The word “meh” comes to mind. I think this review is
going to be a pretty short one because I simply don’t have anything meaningful
to say.
We have a monster of the week episode – but it’s
something we’ve kind of seen before: someone makes a deal with a demon and it
ends up coming due and they regret it. It’s not
bad episode, but we’ve seen a lot of these episodes and storylines, a
lot of these deals and it really doesn’t add to any real meta, or be all that
intriguing in its own right
I think there’s some comment there about these deals,
desperation and especially how such a physical profession as wrestling, a job
which hurts and damages bodies can push people into a corner. It’s a note on
how disposable even famous people can end up – because there’s such a narrow
time when an athlete’s career is viable. It would be a nice point but it’s kind
of lost among lots of wrestling fanpoodling
I guess if I was even remotely a fan of wrestling that
may have meant more to me… but I’m not. I also just didn’t see this as fitting
with the Winchesters. I have many many many crticisms of Supernatural (especially the disposability of minorities –
showcased yet again with potentially great character Simmons being summarily
dispatched while SACRIFICING HERSELF, damn it! She’s supposed to be a demon!
Can’t even a demonic Black woman find some sense of self-worth and not jump in
front of the white guy’s death?) but one thing it has done very well is
characterise the brothers. Their history. Their issues. Their pain (oh so much
their pain)
And this wrestling didn’t fit it to me. I mean, I can’t even picture John Winchester, obsessive hunter, who so neglected his boys it was Bobbie who played catch with Sam, taking his sons to a wrestling match (now, Bobbie? I could see him doing it).
And I don’t see Dean or Sam being fans – especially not Dean. Dean has been fighting the supernatural for a very long time – by definition he has been involved in brutal close quarters fighting since he was very young. Is choreographed fake fighting going to impress him? I remember there’s an episode of Buffy when Buffy is snarking away at a martial arts film because the fight scenes are unrealistic – that I can see Dean doing.
Right, now get to the interesting part of the show
Crowley and Lucifer are fencing – yes Crowley has
prepared a plot while Lucifer tries to double cross him and Crowley raises a
treble cross.
Best lines:
Castifer: “I invented the double cross”
Crowley: “I perfected it”
I’m actually hopeful that this will mean Crowley actually
becomes something – because Castifer’s right: in the last few seasons Crowley
has completely lost interest in being the King of Hell. He used to be a force,
now he’s either snarking at his mother or being a wisecracking sidekick to
Dean. It’s not a good look.
Of course Crowley’s plan doesn’t quite go to plan. But he
does escape. Alas, the plan also involves the death of the potentially good
character Simmons because it’s Supernatural
and they’re never breaking this habit of killing any and all minorities, women
and anyone not a straight white man.
