Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 12: "Faith"

Now that's what I'm talking about. Normally, episodes of Supernatural begin with an exposition of the big bad, and usually an introduction to the damsel in distress. Well, this time that Damsel is Dean. After battling some kind of monster, Dean is left with crippling, soon-to-be-fatal heart damage. Sam doesn't accept Dean's fate and searches all of their available resources for help. Help, it seems, is to be found at the hands of a faith healer whose power's aren't quite what they appear. I feel like I just wrote the synopsis description for the back of a DVD case... Anyway, the supernatural explanation and threat that comes from this preacher's powers stand out because of their originality and general unwillingness to fit into the usual Supernatural monster category. There's even a twist or two that, while not ground-shaking, still keep the story going, rather than simply plodding along the same formulaic path as most of the episodes thus far this season.

The episode also touches on some issues of morality that I foresaw back in the episode "Wendigo". When Sam and Dean discover that there may be a human cause behind all of the evil in the episode, they briefly debate as to whether or not they are able to kill human beings. Like Superman and Buffy before them, the Winchesters apparently signed off on the "no killing people" clause. But alas, the discussion lasts about a minute when they both agree, without further debate, that there's somehow a difference between slaughtering supernatural creatures and offing people.

Just like "Hook Man" was an example of all of the worst recurring elements of the show, "Faith," seems to be aware of the flaws of the past and simply choses to not employ them. Instead, we get legitimately sympathetic characters, ambiguous evil, and honest-to-gosh character development that doesn't seem like it was conceived out of cardboard and paste. The pilot episode may just have to nudge over a bit to make way for "Faith" as my favourite episode.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 11: "Scarecrow"

Generally, you get through these episodes knowing that eventually, sometime later in the series, there is going to be some kind of reunion and demon-asskickery, courtesy of Sam, Dean, and absentee father, John. In "Scarecrow," however, we get close than ever to thinking that the time has come. And, in this one special instance, we want them to wait a little longer.

The episode begins with the brutal and creepy slaying of a young couple at the hands of a scarecrow. So, when the Winchester boys gets a phone call from John prompting them to go investigate, we resent Sam for fulfilling our previous wish of focusing on fulfilling their ultimate mission of finding their father. Sure, we want resolution, but that scarecrow thing looked just freaky enough to be willing to take the detour and find out what it's all about.

So, we eventually get a compromise, with the brothers breaking off on their own, Dean toward the scarecrow thing, and Sam, fed up with taking orders, embarking toward California in order to find John and exact revenge for his dead mom and girlfriend. We're anxious to see how both of these will resolve, but, as mentioned before, we're willing to put the John thing on hold until we get this orchard-bound monster sussed out.

Once we do (and I really should know better by now), we realize that it's really just another in the line of formulaic supernatural entities that get thrown at the boys for them to defeat. A promising opening does not make for a satisfying big baddie. But, we've still got Sam, right? While Dean's off fiddling with his strawman, Sam's going to find John once and for all. But wait, no, he has a change of heart when he can't get ahold of Dean on his cell phone. So, back he treks to the Indiana town just in time to save Dean's life and uphold the status quo.

Damn you, Supernatural for constantly making me hope that you're better than you are. You keep setting up the pins, buffing them up all prettily, and then throw gutter balls so that you never have to knock 'em down. There are a few one-liners ("I hope your freaking pie is worth it!"), as well as the introduction of a potential new multi-episode baddie (I hope) in Meg, Sam's sort of travelling companion, but, once again, I find myself wondering why I'm watching this show at all.

But I am, and I will, since I still have another load of dishes to do.

Rating: 3.25 stars

Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 10: "Asylum"

Another day, another episode of Supernatural, and I'm starting to think that I've hitched my wagon to a rather mediocre star. When I first decided to start reviewing this show, I figured that I would grow to love and adore it, like another Buffy, but instead, it's something that I throw on when I'm doing the dishes or folding laundry. It holds the attention enough to be genuinely curious about where things are going to end up, but there's been no evidence yet that it'll be worth it when we get there.

In this episode, the Winchester boys head to a haunted, abandoned asylum after receiving a text message from who they believe to be their father. When they get there, they meet a cast is disposable characters who help them (meaning get in the way) to uncover the mysteries of the asylum. Amazingly, however, Sam comes under attack by the spirit of a wacky psychiatrist who has devised a kind of rage therapy, with the idea that if their anger is let out in controlled bursts, they will be able to better control their psychoses. Instead, as it turns out, the patients went loco and killed everybody. So, the doctor, despite being dead, is continuing his research, and when he gets ahold of Sam, he flicks Sam's rage switch, allowing him to vocalize all of the feelings of resentment that he's had toward Dean. In fact, it's rather a lot like in the episode "Skin" when Dean is given the liberty to voice his frustrations, if only through a shapeshifter who has adopted his body and personality. But, as these are stoic, Kansas lads, once the threat is over, they revert to not talking about it, giving the damaging behaviour permission to continue.

Dean is "on" for this episode, throwing out one-liners and cultural references like a mad man. If "this is why I always got the extra cookie" means anything to you, you know what I'm talking about.

Then, there's the required Daddy Winchester tease at the end. Just like the last episode, "Home," it's suggested that father and sons will soon be reunited. Let's hope that I'm wrong, and it's worth it when they are.

Rating: 3.0 stars

Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 8: "Bugs"

I know I've been away for awhile. Mostly, because it took this long to Clorox the taste of "Hook Man" out of my mouth. Well now that's probably a little too unkind, but it sounds more "critical" than whining about too many closing shifts during the ol' day job. Regardless, I'm back, with a few review to write, so let's get it started.

The best episodes of Supernatural have accomplished two things: presenting an intriguing, unique, mystical enemy while still making headway with the overarching story of the hunt for Daddy Winchester. This episode sort of succeeds at both.

The villain, in this case, is bugs. At first, the premise is intriguing, with a man being essentially eaten from the inside out by beetles. The mystery continues (but worsens) as a woman is killed by tons of rubbery and ill-CG'd spiders. Finally, it's revealed that the cause of all of naturalistic chaos is an ancient American Indian curse that prevents anyone from settling on a tract of land that was raped and pillaged away from a local tribe. So what do we do about it? According to Dean, the only way to beat a curse is to stay away from it. So, naturally, the place to go is right into its path so that a local family can be saved.

Now here's where things get especially dicey. The boys show up around midnight (we know this because Sam says something like "It's almost midnight, we need to get you and your family out of here" but, it's already too late (we know this because of the enormous swarm of locusts that has come to eradicate all human life from the land). So, they run inside, boarding up windows and doors, so that they can do the only thing left, which is, according to Sam, to "ride it out." So up to the attic they go, with Dean protecting them by spraying bug spray into a lighter. Then, once in the attic, termites chew through the roof, spilling thousands, if not millions of bugs into the room. Considering the intensity of the onslaught, and the potential venomous capabilities of the bugs, the attack could maybe have lasted for about 10 minutes before everyone was overwhelmed and killed. Instead, sunshine begins to seep through one of the holes the termites have dug, signalling an end to this round of the curse, leaving the land safe until next year. Apparently the sun rises at about 12:15am in Oklahoma.

The whole bug thing shows initial promise, but loses its credibility and intensity thanks to hokey delivery and its ridiculous conclusion. So that leaves the series' larger narrative to fill in the gaps. This is done with a beat-it-over-your-head theme of Daddy issues. Aside from the series' opening scene, we've never seen John Winchester, only heard about him from hearing Sam, Dean, and others talk about him. In "Bugs," we see how intensely divisive the brothers see their relationship with their father. This duality is demonstrated in the brothers' reactions to a "weird kid" whose father is clearly disappointed by his son's oddness. Sam sympathizes, understanding what it's like to feel like a failure in his father's eyes for following his own interests. Dean, on the other hand, finds the kid to be insolent and disrespectful.

Even though it's assumed that the three lived together up until Sam's departure for college, the two have apparently never discussed Sam and John's relationship before. Dean seems surprised that Sam finds similarities between their father and the weird kid's. He ends up making a revelation to Sam that makes Sam regret his disrespectful behaviour, and when Sam announces that he "really wants to find Dad," we long to as well so that we can get our own picture of exactly who this character is. Then again, maybe John himself isn't actually all that important. There is no question that he has been the main shaping factor in the Winchester boys' development since infancy, and it is their responses to this upbringing that define who they have become as men. Still, it'll be interesting to see exactly what'll happen if they all do meet up. Things may come to blows, but there's little doubt that a whole lot of monsters will get caught in the crossfire.

Rating: 3.0

Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 7: "Hook Man"

When the best thing in your episode is a half-second Ghostbusters reference, you're in trouble. It's almost as though someone lost a bet and had to create an episode that demonstrates the worst habits that Supernatural is guilty, effectively creating a How-Not-To guide (or a "Don't Do What Donny Don't Does" book, if you're more Simpsons inclined), for making television.

So what exactly is so wrong with "Hook Man"? The biggest infractions is that it requires, nay, insists that its viewers suspend their sense of disbelief far beyond a level that is respectful of human intelligence. I'm not talking about the presence of monsters and whatnot; it's a fantasy show, it's okay to have the monsters. What I'm talking about is having Sam and Dean show up in a town, investigating a suspicious crime (fine). When they get there, they realize that the whole thing is happening because of "The Hook Man" (of campfire story fame) (fine, although tackling a familiar legend is done much better in "Bloody Mary"). There, they meet up with the virginal girl from the opening scene whose date was slaughtered by the aforementioned hook man. In said opening scene, there is a criminally bad portion where virgin heroine leaves her sorority house.

Slutty friend: Don't do anything I wouldn't do.
Virgin girl: There's nothing you wouldn't do.
*Virgin girl leaves, at which point, slutty friend turns back to her book, and speaking entirely to herself says
Slutty friend: It's true.
*Slutty friend smiles to herself smugly and fiendishly

Seriously? What is this, porn? There are times when a soliloquy is acceptable for pushing forward a character's development, but this was just poorly written self-indulgence. Anyway, back to the story.

So Sam and Dean introduce themselves to virgin girl after the boyfriend's funeral, and she instantly takes to Sam. Like immediately. All he's done is awkwardly say "I know how you feel... I saw somebody get hurt once" and she's ready to reveal all her secrets. Then, when slutty friend is brutally murdered, she sees Sam and Dean drive skulking by the crime scene. Rather than considering that they might have had something to do with it, she immediately assumes that they are there to help. Then, as Sam is lurking around her house, she spies him and comes outside. At this point, she does the most logical thing and tells Sam that she has called the police. But wait, she's just joking, and she sits down next to Sam on the curb, thanks him for protecting her, and starts making out with him. If she were to explain that she was acting out of grief or something, it may be a little easier to swallow. Instead, she gives a half-assed "you're the only one who understands me" speech to Sam, who I must remind you, she has only spoken to for about three minutes. But, alas, we are supposed to accept that this really is a special kind of girl (we get told that she's hot enough times that even if we don't personally agree, we must accept that in Supernatural's world, this one is to-die-for gorgeous) who Sam is only able to refuse by immense force of will (and guilt). The episode's one affective scene comes at the end when the brothers are getting ready to drive away, looking at virgin girl in the rearview mirror. Dean proposes that they could stay for awhile, prompting Sam to stare out the windshield, and remain stoically silent, reaffirming his mission to find Jessica's killer.

And then there's all the lurking. The Winchesters have demonstrated some pretty poor judgment in the past when it comes to investigating crime. However, in "Hook Man," they're just plain stupid. Even after getting caught once (and talking their way out of being charges), they still show up while crime scenes are abuzz with police. The worst infraction (probably in the history of television) is when they boys break into the sorority house in order to examine the crime scene. It's a bright, sunshiny day, and here they are, scaling the side of a large, largely unconcealed building, edging their way along to the window (which faces the yard leading up to the street where all the police activity is happening) and climb inside. We actually see police officers and witnesses in the yard, although, by the sheer will of God, for that minute and a half, no one notices the two guys (who have already been caught) scaling the building in broad daylight.

Throw on the fact that the Hook Man, like the Wendigo has a sense of the dramatic (he doesn't just attack people, he stands around looking menacing, and scratching the scenery up first) and you've got yourself a pretty weak episode. TV.com says that "series creator Eric Kripke admitted this was one of his least favorite episodes calling it 'Fairly lame and anemic.'" It looks like Kripke and I agree.

Rating: 2.0 stars

Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 6: "Skin"

"Skin" begins with one of those wtf moments where something crazy is going on with a familiar character, followed by a "two days earlier" title card before starting to show the circumstances that have led up to the confusion intro. The reason for seeing Dean behaving so strangely is revealed pretty early in the episode when the concept of a shapeshifter is introduced, so we don't dwell for a whole lot of time on the mystery, but instead get caught up in the style with which the episode flourishes.

Two parts of "Skin" are particularly potent. One, the m.o. of the shapeshifter is pretty unsettling. He (I assume he's male as he mostly takes on male forms) takes on the identity and personality of the male half of a young, attractive, heterosexual couple. From there, he tries to make a connection, possibly even assume the life he's pretending, and when that fails, he snaps, brutally attacking and eventually murdering the woman. The terror of this scenario didn't really sink in for me until one husband returned home from work to find his wife tied to a chair, bleeding. When he goes to console her, she flinches away from him, begging him to not hurt her anymore. With that, it strikes you that these women have been assaulted and killed by, most likely, the one person who they would be hoping to save them from all of this horror. They are, in their perception, betrayed by men who (justifiably) they had no reason to suspect were even capable of such violence. Their last thoughts are ones of agony and shattered foundations. Now if that's not scary, I don't know what is.

The other notable part of the episode was the transformation scene. Very coolly set to Filter's "Hey Man, Nice Shot," the scene showcases exactly what happens to the shapeshifter as he undergoes his transformations. At this point played by Jensen Ackles (it has assumed the form of Dean), the scene is fueled by the painful visual effects that accompany the transformation. It's like all of the gross transformation stuff from The Fly packed into 45 seconds. If you're curious, here it is, in its poorly embedded from YouTube glory.



While the darkness of the episode doesn't allow for a whole lot of levity, I feel like it's been awhile since we've laughed. All that charm and sort of wit is just bubbling under the surface at this point, so hopefully during the next one, we'll see more of the Win-jesters.

Still (and I know I say this a lot), this is still the best episode we've had since The Pilot, with its creepiness, great special effects, good musical selections and revelation of the tensions between the brothers.

Rating: 3.25 stars

Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 5: "Bloody Mary"

So far, a lot of what I've had to say about Supernatural has been negative. I've ragged on an over-reliance on clichés, predictable story-telling, bad music choices, etc., but in the case of "Bloody Mary," I have to admit that I liked it because there wasn't anything I didn't like about it. Please note that I'm still where I was before I watched the episode (which is to say that I was in no way blown away), but this, the fifth entry into the first season makes for a solid, middle-of-the-road episode.

If the title didn't make it obviously, today's episode focuses on a fairly popular myth that you probably haven't thought about since you were thirteen. In case you're unfamiliar, the gist of the myth is that if you say "Bloody Mary" three times in front of a mirror, she will appear. According to the show, she'll also rupture your eyes, killing you in a way that will baffle a coroner until he just gives up and says that you died from a stroke.

The episode goes further, though. Sam and Dean know that kids have been playing "Bloody Mary" for ages, all across the country, so why, in Akron, are people actually dying from it? In investigating the case, they find the original Mary and are able to trace her path of righteous destruction. By grounding the myth in the show's version of reality, it allows the show to play around with it, creating a history behind the folklore. It adds a bit of depth to the episode, making the threat more comprehensible and its destruction possible.

The episode also teases us with the knowledge that there's a reason that Sam is so wracked with guilt about Jessica's guilt. As soon as he mentions that he's withholding a secret, we want to know exactly what it is. As soon as we find out, we shrug and go, "okay." There are certainly implications to what we discover, but its revelation (which comes about 6 minutes after we find out there is a secret) isn't earth-shattering, either in content or in its delivery (Bloody Mary, copying Sam's reflection states it straight-forwardly).

Otherwise, it's an episode. The slightly-better-than-okay stuff (all of which I think I've mentioned) it compensated for with its hampered execution, leaving me neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, rather ready to simply move along to the next one.

Rating: 3.0 stars

Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 4: "Phantom Traveler"

I still get nervous, even 9 years (to the yesterday) later, whenever I see a TV show play around with the idea of a plane crash. And, seeing as how this episode actually aired five years ago, I imagine that a lot of people were thinking the same thing. However, bravo to Supernatural for realizing that demonstrating airplanes as potentially terrifying death machines does not have to be distasteful or disrespectful in a post-9/11 America. At least, I don't think it does.

And really, without the plane stuff, including some spectacular-looking scenes involving plane crashes and a guy getting sucked out of the emergency door, I doubt the episode would have been half as good as it was. There are two or three "holy shit, I can't believe they just showed that" moments that demonstrate the show's commitment to putting stuff on the screen that is going to make us uncomfortable or unsettled, regardless of the propriety of doing so.

In another notable moment is when the episode panders, blatantly, to its female audience. At one point, Sam and Dean decide to pose as Homeland Security agents in order to look at the crash wreckage. Instead of just showing up at the site wearing appropriate clothing, we are given a whole (however brief) scene where Sam and Dean go out to buy suits and discuss Dean's discomfort in dressing up. There is no reason that I can think of to include this scene except for giving the audience this visual:


(thanks, by the way to "candyappleslut" for having this image up on her livejournal for me to steal)

It's eye candy with no real purpose, but, in all fairness, I probably wouldn't be complaining (or even noticing) if the Winchesters were women, and instead of dressing up as Homeland Security, they were going undercover as, oh let's say, strippers.

The image I chose at the beginning of the article demonstrates, after the plane crashy CGI-goodness, the second best part of the episode. Dean hates flying, and, in this episode, he has to go on an airplane. It's like seeing Indiana Jones in the snakepit, where a usually unflappable character has to confront a primal fear. Compared to Indy's screaming, though, Dean turns into a babbling, pouting wreck, and it's kind of really delightful.

And then, my friends, the fan gets struck by a stinky brown substance. In wrapping up the episode, Sam and Dean, still on the plane, confront and attempt to exorcise the demon that's been wreaking all of this havoc. I can say pretty comfortably that the five or so minutes that this climax lasts are the worst that the show has offered up so far. It's hokey, dissatisfying, and all backed up with ill-suited music. Once they land, and the day is saved, there's a nice few moments of calmness, appreciation of life, and even a reconnection with the main story arc of finding their dad, but, unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to fully appreciate because of the sour taste still left after the climax.

All in all, it's the best episode we've seen so far since the pilot, but it absolutely suffers toward the end.

Rating: 3.0 stars

Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 3: "Dead In The Water"

In the series' third episode, something extraordinary kills some people and the Winchesters swoop in to indirectly save the day. There's definitely a formula a-brewin' and I'm a little worried about how long it's going to go on for. However, there are some things that stand out in "Dead In The Water."

The first doesn't actually only occur in this episode, but I have forgotten to mention it in previous reviews. Supernatural provides a delightful little pleasure from its placement within the real world (or at least a world that has identical popular culture to our own). The showmakers seem to be aware of, and fans of, the genre and mediums they are working within, and have no problem dropping references left, right, and centre. Two for-instances from this episode include the fact that the entire opening sequence is nearly identical to the beginning of Jaws, as well as Dean's introduction of himself and Sam as "agent Ford and this is agent Hamill" (think Harrison Ford and Mark Hammil). In the latter case, it feels like an easter egg, rewarding those who pay attention, however, in the former, so many people have borrowed from big, important films like Jaws, that the homage runs the risk of seeming like it's just following the clichés that have been born out of the original source material's success.

This episode is also notable because it's the first one where Dean doesn't yell at the monster-of-the-week, taunting it by calling it a bitch. Consider those potential points lost forever.

Second lastly, and lastly, since the two ideas mesh together, there's another cliché used in this episode, that of the silent child. In the episode, there's a kid who saw something horrible, and now doesn't talk. Enter hero (in this case, Dean), who despite having only known the kid for about a minute and a half, makes a connection, prompting the kid to communicate to him through crayon drawings. On first glance, the kid is just fulfilling a trope, there for the sake of making the big bad seem scary, but also to reluctantly offer solutions for its defeat. Pretty quickly, though, we realize that he's also serving the purpose of giving Dean's character to deepen. His swift connection with creepy kid has to do with the trauma that Dean suffered in seeing his mother's death. For the first time, he semi-openly discusses the impact that this has had on his life. And, possibly most importantly, we feel like the new information and insight doesn't imply that there "the real Dean" underneath his tough exterior. No, he's still the Zeppelin-worshiping, broad-banging cowboy we've gotten to know, there's just some other stuff going on behind the scenes. So yeah, the kid's still a narrative shortcut, but he manages to push both the episode's story and one of the characters' forward at the same time. If it didn't seem to contrived, I'd probably be impressed.

Oh, and there's a pretty cool boat crash.

Rating: 2.75 stars

Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 2: "Wendigo"

As the pilot episode episode showed us, Supernatural has a lot of potential to be a chilling, charming, supernaturally-charged good time. This episode shows an opposite, and less exciting possibility. Just as easily, or likely even easier, the show can look an awful lot like a disposable horror flick.

While I don't necessarily have any problem with the freak-of-the-week formula (hell, it's kind of a necessity this early in the series), especially when there are efforts made to tie the episode into a larger narrative frame, I do have a problem when it so closely follows the been-there-done-that of modern horror story-telling. You've got campers being attacked; a gruff, know-it-all, skeptic hunter, who might as well have a neon sign over his head saying "EAT ME FIRST"; the brothers conveniently finding the tools they need to destroy the monster in its own lair; and the list goes on.

Quite possibly the worst infraction is at the very end when the Wendigo, who, throughout the episode, has demonstrated immeasurable strength and speed, runs up to Sam and a couple of cowering survivors, then stops for a good few seconds, for no discernible reason other than 1) its own sense of drama or 2) for the sake of giving Dean enough time to sneak up behind it, and, after a brief quip, shoot it with a flaregun.

As for tying the episode in with the rest of the story, "Wendigo" barely does, aside from delving slightly into Sam's grieving process. We know from seeing him in the pilot episode, that Sam is generally more reserved and well-balanced than Dean. In this episode, though, we see this inverted, helped out a lot by Dean repeatedly saying "I'm supposed to be the (insert adjective suggesting erratic behaviour here) one." Sam's upset about his girlfriend being killed and is on the warpath, wanting to ignore everything that doesn't help him exact revenge. This allows Dean the chance to further indoctrinate Sam to Dean's own lifestyle (aka the narrative of the show) of keeping focused on the ultimate goal, but not ignoring opportunities to kill monsters and flirt with random campers. In these discussions, there is the possibility for a conversation about the nature of violence, but it never happens. Both brothers work on the unspoken principle that there are being out there that are evil and that the only way to deal with them is to kill them. Then again, I shouldn't be too disappointed, as that kind of debate is probably better reserved for later, once the patterns are structure are better established.

The episode doesn't entirely lack in the charm we saw so much of in the pilot. Since Sam's working on his re-dedication to the serial murder of supernatural beings, Jensen Ackles (Dean) is left to carry the torch of wit and levity, a task he's certainly up for. Whether it's brother-brother banter, or demonstrating the ability to suggest (without saying or doing anything) sex as an appropriate reward for saving a girl's life, there's opportunity for a chuckle.

The episode's creators essentially took a campground horror movie but then added some fins to lower wind resistance. And this racing stripe here, I feel, is rather sharp.

Rating: 2.75

Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 1: "Pilot"

You may recall a few months back, when I boldly claimed that I would review a series in its entirety, providing criticism and ratings to every episode. The series I chose to do was Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and the whole experience lasted for the first five made-for-TV pilot movies. About halfway through the first actual episode of the series, I simply couldn't take it anymore and the box has been sitting on my shelf, unopened, for about 8 months now. So now, I'm going to try again, with more practiced critical aptitude, and with the assistance of a show that, from everything I've heard, doesn't suck anywhere near as intensely.

So here we are, watching Supernatural, and after a brief title flash, we're 22 years in the past, watching a young family in their twilight goodnight ritual. Little Sam is sleeping soundly in his crib while Daddy John holds young something-year-old Dean in his arms. A few hours later, Mommy is startled awake by... well, I've never been a fan of too much plot synopsis, so I'll just tell you that she's startled awake by something supernatural that eventually kills her dead, much to the chagrin of John.

Flash forward twenty two years to find Sam and his girlfriend gushing over his upcoming law school entrance interview. 'Where's the connection?' you might ask. And the answer is one of the premieres most successful successes. Out of nowhere, Dean shows up, and he's clearly the grittier of the two. However, in hearing them talk, it's explained that, for years, John had trained his boys to hunt and combat supernatural forces, and only after a falling out, did Sam decide to pursue a more conventional life. Without ever actually seeing Sam and Dean working together we their father, Dean's exuberance and Sam's reluctance make us yearn to see them get back on the saddle, go out and kick some demonic tuchus (a word which, by the way, is not recognized by Blogger's spell check).

Once they do go off on an adventure (on the condition that Sam will be back for his interview), they encounter some evil and balance it with levity. Pretty much immediately, Supernatural pushes the envelope in terms of what you're used to on non-HBO or -Showtime television. Blood drips, people burn alive, a beautiful woman's face turns utterly ghastly while trying to seduce/murder someone, and the list goes on. All the while, we are comforted by the boys' calm familiarity with the situation. While they may be upset and thrown off guard while being attacked, they recompose with dedication to getting their job done, and more that often, a touch of humour. They've seen this kind of stuff before, and even though we've never seen them see it, we believe that they have.

Then there's the ending, and what a great ending it is. (Spoiler Alert) After Sam and Dean arrive back at Sam's apartment/dorm/whatever it is, Sam goes to curl up in bed with his girlfriend. As he lays down, alone, as it sounds as though she's in the shower, he looks up to see her pinned to the ceiling in an exact replication of his mother's death. Not only does the image perfectly bookend the episode, violently restarting their mission, it frees Sam to pursue the supernatural ass-kickery that we so very much want him to participate in.

There may, for some viewers, be a twinge of guilt at enjoying the final scene so very much, with the shot of Sam, now looking very determined, bad-ass, and manly, proclaiming his resolute but terse dedication to his new cause, since it comes at the expense of a perfectly innocent character's life. But, if you're anything like me, you'll get over it fast.

Rating: 3.5 stars

UFC 3 - The American Dream

UFC 3 began with the lingering promise of a superfight finale: Ken Shamrock vs. Royce Gracie. There was little doubt in anyone's mind that Gracie wouldn't make it to the finals, and it was just a question of how hard Shamrock would have to work to get there to meet him. It was to be the UFC's first superfight, but in the end, the tournament style would rop the audience and viewers at home of what they came to see.

We start off with the same announce team as UFC 2, as well as ring announcer Rich "G-Man" Goins, all of whom seem just as, if not slightly more, comfortable in their roles. The tournament would only include 8 fighters, compared to the absurd 16 of the last event. Other changes include the disclosure of purses, depending on the round, losers in the preliminaries earned $1,000, losers in the semi-finals earned $5,000, while the winner took home $60,000, as well as the rule variation that the referee (John McCarthy) would be able to stop the fight at his discretion. Big John would go on to take his role incredibly seriously, yelling at competitors, shoving cornermen away from the cage, and keeping track of the action in a way that seemed to defy possibility, considering the juvenile nature of the sport.

Onto the fights:

1) Emmanuel Yarborough (Sumo) vs. Keith Hackney (Kempo Karate)

This fight stands out due to its absurd size difference. Hackney's 5'11", 200 lb. frame was dwarfed by Yarborough's enormous 6'8", 600+ lbs. of man-flesh. The first major strike was landed by Hackney, a punch to the head which knocked the big man down. After struggling back to his feet, Yarborough rushed Hackney, pushing him into the cage, which, for the first time, opened on impact. Once the fight was restarted, Hackney looked desperate to avoid being manhandled like that again, and again, took Yarborough down, unloading a barrage of punches to the back and side of the Sumo's head, resulting in a tap-out. More than the action, the image of Hackney standing next to Yarborough, staring him in the eyes, despite the Sumo being on his knees, is what stands out in this fight.

Rating: 3.25 stars

2) Ken Shamrock (Shootfighting) vs. Cristophe Leininger (Judo)

This fight began with a lot of circling and pacing, with the opponents measuring each other up, seemingly trying to figure out the best way to take the other down. At one point, Leininger has Shamrock in his guard and starts dishing out a beating from the bottom. Shamrock then takes quick advantage of a slip, getting Leininger's back, before assaulting him with punches, earning a submission.

Rating: 3.5 stars

3) Roland Payne (Muay Thai) vs. Harold Howard (Karate)

Payne, the hometown favourite, has a video promo shown before his fight, where Payne makes a lame pun about how his name reflects what he is going to inflict on Howard. Howard, on the other hand, looks kind of like a combination of all three members of the Hart Foundation, and talks like a pro wrestler to boot. This was probably my favourite fight of the night (probably the least popular thing I've ever said), because despite its short length (0:46), every part of it looked impressive. At first, the fight goes to the ground where every attack is reversed. At one point, Howard goes for what looks like is going to be a devastating kick to the head, which Payne grabs hold of and brings Howard to the ground. To top it all off, the fight ends in a knockout, followed by a clubbing forearm to the fallen foe. It's not entirely unlike the Dan Henderson knock-out of Michael Bisping, although it seems to be more about finishing the fight than sending a message.

Rating: 3.75 stars

4) Royce Gracie (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) vs. Kimo (Tae Kwon Do)

This fight was the battle of an unbeatable force against a cartoon character. Royce Gracie was the expected favourite to win the whole competition, as he had already won the tournament in his last two outings. Kimo (who announcer Brian Kilmeade makes a big deal out of not having a last name) introduces himself as Kimo Leopoldo, and says that he is fighting in this tournament to help spread the Word of God. We get an even better image of exactly how seriously he takes his faith when he comes out to the octagon, preceded by a banner quoting scripture, followed by Kimo himself, with an enormous cross on his back. After taking off his shroud/robe thing, we see that he has "JESUS" tattooed on his stomach, a crucifix on his back, and, just to keep the theme going, what appears to be Wolverine on his right thigh.

The fight itself is the talk of legend, but I don't really see it. To me, a "good" fight is one that is not simply dependent on context, but is enjoyable to watch. What made the Kimo/Gracie fight stand out is that it was the first time that we ever saw Gracie tested. For minutes, Kimo resisted Gracie's takedown, and when the fight finally went to the ground, the best offence Gracie could come up with involved punching his opponent in the head while holding onto his ponytail. I realize that hairpulling was legal in these earlier fights, but it's not something that I want to see happen. Eventually, Kimo was opened up by the punches, but Gracie couldn't finish it. It wasn't until later that the opportunity for an armlock presented itself that Gracie was able to take control and Kimo was (barely) able to tap out.

Immediately, the announcers were calling it the best fight that we have ever seen, but it wasn't so much the fight, as the unbelievable sight of Royce Gracie limping away from the octagon, barely under his own power, that makes this fight memorable.

Rating: 3.25 stars

5) Felix Lee Mitchell (Gung Fu) vs. Ken Shamrock (Shootfighting)

Keith Hackney apparently broke his hand against Emmanuel Yarborough's head, and was unable to advance. Felix Lee Mitchell, an alternate, then advanced into the second round, to become Shamrock's next stepping stone. The fight ended up being a demonstrations on all of the things that are no longer allowed in the octagon. At first, Mitchell holds into the cage to avoid being taken down. Then, the two are seen grabbing each others tights. Headbutts are exchanges, and eventually Shamrock gets Mitchell down, and sinks the choke, getting the win.

Rating: 3.25 stars

6) Harold Howard (Karate) vs. Royce Gracie (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)

Gracie staggers into the octagon, clearly still feeling the effects of his last fight and, once Howard enters, Gracie turns to his corner and tells them to get him the hell out of there. They throw in the towel before the fight even begins.

Rating: 0.00 stars

This is when everything goes down the crapper. Because of this, there is a ton of confusion as to what will happen next. There is another alternate, Steve Jennum, who would likely have been called upon to stand in for Gracie and take on Howard to decide who would face Shamrock in the finals. Unfortunately (and this is something that was announced/speculated later), as soon as Shamrock found out that Gracie wouldn't be advancing, he too dropped out of the competition. Shamrock had been looking forward to the same thing we were (Shamrock vs. Gracie II), and didn't want to settle for anything less (like $60,000). So, Howard got a bye, making what should have been a semi-final match the finale:

7) Steve Jennum (Ninjitsu) vs. Harold Howard (Karate)

Despite the tournament-style, where each competitor is supposed to fight three times to earn the top prize, fresh Steve Jennum faces Harold Howard, who had had 46 seconds of competition that evening. Jennus takes bit of punishment from Howard, including getting out of a tight guillotine. Realizing the power of Howard's hands, Jennum throws his opponent to the ground, climbs into full mount and starts unloading onto Howard's face. McCarthy calls the end of the fight and the tournement is over, with Steve Jennum's 1:31 being enough time to net him the grand prize.

Rating: 3.5 stars

While being host to a couple of the most talked about fights in early MMA, UFC 3 is better remembered for the controversy and disappointment. Despite heavily promoting and setting up the possibility for Gracie vs. Shamrock (they say that the brackets were set up blind, I call bullshit), neither competitor fought in the finale. It also brought into question the whole idea of having a tournament. With this style, you can't guarantee that you're going to end up with the match-ups you want, whether it's due to injury, or loss. UFC 3 is also the first crack we've seen in Royce Gracie (see Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu). Until now, Gracie and his style were considered untouchable, but now, with people recognizing this, and learning the Gracie techniques, the whole game is developping and growing. Watching Kimo up with Gracie was the first sign that MMA was becoming its own sport, rather than a clusterfuck of different disciplines.

Overall Rating: 2.93 stars

Scrubs - Season 8, Episode 9: "My Absence"

"My Absence" refers to this being the first Scrubs episode "without" JD. Even that's not entirely accurate, as we get frequent voice-overs from him by way of phone conversations with Elliot. Still, it gives the chance for the focus to be on some other people for awhile.

The episode opens with the gals sitting at a cafeteria table, discussing men. There, Denise recycles some of her really funny introductory jokes, explaining her preference for larger men. It's not as funny the second time around, and it, instead, is starting to look like an uninteresting character trait. Denise, you're better than this. Dr. Kelso, meeting Denise for the first time, loves her direct, uninhibited honesty, or, as he calls it: "girl balls."

There's also another new intern, Sonja, whose nickname, Sunny, matches her irrepressibly cheery disposition. Kind of annoying at first, the humour gets going when things begin to fall apart, and she struggles to maintain her outward appearance of unflappable contentment.

Stephanie Gooch also returns, as Ted's now girlfriend. We are privy to another, still adorable, but kind of terrifying side of her, when she meets Turk. He is disappointed that no one is making a big deal about his and Carla's new baby (oh, by the way, she's pregnant again), and takes advantage of The Gooch's newness to the group, leading her to believe it's their first baby, so that she will make a big deal. Once the deception is revealed (after she writes a song for him), we learn very quickly that The Gooch does not like to be lied to.

For the second episode in a row, Dr. Kelso takes the opportunity to simply read off the moral lesson of the episode. It makes sense, considering his relevant experience in nearly everyone's matters, and it's kind of a nice break from JD always being the one who gets to (as Elliot puts it) "pontificate" about what we've learned.

The one thing that caught me off guard about this episode was that for a brief moment, I became a Carla fan. When Sunny is battling to keep a comatose patient alive long enough to have his family say goodbye, Carla and Dr. Cox are both surprised when Carla doesn't offer to stay and help. Carla, especially, is troubled that after so many years, she has apparently lost the ability to empathize with lost cases. By the end, she makes the choice to stay with the patient, for the reason that she is simply not ready to be cynical yet. It's something of a powerful moment, where she takes control of her life, and decides who she wants to be, even if it is the harder choice.

Even with minimal JD, "My Absence" shows that the show has the strength to move forward without him.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Scrubs - Season 8, Episode 8: "My Lawyer's In Love"

As the title suggests, "My Lawyer's In Love" is mostly a Ted-centric episode. It's also an episode that is good enough that any recap I do won't do it justice, you just need to see it for yourself.

A lot of the time, when Scrubs characters grow and develop it's done in an awkward, obvious "this is me growing and developing" sort of way. In "My Lawyer's In Love," Ted gets the chance to break out of his snivelling, spineless crushed-spirit-of-a-mamma's-boy role, and it's all for a girl. The girl is new character, Stephanie Gooch (yeah, Gooch), whose role in the hospital is to sing songs to sick kids, accompanied with her ukulele. That's her in the picture at the top of the page, and she's every bit as adorable as you imagine she might be as a ukulele-toting, awkward human being, who could actually feel attraction for our resident sad-sack lawyer. She bring out the best and the worst in Ted, as he is initially unable to speak to her, putting him in an even worse place than his years of abuse at the hands of Dr. Kelso.

On equal standing (on the scale of awesomeness) is the truce between JD and the Janitor, as they temporarily team up in order to help Ted get the girl. One scene especially is one of the funniest things Scrubs has ever done.

While all of these shenanigans are going on, Dr. Cox continues to struggle to balance the duties of his new position with his old responsibilities, as well as his family. Everything falls apart when he simultaneously misses the deadlines for 1) making the nurse's schedule 2) helping a patient with Down Syndrome, who is scared about his upcoming biopsy and 3) picking up his son from work. As friends reach out, each with their own idea about which responsibilities Cox should let slide, Jordan end sup being the one whose insight proves the most true to Cox's own motivations. She ultimately saves the day, acknowledging, and respecting Perry's personality, while supporting him by picking up the slack.

With his supportive non-wife standing behind him, Cox knows that it will all be worth it, as long as he can get home to read to his son. When, after a streamlined, successful day, he bursts into Jack's room, storybook in hand, it breaks our hearts to see that he's arrived just too late.

"My Laywer's In Love" shows that you don't have to force emotion or sweetness. Ted and Stephanie's romance has that Juno kind of awkward sweetness. And more than anything, you just yearn for Dr. Cox to get it all together. "My Lawyer's In Love" is a well-rounded, but hilarious episode that is easily one of the season's (if not the series') best.

Rating: 3.75 stars

Scrubs - Season 8, Episode 7: "My New Role"

A lot has changed for Dr. Cox over the last week. He's now the new chief of medicine, and to boot, he and Dr. Kelso have become friends. Their newly discovered friendship is a great excuse to have the two character sharing screen time, riffing off of each other, but with an undertone of mutual respect that allows their banter to be playful, although no less barbed.

There's also a new intern this episode, Howie. He's kind of a Napoleon Dynamite-type, a mumbling dork, who is nonetheless intelligent and aware beyond the original perception.

There's not too much funny in this episode. Aside from Howie, the Kelso/Cox, a fantasy sequence, and the Janitor's scene, "My New Role" takes more of a serious tone. The two narratives follow 1) Dr. Cox as he adjusts to his new job, succumbing almost immediately to the pressure of the gig, and 2) Elliot learning to respect the nursing staff. The second tale feels similar to JD's thinking he is better than Carla in the Season One episode "My Nickname," but with both sides being more deliberately hateful, and with a predictable happy ending.

The first story wraps up with JD becoming the pain in the ass to Dr. Cox that Cox was to Kelso, although he only does this after being specifically instructed to by Kelso himself. While it is a great summation of the dynamic of Cox and Kelso's previous relationship, it is kind of bizarre to have a character so candidly, and so lengthily explain the themes of previous stories.

And, since I'm being really fussy, the mixing of the sound at the end seemed a bit unbalanced. While it's not often that scenes carried by Elliot are enjoyable to begin with, any chance of her jokes being funny is shot down by the over-bearing music, whose loud volume and triumphant tone drown out Elliot's speech to the nurses. Plus, it wasn't that funny to start with.

"My New Role" is an important episode for setting up the new direction of some of the characters, but the trip there isn't much to write home about.

Rating: 3.0 stars

Scrubs - Season 8, Episode 6: "My Cookie Pants"

I have to admit, this is starting to get kind of hard to do. After awhile, I feel like I'm repeating myself, like I'm listing the same strengths and weaknesses episode after episode. The fact that I have watched these episodes back to back, rather than having a week break in between might have something to do with it, as well. Still, I want to cover this while it's fresh, so here goes nothin'.

The stories are standard Scrubs fare, beginning with statements that anticipate conflicts, which will in turn escalate and conclude in conventional, expected, and comfortable ways. It's not ground-breaking storytelling, but it does serve as a vehicle for some pretty funny jokes.

The jokes themselves have some more variety in their delivery. Sometimes the humour comes from awesome one-liners, but on more than one occasion, the jokes take a few minutes to earn a punchline. I quite enjoyed this method, as it rewards close attention, and adds some variety to the show's humour.

Even in more familiar forms, this is a funny episode. Banter plays a big part of "My Cookie Pants"'s strength, whether it's Cox/Kelso, Denise/JD, Cox/JD, or whatever other combination of two people comes up. I was particularly surprised to be laughing at Jordan, who, as a rule, fails to amuse me.

This was a development episode for Denise, who gets the chance to explain why she behaves the way she does. Because of this, her stone cold persona has to be taken down a notch, but she still gets a few great lines in before her emasculation.

Overall, "My Cookie Pants" felt more familiar and comfortable than great, but it's still by no means a bad way to spend 22 minutes.

Rating: 3.25 stars

Scrubs - Season 8, Episode 5: "My ABC's"

Remember in the last episode recap, where I said that "My Happy Place" would be tough act to follow? Well, "My ABC's" does a plenty fine job doing just that.

What most people will remember about this episode is that it features some of the Sesame Street Muppets. What could have very easily been a cute, but hollow series of scenes successfully incorporates the familiar characters into the Scrubs brand of humour. Watching the characters interact with Grover, Elmo, Oscar (and whatever the hell this thing is)



is undeniably fun to watch, particularly when they push the limits of what one would expect from Muppet behaviour.

Otherwise, the strength of the episode is based on the regular characters doing what they do best, particularly Dr. Cox, whose interactions with the new interns is reminiscent of his treatment of JD and company in the first season. Two out of the three new named interns also get to develop and show off their brand of character humour. Ed (Aziz Ansari) and Denise (Eliza Coupe) are freaking hilarious in every scene he's in. Katie (Betsy Beutler), on the other hand, appear at first to be being groomed as the new Elliot. Then, after a catty twist, she turns out to be replacing Jordan Sullivan as the resident uber-bitch. As the first type, I didn't feel inclined to watch her, then after the switch, I started to like to hate her. I guess we'll see where this goes.

Pretty much everything worked in this episode. On top the characters being great, the stories they were involved in were strong. JD's medical story in particular was impactful, maybe not enough to make us cry, but effective enough for us to understand why JD would.

The very end also brought a well-balanced tone to the whole episode. Rather than forcing a lesson, it simply presents the frustrations that will be forthcoming with the new batch of interns, and allows us to make our own judgments.

Some of the sequences feel a little awkward, which can be attributed to the fact that it was originally intended to be the premiere. Some lines feel tacked on (like Elliot adding "but we're back together now, don't tell anyone" to the end of her rant about her and JD's past, while the whole episode feels a little expository for the fourth entry of a season.

Still, if a little temporal displacement is the most I have to complain about in an episode, they're surely doing something right.

Rating: 3.75 stars

Scrubs - Season 8, Episode 4: "My Happy Place"

Right out of the box, "My Happy Place" is pumped to be the funniest and best episode of the Season Eight thus far.

At the beginning, we are privy to the re-introduction of The Todd, who has only ever failed to entertain when he's scripted to be wise beyond beyond himself (which he does at the end of the episode). The point could be made that these insightful observations are actually so obvious that even The Todd can see them, but it's frustrating to have a character whose stupidity is the punchline of many of the show's jokes all of a sudden pull a Jiminy Cricket and be able to concisely vocalize the story's lesson.

As I mentioned before, this episode is funny in a way that has been lacking until now. Most of the characters are spot on, with Ted and Dr. Kelso stealing the show. Sam Lloyd shines as brightly as Ted's forehead, shamelessly devoting himself to his portrayal of the hospital's pathetic-beyond-all-hope lawyer. Dr. Kelso, on the other hand, starts to crawl out of his own funk, showing signs of equal parts piss and vinegar. His one-liners (like, after being welcomed by everyone in the coffee shop, saying "I'm like Norm in this bitch") are a welcome, refreshing return to form, and among some of the funniest parts of the episode.

This season has also found some new gags, like Jimmy, the overly touchy orderly. Like Dave, the tackling Alzheimer's patient before him, Jimmy is a Dilbert-esque character who only exists for the sake of physical comedy. He's everywhere, this season, with two separate appearances in this episode. There is some danger of staleness, so I wouldn't be surprised to see his touchiness escalate, or for him to be scrapped before it gets old.

I nearly forgot to mention that "My Happy Place" also deals with the possibility of JD and Elliot getting back together. After Kelso mistakenly thinks they already are, the two sit down to talk about it. Here, they discuss the pros and cons, with the conversation kept (kinda) entertaining by being blatantly self-referential. Elliot points out the character traits in JD that make up the narrative framework for Scrubs episodes, and both characters interrupt each other with "blah, blah, blah" (literally), when they get going about why things didn't work in the past. It's not the strongest thing Scrubs has ever done, but their final decision is made in a very sweet, honest way.

Replete with hilarity, and enough actual heart to make me not want to gag, "My Happy Place" is going to be a tough act to follow.

Rating: 3.75

Scrubs - Season 8, Episode 3: "My Saving Grace"

"My Saving Grace" is Season Eight's first flop. Neither of the two stories (one where the cast tries to oust the new chief of medicine, the other where Carla sits new intern Katie down and teaches her the importance of being nice to people) is the stuff great episodes are made out of. The first comes across as a petty reaction to the disruption of regular life, and the other is another reason for Carla to act as the moral superiority in the hospital. At one point, there is a bit of promise that this segment will be disrupted, maybe even turned on its head when Katie referentially refers to Carla's "mother hen thing", but she is immediately shut back down, and we're back to the condescending pep talk.

On the upside, we see a bit more of the familiar traits of returning characters. The Janitor helps in the plot to get rid of Maddox, and has a few bright moments (although his clearly improved scene in the office does drag on) and Dr. Cox gets a mini-rant. Even there, however, the humour is undermined by sentiment, like Dr. Kelso saying, in all seriousness, "You hurt my feelings before."

I didn't realize how much I liked Dr. Kelso until he started being irrelevent. Now, he's a sad, old man sitting in the coffee shop, with none of the passion or malice that we've come to love. By exposing his humanity in previous seasons, without the position that warped him, the character doesn't have much to offer except for muffin jokes.

I don't know what is says about me that I prefer to see people on this show acting as types rather than people, or the fact that I get being frustrated at constant suggestions for improvement, but it's what I like, and this episode let me down.

Rating: 2.75

Scrubs - Season 8, Episode 2: "My Last Words"

Remember what I said about the first episode of the season, that it's a shame that Scrubs always tries to hard to squeeze drama and self-discovery out of each episode? "My Last Words" shows that they know how to do it right. That's not to say it's a perfect episode, but at least this time there's some real emotional resonance.

The story centers on JD and Turk, who decide to give up their annual "Steak Night" in order to spend time with a dying patient, George Valentine (played by Glynn Turman). Together, they explore the process and mysteries of death. This is a theme we've explored before, getting to know a patient, and coming to grips with their eventual demise along side them. This time, it's done in a very open, honest way. The dialogue is a bit warmed-over, but the entire sequence's success can be attributed to Turman's performance. At its crymax, he observes the pointlessness and faux-encouragement of preparing for death, but is nonethless grateful for the company.

These heavy scenes are intercut with "new intern" gags. Ed (the tech-guy) demonstrates an uncanny ability to predict and create trends, while Denise (probably my favourite intern) tries, and fails... brutally, to connect with her patients. Ed's lighthearted charm and Denise's jaw-dropping bluntness act as perfect respites from what is otherwise a heavy, maybe even challenging, episode.

This episode is also (hopefully) the beginning of Turk's return to form. Although he mainly serves in the episode as the more publicly reluctant member of his and JD's bromance (a word they use themselves this episode), he still has a few moments to shine. I was thinking about typing it out, but the written word doesn't do Donald Faison justice.

Like the premiere, we are privy to some extra scenes during the closing credits. This time, it's a deleted scene, where JD talks about what he'd do with Turk's body. Funny stuff.

"My Last Words" proves that Scrubs still has heart, even if the road there is a bit familiar. And that is my last word.

Rating: 3.5 stars