Winter Hellatus. It’s not all bad. This is the time where we all can take a deep breath, sit back, and examine with objectivity the 10 hours of Supernatural season five we’ve been given thus far. It’s a chance to see the forest from the trees and look at the work as one big mass rather than the week to week nitpicking. So, does this expanded view change what I thought of season five up to now? It all depends on the point of reference.
This season thus far hasn’t been as explosive as season four. There were two reasons why season four came out strong like it did. First, the writer’s strike that shortened season three left plenty to be told in season four. Also, because of the shape of The CW and the mixed messages coming from the bosses, anything beyond season four was in doubt at the time. Doubts that were erased the second “Lazarus Rising†aired and drew one million viewers more than normal. For a three million viewer show, that jump was too significant to ignore. It proved that more people actually watch this show than the numbers indicate.
That was then though, this is now. The “wow†factor that existed from the angel reveal in season four is gone. Not that the storytelling isn’t still strong though. It’s still superior. But the big surprises and question marks from season four don’t exist in season five. The events have unfolded and the sad reality is Lucifer walks the earth. What plays out here becomes biblical prophecy. Okay, it’s not the bible we know, but as Anna said last season, “Same bottom line.â€
Sure, the mythology could have been laid out rather quickly in two episodes. But that’s not what this show is about. It’s the storytelling dummy. Stories unfold slowly. Stories involve conflict, personal heartache, intense internal struggle, and in this case, some rather bizarre situations. There are breaks in between all that because life happens. Strange things happen during an apocalypse, just like when strange things happen when there’s no apocalypse. These guys have day jobs and time waits for no one. If that means a side trip to a wax museum in Ohio, so be it.
With every story, whether it be taking on Lucifer or trying to outfox a clever witch, the main focus has stays the same, the brotherly relationship. The stakes are higher, the suffering greater, but the premise the same. They must save the world and in the process save themselves. So, how well is this process going so far?
The Good
The mythology. I know it’s not going as fast as some people would like, but when you really think about how many years Lucifer was in the cage, the angels and demons have gotten really patient. They all seem to accept that in time everything will go according to plan. As far as carefully plotting the beginning of the apocalypse and the timing of the reveals, the writing has been outstanding. Look at the progression. First Lucifer is freed. Sam and Dean are mysteriously rescued and Castiel is brought back from the dead supposedly by the same being. Then angels’ part of the plan is revealed, the Michael sword is none other than Dean in the form of his vessel. Then there’s a horseman sighting, War and an archangel is summoned, Raphael. Next comes the demons’ end game, Sam is Lucifer’s vessel, thus setting up the inevitable Dean/Sam conflict this show has been foreshadowing for years. There’s a futuristic view of the apocalypse and suddenly the Croatoan virus makes sense. The Antichrist is found in the form of an eleven year old boy and he goes missing, uncertain which side he’ll take. Another archangel, Gabriel, has been The Trickster the whole time and lets Sam and Dean know the real reason they were chosen to be the vessels. Finally, the one shot at killing Lucifer, the colt, doesn’t work at all and there’s a heavy price to pay in the loss of two close friends.
That’s quite a lot to show in ten episodes actually. A lot of these plots carefully tie in with what’s been revealed in other seasons too. It’s really good to see them build in this type of continuity and not leave things like the Croatoan virus and the colt hanging like they have been since season two. And bringing in The Trickster into the mythology is a stroke of genius. Go back and hear his words to Sam in “Mystery Spot.†Suddenly everything the Trickster said and did in that episode makes sense. Suddenly everything the demons have done thus far makes sense.
Another well done story has been Bobby’s. For all the trauma he’s suffered, his character arc thus far has played out well. His drama isn’t too over the top but it’s been well addressed. He isn’t adjusting well to his paralysis but through Dean he sees he has a purpose. It’s part of that special bond those two have in pulling up other up out of their messes. That bond keeps getting stronger and stronger and to see it mature like this when Bobby needs help so badly is inspirational. I’m especially floored about how they got each other through the crisis in “Abandon All Hope†just through a radio conversation. Brilliant acting helps a writer make that work.
The Bad
Castiel. I adore Castiel’s character but the writers thus far haven’t done this guy much justice or given Misha Collins much to work with. Especially when he made such a strong impression last year. Only “Abandon All Hope†gave us a glimpse of how strong, determined, and loyal in this fight he is. Before that he’s been throwing blame, being wishy-washy with his mission to find God, doesn’t have a lot of screen time, and his purpose overall diminished. His behavior in “I Believe The Children Are Our Future,†is bizarre and to see him wither away to a drugged out mortal hippie in “The End†isn’t too comforting either. I won’t even cover how the good idea on paper to have Dean take Cas to a whorehouse didn’t translate well on the screen. Sure, I admire Castiel’s faith in God when all other angels’ have lost theirs, but he’s hardly been God’s warrior except for that latest episode. He’s been God’s whiny wimp.
Sure, there are still many intriguing possibilities for Castiel though. First, his friction with Sam in “I Believe The Children Are Our Future†is a great contrast to his close relationship with Dean. I see possibilities if Sam decides to go off on his own again. Dean might not be able to stop him but Castiel will. He won’t let the same mistakes happen again. That’s just me speculating though. It’s possible nothing comes of it either. I also know Anna is going to be coming back. Her and Castiel have some real chemistry amidst their tension and I’d love to see how she reacts to his betrayal of her. Also very interesting is Castiel and Gabriel. Through their final stares at each other a history exists there. Let’s hope there’s time to find out what it is.
Another bad thing, and I know it’ll serve a higher purpose, but I’m also missing Dean’s amulet. That’s been a part of him so long, to see it missing for half a season is troublesome.
The Perplexing
So far, the character development hasn’t been the strongest. Forget the afore mentioned issues with Castiel. Let’s focus on Sam, Dean, and the brotherly relationship.
Sam
Sam’s character development throughout the series has been uneven at best. I honestly didn’t have a good understanding of his character until “Mystery Spot.†He was a complete mystery in seasons one and two, and season three slowly began to unfold those layers. By season four, when his character’s descent was brilliantly plotted, those layers were often exposed down to the raw nerve and it was frightening. He really is a very dark guy. He’s moral though and did what he did out of a twisted sense of self-sacrifice for the greater good. Granted it all backfired on him, teaching the most valuable lesson that good intentions are the pathway to Hell.
So, in season five so far, how does Sam take what he’s learned? The first two episodes are awesome character progressions. In “Sympathy For The Devil,†he must face the backlash for what he did. He takes it all like a man, but we see how crushed he is by both Bobby’s (yes, even though it isn’t the real Bobby) and Dean’s words. He needs them both now more than ever and they turn him away. Sure, it helps that the real Bobby gives him support at the end, but Dean’s lingering hurt is too much.
“Good God Y’all,†is an ideal look at how bad things really are for Sam. He wants to try and pick up where he left off, do what he does best, but reality hits him hard. There’s a reason he was hooked on the demon blood. He craves that power. He wants that control. Throw in his brother who can’t trust him to make the simplest of decisions and Sam can’t cope with it. He doesn’t trust himself anymore to make the right decisions and he doesn’t want to hurt more innocent people. Without Dean’s support, he chooses to abandon hunting and part ways with his brother.
From there though, Sam goes back into the mystery mode that so plagued him in seasons one and two. He tries to live that normal life but it doesn’t take long for him to get sucked back in by hunters bitter over fighting the war he started and by Lucifer himself. The trouble is, Dean won’t let him back. Then Dean does. Sam wants equal footing. Dean agrees. From there everything’s all hunky dory? We fans know Sam’s issues are still lingering. We know he still craves power. We know what drove him to choose Ruby over Dean is still there. We know he still has his powers and can use them. The trouble is, we aren’t seeing it. We see some of his guilt about not doing the right thing creep up in “I Believe The Children Are Our Future,†but that isn’t a very deep look or big character reveal. All we’ve gotten is Lucifer and Gabriel throwing similarities at him about his actions and Lucifer’s. Where are those headspace digs like what War gave him in “Good God Y’all?†The kind of things that Jared sells so well with one troubled glance? There haven’t even been subtle reminders or flashes or remorse like when he has to kill someone possessed by a demon with the knife.
Then there’s the lingering thought that was triggered in “The End†and left with us big time in “Abandon All Hope.†What in the world will happen to Sam in six months that will make him say yes to Lucifer in Detroit? I trust the writers to show Sam gradually taking that path and not all of a sudden agreeing because of something Dean said. As in “Lucifer Rising†Sam can be nudged in a dastardly direction through manipulation, like some deep personal hurt over a tampered phone message. It’s going to be a long six months seeing that unfold. It is my guess that all his issues start to surface in the second half of the season and Sam will slowly unravel. It’s my guess though. Anything else would be lazy.
Thank you Alice for observing the same thing i did. I never quite realized the reason why i started hating Castiel this season after being his number one fan last season. The writers have truly done him an injustice. He has lost the charm of what made him special. I’ve always loved that even though he was most of the time in season 4 an asshole to Dean and Sam, i still liked him because he was badass and very warrior like even while learning about humans.
But this season, i feel like the writers decided to do fan service for the Dean/Castiel slash fans by turning him into a whiny, bi-polar, tantrum throwing child who looked at Dean like he was going to rape him any second and acted like he was Dean’s girlfriend. I was disgusted. One minute, he is a warrior, the next he is a virgin who is shy of being with a prostitute? And the next, he is throwing blame and acting like Dean and Sam should worship his feet because he chose to do the right thing? I’m sorry but that isn’t the angel i enjoyed watching last season.
I jumped at the arc of finding God the writers set up for him. But it seems they’ve forgotten all about it all at the cost of taking the amulet away from Dean which still feels wrong. It’s either they have him find God and explore his character or he returns the amulet back where it belongs.
I want to love that character every episode he is in; not every other one.
Also, you hit it right on the nail about the most important aspect of season 5. The brother’s relationship insight. If there is one disappointment they could fix that would make me forgive and forgo all the others; it is for them to focus on the brothers relationship and how it all relates to the whole mytharc unless there won’t be any emotional payoff whatsoever to balance out the sad and miserable breaking of the brothers relationship last season. It is very critical how and when the writers do it. If they wait till the end of the season; it wouldn’t be emotionally satisfying and i for one will feel cheated.
Thanks Alice!
It was hard not to notice that Misha was hardly making a appearance this first half but after watching all 10 episodes back to back I can really see how his only best episodes were the ones you listed. Although I can’t help but praise the writers for making Castiel more human. His comedic moments were awesome, even if it didn’t really play out right, Misha did a fantastic job working with what he was given. I can also understand the fluctuations of his moods. Hes been experiencing these emotions that he can’t really explain. Anna was a great help for him. Sad to see her go last season.
The bit with Sam was something I sadly missed, you are totally right, there’s things missing with him, The powers of course was a big give away, but perhaps its just me but that can never stick? It seems to jump around a lot (his powers I mean). And yes he is back to being the mysterious Sam, all we seem to get is his quest to be on equal terms with Dean.
As for Dean I really didn’t have a problem with him, I felt that ‘The End’ pretty much showed all it needed for Dean, he got a glimpse of what was to happen if he didn’t say yes and what will happen if Sam did. Although I still think that Zachariah maybe have exaggerated a bit on how future Dean was going to be 5 years into the future. It still pretty much summed up greatly.
The big question here that I completely look forward to having answered is of course “What is going to happen in 6 months?!” I have faith the writers some come up with something fantastic but I do agree that Season 4 was chop full of surprises that left me at the edge of my seat episode after episode. With the exception of the things falling in to place this season, season 4 had its fair share. I hope Season 5 can live up to it.
Alice, I was hoping you would give us one of your ‘deep looks’ at this season, and here it is. Thank you for making this hellatus (which doesn’t feel much like one so far) even more colorful.
Singing: ‘Rocking around the Supernatural tree…’ (don’t mind me, x-mas is nigh and it’s snowing like hell here… Like hell? Oh, snow in hell… yeah, this might just mean that we will see impossible things in the upcoming episodes…)
I, too, am astonished at how the show manages to connect the dots they dispersed over the last seasons, and the relationships of the characters have become even deeper and more multi-layered than they have been before. I guess pain and suffering does that to some extent. And, of course, as you wonderfully point out, the brilliance of acting we’re witness to.
And there will, undoubtedly, be more to come. We will learn what will make Sam say ‘the big Yes’ (and I’m terrified… judging from his nature, it must be some impossible, utterly cruel choice, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to hate the writers for it as much as I will admire their work… this is going to be big. Anything else would be illogical). Oh Sammy… Get a grip, Jas, this is a fictional character… I just can’t help it. My heart bleeds from the thought alone…
And Dean… he’s suffered some serious blows, too, and he’s not taking it well. The loss of Ellen and Jo – no doubt – eats away at him, as does his trip to the future…
I think all this will also eat away at the brothers’ relationship. All is not well, yet. I agree with your picture of the piling up issues – one step at the rug, and bam.
There are dark times ahead. Anything else wouldn’t make sense. I’ll have to ‘woman up’ to get through it all, I guess.
What would I love to see?
The return of Sam’s powers. And his return to the light side of the force.
The disentanglement of the Amulet-riddle.
God.
Some peaceful moments for the brothers, perhaps a bit love (and I wouldn’t mind the occasional passionate kiss, come on, I’m a gal, after all).
Bobby walking again.
Mary.
Some more moments of Sam/Lucifer (don’t kill me, Jared was magnificent in that scene. I’d like to see more of that).
Lucifer going down.
If unavoidable, a Butch-Cassidy-Sundance-Kid moment.
Heated discussions between the brothers and reconciliation.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Castiel’s background and history and some more of his dead-pan humor.
I bet there’s more that still needs to come to me.
And, yes, that Zombie alligator.
Best always, Jas
Very nice article.
Mostly I have felt same things in season 5 especially about Sam and brothers relationship.
Sure, I like this new, faulted Castiel. But it’s only logical – when I pretty much hated Castiel in season 4 and I like him now, those, who loved him in season 4 probably dislike him now. The way how show uses this character has changed.
But even as season 4 was full of very strong episodes (at least 2/3 of them), there were moments I really disliked. (I still think no one should be so normal after being 40 years in hell as Dean is. He should have serious trouble to remember how people on earth normally interact. How things work around here. 40 years in hell truly should not be similar to 3-4 years in Vietnam or Iraq, it should be much much much worse. And 30 years of torment before giving up? This is ridiculous, even for a hero. That’s just inhuman, no one could take it. They would completely lose their mind in a year or so.) So I found some of the mytharc very illogical and annoying.
In season 5 there is only one thing that strongly bothers me so far (Sam? who are you now?) and writers still have some time to write it better. So after 5.10 I actually feel much better about show than I felt after 4.10.
Keep up your good work and enjoy the show! =)
I was glad to see Castiel get a bit tough for once in 5.10. It’s very understandable to have doubt, not just creep in, but poison his being to where he was beginning to seem (to us) wishy-washy. Angels are supposed to be bad mofos, but as you point out, they can be a bit more patient then us hot-headed humans. He’s not one of us, so his working through isn’t going to be a quick series of anger, denial, etc.
Just make sure, writers, that the next time you let him throw some punches, make sure they actually connect and hurt. It’s okay to let him win a fight now and then.
Sam IS pretty dark, and I think they’ve handled his arc well. People that don’t wear their heart on their sleeve are really, really really (really) reluctant to open up, and when the older brother that you’ve idolized comes out and says he no longer trusts you (hey, thanks for bringing up the devil), that’s one leaden sky hanging above.
vana, I agree that hell should have had a bit more effect on someone – if you can be broken after witnessing the Eastern Front, this’ll fuck you up good – but it IS a serial, and years of therapy simply wouldn’t translate well to TV. 😉
The brothers’ relationship isn’t going to be fixed for some time, even if Lucifer gets tossed back in his cage, but I think as we move closer to the inevitable showdown, whatever form it takes, those issues will start to bleed into words and deeds.
Hi Alice,
Great, great, article. You covered so much so well. Kudos to you!
I never really occurred to me that The Real Ghostbusters was not well placed in the season, but it makes sense. I just assumed they were doing many light MOTW episodes because of the November sweeps. I really HOPE that we get more light episodes next half. I don’t think I could take serious, gut-wrenching episodes every week. I need my jolt of fun brotherly situations. You know Dean’s smart one-liners and Sam’s bitch face.
Funny about Cas’s development. I never really liked him last season, but this season he has really grown on me…and for all the reasons you felt he was a whinny angel. Now, he just seems to have more faults and can be more readily understood from a human perspective. I guess you can more readily accept humanly mistakes from a human because they ‘re supposed to have faults, than a superior being who is supposed to be all good and righteous….always doing the right thing and knowing ahead of time what that ‘right’ thing is. (I know STEREOTYPING!) anene – Love the Bi-polar, tantrum throwing child comment.
And for me the ‘brothel’ scene never happened. That was just too unacceptable for the whole SPN series. If they ever air that epi on TNT, that scene should be cut! Wouldn’t miss a THING from the episode.
I guess I don’t really see Sam as being mysterious this season. …just quiet, and very scared. The thought of his losing control to Lucifer is very devastating for Sam. I think the angel condom concept affects him more than Dean…not that either are going to go that route.
Dean has re-accepted the leadership role that he lost in season4, and has grown a lot since the start of this season. So good to see the boys back to being were their souls are most comfortable, with each other. Maybe they still have issues, but I think they now realize they HAVE to do this together, so whatever differences they have, they need to work them out. Anything less is a disaster for both of them. And Bobby is there to help too, even though he is going to need to lean on Dean more than he has in the past. But that is what Dean’s role is this life time.
I would love to see stronger character arc for Castiel, more screen time exploring his history with Gabriel, Raphael coming back their interaction and more Dean and Cas, it’s not enought to say they are buddies and have few phone calls!
Wanna see more leadership from Dean and to explore his relation to Michael!
Michael is such a mystery I can’t wait to find out that!
Also Lucifer and Sam! Lu is quite a charmer!
Vava naine and Randal, right there, what Dean went through hardly anyone would be able to endure. A patient I had recently who had undergone several months of torture put it this way: ‘everyone talks on the second day’. If they played it out as it might be in real life, Supernatural would turn into a completely different show (and I, for one, prefer it to be, as it is, far, far away from what I have to deal with every day).
I’ve just started working on an article about Dean’s hell-time and the impact on him. I hope to get it finished soon, but right now work is killing me.
Blessed be, Jas
Alice, do you know something I don’t? ( lots and lots and lots of things, probably, but we haven’t got all night … ) I have faith, this is the Mighty Elund after all … Logic and suchlike hold no terrors for him, if he wants ‘gators, then ‘gators there will be. 😆
Same goes for the rest of the season, really. It has been a bit patchy up to now … I’m going to wait and see how it all ties up at the end before going into full on Oh-what-the-f*ck-are-they-playing-at mode but it does seem to me that they may have bitten off rather more than they can chew and started up more storylines than they can resolve in the time they’ve got left.
I hope we get more Badass Action Cas, although I do like Modern Life Is Rubbish Cas and I thought Stoned Cas was a hoot. I could definitely do without any more Whingy Self-Righteous Cas anymore, ever, ever, ever.
PS. I also want the Trickster ( as was ) to cackle madly and announce tha whole angel-all-along thing was a wind-up. Fingers crossed …
Shit, EDLUND, sorry …
Existential Cas! Beret and cigarette accessories sold separately!
Right, that’s going straight on my christmas list. 😀
Hi Alice
Once again I just love your write-ups.
There have been a couple of times I think the writers were a bit off on the characters. Sam saying he went with Ruby because of the way Dean treated him and Bobby becoming possessed. I still don’t buy that one.
But on the whole I’ve really have enjoyed this season so far.
And as for Castiel I have to admit that on several occasions I wanted to cuff him in the back of the head.
His blame on both Sam and Dean and his attitude that they owe him, because he rebelled for them, has annoyed me.
But then I try to see his side. He was a soldier and he broke all the rules that have been drilled into him since existence. He’s been cast out from heaven, his home. He’s loosing his powers. And he’s experiencing emotions that he’s never had or even knows how to deal with. So I guess I understand his pity party to a certain degree.
However it does look like he’s coming around. He did stand up to Lucifer, telling him he couldn’t have Sam. Thanks for the read.
I think all the deep thinky-thought stuff has already been covered up to here, so I won’t comment much. I just want to vote that in 6 months in Detroit, Lucifer will threaten to unleash his army of 2 million zombie alligators across the globe unless Sam says yes.
Totally works for me …
Great analysis on season 5 this far Alice, couldn’t agree more with you.
So, if we shout really, really loud do you think there’s a chance Endlung actually ear us about those ‘gators? I’m willing to try 😀