In the tenth episode of the third season of Supernatural, THERE IS JUST WAY TOO MUCH TRAUMA HERE. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Supernatural.
I should stop asking for things from my fictional narratives. I REALLY NEED TO STOP DOING THIS.
There’s a lot here that lifts “Dream a Little Dream” out of the normal pitfalls of the trope. On the surface, I don’t think this episode has done anything terribly revolutionary with the idea of invading someone’s dreams, though that’s on purpose. The writers liberally reference other stories in the genre, particularly the Freddy Krueger series. What I enjoyed about this is that the show isn’t looking to re-invent this. Instead, they use the framework of dream murders to explore the characterization of Bobby and Dean and their own subconscious histories.
There are a lot of misdirects here, in classic Supernatural fashion, that kept me on my toes. And that started right from the beginning! Bobby hunting by himself? Dreaming? Sleeping? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? Oh, don’t worry, the writers aren’t going to tell us just yet because they have to give us another #MistyEyedBoyTalk scene between Sam and Dean because apparently there haven’t been enough tears. THANKS. THANKS FOR REMINDING ME EVERY THIRTY MINUTES THAT SAM IS DESTROYING HIMSELF OVER DEAN’S IMPENDING DEATH. (Extra shout out to Sam unknowingly stating that Dean can’t be saved, though for the wrong reason. Talk about HEARTBREAK.)
But this is necessary to establish the emotional basis for what Dean experiences in this episode, first in Bobby’s head and then in his own mind. Again, the set-up for the actual mechanics of the dream traveling? It’s shaky at best. Ultimately, though, I’m not really interested in the logistics of the worldbuilding so much as the experience within the dream world itself. I wanted to see more of that. Was Bobby aware of things happening in the outside world, or was he so trapped within his dream that it was all that he knew? Did he ever take the dream root himself, or was he attacked simply by falling asleep? How does one escape the dream? I was fairly satisfied with what we eventually got, though, again, it was the emotional aspect of it that hit me the hardest and made this so memorable. Though I must admit that I loved the color contrast between the world inside Bobby’s house versus the one outside. That visual effect of dialing up the saturation was jarring in a brilliant way, and I love when shows toy with color palettes to tell stories. Note that moment when the colors fade and everything seems like a muted gray once they enter Bobby’s mind. That’s a great transition!
Anyway, BOBBY. BOBBY. I only now realize that while the mechanics of the dream root are supernatural in one sense, the villain of “Dream a Little Dream” is actually a human who’s just evil. He becomes addicted to the power he has within dreams, and uses it to give people what are basically… reverse lucid dreams? I mean, they’re hyper-realistic, but Jeremy controlled them all, not the person who was having it. I don’t know that he’s developed all that well; in hindsight, I find that I have far less to say about him than I thought I did. He’s literally an evil genius, one who figured out how to torment people with their own subconscious just for the thrill of it. Which is definitely scary as hell, y’all. He does this for power.
And that’s what he did to Bobby after Bobby figured out that Jeremy was behind the unexplained deaths. Except that Bobby’s eternal torment was KILLING HIS POSSESSED WIFE. No, NO NO NO TAKE IT BACK MAKE IT STOP. Holy shit, you know what’s most heartbreaking about this? Well, aside from another fridged woman WHOMP WHOMP. It’s the fact that Bobby treats what happened to him as almost ordinary. It’s part of the trade. And yet, when faced with the specter of his dead wife, he wants her to destroy him. He didn’t know what he was doing all those years ago, and he believes he deserves death at her hands. Remember, we’re seeing manifestations of someone’s subconscious, so I really think the thoughts presented here are pure.
Which has devastating ramifications for Dean. That initial appearance in his dream of Lisa is played for laughs (since it’s contrasted with Sam’s sex dream with Bela), but it’s actually quite haunting upon reflection. That means that Dean is still quietly desiring a normal life, so much so that he constantly has a dream in which he’s married to Lisa and Ben is their son. WOW, WELL, THAT HURTS. But it’s child’s play to – and completely overshadowed by – what Dean discovers within his own mind. I love, love, love the physicality of this dreamscape, and I think Dean meeting his subconscious like this has such a fascinating edge to it because it doesn’t come off as some sort of airy vision. He can touch the walls of that house, he can fight with the darker side of his mind, and he can destroy it. That’s an important part of this interaction because Dream!Dean represents denial. Everything that this dream entity tells Dean – about his self doubt and self-hatred, about the emptiness he feels, about the reality of the Hell that awaits him – is precisely what Dean has refused to acknowledge out loud to Sam. Of course, it’s a lot deeper than that, and I found the show’s outright acknowledgement of John Winchester’s legacy of fuckery to be downright refreshing. It’s not like the writers have danced around the idea of John being The Literal Worst, but it had never been spelled out as viciously as it was here. Dean’s dad ruined him in so many ways, and thus, Dean shooting Dream!Dean is a symbolic gesture, a way for Dean to quiet the loathing within him.
But the most haunting part? Even if Dean decides to believe in himself, he’s still going to Hell. Oh god, we got a huge moment of self-revelation for Dean, and it last like FIVE SECONDS. Because HOW THE FUCK IS DEAN GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS? HOW??? (Shout out to Jensen Ackles’s acting as Demon!Dean, because that shit was ELECTRIFYING.) At the very least, Sam and Dean are now on the same page, and Sam doesn’t have to fight with Dean about the value of his own life. That’s good, but I still don’t see a way out of this. Which SCARES ME.
I’m uncomfortable with the idea that some sort of residual psychic power enabled Sam to control the dreamworld and escape. SO I’LL JUST PASS ON BY BECAUSE OH NO. I was also endlessly pleased by MORE BELA. I didn’t expect her to show up as often as she has, and now she has to appear again. BECAUSE SHE STOLE THE COLT. I don’t know how she got into the safe, but I’m sure she took advantage of the Wincehsters being passed out in a car in the middle of the forest, which might go down as one of the poorest decisions they’ve ever made. Seriously, go back to your hotel room, y’all.
The video for “Dream a Little Dream of Me” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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