In the thirteenth episode of the tenth season of Supernatural, this is really terrible. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Supernatural.
Trigger Warning: For discussion of misogyny/objectification.
You know, there might have been a decent episode buried within the ongoing disaster that is “Halt & Catch Fire.” I say that because the final scenes give us a glimpse of a story that could have been, one where Dean actively addresses his own shortcomings and resolves to better himself through peace and acceptance. Coming off the story in “About a Boy,” this felt extremely satisfying to see.
It’s just so unfortunate that we’re now ten seasons into this show and we’re still getting amateur mistakes on screen. This is just monumentally awful, y’all. For a show that’s as savvy and trope aware as Supernatural is, “Halt & Catch Fire” invokes a truckload of tired teen thriller tropes, subverts none of them, throws in a ton of terrible Final Destination-esque death sequences, and expects the audience to find them frightening or upsetting. But how can we? None of these characters are sympathetic at all, not even Delilah, who we’re supposed to feel a little bit sorry for BUT I DON’T. NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT.
I don’t even know where to start, though, because from the opening scene right up to the scene before Dean’s final monologue, this episode is utterly terrible. Haunted Siri? A terrible idea. Why is that, though? Why are episodes about technology gone bad so frequently terrible? Even with The X-Files, I found some of those stories, like “Ghost in the Machine,” to be boring and uninspired. (With one exception: I love “Wetwired” a lot, but that’s because of its commentary on government interference and the way it addresses Scully’s fears of Mulder.) I think part of that is because I’m utterly bored with the idea that technology itself is ruining the world. Look, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without it, so I know I’m biased. I think advances in social media and personal tech have changed my life for the better. So, the entire concept that technology only exists to distract us to CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEATH OF OTHERS is a bit ludicrous to me.
But this could have been better. It could have been so much better. Why not take the Black Mirror route and couple these tropes with an actually damning commentary of our reliance on technology? Instead, “Halt & Catch Fire” spends most of its running time unfolding like all those terrible, stale summer horror flicks full of college-age kids making terrible decisions over and over again. Not one of the characters here is original or interesting. They’re all caricatures ripped directly out of the genre, and there’s not even a sense of humor about it. The same goes with the deaths. The same goes for the source of the vengeful spirit. It’s literally that whole I Know What You Did Last Summer shit all over again.
EXCEPT IT’S A GHOST THAT TRAVELS THROUGH WI-FI BECAUSE OF… WELL. PROXIMITY. It’s so random and silly and I don’t understand why they couldn’t just leave the goddamn dorms and go to literally anywhere else that doesn’t have wi-fi. But the premise here is so shaky and poorly thought out that it’s like the writers didn’t even try. Ultimately, that’s why this episode felt so bad. There’s no effort at all to craft a unique or compelling story. I don’t mind the invocation of common tropes within the horror genre as long as they’re done with some sort of respect or attention. Here, though? It feels sloppy. Lazy. Like the show is going through the motions because someone forced them to write about a wi-fi traveling ghost, which is still an awful idea. Awful! Don’t!
I wish Dean’s epiphany was in another episode. It’s not even a saving grace for this snooze-fest, though I did want to repeat what I said at the end of the video for this. At one point, Dean tells Delilah that he copes with his mistakes and guilt through denial, but this season has shown us what happens when Dean stops denying who he is. It’s extremely satisfying to watch this happens because it’s something his character needed long ago. I feel like Dean is no longer interested in lying to himself or others, and if he’s ever going to beat the Mark of Cain, this is how it’ll be achieved.
I really don’t want to waste any more time on this episode, though. GOD, it’s so bad, y’all. And can we please, PLEASE stop with the whole objectification of women in order to demonstrate that Dean is straight? WE. GET. IT. WE KNEW THIS LONG AGO. Without any meaningful commentary on this behavior, the show cannot claim this is ironic or a necessary part of the storytelling. You’re just perpetuating misogyny by focusing on women’s bodies without giving any of them names or characterization, and it’s disgusting.
The video for “Halt & Catch Fire” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– Please help book/finalize the Mark Does Stuff European Tour!
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