Why do American teenagers even make out on these deserted
roads? In fact how does the next generation of Americans even live to adulthood
if this is a common right of passage? How are they not all dead at their
deserted lovers’ lanes (deserted except for the hug decomposing mounds of the
corpses of previous victims. I mean, can even the horniest teenager get it on
surrounded by so many corpses?)
It’s a Jody episode! I’m always a little afraid of a Jody
episode, always wondering of this will be the episode where Jody finally joins
so many others in the Supernatural Walk-in-Freezer (Supernatural has long since graduated past mere fridges)
– but so far so good.
Jody is running her home for waifs and strays with both Alex
and Claire
both of whom have issues; which is only to be expected given what they’ve come
from and how Jody is trying to be a parent to these girls when she has no
history with them: which doesn’t make it easy for Claire either since she came
afterwards and feels something of an outsider
Claire has been hunting. Well… sort of. Claire has been
menacing random people around her with lots of violence because she is seeing
monsters everywhere. This is causing some friction – especially when she calls
Sam and Dean in to help her with her hunts much to Jody’s annoyance (and
wonderful, earnest awkwardness)
Now, obviously, this being Supernatural there are actual monsters – vampires to be exact – and
they get predictably sliced and diced, but the main story is the Jody family coming
together and, equally little insights into Sam and Dean
See, we see Dean all enthralled by one of his terrible
terrible junk food awfulness early in the episode (and
there is still no way he eats like that) but what makes him and Sam
rhapsodise is Jody’s simple chicken dinner: because home cooked food is
something they’ve never had. Or when Jody worries that Claire is using hunting
to hide from her life because she doesn’t know anything else and Dean decides
to pass that on to Sam because there’s way too much of himself in that
statement. Or Dean being so utterly furious with Claire for disrespecting Jody
because Jody has given Claire and Alex a home – an actual home; something Sam
and Dean never had. Or Sam telling Claire to appreciate having a home, a family
or school – because she may never have them again unlike Hunting which will
always be there.
The life Jody has made for Claire and Alex is something
utterly precious that Sam and Dean have never had. Even with awkward (but
excellent) conversations about birth control with teenagers.
When the face the vampires it’s an excellent moment of
Alex confronting her terrible past and, of course, Jody, Claire and Alex rally
together as a family, supporting for each other, caring for each other,
fighting for each other and risking life and limb for each other. Family bonding
at its best
They leave them much stronger – with Claire facing a more
reasonable outlook on hunting (while still planning on becoming a hunter) while
Alex, with her past, is staying with them but one day wants to get away from
all the monsters. What I think is extra special about this ending is no-one
says either choice is wrong – not even the girls to each other.
