7:03: Thoughts on “The Girl Next Door”
This episode was really a breath pause – a moment to recover from the chaos and drama of last week ‘s episode and a chance to get back to the roots of the show. I appreciate a calmer episode every now and again, especially because despite the respite from the Leviathan plot, it was still beating steadily in the background, as I expect it will for a few weeks more at least. This review will be short and sweet, so let ‘s get to it.
Sioux Falls General
Dean in a hospital gown is a vision we ‘ve seen far too often for my liking. I much prefer him in the scrubs from In My Time of Dying if he has to be in any hospital-wear. Again I have to admire the steady pacing of this season, we didn ‘t have to wait to discover what happened to Bobby, nor was the episode a drawn out rendition of Hospital Escape. The hospital segment served really to set and cast Dean’s leg and then, I presume as it wasn’t shown, deal with Sam ‘s head injury so we could move on from that heart stopping cliff-hanger from last week. The first two minutes were breath-holders, for sure, but it didn ‘t get dragged out and I ‘m glad we weren’t stuck at the hospital with Dr. Eat People running around for too long.
Whitefish, Montana a.k.a. Rufus ‘ Hidey Hole
The constant touches of subtle comic relief seem more prevalent in season seven than they did in season six. Maybe that ‘s just me, but regardless I enjoyed the moment of Dean and Bobby discussing Ricardo’s suicido.
The new perspective on Sam ‘s hallucinations was interesting, this is what it looks like to Dean and Bobby, who unlike Sam and the viewers, weren’t able to see Lucifer last week at all. It ‘s not a nice expression on Sam’s face as he zones out, but it was the only one we saw this episode, and Bobby suggested that Sam has been improving. I wonder what will happen when that injury on his hand is fully healed and pressing on it can ‘t bring reality rushing back as quickly and potently as a fresh wound can.
I ‘m glad to know that Bobby ‘s library isn’t lost for good along with the house. But then, Bobby always seems to have a contingency plan so I suppose it shouldn ‘t be surprising that he was clever enough to make and stash copies of his books.
Credit Card Fraud
This is an interesting plan for the baddies, and one we haven’t seen the supernatural bad guys use before. The fact that they have worked out the Winchester alias ‘ and got someone in the credit card fraud offices to flag them shows how clever these Leviathans can be, and frankly, it’s frightening.
Sepia Tones
Welcome back, Colin Ford! This season is full of welcome familiar faces. Though always an admirable portrayal of young Sam Winchester, Colin Ford is getting better and better at playing Sam, those soulful eyes, the hand touch, that ‘s all things of the Sammy we know and love today, especially with lines like “I’ve been around enough bad, to know good when I see it” – yup, all Sam there.
With Sam recognizing the pattern of attacks, combined with the first flashback, I right away suspected we were dealing with an unsolved case from the Sam Winchester archives. I thought he’d been distracted by the girl, not that she was in fact the ‘monster’ that got away (at least half of the monster team anyways).
In this instance, I think it was good for Sam to work the case alone. The main reason for this being that as he was working, Sam seemed to be in good control of his faculties. Furthermore, solving a case should boost his confidence and help keep Lucifer under lockdown in his head.
Somehow brains in a jar and the notion of eating pituitary glands are particularly gruesome to me, despite all the other nasty things the clever minds behind Supernatural cook up for us to hear and see. That said, I thought the moment of Amy opening the fridge and rooting casually past brain jars for a soda was a great shot.
The actress who played grown Amy, Jewel Staite, did a great job. Personally I found her to be very sympathetic, even before we knew about the kid. It was almost disappointing, though not unexpected, when Dean killed her. I ‘m glad he let her know that Sam wasn ‘t involved at all. I have to admit I wasn ‘t surprised when Dean went back to that motel and killed Amy; it ‘s one loose end he could both take care of and control. He’s also always had a more black and white view on good and bad that Sam. He made an enemy for life with that kid, but I didn ‘t honestly expect him to be capable of killing a child, demon or not, and I ‘m glad they didn ‘t go that route with his character.
“New rule: you steal my baby, you get punched.”
This was another episode highlight for me. I wasn’t sure whether to expect the Leviathans or Dean when Sam turned up back at his motel, so the fist flying out and punch Sam, only to watch that giant frame fly backwards was excellent.
You can tell how frustrated Dean is by the whole situation with Sam and feeling helpless because he can ‘t know with 100% certainty that Sam is firing on all cylinders at any given time. For Sam, it’s a sad acceptance that the sidelong glances from Bobby and Dean are there and he understands them. I think the blunt, honest discussions between these boys are great. It’s nice to see for a change, after all the secrecy.
Sam sums things up best with statement that “nothing in our lives is simple,” and if they only knew how close the Leviathans were on their trail, they’d realize that statement is even more true than they thought.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed this episode for the telltale markers of a classic Supernatural episode and some great acting. As far as drama and intensity go, it wasn ‘t as hardcore as the first two episodes of the season but that was okay. My heart needed the break. Those first two episodes were a bit like watching Lost – white-knuckling the chair arms and holding my breath a lot only to be left shouting “NOO!!!” at the television when the closing credits came on and nothing was resolved.
Oh and one more thing – I ‘ll never look at cheese sauce the same way again.
Your thoughts, fellow watchers?
Great short and sweet review Elle!
Personally, I love badass Dean and am glad he is back, if only for one episode.
Jensen directing? Topnotch!
I liked that this one was calmer and my stomach could unravel its knots from the first 2. Dean and Bobby in the hospital were adorable. Sam AGAIN sneaking out on a wounded Dean and taking his car? Shame on you Sammy. No wonder Dean has doubts about trusting your mental condition at this time.
I really loved this episode. 😛
Last week left me with anxiety. This week was more easy going. Sam needed to prove he could function and Dean needed to hunt also to prove he was still in control. However, I don’t think Dean is.
Bobby, he is getting better and better!
I loved this episode. It got everything that Supernatural is. Only thing missing was the rock music.
Agreed!
Not understanding why you’re glad the hospital scene wasn’t “dragged out”. Wouldn’t you rather have seen a “Die Hard” action episode with the boys pitting wits against one of the best Big Bads we’ve had than that pile of dysfunctional crap that made both brothers look wrong? Don’t get it. Clearly people saw a different episode than I did.
I think the Leviathans are fun. Looking forward to them as adversaries.
Hi Paintgirl,
Thanks for your comments and questions. I’ll see if I can answer satisfactorily.
Since I believe that boys will have their face off with the Leviathans in the coming weeks, I don’t think we’ve missed out on any big action by moving this episode away from the hospital giving both us and the boys a chance at recovery from the recent episodes.
In my opinion, the episode we got wasn’t “dysfunctional crap that made both boys look bad” – though I know some people feel that it cast one or both of the brothers in a negative light. Peronsally, I think the brothers actions played true to their characters and how they’ve usually carried on.
Well, as you pointed out, people had different thoughts on this episode.
I too am looking forward to the Leviathans as villians.
Season seven is three for three.
If the NY Yankees had hit like that, I would be watching the Yanks vs the Rangers right now instead of sitting in front of my computer. 😆 😆
Anyway, Elle, I agree, I liked that they got the hospital stuff over with in a matter of minutes. That is why it doesn’t pay to go crazy over spoiler pics because it is only clips of a forty five minute show.
Bill Maher would have been proud of Dean’s new rule. 😆 😆
I had a thought at the end of the episode. Remember way back in season one, Sam and Dean were chasing John? It seems that season seven is going to be the Leviathan chasing Sam and Dean. Wouldn’t you agree???
I think that it was cool, that last week we saw Sam’s POV regarding Lucifer, and as you mentioned, in this episode we saw the POV of those around Sam when he has an ‘episode’.
Bobby’s library lives. 😀 A callback to ‘Let it Bleed’:
‘ Hi, glad to meet you. Bobby Singer. Paranoid bastard’. 😆
Next week looks good too. Dean is on trial. His lawyer? Sam. Jo returns as a ‘witness’. Loving season seven.
Loved your review and loved the episode! Ackles rules as a great director! Anyway, I only have one thing that I would have liked to see more of…What went on during some of those three weeks? The getaway, etc. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for them especially for Bobby with Dean and Sam incapacitated. I’m looking forward to seeing the next episode. As someone else already stated Dean’s on trial; Sam’s his defense attorney and Jo as a witness. Great stuff! 😀
It’s possible, I suppose. But then I’m left wondering why bother tracking the brothers through the credit cards? If Bobby is possessed by a leviathan, then he would be able to report where the Winchesters were/are to the boss. Bobby still felt like Bobby to me, though I may end up eating those words at some point!
Dean was unlikeable in this episode. And neither can he make up new rules and then hit Sam.
We get the Impala is his car but no did not have any pleasure in Dean in this one . I did love Jensens directing and loved Colin but Dean no not for me..
I was wondering about Bobby too, but the way he said “balls” when he was alone in the ambulance convinced me that he was Bobby. I think the changes in his character is just due to different writers for each episode.
Fans are certainly an interesting breed, aren’t we? 🙂
I think Dean did good on killing Amy. I can’t wait to watch next episode.. come on friday hurry up!
I think Bobby is not cold or anything like it about Sam. I think he’s seeing progress in Sam. And of course Dean in his full protector mode isn’t, he’s saying Sam may need a little “me” time and I kind of liked that because he knows Sam can deal with it and then aging Dean doesn’t think Sam can. well, I saw Bobby a little different but not out of character. he loves the boys as his and I think he has these kind of talks with Dean because they both take care of the younger winchester. I love bobby ^^
I, too, enjoyed this episode. It raised so many issues that are long standing for me in the series and they must address and acknowledge them. Sure, they weren’t fully resolved here, but it is important that they set up this element in my mind for the brothers to fully forge a truly and utterly unbreakable bond.
I think Dean largely had no choice to an extent but to kill Amy. She may have said that she was done killing the living, but we know she’d return to it some day for some reason. I also found his behavior largely an indepth metaphor for his own issues with his life and views on himself that have been buried for oh so long.
Is it Friday yet?