Reviews That I Missed: Supernatural 13.05, “Advanced Thanatology”

Before doing my re-watch of “Advanced Thanatology,” I watched “The Big Empty” first (I skipped “Patience” because rereading my scathing review brought back all sorts of memories).  I realized watching both these episodes together are a must.  They pair perfectly in their themes about grief and loss and they’re both written by two junior writers who have mastered by this time the ability to weave flawlessly a MOTW story with a layered emotional arc.  In other words, they are both really powerful when digging under the hood.  

I already did a review for “The Big Empty” back when in aired and I loved it.  After the rewatch, my opinion only got better.  I won’t recount too much about what happened, but it was a nice glimpse of how the recent losses were impacting Sam, Jack, and Dean.  Jack got some closure with his mother (beautiful scene!), and after three and a half episodes of being an insufferable dick, Dean finally fessed up about what’s bothering him.  It took a long overdue outburst by Sam on he felt about losing Mary, his buttons finally being pushed too hard, for Dean to soften a little.  It also took a therapist that could see beyond all that man pain and make Dean confront what he was feeling.  Which is nothing.  Dean’s plea at the end for Sam to keep holding onto the faith about Mary because he had none spoke volumes. 

Where episode title “The Big Empty” had that double meaning of the place where Castiel was trapped and that big giant void inside of Dean, “Advanced Thanatology” carries on the theme of loss by doing exactly what the title says, the study of death.  There was death, the grief and pain of death, and well…Death, literally.  The episode walks through several aspects of dying and gives us a fresh glimpse of both sides of the veil. 

Given that this show is called Supernatural, writer Steve Yockey did go for the creep factor in unwinding this story.  We’ve seen these teenage slice and dice horror stories before, but this one went further.  It dug into the real emotional implications of death and dying, humanizing these victims instead of going with the usual blood spatter and a coroner visit.  Real lives are impacted when teens go into a scary house and get offed by the monster of the week.  Shawn was traumatized by what he saw and that led to his eventual demise.  Those around him couldn’t understand his pain until it was too late.  What struck me was the friend that gave Sam information about where they went.  He was in denial, believing his friends would be okay.  That is the human condition, thinking bad things couldn’t happen to them.  

I find this show does well when it tells stories in the veil, and what better than one reckless Dean Winchester ready for it to happen.  He’s resorted to carrying around needles now, one to kill and one for revival.  I guess he doesn’t need a doctor anymore to do that.  The fact that Dean even wanted to go into the veil shows his mindset right now.  He feels dead inside, so why not be dead?  

Dean:  So you died to become Death?
Billie: This universe can be so many things, and sometimes, it is poetic.

This is where the “Advanced” part of the title comes from.  I was blown away by the twist when Billie showed up to talk to Dean in the veil.  When one incarnation of Death dies (as he did when Dean killed him in the season 10 finale), the next reaper to die takes his place.  It’s so clever and was a great way to get Billie back into the story considering Castiel killed her in season 12.  It also reinforces the old saying, you can’t kill Death!  Season ten ending explained.  

Billie makes being Death look good!  She has the scythe, the ring, black gloves and one really awesome long black jacket.  Oh, and a really vast library of books that shows all the ways people can die.  It’s all based on choices made. We get a new glimpse into the world of the reapers and Death and what happens on their side.  Since she’s in charge now, Billie sees the bigger picture like the old Death.  Also like the old Death, she can read Dean like a book.  He normally channels his grief and uses it to save the world.  He believed that what they did mattered.  But now, something’s different.  

That doesn’t sound like the Dean Winchester I know and love. The man who’s been dead so many times but it never seemed to stick. Maybe you’re not that guy anymore, the guy who saves the world, the guy who always thinks he’ll win no matter what. You have changed. And you tell people it’s not a big deal. You tell people you’ll work through it, but you know you won’t, you can’t, and that scares the hell out of you. Or… am I wrong?

Finally, that one line from Billie nailed the five episodes of Dean Winchester misery we’ve had to suffer through.  He’s scared.  No, he’s terrified, which means he starts acting out.  I guess the way he’s been acting, he’s really terrified.  He would rather die because he doesn’t know how to dig himself out of this one.  But Billie isn’t there just to give Dean a heart to heart.  She wants to know about the trip to the other dimension and how they got there.  Dean bargains for the souls trapped in the house first, setting up yet another study of death. 

In a small but bittersweet scene, Jessica the reaper speaks to the trapped souls in the house and benevolently asks them to come with her.  She assures it will be okay.  The ghosts  disappear one by one, including Shawn and his friend.  The trapped soul moves on, a new beginning awaits.  

Dean: Why do you care?
Billie: Because I do. Because…this whole multi-versal quantum construct we live in, it’s like a house of cards. And the last thing I need is some big, dumb Winchester knocking it all down.
Dean: Hmm. That does sound like us.

Dean upholds his part of the bargain and tells her about Jack opening the rift.  He’s also ready to die.  But Billie has other plans.  Of all the books in her library that show her how Dean dies, none say it is happening today.  She won’t disclose what she knows, but it echoes what the original Death did back in season six.  Sam and Dean are an abomination to the natural order, but they’re needed.  Actually, she uses a line we’ve heard multiple times through the series, going all the way to the pilot.  “You have work to do.”  Dean is suddenly sent back to Sam, who was rightfully losing his shit by now over his dead brother that wouldn’t wake up.

 

The final glimpse of death happens with a poignant montage to the tune of Steppenwolf’s “It’s Never Too Late.”  Bodies are pulled out to the house and a devastated mother tearfully embraces the body of her dead son.  That is the a side of the story this show rarely takes time to tell.  What about those left behind to pick up the pieces?  Grief and loss is a big part of death too, which bridges nicely with the previous episode.  The entire scene drove home this theme of losing someone we love.  

It certainly paints a stronger picture of Dean’s frame of mind.  He even tells Sam he isn’t okay and just needs a win.  Oh but wait, there’s a twist coming.  While on the road Dean gets a call, and he’s stunned.  He and Sam go to a dark alley and surprise, Castiel is standing by a phone booth.  Not a surprise since he was tossed from The Empty in the previous episode, but perhaps this is finally the win Dean needed?  I guess we’ll find out next episode.

So yeah, a lot of unpack there.  Death and the Winchesters is certainly a different story, isn’t it?  

Other Thoughts

There wasn’t too much to the ghost story, but tonally it fit the bill.  The creepy old, dark house, the ghosts, the artifacts, it was classic horror.  Bravo to the set decoration and cinematography for selling such an eerie place.

They’ve used the doctor’s house before in another episode.  The stained glass mural in the stairway was the give away.  That was Dr. Visyak’s house in season 6’s “Like A Virgin.”  

I love how one of the ways Dean could die in Death’s library is killed by a red-headed witch.  Score one for Rowena!   

There’s also another classic shot in this episode, a hungover Dean at an all you can eat breakfast buffet.  Can you say bacon?

I wish that Sam could have been given more to do than try to be nice to Dean and be there to save him from his own recklessness, but I won’t let that take away from this story.  That will be one of my season 13 criticisms in general.  

How did Castiel find a phone booth?  Ah, the grand mysteries of life.  

Overall grade, much like “The Big Empty”, an A-.  It was quite enjoyable to be given two episodes in a row to study and think about, something that rarely happened in these later seasons.  Coming up next, “Tombstone.”  I don’t remember a damn thing about that one, so it’ll be like watching it new.