Three Torches (Out of Five)
Warning: This review contains spoilers for the “The Devil You Know” episode of Supernatural.
I’ve had this sinking feeling all year long that the producers didn’t have a handle on their season-long story arc, that they had only a vague idea where they were going and, as a result, have resorted to pulling individual episodes out of their ass.
Either that, or they simply hadn’t come up with enough story, not for a whole 22-episode season, and they’ve had to resort to padding.
Sure, some of the individual episodes have been good or even great. But the season story-arc isn’t moving forward nearly fast enough. Sometimes, like this week, it’s felt like it hasn’t moved at all.
In this, the third to last episode of the season, all the pieces of the puzzle should have been established, and Sam and Dean should be starting to put them together.
Instead, we’re still getting new pieces — and, at least so far, I’m getting the distinct impression that most of the pieces they’ve given us up until now aren’t going to be relevant to the story.
The title of the episode is “The Devil You Know,” and, in fact, we get the return of two demons that Sam and Dean know: Brady, a character from Sam’s (pre-show) past, and Crowley, a character returning from earlier in the season.
We also get a lot more talk, talk, talk. I knew I wouldn’t like this episode when Crowley found them, and knew everything they’d said and done since we saw him ten episodes ago, because he’d hidden a medallion in their car.
WTF? If such an all-powerful medallion existed, wouldn’t Sam and Dean at least know about it? Wouldn’t they have searched for it in their car? What’s in all those books Sam’s always reading anyway? They’re up against Lucifer, for God’s sake.
This was a pure plot cheat.
And worse than the fact that we’re still getting new pieces to the puzzle, the pieces are simply being handed to Sam and Dean; they’re not actually earning them.
Last week, Sam and Dean were simply handed, out of the blue, from Gabriel the solution to Lucifer’s defeat: collect the four rings of the horsemen of the Apocalypse and use them to lock Lucifer into a “prison.”
This week, Crowley pops up to help them find Death (or so he says).
Both these developments make Sam and Dean look passive. What would they have done if these two demons hadn’t shown up? Just wait around for another demon to show up?
Then we also have Sam acting out of character, with Sam impulsively locking Dean in the bathroom to kill Brady, not only putting their plan at risk, but also violating the trust that he had finally – finally — started building up again with Dean.
Fortunately, Dean was acting out of character too, immediately forgiving Sam. Did Dean forget about, well, the entire last season of betrayal?
And I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve seen a demon torment Sam with the “You’re just like me!” speech.
This show is sooooo spinning its wheels.
Maybe they can still pull this off. Maybe everything that’s happened so far will all come magically together in the last two episodes. If I’m wrong, I’ll be the first to admit it.
But alas, I don’t think I’ll have to.
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I, for one, loved this episode. And to be honest, if Sam and Dean did magically come up with a solution, I think that would’ve been ridiculous. They’re two human boys in the middle of a war between the most powerful beings in the universe. Of course they’re not gonna be able to find the answers in some freaking lore book. They need help. And it just so happens that an archangel and one of the oldest and most powerful demons around are the ones to give them those answers.
I don’t mind the pacing of the season. Sure, I think there were a lot of filler episodes at the beginning, but this last half has had more purely plot-related episodes. If the boys had their answers and solutions already, what kind of momentum and expectation would that leave for the finale? No, they won’t have all the answers until the very end, which is how it should be done.
And I don’t know where you’re getting the OOC aspect of Sam’s actions here. We’ve known for the longest time that he’s had anger problems, and is known to make rash decisions because of it. But he didn’t let Dean down, here. He didn’t kill Brady, even though he had every right to, to be honest. I mean, he manipulated him for years and killed the love of his life, for heaven’s sake. What was OOC was him not actually killing the guy, but all that shows is his strength of character.
If everybody could just caaaaaaaaaalm down and think about this show rationally, you might be able to enjoy it!
Calm down? No one is upset here, just (speaking for myself) a little disappointed. It was the commenter SPN (who loves the show) who seemed upset, calling Eliza a drama queen and telling her to put a sock in it.
The fact is, different people have different opinions. And that’s okay (providing there’s no name-calling).
I for one am very much a fan of the show. Just (like I said) a little disappointed, and worried where they’re going for the finale.
Oh put a sock in it. One story-driven action-lite episode does not mean the whole series is condemned.
@ Drama queen Eliza: The show has CONSISTENTLY produced excellence.
Wow, way to overstate yourself. I am a fan of the show and love it - I just want them to live up to the potential that I know is there.
As much as I love this show, it’s often so disappointing how seldom they exhibit any true excellence. The premise is so intriguing for an apocalypse, and yet they never quite achieve greatness.
I don’t know if it’s lack of money or direction or what…but I love my boys anyway and will still watch them.
I feel like the mother of a child who continues to disappoint - but you never give up on him.
I’m so glad to know I am not the only person who felt this eps. was dragging and I sadly agree with you about the producers.
It does give you the sinking feeling that they bit off more than they could handle and it shows.