In the twenty-first episode of the eighth season of Supernatural, Sam and Dean turn to other avenues to find out what the third trial is. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Supernatural.Â
Trigger Warning: For discussion of body horror/gore, and racial stereotypes about Native Americans.
SO MUCH JUST HAPPENED.
Kevin Tran
This show really likes to tease me about Kevin’s fate, doesn’t it? There’s so much rudeness in this episode, most of them centering on Kevin, so I did find it spectacularly fun to see him pull a fast one on Crowley. Of course, I didn’t know if Kevin would actually succeed, and that threat is all over the events in “The Great Escapist.†I kept hoping that this was the reference being made in the title. I WANTED KEVIN TO ESCAPE. However, I refused to underestimate Crowley. He doesn’t lose, so much as he experiences momentary setbacks. So when I realized that he’d trapped Kevin in some weird bubble of reality, I didn’t have much hope for Kevin. The elaborate illusion constructed here is so terribly perfect that I worried that Kevin wouldn’t figure it out.
But hell, even if he did, how could he fight back? How do you escape something like this?
Well, you beat Crowley at his own game. Kevin’s brilliant way of tricking Crowley is to give Crowley an illusion of his making. Kevin figures out that something is wrong in what amounts to the very first scene. Instead of calling Crowley on his ruse, he begins an elaborate con (one the Leverage team would be very proud of) that makes Crowley think that all his attempts at fooling Kevin have worked perfectly. It’s a bold move, and it pays off, at least until Crowley figures out what’s happened. What was Kevin’s plan at that point, though? What was he going to do once Crowley showed up? I think Kevin was prepared to die, honestly. WHICH ISN’T OKAY. Most of this episode isn’t okay, though. So much of it!
Castiel
Wow, I didn’t know you could make the angels bigger jerks, but HERE WE ARE. The ongoing power struggle between Naomi, Castiel, and Crowley has gotten INCREDIBLY VIOLENT, first of all. GOOD LORD, THE TABLET WAS LITERALLY INSIDE OF CASTIEL. NOT READY FOR THAT, Y’ALL. While I suspect that the Angel tablet denotes the weaknesses of the angels (as well as how to close Heaven, like the Demon tablet), we still don’t quite know what it does. That mystery makes a lot of this deliberately frustration, though I don’t mean that as a criticism. We just know that whatever is on the angel tablet, it’s important enough that Naomi finds it necessary to slaughter everyone at a Biggerson’s just to get Castiel’s attention. Granted, it’s not like we didn’t know the angels were capable of this kind of carnage. But we still got the sense that this was a big deal.
At the same time, I’m guessing that Castiel knows what’s on it. Actually… now that I’ve typed that out, I’m not so sure. I was prepared to defend that, but didn’t Castiel feel a sudden and inexplicable desire to protect the tablet once he held it? He probably doesn’t know what’s on it. Regardless, he goes to great lengths to protect it, which includes digging out one of Crowley’s angel-killing bullets FROM HIS OWN STOMACH. Lord, this episode is gross at times. So what’s Cas’s next step? Does he just keep running away?
Metatron
Well, now we know what’s happening to Sam: his mind is “resonating†with Metatron, the scribe of God, and with the tablets. I’m still hung up on that moment where Sam muses that these trials might be purifying him. (Didn’t I predict that would happen a long, long time ago?) They’re certainly giving him a very odd clarity of mind, since he’s able to recall things that happened at an age where he shouldn’t be able to remember those things. Will other powers manifest if he can complete the third trial? Will he suddenly heal? WHAT’S HAPPENING NEXT?
But let’s just talk about Metatron. An angel who chose to escape it all. I admit that I got kind of excited by the idea that Metatron would be a Native American. WOULDN’T THAT HAVE BEEN SUCH A GOOD STORY OPTION? But like most shows that ever include people who are indigenous to my country, Supernatural engages with Native Americans in the most superficial and stereotypical ways possible. I mean, why even have all of these stereotypes? A casino? Really? And an empty one, at that??? Why is that never, ever explained???
I did like the idea that the Winchesters got to confront an angel who was indirectly responsible for Kevin Tran’s suffering. Gods, that was so rewarding, and I hope the writers give Kevin a chance to do the same. But y’all, Metatron saw what the archangels were doing once God disappeared, and instead of trying to stop it, he just gave up. He went and hid in a tiny casino’s hotel and had his silent guide bring him books to read. That’s all he did for thousands of years; he read human stories. Sure, it was pretty compelling to hear him talk of humanity’s ability to create infinite worlds within fiction; but while this angel has been enjoying a comfortable life away from everything, the world has desperately needed an intervention from the angels. So we get a fascinating dynamic here: two humans demanding that an angel actually get involved with the world.
Will Metatron get involved? He saves Kevin and provides the Winchesters with the third Trial, but is that him signing up to stop Crowley? I don’t know, y’all. I don’t even know how they’re going to complete the third trial. YOU CAN’T CURE DEMONS, THAT’S IN THE VERY FABRIC OF THE MYTHOLOGY OF THIS SHOW. How??? Is this something the Winchesters can use in the future, or is it a one-time act?
You’ve got my attention, Supernatural. I NEED TO KNOW MORE.
The video for “The Great Escapist†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– Mark Does Stuff is now on Facebook! Feel free to Like the page, which I’m running myself, for updates and SILLINESS.
– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running, I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!
– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com. All Mark Watches videos for past shows/season are now archived there!
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features will be The Legend of Korra, seasons 2 – 4, series 8 of Doctor Who, and Kings.
– The 2015 Mark Does Stuff tour is being announced!!! Check my Tour Dates / Appearances page often to see if I’m coming to your city!
