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Supernatural: Good Intentions

"Whatever it takes."

It feels like we didn't get anywhere. But it was still a lot of fun running in place.

I've become fond of Jack, especially now that we know his heart is in the right place, and it seemed like it took forever to get back to Mad Max world and find out what happened after he arrived in Mary's prison. I'd hoped they would be on the run, but no.

It's often a storytelling mistake to make a supernatural character too powerful, and the Supernatural writers/producers don't tend to make storytelling mistakes. I keep wondering where they're ultimately going to go with Jack. His power was again the focal point of the episode, as the horrendous jerk of an archangel Michael and the new version of despicable old enemy Zachariah inflicted hallucinations on Jack in an unsuccessful attempt to control him and make him open a door to Earth-1. Which I assume will happen eventually, although not this time.

The new but already dead Zachariah
The old but also dead Zachariah

It was nice to see Mary Winchester connecting so quickly with Jack because of their common bond with the boys, and lovely that she already sees the good in Jack. Of course, Mary knew immediately that Michael would use her to get to Jack. Maybe not this time, but eventually. Instead, along with an old enemy, we also got to visit with an old friend.


Welcome back to the show, Bobby! I like how they manage to keep bringing him back even though he's been dead for several seasons. It was also nice that they gave him a previous relationship with Apocalypse World's Mary Campbell. Although I keep having logic issues with how they keep encountering the doppelgangers of the people they knew in the same geographical area, hanging around the outskirts of Huge Spike Place. Which isn't far from Bobby's refugee camp, which is sort of like the refugee hideout in the Terminator movie.

I really enjoyed the bit where Jack was entertaining the kids with simple shadow puppets that became extremely advanced and impossible shadow puppets. It was just adorable. Unfortunately, it was also what clued Beret Bobby in to what Jack actually is. I can't blame Beret Bobby for not wanting anything angel-related in his refugee camp. He didn't realize that Jack could be an exception.

Beret Bobby told Mary Winchester that Mary Campbell had been brave and sad, but full of regret. Most importantly, Mary Campbell didn't make the all-important demon deal. Turns out that maybe the demon deal was the right thing to do, because the existence of Dean and Sam Winchester in our world, and their absence in Apocalypse World, were what made all the difference. How about that?

Michael and his gang are desperate to get to our earth, but Beret Bobby won't leave because he's needed. A hero in both worlds, is Bobby. Of course he is.

Meanwhile back on Earth-1, Dean, Sam and Castiel were experiencing some unexpected challenges because as it turns out, the lack of a soul is a Very Bad Thing, even in a prophet called by God. Poor brain-dead Donatello. Damn. I liked him.


(Pause for thought. Since Donatello is still alive, a new prophet won't be called. Couldn't they find a way to bring Apocalypse Kevin Tran over to take his place? That would be fun.)

I always love the boys, but Jensen Ackles was in rare form this time. The bacon comment was funny enough, but Dean and Castiel confronting Gog and Magog in the empty field made me laugh like a loon. Gog and Magog seemed strangely fixated on how pretty Dean and Castiel are. Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins are indeed spectacularly beautiful, something that is usually ignored on this show. Probably because they are also very good actors.

While Sam mostly got hit on the head but overpowered Donatello anyway, there was an interesting focus on how dark a soldier Castiel is becoming. Although he was outvoted, Castiel wanted to kill the unfortunate Donatello so that another prophet could be called. (See my note above about finding a way to bring over Kevin Tran, please.) Some people can't be saved, Castiel said. Soldiers have to make decisions like this.

I don't like the idea that this coming conflict with Michael could make Castiel too dark. Please tell me that's not where they're going.

Bits:

— Four ingredients are needed to open the door: the grace of an archangel, fruit from the Tree of Life, the seal of Solomon, and the blood of a most holy man. The focus of the next episode or two, I assume.

— The constant thunderclaps in Mad Max world made me wonder how anyone ever gets any sleep. Also turns out that humans there can get migraines because they can feel warding. That turned out to be handy.

— A conversation in Canaanite. Not something you see on TV every day.

— This week: the MoL bunker, Mad Max world, and I'm not sure where the empty field was.

— Did Castiel find a nicer suit and better tie while he was in the Empty?

— Happy birthday to Jensen Ackles, who turned forty yesterday!

Quotes:

Sam: "Don't you think you should take it a little easy on the nitrates?"
Dean: "Dude, if bacon's what kills me, I win."

Donatello: "Whew! Running is hard."

(Dean snickers uncontrollably)
Castiel: "This is serious."
Dean: "Yeah, no, I know. But they're wearing... they're wearing loincloths."

Gog (in Canaanite): "Which shall we kill first?"
Magog: "I will kill the pretty one."
Dean: "It's like a furry diaper."
Castiel: "Dean!"
Gog: "They are equally pretty."

Bobby: (to Mary) "Well, hell, I thought you were a damn ghost. Turns out you're just from a whole other world. Which is... weirder, when you think about it."

Castiel: "What happened?"
Sam: "Donatello happened. He attacked me."
Dean: "The Muppet professor attacked you? Why?"

Dean: "What else do we know? Besides all work and no play makes Donatello a homicidal boy?"

Fun was definitely had. Three out of four furry diapers,

Billie
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Billie Doux has been reviewing Supernatural for so long that Dean and Sam Winchester feel like old friends. Courageous, adventurous, gorgeous old friends.

5 comments:

  1. You know every time I see Dean and Sam and their perfect teeth, it pops into my head the John didn’t make sure they had enough to eat, a safe place to live, or an adequate education, but he did make sure they went to the dentist twice a year! Then I have to remind myself those are Jared and Jensen’s teeth, and the Padalecki and Ackles families apparently did encourage dental care(and orthodontia)


    Loved Jand and Mary and Bobbie. As much as I loved Dean’s I hate you, I love you to Mary last season I thought all the way through it “a) she had no idea what she was giving up when she made that deal and b. If she hadn’t Maddie the deal, John would have stayed dead, Sam and Dean would have never been born, and who would have saved the world then? Maybe seeing bizarro earth a few times will stop Deans “we would mind not being born” rif .

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  2. Sorry for the typos! I guess I should post after sleeping pill. Jand=Jack, Maddie=made

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  3. For a moment there I thought that Gog and Magog would be imprisoned in the empty, but not yet. Wonder when it will come back into play.

    Also, do they have to kill the Pope? :) Or is there any other most holy man?

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  4. Anonymous, comments are very welcome here but I delete them if they include spoilers for later episodes. A lot of readers read along when they're watching a show the first time.

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  5. Hard episode for me to watch because of Mad Max World, I felt that poor Mary was going to be screwed either way in her life in terms of how things ended up! The forks in the road both lead to awful things for her and her family. She never catches a break! None of them do...

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