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Supernatural: Gimme Shelter

"I have more dads than most, and I always just feel like I'm letting all of them down."

It was very Supernatural to combine religion with slasher flicks.

I thought this episode began with a very positive message – that caring for others was the strongest expression of faith. But that wasn't how it ended. Pastor Joe was rethinking his choices in the end, saying maybe he should have been taking care of his daughter Sylvia instead. But I honestly didn't get how he was not taking care of his daughter. Sylvia had his constant caring presence and a positive example in front of her, and she ended up becoming a psycho Saw/Seven serial killer, anyway. Even factoring in her mother's faith-related death, it didn't make a lot of sense.

But I did enjoy Castiel and Jack on the case, with Highway to Heaven jokes and of course, acknowledgement that Chuck and his current world-destroying activities gave an episode about faith a whole different twist. In fact, I thought the best part of the episode was Castiel jumping in when Jack was asked to share his own story, something Jack could never do. I was touched by the way Castiel told that story. He's the perfect example of a shift from blind faith to service, a change that brought him a new life and a family he loves. Pulling Dean out of Hell changed everything for Castiel, way back when.

And Jack's joy and enthusiasm for the case was endearing, especially considering the reveal at the end that he knows he's going to die, and that he believes that it's the only way the Winchesters will ever forgive him for what he did to Mary. Is that true, though? Is Jack unforgivable? I don't believe that.


In the B plot, Dean and Sam took a road trip to Atlantic City to track down Amara, who is doing what extremely powerful beings tend to do on this show – enjoying new human experiences while indulging in junk food. Amara has a new look that is... pink. If that's a new expression of her inner self, I really don't want her dead. I find it difficult to see Amara as just another "cosmic dick."

Dean took the opportunity to ask Amara why she resurrected Mary for him, and he didn't appear to accept her answer – that she was trying to help him see his mother as a person, and trying to put out the fire, the anger, that Dean has carried around with him for his entire life. I find it rather sad that Dean's anger at Chuck is spilling over to Amara, whom I can't forget was Chuck's victim, too.

I don't know. As I was writing this review, I realized that this episode didn't work for me: young Sylvia as such an extreme serial killer and torturer, Dean with such fury at Amara, Jack calm about his upcoming suicide.

Although I really loved Zack the crossroads demon negotiating with Castiel and Jack. I could have transcribed that entire scene in my quotes section, and I almost did. I love that Rowena has already changed Hell's recruiting policies. I wonder what it meant, Zack taking Sylvia in the end?

Bits:

— Steve Bacic, who played Pastor Joe, was also Dr. Sexy in what is probably the most popular episode of Supernatural, "Changing Channels."

— Hasn't the killer turned out to be the pastor's daughter before? That sounds familiar. Anyone remember which episode?

— This week: Columbia, Missouri, and a pierogi restaurant somewhere in Pennsylvania. I'm a bit sad that they didn't make it to Atlantic City. I grew up in that area.

— Castiel was Agent Swift and Jack, Agent Lovato. I don't think I need to explain those names, although Castiel's penchant for aliases like these is adorable.

— Again, I'd like to apologize again for the lateness of this review. I'm not sure what my problem is. Although it might be dealing with the end of Supernatural on top of the horror that is 2020.

Quotes:

Dean: "Chuck said Amara loves keno."
Sam: "I thought he was kidding."
Dean: "He's not that funny."

Dean: "You guys go Highway to Heaven that bitch."
Jack: "I'll get my suit. (To Castiel) Can we wear matching ties?"
Awwwww.

Jack: "Agent Lovato, FBI."
Officer: "In the field long, Lovato? You look greener than baby Yoda."
Castiel: "He's a very smart, very pale young man."
Jack: "I just graduated from CSI."
Officer: "Uh huh."

Jack: "I'm looking up Connor online. Like Sam always says, when in doubt, try social media."
Castiel: "Oh, yeah. I did that once. There were so many cat photos, it was just... there were too many cats."
I usually agree with Castiel, but not in this instance. There are never too many cats.

Zack the demon: "Wait. Are angels solving people crimes now? Like Highway to Heaven but with murder, or something? I would watch that show."

Zack the demon: "No one's making deals. Like, at all. Rowena has a hard 'people will end up where they belong' philosophy. It can be nice. Less quotas. But, like, look at me. A crossroads demon who can't bring in a deal? Like, what even am I?"
Castiel (with his patented Castiel deadpan) "You're a deviant soul corrupted by Hell."
Zack the demon: "Yeah, yes, but I mean more in a work-life balance sense?"

Only five episodes to go. Two out of four evil teddy bears,

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.

14 comments:

  1. First, I love Supernatural. Love Sam and especially Dean and Cas. I also love Jack too.

    "Gimme Shelter" is the first episode of "Supernatural" I have hated. It all has to do with Connor, the gay kid who was tortured and murdered. A kind gay man was killed and had his fingers cut off and shoved down his throat. He was shown to be kind because he gave the smelly woman extra food and he went into the alley to his death because he thought someone was in trouble. Innocents often die in "Supernatural", especially in the pre-credit kill; but the writer chose this innocent to die in as offensive way as possible. This obsenity wasn't done by a demon; it was done by a human. A human the rest of the episode tried to make us have sympathy for. Oh, her mother died; her father doesn't listen to her.

    I wish there was a way I could unsee this episode.

    turnip seed

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  2. turnip seed, all good points. I didn't like this one, either.

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  3. Billie, I think the episode that you're thinking of that also had a pastor's daughter as a killer was "Hook Man" way back in Season One. Although that was less of her being a killer and more she accidentally/subconsciously sent a murderous ghost after people who she thought were sinful or bad in some way.

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  4. Fangirl, wasn't there also one where the minister's daughter was the whore of Babylon or something?

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  5. Just wanna state for the record that I got a comment on this review deleted even though I don't believe I said anything except disagree with the opinion of another commenter. Not going to be reading this site anymore, as I have been for a few years now, if you just delete all the comments you don't like.

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  6. Anonymous, I deleted your comment because you attacked another reader. Feel free to post another if you can do it without attacking someone else.

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  7. Yes, Billie, you're right. "99 Problems" in Season 5. She was the Whore of Babylon. I had completely forgotten about that one.

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  8. I didn't like this one much, either. I wound up fast-forwarding through some of the Preacher/daughter/Jack scenes. (I've always had trouble connecting to Jack, though, so that might be my issue.)

    What really bothered me, though, was that SPN did an homage to Seven and did it in a way that Dean didn't get the opportunity to yell "What's in the box?!"

    (Remember when he used to do that all the time?)

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  9. Somehow I doubt we're going to get any payoff from Zack taking Sylvia.

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  10. In season 10 we learn amara appeared then god came later.
    He banished her because she kept destroying what he created.

    Yet in season 15 god is the evil and amara saga they were born at the same time.

    That the big bang happened when they ceased to be one. So then everything was created when that happened

    So why did God banish amara if she wasn't destroying anything??

    As in season 11 she says he created all this I complained he locked me up so according to season 15 he didn't create anything and it was thr big bang

    I assume it more manipulation by chuck

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    1. Chuck is a classic, narcissistic monster who thinks he the smartest one in the room. I agree that the writers should have done better with the continuity of Amara being older,etc but I guess in interest of tying things up, the idea of ying/yang would be more consistent if they were the same "age" vs big sis vs little brother.

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    2. This episode was hard to watch and it had its moments like when Amara explained to Dean why she brought back Mary and the fact that Dean said she could trust him.. I know Dean can lie with the best of them but why didn't Amara catch on? Like Dean said earlier they have "history", is this more manipulation by Chuck for the "final" episode of his Dean/Sam show? The reason I ask is that Amara been in Dean's head and knows him well, so why not sense the lie?

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  11. Read the article Variety interview did with the actor who played young John Winchester. I feel it answered some of my questions I wrote about when I posted my last comment on this episode. It came up as Google search for this episode. Really informative I thought. Thanks! I didn't link because I am not savvy enough and also I didn't know if it would be permitted.

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    Replies
    1. Anon, you're right that most comments with links in them don't come through because they're usually sp*m. You gave enough information for someone to find the article -- I just did.

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