Supernatural, Season 11, Episode 3

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Due to GENA GENA GENA OSCARS OSCARS OSCARS ANGELINA JOLIE ANGELINA JOLIE I probably won’t watch tonight’s episode until the weekend. And I haven’t participated at all in last week’s thread. It’s like I’m a sickly woman holed up in my bedroom, only I’m hosting a raging party going on in the next room. Never mind! I am glad you all are discussing! (Also it’s such a relief to know I don’t have to go over to that thread and “check on things” to make sure everyone’s being nice. All y’all are nice, so thank you!!)

One thing I will say: When I saw the clip of Charles Laughton’s Night of the Hunter in last week’s episode I almost fainted. And Helena had warned me but I still almost fainted. One of my favorite movies. And, of course, including that clip has now created the context/filter through which I see everything!

Supernatural/Night of the Hunter thematic dovetails

Hate/Love: the two words tattooed on Robert Mitchum’s knuckles in Night of the Hunter. Two ways to go, two paths to follow/reject. The Darkness: Bad. But there was Love in that first encounter with Darkness, and a kind of redemption/saving too. Grey area, not black/white. GOOD.
Innocence/Corruption: babies, protective women, evil outside forces, a rotting from within
Possibility/Hopelessness: Can you save yourself? Or do you just succumb? Can Mitchum be stopped in Night of the Hunter? Those tiny children take to the river to get away. They are all alone in a scary world, and he is everywhere, singing on the horizon, singing through the trees. The film drowns in a sense of hopelessness. Which is, of course, Supernatural‘s stock-in-trade as well. Also, I must point out: The two people who are threatened by the monster (Mitchum) in Night of the Hunter are siblings.
Sexual Confusion: i.e. Desire/Fear/Loathing – All Happening at the Same Time: HOTHOUSE ENVIRONMENT: Night of the Hunter has it, so does Supernatural, always, and feels like things are bubbling on that level all around. Good.

Then of course there was the eerie sound of the Reaper singing by herself down the hospital hallway, a direct steal from Night of the Hunter. I almost thought Sam would join in, in homage to the film’s most famous scene – and one of the most frightening scenes in cinema, but maybe that would have been too on the nose.

Speaking of on the nose: Last week was Lillian Gish’s birthday and I posted a little something about her.

Her birthday was October 14th, the day of the Supernatural episode that referenced one of her most famous roles. Coincidence?

I doubt it.

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29 Responses to Supernatural, Season 11, Episode 3

  1. Wren Collins says:

    Sheila, this is gold. I love the idea (which came up in the new episode) of the Darkness not being a black-and-white villain.

    • Paula says:

      Amara is a great character so far. The ambiguity of her end game and her alliances. I thought with the title of The Bad Seed there would be more indication that she was evil to the core but she’s not. Crowley’s trying to teach her the glorious history of evil and instead she’s disappointed and angry that God allowed these things to happen.

      “You would have done things differently?” “I will do things differently.”

      Of course, she’s still eating souls like a champ, so there’s that.

      • Wren Collins says:

        //Crowley’s trying to teach her the glorious history of evil and instead she’s disappointed and angry that God allowed these things to happen.//
        Yesssssss. Love that. She seemed OFFENDED. That little girl was so great.

  2. Wren Collins says:

    Also, Dean’s burlesque has returned. *throws party*

  3. Helena says:

    I. Can’t. Even. with this week’s episode so all the more reason to rewatch Night of the Hunter with a glass of Scotch.

    However, I can use my magical scrying mirror to tell you about a forthcoming exhibition of books and artefacts from the lost library of John Dee – Mage, Enochian Scholar and all-round friend of Supernatural. Turns out he’s a doodler – who knew?

  4. Paula says:

    Sheila talks about Dean starring in his own show of awesomeness. This week we got Rowena starring in her own show – a witches revival of Mean Girls. Only instead of being Queen B she’s Gretchen Wieners trying to make mega coven happen and trying to impress women except her Toaster Strudel is the Book of the Damned. I think this is why I love Rowena so much. She has these grand plans and she’s more than capable but she always stumbles somehow. “Shall we have a little sing song?”

    Snarky Sam gives me life. We got so much snark that I can live another week.

  5. Paua says:

    //HOTHOUSE ENVIRONMENT: Night of the Hunter has it, so does Supernatural// funny how the best explorations of character are not in the open where they are allowed to breathe and thrive and grow. Icepiercer was a good example of this as well.

  6. Melanie says:

    Hmmm…Night of the Hunter is buried so deep in my (mega) memory palace *rumages, muttering to self like the old lady under the bridge with the grocery cart* Oh, here, a visual image of the words tatooed on his hands. Pretty sure my brother was hogging the TV, again. Add that one to my Netflix playlist.

    Here’s what I liked about this episode:
    –Ambiguous!Amara – double letter alliteration even. Because #RedeemTheDarkness
    –Awesome, sassy, MEGA nerd, Rowena – “This is me giving you the finger.” I laughed so hard. Love how she clued Dean in on her little deal with Sam. She knows how to drive in the wedge. Wedge = conflict. Conflict = good drama. See, Sheila, I’ve been listening.
    –Sam hiding his God connection from Dean and Cass. As I said last week, I am really looking forward to Sam’s search and struggle for God and then how Dean will react and come alongside that…or not.

    Here’s what I didn’t like:
    –Pretty much everything else, but especially
    –Why are we looking for Metatron? You think HE can help get rid of the darkness? Maybe like he helped with the trials, or the angel tablet, or the mark… I have such resentment that he is still with us, but Charlie is gone.
    –Beast!Cass had to go. 3 episodes just like Demon!Dean. I felt like this was such a cave-in to certain fan elements. Not that Beast!Cass was such an amazing story element that I couldn’t live without, but he was more interesting than What-exactly-do-you-bring-to-the-table!Cass.
    –I almost hate to say this, but I think Action!Ackles was showing. There were a few times when I felt Dean just didn’t show up 100% for the scene. It wasn’t awful, but I like my Dean at 200% thank you very much.

    • Melanie says:

      And, oh yeah,
      –Why isn’t my bff Crowley answering the phone? Maybe because you pinned him to the wall with an angel blade like a bug in a Victorian display case and tried to kill him and then he threw you into that louvered closet door that shattered so spectacularly. Why is he still in your contacts? New direction, Dean. Come on, get with the program.

    • Paula says:

      //Sam hiding his God connection// this is what I’m excited to see play out but have the feeling it won’t come back for three or four more episodes.

  7. Melanie says:

    I think I should have another go at this. I had just watched The Bastard Executioner graphically pull the arms and legs off a man.
    So, yeah…
    There’s that…
    Yeah, rewatch…
    Look for: Snarky Sam and Burlesque Dean
    Try to unsee…the other thing

  8. mercedes says:

    hello. there is no singing in supernatural!!!! there is no humour in supernatural!!!! there is no blood in supernatural!!!

    where is MY supernatural?

    as much as i love the bunker, the bunker MUST GO. ( great shoot of the fortress).

    • mercedes says:

      supernatural needs BAD ASS!JOHN WINCHESTER. i say.

      • Wren Collins says:

        Haha- I must be the only person on the internet desperately hoping he’s never seen again. Or, okay, I wouldn’t go that far, but I’m not anxious for his return either.

        • mercedes says:

          hi. it is just to create a bit of a revolution in sam and dean’s lifes like an encounter in the bunker with his own dad, henry winchester, and then ! kawhon! henry, john and then bunker gone.
          john winchester could turn my stomac so inside out. i refused to watch many of his scenes just because.

  9. May says:

    Um. I could have done without a few things in this episode. But it was worth it just for Dean’s cabby outfit.

    • Barb says:

      LOL, May! I would have liked to see Dean’s cabby outfit in slow-mo, myself!

      This episode seemed very much like an exercise in getting all the pieces into their proper places on the board to me. I liked many of the pieces, but it didn’t feel complete, somehow–the game hasn’t really started yet?

  10. Kathy I. says:

    JA said this was a more challenging episode to direct because it was mostly exposition. So yes, I think it’s setting up storyline rather than moving much action. And I did think it did that so hopefully… more interesting to come. Also loved Amara’s indignation re good vs. bad and how people suffer, while amorally eating souls and starting to make Crowley nervous!

  11. Lyrie says:

    God, that was some lousy writing. The dialogs suck ass. I don’t understand why/how these two are still working. Although there were a few things I enjoyed — mainly due to the actors’ awesomeness — I’ll just pretend this episode never happened.

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