Reply To: Let’s all talk about – The Winchesters – Art of Dying (S1 E6)
This show might finally be getting its legs under itself. This episode didn’t suck! If the previous episodes had been this good, I’d be much more optimistic about the future than I am. I was already in love with Supernatural by episode 4 or 5. But this show? No so much.
What I liked:
I thought the funeral scene was sweet and well-executed. It was the first time it seemed like the cast members (aside from Drake/John) were actually INTERACTING and communicating with one another instead of just reciting their lines. I even saw a glimmer of caring in Meg’s eyes. This might be the first time she seemed invested in her own performance.
The monster kicking the door in was a nice jump scare.
I liked the parallels and foreshadowing about how difficult it is for a hunter to leave the life and keep the past from eventually catching up with them.
It finally feels like they’re trying to give Lata some dimensions. She’s kind of right about a pacifist-hunter being a difficult contradiction to overcome. I don’t think it will last, though. Eventually, she’s going to land in a situation that she can’t talk her way out of.
What bothered me:
Unfortunately, Carlos is still comic relief, and I don’t think the actor is very good. With rare exception, most of his performance is over the top and he generally annoys me.
In the beginning, when they suspected a werewolf, why didn’t they check to see if the victim’s heart was missing? I looked at the body, and there wasn’t any blood on or near the center of her chest. A cursory visual exam would’ve told them that it wasn’t a werewolf. Sigh. Last week, the writers chose to ignore djinn lore, and this week a group of supposedly experienced hunters needed to examine the curvature of a claw to realize the monster wasn’t a werewolf? Okie, dokie…
Speaking of that monster fight, when Mary hacked the monster’s arm off with the machete, why didn’t she just chop off the head instead?? When in doubt about how to kill the thing, shouldn’t beheading be near the top of the list of stuff to try?
It felt like that first argument between Mary and John was too contrived and forced. That said, their conversation at the end of the episode was the very first time that I’m seeing any real chemistry between them, and I liked that scene for all the right reasons. I also enjoyed the meditation scene between John and Lata. It felt sincere. I think both of these scenes probably worked well because of Drake, but I’ll take them as wins anyway.
I’m a little annoyed that they made John seem so reckless. I get that he was trying to deal with anger issues and all, but John Winchester was never that stupid.
Anyway, this one gets a cautious A-minus. I hope they can keep the good writing going.
kate