By John Keegan
Having established Bela’s character sufficiently, the writers use her in a more organic fashion as a catalyst for trouble. Because the character felt less forced, it worked; in fact, it might have been too incidental under the circumstances. The writers still need to find a happy medium, but in the meantime, this is the kind of appearance that should be considered for the near future.
Gordon, on the other hand, has always been a strong antagonist, and I’m sorry to see him go. I thought his role as the voice for extreme anti-Winchester hunters made sense. Without his active campaign to eliminate Sam as the supposed anti-Christ, the season arc may lose some momentum. On the other hand, Gordon could become a martyr to the cause, especially if the details get fuzzy as the story is passed around to the rest of the community. It wouldn’t be shocking to discover that the rest of the hunters know nothing about Gordon’s vampiric status, and know only that Sam killed him personally.
As much as Gordon’s swan song made this a keeper, the best material once again came from the Brothers Winchester. Sammy came right out and said what was right there on the screen since the season premiere: Dean’s bravado is concealing the worst fear he’s ever experienced. Some might consider that out of character, but looking back, it’s exactly the sort of thing Dean does. Consider his dread in the second season when confronted with the possibility of killing Sam, and how he constantly avoided the topic until forced to deal with it. His current situation is much, much worse, and his reaction is even more atypical as a consequence.
On the other hand, Sam is showing more of a bloodthirsty streak, and it’s clearly bothering Dean. By the time Gordon was initially introduced, Sam was the more empathetic brother, looking for the humanity in his enemies and forcing Dean to take it into account. Now Sam is willing to kill another human being without much remorse, and while the circumstances call for it, it does highlight the shift in Sam’s morality. Again, it’s not enough of a shift to verify that Sam “came back wrong”, but it’s enough to give everyone else around him pause.
What this episode also highlights is the realistic psychological underpinning of the series. As much as the brothers are the focus of the series, and therefore the heroes from the audience perspective, each and every character has a well-defined set of motivations. None of them are acting from the moral high ground, and they all need to get their hands dirty and prepare for self-sacrifice. It’s easy to forget that the writers have made us champion outlaws.
In the end, this is one of the best episodes of the season, quite possibly the best, and an episode that will take the season to the next level, if the consequences are properly explored. Of course, there’s no telling whether or not the full story will ever see the airwaves, thanks to the writers’ strike, but if this shortened season can go out on a high note after a relatively shaky start, I’ll be more than satisfied.
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