Supernatural: Make Up Your Mind |
 |
 |
| Written by April Yorke |
| Friday, 12 February 2010 09:44 |
|
Unfortunately, it hasn't always done so. In the fourth episode of season one, Sam and Dean encounter a demon for the first time, but much of what we learned then about demons and how they operate didn't apply to Meg, her brother, or Azazel toward the end of the season. It was early days, so we could chalk it up to the writers figuring exactly where they were going with this whole "demon" thing (answer: down the rabbit hole). Since those early bumps in the road, though, the show has been pretty careful to only deviate from its established rules when it's within reason, like when we learned that the Trickster is really the archangel Gabriel in the excellent episode "Changing Channels." Last night's episode, "My Bloody Valentine," however, decided to bite its thumb at us. Another horseman of the Apocalypse has been unleashed: Famine. First he ramps up a cupid's ( cheribum, third class) work, making people so hungry for love that they literally devour each other, but he also ignites all other forms of avarice: a couple realizes that they can't spend every moment together and opts for a "Don't Fear the Reaper" end; a man who had successful gastric bypass surgery eat himself to death; a 20 years sober alcoholic drinks himself to death. Whatever you're hungry for, Famine makes it so you're never sated. It's a well done take on this horseman (Death's whereabouts remains a mystery), and the gore was par excellence. So what are our boys hungry for? Ground beef in Castiel's case. He blames Jimmy (and it's another nice callback to "The Rapture" to watch him zero in on Dean's burger), though the way he couldn't look Dean in the eye when he did it makes me wonder. Sam? Demon blood. Oh, that old chestnut. Except, wait a minute, since when? Last season's addiction plot line was bad enough, but we did learn two things:
What about Dean, Deangirls ask. He seems remarkably immune to Famine's powers, which he chalks up to being well-fed: eating, drinking, fighting, fucking - whatever he wants, he goes out and gets. At first blush, Famine seems to amp up Dean's nihilism: he barely drinks, refuses to go out on Valentine's Day (which Sam claims is "unattached drifter's Christmas" for Dean), loses interest in his burger, sends Castiel to do his fighting. My best friend suggests that what Dean really craves is death, and I agree. Famine's got another story to tell: after all those years of unaddressed need Dean's repressed, he's finally made it to the point of spiritual death. There's nothing Famine can turn up in Dean because there's nothing in Dean. While I still agree with my best friend, shit, that's dark. Sam turns up, refuses to drink down more delicious demon blood, and kills the demons inside Famine, which in turn takes the horseman out. All the time, Dean stands by and does nothing. And so we skip to another depressing coda: Cass and Dean standing guard outside Bobby's safe room while Sam once again goes through withdrawal (bullshit), and Dean heads outside to . . . holy shit! Is Dean about to say yes to Michael?! Fuck, show, that's amazing! Oh, no, he's just going to get teary-eyed and beg no one in particular (God?) for a little help. Last time he did this, Castiel showed up, and Dean made a vow to the angels. Wonder who will put in an appearance this time? We won't know until March 25, when zombies overrun Bobby's junkyard, including his dead wife (DUN!).
Bookmark
Email this
Comments (0)
 |
As shows go, Supernatural requires greater suspension of disbelief than most. So long as you can pass muster, Supernatural is also a rewarding viewing experience. All we ask in return is that the show follows its own internal logic. 
Subscribe to this comment's feed
