In the eleventh episode of the second season of Supernatural, I refuse to apologize for my behavior. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Supernatural.
I JUST CAN’T DO CREEPY DOLLS. Not regular dolls. Not doll collections. Eerie dolls that seem to know exactly who you are. These omniscient little fuckers in “Playthings” aren’t okay forever, and I don’t care that I shrieked at that one elephant-nosed little shit for like 60 seconds because WHO GIVES THEIR CHILD THAT HORROR TO PLAY WITH? Or even LETS IT IN THE HOUSE? Oh my god, then you’ve got an inappropriately accurate model dollhouse OF THE VERY FUCKING PLACE YOU LIVE IN and what have you invited into your house? A Trojan horse of hell, that’s what I say.
Well, now that I’ve got that (somewhat) out of my system, this is a thrilling episode that does a lot of things right and one thing not so great. Let me complain first so we can talk about all the awesome references to The Shining. I think that on the surface, the ongoing joke that Sam and Dean are gay might seem pretty funny, and even I admit to laughing both times we heard it in season one. However, I really hope that instead of just making gay people a punchline, we actually get some gay/queer characters on this show. I appreciate the slight nod to what I imagine were the folks in the fandom who had said that Dean and Sam seemed like they were a couple. I mean, come on, I can’t even count how many times I said that Merry and Pippin from Lord of the Rings were CLEARLY in love, so I love some good ol’ slash myself. I just wish the writers hadn’t written Dean as acting so averse to the idea, as if the biggest problem he has is people assuming he’s gay. Just…don’t do that, it always comes off the wrong way.
Other than that, this whole episode was like a giant love letter to The Shining, which should have clued me in on the fact that this wasn’t about hoodoo at all. A creepy hotel, eerie children who kind of look alike, room 237, that scene at the bar with Sherman…it totally fits. But the writers aren’t content to simply based this haunted hotel on one of the classics, and its the willingness to twist with expectations that makes this episode so much fun. Like some of the better mysteries on this show, I spent most of “Playthings” trying to guess how this all came together, so yeah, I’m very impressed with the twist involving Maggie. She was successfully passed off as a real sister for like half an hour and I didn’t question it once.
But at the heart of this episode is Sam’s struggle against his destiny. This emotional continuity is what makes this more than just competent horror, you know? (AND UGH, THIS EPISODE IS SO CREEPY, I SWEAR.) Sam is wracked with guilt after the events in “Hunted,” and without knowing what happened with Ava or where she is, he reasons that getting involved with a case is the next best option. But it’s not until Sam’s drunken honesty hour with Dean that we learn that he’s trying to stave off the inevitable. It’s not lost on me that the world of the Winchesters, while never particularly simple, has slipped far, far away from any easy dichotomy or categorization. They aren’t just fighting evil anymore; now they have to worry that Sam might be evil himself. So if anyone’s overcompensating here, it’s Sam, and he’s doing so deliberately. He’s trying to prove to himself that he’s still good and that the still has the ability to do what’s right.
However, he can’t escape his own sense of doubt. It’s so hard to watch Sam believe that a turn for the evil is entirely possible for him because…shit, it’s Sam. He’s the most outwardly moral and empathetic of the Winchester brothers! And yet, he can’t let go of the sensation that his father’s warning, coupled with Gordon’s information, is actual truth. So he begs Dean to kill him if it comes to it. Now, Dean is clearly not okay with agreeing to this, which is a BIG FUCKING DEAL, especially when you think of Dean’s willingness to kill anything evil from season one. If anything, I think Dean’s behavior here is a great example of his growth as a character. Would season one Dean have balked at the suggestion?
Honestly, the whole thing is kind of awful to think about, which makes me certain that this is going to be tested before the end of this season. IT’S GONNA HAPPEN. I mean, there’s even a glimpse of what that would be like here, as Rose’s sacrifice is about one sister willing to do something sad and tragic in order to make the other one happy. CAN THIS NOT HAPPEN.
So yeah. This was a fun episode to do a commission for, so you should watch me yell at dolls and dollhouses if you want. The video can be downloaded here for just $0.99.
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