401: 'Lazarus Rising'
Wr: Eric Kripke
Dr: Kim Manners
Synopsis: Bobby, Sam, and Dean visit an old friend of Bobby's, a psychic, to help them get some answers as to how and why Dean has returned from Hell.
Review: Supernatural kicks its fourth season into gear in pant-wettingly grandiose fashion with this absolute gem of an episode. Eric Kripke's script is a masterpiece of viewer manipulation, taking us on a roller coaster ride of emotive response that stops off at 'how did that happen?', 'what the f*!k?', 'oh my God!', 'is that really?', 'I don't believe it!', 'please, no!' and 'oh my sweet Lord yes!!!' for roughly equal amounts of time but never once allows us to catch our breath before wrenching on to the next big 'moment'. Kim Manners' direction is equally formidable; his careful manipulation of pace and tone in the earlier stages of the episode, when we find ourselves questioning Dean's reappearance and, indeed, Sam's apparent changes, is absolutely magnificent as it manages to simultaneously convey an overwhelming sense of mystery and establish a suitably eerie undercurrent of dramatic tension. Kudos also to Jensen Ackles for perhaps his greatest (and notably, most subtle) performance in the show to date and also to the production staff as a whole for the wonderfully unsettling cinematography, lighting, framing and editing. Hands down, one of the show's best ever episodes. Easy. Even the new title sequence is bloody magnificent. 9.6
402: 'Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester'
Wr: Sera Gamble
Dr: Philip Sgriccia
Synopsis: Ghosts of children Bobby couldn't save cripple him with guilt and Sam and Dean must save him. However, they must also ignore the spirits of Meg and Agent Hendricksen, who have come back to accuse the brothers of failing them.
Review: Well, now that we know Supernatural is about to go all epic on our asses (you don't get much more gargantuan than Heaven vs. Hell, angels vs. demons and that), it's good to see the production staff getting down to business and actually, you know, delivering. And who better to get the ball rolling than Sera Gamble, eh? His A* track record on the show is certainly well documented and he doesn't disappoint here; 'Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester', as well as being one of the most pleasingly ludicrous titles in the show's four year history, is also a cracking episode, perfectly marrying some deft, and important, character beats (Dean questioning his new found destiny, Sam's issues with his brother's return) with an obligatory 'supernatural occurrence' narrative that, pleasingly, is well woven into the season-long mythology and, just to sweeten the pot even more, is a continuity fest for fangeeks to die for. Agent Henriksen? Meg? Larry, for Chrisssakes? Wonderful, well-missed characters all and a delight to have back in a role that doesn't seem contrived and works to bolster the on-going plot. Keep going like this Supernatural and you may just be the best damn thing on TV right now. 9.4
403: 'In the Beginning'
Wr: Jeremy Carver
Dr: Steve Boyum
Synopsis: Dean gets transported back in time and ends up in Lawrence, Kansas, where he crosses paths with a young version of his parents, who have just fallen in love.
Review: What was I saying about 'best damn thing on TV?' We're three weeks into the new season and still Eric Kripke's love-spawn refuses to step even a quarter of an inch out of line. Instead, it sets about writing some of the most cohesive, enjoyable and rewarding scripts in its entire run and then transforms them from page to screen in devastatingly terrifying, and yet beautiful, fashion. 'In the Beginning' is no exception; in fact, it's perhaps the perfect example, given that it locates itself so firmly in the show's over-arching mythology. This is a story that fandom has wanted to see played out for eons and the episode doesn't disappoint: Ackles excels yet again, and arguably even more so than in previous weeks, bringing a crushing believability to the part of a man who is given the chance to uncover the secrets of his parents' past. You feel every morsel of his joy, pain and sorrow as he realises how wrong he was about his mother and father's roles, and how he simply cannot prevent the inevitable. The scene he has with his future mother, in which he begs her not to go in Sam's room on that fateful day ten years on, is absolutely harrowing and it's virtually all down to Jensen's thoroughly convincing portrayal. Let's spare a moment to acknowledge the genius of the script too: the dialogue is superb, the pace is absolutely spot on and the characterisation of the figures in the Winchester past is strong enough to make you care about all the players instantly. And hell, let's not forget that we get Castiel (best recurring Supernatural character since Bobby), the Yellow Eyed Demon AND the legendary Mitch Pileggi all in one episode. They don't come much better than this. 9.5
404: 'Metamorphosis'
Wr: Cathryn Humphris
Dr: Kim Manners
Synopsis: Sam and Dean find Jack, who is changing into a Rugaru, a flesh-eating demon that preys on humans. Sam and Dean have a disagreement on how to deal with Jack.
Review: I'll be honest with you... I half expected 'Metamorphosis' to be something of a let down after the giddy highs of the past three weeks. I surveyed the synopsis with minor trepidation: not, you understand, because I expected the episode to be bad, but simply because it seemed to lack the extra ingredient of over-arching narrative significance that the others had. In other words, it looked to be more of a 'stand alone'. Of course, I'm sitting here trying my damnedest to eat my words now (literally, they're on a plate and I'm reaching for them, I really am) because Cathryn Humphries' script (I should've known! It's her!) is bloody marvellous. Sure, this is more a 'supernatural event of the week' instalment and it is not seemingly tied to the '66 seals' that Lilith seems dead set on breaking, but we've all learned by now (or, well, since mid-season two anyway) that Supernatural can do 'fantasy metaphor for character conflict' as well as the best of 'em... well, as well as Buffy the Vampire Slayer at any rate. It's the only one I can think of. Sue me. Anyway, the gentleman unable to control the previously dormant creature inside of him works well as a counterpoint to Sam's current condition and, leading straight in from the cliffhanger ending of last week's episode, 'Metamorphosis' actually explicitly addresses this particular plot point and moves forward with it... which can only be a good thing. The 'supernatural' narrative has its relative merits too: the concept is enjoyably sickening and the sequence in which the poor guy gets his first full human meal is one of the most gruesome, and hence, most freaking awesome, moments in Supernatural history. Not quite the lofty highs of the last three episodes but excellent all the same. 9.0
405: 'Monster Movie'
Wr: Ben Edlund
Dr: Robert Singer (II)
Synopsis: Sam and Dean face off against a shapeshifter with a serious liking for classic black-and-white horror movies.
Review: Ben Edlund and comedy go together like peaches and cream and his latest effort, a pastiche of American science fiction B-movies from the 1950s, filmed entirely in black and white for added effect, is no exception. The Supernatural production crew excel at this kind of intertextual tomfoolery: from the opening music to the particular typefaces and positioning used in the introductory credits to the intermission during the ad break, this is a homage executed with the noblest of intentions and the most finite attention to detail. It pays dividends too, lending the overall production a cohesion that would perhaps have been lacking had the episode simply been filmed and presented in the usual manner. In essence, 'Monster Movie' is a simple tale about shape shifter wackiness that has a number of very fine points to make about the nature of identity and the importance of the Self (particularly in relation to masking it) and it does so without ever seeming too heavy-handed. This is largely thanks to Edlund's satirical brush strokes, which lend a gentle sheen to the more allegorical aspects of the narrative and allow the viewer to swallow the 'moral' and have a good chuckle at the same time. The episode is not without fault, however - the pace is perhaps a little slow and it takes a while for the essential narrative drive to get going. Still, this is by no means a weak instalment; quite the opposite, in fact, as it makes for a refreshingly different Supernatural viewing experience. 8.5
406: 'Yellow Fever'
Wr: Daniel Loflin & Andrew Dabb
Dr: Philip Sgriccia
Synopsis: Sam and Dean investigate the mysterious deaths of several men who seemingly died of fright. Dean becomes infected with it starting as anxiety then leading to a full-blown terror which ends in death. Sam and Bobby race against time to save Dean.
Review: TWO comedy episodes in a row? What are you playing at, Supernatural? 'Yellow Fever' is more of a traditional giggleathon than 'Monster Movie' however, and this sets it apart from its predecessor. Where Edlund's script relied on subtle nuances and nods to narrative convention to generate the occasional wry smirk, Loflin and Dabb's sprinkles a dash of slapstick here and a dollop of hyperbole there to create a veritable bucket load of belly-laughs that ride the crest of a decidedly ludicrous narratalogical wave. Once again, Jensen Ackles steals the show, proving he can do clumsy, scared and awkward just as well as he can convince us all of Dean Winchester's bravado. Jared Padalecki plays well off him too: a simple glance in his general direction is enough to induce a healthy dose of the funnies. There's also some fantastic set pieces: the pre-credits sequence is a joy to behold (the teeny tiny dog is priceless), the overly clean Sheriff is wonderfully portrayed and the scene in which Dean hallucinates Lillith is spooky enough to virtually eradicate all of the good feeling generated by the episode's earlier dalliances with humour. A highly entertaining ride and one that's worth sticking around 'til the end for for Jensen Ackles' 'performance' of 'Eye of the Tiger'. Yes, you read that right. 8.8
407: 'It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester'
Wr: Julie Siege
Dr: Charles Beeson
Synopsis: Sam and Dean meet Castiel and his fellow angel Uriel, who warn the brothers to avoid intervening in a town where a witch is attempting to summon the demon Samhain, opening one of the Seals.
Review: Hallowe'en is Supernatural's very own Christmas celebration and this episode's narratalogical gravitas does not disappoint. The 66 seals rear their appetising little heads again as Sam and Dean are tested in their efforts to prevent the resurrection of the demon responsible for the very tradition of All Hallows Eve. There are twists and turns galore here as first the obvious suspects are laid to waste, then the culprit is executed by his victim, who turns out to be an accomplice, and then Castiel and new-found angel friend Uriel (who is, brilliantly, a complete ass) show up and threaten to obliterate the entire town. Every step of this roller-coaster ride is as riveting as the next and it never lets up thanks to a corker of a script and some damn fine acting from all involved. It takes a great deal of talent to make something as fantastical as a skirmish between angels and demons convincing, so kudos to all involved for making it seem like the most believable, and life threatening, scenario imaginable. I'm starting to sound like a broken record but the facts don't lie: this is another home run from a show at the very top of its game. 9.4
408: 'Wishful Thinking'
Teleplay: Ben Edlund
Story: Ben Edlund & Lou Bello
Dr: Robert Singer (II)
Synopsis: The Winchesters investigate a town wishing well that really grants wishes... at a terrible cost.
Review: The third comedy instalment of the season and it's certainly the best: this is laugh-a-minute stuff with a veritable treasure trove of wonderful set pieces that recur in the most creatively ingenious ways possible. The central premise, that a wishing well is activated and begins granting wishes with consequences, is fairly simplistic but it's the execution that shines. Choosing to weave the story around a number of individual narratives that are only glimpsed in passing is a fantastic, and original, technique and one that proves eminently rewarding for the viewer as we gradually get to see the complete picture of their somewhat selfish, and dangerous, dalliances with desire. So we have the young boy desperate to fend off a group of bullies, who wishes for super strength, leading to the hilarious sequence in which he single-handedly overturns a truck ("kneel before Todd!"), the young man walking barefoot (scratch that, just bare) in the women's showers and best of all, the young girl who wishes her teddy bear to life to keep her company and gets more than she bargained for... Incredibly, the production actually carries off the anthropomorphic stuffed animal with suitable aplomb; the sequence is utterly, utterly bizarre but all the more comedic because of it. The script keeps the tone exactly right, balancing the surreal with the banal and injecting sufficient dumb-founded human reaction to mire it in a sense of 'believability' (Sam and Dean's expressions and dialogue are fantastic here). All this and a cameo from Ted Raimi to boot. A definite treat for your funny bone. 9.1
409: 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'
Wr: Sera Gamble
Dr: Charles Beeson
Synopsis: Sam, Dean, and Ruby look for Anna who hears the voices of angels. When Ruby seemingly betrays the brothers and leaves with Anna, Sam enlightens Dean on how Ruby saved Sam's life while Dean was in Hell.
Review: I really, really, really want to stop gushing about this show. It's becoming embarrassing; really, it is. I mean, how many times can you heap reams of hyperbolic praise on a television serial's scripting, production and casting before it starts getting a little tiresome? Before it starts looking like you're secretly blowing the production designer? Which I'm not. Honest. I just can't criticise it though. I can't bring myself to lie. The truth, you see, is that Supernatural is the most consistently well made and entertaining series on TV right now and 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' is the perfect example of why. We've got significant character development, a fresh narratalogical approach, acres of action, violence and sex, damn fine performances from all involved and, crucially, a plot so hot and juicy it'll make you do a special dance in your pants. Sera Gamble's script is densely packed, taking the explanation of Sam's current status as its central aim but weaving a whole host of other exciting revelations around it (Dean knows a lovely bloke called Allister, played to eerie perfection by the brilliant Mark Rolston), while also predicating the whole thing on the uncovering of the importance of a fantastic new character - Julie McNiven's beautifully fragile Anna, who hears angels and demons talking in her sweet little head. This episode feels exactly as it should: like a forebodingly important piece of a gargantuanly terrifying whole. And what about that cliffhanger, eh? Jaw, say hi to the floor for me. 9.3
410: 'Heaven and Hell'
Teleplay: Eric Kripke
Story: Eric Kripke & Trevor Sands
Dr: J. Miller Tobin
Synopsis: Dean and Sam figure out why Castiel and Uriel want Anna dead. Alastair and his minions try to track down Sam, Dean and Anna
Review: This is an absolute beast of an episode, and with a title like 'Heaven and Hell', would you expect anything less? Kripke's script thrusts our protagonists squarely in the middle of an epic tug of war between the forces of 'good' and 'evil' and cleverly predicates the whole thing not on the survival of the character they're both jostling over, but on which faction gets to slaughter her first. It's this kind of complex blurring of binaries, the deliberate rejection of categorical oppositions, that sets the Supernatural we now know and love apart from the one The WB gave birth to four short years ago. There is no black and white here: Allister and his cohorts may be 'evil', but Ruby, one of his kind, helps our heroes as much as she can and hell, Sam has demon blood pumping through his veins. Castiel and Uriel, angelic as they may proport to be, are firmly on the side of murdering poor Anna, all because she rejected the cold, emotionless, obedient existence of the angels and fell to Earth to experience that beautiful thing called life. They would rather kill her than have her return to Heaven - and that may be because their master ordains it, but then, what does that say about the forces of 'good', about God himself? Sam and Dean are caught amongst all of this, forced to make the tough decisions and call for themselevs exactly what is right and wrong and it is this conflict that enriches every scene, every line, of this episode. It's an impossibly overwhelming situation and one that forces the viewer to ask themselves questions about faith, morality and all of that other good, juicy stuff. And it certainly helps that the action sequences are massive, Julie McNiven is an absolute star and, magnificently, Jensen Ackles has us all shedding tears at episode's end. What would've turned into a corny schmaltzfest in the hands of a lesser actor is a harrowingly poignant tour de force thanks to his general, all round genius. God damn terrific. Again. 9.4
411: 'Family Remains'
Wr: Jeremy Carver
Dr: Philip Sgriccia
Synopsis: Sam and Dean investigate a house occupied by a female ghost, but when a new family moves in things take a turn for the worse.
Review: 'Family Remains' has the unenviable task of following show creator Eric Kripke's epic pre-New Year plot fest 'Heaven and Hell' and being the first new episode of Supernatural in around a month... the weight of expectation, as you may be able to guess, is almost unmanageable. The fact that the production crew chose to place a stand-alone 'supernatural element of the week' instalment in the episode eleven slot certainly doesn't help matters; after all that to-ing and fro-ing with the forces of Heaven and Hell, and the gravitas of the hoo-hah with Lillith and the 66 seals, we get a story about a family being terrorised by Joseph Fritzl's long-lost relatives? This could arguably seem a little lightweight and is bound to disappoint, especially given that, apart from a few comedy episodes and perhaps 'Metamorphosis', season four hasn't really given us this scenario so far. All the 'cases' that Sam and Dean have investigated, bar the ones listed above, have been tied to the over-arching mythology. Still, there's no reason why we can't enjoy a break from all the monumental madness and explore what made Supernatural a hit in the first place. Jeremy Carver's script is well paced and keeps the viewer on his or her toes: removing the supernatural element a third of the way through is a deft touch as it both unsettles the viewing experience and makes the entire narrative about ten times more disturbing... and then there's the inclusion of the brother which comes completely out of nowhere and is all the more enjoyable for it. Phil Sgriccia's direction is superb too, wonderfully methodical and meaning, and as is the score and cinematography which just delight in scaring the bejesus out of you with misplaced dissonant sounds and scatter shod lighting. The decision to film the kidnapped son's encounter with the somewhat psychopathic daughter in night vision is just sublime and the direction of this sequence in particular just knocks your socks off. The only drawback, unfortunately, is some of the casting. The father and daughter in particular are somewhat patchy in their performances - their delivery of certain lines of dialogue comes across a little clunky. The son's damn good though. In all, a good stand alone with only a couple of fairly minor quibbles. 8.4
412: 'Criss Angel is a Douchebag'
Wr: Julie Siege
Dr: Robert Singer (II)
Synopsis: Sam and Dean are faced with magicians delving in black magic. They investigate after several people wind up dead in ways similar to the illusions the magicians perform on stage.
Review: 'Criss Angel is a Douchebag' is effectively a vehicle designed to get Sam from reluctance to do whatever it takes to harness his psychic abilities, to fully compliant participant in Ruby's conspicuous machinations and while, from a character perspective, it works beautifully, it is somewhat maddening that by episode's end, we still have no clue as to what exactly it is that Sam is so wary of taking part in. Could it be that he needs to off a few humans? Reduce their lifespan? Suck Ruby's blood for twenty four hours straight? Or maybe even pay a visit to The Chief like his brother? (A delightfully humorous moment that: believe me, these places are real, just as disturbing as depicted and often go by the name The Eagle *ahem*) Quite deliberately, the production staff hold the answer back, teasing us for yet another week and ensuring that we'll continue to tune in in the coming weeks in hopes of finding out. We're currently in the midst of Supernatural's 'stand alone' run; typically, following the Christmas break, it takes a good three or four episodes before we get back to the juicy mythology stuff, but that just makes their ultimate arrival all the more pant-wettingly exciting. In the meantime, cast and crew work their little socks off to create slices of thoroughly enjoyable independent entertainment and Julie Beige's episode is no exception. This is a lovingly written script, dripping with sadness, melancholy and regret. The dialogue given to the three elderly magicians is absolutely stunning, perfectly capturing the world-weariness of those whose best days are (supposedly) behind them. The actors playing these parts are absolutely superb too: within less than five minutes, you about their plight, you want them to prove time, fate and the current generation wrong. It's a beautifully sad piece, the kind of story that leaves you with a significant weight on your shoulders, but one that you're quite comfortable carrying. Amongst all of the macrocosmic bluster and gargantuan set pieces that we've been treated to this season, it's easy to forget that, at its core, Supernatural has a great deal to say about the human condition: about birth, death and all that stuff in between. 'Criss Angel is a Douchebag' is a wonderful reminder of that fact. 8.8
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