Sofia’s Review: Supernatural 7.20 – “The Girl With The Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo”
Wow. Talk about information overload. And we’re supposed to wrap this all up in three episodes? At this point I don’t see how. I feel like I ask myself the same question at about this same point every season; maybe more so the last couple of seasons when there have been so many seemingly unconnected story lines that somehow need to be packaged up and tied with a bow. Let’s just say I don’t envy the writers at this point in the season. Still I have faith that they’ll get it done. And who knows, with season 8 almost definitely in the works we may just carry one or two of these storylines over in to the next season with us. What do you think? Will we be bringing the leviathans with us in to season 8? Think we’ll wrap up the Bobby storyline this season? What about Cas? There is so much going on.
If there was one thing that frustrated me about this episode it was the need for so many flashbacks. And when I say need, I mean that I needed them. It had been so long that a refresher was helpful. It seems like a weird thing to be complaining about; the writers giving me what I need to fully enjoy an episode. But the real frustration lies in the fact that we needed these flashbacks at all. So this got me thinking. Prepare yourself for a bit of a mind dump. The leviathans seemed to have been set up as the big bad of the season but we often went weeks without much more than a passing mention of Frank or a Dick joke. So I want to argue that the big bad of the seasons wasn’t really Dick Roman and the leviathans. Over the course of the season we dealt with the loss of Castiel, we watched the deterioration of Sam’s psyche, we handled Dean’s depression for the majority of the first half of the season and we lost Bobby. So maybe for the first time, the big bad isn’t a creature or a demon or an angel. Maybe the big bad of the season is life and Sam and Dean learning how to navigate it alone. And maybe the leviathan were there to act as more of a catalyst then to take front stage. So maybe they didn’t really need to be in every episode, maybe it was ok that we went weeks without much progression of that storyline. What do you think? Am I totally off? Am I making excuses for poorly handled writing a season pacing? I have to be honest that the more I think about it, the more I like the idea that this was the intention of the writers all along.
As overwhelmed as I am by how much is left to be wrapped up in three episodes I have to admit I liked the way ghost Bobby mingled with the Leviathan storyline. It certainly would be convenient to have a Ghost on the team. But it was made pretty clear in this episode that this arrangement can’t last. Bobby was close to going full vengeful spirit and if that happens Sam and Dean will be forced to put him to rest. Like I said before, I just hope that when Bobby leaves for good it will be on his own terms.
Charlie was such a fun character and brought a lot of lighter moments to the episode. As a huge Harry Potter fan I had to laugh about her love for Hermione Granger. And I definitely laughed out loud at Sam knowing the intimate details of the series. But Charlie wasn’t just there to provide the laughs, there was a lot more to her character and I really liked that. She was smart and quick on her feet. Most of all she was able to handle herself which was refreshing. For a nerd, she was kind of a badass. I don’t know that we’ll see her again since she made it pretty clear that she had no interest in hearing from Sam and Dean ever again. But I hope so.
We finally learned what Dick Roman is planning and it’s what a lot of people have been speculating. He plans to sedate the human race using a method reminiscent of the turducken slammer and then cure everyone of their diseases creating the “perfect herd”. Then, everyone gets eaten. But we still don’t know for sure what’s in the package that Sam and Dean intercepted. Whatever it was had been buried underground in Iran and I’m hoping it’s the one thing that can actually kill these Leviathans. I’m the eternal optimist. Do you guys have any idea of what might have been in that case? (No spoilers please!)
This episode had some interesting editing. There were lots of split screens and text effects. It was definitely not the typical style for Supernatural. I tried looking up the editor on IMDB and was unsuccessful. Does anyone know if there was a guest editor? I’m assuming they would be the one to make those types of decisions. The text effects accompanied by Frank’s voice was an interesting way to walk us through Charlie’s discovery process. I think it worked well and it kept her from having to mumble words to herself, which is a go-to method for getting inside a character’s head. But while the split screens were fun and different they felt a little too much like a procedural cop show. They weren’t my favorite. What did you guys think of the editing? Did you notice anything else unusual about it?
I worry that I’m leaving you with the impression that I didn’t like this episode. That’s not the case. I actually really enjoyed it. I thought the pacing was well handled considering all the topics we burned through. I liked Charlie and the advancement on the Leviathan storyline as well as ghost Bobby. And I’m so curious to see where we go from here.
Time for the list of quotable quotes and other moments worth mentioning.
*What is with the promo for next week? Is it just me or do they get more confusing every week. I realize they don’t want to give anything away but there isn’t even a semblance of plot in them any more.
*Dean: “How does this work? I leave the cap off and you just genie your way out?”
* Finally a mention of baby! That is going to be a glorious reunion.
* Dick was full of jokes in this episode.
- “I’ve been running things for a while. Feels like since before the dawn of man.”
- “Feels like the world is my dinner plate.”
- “You’re kind of completing me right now, Charlie.”
- “You’re more of a Tim Tebow, Joe Biden type.”
* There were oh so many nerdy references in this episode; Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars. I loved them all.
* Charlie using “female problems” as an excuse to leave work is classic.
*I was surprised when Dean pointed the flask out the Charlie and then let her keep it with her.
* Charlie: “I’m gonna kick it in the ass” A nice shout out to Kim Manners.
*Dean acting as Charlie’s guide through her attempts at flirting was hilarious. He seemed a little too comfortable playing a woman.
*Dean: “Pretend he has boobs.”
* Dean: “You just got home and Scarlett Johansen’s waiting for you.”
*It’s been a while since we’ve seen the boys in uniform. It’s the first time we’ve seen them working on a tarmac. Those headphones are a good look.
*Charlie: “Peace out bitches”
Dean: “She’s kind of like the little sister I never wanted.”
I like the idea that life is the big bad here. The only problem for me is that Sam’s issues, for the most part throughout the season were related to having Lucifer in his head. Whatever that is, it is not dealing with life, especially when the solution is for an angel to miraculously take Sam’s big problem away in one fell swoop. If Sam had not been incapacitated (even though he never acted that way) I could buy life as the big bad.
I did love this episode and found Charlie to be delightful. I hope the next three episodes will make the season come together and jell, because that is what I am missing this season.
Did we ever decide if Sam’s Lucifer visions were actually Lucifer though? To me, it seemed like it was leftover damage from his wall collapsing and his time spent in the cage. If it was actually Lucifer that would be one thing. But if it’s psychological damage then I’d argue that that’s dealing with life. Strange life, but life all the same.
I think this year has been more about their personal struggles than the big bad, which I’m really good with as long as that means we get some resolution to them. I’m a little concerned because we’ve now had 3 episodes since Sam got “fixed” and there has barely been any mention of it or Dean’s apathy. But since 2 out of the last 3 episodes are Gamble and Edlund, I have a good feeling that a lot of these issues will be address.
I liked the way they did the editing for this episode, I don’t know if I’d like it every episode but I thought it fit the Oceans 11 feel. Except for the flashback and this in an issue I had with several of the previous episode. To me the flashbacks feel bulky and heavy-handed and take you out of the moment, event though there just a flash. I much preferred the “THEN” segments, which a lot time will get you pumped up for an episode, instead of jolting effect these have had. I did like the Frank voiceover when Charlie was looking over the materials.
I have to agree about the heavy-handed feel of the flashbacks. It was one of the more jarring editing choices.
I have great confidence in Gamble and Edlund scripts. I think we’ll get the loose ends tightened up before the end of the season. Here’s hoping at least!
Carry over to S8: I think Bobby and possibly Cas’s story will be the cliffhanger(s) that carry over to S8.
The Leviathian as the Big Bad: Pure speculation on my part, but my feeling is that the Levi were just a back-ground story. I think the real story is that Dean will learn to trust again by some action that GhostBobby takes (him not turning vengeful) and he will grant Cas redemption because of the trust he learns.
Basically, I think that this season Sam and Dean will have been used as tools: Dean a tool for telling Bobby’s story and Sam a tool to re-introduce Cas and have him gain redemption. I’m lead to believe this, since Sam’s hellpain was really poorly shown and once Cas was back in the picture, Sam is perfectly okay.
Dean’s drinking/depression/Dick revenge seems to have just been dropped once GhostBobby and his vengeful revenge was introduced. Up until a couple of episodes ago, I didn’t think Dean trusted Sam as far as he could throw him, and now they are back working together and everything appears just okey dokey. It’s just weird. And I don’t believe for a minutes that Sam and Dean will have to dispose of Bobby.
I hope I’m wrong, but I have not liked all the focus given to stuntcasted characters and the number of episodes built around them. I have no investment in these characters at all. I much prefer the way this used to be handled, where the support characters reflected something going on with one or both of the brothers.
Another thing I don’t think is going to happen is that Dean’s issues are going to be dealt with, except for the trust thing. I do not believe Dean is going to find the answer as to why he hunts — a question that has been lingering for years now. Hope I’m wrong about that, too.
I hated the episode because of too much Charlie., but I kept hanging in there for the few brief appearances Jensen and Jared made. I felt like I was watching a PG-13 spy spoof with a cutesy lead character. Perhaps if I knew anything about Harry Potter, was into geektondom, or enjoyed this type of humor for the young adult readers, I may have liked it better. Day isn’t a bad actress, but the geek characture had me yawning 15 minutes into the episode. In fact, this is the first time I have ever watched a SPN episode and clock-watched, wishing it was over. I hope to never see Charlie and her cutesy little dance and crooked leg stance again.
As for the editing, I didn’t mind the split screens — I was into 24 for a couple of seasons, after all. I didn’t really like reading so much computer text on my screen, but the flashbacks weren’t too distracting (they just meant more of Charlie). The thing is, I just don’t feel this type of spy spoof with a heist really fits with the horror/drama theme and tone of SPN. And, seriously, the infodumps were long and tedous.
The clay tablets: They’ll have some obscure writing on them that the young Asian prophet will probably have to interpret (or be read by Bobby, so happens to know Sumerian), which will lead to the three key items needed to put the Levi populating the world back into Purgatory…my guess.
Not to leave on a sour note, though. What I liked:
Dean said ‘SOB.’ That is always a plus.
Baby was mentioned — finally.
Dean coaching flirting and Sam giggling at him. Too short a scene, but Dean was adorably sexy-smooth. In fact, JA is gorgeously photogentic in that type of lighting and those close-ups were a plus. (Remember how well he photographed in black and white in Monster Movie?)
Sorry to hear you didn’t like this episode. I think I may be one of the only people that doesn’t mind letting someone besides Sam and Dean take the spotlight for a bit. Now, would I want that to happen every week? No way. But a few times a season I find it refreshing. I do agree that the coaching scene was shorter than I would have liked. It was so funny I wanted it to drag out a bit.
I like your guess about the clay tablets. They have to be the key to taking out the Leviathan, right? Otherwise, I don’t know why Dick would want them so badly…
I don’t mind it either every once in a while.I loved this episode, Death’s Door was one of the best of the series, as was The Man Who Would Be King. I also liked Ghostfacers and Weekend at Bobbies and last week’s Of Grave Importance. Party On Garth FELT light on the boys for me. I think the two sequence (intro of the monster and Garth) could have been cut way down without losing anything and we could have had more Sam and Dean.
My problem with this episode is not that it was Sam and Dean light, although the last four episodes have been Cas, Garth, Bobby, and now Charlie. Ghostfacers remains one of my all-time favorites. I loved Weekend at Bobby’s; I would give everything to see another Rufus (or a character of his quality) again. I liked Death’s Door, until it became apparent that the episode was just audience manipulation. I won’t be watching that one again.
Another thing I hope is that Carver gets back to the horror and stays puts away the political/social commentary that has pervaded this season, which this episode was full of.
Another thing I have a problem with, which this episode also did, is the once again re-writing of canon to fit a story. We have never, ever been shown that a ghost’s powers are inconsistent; that sometimes you have them and sometimes you don’t, or that learning them will knock a ghost on it’s a** during the learning process. And, of course, we are told the two brothers are top-notch hunters, but I guess they don’t feel the need to use salt lines any more, so that Bobby can flit in and out at will — or that they order him to stay in the cabin and don’t put the flask in a salt line. This is storytelling below the level that SPN should have.
I’m getting whiplash trying to figure out who these two Winchester guys are. Example: Last week Sam was all happy and for trying to make it work for GhostBobby, and this week he is sternly warning Dean against Bobby turning vengeful. It makes me wonder if there is anyone at all in charge of the show nowadays.
Despite now thinking that S7 is just as much of a train wreck that S6 was, I’m in there to the end. I’m looking forward to seeing what Carver does with the show, but I am to the point of hoping that the writer’s room gets some cleaning, too — Robbie Thompson, Adam Glass and the Singer wife team.
I thought Thompson did a great job with Slash Fiction and Time After Time. My only complaint in Slash Fiction was the brothers walking into a strange house at night in the middle of nowhere [i][b]without their guns drawn.[/b][/i]. But if this type of episode is his idea of what SPN is, I would prefer he go write a sequel to Spy Kids.
[i][quote]Dean coaching flirting and Sam giggling at him. Too short a scene, but Dean was adorably sexy-smooth.”[/i]
Thank you, Ginger! So many fans have said it was weird that Dean was so proficient at coaching Charlie how to flirt that I feel like asking: “Who would be more famililiar with what lines women use while flirting than Dean Winchester? After all, he has probably heard them all!”
[i]”In fact, JA is gorgeously photgenic in that type of lighting and those close-ups were a plus. (Remember how well he photographed in black and white in Monster Movie?”[/i]
And once again, thank you Ginger! I couldn’t believe how many fans complained that they really didn’t enjoy the black & white photography of Monster Movie while the whole time I was totally turned on by the play of light & shadow on Dean’s face!
My only current complaint is that Jensen is cutting his hair too short. Especially when contrasted to his Season 1 length that I am seeing each morning on TNT right now.
Thank you!! I thought I was the only one who couldnt stand Charlie!! The whole Nerd thing and the zillion references were too much! 1st of all the whole harryPotter, lord of the rings and so on references were so 2007! If they wanted to be Geek current, a mention of Game of Thrones would be undenied. From all I saw…It was a mid aged lady trying to act 20, and throw in as much “lame” kid references. Sorry but this show made me facepalm so hard!!!
Again Dean was as hawwt as usual. And the whole bobby thing was just confusing.
I enjoy your take on the big bad of the season, it is very plausible. I’ve enjoyed this season very much, and on EW website of the shows that made it to renewal next year, they said that SPN fans would be happy, so I’m assuming it’s pretty much a done deal.
All the little geeky references were like little gold nuggets to me. I loved the fact that Sam knew the plot of Harry Potter enough to talk Charlie into moving along and to “kick it in the ass”. I’m sure he reads in the car when he’s not sleeping or driving. A super good looking guy that reads and not just sports magazines! Hey, a girl can dream.
That clay is what will defeat the Leviathans IMO. Dick seems to have found it in the Middle East, the birthplace of civilization. Seeing as the Levis are as old as the world, I would think that a piece of the earth could in fact destroy them. Only three episodes left to find out. I think the Leviathans story line will come to an end this season, but we will continue onto the eighth with both Bobby and Castiel.
And yes, I will agree with you that the promos are getting murkier and murkier. I’d rather not see them that be left wondering as to what I just saw, or didn’t see as per this weeks promo.
OK. First thing first, I’m a Harmony. So, of course my fav HP character would be Hermione too. Agree with Charlie here in regards of who Hermione ended up with. That’s so wrong. I love it that Sam knows HP. Oh Sammy!!! Last Season Bobby mentioned Hogwarts too! And Dragons and Dungeons in an episode about Dragons. I often relate Dean with Harry and Sam with Hermione. I dunno, that’s just me.
I get most of the geek references too because even if I’m not a computer genius I’m kinda geeky and bookish. In short, I like Charlie. She said this is not the first time that she had to disappear and Charlie is even not her real name. So I am guessing she’s not a new player in the game. She’s a pro. Only not in the supernatural kind of game.
Perhaps the problem is giving too much air time for a newly introduced character who will or will not appear again for the show. We have lot’s of new characters in supernatural and each of them have had their own episode. Bobby, Castiel but they are already introduced to us at least a season ahead. So, we are kinda warming up to them and get to know them as a character already.
So, I’m thinking “How to write an episode mostly takes place inside Dick Roman’s (DeathStar) Enterprise where Sam and Dean cannot get in (because they know their face already. Not like they have face mask ala MissionImpossible right?)”
The option of how this episode is written is very limited. Have to keep the guys outside the building. Have to have an inside help. (All of their friends are dead so who’s left? introduce a new character of course) So, the option is either have the guys infiltrate the building, which is impossible because I believe even the pizza guy have his own identity card to enter this building and it’s not easy to get that position too in short notice. Impersonate a police/FBI officer, are you kidding? Back door, forget it! I’m sure they Dick has secured his domain so that no rats get in.
Anyone has any ideas? How to write an engaging episode in a setting that defy the appearance of the Winchesters. Stat! Reply to me if you have any idea then we’ll talk about it.
Note: Yes Frank is a loon. Tim the Enchanter is right. Why would he save all those data in his harddisk anyway. I guess he is established to be a bit of not right in the mind despite his genius.