#510: 'Abandon All Hope...'
Wr: Ben Edlund
Dr: Phillip Sgriccia
Synopsis: Sam, Dean, and Castiel find the Colt and go after Lucifer. The hunters reunite with Bobby to battle evil that could be potentially their last fight.
Review: 'Abandon All Hope...' is something of a misnomer; far from being a portentous omen, Ben Edlund's latest epic effort is a gloriously opulent feast for the senses, a sign of unquestionably amazing things to come. After a few weeks of head-messing self-indulgence (which was more than welcome, by the way), the Supernatural crew get back to that pesky little arc plot - you know, the one about that end of the world thing that just might be a bit of a problem - but rather than simply teasing us with a few minor developments and suggestions, they slam their feet on the accelerator and send us hurtling down the mythology highway at 90mph, throwing crucial encounters and jaw-dropping twists at us from every possible direction; so much so, in fact, that by episode's end, you're left in something of a blind haze, reeling from the magnitude of what you've just seen.
Edlund wastes no time in getting down to business, throwing the viewer head-first into the ongoing story without so much as a chance to catch a breath. Instead of spending time with Sam and Dean as they hunt the demon who possesses the Colt, we bypass the build-up entirely and find ourselves with Castiel as he has the guy in his sights. This teaser sequence is a marvellously cheeky slice of homophobia-baiting, helped no end by the absolutely inspired casting of Mark Sheppard as the duplicitous and distinctly unusual Crowley. The character actor, recently wowing audiences across the world in Dollhouse and Battlestar Galactica and loved by many for his role in the classic X Files episode 'Fire', brings a brilliantly casual quality to the role, a sort of slight-handed serenity that completely throws both us as an audience and Sam and Dean as supposed veterans of the whole demon hunting thang. The scene in which he hands them the weapon they need to kill Lucifer is just fantastic, a fine example of assured dramatic pacing, delectably rich dialogue and believably understated acting coming together to produce something that feels distinctly special. And as if this wasn't enough, Edlund chucks a truck-load of Marc Pellegrino at us too, bringing Lucifer into the spotlight again after too long an absence and illustrating exactly why this guy is the greatest villain the show has ever seen. Like Sheppard, Pellegrino knows how to successfully manufacture unease; he avoids the hyperbolic entirely, choosing instead to deliver each brutally sinister line with the utmost of composure, which in turn magnifies his callousness. Every scene is methodical and calculated: check out his interactions with the equally superb Misha Collins (beautifully shot by director Phil Scgriccia with continually circular movements to enhance their claustrophobia), in which you feel the weight of their history and the intensity of their contempt, or indeed, his ritualistic summoning of that pesky Horseman Death, in which he doesn't show a single shred of emotion - joy, anger, remorse, anything - about the humans and demons that he's sacrificing. When Sam and Dean pass him horrified glances as he snuffs out every creature in the field, his response is simply indifference. "What? They're just demons" does more to sell the magnitude of his monstrousness than any atrocity that he may commit, or threat that he may issue. It's truly disturbing, and frankly, it's all the more enjoyable for it.
As a qualifying counterpoint to these dramatic developments, 'Abandon All Hope...' offers us a gut-wrenching emotional component too, as the writers make the incredibly brave decision to end the lives of two of Supernatural's most well-loved recurring characters. Jo and Ellen played a significant part in the show's progression during its second season, and while they haven't been seen much since, only reappearing for the first time earlier this year, they still feel like a crucial part of the show. It's also testament to the strength of Edlund's writing that he can bypass any potential indifference certain audience members may have had about their characters in lieu of their lack of screen time and cut straight to our collective sense of empathy, making their deaths have a considerable impact. Using some wonderful continuity references (Repears, Hellhounds, Meg... fangeek's wet dream, this), Edlund builds the plot to a point where Jo's life quite literally hangs in the balance (the one between her fingers and guts), and then infuses the entire plot with an achingly down-trodden melancholy. When Dean is on the phone to Bobby, his pain and sadness cut a B-line straight to your tear ducts, and when Ellen offers to wait with her daughter so she can help her martyr herself, the horror of the whole situation burns a hole through your stomach. This is serious, serious stuff, played beautifully by all involved, and while it can be painful to watch, it's all the more rewarding because of it. Furthermore, it amplifies the significance of the central narrative, giving the viewer all the more reason to loathe Lucifer and invest in Sam and Dean's mission to rid the world of him. When Edlund delivers his final scene, a dialogue-free lament on the loss of these characters, its power is harrowing, its implications gargantuan.
There really is no question about it - 'Abandon All Hope...' is one hell of an episode. Edlund's script is a roller coaster ride from start to finish, firing narrative developments at us from all sides, throwing in endless continuity references, delivering superb scene after superb scene with a wealth of actors at the top of their game, and incorporating some of the most harrowingly emotional moments that Supernatural has ever seen. Jo and Ellen's deaths come as one hell of a shock to the senses, but crucially, we care. You just can't help but be moved by their sacrifice, and in that fact alone, the show has more than done its job. What a way to go into the Christmas break. 9.6
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