{"id":4311,"date":"2014-12-22T13:00:25","date_gmt":"2014-12-22T21:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=4311"},"modified":"2014-12-15T13:16:58","modified_gmt":"2014-12-15T21:16:58","slug":"mark-watches-supernatural-s07e19-of-grave-importance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2014\/12\/mark-watches-supernatural-s07e19-of-grave-importance\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Supernatural’: S07E19 – Of Grave Importance"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the nineteenth episode of the seventh season of\u00c2\u00a0Supernatural<\/i>, somehow, this show just made the saddest thing ever\u00c2\u00a0even sadder<\/i>. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch\u00c2\u00a0Supernatural<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trigger Warning: For discussion of grief<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Lord.<\/p>\n

As distressing as this episode is, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a fascinating chance for\u00c2\u00a0Supernatural<\/i> to show us what it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like to\u00c2\u00a0be<\/i> a spirit. Of course, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s done in a manner designed to crush our own spirits. (SORRY, COULDN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T RESIST, DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T HATE ME.) We meet a new hunter for the first time, and then five minutes later, SHE\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S DEAD. Through her death, both she and Bobby deal with their own mortality, though in Bobby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s case, this is not so much \u00e2\u20ac\u0153dealing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as it is facing the reality of his choice. I was satisfied, then, that so much of this episode was centered around Annie and Bobby. It\u00c2\u00a0had<\/i> to be in order to be as effective as it was. The case itself was fairly interesting \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a serial killer who stays<\/i> a serial killer, even after death \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but I liked what it brought out in everyone.<\/p>\n

In particular, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of Grave Importance\u00e2\u20ac\u009d does a lot of worldbuilding for\u00c2\u00a0Supernatural<\/i>, some of it subtle, some of it a lot more obvious. By putting us in Bobby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s shoes, we see\u00c2\u00a0why<\/i> his state as a spirit is so frustrating. All of his attempts to interact with the Winchesters or to get their attention are given context. We find out that they\u00c2\u00a0exhausted<\/i> him, which is why he seemed to show up randomly. While Bobby isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t corporeal, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still an expenditure of energy, though it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more of a metaphysical, specter energy than anything else. This energy can, eventually, run out, which is what we see of some of the ghosts in this episode. GHOSTS CAN \u00e2\u20ac\u0153DIE.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Which is why the threat of Van Ness feels so real! After we see him absorb the energy of both Dexter O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Connell and Victoria, we fear for Annie and Bobby. Will they be doomed to a life of nothingness if he gets to them?<\/p>\n

However, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not the real question that this episode is asking. Because Bobby is the only spirit in the Van Ness House who is\u00c2\u00a0willingly<\/i> there,\u00c2\u00a0he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s forced to openly talk about his choice to remain behind to help the Winchesters. Of course\u00c2\u00a0I\u00c2\u00a0<\/i>want him to be around, and he seems fairly satisfied to be ghost given his other options. But is this the best situation for Bobby? Annie isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t so sure, and she admits that she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d prefer nothingness to being a ghost. I thought that was pretty bold for the show to do, given that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fairly rare for that kind of existentialism to be displayed on television. Of course, hunters are often quite existential in nature, but still. Annie doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want heaven or hell; she just wants to be\u00c2\u00a0done<\/i>.<\/p>\n

So where does Bobby fit in to this world? We watch him as he becomes desperate to reach out to Sam and Dean, all so he can help them. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s heartbreaking. Even when he takes Haskel Crane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s advice and learns to focus enough to interact with the physical world, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not given the reaction he expected. When he was finally able to break through and write a message in the mirror, I imagine that he anticipated some sort of joyous reunion. To me, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of Grave Importance\u00e2\u20ac\u009d explores Bobby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s own perception of the world now that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a ghost, and that transition is a vital part of that perception. The message is an undeniable sign that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s back, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also an undeniable demonstration of how Bobby can help. But I think he truly thought that Sam and Dean would welcome him back with open arms and\u00c2\u00a0no reservations<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0This way, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d still have a part in it. He could ignore the ramifications of his decision to stay. He could ignore his inevitable degradation. He could\u00c2\u00a0keep living<\/i>. Well, as a ghost, but it allows him a state of delusion in a way.<\/p>\n

But that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not going to work. I admit that the idea of a ghost being a hunter is about the coolest thing in the universe, but how would that\u00c2\u00a0actually<\/i> work? Even if we ignore that, there are still issues left behind. Sam and Dean\u00c2\u00a0already mourned Bobby<\/i>. And now he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s back? Except\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s complicated, and when it comes down to it, it feels wrong. (Which is ironic, of course, since both Sam and Dean are literal examples of upsetting the natural order.) What if Bobby becomes a vengeful spirit? How can this ever end well? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m glad they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re asking these questions, as uncomfortable as they are. But ultimately, it just makes me feel SO FUCKING SAD. This character stayed behind out of duty; he felt like he\u00c2\u00a0had<\/i> to make sure that Sam and Dean had help to get through this Leviathan nightmare. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s admirable! It is! It fits so perfectly within Bobby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s characterization because loyalty\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always been one of his more obvious traits. However, that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t give us a rosy future. They have to accept that Bobby could change at any moment, that anything could trigger him to become a vengeful spirit.<\/p>\n

What then? Could they really banish him? Could they lose him a second time? UGH, I DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T WANT TO THINK ABOUT THIS.<\/p>\n

The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of Grave Importance\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can be downloaded here for $0.99<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– Mark Does Stuff is now on Facebook<\/a>! Feel free to Like the page, which I’m running myself, for updates and SILLINESS.
\n– 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!<\/a>
\n– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com<\/a>. All Mark Watches videos for past shows\/season are now archived there!
\n– My Master Schedule<\/a> is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often.\u00c2\u00a0My next two Double Features are now in the schedule! I will be watching <\/b>The Sarah Connor Chronicles<\/i><\/b> and then <\/b>Leverage<\/i><\/b>. <\/b>Commission away!
\n– I will be at quite a few conventions and will be hosting events throughout 2015, so check my Tour Dates \/ Appearances page<\/a> often to see if I’m coming to your city!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"