We've had Shapeshifters, we've had Vampires, so what's the next great Supernatural big bad we're gonna revisit? Werevolves! Does anyone else have a terrible last-season feel where we take a trip down memory lane of all the past big bads/the show's most iconic moments before the final, ultimate big bad (aka... The First? I am dying, dying to talk about how much this season is inspired by Buffy but I won't do it)? What else can we cover? Alpha spirit... alpha wendigo... alpha evil clown? God, I hope not.
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Angry highway bar chef pig is angry!
We had some great vintage-Dean shots (he's changed so much, hasn't he? Blink and you'll miss it.), and are rem inded that Dean and Sam are Crowley's bitches.
A suit-clad stripclub-gold-membership-holder ironically talks to his (presumably) wife about their (presumably) baby, and then he is violently murdered. In Supernatural "be home soon" usually equals "you will never see me alive again". Men, they say one thing and mean another. They're all the same.
Sam and Dean eat at a random bar - and I just love the touches they give these places, like in this case the grumpy pig in a chef's hat. I mean, why? Just why? It was awesome.
Crowley is clearly keeping close tabs on them, not giving them the leeway to trick him. "That Bobby Singer? Give him a kiss from me." Ah, forbidden love. He tells them he's got a job for them (well, that's a new way to get them on interesting one-off adventures, I guess. It was always kind of arbitrary after John stopped sending them places): surprise! It's the mystery we've already been introduced to! Man, Sam and Dean should just ask us, we get locations and everything. The shiny magic picture box gives us the answers.
He also reminds us that "You'd sell your brother for a dollar right now if you really needed a soda." I guess that's a nice, fairly accurate description of Sam's predicament. It's not that he doesn't care... he just doesn't care. He wants to... except he doesn't really want anything. You see what I mean? No? To be honest I'm not really sure what I mean either, it's frickin confusing but I like it.
And another thing: we get a purpose! Crowley tells Dean that if they can get him a live alpha, Sam will get his soul back. Hmmm - I wonder if it'll be that simple? Knowing Crowley, there'll be loopholes, like "I didn't say when" etc. But it's nice to have an immediate goal, it ups the tension.
If it walks like a duck...
For all intents and purposes, Sam is Sam. He has Sam's thoughts, Sam's logic and can behave exactly as he knows he's supposed to. Be does as he's told, no questions asked - in new age speak they'd call this "going with the flow." But Dean calls it bullshit. They're working for a demon, and Sam doesn't blink. Frankly, I hadn't given it much thought either, cause after all, they are still investigating murders, and it's to get Sam's soul back! Maybe the show has jut hardened me with all the years of blood and violence, but I also think maybe Dean's gotten a tad bit anal this last year. Taking centre stage and with him finally embracing his inner family man, Dean's just awash with a whole new set of morals... but let's not forget that it was Dean who back in season 2 bonded with what's-his-face vampire guy and was all covered in blood and set Sam's moral compass spinning with empathic concern... things sure have changed here on Walton's Mountain, huh kids?
"But Dean, I'm still me. Same..." ...melon? Did he say melon? LOL. But yes, he likes the same music, the same girls etc. But I suppose the no soul having puts a stop to the depth of your emotions, or just leaves an imprint: you remember what you used to like, but it's all robotic. Again, this fits with what we've seen of Sam so far.
They arrive at the crime scene, again in nostalgic agent garb - "they call us in here to answer the questions of mouthbreathing dick monkeys"... that doesn't even make sense! But this crime guy is cool, he takes it in stride and moves on. You know, Sam, this is how you start a chain of screaming. Jeez. Read Barney's blog.
So... now we've got slang for victims. "Vics." Makes it all more trendy and current, you know?
Sam is seriously doing a bad job undercovering. Luckily the guy is ridiculously thick, so he doesn't notice.
Dean sleeps in jeans (that must be uncomfortable), and wakes up to find Sam having been at work all night. Playing connect-the-vics. Yo. And again with the RoboCop nickname. It's just so appropriate.
The next scene shows Sam and Dean fishing for information from a woman. Yadda. I could not focus on anything in this scene because it was at this very moment that I had had ENOUGH. I've tolerated it too long, thought it was like a Sawyer thing or whatever but NO MORE: Your hair has gotten too long, Sam, it needs to go. To. Go. There, I said it. Back to the show.
There was a cute kid in the scene though, which made me think of all the other episodes where a man has done or been infected with something bad and put his cute kid and/or helpless wife in danger. Am I on the right track?
No, because this is Supernatural and it likes to throw curveballs at unsuspecting viewers. But we'll get there.
But...okay so, this may be a werewolf - but I must have missed the part where there was any reason to suspect this is an Alpha? Maybe Crowley just knows.
And this is why I am a cat person.
Right after the brothers leave, of course that's when we get some kind of reveal. The anger-issue boyfriend is attacked - by his dog. Lucky. How ironic. Who turns into... some guy we don't know! Oh man. If I needed another reason not to get a dog... but I wonder why an Alpha would a) bother harrassing some random woman, and b) have a super awesome superpower to be able to transform into a normal dog rather than a bigger, powerful werewolf. Easier to conceal, sure, but... for an alpha it's a little tame. No pun intended.
The dog licks the woman and it's GROSS. And I guess the fact that it's really a creepy alpha doesn't help either.
You have to admit though, more faithful a pet you can hardly ask for. He sure looks out for her.
Oh MAN the dog is a creepy peeping tom. Cats don't do this, people!
So... now they're thinking it's Mandy. But it's just weird. They still haven't actually seen her wolf out, and yet they're ready to take her to Crowley. Lucky-ly, haha, Crowley could probably tell don't you think? And hey, she's got a little boy... the boys can be so thick sometimes.
And man, they treat her really horribly, considering we know what we know. But Dean catches what Sam missed (guess the cold and calculated logic approach isn't all it's cracked up to be!), that she's got an alibi.
It's a dog-eat-dog world. Wait, why wasn't that the episode title?
Sam stands guard... he sees the dog... transform into a man! Ladidaa! Way to blow your cover, big alpha guy. He dresses - let's say that's the boyfriend's clothes - leaves the house, and smells a Sammy! Wow that guy is way creepy - he should just stay a cute dog. He goes and talks to some other guy... there's gestures... and Sam is confused. He's easily confused.
He chases after dog boy, but you know you can't outrun a dog! Unless it's old, or tired. But...oops. Sadly cars can run dogs over sometimes - and they take him to the vet! They don't even stop for Sam, the supposed owner. Hm. Hppe that Lucky's got a collar.
Cut to the required shot of the week establishing that Dean is still thinking about Lisa, and then they roll. And oh, it's not a werewolf at all it's a skin walker! Werewolf cousin, etc. But like WAY more awesome! It's basically an animagus, without the pesky learning process! They can change whenever they like, and into (supposedly) more common animals like dogs. Wow, Madison really drew the short straw back in the day.
Poor Lucky is at the pound... should teach us all an important lesson about tagging our pets. He looks all cute and innocent, and I'm like awwww even though he's evil and creepy and I'm not much for dogs anyway (oh get over it, I don't judge you for your pet preferences).
Sam tries to be cocky... it's not a good look.
And theeen we conveniently skip the struggle (probably didn't want their asses sued by PETA), and get to the skinwalker, with the silver, in the hotel room. Oh MAN we need a SPN version of that game!
Dean plays good cop, and "gets it" - he cares about the family. But in a creepy, gross stalker way. But whatever, he's the small fish and we need to play for the big guns. And he knows exactly how to speak to the guy, because he's found what he cares about and knows how to push his buttons.
There's about 30 of the skin walkers, "recruited" - like the vampires were. They find families, lay low, and wait for... THE WOOOORD. Muahaha! Wait, no, serious business time, cause The Word is actually the signal to turn on the families that have taken them in. Again - a pet owner's worst nightmare.
Sam is really playing a bad game, he tells the guy everything and interrupts him by throwing a ball. Come on. That's just uncalled for. But Dean's keeping his head cool, trying to keep the situation under control. "I'm gonna guess that these are the only people who in your pathetic life have shown you any kindness." See, good angle. Mean, but effective.
Smell you laterz!
They're not going to capture the pack leader - they're gonna kill it. Because though Dean wants Sam's soul back, he'd rather prevent a 150 people from people turned into monsters. And as annoying as it is show-wise, it's pretty fair I'd say. There's a big picture thing going on here, too, which is always a sketchy area in fiction, interesting to explore.
Sam doesn't really get it though. Dean still claims that Sam isn't Sam... and it's sad, because it's not like he can help it. I hope Sam gets his soul back cause I'm sick of talking about it now. We get it, he's not Sam. If this is truly the last season let's get him back already, he IS supposedly one half of the main characters! Key word is character here, so let's get it! Dean is great... but come on. So is Sam. Let's give him a chance to, for once, just be SAM. No demon blood, no lack of soul, future seeing crap, just Sam. It's not fair we never get him, but always get Dean. Pout and stamp.
So, something's going on where Lucky meets with some of the other skin walkers, and they bring out his "family", and the brothers try to shoot the supposed leaders and it's mass confusion and hysteria, cats and dogs living together, 2012! Okay overstatement, but I didn't know what the hell was going on. They don't take the shot though, and the woman and her son are taken captive. Lucky is made to turn them... but Sam and Dean come in and kill them all. Sadly they start with The Boss, oops. And sadly, Lucky dies too - but what would his alternative be? I'm thinking no happy family ending for him! Who'd want to marry their dog?
And of course Dean and Sam have to shoot some dogs - which again, is strategically off camera. Sam would even mercy-kill Lucky, but he escapes. Later, he comes to visit the, clearly traumatised, woman (I never note down these people's names), to say thank you. I feel bad for him - now he's truly a stray - but I see her perspective. And you know, all these people who Sam and Dean save and leave behind... they'll never get a good night's sleep again!
Sam I am. Am I Sam? Green eggs and ham.
"Lisa and Ben - I've been acting like I care about them. But I don't. I don't even really care about you." Well, Dean did ask for honesty. Sam tells him that he's been acting like he cares because he needs his help. Honestly, it's all just blab. Once again Sam is saying what he has worked out that Dean wants him to say - there is something socially handicapped about his behaviour, something which prevents him feeling emotions but still allows him to emulate, and to try to make people feel how he needs them to feel.
He still knows that the old him would feel guilty. He doesn't know if how he is now is better or worse than before - but he remembers "the other Sam," and he wants to go back to being him. It's as good as it'll get, from Sam 2.0 anyway, and I like that we cut the pretend games. Show's too short, you know? And Dean is willing to cooperate to get his brother back. Yay. There was once a children's story about a child who was raised by trolls (but cute ones), but they kidnapped him from humans and to avoid the humans finding out they enchanted a tree to be a replica of the child. But the tree would never really feel; only stand, looking a little green, emotionless. Sam's situation reminds me a little of that story; Dean is living with tree-Sam not because he loves him, but because he needs the body to put his own Sam back into. No, the part of Sam that's missing. Let's make that very clear, because otherwise it's just not factual.
All in all a good episode, but enough with fillers. Less howlin', more soulin'. Oh yeah!
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