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

Supernatural: The Bad Seed

I prefer my Supernatural episodes fast paced and funny or intensely dramatic, not a dreary rehash of plot lines past designed to set up an arc I’m not thrilled about. I had no emotional connection to the episode in any way. It didn’t make me laugh or cry. It didn’t frighten me. Every character beat we got in this episode (and precious few there were) is something we’ve seen before. Add to the mix ghosts of big bads past (and not even the good ones) and it all made for an episode I didn’t despise but certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to watch again.

I’m totally unsure of Crowley’s plan. He’s all for educating the littlest evil in the ways of Hitler but squirms when she takes out one of his minions. He bought her a pretty pink pop-up book and even though he knows perfectly well that she eats souls, he attempts to feed her cupcakes when she says that she’s hungry and later tries to put her on a soul diet. What’s going on here? Did he bite off more than he can chew? Does he want her close so he can rein her in? And if so, why? Why not help the Winchesters defeat her? Is it just a pride thing? Is he still in denial about being their sidekick? In any case, Amara is now a bitchy little tween and Crowley’s hands are certainly full.

We got another largely unnecessary scene selling us on how big and bad the Darkness is. We get it. Darkness = bad. That’s been established; can we move on? This is the scene that really pushed me overboard on the mediocrity of this episode. It was poorly acted and so poorly written it felt like a rough draft the writers ran out of time to revisit. Or maybe the episode just ran short and they had to throw something together quickly to kill time. We did get the tease that the grunts of the angels and demons world have had it up to here with being redshirted and might just be ready to take things into their own hands. Which might be interesting if the show manages to introduce some non-Cas angels and non-Crowley demons with actual personalities. As it is, they’re all dull and interchangeable. This show used to have a truly great roster of supporting/recurring characters. It really feels like the writers have given up on having us care about any character who isn’t main cast. We still have Jody Mills at least. (Please don’t ever kill Jody.)

The Lucifer name drop might serve as an important reminder about the early seasons politics of Hell. Crowley was anti-Lucifer to the point that he provided an integral role in Lucifer’s imprisonment. So is dear old Uncle Crowley’s endgame with Amara to keep Lucifer locked up and himself on the throne? The past couple episodes have ever so slightly hinted that it might be time for the cage to be opened and Lucifer, Michael, and poor, forgotten Adam to be set free. Which, can I just say, PLEASE! And please, writers, let Mark Pellegrino return to play Lucifer. I don’t care what sort of crazy plot gymnastics you have to throw in there to make it happen.


Returning from the land of hopeful wishing, the best part of the episode for me was Rowena, which sort of says a lot. Rowena’s annoyed me from day one. Everything about her is so ridiculously over the top. She’s like the Vegas showgirl version of a Supernatural villain. I get why the show keeps Crowley around despite all logic, I do. He’s fun and funny and Mark Sheppard. Rowena has none of that going for her and it’s ridiculous she’s still wandering around making trouble. Because this review is really just an epic bitchfest and I appreciate you reading this far I’m going to lighten it up for my take on what Rowena’s been up to.












What else happened this week? Cas went super crazy and almost killed an extra but didn’t and has now been miraculously cured of whatever curse it was that made him super crazy. Kind of a waste of time there. Also, the gang is on the hunt for Metatron because…I really have no idea. They need him to defeat the Darkness? We’ve been down the trusting Metatron road. It didn’t turn out great. And how much do I hate Metatron? Please let the Winchesters kill him the next time he pops up. Please oh please oh please.

Bits and Pieces:

— Undercover Dean looked strangely familiar.


Quotes:

Dean: “Yeah, it’d be nice if He’d put down the Mai Tai and show up for work.”

Cas: “…scouring the earth for the perp. It’s slang for perpetrator.”

Claudette: “You can’t do this! I have rights!”
Dean: “And I have a fake badge.” *winks*

I could really use some feedback on this one guys. Is my criticism warranted? Am I alone in my dislike of Rowena and outright hatred of Metatron? Can anyone come up with a better term than megacoven?

two out of four megacovens
---
sunbunny, who is not Billie Doux

17 comments:

  1. I didn't think this one was especially bad, but to be brutally frank I think the show in general is pretty tired at this point. I keep watching because I like the characters of Sam, Dean, Castiel, and Crowley, and that's more than most TV shows have going for them. But there's no avoiding the fact that Supernatural has now gone on more than twice as long as it was ever intended to last - and sometimes it shows. At a certain point the suspension of disbelief with the same characters and situations becomes a Herculean task. But I'm in it to the bitter end. Who knows - maybe they'll surprise us. Supernatural lasting this long in the first place was certainly a surprise...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally agree that is was not the Best hour of supernatural I have seen. But I Think you are to harsh.
    I hope that the darkness turns out to be the one who really created the Universe and that God could not stand that it was a woman so he tricked her and locked her up, and then took the honour.
    Even though I love to read the reviews on This site I have been thinking for a while, that it is getting kind of frustrating that Billie and now you is getting irritated on the show or just is not into it anymore. Because the reviews are becoming more and more a product of that view.
    Sorry if it is too harsh

    ReplyDelete
  3. Malene, we have to say what we think. Like TheShadowKnows, I'm in it until the end. I liked the first two episodes of this season and I'm hoping for the best for season 11.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was so not in the mod for blood death, suffering....
    But hey a new episode, I had no choise. luckely for me this was a realy realy nice one.
    like drinking beer with feiends befor the storm. (cheers for the hilerios bar scena with the suprising outcome, too bad Amara ate the demo-demon)
    and I have a bad fealing about this storm.

    for me the theam of this episode, was the *unnatural* God forced setup of the supernatural-verse.
    And about end-game, what is Crowly real desires, how about the heavens?

    And where is God?
    (I hear that he is closer then we think\cut scene to Crowly)

    If Amara could be tricked into a trap and striped of her powers, could this be the case with the big G? (hmmm what could cage such powerfull beiing)

    And last but not least I give you UberCoven

    ...yes I know

    ReplyDelete
  5. I liked this one quite a bit, but then I'm a sucker for Cas episodes. I also loved that Crowley gave Amara a 19th century nanny complete with apron, and the acknowledgement of Dean nearly killing Cas last time he saw him at the end (plus Sam's 'what was that?!' face). I loved the scene with the angel and the demon too, even if it was ripped right out of Pratchett/Gaiman's Good Omens (they can't use the same names since that's where they got 'Crowley' from...)

    It's so funny that you put a pic of Angel in the review, cause a different part of the episode reminded me of Angel - Evil Cas stalking a girl down a dark alley, just like Angelus. I also appreciated the woman Dean was perving on telling him where to go. He seriously has to stop being so creepy - leering at a woman at random, especially on a dark night when she's alone, is horrifying behaviour. At least she called him on it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Juliette - I swear I totally thought of you during the Dean leering part. You're so right. He really needs to grow up.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm kind of iffy about this one. I liked the scenes with Amara. It seems like they're setting her up to be as much as a creative force as she is a destructive force. SPN has burned me before with promising villains (looking at you, Godstiel and Demon!Dean), but I'm tentatively hopeful that she'll be interesting.

    I really, really dislike Rowena. Mega Coven? Really? While she does play off the boys well, I think that she's starting to overstay her welcome. (As is Crowley, but that's a different manner.)

    I'm blaming Dean's leering on the writers more than Dean. It was very OOC for him. I mean, Cas is missing and under some attack dog spell, and Dean hits on a woman? When was the last time that we saw that happening anyway?

    ReplyDelete
  8. I enjoyed the episode. It wasn't the best and it wasn't the worst. Even the best seasons (like 4 or 5) had some episodes that weren't stellar. The second episode of season 11 was one of the greats, episode 3 was so so. I'm really looking forward to "Baby" next week! It's still one of the most entertaining shows on TV.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love following your reviews and reading everyone's comments after a show. it helps me to view more critically and pick up on things I might have missed. It also helps explains references I don't get (not being American).
    Being a new convert to Supernatural I haven't had time to get tired of it. But, because I'm still loving it, the constant comments about how this should be the last season are really beginning to grate on me.
    I can understand why you didn't rate this very highly, Sunbunny. But funnily, I enjoyed this one more than the last (except for Sam's part - I found that more interesting than Deans. Well until Crowley showed up).
    I, too, find Rowena intensely annoying and wish someone would kill her off. I really hated the way she got in Crowley's head last season. I would have thought a master manipulator like him would see right through her. That never worked for me.

    I think Crowley has bitten off more than he can chew with Amara.
    I would love to see Lucifer back especially played by Mark Pellegrino again. And can we FINALLY get poor Adam out of that cage? It's pretty obvious that the cage is going to be part of the plot in the future. Robert Singer even posted a picture of one on Instagram.
    Even with weak episodes I still want Supernatural to run and run. I just love that universe.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I liked this one more than last week's as well, though I've liked all three episodes this season. I'm wondering if Amara is a force of emptiness in a way that other bad guys haven't been - one Heaven and Hell will have to join forces to defeat.

    They keep talking about God too - part of me wonders (hopes?!) whether they might bring Chuck back...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi,
    I was pretty bored and totally share your view.
    I can't stand anymore spineless angels and demons, bring us some Azazell, Ruby, Lilith, Zachariah... We hated them because they were evil. I hated the politics meeting in the bar. I also hate Metatron and his 5 minutes talk, he is boring and don't understand why they want to trust him again. Stupid.
    I love Crowley but think it becomes ridiculous how Dean refuses to kill him: Dean, do you remember that he tortured Kevin and his mom, he killed Sarah, he sent Bobby to hell.... And I don't like his mansion. I want him in action, not closed in this cheap set.
    Cass is also a problem this days. Sorry but lately he is pointless. I don't want to start a fight , I just want him to have a good storyline. He could have had one here, even for 3 episodes but they wasted it just like they wasted Demon Dean just because they are too afraid to make him do something wrong. Under the curse, he killed a dog (okay, bad Cass) but offscreen and killed 3 angels (who cares, he does it every time he meets one of his brothers (and the angel blades that used to be rare but now are in every corners are also boring)). If you want to curse him as a rabid dog, then DO IT, make him kill every person he meets and don't let him in control 90% of the time, show us it's was an emergency to cure him. I bet now he is going to be send on a chase to Metatron, like the last 2 seasons.
    I have never been found of Rowena, her acting is annoying but to be honest she saved the episode and it says a lot about the episode.
    I like young Amara, spn has always been good with evil kids but I am not found about the adult Amara.
    Sam and Dean didn't have much to do, and it usually hurt the show.
    Sorry Jensen you deserved a better writing to direct. How could they messed up so much this script, they had so much materiel.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well, I've watched and loved from the beginning, but halfway through this episode, I turned to my daughter and said "You know, I'm just not interested in this tonight". Turned it off and went to bed. Probably won't even finish watching it on my PVR. I'm getting that old "jumped the shark" feeling and I wish I weren't.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I recognize this storyline from Charmed 15 years ago. Good and Evil fighting together against The Hollow that consumes all the world and all the magic into Nothingness. Of course, the Evil King (in Charmed's case The Source) can't resist trying to harness The Hollow to get more powerful himself, and he fails miserably. Charmed did this in one episode. I'm afraid this storyline looks to be a season arc for Supernatural.

    That said, I loved seeing Rowena again (and I know - I'm a minority here) - I think she's a hoot. But I am getting tired of Crowley and I genuinely dislike creepy children. I can't help thinking that the poor little actors playing different evil demons/murderers get scared for life. Thankfully, it looks like Amara is growing up fast...

    I guess I am also in it to the bitter end, but no more creepy children please!:)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Not one of my favorites. Ruth Connell is a delight in person and perfectly lovely but I still really dislike Rowena. tho her trying to sell "mega coven" was amusing. And I liked the scene between the angel and demon. But I am with this show til the end and the worst episode is still better than almost anything else.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I would like to throw in my vote for Rowena. I think that she's grand fun (although I HATED the "Mega coven" name.) I don't believe that she would be that clueless. I'm still processing the last few episodes, so this will be a short comment. I actually enjoy demon-child, but I dislike demon teenagers. I agree that the writers aren't using the boys (all four of them) enough. Here's the what is, in my opinion. We watch the show for the relationships between the guys. When a really cool character comes along (Jody, Charlie, Meg) I wish that we could keep them going. (Am I the only one who really, really misses Meg?) Hugs to all of you magnificent analysts. You really help me figure out my reactions to the show.

    ReplyDelete
  16. When Rowena came on the screen my first reaction was to roll my eyes, but then the first couple of scenes with her were actually quite amusing and I began to think...maybe absence does make the heart grow fonder? But I'd had too much of her by the end.

    I don't think the episode was quite as awful as the review, though Crowley seems to have had a massive reduction in IQ. I thought the angel and the demon drinking in the bar together was great.

    And I agree that Sam and Dean were are barely there this season. I mean, they're on the screen but there's not much interaction between them. The "oh, yeah, forgot to tell you about the deal I cut with Rowena" moment was...weak.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I thought this episode was pretty good, mega coven was lame but I think that was the idea. Jensen Ackles did direct this episode but he did good episodes in the past. I am from the UK so I enjoy reading this reviews and seeing other peoples views. The scene at the bar between the angel and demon discussing what was happening was pretty cool

    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.