804: 'Bitten'
Written by Robbie Thompson
Directed by Thomas J. Wright
Synopsis: The Winchesters track down a killer and the investigation leads them to
found footage of three college students investigating mysterious animal
attacks.
Verdict: In a move that will undoubtedly divide fans, Supernatural eschews its
regular format this week in favour of a home-movie style
point-of-view episode that presents a typical monster-of-the-week tale
from an entirely different set of perspectives. Sure, the use of
'amateur footage' to tell a story is nothing new (in fact, it's one of
the most conventional horror tropes out there), but it is definitely
refreshing to lose the usual procedural, investigative structure and see
a paranormal event unfold before the eyes of three college friends. Of course,
that means less Jensen and Jared but hey, if it means we get no doggy
flashbacks and a tonne of homoerotic undertones, I'll take it.
The
key to the success of this piece is the strength of the leads. The
three actors are brilliant and play their parts straight,
refusing, at least initially, to succumb to hyperbole. This, combined
with some cracking, organic dialogue, helps ground the episode in
reality, lending events a believability that can often be lacking in the
show (and that's understandable when faced with such outrageous
circumstances). There's a healthy amount of horror in all of this too,
aided by the jerky, off-kilter camera angles and use of handheld, and as
for that opening sequence... well, I thought I'd started up American
Horror Story by mistake.
It's a shame that the episode becomes a
victim of its own success in places: there's obviously a complete lack
of logic in the characters' continued use of cameras, even in the most
dire of circumstances, and things do get a little OTT towards the end,
particularly when Brian says he doesn't want to be Piggy any more but
wants a shot at being Ralph; euck, we really did not need the
heavy-handed Lord of the Flies reference, thanks. Still, 'Bitten' is
certainly a major improvement on 'Heartache' and, for all it is a
side-step from the main arc, it stands well enough on its own merits to
warrant a repeat viewing. (7)
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