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Supernatural: The Rising Son

It's a statistical fact that Sam gets better
looking every season
"That was a sneeze. Maybe the next time he sneezes, he kills us."

I'm enjoying this. It's a new and interesting dilemma for the Winchesters.

One of the things I've liked best about the last couple of seasons is that Dean and Sam have been on the same page again. But this thing with Jack is the sort of brotherly conflict I'm okay with because it isn't artificial, like the Mark of Cain or Sam losing his soul; it's a reflection of their personalities, who the brothers really are.

Sam, being Sam, is determined to mentor Jack, to help him control his power and find the goodness in himself, to hope for the best possible outcome. And of course, it's in character for our Dean, the monster-killing tough guy, to see Jack as evil, to stay hardened so that he could be ready to take Jack out. I particularly loved the little scene in the alley where Sam explained to Jack that Dean has a deep need to protect everyone. And you know, I also think a part of this is Dean's automatic protectiveness toward Sam in particular, whom we all remember was tortured for a century by Jack's father.

But considering what we just learned, that (1) Jack is not projecting evil, and (2) he might be more powerful than an archangel, I think Sam's choice will prevail and Dean will come around. Especially after that scene in the bunker where Dean was freaked when he found Jack angrily stabbing himself.


Sam's gambit could already be working. Jack is already referring to the Winchesters and Donatello as his friends and he overpowered a Prince of Hell for them. And I absolutely loved the scene in the hotel where Jack mimicked Dean while they were eating. Jack is so literal and innocent that he keeps reminding me of Misha Collins as Castiel. Unfortunately, Jack is also easily fooled. He needs some grounding, some time to adjust to the world so that he can learn to make better decisions. In other words, he needs some solid parenting and time to grow up.

But how long will the Winchesters be able to hide Jack? Will the bunker's warding be enough when Jack is projecting waves of power that angels and demons – and prophets – are so easily picking up? And thank you, show, for bringing back the prophet Donatello. Even without his soul, he's a hoot. (That bit about Mr. Rogers was perfect.)

While I loved every scene with the boys, Jack and Donatello, I was less happy with Asmodeus, the latest shapeshifting pretender to Hell's Throne, who feels like House of Cards' Frank Underwood by way of Colonel Sanders. While I enjoyed the references to the current administration, especially the way Asmodeus eliminated minions like they were unsuccessful contestants on a reality show, Asmodeus will never hold a candle to Crowley. His unsuccessful plan to raise the Shedim at the Hellmouth kept reminding me of the Ubervamps, too.


Meanwhile over in Mad Max World, I kept thinking that Lucifer can be a lot of fun when he isn't hurting people we care about, and that he and Mary were sort of cute together. Lucifer is certainly smart enough to know Mary is an asset, and keeping her to exchange for Jack is actually a clever plan. The finger-snapping destruction of the evil angels was fun, too.

And it's about time that archangel Michael turned up for a bigger engagement. We've only met him twice before, and way too briefly, when he was inhabiting John and Adam. In the Mad Max reality, Michael killed Lucifer in the skies over Abilene, but now Michael says he needs our Lucifer for something else. For what?

Bits:

— Come on, Dean. Let Jack watch Scooby-Doo. Don't give him a Bible! There's way too much in that Bible that could upset Jack, or give him delusions of something. Right?

— You'd think the product of a human and an archangel would involve the subtraction of power, not multiplication or addition, but no.

— Jack can teleport, even without wings (loved the thing with the door at the hotel). I'm sure that will come in handy.

— The disappearing tattoo bit was fun. Especially Sam's explanation that the pentagram was a family crest.

— Clearly, the women's movement bypassed Mad Max world.

— This week: the Black Hat Hotel somewhere in Wyoming. The hotel featured dark blue walls, red furniture and big ugly paintings. (Jack made me laugh when he said, "This is nice!")

— Also, Jasper, Wyoming, which is apparently a Hellmouth. The Princes of Hell are partial to Wyoming, aren't they? I seem to remember that was where Azazel bit the dust, am I right?

Quotes:

Drexel: "Lord Lucifer promised he would return. He’ll pull us out of chaos. He will make Hell great again."
I'm glad they brought Drexel back. He's a fun minion.

Sam: "We still got probably twelve hours until we're home. Do you want me to drive?"
Dean: "Do I ever want you to drive?"

Sam: "Dude, you were hallucinating sheep on the road. We need a few hours."

Dean: "Wait, wait, wait. How old do you think you are?"
Jack: "Three days, seventeen hours and forty-two minutes."
Very Spock-like. Or Data-like.

Donatello: "No soul, of course, thanks to Amara. It's kind of like losing your appendix; you never really noticed it when you had it. But now, when I come to a moral crossroad, I ask myself, 'What would Mister Rogers do?' And as soon as I nail that, I'm usually good."

Asmodeus: "Do it for God!"
For some reason, I found that really funny.

Dean: "Hopefully, this fourth Prince of Hell is the last Kardashian in the family."

Jack: "So if you're right..."
Dean: "If I'm right, and it comes to killing you, I'll be the one to do it."
If Jack truly doesn't want to hurt anyone, that could almost be reassuring.

Really enjoyed this one. Three out of four Kardashians,

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

11 comments:

  1. i am really excited about this season, let´s hope Jack stays with the boys for a long time!!!

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  2. I do find it pretty funny that the actor who plays Donatello is involved in yet another powerful magical young person plot (see Angel Season 3). Still at least Jack isn't as much of a mope as Connor was and has a bit more going on than Dawn did.

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  3. Hmmm...interesting. You guys seem to think Supernatural has some new life this season?? I dropped it last year after 2 eps. Shall I reconsider?? Is there hope for Supernatural??:)


    'I'm not a Borg'

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  4. TJ, I'm probably not the one to ask. In its exceedingly long run, I've never dropped Supernatural. I've gotten a little tired of it at times, but I'm still into it.

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  5. I've gotten frustrated with last season but this season could be interesting I just want some more original monsters cause AHHH

    Also I think we know how the crossover will happen

    Let's go jack

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  6. I wonder if Jack - "a product of an archangel and a human" - has a soul

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  7. Anonymous, that's a really good question. I don't remember them addressing the soul situation.

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  8. My guess is that he does. Since beings like angels and demons can use human souls as a source of power, perhaps the reason a nephelim is so powerful is that it can tap its own soul as a power source. But at least in the case of the human who was drawing on her own soul to wield angel-like powers, that eroded the soul over time. Perhaps that's why nephilim have historically been destructive: they may not start out evil but they lose their souls through wielding power?

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  9. It's great that Jack will stay with the brothers for longer. I was half expecting them to lose him in this episode and then spend all episodes before the winter finale with: there's no leads on Jack so lets do random cases of the week. This will be more fun.

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  10. You are so right about how Jack reminds one of Castial! He even looks like him. I feel so bad for the little guy because he's just trying his best,plus like you pointed out in an earlier review, Jack is trying to imprint on a "father" figure, first because Castial is gone and two he's like a little duckling trying to do what his mother taught him in the womb...

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  11. Dean is being shitty.. I should appreciate the return to basics and his familiar prejudices but in a show that dealt with Based God directly I can't stand his lingering anti- Powerful Beings sentiments anymore. Doubts are fine and well-justified (Jack just LOOKS evil to me lol), but Dean is having an attitude about it and I DIDN'T like the way he assured Jack he'll be the one to put him down if he acts out. Grow up already. Thankfully, Donatello's return was inspired and he fit in so perfectly again... hope he sticks around. He has the right "cautiously optimistic" approach, while even Sam just feels a little too much like he's reaching and trying to prove an ideal.
    This show feels weirdly bare again. Not necessarily a bad thing, but the missing/dead characters are felt. Pretty surprising since I'm good about moving on from even wrongful character deaths (Eileen the most recent example, that was just awful and graphic which is what they should've done with Toni and that old hag -- Rowena would be even more recent if it turns out that really is her last non-appearance, I haven't spoiled myself on it somehow)

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