Drive by review, since I have managed to injure my back and typing this just plain hurts. Ouch!
I thoroughly enjoyed this week’s episode, ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’, which came with a lot of expectations thanks to the pent up frustration of Supernatural fans wanting more of the Wayward Daughters. Social media amped up a campaign to get that trending, which worked quite well, and I think pretty much everyone cheered to have Jody Mills back on Show. Supernatural has long been criticized by some for killing off too many women or not writing them with enough agency, but I think the Show has come a long way. This episode wasn’t perfect, but it was an episode focused on three women written by a woman and there were some scenes that will go down in Show history as favorites. I’d call that a win.
Let’s just talk about the things that weren’t entirely a win first, so I can get to the good stuff and gush. The pacing was odd – there were several times that a scene seemed to just continue on after it was clearly meant to be over. It was striking enough that a few times, I said out loud, huh? That threw me out of the story, which is never a good thing. I think I saw a tweet somewhere that they actually ran short on this one (which seems to be the opposite of their usual problem) so perhaps that’s an explanation, but it threw me off a bit.
The other thing that some fans questioned was the eventual confrontation between Jody, Claire and Alex and the vampire janitor and his jerk of a sidekick. Now Jody Mills is a badass. There’s no doubt about that, and she proved it again when she took a beating and still kept trying to save Claire. Claire is a bit of a badass too; she’s hiding from her traumatic past in hunting, for sure, but she’s also throwing herself into it with a lot of guts. Alex has proven her strength in recovering from a long history of abuse and manipulation, and is managing to ‘keep fighting’ even as she struggles with some serious guilt and feelings of inferiority. That’s why they’re nicknamed the Wayward Daughters – in parallel to the teenage Winchesters. Claire and Alex are Dean and Sam (one throwing themselves into hunting, one wanting to go to school and be ‘normal’) with Jody as their Bobby Singer parent figure. If that parallel is to work, however, the women need to be as badass as the boys. I’m not sure that came through as much as it could have in this episode. They all show courage, absolutely, and Claire does get to lob off the vampire janitor’s head on her own, but the last scene when Sam subdues the jerk sidekick and then places him in front of Alex so she can gank him (or just punch him) didn’t quite sit right. I would’ve liked to see the women totally save the Winchesters’ (very fine) asses instead – the way Sheriff Donna once stepped in and saved the day. It’s not a gigantic quibble for me, but I think it could have been a little bit stronger and more empowering. I do like that Claire chopped off jerk ex boyfriend’s head to spare Alex from having to do it – she’s definitely the Dean of the sibling duo.
(And Speaking of Briana, which I just was, this episode could have used more Sheriff Donna too! Let’s just put all the badass women together. Hey, maybe Rowena can be the next big bad they have to go up against?? And somebody reincarnate Charlie too while we’re at it!
One last comment about that scene. Good thing the bad guy had to monologue for about five minutes, or Sam and Dean wouldn’t even have arrived in time to do any saving. Was Sam walking in slow motion or something?? I was yelling at him to hurry the hell up as he sauntered around with his big knife and the screams of distress got louder. And sure, he looked really good sauntering – and Dean took my breath away when he stepped through that torn curtain in the dark, long coat fanning out and blade gleaming – but come on boys, can you hurry?!
The CW’s SPN twitter got it right though, tweeting at that scene: What every monster fears to have coming towards them.
Damn right.
Okay, so that scene aside, there was so much to love about this episode! Unlike the proposed backdoor pilot ‘Bloodlines’, which didn’t get picked up, this episode succeeded because it integrated Sam and Dean into the episode, and it starred characters we already knew and loved. Whether it’s actually being considered as a spinoff or it was just written as a nod to fans who want that, they did it in the right way this time.
All five of the actors are talented enough to pull off both humor and angst, and there was plenty of both in this episode.
I’ve gone on and on about Jody Mills and how much I love both her and Kim Rhodes, so I won’t repeat myself. Except to say that I love Jody Mills and was SO DAMN HAPPY to see her back on Show!
I was really glad to see Alex return too. Alex is a character with a truly tragic backstory, written with lots of nuance by Bob Berens when she was introduced in ‘Alex Annie Alexis Anne’. Her story, if anything, became more tragic with this episode, as we see in painful clarity (through the eyes of the equally tragic vampire janitor) what she was forced to do – the wrong that she was forced to do to innocent people. Those vampires weren’t just killing criminals, they asked Alex to lure the good people too. And she did it. As Claire wisely points out later, she was a kid – she’s not to blame. But that’s a tough pill for Alex to swallow, difficult for her to believe now that she’s adopting an entirely new morality. There’s a parallel here with cult members, especially for children – if that’s all you know, that’s the sense of right and wrong that you adopt. It wasn’t Alex’s fault – but it was most certainly wrong. And living with that, as Sam knows from his time of being soulless or demon blood addicted and Dean knows from his time of torturing in hell and being a demon, is damn hard. Katherine Ramdeen does an admirable job of showing us Alex’s guilt as well as her underlying (and understandable) rage.
I love that this episode made Alex’s story even darker and more complex; that Nancy Won’s script didn’t take the easy way out and make the vampire janitor just a ‘bad guy’. Instead, we got his story and it stopped me dead. Oh no. I’m empathizing with the bad guy again, what the hell?! That’s good writing. I had to struggle with it – with what it meant for him and for Alex and for the fact that he has to die. Ben Cotton, who has guest starred before on Supernatural back in Season 3, did a great job of making me feel for a character who was only onscreen a short time and was a villain to boot. Even jerk sidekick was also a victim, turned against his will (though we get the idea that maybe he was a jerk long before that).
The other serious scenes were the ones that Sam had with both Claire and Alex. For years, fans bemoaned the fact that we weren’t getting enough Sam pov, myself included. It made the show one-sided, and it made everything Sam did confusing. We started to feel like we no longer knew him, and that was painful – one of the things that research shows as a healthy benefit of loving a show like SPN over the years is the sense of familiarity, which gives us some of the same feelings that we get from spending time with actual family. But if we feel cut off from a character, that’s less likely to happen. This season, I feel like I know Sam Winchester again – and I love him perhaps even more than I ever have (and I’ve always loved him).
His genuine empathy and gentle challenging with Claire were so perfect; she listens to him and doesn’t shut down because she can tell that he gets it. And his conversation with Alex at the end is similarly genuine; he gets her too. Sam is so much more open this season – with his brother, and with trusted others. So he’s able to share with them both, and they’re able to hear him. And it helps. Jared excels at those scenes. He was so very Sam Winchester in both, and sells that earnestness perfectly. Sometimes I just sit here thinking how lucky I am that the characters I’m crazy about are played by such talented actors – who care about what and who they’re playing.
Dean’s interactions with Claire are more humorous, but no less helpful. We didn’t get as much of a glimpse into why Claire is so desperately wanting to lose herself in hunting (though we can certainly guess), but Kathryn Newton can definitely play the humor as well as the teenage angst.
I laughed out loud when Dean went into ‘Dad’ mode with her, especially because of the constant social media teasing that Jensen, Jared and Misha take for being ‘Dads’. I loved Claire’s reaction – half amused, half oh FINE Dad. It rang so true. And his not-so-subtle admonition to the (jerk) boyfriend?
Priceless.
Know what else was priceless? Some of the tweets flying back and forth during the west coast airing, when Kim, Kathryn Newton and Katherine Ramdeen (joined by fellow female alums Briana Buckmaster, Alaina Huffman, Ruth Connell and others) were as entertaining as the episode itself.
Katherine: DEANS DAD FACE LOLOOLOL @JensenAckles
On screen, Claire tells Dean that it totally worked, then rolls her eyes and walks away.
Katherine: CLAIRE TROLLED SAM & DEAN LOLOLTROLOLL
Kathryn and Katherine also bantered in character back and forth.
Katherine: SHUT UP CLAIRE @KathrynLNewton
We also got Kim Rhodes having as much maternal pride as Jody, which Kim sold beautifully both as an actor (Jody’s fond smile as she watches Alex ‘fit in’) …
And as herself in the live tweet.
Kim: NOT A WORD SPOKEN! But such a good moment!!!! @katramdeen and @KathrynLNewton OWNED IT!!
They did. The wordless nod exchanged between the two young women after the vamps are killed carried so much meaning. Clearly they’ve learned how to communicate non verbally after watching Jared and Jensen, masters of the look that says more than an entire page of script.
Also, whoever keeps putting Sam and Dean in those long coats and FBI suits? Needs a friggen’ raise. Holy crap, but the boys look good dressed like that.
Delicious.
Other things I loved?
I loved the beginning scene when Dean brings Sam a burger.
A double donut Elvis burger.
Now surely Dean knows that this is not up Sam’s alley, but he’s so infatuated with the idea and its awesomeness that he just can’t help himself. He wants to share the awesomeness with his little brother. Of course he does.
Dean’s childlike glee over finding the Elvis burger is adorable, but Ackles always plays Dean with such nuance. When Sam rejects the burger, you can see the flash of hurt cross his face as he makes an aborted gesture toward the other bag, trying to say ‘no, that one’s yours, I have my own…’ He drops it immediately and falls back on bitching and humor, but Dean is sensitive when it comes to Sam. I love that tiny moment that reminds us of who Dean is – I am forever grateful that Jensen remembers.
I loved that Sam and Dean are, once again, working together as a team.
They talk to each other, plan with each other, bicker with each other over food but share commiserating glances constantly.
When they split up to work the case, they call each other — and they pick up too!
My favorite scene – and one that will go down in Show history as a favorite – was of course the infamous dinner scene. Infamous because Kim and Kathryn both talked about how hysterical (and difficult) it was to try to say your lines while Jensen Ackles is sitting across the table from you making a giant fort out of his mashed potatoes.
I can only imagine.
The scene itself had me laughing so hard I needed tissues. Jared and Jensen played Sam and Dean shoveling chicken and mashed potatoes in their mouths with gusto perfectly – not so over the top that it wasn’t believable but OMG so damn funny.
Apparently Kim added some brilliant ad libs that ended up being some of the funniest moments.
Kim:
Nothing says, “We’re never gonna fuck,” like a slug on the arm. @JensenAckles
“Sit. Stay.” Also not scripted.
I didn’t stop @katramdeen fast enough on the wine. “Put it back,” not in the script.
Obviously these five work together seamlessly, because those all came off as just right and nobody blinked an eye.
I loved everything about that scene. Jared and Jensen being Sam and Dean being awkward as the conversation turns to a teenage sex talk will never not be hysterical. Sam’s avoidance, and Dean’s open mouthed and determinedly clueless “What?” killed me.
I had to go back and rewatch that scene several times simply because I enjoyed it so damn much. And Kim, playing Jody’s increasingly exasperated “A little help here, boys?”
Priceless.
Fandom thought so, clearly.
The scene was funny as hell, but it also had a little bit of seriousness to it. We do know from canon that Dean can cook – he once made Sam a sandwich that had him salivating. But the boys rarely get someone cooking for them, certainly not a mom figure around a family table. It’s that as much as the food that I think the boys are overcome by and enjoying so much.
The theme of family resounds through this episode – and how devastating the loss of family is. Dean lets us glimpse his own always present sadness about the family he lost as a child when he snaps at Claire that she should be grateful for the found family she has in Jody and Alex – for a room nicer than the one he has now. Oh, Dean. Every now and then, we can see so clearly that hurt little boy who’s still inside, the four year old who lost his mother and his home and his room with its trucks and toy soldiers and legos. He wants it for Claire, but it hurts too, because he never got that back. I think part of the reason he holds onto Sam with every molecule of his being is that Sam is the only part of his family that he hasn’t lost. He literally couldn’t bear it.
A line near the end of the episode echoes both the importance and the immense vulnerability that having a family to love brings:
“That’s what’s scary about family, it gives you so much to lose”
Thank you, Nancy Won, for that line. It says so much about Supernatural.
The Winchesters get leftovers. In Tupperware. Which both looks really amusing when Sam is carrying them, and makes both the brothers ridiculously happy.
Jody gets one of the best parting shot lines, as we say goodbye to the Wayward Daughters (at least for now): As long as everyone wears a condom, we’ll be fine.
Dean: [laughing] I want that bumper sticker.
Fandom, as always, was on it.
Damn it, even my drive by reviews end up four pages long. I cannot NOT write about this Show!
Stay tuned for more, including our exclusive interview with Shoshannah Stern (Eileen) and photos and coverage from next weekend’s Houscon!
–Lynn
If you enjoy our writing, check out our books on
Supernatural – Fangasm Supernatural Fangirls and
Fan Phenomena Supernatural (with chapters written
By Misha Collins and Richard Speight Jr!)
Every now and then, we can see so clearly that hurt little boy who’s still inside, the four year old who lost his mother and his home and his room with its trucks and toy soldiers and legos.
Oh No You Did NOT. You did not just rip my heart out and make me cry. It’s the damn allergies. There’s allergies in February… right?
Excellent review. I have to go back and watch some of the scenes to pick up on the adlibs and the reactions. And Dean’s hurt face… I gotta go see Dean’s hurt face.
Hope you feel better. Thanks for the lovely review!
Right??? She did, didn’t she! Poor Dean. Poor me, I’ve cried so much tonight!!
What a great review, your back is not holding you back at all! (And i hope it gets better soon, i know exactly how sucky that is!) I confess I skipped over the criticisms because I just want to enjoy my show and if I didn’t notice it, I don’t want it pointed out to me. But all of your positive comments were so spot on and really cut to the heart of the matter. You put your finger on the pulse of every scene that made me feel.
I have to add, I’m bi-bro & I have zero time for scorekeeping and always complaining one brother is getting more than the other. But even I was getting frustrated with how Sam was getting tossed out of scenes so Dean could have the one-on-one heart-to-hearts. I’ve refrained from complaining til now, but it did feel like he was getting shut out. I’m so happy that seems to be changing!
I only discovered your writing last week and I’m already enthralled. I bought 3 of your books and can hardly wait to receive them! Thank you for your insights and love of the show.
My favorite scene was also dinner. Once again my late husband Frank was brought to mind in the way the boys enjoyed their food. Frank had the same way of eating and “umm”ing at the same time. Dinner was never quiet until he left us. It brought smiles, laughter, and tears to my eyes watching that scene.
Jared plays Sam so well, and Sam reminds me of Frank. A tender hearted big teddy bear of a man, (Frank was 6’4 and Jared looks like they could be related) yet tough enough to take out a Vamp or any other kind of monster that might come along. Coupled with Jared’s ability to talk and Deans sarcastic wit, the 3 of them make me feel close to Frank every time I watch the Show. And I love every squeeful moment.
My faith, my comfort is that I will be with Frank again when it is my time to leave this Earth behind, in the meantime I will suffice with watching my Boys. 🤗❤️
Ps. I hope you heal quickly!
Reblogged this on Ana Fraser Lallybroch Blog.
I really enjoyed this episode – I don’t have nearly as many quibbles as I have read elsewhere, I just seemed to enjoy it. I do strongly disagree with you (not something that I usually do!) about the girls being the ones that should have had more of the kill. It is something that has annoyed me immensely in the past that the supposed best hunters in the country if not the world are made to look stupid by guest stars and young people who are seemingly better hunters even though they have only just started etc. Sorry for rant!
And they did just get rescued by some pretty awesome women last week, so I didn’t mind them being more involved in the kills this week. It bugs me too when they’re made to seem incompetent as a plot device. (Like when Dean got knocked out by two different civilian girls two weeks in a row earlier in the season.)
Also, i loved Dean in dad mode. I’m sure he got lots of experience dealing with a stubborn teenager when he was raising Sam, and look how well he turned out!
I loved this episode. I have to agree on the family and need for it that was shown here. I feel so sorry for Dean. I guess i is why I was always drawn to him. Wish I was gong to be at the Houscon. I only live about 50 miles away. Money is an issue right how. We met at DallasCon in 2014.
Feel better, Lynn! Back pain sucks!
I guess I feel kind of meh about this episode. My only real complaint is one you mentioned, Sam’s slow approach to the rescue, coupled with the fact that Dean didn’t end the call the instant he heard Jody scream and race to the scene. Oh, and I don’t know of any college registrars who keep evening hours, but I think I’m going to pretend that this one also adjuncts teaching ESL to adults 3 hours/week, and they’re meeting him/her during the 15 minute class break. 🙂 See? Fandom can fix everything.
Thank you for talking about the things you didn’t like about this episode! The pacing! That’s what is was. I think there was a point where I thought there was going to be a commercial break and I even got up to do commerical break activity only to find out there was another scene and the show continued. And the pool room brawl was odd for me as well. I kept waiting for Jody to get herself untied and go after the vamp even with the bad leg. Also, I need to void social media before the show. I get the Wayward Daughter front, tough women unit. I lived through that rally once before (Murphy Brown anyone?). I use television and movies to escape and this episode hit too close to home for me. (Good writing to bring real life into an art form.) There are other shows on television that I have avoided because they are too close to home. Run away from your own problems and gravitate to other’s problems.
Anyway, the dinner scene was my favorite but while many found that funny (which I did too), it brought tears to my eyes because I am at a season of my life where those family dinners are not as crowded. The sex talk at the table was a staple at our house. Humorous and educational and eye rolls. My daughter texted me from college telling me “Jody is so you. Best dinner conversation ever.”
I also love the fact Sam has people to talk to. I had thought the saw moved toward the Dean Winchester story but in my head canon I had Sam surviving to tell his brother’s story so that worked for me. But I also the relationship as parent/child and one of the hardest thing to do is let that child grown up, stop protecting them, let them make their choices good or bad, and still be open to talk to them on an equal level when they too are adults.
While not one of my favorite episodes, it has created a lot of chatter and conversation and I am still thinking about it days later.
Save travels to Houston. Hopefully that back panic gets under control.
Awesome review. The episode was better than I expected, that’s because I’m always extremely wary of episodes that are advertised as anything other than the boys, but as you said, they integrated sam and dean perfectly and didn’t leave them hanging in their own show. They all had great chemistry and I love Jody Mills so I’m always excited to see her back. She interacts with the boys SO well and knows how and when to set them in their place, like dear Ellen.
I too have to disagree, (sorry love u!) I’ve had enough of sam and dean being weakened and “dumbed” down to elevate amateur hunters’ abilities. It’s just not realistic. Especially not for claire. She has no skills or experience that would warrant her being able to save a Winchester. I’m glad nancy didn’t go that route just because we would like to see it. It would be fan fiction like so many other episodes. Now if jody could have saved the day, it would be awesome and realistic, having been on several hunts and being a freaking sheriff. It will be interesting I suppose to see what they do with this eager to hunt claire. I don’t think her involvement with the supernatural warrants her urge to hunt suddenly. Especially her going out looking for trouble. Where did this even come from? It didn’t seem like she was headed toward the hunting way last time we saw her. Idk, to me it seems sudden and therefore was unconvincing in the episode. I think the writers are spending too much time reading what fans want these days. That’s good to do to some extent but when it starts reshaping the character from what we knew it seems weird. Anyway, we’ll see.
I completely agree with you about writers (on a few different shows I’ve seen) sometimes taking too much direction from the fans. A nod here and there is appropriate for a show with a following like this one and an unprecedented ability to pull off the meta, but when you have the ability to plot out entire seasons at a time and you know what you have to plant along the way, have the confidence that your fandom will stand by you to see where you take it.
Great review and most certainly a great ep. The Dinner scene was indeed one for the ages. Happy to have found your site and happen to live nearby to WCU in Chester County PA. Just posted a tribute to the show not so long ago at: https://lifeattitudes.wordpress.com/2015/11/18/supernatural-tv-worth-riding-with/ and would be honored if you stopped by and checked it out. My wife and I have seen every episode of SPN at least a dozen times and are “charter members” from the first airing of the pilot. Looking forward to future posts and contributing my thoughts.
Apparently I am in the minority, but I absolutely did not like this episode. The season had to have a dud somewhere, and for me it was this one. I loved Nancy Won’s earlier episode (Thin Lizzie) and thought she had spot on characterizations for Sam and Dean, but I didn’t even recognize our boys here. Who were these bumbling guys who couldn’t figure out this really obvious monster? If mysterious bad things happen and Alex is involved I’m just going to conservatively guess there’s like a 90% chance vampirism. We had five people who are aware of the supernatural, two of which had actually been vampires for few hours, and no one put this together. Alex, who was actually raised by a nest of vampires, couldn’t figure out her boyfriend was a vampire? Shouldn’t there have at least been a few moments of “hmmm… this seems oddly familiar.” It’s implied that Alex and the boyfriend had been together for a little while, and he’d been a vampire the entire time. Has it been unusually overcast in South Dakota this year? Has this guy been slathering himself in SPF 5000 to continue attending school? (Yes, I know sunlight isn’t lethal, but wasn’t the absurd amount of sunblock found in the vampire sheriff’s room one of the tip offs about him in Hibbing 911?)
Also, a few people go missing after a new drifter comes to town to work at the high school, but the Sheriff, who has killed monsters previously, isn’t concerned. Granted she is busy dealing with Claire almost beheading high school lotharios, so you know, you pick your battles I guess.
Claire, yeesh. Friggin’ Claire. She was barely tolerable until her last appearance and now she’s even more of a 15 year-old-brat. I was completely shocked when reminded that she’s old enough to go to college. Now, the fact that I don’t like her this much does speak to how talented Kathryn Newton is, because usually if I don’t like a character I can just forget about them. But she is playing the hell out of a character I just don’t like.
Alex gets a pass on not being terribly developed as this is only her second appearance. All things considered, a fabulous acting job because it’s not like she had a ton to go on when building up Alex and figuring out how to play her.
As always though, Kim Rhodes nails it as Jody. She knows that character and you could ask her to read the iTunes user agreement as Sheriff Mills and it would work. You’d get the essence of Jody-ness.
I was actually bored during most of this episode waiting for someone to get a clue. Was there some sort of stupidity spell cast that made Sam and Dean just forget that they aren’t the Losechesters? (Sorry, Jared…)
On the plus side (see? I looked for one) the Winchesters are now my dream dinner guests. I’d even send them home with leftovers.
I thought the pacing was weird, too, but I’m not so well-versed in show-making to know that was it. I’ve never been a huge fan of Claire, but I adore Jody Mills. I honestly think that more stories including Alex could be a good thing. Whatever my feelings re the characters, the parallels between the girls and Sam and Dean was evident. That part was well done. And seeing Sam step up to address some of that was nice. The dinner scene? Hands down the funniest thing ever! I’m a wife and mom of young men, no girls in this house; except for the occasional girlfriend, hardly ever was one in the house besides me and the cat. The few times we got it discussing things like that were hysterical! This scene brought back some great memories. And all the feels for Dean….so sad. He’s missed out on so much. Makes me want to bring him home, feed him and just hug him ’til the cows come home.
I thought the pacing was weird, too, but I’m not so well-versed in show-making to know that was it.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Claire, but I adore Jody Mills. I honestly think that more stories including Alex could be a good thing. Whatever my feelings re the characters, the parallels between the girls and Sam and Dean was evident. That part was well done. And seeing Sam step up to address some of that was nice.
The dinner scene? Hands down the funniest thing ever! I’m a wife and mom of young men, no girls in this house; except for the occasional girlfriend, hardly ever was one in the house besides me and the cat. The few times we got it discussing things like that were hysterical! This scene brought back some great memories.
Finally, about all the feels for Dean….so sad. He’s missed out on so much. Makes me want to bring him home, feed him and just hug him ’til the cows come home.
I am not a fan of teenage drama so I really didnt know what to expect about this episode. But after 11 years I’ve learned to trust my show so I tried to watch open mindedly and it didnt disappoint. Looks like this show can make me like even the things I dont like. Does that make any sense at all?
The dinner scene is just a classic! It is so nice to see the boys being true brothers again, and I agree with you that for a while Sam wasn’t as Samlike as in earlier seasons, though I never, as some did, felt he was pushed out of S10. Sam was taking point and being the mature one while Dean lost himself to the Mark. But this season we’re seeing classic Sam, and I love it. (I’m a Deangirl, yes, but the brother-bond is the single most important plot-driver, and I am so very happy to see the boys on the same page.) I’m also enjoying the callbacks the writers are so beautifully dropping in.
I wish they would take their so-called-limited time, and use it for the season’s arc, not some random chicks.
Love, always have, always will, Jodie. But this episode was such a disappointement, such a waste of time and money.
Who here can truly say they want more Claire and Alexis, and less Dean and Sam ?
I never cared for either one of those girls, could care even less now.
It made me not care about the rest of the season. So very sad. It used to make my day, now I’m just annoyed.
Good review though, nothing I believe since you love The Winchesters, still, not bad.