sweetondean’s spoiler-lite preview of “Supernatural” 8.04 “Bitten”
It’s that time again to start thinking about the next episode. Are they coming around really quickly or what? Sure feels like it!
Anyway, as usual let’s start with..
THEN
So Sam and Dean put a halt to an ancient Mayan curse and in doing so, stopped a bunch of transplant patients from ripping out people’s hearts,literally.
Jensen directed his dad.
The boys looked really tanned.
Dean is digging being back in the hunt and Sam, well he isn’t. O-oh.
Sam told Dean that, when the search for Kevin and the Word of God is done and dusted, when those gates of Hell are closed forever with all the demons tucked safely inside, Sam is out, he’s done, he wants a normal life, like the one he had the year Dean was in Purgatory, like the one he scarpered out on in the middle of the night!
Dean being Dean (final back to being Dean) didn’t believe him, of course! Surely Sam will come around? I mean, Dean doesn’t want to be anywhere but by his brother’s side. Where he’s at his best is right there, in the Impala, driving down crazy-street, next to Sam. So how can it be possible that Sam won’t eventually feel the same way?
OW! It even hurts writing it.
NOW
So, I remember Jensen and Jared talking about this episode at VanCon and being all excited because “Supernatural” had never done anything like this before. This is the episode that’s being call the found footage episode, because Sam and Dean find a video done by some college kids that reveals evidence in a case they’re investigating.
Unlike the “Ghostfacers” episode, where they were on camera and very much part of the case itself, it looks like Sam and Dean aren’t going to be in this one all that much. Apparently, they bookend the episode, but are also surprised to see themselves repeatedly captured on the video, while looking into the case.
So here’s the official synopsis for 8.04 “Bitten”.
A UNIQUE EPISODE OF SUPERNATURAL “” Sam and Dean investigate a bizarre murder in a college town. Close on the tail of their suspect, they bust into an apartment to find two dead bodies and a laptop cued up to some disturbing video footage. The footage begins with Brian (guest star Leigh Parker), Mike (guest star Brandon W. Jones) and Kate (guest star Britni Sheridan) hearing about an unusual animal attack in their town and the rest of the story is revealed through their eyes. Sam and Dean become unknowing participants in a unique student film. Thomas J. Wright directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson.
The last little bit of that synopsis excites me because, in my opinion, Robbie Thompson was the big shining light to come out of season 7. He wrote “Slash Fiction”, “Time After Time” and “The Girl with the Dungeons And Dragons Tattoo”. Thomas J. Wright, directed last season’s Edlund penned “Repo Man.”
So looking at the promo, we see Sam and Dean investigating animal attacks and some cute college kids falling foul to said animal attacks and possibly becoming one of the animals themselves. There’s a definite Werewolf vibe going on here. I’m partial to the classic monsters so I’m hoping for a bit of Lon Chaney action! But it may be something else big and gnarly with teeth!
What ever it is, it better not get in the Impala! We know how Dean feels about dogs in the car! Heh.
In the Preview clip we see the college kids videoing a crime scene where Sam and Dean arrive to question the cops, flashing their FBI badges and using the names, Rose and Hudson ““ nice Gunners shout out! Man, I’m loving the return of the rock aliases.
A Jacob Carter has been found behind his apartment block, in pieces I assume. The witness, his neighbour says she heard some kind of growl like a Coyote. Dean, “Awesome.”
And that’s it fans! There’s really not a lot to go on. The vibe is, we’re going to get a fair bit of the college kids and Sam and Dean mostly unwittingly captured on tape and that we the viewer, will spend the bulk of the 42 minutes within the world captured on the video camera. I know the Js were really excited about this one and not just because it meant they got some time off!
Hit me up in the comments and let me know what you think….
And I’ll catch up with you all in reviewland!
Don’t forget, for spoilers, articles and interviews with the cast and crew, visit our spoiler page.
Plus, there’s a little more about “Bitten” here
Enjoy the episode!
-sweetondean
This episode might be fun, if it didn’t come at a time when I’m DYING to get more details on the happenings of the past year – for Dean, Sam and Cas. It doesn’t sound like there’ll be much room for flashbacks in this one. 🙁
As it is, I’ll watch, and hopefully enjoy it, but I’m not as keen as I’d like to be for such a “unique episode”.
I’ll probably watch this, but not terribly excited. Their words are “95% the students” and Sam and Dean bracketting the found video. I don’t mind a focus on a strong supporting character once in a while (Bobby, Cas, etc.) but 95% on characters we’ll never see again!?!
Your mention of Robbie Thompson does not reassure me. He did slash fiction . . . for me that is NOT a compliment. I like Bugs better than slash fiction.
For me so far this season is following S& pattern of starting strong and slowly going downhill.
This is so difficult. I love these different, slightly off the wall episodes. I like exploring the world of supernatural and the genre as it touches Sam and Dean. I think it will be great fun to see them thru the eyes and camera of these young filmmakers ( similar to Ghostfacers, though this sounds oh so much better). I know when the season is over this is the kind of episode I will love and probably watch time and time again. I love Robbie Thompson’s writing too. But the thing is I am so excited about the story arc of the season that I probably won’t have too much patience with the episode at first. Particularly as the story is being drawn out so slowly for both brothers…still so very many questions about what really is happening. Anyway, I am looking forward to “Bitten” , but I will have to practice watching and enjoying in the moment.
I don’t know Chronicle and I’ve never watched Paranormal Activity, so that means nothing to me. I do know what teenagers are, and SPN has used entirely too many of them in the last couple of years…besides an episode hogged by characters we’ll never see again. I think showing a lite Winchester episode so early in the season is an odd choice. Two intriquing mytharc episodes, one that didn’t give us much, and now a support character dedicated one?
Two things make me think that this one may be better than I expect. The first being that it sounds like the J2s might be in this more than I expected. I thought they would just bookend the episode. And Robbie Thompson as writer and Thomas Wright directing is encouraging.
IMO, this episode will only “work” if the acting of the guest stars (i.e. “Brian, Mike, and Katie”) is superb. Otherwise, it will be painful to watch. Honestly, I wasn’t too thrilled about the acting of the kids in the sneak peek video, but it IS just a sneak peek. I also hope that we get to see more of the Winchesters than we’re expecting.
Hmmm. . . . I don’t know what I will think about this one. I don’t pay attn to the writers but I didn’t like any of the episodes you mentioned (SF, TAT, TGWTDT, or RM) so I don’t know how I’ll feel about this one. I guess I’ll find out soon enough. I loved PA and have seen every movie in that series. This should be interesting . . . .
So far, for me, the season is 1 for 3. 8.02 was better than 8.01 and 8.03, but that’s not saying much, IMO. Sadly, I used to know the titles of the episodes but now I don’t.
Just hoping it’s more than I expect, better than Ghostfacers, and shows at least a little plot development. Really looking forward to next week tho.
Edited – an advertisement.
Think outside the box. Sammy applied for college, right. He yearns to go back to a life he has just tasted with a dog and relationship. How can Sam “lead friggin’ box” his hunter to go back to youth?
Maybe this episode gives Sam perspective on how far he has travelled away from the “college is normal†path. Are the Winchesters allowed to be happy? What kind of show would that be? Dean would have married Jo a long time ago. Can anyone tell me why that storyline was not explored? Feisty woman who knows the life, strong mother as a guiding force. Hours and hours of fun there.
IRL I have many miles to go before I sleep, so I won’t see the episode until posted online. Thanks all to speculating. Makes the anticipation stronger. I love this show.
Not too excited about this one. I don’t mind outsider-POV stories when it’s outsider-POV of the guys (which I actually really enjoy), but this one doesn’t seem to fall into that category. And entire episode devoted to characters that we don’t know and will never see again because they’re dead? And so early in the season? Please, get this over-reliance on filler episodes out of your system and start concentrating on a coherent storyline. I’m begging you, Carver.
Well for my 2 cents, I never go into an episode with preconceptions, as to whether I’m going to be disappointed by an episode. I always go in open to whatever is about to be flung at me. I find this is the approach that works best for me.
Slash Fiction was one of my favourite episodes from last season. I think Robbie has been the best addition to the writing team for a long time, because he can balance the humour and the drama and I like the way he writes the brothers. I thought Time After Time was a beautiful script. He managed to give depressed Dean a kick in the pants while showing the boy’s incredible connection by making them work together across decades.
I’m not a big fan of the Paranormal Activity movies – 1 was ok, rest were dogs. Blair Witch is 90 minutes of my life I’ll never get back, but I really dug Chronicle. I had no clue what it was about and was surprised by how engaging it was. So I’m cool with checking out more of this method of storytelling.
One of the myriad of things I love about Supernatural is that the creators of the show are willing to take risks and that they’re allowed to take risks – I think that has a lot to do with being on a smaller network. I’m grateful for this because it means I have a show that can challenge me, piss me off, make me want to throw things at it sometimes and the rest of the time make me want to embrace it and hug the crap out of it!
Good TV should never be boring, so I celebrate the fact that our show never is and these kind of episodes pop up every once in a while.
Am I desperate to know what happens next with Sam and Dean? You bet your ass I am. Am I cool with having an ep like this, sure thing, if it’s done well, I’m there open to all possibilities.
I’m just thankful that this show exists to stimulate this kind of emotion and this need to discuss. I’ve never experienced this with any show. So even if it’s not being enjoyed by some, it’s still compelling enough to make everyone want to talk about it and share opinions. That’s pretty cool.
I’m excited for this ep…but then I’m excited for all episodes of Supernatural!
I like your attitude here, sweetondean, and those of some of the others here. Thanks.
Last week I was so eager for the big Sam fb episode that I’ve let that disappointment colour my views for this week. That’s not entirely fair to this episode.
I’m resolved to shelve my anxiety and just watch this week for the fun of it.
Yay for Supernatural Wednesday! Season 8 is just starting!
I loved it. Beautifully done. The students seemed so real even in a story about werewolves. Sad and scary all at once. And no, Sam and Dean were not in it very much but I sure felt their presence and somehow in those short appearance their was character development. Plus, I have always had moments of fantasy about all the folks who overhear their conversations in diners etc. Kind fun seeing it come to life. Also loved how Michael, Kate and Brian were trying to figure out Sam and Dean’s relationship. Office romance? lol
I really enjoyed tonights episode.
I’m not one for this type of movie/film but I really got involved in the story.
I loved the filming and the acting. I really felt for all the characters involved and was taken by both Sam and Dean’s reaction to the video tape. I feel Dean was willing to let Kate go as she reminded him of Benny. He wants to believe that they will overcome their urges and not become a threat to humans.
I tried, I really did.
This one was not for me. It would not have helped if Sam and Dean had both been shirtless and on screen the entire episode (ok, maybe that would’ve helped just a little). This was not my cuppa.
Awesome! Yes, awesome. Sorry, just had to do that. I enjoyed tonight’s episode. I liked seeing how a monster is born and I really liked seeing Sam and Dean from another point of view. Is it up there with Ghostfacers or Frontierland or The French Mistake? absolutely not, but still, I enjoyed it. A nice entertaining story. I haven’t read anyone else’s comments yet so I don’t know how others feel, but for me, Awesome!
P.S. Next week looks like it well be an awesome Halloween episode. Yes, Awesome!
I was blown away. I loved it. I wasn’t sure when it first started but as the story slowly unfold, I got sucked in. It was fascinating to see the POV from someone watching Sam and Dean. I’ll actually rewatch this one!
I agree, Alice!
Also – I’m so glad you liked this one after your disappointment with last week’s! 🙂