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The Boys Are Back!
Spoilers for Supernatural 4x01 under the cut:
I really enjoyed this episode. A much stronger season premier than Magnificent Seven, which tried really hard but didn't manage to fulfill its aims (something that I felt happened over and over in S3, unfortunately). This episode did a really good job of setting up the season for us. I'm trying to absorb and evaluate the mythology as much as possible, because if Kripke's anything like he has been, it will be a while (maybe Christmas?) before he moves the mytharc substantially down the road this season (a habit that wound up being a great disservice in S3, unfortunately; losing four episodes in the second half of the season is tragic when your showrunner habitually backloads).
I am, however, somewhat apprehensive about certain developments. I truly wasn't expecting Supernatural to directly invoke God, because I recall reading an interview (I think sometime after Houses of the Holy) where Kripke dismissed the idea that we would see angels or other "good" supernatural beings, and said that he believed that while Good exists, it is the role of humans to choose and act for it. And I tend to agree; the central message of the Bible is not 'wait for an angel to save you' but a charge for humans to eschew evil and do God's will.* Each human is responsible for resisting evil, a much harder task than simply waiting to be rescued by higher power. Of course we do this with divine help (grace), but we still do it with our human faculties and human limitations. Whether you are a believer or not, I think the show sends a more powerful message by making the brothers the agents of Good in a world where the manifestation of Good (ie, angels or other supernatural creatures) cannot be relied upon to fight in our place.**
So, is Castiel who he says he is? The clues left in Faith and Houses of the Holy aren't definitive, but they tend to point that way. Although Mrs. LeGrange used a reaper for evil means (choosing who was worthy of life and who should die, i.e., assuming the place of God), we never got a concrete explanation for why Rev. LeGrange chose Dean. LeGrange says he saw something in him--a higher purpose. To my mind, this implied that something Good influenced Rev. LeGrange to spare Dean because of greater destiny, and that seems to be Castiel's message as well. I think this was meant to foreshadow Dean's role in S2-3, keeping Sam from succumbing to temptation and using (what appear to be) powers of demonic origin.
In Houses of the Holy, what appears at first to be an angel is, mournfully, the trapped soul of a murdered priest convinced that he is assigning holy missions. And yet, while Father Gregory is not an angel, the fact that he sends people to kill those planning evil deeds that the priest couldn't know about (and in the end, they die whether the humans sent to eliminate them act or not, as Dean dramatically witnesses), seems to indicate again that there is a Higher Power at work, though again, it's working through ordinary humans and not angels or other supernatural beings.
Even if Supernatural has been indicating that Good does exist, why now send an angel, when in the past this force has used ordinary humans (especially given Kripke's previous angel comments)? That's where I start to resist what previous threads in the show would otherwise lead me to believe. Also, would Kripke really make that reveal in the season opener? Or is this just a ploy and the later reveal is 'fallen angel manipulates Dean'? On the other hand, we have heard over and over again that demons lie, and we've never had any proof that Ruby is in fact not as evil as any other demon and simply attempting to manipulate Sam to get her own over on her demon enemies (Sam's conversation with Ruby in this episode seemed especially sinister and indicative of manipulation). It would give plenty of meat for the season if the arc is that Dean needed to be rescued in order to save his brother from going Darkside. And one major unresolved thread from S3 is Sam's temptation to power. And what would demons view as the 'end of days' (mentioned by the blind demon girl in the diner)? They should have no fear but the end of their ability to roam the earth (ie, the triumph of Good).
And we have seen a portrayal of a fallen angel on Supernatural: Azazel, who demonstrated the characteristics of a demon rather than the impervious, incorruptible appearance of Castiel. If Castiel were fallen, would he not have been 'killed' by the demon-slaying knife? Even the title indicates that Dean was brought back by Good (Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus).
And now I'm stuck in an endless loop of wondering if my observations are too obvious. Clearly I cannot drink the wine in front of you!
On to the goodness: I thought Dean's reappearance was played perfectly. Bobby and Sam have seen too many possessions and shapeshifters to simply except Dean's reappearance, and their horror and revulsion is a great way of conveying to the viewer how much they truly loved Dean. That and hugging. Bless you, show. Bless your extra-extended hugs (and resulting tight shots of Jared's biceps). Bless your lingering shots Sam's wibble face. Truly you are on the side of Good.
And oh, Bobby. Drinking alone while he worries over the fate of the near-to son who has run off and the near-to son he put in the ground. "You're the closest thing I have to a father." Staying with Dean even though summoning Castiel was colossally stupid. You are the personification of awesome. Don't get too comfortable on Harper's Island.
Sam. Why are you hanging with the demon? Has the Darkside ever done anything but torture you and kill your loved ones? Bobby is right; Sam is very much continuing his progression into his father (again, so neatly threaded through since S1). I understand why he's keeping this from Dean, and why Dean will be keeping things from him, but it's going to hurt to watch.
Oh, Dean. Hell flashbacks. PTSD symptoms. Let a thousand hurt/comfort fics bloom! Jensen totally killed the scene with Castiel; his doubt, morphing to pain when Castiel ascertains that Dean does not feel worthy of being redeemed? Perfect.
Overall, the emotional content of the premiere struck every right note. I was afraid that, in their desire to demonstrate that neither Bobby nor Sam should immediately trust Dean, and the secrets Kripke had mentioned Sam and Dean would be keeping from each other, they would not give the reunion its full moment and flavor, however, I think they completely did it justice. I can't think of anything that I wanted to see that I did not. Even Dean and Sam's conflict over the iPod was perfectly played and brought a welcome remembrance of the type of humor that characterized the show in S1-2. I am so very pleased.
ETA: BuddyTV had the same recollection regarding Kripke and angels, and dug up his November 2007 TV Guide interview:
We have a firm belief in the cosmology of this show that evil, in terms of demons, etc, is very tangible and real and out there. Angels and supernatural forces of good are much more elusive. But in my opinion — and the opinion of the writers — if God is out there, he isn't sending angels to fight the battles; he's working through a very human, sweaty, outgunned and overwhelmed group of hunters. For us, these are the angels. I think the point that's very important to us to make is that the forces of good work through humans who are flawed and imperfect and trying to make the right decisions. And that's the way God works. So we try to present that.
This is precisely the sentiment I remember reading, and why I am somewhat skeptical of Castiel's nature. Wouldn't it be just like Kripke to put angels on the show (something I believe he has been asked about a number of times), but thwart our expectations by making them neutral or even negative forces? However, it could also just been that Kripke always intended to go down this road and needed to give a firm denial in order not to spoil folks on what was to come (and maybe Mary's belief in angels was always intended as a hint in that direction). Or he had dismissed the idea of angels but was persuaded when a writer presented the idea to him in a format he thought was original and interesting (two adjectives I'd use for Castiel).
While I was poking around trying to find the above quote, I found another interview in which Kripke somewhat backtracks his November 2007 firm denial of angels in the Supernatural universe. It's from a transcript of the Supernatural con in Los Angeles, April 2008:
Q: In another interview you said that you would never tackle angels or the existence of God, so how does that…
EK: how does it all work? What I had said is that we weren’t going to necessarily see positive, glowing, ethereal versions of Supernatural because for one it’s not necessarily scary and two we’re not like that Touched by an Angel stuff. But down and dirty versions of different factions are a possibility. I’ve also learned to never-say-never, just as long as we can find a cool, bada** sort of way to do something.
I'm don't think that's exactly what he told TV Guide, but that's quite possibly what he meant. So perhaps he has been open to the idea, depending upon the execution. I am somewhat troubled by the "down and dirty versions of different factions" language. Would Kripke portray angels as the moral equivalent of demons (just another faction in a war) or does he mean that angels will not look like what we might expect from the soft-focus, pop culture image? Castiel's portrayal is much more in line with the historical Christian and Jewish portrayal of angles a frightening and awe-inspiring (as opposed to cuddly and approachable).
* By which I do not mean that humans make their own redemption, but rather, that each human must choose the redemption offered, then pray for discernment to understand and act in God's will, and fight forces that attempt to tempt others away from that choice.
** Which may yet be the way Kripke means to handle this. I suspect we're not going to see the CW version of Touched by an Angel, but before the appearance of Castiel this was very clear, in that God seemed to move the Supernatural universe, but only in an unseen way and through human agents, rather than directly through supernatural creatures as Evil does.
I really enjoyed this episode. A much stronger season premier than Magnificent Seven, which tried really hard but didn't manage to fulfill its aims (something that I felt happened over and over in S3, unfortunately). This episode did a really good job of setting up the season for us. I'm trying to absorb and evaluate the mythology as much as possible, because if Kripke's anything like he has been, it will be a while (maybe Christmas?) before he moves the mytharc substantially down the road this season (a habit that wound up being a great disservice in S3, unfortunately; losing four episodes in the second half of the season is tragic when your showrunner habitually backloads).
I am, however, somewhat apprehensive about certain developments. I truly wasn't expecting Supernatural to directly invoke God, because I recall reading an interview (I think sometime after Houses of the Holy) where Kripke dismissed the idea that we would see angels or other "good" supernatural beings, and said that he believed that while Good exists, it is the role of humans to choose and act for it. And I tend to agree; the central message of the Bible is not 'wait for an angel to save you' but a charge for humans to eschew evil and do God's will.* Each human is responsible for resisting evil, a much harder task than simply waiting to be rescued by higher power. Of course we do this with divine help (grace), but we still do it with our human faculties and human limitations. Whether you are a believer or not, I think the show sends a more powerful message by making the brothers the agents of Good in a world where the manifestation of Good (ie, angels or other supernatural creatures) cannot be relied upon to fight in our place.**
So, is Castiel who he says he is? The clues left in Faith and Houses of the Holy aren't definitive, but they tend to point that way. Although Mrs. LeGrange used a reaper for evil means (choosing who was worthy of life and who should die, i.e., assuming the place of God), we never got a concrete explanation for why Rev. LeGrange chose Dean. LeGrange says he saw something in him--a higher purpose. To my mind, this implied that something Good influenced Rev. LeGrange to spare Dean because of greater destiny, and that seems to be Castiel's message as well. I think this was meant to foreshadow Dean's role in S2-3, keeping Sam from succumbing to temptation and using (what appear to be) powers of demonic origin.
In Houses of the Holy, what appears at first to be an angel is, mournfully, the trapped soul of a murdered priest convinced that he is assigning holy missions. And yet, while Father Gregory is not an angel, the fact that he sends people to kill those planning evil deeds that the priest couldn't know about (and in the end, they die whether the humans sent to eliminate them act or not, as Dean dramatically witnesses), seems to indicate again that there is a Higher Power at work, though again, it's working through ordinary humans and not angels or other supernatural beings.
Even if Supernatural has been indicating that Good does exist, why now send an angel, when in the past this force has used ordinary humans (especially given Kripke's previous angel comments)? That's where I start to resist what previous threads in the show would otherwise lead me to believe. Also, would Kripke really make that reveal in the season opener? Or is this just a ploy and the later reveal is 'fallen angel manipulates Dean'? On the other hand, we have heard over and over again that demons lie, and we've never had any proof that Ruby is in fact not as evil as any other demon and simply attempting to manipulate Sam to get her own over on her demon enemies (Sam's conversation with Ruby in this episode seemed especially sinister and indicative of manipulation). It would give plenty of meat for the season if the arc is that Dean needed to be rescued in order to save his brother from going Darkside. And one major unresolved thread from S3 is Sam's temptation to power. And what would demons view as the 'end of days' (mentioned by the blind demon girl in the diner)? They should have no fear but the end of their ability to roam the earth (ie, the triumph of Good).
And we have seen a portrayal of a fallen angel on Supernatural: Azazel, who demonstrated the characteristics of a demon rather than the impervious, incorruptible appearance of Castiel. If Castiel were fallen, would he not have been 'killed' by the demon-slaying knife? Even the title indicates that Dean was brought back by Good (Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus).
And now I'm stuck in an endless loop of wondering if my observations are too obvious. Clearly I cannot drink the wine in front of you!
On to the goodness: I thought Dean's reappearance was played perfectly. Bobby and Sam have seen too many possessions and shapeshifters to simply except Dean's reappearance, and their horror and revulsion is a great way of conveying to the viewer how much they truly loved Dean. That and hugging. Bless you, show. Bless your extra-extended hugs (and resulting tight shots of Jared's biceps). Bless your lingering shots Sam's wibble face. Truly you are on the side of Good.
And oh, Bobby. Drinking alone while he worries over the fate of the near-to son who has run off and the near-to son he put in the ground. "You're the closest thing I have to a father." Staying with Dean even though summoning Castiel was colossally stupid. You are the personification of awesome. Don't get too comfortable on Harper's Island.
Sam. Why are you hanging with the demon? Has the Darkside ever done anything but torture you and kill your loved ones? Bobby is right; Sam is very much continuing his progression into his father (again, so neatly threaded through since S1). I understand why he's keeping this from Dean, and why Dean will be keeping things from him, but it's going to hurt to watch.
Oh, Dean. Hell flashbacks. PTSD symptoms. Let a thousand hurt/comfort fics bloom! Jensen totally killed the scene with Castiel; his doubt, morphing to pain when Castiel ascertains that Dean does not feel worthy of being redeemed? Perfect.
Overall, the emotional content of the premiere struck every right note. I was afraid that, in their desire to demonstrate that neither Bobby nor Sam should immediately trust Dean, and the secrets Kripke had mentioned Sam and Dean would be keeping from each other, they would not give the reunion its full moment and flavor, however, I think they completely did it justice. I can't think of anything that I wanted to see that I did not. Even Dean and Sam's conflict over the iPod was perfectly played and brought a welcome remembrance of the type of humor that characterized the show in S1-2. I am so very pleased.
ETA: BuddyTV had the same recollection regarding Kripke and angels, and dug up his November 2007 TV Guide interview:
We have a firm belief in the cosmology of this show that evil, in terms of demons, etc, is very tangible and real and out there. Angels and supernatural forces of good are much more elusive. But in my opinion — and the opinion of the writers — if God is out there, he isn't sending angels to fight the battles; he's working through a very human, sweaty, outgunned and overwhelmed group of hunters. For us, these are the angels. I think the point that's very important to us to make is that the forces of good work through humans who are flawed and imperfect and trying to make the right decisions. And that's the way God works. So we try to present that.
This is precisely the sentiment I remember reading, and why I am somewhat skeptical of Castiel's nature. Wouldn't it be just like Kripke to put angels on the show (something I believe he has been asked about a number of times), but thwart our expectations by making them neutral or even negative forces? However, it could also just been that Kripke always intended to go down this road and needed to give a firm denial in order not to spoil folks on what was to come (and maybe Mary's belief in angels was always intended as a hint in that direction). Or he had dismissed the idea of angels but was persuaded when a writer presented the idea to him in a format he thought was original and interesting (two adjectives I'd use for Castiel).
While I was poking around trying to find the above quote, I found another interview in which Kripke somewhat backtracks his November 2007 firm denial of angels in the Supernatural universe. It's from a transcript of the Supernatural con in Los Angeles, April 2008:
Q: In another interview you said that you would never tackle angels or the existence of God, so how does that…
EK: how does it all work? What I had said is that we weren’t going to necessarily see positive, glowing, ethereal versions of Supernatural because for one it’s not necessarily scary and two we’re not like that Touched by an Angel stuff. But down and dirty versions of different factions are a possibility. I’ve also learned to never-say-never, just as long as we can find a cool, bada** sort of way to do something.
I'm don't think that's exactly what he told TV Guide, but that's quite possibly what he meant. So perhaps he has been open to the idea, depending upon the execution. I am somewhat troubled by the "down and dirty versions of different factions" language. Would Kripke portray angels as the moral equivalent of demons (just another faction in a war) or does he mean that angels will not look like what we might expect from the soft-focus, pop culture image? Castiel's portrayal is much more in line with the historical Christian and Jewish portrayal of angles a frightening and awe-inspiring (as opposed to cuddly and approachable).
* By which I do not mean that humans make their own redemption, but rather, that each human must choose the redemption offered, then pray for discernment to understand and act in God's will, and fight forces that attempt to tempt others away from that choice.
** Which may yet be the way Kripke means to handle this. I suspect we're not going to see the CW version of Touched by an Angel, but before the appearance of Castiel this was very clear, in that God seemed to move the Supernatural universe, but only in an unseen way and through human agents, rather than directly through supernatural creatures as Evil does.
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Religious imagery is very powerful. But that power comes from the intensity with which those beliefs are held. It's no small thing to use people's deeply held and often intensely personal religious beliefs to make your point.
And the potential for offense is enormous. Oh, I don't mean Danish Mohammad cartoon-level of offense. Sorry to disappoint those who want a rhetorical foil, but there is not in fact a Taliban wing of the Republican Party. Devout Christians are more likely to write you a strongly worded letter or pray for your soul. And then turn off the TV. Which should be sufficiently scary for a show that's constantly on the bubble.
And that's not even getting to what Kripke and co. are using the imagery for. I have a recurring nightmare in which Kripke unzips his meatsuit and Ronald D. Moore pops out shouting "Humans and Cylons are morally equivalent! Ooogah-boogah!" If all of this is leading to a 'there is no right and wrong' message, I'm going to be very disappointed. The themes of the first three seasons point strongly away from this, but post-modern nihilism is my bogyman. And I think there's always a temptation in Hollywood to indulge that tendency, as creative types mistake 'bleak' for 'deep'.
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But I agree this premiere far surpasses last year's, and hopefully bodes well for teh future.
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1) Sam's hair--so much better. Light years. Remember the bad old days of S2 (I think I've traumatically repressed scenes from Everyone Loves a Clown)? So. Much. Better.
2) Dude, hugs! This was the all-hugs, all the time episode. I'm going to be coming back, again and again, to revisit the awesome. Bless you, Kripke, for realizing that we all needed that. Dude, if you can't hug after your brother returns from the dead, when can you?
3) Bobby. Bless. Seriously, they just make him more and more wonderful. He's really starting to become the person John Winchester was too broken to be, and he's filling up all sort of places I used to see only in fanfic. It's marvelous to finally get that comfort in Show.
4) Did I mention Sam's hair? Also, arms. Rewind The Hug and play it again. Woah. Jared's spent the hiatus working out again, but he managed to avoid the crazy big neck/overbuilt thing from the start of S2. I want to write a letter of thanks to his trainer.
5) Word to the writers. This premiere was so tight, and delivered on every point they need to. It's In My Time of Dying-level good.