Supernatural review: 02.12 - "Nightshifter"
As always...
"The One Where Dean's FBI Issues Come Back To Bite The Boys In The Ass", or "Nightshifter", for short.
Wow. I liked this one. I mean, that's not saying much, I've generally liked everything this season since I, y'know, generally like the show. But to tell the truth, I was pretty underwhelmed until the last five minutes. It was the music at the end, the escape and the realisation that yes, we are screwed and there's not a whole lot we can do to fly under the radar anymore that made this one sink in deep for me. The music choice made it. Kripke does this, week after week, hits these songs that just work in the moment and this week? He nailed it.
We also saw some Dad Issues here from Dean, too. He's not adjusted to John's loss, not by a long shot. But it's not quite as raw as it was in the first half of the season. That flash of cold anger, the defensiveness, it was good. It was healing. And it also says what we know to be true: Dean can call John an asshole when he's with Sam, but with anyone else, John is a hero. And I think Dean believes deep down that John was a hero. John walked unafraid into the dark places, and that's what sticks with Dean, I think. That image of the lone Marine against all the evil in the world. Dean's torn between those things, between the father that was harsh and unyielding and demanded more from him and him alone than any father ought to demand from his child and who was more drill sergeant than parent, and the father that was a hero, that was the John Wayne of the supernatural world and on this crusade that is more important than anyone will ever know and who taught him everything about how to follow in his footsteps. In a three minute phone call, we've seen more about Dean's relationship to his father's memory, I think, than we have in a few episodes. Dean's struggling, but he also is making progress. John's legacy, the things John did to him and Sam, the things John left them to do, the burdens he gave him, this is not the hill Dean wants to die on. But he's not about to let anyone else ever speak ill of John. It's forward motion, I believe.
Sammy is really up to the plate lately. He's becoming a hunter, more and more; he's a hunter by choice and vocation. He is aggressive, determined, businesslike. He's taking on the darkness in the world and, I think, staking a claim on his own goodness by doing so. Sam has to hunt to prove he is not evil. He's trying to prove it to himself. Dean doesn't really doubt Sam's goodness, I don't think. He has fears, for sure. Another thing John bequeathed to him. He worries. But he doesn't deeply doubt. He wasn't going to make that crazy promise last week. He didn't have to. He knows, deep down in his soul, that Sammy is always going to be just who he is now: his baby brother, his other half, his best friend, his compass. Dean has trouble with the little ethical moments, but not the big ones. And this big one is for certain for him. Sam is on the side of the angels, just like he himself is. Their wings are a bit more grey than the average, but overall, they average out to be the good guys.
Also, may I mention the phenomenal amount of bitchface Sammy used in this one? And hair gel. But the bitchface. Oh, Sammy. He just kept pouting and sulking and trying to get Dean to capitulate by withholding sex trying to be the strong, reasonable one. But so much bitchface. I love his sulky looks, I do, I do, I do. Though his hair was a little off this one. I like the part, it emphasizes the widow's peak, which is sexy, but the gel at the beginning, that was weird. Sam, baby, quit stealing your brother's hair gel.
So, overall, I'm looking forward to seeing how the FBI issues pan out, and next week's teaser was a great one. I'm interested. I'm also worried, but Kripke, I'm doing my best to trust you. Religion never turns out well in Supernatural. (Yet one of the most trusted Winchester allies was a priest. Odd how that works.) I'm hoping Kripke et al can manage a bit more finesse in this one than in "Faith". Granted, I loved "Faith". I loved the "Don't Fear the Reaper" sequence. And woobie!Dean in the hospital is one of my favourite scenes. So we'll see how they do. I'm not getting my hopes up, though. We'll just see how they do next week, and prepare yourself for a rant of Biblical proportions. (Oh, the pun, it burns us.)
One last thing: Mandroid. It just never gets old.
"The One Where Dean's FBI Issues Come Back To Bite The Boys In The Ass", or "Nightshifter", for short.
Wow. I liked this one. I mean, that's not saying much, I've generally liked everything this season since I, y'know, generally like the show. But to tell the truth, I was pretty underwhelmed until the last five minutes. It was the music at the end, the escape and the realisation that yes, we are screwed and there's not a whole lot we can do to fly under the radar anymore that made this one sink in deep for me. The music choice made it. Kripke does this, week after week, hits these songs that just work in the moment and this week? He nailed it.
We also saw some Dad Issues here from Dean, too. He's not adjusted to John's loss, not by a long shot. But it's not quite as raw as it was in the first half of the season. That flash of cold anger, the defensiveness, it was good. It was healing. And it also says what we know to be true: Dean can call John an asshole when he's with Sam, but with anyone else, John is a hero. And I think Dean believes deep down that John was a hero. John walked unafraid into the dark places, and that's what sticks with Dean, I think. That image of the lone Marine against all the evil in the world. Dean's torn between those things, between the father that was harsh and unyielding and demanded more from him and him alone than any father ought to demand from his child and who was more drill sergeant than parent, and the father that was a hero, that was the John Wayne of the supernatural world and on this crusade that is more important than anyone will ever know and who taught him everything about how to follow in his footsteps. In a three minute phone call, we've seen more about Dean's relationship to his father's memory, I think, than we have in a few episodes. Dean's struggling, but he also is making progress. John's legacy, the things John did to him and Sam, the things John left them to do, the burdens he gave him, this is not the hill Dean wants to die on. But he's not about to let anyone else ever speak ill of John. It's forward motion, I believe.
Sammy is really up to the plate lately. He's becoming a hunter, more and more; he's a hunter by choice and vocation. He is aggressive, determined, businesslike. He's taking on the darkness in the world and, I think, staking a claim on his own goodness by doing so. Sam has to hunt to prove he is not evil. He's trying to prove it to himself. Dean doesn't really doubt Sam's goodness, I don't think. He has fears, for sure. Another thing John bequeathed to him. He worries. But he doesn't deeply doubt. He wasn't going to make that crazy promise last week. He didn't have to. He knows, deep down in his soul, that Sammy is always going to be just who he is now: his baby brother, his other half, his best friend, his compass. Dean has trouble with the little ethical moments, but not the big ones. And this big one is for certain for him. Sam is on the side of the angels, just like he himself is. Their wings are a bit more grey than the average, but overall, they average out to be the good guys.
Also, may I mention the phenomenal amount of bitchface Sammy used in this one? And hair gel. But the bitchface. Oh, Sammy. He just kept pouting and sulking and trying to get Dean to capitulate by withholding sex trying to be the strong, reasonable one. But so much bitchface. I love his sulky looks, I do, I do, I do. Though his hair was a little off this one. I like the part, it emphasizes the widow's peak, which is sexy, but the gel at the beginning, that was weird. Sam, baby, quit stealing your brother's hair gel.
So, overall, I'm looking forward to seeing how the FBI issues pan out, and next week's teaser was a great one. I'm interested. I'm also worried, but Kripke, I'm doing my best to trust you. Religion never turns out well in Supernatural. (Yet one of the most trusted Winchester allies was a priest. Odd how that works.) I'm hoping Kripke et al can manage a bit more finesse in this one than in "Faith". Granted, I loved "Faith". I loved the "Don't Fear the Reaper" sequence. And woobie!Dean in the hospital is one of my favourite scenes. So we'll see how they do. I'm not getting my hopes up, though. We'll just see how they do next week, and prepare yourself for a rant of Biblical proportions. (Oh, the pun, it burns us.)
One last thing: Mandroid. It just never gets old.