Monsters of Television

“For him. It’s my way of being close to him.“

Despite all his big talk, Dean has a horrible sense of what makes for a good first date.

Taking a break from the regular format for an episode that really stood out for a number of reasons, and to talk about its place within Supernatural‘s framework in general.

At its core, Supernatural is a show about family (at least so far, but I don’t see that changing). I mean, yes, its unifying relationship is about two brothers (and their father, of course) so it’s not that much of a stretch to make that claim.

Like I said in the review of the first disc, I really like the introduction of Jo and Ellen as another take on not only hunting, but also presenting a different gender take on the challenges. And “No Exit” gives an opportunity to explore those challenges.

Plus it’s pretty damn creepy, isn’t it?

One of the things I like about Supernatural is that even though its driving force is often concerns of the father and their sins, be it John Winchester’s obsession with killing Azazel or Jo’s father’s mythic standing in her mind, the mother remains a figure in the family unit, one that exerts enormous influence over the characters. Mary’s death, of course, is what sets off John and puts Sam and Dean on their paths, and there’s no mitigating influence for them, nothing to push them outside that path beyond general youthful rebellion.

But Jo and Ellen are different. Jo may have those wonderful memories of her father and the leather jacket, but Ellen lived alone with (until this episode) the singular pain of having a husband who hunted. As a result, Ellen offers a space to support hunters, but cannot bear the idea of allowing her daughter to enter that world: She respects her husband’s memory while protecting herself from more pain.

You can only do so much to keep those glorified memories in check, and the arrival of Sam and Dean in their lives, two hunters her own age, and the sons of the singularly legendary John Winchester only makes the desire to engage and honor those memories even more intense.

These are core themes for the show to hit upon as it continues to explore Dean coping with John’s death and what it means for him. Both he and Jo have serious hero worship of their fathers, and are protective of their memories of the men. Take, for instance, Dean’s frustration that Sam’s sudden eagerness to hunt is motivated by a desire to honor John. It’s a small offer to Dean, to a man who has honored John every day by staying committed to the hunt, to respecting John’s work.

Jo, on the other hand, sees hunting as a her only way to connect to those memories that define her father for her, memories that I think Ellen would love to properly temper. So watching her build a nice file is bad enough, but then to have her head out to do the hunt herself is even worse for Ellen.

But to then do it with the Winchesters. John seems to ruin everything he comes in contact with, doesn’t he? I struggle with Jo’s sudden anger toward Dean. It makes sense for Jo to be furious and hurt given all I’ve talked about here, but I feel like the scene happens a little too quickly, and there’s not enough room for the repercussions of it to really settle in for me. So my reaction is more due to the structure of the reveal and the reaction than the reaction itself.

I am frustrated by Sam’s diminished role in the episode (even though he did figure out where Holmes’ spirit was keeping the women), especially since he has a  unique perspective on the issues of fathers and legacies and that input is missing here. But the episode is really about obsessive children, children without a way out of the stories, myths, and memories that their fathers have trapped them behind.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Oh, shooting in Vancouver. Stock footage and a very nondescript establishing shot poses as Philadelphia while we stay indoors for most of the episode.
• Nebraska is not for lovers. I’ve never been to Nebraska, but I have a hard time believing it. Also: that Arby’s down the street was probably delicious.
• Loves the shooting of the tight spaces between the walls. It felt genuinely uncomfortable. Loved it.
• On the flip side of that: No one is complaining about people bashing in walls with sledge hammers? Really?
• “Take it, it won’t bite.” “But your mom might.”
• “I know what we’re dealing with here. … It’s the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man.”
• “Oh, yes. Loved. Great flow.”
• “It’s just if you’re gonna ride me this close, it’s only decent you buy me dinner.”
• “What you do have is a bunch of half-baked romance notions that some barfly put in your ear.”
• “Mazel tov! You just found your first spirit.”
• “Yeah, that’s right. I will. With pliers.”
• “This won’t make you feel better, but I’m here to rescue you.”
• Man, they strung up that salt trap really quickly. And found a cement truck. All before Ellen’s flight landed.

To read what I thought about the rest of disc 2, click here.