802: 'What's Up, Tiger Mommy?'
Written by Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin
Directed by John Showalter
Synopsis: Crowley takes Kevin's mother hostage in an attempt to recover Kevin as
he searches for the tablet. The Winchesters help Kevin rescue her, only
to discover that she insists on joining them on their quest.
Verdict: The ever-trustworthy Dabb and Loflin hit a home run this week with an episode bristling with continuity references, razor-sharp one-liners and well-established plot devices. 'What's Up, Tiger Mommy?' is, at times, a Supernatural fan's wet dream, casually throwing out references to Gods, angels and soul-selling and relying on them all to advance the course of the narrative without ever seemingly perfunctory or convenient. In lesser hands, the hour's essential backbone - the auction - could have fallen terribly flat, stumbling over the precarious line into parody, but not so here. While there are witticisms aplenty, the duo inject sufficient gravitas into proceedings to ensure that we take the whole business seriously, and their tour de force comes when Kevin's mom offers up her soul in exchange for her son. And while we're on the subject, let's give a much-deserved round of applause to Lauren Tom for her assured and oft-understated portrayal of Linda Tran, which helps sell the absurdity of the situation in which she and the Winchesters find themselves. The pay-off (Kevin's disappearance) is both logical and rewarding, with the added bonus of giving Jensen Ackles the opportunity to do some real soul-searching (did he really reject Castiel? Really?) And how about that opening sequence, huh? Daft as a brush, no shadow of a doubt, but deliciously so... especially when we get to see the bone's real importance. More episodes like this, please. (8)
No comments:
Post a Comment