6.12 Reviews + Spoilers
7 Reasons to Get Excited for the New 'Supernatural'
The good news is that Supernatural finally returns this Friday with the first new episode of 2011. The better news (for me at least) is that I just watched an advance copy of the episode. The best news is that "Like a Virgin" is well worth the seven-week wait.
The return of Supernatural brings everything fans love about the show. There's hilarious comedy, emotional drama, a great guest star and huge revelations about the show's overall mythology. There's a lot of big stuff I'm not allowed to talk about, but here are just seven reasons to get excited for this week's brand-new Supernatural.
The Road So Far
One of my complaints about the season 6 premiere was the lack of a "Road So Far" montage set to a classic rock song. Luckily the show brings it back to remind you of everything that's happened so far this year, and it's quite exciting.
Bobby, The Voice of Reason
The way Supernatural handles the newly resouled Sam is interesting, but if you're like me, you'll be in total agreement with Bobby's assessment of the whole situation. As always, Bobby is right and everyone should always do what he says.
Dean and the Virgins
Dean is obviously a fan of the ladies, but his reaction to the fact that all the victims of the latest case are virgins is a bit surprising.
Cas and Sam
Castiel and Sam share one scene together, but it's a big one that includes an awkward and very funny moment as Cas tries to show his true feelings about Sam's return.
Dr. Viziak
This episode introduces a new character, a sassy female medieval expert who has a past with Bobby Singer. Her short scenes instantly make her one of my favorite guest stars and I hope the show will bring her back.
The Sword
We all know that Dean is a champion, so it makes sense that he should have a giant sword. In this episode he gets the opportunity to get one and the result is quite possibly the funniest scene Jensen Ackles has ever done.
A New Villain Rises
Supernatural has a great track record of scary villains with big master plans. They've had Azazel, Lilith, Lucifer and Crowley. In this episode, a new foe joins that illustrious list of Big Bads, and the reveal will leave fans very intrigued.
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Supernatural Advance Review: Episode 6.12 "Like a Virgin"
It's been an incredibly long hellatus for us poor Supernatural fans. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to get an advance look at the new episode that will be airing on January 28. I can't tell you a lot about the episode under pain of death, but there are a few things I can tease for you.
The first is that the sneak peek released by The CW (watch it here) confirms that Sam's soul has been returned. But what's the state of it? That's where the pain of death rears its ugly head. I can't tell you the answer, but I can tell you that you will most definitely have a newfound appreciation for how Jared Padalecki played Sam in the first half of season 6. The subtleties in his character go right back to the first moment we saw him in the season premiere. The interaction between the brothers now is very different from those we saw in the first half of the season.
And, oh, the comedy! I'll admit, despite the insanely hilarious episode "Clap Your Hands If You Believe", the first half of season 6 has been rather light on the combination of drama and physical comedy that Supernatural blends together so effectively. But this episode has it in spades, coupled with a lot of terrific one-liners and snappy comebacks (with a Comic Con reference!), and a scene with Dean that will make you laugh out loud. Basically, it's Dean versus a stone and it's much funnier than it sounds.
As for the case and the monster-of-the-week, it's interesting enough to keep you engaged. It's classic Supernatural, with glimpses at a scary creature and girls who need rescuing. But what's really important is that we learn a great deal more about the overarching mythology of season 6, as well as the new players in the game. In my midseason review, I wrote that I was concerned that the writers might simply drop the importance of Purgatory now that Crowley was dead and no longer searching for it. Shame on me for doubting the writers! Season 6 has been different from previous seasons, with not giving us most of the important mythological information in the first few episodes. So far it's been primarily hints: Purgatory, the alphas, etc. But it's all starting to come together. Obviously we don't have all of the information yet, but we're certainly given more than the teases we've glimpsed so far.
Fans of the now-deceased soap opera Passions will get a nice surprise. The actress who played Ivy Crane (sworn enemy of Teresa Lopez-Fitzgerald-Crane-Winthrop, a.k.a. the wife of Smallville's Justin Hartley) makes a guest appearance as a professor with some interesting information. She does awesome facial expressions and she's part of the aforementioned hilarious scene with Dean.
Castiel fans will also be pleased. He appears for a short time (though in more than one scene), but he plays a crucial role in the episode overall. I also suspect, with these new players that we're introduced to, that we'll be seeing more of Castiel in episodes to come.
As a final hint, Supernatural fans will be nothing but pleased with this episode. It really feels like the beginning of a new chapter within season 6 - but a chapter that feels very familiar at the same time.
Oh yeah, and we now have 100% confirmation that Sam has longer arms than Dean. Just in case you were dying to know.
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