Supernatural Season 10: The Disappearance of Sam and Dean Winchester
I can easily recall the excitement I felt about Supernatural Season 10 in the early fall of last year. Between Demon Dean, Sam going dark, and the possibilities for Crowley and Castiel, I was very eager for the season premiere. After three excellent episodes, however, that excitement began to wane. And then it waned some more. And now, as the second half of the season is about to begin, I find myself – well, somewhat unenthused. So what happened? As Jeremy Carver previewed in the summer, the stories started out very personal this year. Demon Dean was front and center, with Sam on his trail, determined to save his brother. It was all good. But then, shortly after episode three, Sam and Dean Winchester went missing.
Gone, Boys:
We knew early on (again, from Jeremy Carver) that this season would showcase more of an ensemble cast. As Jared and Jensen have lightened their workload, Misha Collins and Mark Sheppard’s characters have been shown in more prominent scenes. In addition, guest stars have come in for stand-alone episodes and have gotten increasingly more screen time.
Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with this year’s format. I understand Jared and Jensen’s schedules are what they are, and that’s not likely to change. And Misha and Mark are both talented actors who have added more layers to the story of Supernatural since Seasons Four and Five, respectively. Furthermore, guest stars have populated the stand-alone episodes since the beginning of the series. The problem is, so much time is spent with Castiel, Crowley, and various one-off (or recurring) characters that the brothers haven’t had much to do this season – at least not in front of us.
As much as I might enjoy seeing the other characters, my main interest still lies with the Winchesters. But more and more, we see less and less of the brothers in a given episode. And when the other characters’ stories don’t relate back to Sam and Dean, or don’t at least illuminate some aspect of their relationship or individual states of mind, then my level of investment goes down. And when none of the plotlines of any of the players seem connected to any overarching storyline, then things seem really disjointed, and it’s easy to detach from the narrative. So instead of being riveted to my screen for 42 minutes, I find myself watching while simultaneously folding laundry, checking email, and whipping up a batch of cookies. I might get a lot accomplished, but it’s just not as much fun.
If you look at earlier seasons – and I know, as soon as I bring up this topic, the first thing you might think is “oh boy, one of those fans who can’t get past pining away for the glory days of Supernatural, like the 40 year old former star athlete who relives his high school football days over and over. But the early seasons of Supernatural were such a good template for how to tell a story effectively. Sure, there may have been canon inconsistencies, or plotlines that were dropped, but the story always linked back to the Winchesters (and later Castiel) coherently, and it felt like things were consistently going somewhere.
With stand-alone episodes in earlier seasons, no matter the person- in-peril or character of the week, they always played a part in shedding light on Sam and Dean’s mental and emotional states. At the very least, the brothers were closely connected with the action in a given episode. In 1.12 “Faith,” Layla’s deep desire to be healed was completely intertwined with the aftermath of Dean’s healing, and his subsequent guilt about it. In 2.12 “Nightshifter,” Sam and Dean were smack dab in the middle of the action with Ronald Resnik in the bank; That episode also saw the manhunt for the Winchesters deepen, and the loss of Resnik would come back to haunt the brothers (literally) in Season Four. In 4.4, “Metamorphosis,” as Sam and Dean investigate a rugaru, the brothers have some of the most powerful exchanges of the series regarding Sam’s “curse.” Obviously I could go on and on, but needless to say, these monster of the week episodes didn’t take the spotlight off of Sam and Dean, but often shined it brighter on them.
This year, in “Paper Moon,” Kate the werewolf learns her sister is lost to her, and while there may be parallels to the Winchesters, (there always are), her story doesn’t have much to do with Sam and Dean’s. In “Hibbing 911” Jody and Donna bond over a sheriff’s retreat, with Sam and Dean only later getting in on the action by (easily) getting captured by the vampires. But Donna and Jody’s struggles don’t directly tie into Sam and Dean’s. In essence, these people don’t shed light on anything about the Winchesters. Maybe something happens at the end of the episode concerning Sam and Dean – Dean has his first kill after being cured, or the MOC takes greater hold on Dean, but for the most part, the one-off (or recurring) characters’ stories are their own. And what’s worse, these stories, often substituting drama with campiness, are usually just not compelling enough to stand on their own without the help of the Winchesters.
Regarding Castiel and Crowley, their current struggles have nothing to do with Sam and Dean. Before, when Crowley wanted something, like alpha monsters or the demon tablet, the brothers were at odds with him over it. Just last season Crowley was intricately connected with Dean and the MOC. Now Crowley isn’t doing anything with the Winchesters – or anyone else, come to think of it. He sits around in a warehouse-looking building and talks about his witch mother. For Rowena’s part, she briefly interacted with the Winchesters, but seems to spend most of her time these days trading quips with Crowley.
Castiel was going after rogue angels with Hannah, but now he’s trying to help the daughter of his old vessel. That isn’t really linked to the Winchesters. They may all interact, but just because Cas calls Sam and Dean to “help” him with Claire doesn’t mean she – or he- is connected to the brothers. That plotline may have gotten us from point A to point B to allow Dean to go crazy on some (conveniently) low life human beings, but were Sam and Dean really needed on this case?
Comfort TV vs. Compelling TV:
Now, with all my complaining, the “why don’t you just stop watching?” question might come into your mind. But I’ll probably always watch the show. I love to watch Jensen and Jared on my screen every week (even though I’m watching them a lot less on my screen in each episode). And the show has been a part of my TV viewing life for many years. Reliable. Familiar. It reminds me of my chicken and rice casserole. I make it a lot. It’s easy, it’s quick, and it fits the bill on an average night. But maybe there’s times I would like something with more – substance and flavor, like chicken cordon bleu with sun dried tomato polenta (which I’ve never made in my life, but you get my point).
Maybe I should just be happy with what I’ve got in Supernatural this year. Sam is shown to be worried about Dean. The brothers aren’t fighting. There’s the MOC storyline – but none of that seems front and center anyway. Instead, Crowley’s broken heart, Castiel’s guilt, and one-off character dilemmas are. And let’s face it, watching unknown characters face off in a living game of Clue while Sam and Dean fend off cougars might be mildly entertaining, but compelling? Instead of just settling with Supernatural, it would be nice to have a feeling of anticipation over it – an “I can’t wait to see what they’re going to come up with next” kind of feeling. Not that every single episode has to be like that, but the season should have that kind of general feel to it. Supernatural shouldn’t always leave a chicken and rice casserole aftertaste.
The Slow Build up – What Exactly are our Characters Doing?
As I wrote earlier, we knew this season would have a slower build up, focusing on topics personal to our major players. But if this season is about “I am who I am,” then shouldn’t the characters be showing us something about who they are? Dean was a demon, and he’s still affected by the MOC. We know he doesn’t want to be. But beyond that, do we know anything else about these characters’ wants or their realizations about themselves?
Take Sam, for instance. We know he was determined to save his brother, using a not so nice guy to summon a demon, and later torturing that demon. But has that behavior (which doesn’t seem all that dark, by the way) had any ramifications? Has Sam explored who he is? In fact, has he said or done much of anything about – well, anything?
Has Crowley explored who he is? We know he misses his “friendship” with Dean, but is he trying to accomplish anything as King of Hell? Castiel is trying to make amends to the family of his vessel (on many levels, this and the MOC plotlines have the most potential thus far). But now that Cas has involved himself in Claire’s life, what happens next?
What are Dean, Sam, Crowley, and Castiel’s stories? What is it they actually want? Or perhaps more accurately, what are they doing about what they want? Every character, at some point, has to try and act on what he or she wants – which will then form the basis of his or her story. But from what I can see, Dean doesn’t want the MOC any longer, Sam wants Dean to be ok, Crowley wants his mother’s love, and Castiel wants to be helpful. Those aren’t really stories, though, are they?
Finding Sam and Dean Winchester (and Company):
So what is the solution for this season? I’m not sure. As we move into the second half, a big bad might surface, or a quest may reveal itself. Yet, even if it does, where will Sam and Dean fit in? Because it would be nice to see them emerge in their own story. And I’m not saying every aspect of every plotline has to revolve around the brothers. But separate plotlines and other character exploration should flow in in some way, back to the Winchesters.
At the very least, put Sam and Dean (even if they’re with others) in the middle of the action. If they’re going to be in fewer scenes, then make every second they’re on screen count. And let their actions show us something about who these characters are. In fact, let everyone’s actions reflect their motivations. If we’re exploring “you are who you are” than more needs to happen. From mythology to stand alone episodes, in big actions and small ones, everything has potential to show us more about who the major players are becoming, or have already become.
And it needs to be said, it wouldn’t hurt to up the stakes a little. We know Sam and Dean won’t be killed (at least permanently) by hippie vampires, so the significant stuff has to come from somewhere else. For example, how would it look going into the second half of this season if instead of killing Randy, Dean was responsible for killing an innocent? Even if the world isn’t at stake this year, something needs to be. Think of it as a little chicken cordon bleu to make the chicken and rice go down easier.
Ultimately, I don’t know what the rest of the season holds of course, beyond a few episode titles. All of this could come together beautifully. All I really know is, wherever the road leads, Sam and Dean should be right in the middle of it.
I could not agree more with this post! I’m tired of seeing Sam & Dean playing the supporting roles in their own show. It’s beginning to get ridiculous.
It almost feels like these days the writers have more interest in writing the guest stars than the brothers. I especially dislike when the writers dumb down the brother in order to let the guest stars shine. Sam & Dean’s characterizations should NEVER be compromised or tweaked in order to build up a guest star.
While Supernatural has MANY great characters, none (Cas & Crowley included) can carry the show like Sam & Dean do – it’s just a fact. & I think this season is proving that.
You make such a great point about how well Supernatural use utilize the MoW episodes in order to gain insight into the brothers mindsets. You just don’t see that much anymore, & if we do, the dialogue often seems stilted & forced (i.e. the beer drinking lake scene in Paper Moon – I don’t buy that Dean waited THAT long to ask about Sam’s injury). It is such a waste to an have entire MoW episode where the brothers’ only interactions & conversations are case-related. Like throw us the bones.
I love Sam & Dean too much to quit watching, but it’s tough to keep watching when Sam & Dean are only in an episode for 15 minutes…like they were in the mid-season finale. The MID-SEASON FINALE and the brothers weren’t front & center – what even…?
Yes, the MoW episodes used to be some of my favorites, because not only were the cases interesting, but we often got quite a bit of insight into where Sam and Dean were emotionally.
I’ll never quit watching either, but the reduced screen time is definitely noticeable. Thanks for reading, Jenny, and commenting.
The focus seemed to be on Sam and Dean for the first 3 episodes, Fan Fiction was brothers focused in a very fun way, I just watched Ask Jeeves and while not a big season arc episode it did feature Sam and Dean throughout. Otherwise it looks like they tend to bookend the standalones with a little of the season arc. It is frustratingly slow at times but the J’s are just not going to be in the bulk of the standalones. It is difficult I guess to keep the story focused on the brothers if they aren’t in the episode very much. I don’t know how the writers can keep the fans interested in the show if the viewers aren’t invested in the other series regulars. I agree that Crowely’s story isn’t very well defined yet and the Cas/Claire story is just getting started (although judging by the promo clip it doesn’t look very promising). I’m in til the end but I also hope the pace picks up some for the remaining 14 episodes. If this is a slow burn it seems like it is barely smoldering right now (although it could be because we haven’t had a new episode for what seems like forever).
Yes, Cheryl, you hit on exactly what is so challenging: keeping the story focused on the brothers when they have less screen time per episode. I think I would be happier if the time Sam and Dean spent on screen counted a bit more – that is, we got more meaningful interaction or more exciting action. Oh well, as you said, maybe the pace will pick up and we’ll get a bit more per episode. Thanks for reading!
I am not so much bothered by less Sam & Dean on screen as I am by the feeling that the episodes lack substance, whether the boys are in them or not. The humerous lines, which were once sharp and clever, have become almost campy. The story lines don’t make sense. The Cas/Claire storyline in the middle of the MOC sl seems contrived and boring. Unless they are going to have Dean go so dark he kills Claire. Which would be a huge mistake and make Dean totally unredeemable. What is Roweena trying to manipulate Crowley into and do we care? Plot lines that start out interesting are ended abruptly with little fanfare or never addressed again. I used to be on the edge of my seat waiting for the next episode but not anymore.
Yes, Prix68, that is exactly the word I used – campy. I hate to keep talking about the “glory” days of SPN, but the dialogue was sharper, and in my opinion, funnier. The characters also had more dimensions. They weren’t caricatures. And ultimately, the stories were just more interesting. We’ve been here before in that the first few episodes of a season were great and then everything just fizzled out. Here’s hoping for a more exciting second half. Thanks for your comment.
Prix…I dont think Dean – under the influence of the MARK – killing Claire would make him unredeemable. What i think it would do is make the story interesting. it would show the writers willing to take risks with Dean and the storyline. To ave Dean kill an innocent…a true innocent would really hammer the seriousness; the danger of the MARK. It would defenately show a Dean and Sam desperate to find a cure. The viewers desperate to see what happens next; fear for Dean and just a little fear of Dean as he grapples with a growing blood lust mixed with guilt and horror.
Although I’m not surprised some people would like to see Dean go so dark as to do something as reprehensible as killing a child, it would definitely cross a line that his character would not recover from in the format and boundaries of Supernatural. So, in my opinion, not something I would like to see happen.
Have Jared and Jensen actually said they’re cutting back on the hours they’re willing to work or is that a (fairly reasonable) assumption folks are making?
Wynne88, they haven’t stated they are only willing to work a certain number of hours, at least not to my knowledge. But both have talked about their long work days and their desire to spend more time with family, especially Jared. There are also set reports that talk about either Jared or Jensen, or both, not filming on a particular day or days. With Misha and Mark it has become more of an ensemble, and Sam and Dean are definitely not on screen as much in certain episodes. That may change, but for now, it seems to be the trend in episodes. Thanks for reading.
Ya know, I’m good with the whole deal.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this isn’t a fluffy show that one should pick apart episode by episode. It has arcs that one has to wait until the end of that season (and occasionally into the next season) to get your built up pay off.
I’m also cool with Jared and Jensen having less face time so that they can be with their family. Isn’t that what we love about the brothers? That they are their for each other? That they are family? Why would we begrudge them time to be with their real family. Plus, if they get family time, then they won’t feel the need to quit, so we can have them on the air longer.
As far as Crowley and Castiel taking up more time, I’m cool with that too. Castiel is an underrated storyline that some are missing because they are too focused on just wanting the boys on the screen. I like to watch Castiels story from the angle that he’s a God in training. I find that fascinating, and it fits. It’s an epic storyline that I believe many are missing. I’m not.
Crowley? I have no idea what’s going on there. But I enjoy the rest and am quite happy and willing to follow along with what the writers are doing and wait patiently and see what happens.
If you were to take a week out of my life, it wouldn’t be interesting. You put the whole year together and most years you have quite a story. I don’t need instant gratification each and every week. I love them all and enjoy checking in to see what’s up in their lives. Like phone calls to very good friends who lead really screwed up, albeit very interesting, lives.
I couldn’t agree more Metamorphic Rocks. I can totally understand the J’s wanting more time off and TPTB wanting to bring in more Crowley and Cas to fill out the Supernatural world. But the writers/show runner are not being very creative in handling what they are doing with less Sam and Dean. They aren’t making the time that they have the J’s count. Scenes in bars where they give Cas parenting advice? What a waste of time. And what have they used to fill in the gap? Crowley and Cas’s story lines are soapy schlock; Mommy issues? Daddy issues? Their current situations don’t relate to their position or purpose on the show at all. Cas is having daughter issues? What has that got to do with him being A Warrior of God? And Crowley and Rowena? What has THAT got to do with Crowley being the King of Hell? It’s completely disconnected from Supernatural and the world it’s built and the fundamental roles these two characters play, and it does not connect to the brothers in any way consequently I find it incredibly boring… especially Crowley and Mama. What’s happening to hell while Crowley is dealing with Mama and inexplicably pining for Dean? Why has he suddenly lost all interest in his arch nemesis’ the Winchesters? It makes no sense to me at all.
Conversely we have Dean absolutely overflowing with plot points (The Mark, looming relapse back into demonhood, his loss of control, his dealings with Cole, his murder spree, Claire wanting revenge, him turning back into a boy etc… ad infinitum….) but are they doing anything with these story lines? Not much it seems. He and Sam almost never discuss the Mark or what Dean is going through. Dean hasn’t even asked Sam for advice? Why is that? If anyone can relate to what Dean’s going through now it’s Sam. I hate it when the show ignores it’s own history. The boys need to talk and Sam should have demanded that they do. What happened to all of Sam’s tenacity from the first three episodes? Flushed down the john apparently he’s back to being ineffectual and decorating the scene with his sorrowful, worried looks. Furhermore, the lack of risk taking with Dean is making me crazy. The writers make the bold decision to turn Dean into a demon… a DEMON…. holy crap that’s crazy awesome and huge and, and, and…….and this is what they do with that idea? Have him only kill other demons (big whoop, Dean killed WAY more demons as a regular human and was far more ruthless when he killed that vampire in season II) and an ass hole who deserved it and then five more assholes who also deserved it. (I’m not excusing his actions, wrong is wrong and humans are off limits and always have been on this show, Dean’s killing of Amy proved that if nothing else), but talk about not taking any risks or treading any real lines with what could be a spectacularly tense storyline. It’s basically gone no where and both brothers seems strangely inert and passive while the plot unfolds around them at a snails pace. I surmise that we will end up watching epic amounts of man pain as Dean emotes over all the non-horrible, horrible things he did while under the Mark’d influence. And unfortunately I won’t care because none of it has seemed that dire or that interesting.
And what about Sam? Poor Sam. He’s vanished. He has no story, he has no point. Fretting over Dean is not a story if they are not going to have him do anything about it. Mentioning that he’s been doing research is not the same as having us watch him do research. Why haven’t we seen him killing himself running down leads as a continuation of the tenacity we saw in him at the start of the season? I thought I saw a glimpse of the old Sam in the first three episodes, but he’s gone again. Can anyone even remember what Sam is like as a person? What are his personality traits? His strengths, weaknesses? What food does he like? What music does he listen to? How has he decorated his room? What kind of car does he like to drive? How can Sam help Dean in a way that it unique to Sam… something special that only Sam can do? We haven’t seen him do anything that almost any other person could not have done. I thought we’d get to see Sam appeal to their brotherhood (something only Sam could do) to save Dean from demonhood, but anyone could have done what Sam did. How does Sam feel about what’s happening to Dean? Is he afraid for him? Afraid of him? Does he think Dean’s doomed? What’s he planning to do to help? Is he afraid for himself and what he might be willing to do? There’s nothing there. It’s gone so far beyond not having enough POV that it’s become ridiculous. He’s a non-entity on his own show.
I don’t believe anymore that Sam and Dean are equally important to the show. Sure, [i] Supernatural [/i] needs both of the characters in order to continue but it seems that the show does just fine by having one brother as the main character – Dean. It’s like Jared is needed as a co-lead due to the brand of the show.
What made [i] Supernatural [/i] unique was focusing the story on two main characters and having two lead actors who were the stars of the show together.
I was loving the first three episodes, Demon Dean, determined strong Sam…thought we were in for a wild ride until they had to go do the cure. Then the 200th episode. I liked it but I wasn’t crazy about it like a lot of fans. I was praying for something more like the 100th episode, but it is what it is. I hope that it isn’t the end of Demon Dean even tho the MOC storyline is intriguing. There have been some good episodes but to me it feels like it all came to a screeching halt after the 3rd one. I love Cas but that Hanna/Cas roadtrip/storyline was a waste. Looking for something better for Misha in the back half, and not all this angsting about Claire – please!!! And Sam? Started out so good and now…what? I would love to say that I strongly believe that things are going to get more intense and interesting with the brothers once Show returns but I don’t have much faith in these writers anymore. I’m not really looking forward to any episode besides the one Cain will be in. What is that, 17? I’ve only really liked 2 of the Charlie episodes, I’m curious about the Hansel one in how it will affect Sam. That could be interesting but I wasn’t crazy about the “D Dawg” ep so there you go. Am I forgetting one? Ah well, fingers crossed and all that. I’m glad it’s back but trying to keep my expectations low. Proove me wrong Show. Please.
Yes, it seems the general fan consensus is that the first three episodes were very good. It’s strange, other seasons started out like that as well (like season 7). Maybe they just put more thought into the first few episodes, then just try to keep the machine running. I think they need more meetings in the writers’ room! Unfortunately, I don’t have high hopes that the season will pick up much either, but I do enjoy watching Jared and Jensen (and Misha) on screen, so I’ll stay with it. I only liked one Charlie episode, but I’m also looking forward to watching Cain again. Thanks for reading and for your comment, AlyCat22!
I am late posting, which is an indication of my waning interest in SPN for the reasons you mention. Although, like you, I will continue to watch, I haven’t even had enough enthusiasm to check out the boards during the mid-winter hiatus. As far as I am concerned, the J2s have lost their show (and it’s not going to improve from here until the end, I’m afraid), and they might as well be billed as “Special Guest Stars,” because that is all they are this season.
You also bring out a good point in wondering what has been accomplished now through ten episodes (yes, I am including last night’s comeback one). The answer to that is nothing, not by Sam or Dean, not by Crowley, and not by Cas. It’s very disappointing. This morning, I am wondering if I need to start recording the episodes and become BFF with the FF button.
You have depressed me…incredibly, and it’s becuase I am entirely in agreement with you (especially about folding laundry during an episode :)). I was trying very hard to put my finger on what has made me okay with waiting a week for the next episode–heck, I was even okay with the season hiatus even though we got a cliff hanger more or less–when I literally gobbled up the first 5-6 seasons of this show in 6-8 episode a night sprees on Netflix and then went through seasons 7-9 with just about as much fervor. Well, you hit the nail directly on the head. The show that began as MoW but quickly escalated to incendiary status when they realized that it was [b]actually[/b] about Sam and Dean and their relationship and each of them individually has slowly degenerated to something that feels worn and is verging on desperate. Over the last few seasons we have seen the brothers more and more at odds with each other and less and less understanding between them. Whatever happened earlier in the series, good, bad, or the very worst, the boys would always come back to each other, but they’re drifting further and further apart, and I don’t know if we should blame the writers for no longer letting them have those BM scenes that [i]Fan Fiction[/i] made fun of but were such an integral part of the show; or if the show has just worn itself out naturally. It’s true that a show can only go so far, and it [b]has[/b] to end at some point, and if bringing the boys back to each other and letting them have their shining moment in the sun together with all the intensity and shared feeling that they possessed in the beginning means it’s their [i]last[/i] moment? Well…I think I can deal with that. I want the boys back, even if it means giving up the show.