In the second episode of the eleventh season of Supernatural, Sam contends with the spreading infection while Dean deals with yet another creepy ass baby. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Supernatural.
Trigger Warning: For death, homophobia.
Oh, Supernatural. I think there’s some promise here for a story that’s both unnerving and genuinely risky, and I’m hoping that means the writers will commit to some of the pieces they’ve cast and some of the rules they’ve now included within the show. But at the same time, I’m well aware of how willing Supernatural is to rely on the same old tricks over and over again. Some of them even pop up here, and after ten seasons worth of them, I’m just tired.
Let’s discuss.
Superior, Nebraska
Well, I’d hoped that the freeing of the Darkness would free Supernatural of a trope they’ve relied on for the entirety of the show. There used to be an appeal about the idea of this entire secret world unfolding beneath the facade of American society. I don’t deny that. But when a massive zombie-like hoarde wreaks havoc in a modern city, it is now completely unthinkable that someone won’t post something on social media. This is not a fictional world without Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, but in this episode? None of that exists. Everyone in Superior was apparently infected and just… didn’t use their cell phones? No one outside of this town heard anything about this event?
Oh, well.
Look, my problem with this is that the show is trying to get me unnerved by the possible end of the world, but it loses power if the world doesn’t know it is ending. This will be the same five people trying to stop the apocalypse, and I can’t exactly get that excited about it, you know? However, there is something within Sam’s plot that genuinely makes me thrilled about the future. Of course, that depends on whether or not this show sticks to it. I loved Billie the reaper, and if she’s serious, then that means this show is finally placing a real threat within the narrative. I was waiting to find out the ramifications of Death’s death (that’s an odd phrasing, but you get what I mean), and I think this delivers a satisfying resolution to that. I’m not sure whether I’m meant to assume that there’s a new Death who replaced the old one, but that’s irrelevant right now. The Winchesters killed Death, and that means that there’s no longer any exceptions.
Whomever dies, dies permanently.
Y’all, please let them stick to this! With an easy solution to countering the Darkness’s infection now revealed, this is practically the only real threat left in the show. Well, maybe Amara, but we’ll have to see. Fiery holy oil can take care of the infection, but what about SOUL-EATING BABIES???
The Darkness
I both love and hate this. I do! Like, there’s something genuinely frightening about a BABY EATING SOULS AND AGING MINUTES LATER. That’s bold as hell for an antagonist, but then there are so many other frustrating things here. Let’s start with Deputy Nickerson. I went back and re-watched that scene where Dean dropped her off at her grandmother’s (DOLORES HERBIG, OH MY GOD), and she definitely said, “She was.” MEANING THAT JENNA’S FIRST KISS WAS FROM A WOMAN. Meaning that the show just casually confirmed another non-straight character…
…only to strip them of their soul and have them killed thirty minutes later. It’s like Supernatural can’t fucking learn, I swear. It’s like they’re rubbing salt in the wounds of Charlie IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS SEASON just for the sake of it!!! WHY DO THEY THINK THIS IS AT ALL ACCEPTABLE? Bah, I don’t even want to talk about Jenna because, as usual, the writers give us tons of potential and then immediately waste it because… why? To make Crowley seem edgy? There was no reason he needed to kill her, except to show that he wanted Amara. Which could have happened without her death! Bah, WHY, SUPERNATURAL, WHY???
I was also infuriated by the fact that Dean had a chance to kill Crowley, didn’t do so, and “trapped” Crowley IN THE LEAST EFFECTIVE WAY IMAGINABLE. Why the fuck was Dean shocked or surprised that Crowley had escaped? You just pinned his hand to the wall, you doofus. What did you expect? That he wouldn’t pull his hand out? That he’d stay there like a good, obedient King of Hell? WHEN HAS HE EVER DONE WHAT YOU WANTED? Look, this simply doesn’t make sense for Dean’s character. It doesn’t! The guy knows how to hurt or trap Crowley because he’s done it before. And yet, this happens. WHY.
So, again, Amara is interesting because it’s an interesting twist on the whole creepy white child thing, which we’ve certainly seen on this show before. But a soul eater! That could be chaotic and scary. It doesn’t explain the infection thing at all, but perhaps we won’t see it again? I’d rather see a soul eater. MORE SOUL EATING.
The video for “Form and Void” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
– IÂ will be at Borderlands Books, Book Riot Live, and Windycon this fall! Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be Kings, season 1 of Sense8, season 1 of Agent Carter, seasons 1 & 2 of The 100, Death Note, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
