Reviews That I Missed: Supernatural 13.18, “Bring ’em Back Alive”

Aww nuts. 

You know, one thing I have to admit in doing this season 13 rewatch, so far this season isn’t half bad.  Yes, there have been some missteps (*cough*”Wayward Sisters”*cough*), but there’s been some great attempts made at character study and development.  Jack has been a breath of fresh air, even though he’s been strangely absent for most of the episodes save for the beginning of the season.  So, it’s time now for the mytharc to jump into full swing.  This is where…it all falls apart.  Sigh.  

How do I explain where “Bring ‘Em Back Alive” went wrong?  How about the manipulative attempt at “Shock and Awe”?  The bringing back of a loved character, even though she isn’t that loved character and was being used for a heavy handed plot?  Who thought that was a good idea? Or, how about this even better idea, giving Dean and Ketch the A plot and saddling Sam and Castiel with the flimsy B plot?  Again, WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?  Then, we get an even weaker C plot that only chewed scenery.  Now that was just a plain bad idea.  It was all coasting on fumes at that point.  

But hey, it is what it is, so let’s dig in a little and get through this analysis. 

A Plot –  Dean makes a serious error in judgment

Error in judgment?  How about flying off the rails totally bat shit out of his mind?  Dean just figured he would jump into alt world, which he has been in before and knew it was a total war zone, not to mention a very big place.  He was supposed to find Mary and Jack and be back as a reunited family in one day with no planning?  Hero complex much?  So, when something has total disaster written all over it the second it kicks off, we get pleasantly surprised in the end, right?  Oh, that’s too cute.  This is a Brad and Eugenie episode.  What we expected is exactly what happened.  Dean fucked up and we had to suffer through it. 

Problem #1, Dean arrived and had no idea where he was.  Problem  #2, instead of jumping in and saving Mary, he and Ketch ran into alt world Charlie, a resistor ready to be executed.  Oh no, he had to save Charlie too.  Because…well…because he let his Charlie down?  You know, TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSON CHARLIE.  No, saving her will alleviate all that overwhelming guilt he’s been carrying this whole time.  Great plan.  Problem #3, Dean got careless and was shot by a rebel with angel killing bullets, which, impacts humans too I guess?  Oh, but Ketch is prepared,  naturally, because once you’ve seen one set of angel killing bullets you’ve seen them all.  Except, WE’VE NEVER SEEN THEM!  He happened to bring exactly what was needed to heal Dean into alt world, without knowing what he’d be facing in alt world?  I smell gaping plot hole.  Problem #4, none of this matters, the wound slowed Dean down and he never did find Mary.  He did save Charlie though, who decided to stay in alt world because they need her for the rebellion.  Feel better Dean? 

I mean, come on, can we stop reverting back to the old Dean Winchester dysfunction, where he has this overinflated sense of responsibility for every one and can’t live with the fact that he didn’t save them.  So he puts himself in harms way with no thought, because he can’t bear anyone else getting hurt.  Except Ketch, he’s okay with him getting hurt, but the guy does kind of deserve it.  It’s classic rinse and repeat Dean Winchester behavior.  This is season 13.  What about all that character growth this season?  How often do we have to watch Dean go out there and screw everything up because he’s all damaged and broken? It’s not fun to watch, and throw in a dumb plot, it’s just a colossal waste of time. 

B Plot – Sam and Castiel babysit

This is a better plot.  Mildly better.  Basically Sam and Castiel have to fix a broken Gabriel.  Awesome.  Still I did like a couple of things that happened.  I liked that Castiel went off on Sam for letting Dean go to alt world with Ketch.  He’s the only one making sense.  Too bad nobody listened to the wise angel.  I also liked how Gabriel told his whole story in Enochian on the walls of the bedroom, which made Cas handy since he actually reads Enochian.  I’m also wondering who got to paint the walls when this was all over. 

Ultimately, it’s Sam that gets through with a pep talk.  It isn’t because his words were inspirational, it’s because he called the girls Gabriel hung out with in Monte Carlo hookers.  Gabriel was having none of that!  A correction was needed.  “Porn stars.  They were porn stars, Sam.”  Hee, Gabriel is back, and only because Sam was a dumbass. 

 

Oh, but once again, that impenetrable warding for the Men of Letters bunker can’t keep Asmodeus out.  Come on, Abaddon, a Knight of Hell, killed all the Men of Letters years ago because the warding was bad.  Wouldn’t you think Castiel or Sam would know a trick or two in updating the warding by now?  Nope, Colonel Sanders got in easily and in very annoying fashion tried to take Gabriel.  Oh boy, no one saw that coming.    

C Plot – Why is Lucifer even here?  

Because plots A and B weren’t loaded enough with substance and Brad and Eugenie love doing these kitchen sink episodes, we get Lucifer and Sister Jo in Heaven.  This plot is even more useless than Dean’s, which is really a stretch.  Lucifer is not proving to the be ideas guy in making Heaven great again, so Sister Jo gets mad at him and leaves.  Yay.  That was so worth it.  

The Big Finish that ends in a whimper

Okay, one very, very good, totally worthwhile thing happened in this episode.  A newly powered Gabriel found his mojo and burned Asmodeus to a crisp.  Yay Colonel Sanders is deep fried!  It even came with a good line.  “Oh, by the way, I always hated that dumbass suit.”  You and me both Gabe!  I’m so thrilled he’s gone.  Every scene he was in just sucked the air out of the room. Oh, but Gabe decided with his new power, he was leaving and wouldn’t help anymore.  Oops! 

Then Dean came back from alt world empty handed.  Even Ketch decided to stay and fight there.  He’s eager to get more of that archangel grace and go back, but Sam and Castiel have to break the news that they let Gabriel have it to give him his strength back just so he could leave.   How does Dean take the news?  He’s understanding and is determined to find another way.  I don’t need to yell “Psych!”  because you all know that’s total bullshit.  No, Dean had a total hissy fit meltdown while Sam and Castiel watched dumbfounded.  

True resolve came from Castiel in the final frame, who proved to be the only grownup in this episode.  They would find Gabriel. At least someone offered hope in a hopeless situation.  Except it was never hopeless.  It was just Dean thinking it was.  Because he learned nothing.  Sam just stood there speechless, because he also learned nothing.  I feel so enthused now.  Once again, it’s all about Dean’s man pain. 

This was the very first time I saw this episode.  After reading the synopsis and knowing who wrote it, my expectations were super low going in.  They still weren’t remotely met.  Grade wise, it’s a D- for Plot A, a C for Plot B and a big huge old F for plot C. Wow, that’s a lot of letters!  Let’s call it even at a D, with the toasting of Colonel Sanders being the only saving grace.  

Coming up next, I’m going to rewatch “Funeralia.”  I did a review back when it came out, but I’m not entirely sure it was a fair review.  I was in a pissy mood at the time and had to write a review when I didn’t want to.  If my old review turns out to be accurate after the rewatch, I’ll move onto the next episode, “Unfinished Business,” an episode I know I have never watched.  If my review was misguided, I’ll write a new one for “Funeralia.”  So, stay tuned to see what happens!