Asylum Review

One vice I have (beyond being a genre television junkie) is paranormal subject matter, even if I can see right through it. And by this I mean the current foray into “ghost hunting” shows. They range from the more professional fare of “Ghost Hunters” to the absolute farce of “Most Haunted”. There’s a certain degree of entertainment to be had, to be sure, and part of that is the inherent creepiness of an abandoned building with questionable history.

The writers clearly borrow from that source material in this episode, especially in terms of production design. I have no idea if this was filmed in an actual abandoned building with that level of disrepair, or if this was one rather impressive set design, but the atmosphere was perfect for the premise. Having seen plenty of footage of abandoned asylums and what not over the past few years, I thought the episode looked genuine and that helped tremendously.

As the season progresses, the dynamic between Dean and Sam becomes stronger, and the actors are growing in those roles by leaps and bounds. One element of the series that I can’t stress enough is the complex and realistic depiction of two brothers with differing philosophies. Dean is the kind of son that wants to become his father in nearly every respect, and Sam is the prodigal son who wants to determine his own destiny. There are layers and layers to that conflict, most of which defy generalization, and that’s the heart and soul of the series.

It’s that conflict that drives the episode. Without it, it’s a fairly standard concept: haunted house with a deadly reputation, frequently by stupid teenagers looking for a thrill, finally gets investigated. Hilarity ensues. It plays out in the by-the-book fashion in more than a few scenes, right down to Dean lecturing Kat about learning from horror films while ignoring the most basic of signs of activity.

This is one area where the writers sometimes stumble. Dean and Sam are supposed to be experts on dealing with the paranormal, based on years of experience and instruction. Most of the time, they actually sound like they know what they’re doing. So why would they act so surprised and clueless when their flashlights suddenly don’t work…a time-honored sign that a theoretical entity is drawing energy?

The writers also take the easy (if logical) road of having Dean and Sam caught between protecting stupid teens and themselves. Dean and Sam rattle off a dozen reasons not to be alone in the asylum, and yet they split up anyway. Gavin and Kat were largely to blame. As annoying as they were, I must admit, they reminded me of myself and my friends in high school, rushing where angels fear to tread just to see what would happen. (And yes, that included “ghost hunting”, though not at all scientifically!)

Had that been the extent of it, the episode might have been a nice, atmospheric tale with too many clichés. But this was not about the haunting itself. It was about Sam’s resentment, and the vast amount of anger he transfers from his father to Dean, all because Dean tries to be just like their father. The writers have done one hell of a job of exploring all the negative emotions that the brothers try to keep back, establishing them consistently enough that those emotions will seem authentic when they are finally unleashed.

Which, I believe, is the point of having John contact them at this stage of the game. The writers have made it clear that Sam and Dean still see this as a temporary arrangement, especially on Sam’s part. In that respect, they are operating at an uncomfortable equilibrium. Adding the stressor of their father to the mix, even just phone contact, will push them out of balance. And ultimately, Sam and Dean must conclude that they need to keep working together. The process of getting to that point has taken another big step in another solid episode.