Episode Title: “Dog Dean Day”
Writers: Eric Charmelo & Nicole Snyder
Director: Tim Andrew
Previously on “Supernatural”
One of “Supernatural’s” strongest aspects is that despite ignoring its season long story arc for the bulk of these episodes, it hasn’t really faltered.
The backlash to last week’s episode, “Slumber Party,” feels wholly undeserved. It was more fun than most give it credit for. While it wasn’t perfect, I’ll give a show credit for ambitious failures over a constant adherence to a mold
Still, where are we five episodes in? Abbadon (Alaina Huffman) has the potential to be the new demon head honcho in Crowley’s (Mark Sheppard) absence while he sits in the Men of Letters dungeon; Kevin Tran (Osric Chau) is laying low somewhere, and Castiel (Misha Collins) is doing the same (According to next week’s episode, working in retail?).
“Supernatural” has always had a tendency to ignore its season long arcs until about halfway through the season. All of these things could tie back into the major arcs, but it’s too early to tell. Maybe I just have different expectations for how this season should be going.
Tonight is a reprise episode of sorts. A throwback to season four’s “Yellow Fever,” in which Dean (Jensen Ackles) contracted a supernatural sickness which rendered him a fearful baskecase. This time, Dean again goes for the funny, taking on the characteristics of a dog. Sadly, there is no “Eye of the Tiger” music video to accompany the episode, but “Supernatural” has always delivered decent comedy when it needs to. In a way, it’s like a light-hearted song inserted into an album, providing a break from blistering, up-tempo tracks.
Leave it to “Supernatural” to combine taxidermy with “Game of Thrones.” Is it just me, or are they pushing the “Thrones” a bit heavy this season? Even “Breaking Bad?” Anyway, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean investigate the murder of a taxidermist. A connection to two local coffee shop owners with necrosis leads the brothers to believe that the attacker is animal like in nature.
The only witness to the attacks is a highly intelligent dog known as the Colonel. After looking to Kevin for help, he suggests what is known as a “human-dog mind meld.” Essentially, Dean and the Colonel’s minds link and he takes on the traits of a dog; he begins to yell at mailmen, play fetch with napkin that Sam keeps trying to throw out, and scratch the back of his ear. He can even hear them talk, and not just dogs, but all animals.
A particularly funny argument between Dean and a pigeon ensues at one point. Later, a dog hilariously exchanges information for a belly rub. The human archetypes that are passed on to these animals makes for some sitcom style comedy. Jensen Ackles’ range as a comedic actor has been a joy to watch on this show. This episode is no exception. The “Road So Far” segment at the beginning of the episode highlights all of the comedic moments the brothers have had since the show’s inception. They still make me laugh.
The villain in this episode is discovered to take animal parts, and through spells and ingesting them, take on certain properties of said animals. Ingesting a wolf heart will give you wolfy teeth, bear hearts will give you strength, and eating owl parts give you wisdom.
Our villain, Dylan Shore/Chef Leo (David Milchard) began doing this to save himself from cancer. In a way, he’s like a more successful and cooler Doc Benton. Sadly the character is squandered throughout much of the episode through limited screen time. By the end of the episode, he doesn’t feel like much of a threat at all
Writers Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder walk us through an animal world that is all together hilarious and tragic. The animals of the kennel scene, where Sam, Dean, and the Colonel interrogate the inhabitants for information, have all of the basic wants and needs. Your heart breaks for each and every one of them. This was an “awww” filled episode to say the least, and who didn’t raise a fist when Dean went from cage to cage, letting every last dog out? The relationship between Dean and “The Colonel” isn’t wasted here either; the writers set it up wonderfully, to the point where it’s sad to see the two part ways. Before he parts, though, the Colonel imparts one final piece of wisdom, well almost. Just as he’s about to tell Dean what dogs are really on the earth for, “Supernatural” naturally pulls back and the spell wears off.
The elephant in the room remains Ezekiel’s possession of Sam. It feels like such a slow burn by now. At one point, David Milchard’s character slashes Sam’s throat. Ezekiel comes to the rescue with healing power, and then pops back out. I find it hard to believe that Sam doesn’t suspect more. Did he suffer brain damage from the trials?
Regardless, “Supernatural” delivers another superb stand-alone episode, almost making up for the fact that we still have no angels, demons, and less of Castiel, Kevin, and the rest of the regulars. It feels like “Supernatural” wants us to take a break from a world that we haven’t been formally introduced to; one that keeps becoming stranger as each episode passes us by.
I don’t mean that in a good way. Chaos reigns! I just don’t get the threat here. I know what it should be, but it’s not at all what it’s set up to be. In other words, the Gamble (Haha! See what I did there?) isn’t paying off.
In direct contrast to the last season, there is nothing keeping the series grounded. Season eight had the tablets, and episodes with implications. Not this season. What changed? What happened in the writer’s room this season that has led to the loose structure of the current season? Perhaps next week’s Castiel based episode will shed some light on a heavily shadowed season of “Supernatural.”
