It seems like only yesterday that I made an entry in my Supernatural Virgin Diary, telling my faithful, loyal readers that I would be back in two weeks, taking a little time off to attend San Diego Comic-Con. That was, sadly, nearly six weeks ago. I’ve been told many times that I am a horrible, terrible person, and I have apparently proved it again. I’m back now, though, and will be able to get through the first season by next week. Not nearly as far as I’d planned to get, but good enough for now.
On an administrative note, I’m not sure where I got off track with my episode count, but I am back on track now.
Episode 16: “Shadow”
“Your alarms are as useful as boobs on a man.”
We could have excised the first 25 minutes of this episode, and it would have been better. I absolutely loved the sequence with Meg talking to the tied-up boys. The way the lighting was set up – cutting through a set of blinds, lighting Meg in alternating bands of shadows – was very pretty. Between the lighting and the words, it was our first clue that she’s a character with ambiguous motivations.
The reunion between daddy Winchester and the boys was almost too short to be worthwhile. Sure, it led to a nice moment between he and Sam, but the separation occurred way too quickly from a structural standpoint.
Don’t think I didn’t recognize Lorena Gale, Battlestar Galactica’s Elosha, as the building manager who let the boys into the apartment. What would it be if I didn’t give a shout out to at least one guest star.
Episode 17: “Hell House”
I like the idea of another “supernatural” team, specifically around for comic relief. I didn’t mean to stumble on the fact that they return a couple of times in later seasons; if anything, though, I’d like to see them more. Their “What Would Buffy Do” comment just sealed the deal.
I was also rather struck by the concept of Mordechai existing because people believed in him. That’s a rather large, existential idea that I wish the episode had explored further. It parallels rather nicely the idea that fear only has power over us because we give it away. Considering the genre this show lives in, it could definitely be explored more.
Episode 18: “Something Wicked”
Something attacking children is freaky in and of itself and always, oddly, invokes Stephen King’s It for me. Granted, the children of Fitchburg where much younger than those of Derry, MA, but it is creepy nonetheless.
Dean’s emotional involvement in the case was an interesting twist. The flashbacks to his past failure did a good job at explaining his guilt regarding this particular case, but I found it odd that he would want to use the kid for bait. It’s just a dangerous play, and doesn’t wholly jive with how his guilt came across.
Next week, I’ll knock out episodes 19-22. Be there, or be a shape with four equidistant sides.
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Aug 16, 2012 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
I agree with you on Shadows. I liked it, especially that scene between the brothers when Dean says he wants his family back.
The anti-Sam and Dean are even better on their return visits.
Something Wicked is perhaps my favorite from S1. Perhaps a little heavy-handed on the correlation between Sam and Dean and the younger brothers, but I love the brothers interaction and the flashback. But really the whole episode was great and creepy.
Glad to see you’re back
I was wondering what happened to this. Welcome back!
Shadow is actually one of my favorite episodes from season 1. You are probably right though that it could have been tightened up a bit. Meg (the original Meg) is one of my favorite Supernatural baddies of all time. She was so deliciously, gleefully bad. Nicki Aycox was really great at that.
I loved that moment with John and Sam but I kind of understand why they had him take off again. One, it was kind of classic John. And at this point in the season I think it was good to have confirmation that John was still alive and a little bit of a clue as to what exactly he was up to, while at the same time putting the final battle off until the end of the season.
I like Hell House too. I thought Ed and Harry were great and really funny. Weirdly, they aren’t too well liked in the fandom, which I’ve never understood. They do come back and even funnier than ever, and I’d love to see them yet again. As for Moredecai, it was an interesting premise. It kind of indirectly pops up now and again. Actually the season 7 episode “Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie” deals with a similar idea, of bringing things to life just by believing in them.
For Dean’s actions in Something Wicked I agree that on the surface, they are kind of puzzling. But I think they need to be seen in the context of the larger character arc for Dean. The show often plays with the ethical/moral line, for both brothers, but especially with Dean in the early seasons. He’s a hero, but he often will do questionable things for the “greater good” (or for Sam). I think you always wonder just how far he will go, and this episode hints at the answer: pretty damn far.