That’s not to say that Dean should have the mark long term, but it’s not a hair on fire emergency right now. Besides which, Dean has resigned himself to it, and that should mean something to Sam. Sam has berated Dean for not letting him make his own decisions so many times. So, why isn’t he allowing Dean to make his own decision here? The hypocrisy is ASTOUNDING. The inconsistency in Sam’s character is the thing I like least about this show. To me, it makes it really tough to like Sam. He is very fickle. Anyway, I digress. I will stop my Sam rant. As I’ve already i...

I’m pleased to say that I actually really enjoyed this episode! In my opinion, there have been a lot of underwhelming or otherwise unpleasant episodes this season, so this one was a pleasant surprise. First of all, seeing Claire safe takes a huge weight off my mind. Cas and the Winchesters left her in a pretty precarious state (both physically and emotionally) the last time she was on the show, so it’s a relief to see that she’s managing to take care of herself. I’m also happy to know that she’s on much better terms with the Winchesters and with Castiel after this episode. I feel confident that she will reach out to them if she’s in trouble, and that’s as much as anyone can ask for. I’m also relieved to hear that she’s going to be staying with Jody Mills. (I actually think I suggested that the last time I reviewed an episode involving Claire.) I think that being with Jody would be the perfect, grounding experience that Claire needs; plus, I have a feeling that they’ll really get along....

Not gonna lie, that episode was pretty disturbing. Like, it was DARK (even by Supernatural standards). I found the idea of the Saint Louis suicide house to be completely bone-chilling, and the machinations of the Werther box were positively sadistic. I felt so horrible for Suzie; the idea of her living in that horrible house for decades and spending her whole life guarding that box is really sad. In short, the actual plot of this episode was really distressing and difficult to watch. However, it was even more difficult to watch Sam deceive Dean. Now, I know that Dean has deceived Sam in the past, but what Sam is doing is much, much worse. Not only is he lying to Dean, he’s lying about BIG things, and he’s involving dangerous and unpredictable people. (Metatron, cough. Rowena, cough.) Dean’s lies to Sam were never so involved, and they didn’t really involve others. Meanwhile, Sam has a whole ulterior plot going on that’s focused on lying to Dean. What gives? Besides which, I have no dou...

Well, this episode was INTERESTING. First of all, I have to say that I think Sam is wrong and Dean is right. Nothing good can come out of that book. Even if they successfully get the mark off of Dean, it sounds like some sort of equally evil magic (or more evil!) is going to be the result. Plus, since Sam didn’t destroy the book, the Styne family is going to keep coming for it! Don’t get me wrong, they seem like good villains, but we already have enough problems in this season without adding additional villains. Speaking of villains, I can’t BELIEVE that Sam is trusting Rowena (even though he says he’s not trusting Rowena, he is trusting Rowena, let’s be real). I need Sam to understand that Rowena is much smarter and craftier than he thinks she is. She’s going to trick him and get the better of him. It’s almost guaranteed. Seriously, asking Rowena for help is a BAD, bad idea. Asking Metatron for help was bad enough, but asking Rowena to translate the Book of the Damned is even crazier...

Seeing Bobby in Heaven has got to be the best part of season ten. Who didn’t love seeing him drinking a beer in his old scruffy hat? Also, sitting in a cozy library listening to music seems pretty heavenly to me. I think Bobby has created a very nice little paradise for himself. Kidding aside, I have to admit that this episode had a lot of NICE moments. The writers of Supernatural must have heard me complaining in my last review and decided to show me up. I was pleasantly surprised by the direction of this episode! It feels like this season is finally starting to re-focus itself. Aside from Bobby’s heaven, I loved Dean’s little speech to Crowley about family. It made me wonder if Dean and Crowley are family now. It kind of seems that way! It’s also weird to see Dean looking out for Crowley. Oh how the tables have turned! I think some of the human blood really did change Crowley. He’s certainly more in touch with his sensitive side now! I also really enjoyed watching him throw Rowena o...

Okay, I’m going to be honest here, I really disliked this episode. I just found the entire plot to be boring, irrelevant, and flat. I didn’t care about Isabella’s story of murdering an artist in sixteenth century Italy, and I didn’t care about her ghostly drama—which took up a large chunk of the episode. It was also pretty unclear why she decided to kill the people that she killed. It seemed a bit random. There wasn’t a clear motive there. I’m also so, so tired of hearing about the Mark of Cain. We’re not making any progress on this issue; there’s no solution in sight. So, I don’t need to hear Sam worrying about it every three minutes. Let’s give it a rest for a few episodes. I did find it interesting that Sister Mathias routinely works with ghosts to help them cross over to the other side, but we only got a little glimpse of that. I also would have enjoyed a little more Rowena in this episode. She is FASCINATING. Like Ruby and Bella before her, Rowena is a character you can love to ha...

I don’t think I can deal with another episode like this. It was too gross! Like, I’m sorry, but I don’t need to see blood-sucking worms coming out of people’s mouths! Even for Supernatural , it was a bit over the top. In fact, I watched this episode with my roommate, and she was literally gagging during some parts of this episode. I’m not going to lie, the repulsiveness of it all kind of ruined my enjoyment of “The Things They Carried.” The electrocution scene and the various grisly murders sprinkled throughout this episode didn’t help either. Okay, let me set aside my disgust to talk about the actual plot of this episode. I was not terribly impressed by the storyline of “The Things They Carried.” It just didn’t grab my interest, and, overall, I thought it relied too much on gore. I was also a bit confused that the khan worm was present here. It seems like the soldiers picked up the worm in Iraq on their final mission. That’s weird because Eve only created that monster a few years ago ...

Honestly, I’m not sure how to feel about this episode. First of all, I have no idea what the last line meant: “Dean’s in trouble.” Absolutely nothing has changed in Dean’s situation since the last episode, so what does that mean? How is he in more trouble now? If anything, Dean seems to be more in control than he was previously. Plus, he survived killing Cain. So how is he in trouble? Sometimes, I think Supernatural gets itself into trouble by creating all of this unnecessary drama. They can only tease Dean’s death so many times before it loses all its emotional punch and credibility. Plus, the drama associated with having the mark is starting to get old. Cain’s death, however, was an interesting plot twist. I didn’t see it coming. Since he was planning to kill 10% of the world’s population, it was the correct thing to do. Although, I can’t really quibble with his desire to get rid of people like Tommy Tolliver. If he had stopped there, probably no one would have had a problem. Cain’s...

Wow this episode was GRUESOME. While there is a lot of disturbing stuff on Supernatural , most episodes of the show don’t actually scare me. HOWEVER, this episode was pretty scary. The deaths alone were bloodcurdling and bone-chilling (death by loud music has got to be one of the worst ways to die), and the ghost was worse! Supernatural’s special effects team is pretty talented. They really made that guy look like he had been burned to death. The idea of a murderous ghost using the internet to stalk his victims adds an extra level of horror and creepiness. In fact, I think the scariest part of the episode was when the navigation software told the girlfriend to get out of the car. It made my blood run cold. It’s also pretty scary to realize that the internet can reach you almost anywhere. I just hope that I don’t run into any tech savvy ghosts! On the whole, this episode seemed like a throwback to earlier seasons of Supernatural . It particularly reminded me of the “Bloody Mary” and “...

I almost forgot how absolutely funny this show can be! Season ten has been a bit heavy lately, so this is the first episode of Supernatural to make me laugh out loud in a long time. It was fantastically funny! I cannot imagine a more comical yet horrifying plot for any TV show. First of all, I loved the re-imagining of the Hansel and Gretal story. I think we can probably all agree that the fairy tale was horrifying enough when it was about a witch who lived in a house made of candy; it’s even more sickening when it takes place in a dilapidated shack with basement prison cells and a hulking henchman. As gross and disturbing as it was, I was glad when Dean pushed the witch into the oven. It was a fitting end for such a horrible woman. I was baffled by the fact that Dean burned the hex bag along with the witch. That decision didn’t make a whole lot of sense. However, it seems to have turned out okay. I’m glad that Tina at least can get a second chance at life. Personally, I don’t think I...

This episode = emotional turmoil. There’s no other way to describe it. I mean, there was so much DRAMA packed into this episode that it left me almost speechless. The stuff with Dean was bad enough, but Charlie (or should I call her Celeste?) really stole the show in this episode. I love the idea of good and bad Charlie! It’s so intriguing! Although, I have to say that good Charlie wasn’t all that different from normal Charlie. I also thought that bad Charlie had better hair and makeup, but she’s also a murderer, so take that with a grain of salt. All the same, it was very unsettling to see Charlie torturing people and acting ruthless. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that she made her parents’ murderer pay for his crimes, but she didn’t have to kill him! A real punishment would be sending him to prison, where he belongs. It’s a bit scary to know that this Charlie exists within the normal Charlie, but it’s obvious that she is an important part of Charlie’s personality, even if she is norma...

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 ...

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 ...

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...