Home Featured TV Shows All TV Shows Movie Reviews Book Reviews Articles Frequently Asked Questions About Us

Supernatural: Clap Your Hands If You Believe

Dean: "I had a close encounter, Sam. And I won."
Sam: "You should take a shower."

Can a post-Kripke Supernatural still do an outstanding comedy episode? Survey says... yes. In fact, this might be my first episode review to consist entirely of quotes.

No, not really. Because even though it was very funny, it was still about the brothers, as every good Supernatural episode should be. Dean was struggling to connect with Sam and his protective instincts finally kicked in – you Pinocchio, me Jiminy Cricket. And although I found Sam hilarious, it was also clear to me that Sam does not want his soul back. Why would he? He's having a great time hunting with Dean and having uncomplicated sex with random hippie chicks. Why would he want to brood in the dark and carefully choose every single word he says?

Is it me, or was there a weird sort of sexual tension between Sam and Dean? If you've read my reviews, you know how I feel about Supernatural slash (one word: gagworthy) but Sam was all about the sexual double entendres: the crack about servicing Oberon, the way he put his hand on Dean's knee? If Sam is only interested in hunting and sex, and he feels no connection to Dean as a brother... ick. Please tell me I'm imagining it. Or maybe it was just the writers playing with the homoerotic subtext again? (Becky, how I miss you.)


Anyway, back to the fairy plot, which was comical and dark and didn't overpower the rest of the story. Loved the X-Files trimmings as well as the credits; the Close Encounters of the Third Kind scene with the RVs; the crop circle (was it in the shape of a headset?); Dean accidentally mugging a little person who turned out to be the D.A. The disappearing holographic doctor from Star Trek Voyager as a leprechaun was like an in-joke inside an in-joke.

And Dean tossing the fairy into the microwave? Classic. I howled. *DING*

Bits and pieces:

— The scene in the cafe where Dean was instructing Sam on how to mourn for him was just wonderful. You do not have sex with the hippie chick; you sit in your motel room and suffer.

— They deserve credit for folding fairy lore into the already established Supernaturalverse, with the iron, silver and salt. What the watchmaker did with the leprechaun certainly sounded like a crossroads deal. Loved the cream acting on fairies like tequila, too.

— I enjoy seeing Robert Picardo (Wayne the leprechaun) in anything. I've also seen him at a con, as someone commented, and he is very funny and warm and a wonderful guest.

— This week: Elwood, Indiana. The boys were reporters from the "Mirror." The motel room (room nine, and it's the ninth episode of the season) included a lot of ugly green and an uncomfortably phallic corncob mural.

— The fall blitz is over and it's hiatus time. The next episode will air December 3.

Please excuse my inordinately long quote section:

Sam: "What, flying saucers not insane enough for you?"
Woman: "What newspaper did you say you worked for?"
Sam: "If you want to add glitter to that glue you're sniffing, that's fine. But don't dump your whackadoo all over us. We'd rather not step in it."
Dean: "Okay, we're done."
Sam: "The only thing you're missing is a couple of dozen cats, sister."
Dean: "It's a blood sugar thing. My apologies."

Sam: "So you're saying you'll be my Jiminy Cricket."
Dean: "Shut up. But yeah, you freaking puppet. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Dean: (on the phone) "Close encounter! Close encounter!"
Sam: "Close encounter? What kind? First, second?"
Dean: "They're after me!"
Sam: "Third kind already? You better run, man. I think the fourth kind is a butt thing."
Dean: "Empathy, Sam! Empathy!"

Hippie chick: "Your brother was abducted?"
Sam: "Yeah."
Hippie chick: "Oh my God."
Sam: "It's fine. I mean, I've had time to adjust."
Hippie chick: "Did it happen when you were kids?"
Sam: "No, like half an hour ago."

Sam: "So you've been hunting UFOs for over three decades and you basically have no concrete data and zero workable leads. Have you considered the possibility that you suck at hunting UFOs?"

Hippie chick: "But it's just... what were they like?"
Dean: "They were grabby, incandescent douche bags. Good night."
(She leaves)
Sam: "You're upset."
Dean: "I was abducted, and you were banging patchouli."
Sam: "I didn't think she smelled that bad."

Dean: "And then suddenly I was in a different place. And there were these... beings. And they were too bright to look at, but I could feel them pulling me towards this sort of... table."
Sam: "Probing table."
Dean: "God, don't say that out loud!"

Dean: "So if aliens are actually real, what's next, huh? Hobbits? Seriously."

Dean: "Yes, you sit in the dark and you feel the loss."
Sam: "Absolutely. But couldn't I just do all that and have sex with the hippie chick?"
Dean: "No!"
Sam: "It would be in the dark."

Dean: "It was a little glowing hot naked lady with nipples, and she hit me."
Sam: "I'm not supposed to laugh, right?"

Sam: "You're the one who pizza-rolled Tinker Bell. I'm just doing the math."

Sam: "Dean, did you service Oberon, King of the Fairies?"

Dean: "I gotta say, I love the feel. It's... it's..."
Sam: "It's like Sedona Arizona crapped in here."
Dean: "Pewter-ific is what it is."

Dean: "God, is it on me? I feel like I've got the crazy on me."
Sam: "No. You did sit in some glitter, though."

Sam: "What am I supposed to do?"
Dean: "Fight the fairies! You fight those fairies! Fight the fairies!"

Sheriff: "I'm just trying to understand exactly what kind of hate crime this even was."
Dean: "It wasn't a hate crime."
Sheriff: "I mean, if this gentleman were a full sized homosexual, would that be okay with you?"
Dean: "I don't hate any size person... or... or any size gay guy."

Safe to say Ben Edlund is still my favorite Supernatural writer. Four out of four microwaved fairies,

Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

22 comments:

  1. While quote worthy, I really didn't like much this episode. The moment I saw the location subtitle, I knew this was an X-Files spoof, but it didn't work for me: both "Sam" and Dean were completely off character. Dean, for example, would never have run from that hobo, "abduction" or not. He would have asked for an explanation. Forcefully.

    The fight with the fairy?. Bad, bad fight. The guys working on the watch store?. Abysmal CG. And it all felt like a cheap rehash of a Grimm tale.

    Sorry, but the only think I liked was Picardo. He was phenomenal, even counting grains of salt (or was that sugar?). He always A's his work. He's the reason I'm giving this TWO microwave fairies instead of one.

    Oh, and yeah, it's so obvious that "Sam" doesn't want his soul back (especially after that speech from Dean, which was funny but probably the stupidest thing he could say if he feared that "Sam" was on the fence) that I can't for the life of me believe that Dean is believing him. Again.

    Thanks for the review, Billie.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous, you had me going "whaa?" Have I lost my mind, thinking this episode was terrific? Am I terrible reviewer? Do I love Supernatural so much that I can't see it objectively any more?

    I don't usually read other people's reviews, but you got me so paranoid that I just did Google search on the episode title and checked out the first few that came up. Oddly enough, they loved it as much as I did. I am relieved. I am not losing my mind. I am not a bad reviewer, I am telling myself. Truly.

    http://technorati.com/entertainment/tv/article/supernatural-recap-clap-your-hands-if/

    http://www.avclub.com/articles/clap-your-hands-if-you-believe,47897/

    http://www.tvfanatic.com/2010/11/supernatural-review-clap-your-hands-if-you-believe/

    http://www.daemonstv.com/2010/11/19/supernatural-clap-your-hands-if-you-believe-review/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Of course, Anonymous, you are very much entitled to your opinion, and I didn't mean to imply that you weren't. (I just re-read my comment and it sounded a tad confrontational.)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm completely with you, Billie. This was my favourite episode of the season. I laughed out loud more times than I care to mention.

    With regards the homoeroticism, I personally didn't sense any. I interpretted Sam putting his hand on Dean's knee as Sam trying to act like a proper human being. He was trying to comfort/reassure Dean (after being blasted earlier in the episodes for seeming not to care), but it came across as so obviously contrived (and as something Sam would just never do), that Dean spotted it right away and just looked uncomfortable.

    Stand out moments: Dean screaming he was having a close encounter, and the microwave pinging after the fairy got baked. Priceless.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Best comedic episode since the black and white monster mash episode. Jared is waaaay funnier than we give him credit for. Actually, his character is reminding me a bit of how Castiel didn't get things in the beginning. Speaking of...Castiel was in the credits and not in the actual episode. Booooooooooooooo.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Loved it. Best episode all season, even with the lacking plot development.

    The writing was so on, and the boys did a wonderful job delivering the lines. Reminded me of "Yellow Fever". I sort of agree that Dean was a bit out of character, but it worked so I can overlook it.

    I didn't sense any homoerotic tones, and trust me I would have been all over it had there been. Billie where is that dirty mind of yours, Naughty!

    Never loled so much at a Supernatural episode. And double boooo on no Cas.

    Billie just noticed the new pic of Misha on the Supernatural episode guide. How utterly adorable he is.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ben Edlund I could kiss you.

    Besides the season premiere I’ve been enjoyed season six a lot more than I thought I would. Seems all by fears and doubts that Supernatural would be less good post-Eric Kripke were for nothing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well, Billie, if you liked it and I hated it, that would never made you a bad reviewer. In fact, I've been reading your reviews for years and I'll never believe you can be anything other than an exceptional reviewer.

    Don't know why I hated this episode so much while everybody else loved it. Guess I just did. Or I'm turning into an bitter old hag. That could be as well ;)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I enjoyed this episode. It wasn't as great as some of Ben Edlund's other offerings, but it had some very funny moments, and I just love Robo-Sam and the way he and Dean bounce off each other. I especially loved the Pinnochio references, and how they brought it back again at the end with Sam asking if Robert Picardo was his Blue Fairy.

    BTW, your "disappearing holographic doctor" reference felt vaguely insulting to Robert Picardo. I know you were just drawing a line to another character he's well-known for, but at least give the man his due by mentioning his real name. (Thanks to Anonymous for the hat tip!) I have no idea why I'm feeling overly sensitive on Mr. Picardo's behalf. I guess I was excited to see him guest starring, and like to see the man's talent acknowledged. (Anyone remember him in 'China Beach'? Such a far cry from the roles he's best known for. Guy's got range.)

    I agree with Paul re: the slash vibes and his interpretation of the hand on knee scene.

    I was definitely howling about the fairy in the microwave. "You're the one who pizza-rolled Tinkerbell!" Right up there with the oversize stuffed teddy bear blowing his head off with a shotgun. Edlund-y goodness.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jess, you're right. I did have a couple of lines on Robert Picardo and they somehow disappeared in my final draft; I added them back in.

    I'm glad I was imagining the slash vibes. Maybe it was all the references to Dean having an unpleasant experience on the other side, something they never did answer.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This was the funniest episode they have had in a while! I don't think I actually laughed all the way through a SN episode before!!!

    I am also LOVING how Sam and Dean play off each other. Jared is really doing a great job, and I feel like he's almost been overlooked in past seasons.But still, I think I'm ready for Sammy to come back. This show is really about the brotherly bond and a "Give'em Hell" attitude, and I want that back!

    "Fight the Faries SAM!!!!"
    "Empathy, Sam, Empathy!" LOLOL

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm confused--Sam doesn't have a soul and is basically a psychopath--no sense of ethics, empathy, love or caring. Yet when Bobby exchanged his soul for Death's location in a deal with Crowley, he still had all of these things. He was still Bobby--even though Crowley had his soul.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous, Bobby did sell his soul but he still had it until he died, and broke the deal before that happened. Crowley was just holding the pink slip, or promissory note.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I freakin loved this episode and your review, Billie, rocks!
    Ben Edlund also still rocks and he is my Supernatural writer. I could not stop laughing, seriously! The fairy plot was hilarious and gave way for amazing double entendres. But this episode had also a serious tone, as well with Sam being completely different than he was in earlier seasons.
    Great mix of hilarious comedy with amazing quotes and seriousness. And I loved the credits.
    Ben Edlund is just amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I think Sam still wants his soul back--as much as he can "want" anything that is not booze, food and sex. But at some point I think soul-less Sam will become like Echo on Dollhouse. Not wanting to give up his individuality.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The first thing that came to mind with the fairy plot was True Blood. Is it me or have fairies been on the radar more since True Blood? Supernaural picked up on the UFO misconceptions just as True Blood mentioned. Not putting down one show or the other - LOVE them both - that was just what came to mind this episode. Thought the humour this episode was great but really hope Sam gets his soul back.

    ReplyDelete
  17. After a rewatch, I think one of my favorite things was the final scene drinking beers on the hood of the Impala. Both boys scarred up from losing fights with fairies. They come out of battles with demons and vampires without a scratch, but tussle with a fairy? You'll regret it!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love this episode and Ben Edlund is a god, after Joss Whedon of course.
    I love the credits and the crazy amount of quotes are just really good. But they dealt the funny with the serious pretty good too, they found a balance.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I think this epsiode reminded me too much the fairy episode from Torchwood. That's why I didn't love it completely. Ben Edlund is still great, but Weekend at Bobbie's is still number one of the season.

    Also why does Sam act all soulless like with other people? I know Dead gave him the ok to stop pretending, but it's like Sam lost all sense of self-restraint. After all he was faking it for a year. So why have toruble now?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Breath of fresh air! I was ready for a break and this one delivered in spades. Absolutely loved it.

    Billie -- you picked up on all my favourite quotes. The "I'm not supposed to laugh, right?" had me in crying. JP's delivery was perfect..

    ReplyDelete
  21. X-Files spoof credits with Castiel in them (even though he wasn't in the ep, boo) and The Doctor - Ben Edlund sure knows how to make me happy :) This is probably the first time I've actually enjoyed soulless Sam as well - I like the plot and it's interesting, but I'm so over-ready for Sam to get his soul back now. They made the most of it here, though.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Robo Sam works better then regular Sam in these kind of episodes especually the whole oh wow 3rd already watch out 4th is supposed too be butt stuff

    But Dean attacking the short guy was just a riot FIGHT THE FAIRIES SAM FIGHT THE FAIRIES

    ReplyDelete

We love comments! We moderate because of spam and trolls, but don't let that stop you! It’s never too late to comment on an old show, but please don’t spoil future episodes for newbies.