Reviews That I Missed: Supernatural 9.12, “Sharp Teeth”
I remember when I watched “Sharp Teeth” the first time, I was pretty pissed. They made Garth a werewolf? What the hell were they thinking? Actually, it was an Adam Glass script, so expectations were pretty low, but this felt like one of those “sensationalized” stories that in the end wasn’t really necessary. But watching it again after all that resentment passed, it wasn’t horrible. Yeah, it still had a lot of problems, and it still wasn’t necessary, but at least it was watchable this time.
It was well known by season nine that EP Robert Singer was no fan of splitting up the brothers too long. He was well aware of the fan backlash, which is funny, because there were plenty of fan dislikes he seemed to be unaware of, a lot of it from his wife’s scripts. But I digress. This episode did provide a plausible way to bring them together, Garth. After all, they’re already feeling the massive guilt over Kevin, so it made sense that both would charge to Garth’s aid as quick as possible. Still, it’s awfully weird that they both figured out at the same time Garth was in the hospital in Wisconsin just by watching the police wire? Even when Sam was in New Mexico? Um, okay.
I’ll start with the biggest weakness of the episode, the MOTW story. It was ass. I did like the idea of a family of good, Christian focused pack of werewolves that wanted to peacefully co-exist with the human world. That sounds sweet. Also sweet, Garth’s wife, Bess. Aww, he really found himself a gem there. However, we know which show we’re watching. What do you know, there’s a faction among the group that didn’t like that at all. They want werewolves to rule humans. Ragnarok? Glass had been watching too many Thor movies. Oh wow, it’s the step mother? Color me surprised. It’s the natural borns vs. the bittens. Ugh.
Another thing I had an issue with werewolves could be born to other werewolves? How does that work? I know that there was that whole baby shapeshifter thing in season six but that made sense. That’s like a genetic mutation. Isn’t being a werewolf a curse, like being a vampire? Okay, maybe in other shows, it was never truly stated here, but it just felt like another cheap canon stretch to service a story. Although, if you’re going to turn Garth into a werewolf, you might as well give him that chance to have a family and a happy life but…NO! Bad Adam Glass. It just doesn’t work. The Monsters can’t pro-create. The solution to all this, DON’T make Garth a werewolf.
Then there’s Dean, who jumped into angry asshole mode from the start. I absolutely hated this caricature of Dean that these writers stuck with in season nine all the way to the series end. It’s like he’s a toddler lashing out. It made sense in season two but shouldn’t have he grown a bit by now? He was a jerk to Sam, jerk to Garth, jerk to Garth’s wife, Reverend Jim…you get the picture. They’re werewolves, they’re bad. Yada, yada. Dean had been in these gray spaces with monsters before, shouldn’t he be giving Garth the benefit of the doubt? He was hunting with Crowley for Chuck’s sake!
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, Adam Glass just didn’t get Sam and Dean, but especially Dean. Remember how he had Dean being too jerky and vigilant when Henry Winchester popped out of the closet in “As Time Goes By”? Henry was bad, because he left John! There’s no reason why he did that, even if it turned out there was a good reason. He was still mad at him the whole episode instead of taking precious time to get to know his grandfather. That’s because he’s Dean “too lost in man pain” Winchester. Let the cliches continue.
I’m especially annoyed at this conversation Dean had with Garth, telling him that he “drank the kool-aid”. I wanted to smack him over these words:
Garth: Why are you being so hard on everyone?
Dean: Because there’s no way that all of this is what it looks like. No way.
Garth: Why not?
Dean: Come on, man. I know you drank the kool-aid, okay? But come on.
Garth: Look, amigo… I know this is all looks nuts, but I found it. Love and a family? Who cares where that comes from?
Dean: I do.
Of course Dean then turned to his abandonment issues, chewing out Garth for going AWOL and not telling anyone. Duh Dean, werewolf? He probably wanted to avoid you bitching at him like this. Then he broke the news to Garth about Kevin and instead of trying to console Garth, he blamed himself for failing Kevin. At least Reverend Jim was briefly able to get through Dean’s gruff exterior. These words especially got Dean thinking, “I realized the road to revenge is a dark and lonely one, which you never get off. And that hole in the pit of your stomach, you never fill it — ever.” And Dean was so touched, he never sought revenge against anyone again because he could relate from experience. Psych! I know, why waste that moment on Dean when it wouldn’t sink in? It goes to reinforce, Dean resort of primal mode whenever he’s feeling worthless. The reverend did prove that they were the perfect family for Garth, who lived by those words. It’s nice to see a hunter land on their feet. Perhaps Dean was jealous.
Later the sheriff attacked Dean and Sam, and Dean of course flew off the rails concluded the werewolves were all bad. Sheez, just chill man. Dean confronted Reverend Jim with the whole guilty until proven innocent attitude, and there goes Adam Glass throwing the kitchen sink of Dean Winchester issues at us again. Pick a lane man.
On the flip side, Sam was given grunt busy work, just to give Dean some touchy feelies that these are peace loving monsters. I guess he didn’t need convincing that these were good monsters because he’s more sensible. Oh, but he did get knocked out again and got to be Samsel in Distress, because that’s the only way Glass knows how to write Sam too.
So, after rescuing Garth, Bess and Sam from the wicked stepmother, Dean was suddenly all philosophical and ready to make peace with Garth and Sam. He, learned a lesson somehow? Garth was forgiving at least, and his response goes back to what he told Bess earlier in the episode, that deep down inside Dean was a teddy bear. Dean discouraged him from going back to hunting and that he needed to enjoy the happiness he has found. Maybe he’ll live to tell the story someday. Yeah, I was surprised as Garth by the sudden turnaround.
The only saving grace was Sam wasn’t going to buy Dean’s sudden change of heart. Dean tried to blame his actions on his grief over Kevin and they are better riding together, but Sam wasn’t having it. “But something’s broken here, Dean.” Dean hoped that putting a couple of “w’s” on the board will be all they need, but Sam accurately told it like it was, the trust issues were way too deep this time. Being family isn’t going to be enough. “I’m saying, you want to work? Let’s work. If you want to be brothers…those are my terms.”
What’s our takeaway from this? Uh, yeah, I dunno. Sam and Dean are together again so the fan girls can be happy, but they are still servicing the rift between them. I found it curious that Sam brought up how Dean prevented him from closing the Gates of Hell. I know he mentioned that to Castiel in the previous episode, but Sam did make that choice to live and not die. That’s not all on Dean, but I get that Sam was in a world of hurt at the time. Couldn’t have Garth locked them in a room and put them through some extreme couples counseling instead? Man, what has Garth done where he was always seeing Sam and Dean in issues mode? Ah well, not his problem now, at least he found his happily ever after, until season 14.
Overall grade, a C-. The scenes were at least watchable, they flowed well and a few characters likable, except Dean. Let the Winchester pity party continue! Coming up next, “Mother’s Little Helper”, aka Misha Collins’ one and only directing outing.
Alice Jester is the founder, editor-in-chief, head writer, programmer, web designer, site administrator, marketer, and moderator for The Winchester Family Business. She is a 30 year IT applications and database expert with a penchant for creative and freelance writing in her spare (ha!!) time. That’s on top of being a wife, mother of two active kids, and four loving (aka needy) pets.
Leave a Reply