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Supernatural: Criss Angel is a Douche Bag

Sam: "Think we will?"
Dean: "What?"
Sam: "Die before we get old?"
Dean: "Haven't we both already?"

I wasn't that wild about last week's. And unfortunately, I wasn't that wild about this one, either. But it did have some good bits. And it actually took us somewhere.

Fake magic becoming real magic. I knew what was happening almost immediately, that someone was doing it for Jay, but I didn't guess who – mostly because Charlie, the most obvious culprit, died early in the episode and it didn't seem like it could be Vernon. At about nine-thirty, I started thinking it was the barmaid. But it was Charlie, after all. Immortality is a pretty tempting offer.

I liked that the three old magicians constantly outwitted Dean and Sam. Don't discount someone just because they're older, guys. And I liked that they actually addressed the issue of growing old. For Dean and Sam, dying young is a given. Dean was pragmatic about it, but this episode told us that Sam still dreams of a normal life that would include some golden years. Which means getting out of the business.


But how could they possibly get out of the business? Did the writers just give us a great big honking hint that Sam might be capable of ending the incursion of the supernatural evil into the real world, and put hunters out of business? Does he have that much potential power? (Actually, that feels like it would make a good series finale. Not that I want the series to end.)

They also just hinted for the zillionth time that if Sam fools with magic again, he will go dark side and Dean will have to turn against him, just as Jay turned against Charlie. But the count is up to 34 seals, and the angels are losing. This can't be good. Somebody has to do something.

Bits and pieces:

— Sam and Ruby did a long scene with a toilet visible in the background between them. A little fun symbolism there that Sam's determination to resist her was about to go down the tubes, perhaps.

— Ruby also mentioned that Sam actually likes doing magic. I don't think I'd picked up on that point before, but it makes sense. Sam was into magic when he was a kid. That also makes sense, because he's into real magic as an adult.

— Nice use of a real Tarot deck. I have a deck like that.

— Jay was played by Barry Bostwick, who has done many, many other things, but who will live forever as Brad in Rocky Horror Picture Show.

— This week: Sioux City, Iowa, during "magic week." Dean was federal agent Ulrich. Lars Ulrich is a member of Metallica. And of course, Criss Angel is a real magician. Fun how they referenced a magician named Angel, huh?

Quotes:

Sam: "He's famous."
Dean: "For what? Douchebaggery?"

Chief: "Before we get started, what's your safe word?"
Okay, it's been done many times before, but that scene made me laugh. Maybe it was Dean's face. He wasn't threatened or amused.

Dean: "The thing about real magic is that it's a whole lot like crack. People do surprising things once they get a taste of it." (Again, cough Sam cough.)

Dean: "Not so fast. I ain't Guttenberg and this isn't Cocoon."

Ruby: "What changed your mind?"
Sam: "I don't want to be doing this when I'm an old man."

Well-enough written story, good performances, but depressing,

Billie
---
Billie Doux adores Supernatural which is a good thing since apparently, it's eternal.

9 comments:

  1. Yes, Billie, this WAS depressing, because I suspect once Jay left that bar, he ended up killing himself. Yet I think if, given the exact same circumstances, he would do it all over again. He wouldn't allow his best friend/brother to kill the Winchesters, no matter what. I felt awful for Sam, and wonder exactly what, besides pulling demons from their hosts, Sam has to practice in order to face down Lilith. I'm scared for Sam, because this is going to anger Uriel, Dean and perhaps bring about the Apocalypse (because I believe Dean or Sam is one of the seals). Billie, I'm SCARED for the boys!

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  2. Dean or Sam is one of the 66 seals? That's an interesting idea. Maybe that's why the angels kept making threats about Sam going off the wagon?

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  3. We need Bobby back to convince "Sammy" not to go to the dark side =(

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  4. I was wondering if anyone counted how many times they said "douche" in that fake magic episode. I know it was alot. They seem to fight alot of supernatural stuff in Iowa. Why is that?

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  5. First of all, I love this title. Second, I really liked the episode but I agree that it´s a bit depressing. Like Jay was saying, he had no one now, and didn´t feel at all like he had done the right thing.

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  6. "You pick these strangers over me?" Foreshadowing? It's hard to see this episode as anything other than a hint about the end of the season - especially since it was another weak one.

    I laughed when I saw the comment above. For some time, I have thought that someone we care about (Dean, Sam, Bobby, even Ruby or Anna) might be the final seal. Not sure how that would work, but it would be one hell (pun intended) of a twist.

    Loved Chief. The only light in a downer of an episode. Wonder what Dean's safe word is???

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  7. I know no one has commented on this episode review in years but there was another reference to Angel in that Charlie was played by the creepy head honcho from Wolfram & Hart. The one who's kids are taken by the senior partners.

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  8. Anonymous, Doux Reviews is a time travel site. It's never too late to comment on a classic show.

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  9. "Chief: "Before we get started, what's your safe word?"
    Okay, it's been done many times before, but that scene made me laugh. Maybe it was Dean's face. He wasn't threatened or amused."
    For me it was the in-between-y moment, Dean's face right after "Before we get started," he has this "Yes?" expression with the raised eyebrows that really gets me lol.
    Well, I really loved this episode for one. I love the core concept of it, a group of friends with one of them turning bad but trying to bring their friends into the fold with him. And in the end the betrayal, righteous as it is, is from the good guy among them. I think there's something really powerful and realistic about displaying the non-triumphant feeling that goes with being proactive like this. And there's always gonna be poignancy about people really letting themselves think about the end of things, and just properly soaking in what's undeniably heading towards a grim outcome, despite how hardwired hope and faith is into us. And I can't believe they did all that in an episode with a title like this. Though I think they hit diminishing returns in having people call the stand-in a douchebag repeatedly, lol. I think it would've been funnier if it's only either in the title episode, or the episode's lines itself.
    Also something about the Criss Angel guy's death scene was so funny. Just the idea of an otherwise mundane death with heavy metal playing made me laugh. But otherwise I'm glad they kept the empathy in. It was almost relentless which I wouldn't expect for a story that didn't really involve the main characters.

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