This is a fairly simple episode, when it comes to the “paranormal” elements, but as usual, it all comes down to some complex and crushing psychological exploration. This is another episode covering Dean’s grieving process, and we finally get past some of those emotional walls. What lies beyond those walls is not pretty, but it’s entirely consistent with previous characterization and events depicted thus far.
 

The case, as I said, was simple. A hot young woman  is killed in a car accident, a friend with deep unrequited love brings her back as the undead (with some disturbing intentions), and things get violent as a result. This is one of the few times I’ve seen a show deal with necrophilia, and the presentation had to make a lot of people uncomfortable. In this case, the dead woman was quite lively and very attractive, which only helps to sneak the implication past the radar. 

 

 

This particular situation is designed to force Dean and Sam to consider reactions to sudden loss, and it hits Dean right between the eyes. Sam hasn’t been dealing with his father’s death very well either, but a lot of his time has been spent dealing with Dean.

By John Keegan

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The previous episode covered the fallout of John Winchester’s death and incorporated a fairly simple horror film cliché in the process. The results were varied, with many fans annoyed with the “killer clown” concept in general. This time around, the writers focus almost entirely upon the psychology of the characters and the dangerous world of “demon hunters”. The result is a tense episode that demonstrates everything currently working for the series.

The distinction of “Supernatural” is that it presents a paranormal world fraught with danger, but the real story is the psychological and emotional journey undertaken by the Brothers Winchester. The characters are easy to care about, especially in their current bereaved state. Sam and Dean are struggling to keep it together, and in this episode, they really are a mess. Both of them are trying to find a sense of normalcy. I was a little disappointed to see the Impala on the road again, even if it was something desired by creator and fan alike. I thought it was a powerful metaphor for Dean’s fractured psychology, and bringing it back so quickly takes something away from that.… Read More

By John Keegan

Visit The Shrine of Entil'zha  for an archive of John's TV Review archives. 

"You were right daddy! He is my friend!"  A killer clown invades the world of Supernatural

 

Mixing stand-alone plot elements with a larger mythology can be a demanding challenge, especially when a series is struggling to draw in new viewers on a fledgling network. “Supernatural” has always faced the challenge by attacking it directly, and in this case, it works beautifully. There’s the “killer clown” element, which is clearly intended to attract the horror genre fans, but there’s also the deep character exploration and psychological aspects, which are the meat and potatoes of the show. I’ll be honest. Since I find people to be more frightening than anything one might call “paranormal”, the whole killer clown plot element wasn’t for me. It was done fairly well, I thought, but it wasn’t something that would hold my interest. Show me something with a little more complexity in terms of intent, something intelligent with resources to cause mayhem, and then it gets interesting. Which is why the most damage inflicted on Dean and Sam in this episode came from each other. Neither brother is working through the death of their father very well, and it’s a lot easier for them to focus on each other’s issues than their own.