Supernatural S08, E02

What’s Up, Tiger Mommy

Jared Padalecki’s hair aside, Supernatural appears to be heading in a good direction.  Granted, two episodes does not a season make, but still, I’m optimistic.  Kevin is proving to be a resourceful and street-savvy character.  I wasn’t particularly impressed with him last season, but he’s survived on his own for a year, outsmarting Crowley and the Winchesters.  Not bad for a kid from upper-middle class suburban Michigan.

Clockwise from upper left: Dean, Sam, Kevin and Tiger Mommy of title

Kevin’s mother was all kinds of awesome.  It’s too bad she became possessed and possibly lost her mind.  I’d like to think she’ll recover and return, but this show has a habit of doing bad things to good (and beloved) people.

Sam did a great job wielding Thor’s hammer.  I was really hoping he’d sneak up on Crowley and whack him before he headed off with the tablet, but no such luck.  I suppose it would have made for a boring season if the brothers didn’t have some Big Baddie to fight.

But the boys missed a huge opportunity by not keeping Thor’s hammer.  It would have been nice to add another weapon to the arsenal, and probably just as useful as Ruby’s knife or the Colt.

Dean’s year in purgatory has hardened him, but it’s nothing new for either Winchester to care about a demon’s human host, rationalizing that the human is probably already dead.  Kevin calling Dean out when Dean tried to explain his actions was a refreshing change.  That Dean even let him is even more astounding.  He’s never shown that kind of respect for Sam’s protestations.

Introducing  a recurring character who still has some humanity (and family), has great potential for contrast with the Winchesters, especially Dean.  (And maybe it’ll give Jensen Ackles lots of Emmy-worthy material.)

Next week we get some of Sam’s back story.  His year of normalcy appears to be the polar opposite of Dean’s year in purgatory.  The impact of pulling the brothers so far apart ideologically is another reason this season looks so appealing.  Some fans don’t like to see the brothers in conflict, but good conflict makes good drama, especially with actors as good as Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki.  As Eric Kripke said in the show’s first season, “Family is hell.”