In the twelfth episode of the ninth season of Supernatural, this is really weird. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Supernatural.
I didn’t like this episode. I didn’t hate by any means, and it was nice to see Garth again. Sort of? This episode is just so strange in tone, pacing, and in its attempt to give us a story parallel that falls apart as soon as you think about it for like five seconds. Namely, though, I keep thinking about the choice to make Garth a werewolf, and I just scratch my head. Why Garth? What does this add to his characterization or his role in Supernatural canon? Couldn’t you tell the same story with a new character instead? It’s not like “Sharp Teeth†spends a whole lot of time building up the mystery of who Garth really is. I figured it out in the first five minutes and I NEVER FIGURE ANYTHING OUT.
“Sharp Teeth,†though, is much more about what family means to each of these characters, and… I don’t care? That’s harsh, admittedly, but after eight seasons of these characters – especially Dean – talking about the power of family, I’m a little tired of this theme being recycled. Granted, the very final scene does twist things a bit in a way that could be satisfying, but I’m not sure that anything prior to that is all that interesting. The idea put forth here is that family is important to Garth. After spending time freaking out about his werewolf affliction, he finds a group of people who are ready to take him in unconditionally. It’s a wonderful thing for him! I don’t deny that. And you’d think that someone as dedicated to the importance of family would see that. To be fair, I get why Dean so openly questioned the arrangement because… werewolves! They’re monsters! They do monster things!
Then there’s the whole “spirituality†thing… it was a little surreal, no? All I could think during those scenes was that everything was a bit too saccharine. It was too clean, almost as if it was all an act. In hindsight, I get why I thought that, and I also understand why Russ and Joba were so weird towards Dean. But at the same time, I didn’t feel like there was a whole lot of dramatic tension within this episode. We find out Garth is a werewolf very early on. Until Sheriff Pat revealed his allegiance to the Maw of Fenris, the sole conflict was whether or not Dean would allow Garth and his family to survive. It wasn’t exactly mind-bending stuff. And even after the reveal of Joy’s true allegiance? It’s not like Sam was gonna be killed, and it’s not like there could be some magical, last-minute cure to any of this. Plus, could Supernatural truly kill off Garth in a dramatic fashion?
I don’t think so. So I didn’t have the frightened reaction the show wanted from me. Instead, I just kept wondering when I was going to care about what was on the screen. Which sucks, because Garth is normally pretty entertaining! I’m hoping that the scene at the end of this episode is what will lead to something substantial, though. It was fulfilling to see Sam reject Dean’s insistence on the power of family so openly. And he’s right: family might matter, but you have to work to maintain relationships. Dean cannot simply hope that being brothers means that their issues are resolved. Now, because Dean is who he is, he’s not exactly overjoyed by this conversation. (Thankfully, it wasn’t nearly as awkward and uncomfortable as the scene at the beginning of “Sharp Teeth†in Garth’s hospital room. Lord, that was UNBEARABLE.) He doesn’t gleefully confirm that he’ll do his best to work on gaining Sam’s trust. Instead, his reactions are muted and subtle, and it leaves this plot point unresolved, deliberately so. I’m actually fine with this choice because it suggests that there’s a lot more to be done here. That’s far more realistic than some sort of sappy slab of closure, you know?
Still, I just felt like everything here was mediocre, and Garth deserved something a bit more exciting. I don’t imagine we’ll see him again, either, because… how? Maybe as a werewolf hunter? That’s kind of cool, but I don’t see that being used in the show. It’s all just so strange, y’all! I don’t know how else to describe this.
The video for “Sharp Teeth†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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