Supernatural: Man’s Best Friend with Benefits

Hey, not every episode can be a winner.  I didn’t hate this episode as much as some, but then I didn’t see the slavery connotations because either 1) I viewed Portia as black solely because she was black in her dog form, or 2) I’m stupid.  Yet even with this “enlightened” mind set,  the episode had a major “ick” factor.

The story was only moderately interesting, but I identified the villain immediately.  And really?  If Dean is so smart, how could he not recognize Phillipe LeChat as a cat?  Especially when he started sneezing?  This, combined with being totally oblivious to Ellie’s “one night only” offer of sex… well, I’m not the brightest bulb in the box, so what’s that say about Dean?

So, an old acquaintance of Sam and Dean’s texts them to say he needs their help.  He’s become a witch, which has helped his career as a cop and allowed him to rise quickly to the rank of lieutenant—garnering animosity among the other cops along the way.  But now he’s having dreams of killing innocent people who actually wind up dead.  When Dean and Sam find evidence suggesting he’s the killer, they’re ready to off him.  But they’re stopped byJames’s “familiar,” a witch-companion that can take both human and animal form.  Her name is Portia, a Doberman pincer/beautiful black woman, both of whom wear a red studded collar.

Winchesters—always ready for action

The Winchesters learn James is being controlled by another witch, and set out to look for the culprit.  The biggest clue (seen in astral projection) is the eye witness statement signed by Phillipe LeChat.  Phillipe is the familiar of James’s witch friend Spencer.  (And when are male witches called “witch”? Aren’t they called warlocks?)  Spencer ordered Phillipe to give the statement, and apparently familiars can’t disobey direct orders.

Motive? Spencer was jealous of James because Portia picked James.  Worse, James and Portia are having sex, a witch/familiar taboo.  And therein lies the ick factor.

Anyway, Spencer kills Phillipe, James and Spencer fight, Poria comes to James’s rescue, and the Winchesters kill Spencer with Bobby’s patented witch-killing spell.  James and Portia leave town because 1) the cops have built a solid case against James, and 2) James and Portia are shunned by the St Louis supernatural community for their affair.  Blah.

That leaves Sam and Dean to another earnest discussion in the Impala.  Dean says he trusts Sam and will support him in completing the three close-the-gates-of-hell tasks.  Only to have Sam spit up blood and hide it from Dean.  Really, Sam?  Have you learned nothing in the last 8 years???

[Photo © 2013, the CW]