Supernatural - 6.15 - The French Mistake - Recap by Selina

Ready? Set? GO-best-episode-of-Supernatural-ever!!!!!!
........or was it?

This episode, The French Mistake, was by a lot of fans pre-emptively hailed as the possible salvation of the season, and anticipated by undersigned as pretty much the ultimate, extreme postmodernism extravaganza, which undersigned (that's me, y'all) was gutted that she didn't get to write about in her undergraduate dissertation... but the big question post-episode is, DID. IT. DELIVER!? Game show music. Dum dum dummm.

As I wrote last week, this recap is (obviously) delayed because I went to London this weekend. You know, ho hum, had some Starbucks, saw the Queen... usual stuff they do over there. But enough about me. Nobody cares. Tear. No, I'm sure you all care. Watch out for my Selina's Week recap, soon to get its own tag on SpoilerTV.

Selina, shut up! Talk about Supernatural! Alright fine.


Can I get a whoop whoop for Balthazar??


So this episode is really all about gratuitously exploiting the J2 crazed fans and giving back to that weird segment of the SPN community (for which I am all for, by the way, more power to them), but let's not forget about that incredible opening act with Balthazar, my new favourite angel! Really, that guy stole the show - or at least would have, had not the premise of the rest of the episode been so outrageously brilliant - and Sebastian Roché really was the standout actor in this episode (besides of course Misha, but we'll get there!) in terms of energy, timing of his comedic lines, and... well, abs. Wow, is all.

In the opening scene we are told of Bobby's unfortunate absence (I would have loved him in this ep) and reminded of Ruby... and Meg, who I was half expecting to show up in this episode. Oh well, I'm not all that broken up about it honestly. Balty spoils The Godfather for anyone who is so unfortunate as to not having seen it, and reminds us of the war still going on with the new kid on the block Raphael. He does some weird spell to hide the boys (to avoid drawing lil' bro Cassie out of hiding, as I understand it, which is a sliiiiightly far-fetched excuse but I'll take it for now), in an alternate universe where they are - OMG Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki!!!! Screeeeam of the fangirls.


Who are these clowns?


Jensen and Jared - I mean Sam and Dean - I'm already confused - anyway they barge through the window into a bizarro crazy TOTALLY lame and implausible like whoa universe, where they are actors playing themselves on television! Most of the comedy in this episode obviously derives from the backhanded irony of the boys finding the concept of the Supernatural TV show lame and weird, and don't understand why people would actually care about their lives (though apparently, not many people do... heh heh). And I have to say, as predictable as this quickly gets, especially because we had almost the exact same plot in Monster at the End of This Book and The Real Ghostbusters episodes, I loved it. I found the jokes and all the fictional versions of real people hilarious - but I could also definitely see why someone would not find it funny at all. To get the brilliance of this episode, it DOES require a semi-taboo breaking suspension of disbelief, which in actuality Supernatural often demands of its viewers. But we old faithfuls stick it out, we accept that this show which was once a simple brothers-fight-evil concept has now evolved in this bizarre, self-aware parody of itself, which none the less manages to tell serious stories. And we are the lucky ones, because shows have to be exceptionally well written and produced to pull that off! And the fact that SPN does all this under the radar, making it not about quantity of viewers but quality of content, proves that there is hope for American drama television yet in a post-Heroes, reality-TV driven era.

The first few scenes feature the boys figuring out that they are in an alternate reality (they have experience with that, after all, so it doesn't phase them too much), and that in this world, their lives are actually fictional, with lines in a script and acted out, while wearing makeup. How straaaange. I think one of the episode's shortcomings - as I am obliged to find them - was its complete lack of recognition of the almost identical premise of Chuck's Supernatural book series. Really, this was the twisted logical next step from that, and I kept waiting for Sam or Dean to inquire into whether this show was based on a book series, only to be met with blank stares. But I guess that wouldn't be very good comedy. Damn it, this is why I don't work for these people.


The suggestion of the episode ending with a freeze frame as opposed to yet another scene where they "sit in the Impala and talk about their feelings" was funny, and again very self-deprecating. These writers sure know how to bring it. Especially considering that they call back to it later... but again, let's not get ahead of ourselves! There is a LOT to talk about.


To get it out of the way: a brief account of Supernatural and postmodernism


Because I find it fascinating, and because it perhaps relates to this episode more than any before, I'll just briefly touch on the postmodern elements of the show, and why I believe it adds to the show's creative success rather than its failure.

Sam's interviewer alluding to the fallen ratings, as well as Dean holding the real SPN magazine and the young Jensen on Days of Our Lives is probably the most Twilight Zone postmodernist the show has EVER and could possibly ever go, short of having the actors break the fourth wall mid-episode and start talking to the camera about fan comments on the IMDb message boards. I mean, this is amazing. The postmodern aspect in Supernatural is so interesting because the show started out so typical, as one of those very shows it has later mocked and parodied. Supernatural was so simple, so fully enclosed in its own universe... until the producers realised that the time had passed when such a formulaic show could survive purely on premise. And then the series began to change and develop, working with what it had going for it: its rabid fan base. It was a bold move because by changing the show and catering much more to the loyal audience, Supernatural was also alienating a lot of the CSI and Bones-casuals who might have raised the viewer count - BUT it was a good move too, because the loyal fans really stuck! They were being rewarded with inside jokes and praise for their intelligence and knowledge of television formats in general, first moderately in episodes like Hollywood Babylon and Tall Tales, and later with the complete batshit fanfests that were Monster at the End of This Book, the Ghost!Facers and the superfan Becky character in general (as well as with playing with core elements of the show and stylistic elements like Monster Movie, It's a Terrible Life and Changing Channels did). But of course that wasn't enough, because for this show it's never enough. This is like Moonlighting on speed; the ultimate self-referential, hyperconscious projection of television in an oversaturated, multimedia society. But it WORKS, and its gimmicks are intelligent rather than desperate, and personally it makes me proud to be an SPN fan, and shows me that there is hope for artistic exploration through postmodernism (rather than it being low-culture, meaningless trash. There is MEANING in the meaningless, you see!).

And that was my undergraduate dissertation in 3 minutes. Hope you find this interesting and aren't falling off your seat in boredom. I promise to focus on the actual plot now.


Hola, Mishamigos!

"For whatever reason, our life is a TV show."
"Why?"
"I don't know!"

We are once again reminded that we are stupid for watching such sucky, depressing lives - but in a tongue in cheek way, cause if we didn't they'd be out of work... so it's cool.


The brothers call on Castiel to help them, and oh look, there he is! Except it's, who? Misha Collins, that's right! Tweeting away and playing hard on the fact that Misha is nooothing like Cas! Which is amazing. I found Misha's scenes to be some of the best in the episode; his happy grin and constant tweeting just made my day (my favourite being "...Really starting to feel like one of the guys." Aww so cute).

Misha thinks they're running lines (so are they actually shooting the episode they're in? This is blowing my mind), but they go off script and he gets confused.


"That's fake me. This must be fake mine."


One of the great directing elements in this episode was the way in which both Dean and Sam were featured in shots where real-life Jensen and Jared could be seen in the background - such as in this Jensen trailer scene, where Dean is trying (and failing) to be all serious, the huge face behind him winking at the camera and acting as Dean. It plays with your mind, doesn't it? This and the use of mirrors are great techniques to make you question what is real and what is not - and whether there really is anything more real than anything else? Because while we might initially say well, obviously this is the real Dean talking, while in the background it it Jensen acting, obviously in the foreground it is Jensen acting too, really... but WHAT IS REALITY, people?! God this is like the Truman Show.


One of the episode's best moments was perhaps when Sam found a let's just say YouTube clip of Jensen from his DOOL days, as the adorable yet ultimately weedy Eric Brady. And here I thought he looked young in Dark Angel! Ah, Dark Angel. I loved that show, don't judge me. But man was it a great scene, and awesome to see how much Jensen has (obviously) grown. His voice sure is darker, they got that part right! I am glad that whatever network/company of DOOL gave them permission to use the clip, too, very sportsmanlike of them. Maybe they're hoping for a late DVD surge from Jensen fans - if it even is on DVD, when was this, early 90s?!

The brothers head back to the set to perform the ritual again, only to discover that practically everything is made of rubber. And we get the first mention of Jensen and Jared's supposedly frosty relationship... I'll save my views on that for later.


Dean gets depressed because the Impala is a fake. Another callback to the convention, where a similar horror image of dozens of Impalas greet the peeved brothers. After finding out that the cars are props and don't work, the brothers get a ride with their driver, Cliff. Do they really have a driver named Cliff? Aaand another "since when are you guys talking?" But Sam says they'll just go to his place, to... work on their acting. You know, like, what actors do and stuff.

They also find out that they are in Vancouver. Omg. Having watched How I Met Your Mother quite a lot recently, I recognise the hate, but I don't understand it. Canada has a nice flag.


Jared Padalecki, the star of this show? Would it be too snarky to say wow, this really IS an alternate reality...?


One of my favourite asides was Jared's, wait Sam's, remark as they enter his, wait Jared's, house, and he says "Wow. I must be the star of this thing." It was first of all a funny line on its own, but it was also a great, subtle wink to the fans who have been complaining about the lack of Sam (or rejoicing at the excess of Dean, or in my case both). I mean that's why the line is funny, isn't it? Because as Dean, I mean Jensen, no damn it I mean Dean (I am SO confused) remarks, "Please." Sam hasn't been the star of this thing for a really long time, if ever. I miss the old days when Sam and Dean were almost completely equal. You know, those few episodes in season 1 after the Sam-centric Pilot until the episode with the racist truck, after which it was pretty much all from Dean's perspective (although the problems were still Sam's)... so while Jared receives first billing (does anyone know why this is? Cause of his first name, or was it a contract thing? Cause stars are usually billed by last name when otherwise in equal standing), I personally always saw the show as a show about the brothers, with Dean as the eyes of the audience, if you will. This has allowed for the show to throw so many curveballs with Sam - we can see him without knowing what he's thinking, because that's what Dean does. The stories might be Sam centric, but for the most part, the perspective is Dean's. At least, that's how I understand it.


Meet the Padaleckis.

Jared's home is niiiiice. I wonder how similar it is to the real Padalecki home. Only thing that peeved me a little was the huge 3x Warhol prints of Jared and Genevieve. I mean they're pretty people, we get it, but really? Oh what the hell, I'm not an actor and in all my modesty I'm sure not as pretty as either Gen or Jared, so what do I know?


Enter Genevieve, wayyy working that LBD - and Jared has an alpaca! But no dogs, I thought Jared had dogs? Damn, this was like the one thing I knew! But back to Gen - I actually was not aware that she had changed her name to Padalecki when she married Jared, because on FlashForward she was still Cortese. Maybe it was just for this particular billing, to make any out of the loop audience members aware that she was his real life wife? I really enjoyed seeing her though. I was a big fan of original!Ruby and not that keen on Genevieve's portrayal of her, but I really like the actress (the Arthurian Legend fanatic in me is predisposed to, after all) and it wasn't her fault that Ruby turned out to be such a... you know. So seeing her in this episode was awesome, and she's a great sport for agreeing to do it! But I suppose if she married someone who is so willing and happy to deflate and poke fun of his entire existence, it makes sense that she'd have the same sense of humour. I just hope that this endeared her a bit more to the fangirls, who last I checked were still livid about her snagging one of their boys. But then I haven't checked in a while. (I'm scared to.) So I'm sure the attitudes have changed.

The boys are, unsurprisingly, shocked to see alt!Sam married to alt!Ruby (what a fortunate coincidence, imagine if he'd married the young Mary actress! That'd have opened up a whoooole new Wincestgate), and Gen again alludes to J2 being at odds with each other, acting very frosty to Jensen and calling him a "dumbass" (lol).

Jared plays the confused angle particularly well, but I think both Jensen and Jared have funny confused!faces this episode. And Genevieve just seems annoyed, but I guess that's the whole mysterious Jensen-and-Jared-hate-each-other angle. Too bad, it makes her seem mean. Dean makes a funny speech trying to explain to Genevieve who she is, and figures out that they are married - which shocks both Dean and Sam ("You married fake Ruby?!")

I'm really getting sick of the trademark SPN gimmick music though. The dum dum dum this is supposed to be amusing plunky sounds, which are more and more frequent, are more distracting than canned laughter on a sitcom. I think the actors are funny enough to make us laugh even without the stupid music, surely?

Genevieve is an animal lover, and I find that hilariously endearing. The International Charity Adoption Otter Dinner, sign me up! Unless you...eat the otters. I think I got some words messed up there. Anyway, I'm on board. I love the use of Hollywood stereotypes here, and how exaggerated they are: the shallow, self-obsessed stars, the mean and selfish show runners, and now this. Perfect.

So are the boys, who both check out fake Ruby. Um. Okay. Awkward.


Nice... cowboy... hat?


Dean and Sam figure out that they're rich (but also spend a lot). Nice. Oh and, Sam and Genevieve come together as man as wife which, okay, let's ignore the fact that he is technically sleeping with another man's wife... because it allowed for Gen to say, "You have been Sam Winchester way too long," which might be a hint as to the show's future. With Bobby Singer 2.0 (or is it the Beta version?) twice exclaiming, "Seeeason 6," in a tired manner, I think there's a general feeling of maxed-outness going round. I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

Next scene, Cliff drives Sam and Dean out to the airport to pick up what could only logically be drugs. Wow, obliging driver.

Director Singer is surprised that J2 show up early, but won't let them "do some actor stuff" before they've... done some actor stuff.


What are you talking about, Dean is a GREAT actor!


Oh my goodness. BEST scene of the season, no?! That acting montage was pure comedy GOLD! And surprisingly, it was Jensen Ackles who brought the major lulz this time; in comedic scenes with both brothers I've noticed that it's generally Jared being funny while Jensen (who is also good at being funny, don't get me wrong) usually plays the distancing, confused angle. But this time, man, Dean was really going for it! And it was particularly great to see at this point because so far we have really mainly had a chance to laugh at Jared. We had young Jensen of course, but it was Jared's pimped out house we saw, his prints of himself, his tanning bed, etc. So it's good to see Jensen take himself and his character less seriously (although what Jared was doing in the background, not knowing where to put his hands, just added to the hilarity). I think this is the first Supernatural scene in a while which has had me practically crying with laughter, even the third time I saw it. :D At least the boys are really trying, huh??

Ohhhh and when Jensen SPEAKS! He deserves an Emmy, just for that! Please, someone, get that guy and Emmy! Both of them. Give them an ensemble cast one, I don't care!

Okay enough of this nonsense! It's serious storytelling time.


I just noticed something though: Misha sits behind Jared and Jensen?! Isn't he supposed to be a main cast member now?? I say get Misha a front row seat! Jeez. No wonder he tweets so much, what else is he gonna do? "ROTFLMAO."


Get Sera on the phone!

Sam and Dean try the spell but it fails because in this world, there is no such thing as magic - or any other supernatural element. And it is worth noting that they don't believe God exists in this world either, being as fictional as the other monsters and creatures they fight, essentially - again a very postmodern notion, the rejection of grand narratives such as religion.

BUT then a scary angel appears. Uh-oh, trouble in paradise. At once the chipper music disappears, to be replaced by the scary fight-sequence beat. Dean and Sam, or Jensen and Jared, are now accused of almost beating an extra to death.

Robert Singer at his wits end calls up Sera Gamble (I guess the writers didn't dare fly her out there huh? ;)), and his solution to the boys being weird? Bring in the biggest of big guns: Eric. Kripke. Omg. It must be serious. After all, Eric sold Octo-cobra (is that a real thing?) and is off in a cabin, writing it.


OH MY GOD! THEY KILLED MISHA!


I MEAN OH MY GOD!!! The poor guy, so excited to tweet his last tweet ("Ever get the feeling someone's in the back seat? Frowny face."), and the angel fricking KILLS him! Misha whines and cries (and who wouldn't?!) and evil angel guy slits his throat - and amazingly, his call goes through. Kind of a fortunate loophole but okay.

But dudes, let's pause. Whoa. The show KILLED Misha Collins. Is this their way of saying he's expendable?! Nervous laughter cue... because the producers sure quickly find a way to turn it into a publicity stunt! But the fact still remains that the episode is now not only exploring this fictionalised version of reality, it is effectively breaking it down. Misha, playing himself, is killed, leaving the supposed real world with one dead Misha Collins. And I was gonna say, "so clearly this didn't really happen," which, duh, but the point still remains that there's never an end to the layers here! This is supposedly breaking the fourth wall and going into the real world, but it's STILL not real, is it?! And not to get ahead of myself, but when the episode ends and we're back to "normal" with no cameras, well... is THAT the real "real"? Cause it's not. Wow this really is like if the Truman Show and Inception had a baby.

But back to... reality... Robert Singer thinks Jensen and Jared are just looking for a raise, but they think he's lame because he named a character after himself. And then they, well, quit. DU-UDES. I was like, whoa, until I realised it was fiction, but then I realised that it's meant to be reality, so then I was like whoa again.


What does it all mean?

That's the million dollar question isn't it? What does any of it mean? Interestingly enough, that IS the main question in postmodernism. Because basically, after modernism, the time of postmodernism claims that everything has lost meaning and celebrates this fact rather than is all high and mighty and upset about it. If we are all lost in a sea of meaningless images, why not have fun with it? And, seemingly, Supernatural has embraced this fully. Sure, make drama that grips people, but always be aware that ultimately it is meaningless. Because while Dean so emphatically states that they are insignificant in a world where they are not hunters, we are also reminded that this very world where they ARE hunters is fictional. So what really matters, the fictional world which pretends to be real, or the world in which the fictional world is acknowledged to be fictional?

I wanted to give this question its own section because really, the entire episode premise - and premise of EXISTENCE - is summed up here. And it's thought provoking as hell.


"Yeah, the scary man killed the attractive crying man." Frowny face indeed.


The guys return to Jared's house, where Genevieve hysterically informs them of Misha's fate ("Where?" "WHERE?!" Aww, poor Gen). They go to the crime scene, and what a strangely comforting, familiar Supernatural setting.

Yes, apparently the call went through somehow, and the brothers learn that Raphael would help Virgil return to their world.

The angel buys a gun, and we find out he's the weapons master of Heaven. Yikes. He's also quite trigger-happy.

Dean contemplates staying in this world. "Back home the hits have been coming since you were six months old." This is indeed very true, but still, these guys clearly can't act their way out of a cardboard box! They would never survive in this world. Sam makes the point that "we're not even brothers here, man," and it's very touching.


Eric Kripke - you left us, here's what we think of YOU! Ka-pow!


Haha, Eric Kripke... he arrives to save the day and be a little bit of a douche, but then, um, he is SHOT AND KILLED! I mean, talk of guns a'blazing. Whoa. Tell us how you feel, writers!

So what's the verdict, heroic slow-mo death or slap in the face for leaving?! I mean, it had cowboy music and opera singing and the guy just kept walking! Is it secretly a compliment when writers write themselves into a show and give themselves an epic death scene? I don't know that there's much precedent for that. Robert Singer gets a bullet too, same for the other people on set... well except for the French guy who suddenly became a Trickster-lookalike, who just dodged the bullets Matrix-style. What on earth was that about?

The boys fight the angel, and get the key, jumping back through the portal and leaving the angel behind.


Freeze frame. Yeah, seriously. Nice.


Back to... um, reality.


Raphael is a very pretty lady. He/she takes the key from Sam and Dean no problem, but surprise! Turns out Balthazar made it a decoy, and found the weapons while Virgil was chasing the brothers through universes. Clever.

And now, CASTIEL!!! is back, alive and awesome and now a tweet in sight!! If anything, this episode managed to make Castiel so much more awesome, and made him feel so much more essential! I think by killing him, they made me realise how much I need him in the show, despite the fact that he's never really around.

Now that he has his sword... try not to die by it, Balthazar tells him. And here's hoping that's not foreshadowing. Castiel, Sam and Dean have a scene eerily similar to the one the brothers tried to film in bizarro world earlier... and Sam gets paranoid, feeling the clearly solid wood (don't mind the cameras I see you through, T-man).

"But hey. At least we're talking," Sam says, to which Dean turns away.


CUT! And that's a wrap.


One small criticism.

While it has to be said that I loved this episode a LOT, this needs to be said. The ONE thing that bothered me was the fact that whatever had caused Jensen and Jared not to be speaking to each other was never resolved. See through the episode I expected it to be a plot point, some cause of conflict that would be figured out and laughed about, but it wasn't. Even the very episode closed on the line from Sam: "But at least we're speaking to each other," followed by an annoyed look from Dean... or Jensen.

I am a firm believer in actors' lives being kept private. I like the occasional jab at the obsessed fans, and I loved the use of Hollywood stereotypes and exaggerations about both actors and producers in this episode. But I think on this point, if any, they went too far and crossed over into the uncomfortable. I felt in a way it was an underhanded jab at the fans, and not a fun, good-natured one. It was a clear, "enjoy the show and all its shenanigans, but don't think the actors are really friends!" signal, and I'm not sure it was a smart move on the writers' part. See, it doesn't MATTER if the actors are BFFs or whatever, but it does matter if the writers feel the need to draw our attention to it. Because by drawing our attention to it, they are making it matter. There just was no need for it, and I have to call the writers out on this one as being a bad creative decision. I am all for keeping the audience on their toes, but this was uncalled for. And not in the mentally challenging, horizon-expanding kind of way. That I still feel about the actors quitting and the giant Misha/Kripke slaughterfest at the end though, because THAT was brilliantly provocative and over the top, just as it should be.

EDIT: I think Kaitlyn J sums up well in the comments why they incorporated the lost friendship element, so I will refer you to her analysis:

"I thought that it, along with the representation of Kripke and Bob especially, was supposed to represent the narcissism and "shallowness" of this bizarro world. This complemented the fact that Sam and Dean find out that there is no God, or Angels or Magic in this Universe, and when Dean asks, "What does it all mean?", it's like when Virgil tells Misha how insignificant that he finds the inhabitants of this Universe, "Nothing but dust when you die". Because, ultimately, these people cannot have spiritual devotion, or heroic complexes like Sam and Dean, so all of that turns inward and these people become self-centered and narcissistic. A notion that I find quite thought-provoking."

This is a very good point and it is very true. Yes, it was an exaggeration, yes they played with stereotypes. But still, I didn't like it! I enjoyed all the other elements, but this one just made me uncomfortable. That's all.

Rating: 5/5
Come on, like there was any question! I'd love to hear anyone who would rate it otherwise, but personally I think this episode was a stroke of brilliance. Jumping the shark, ratings ploy... yeah, maybe. But it worked. And at least they never do things halfway on this show right? Honestly, I was surprised by how much I liked this episode, because with all the hype and expectations, it was almost bound to be disappointing. But it wasn't. Misha's tweeting, Sam and Dean trying to act, Genevieve and her alpaca, the slaughtering of half the cast and crew was just indescribably brilliant, and as I said, only the unexplained awkward Jensen/Jared tension brought it down for me. But not enough to affect the overall impression, because this might just be my favourite episode of the show ever in the weird category (as opposed to the serious, No Rest for the Wicked and In the Beginning-ish category), in high contention with Tall Tales, Changing Channels and The Monster at the End of This Book. I'm a sucker for reality-benders like this, as I'm sure you've gathered, and I just love that there is a show out there which dares to go there to this extent.


Quotables!

Oh lord, so many! To pick out a select few:

Dean: Amen, Padaleski.

Misha: You guys! You really punked me! I'm totally gonna tweet this one... 'Hola, Mishamigos. J2 got me good. Really starting to feel like one of the guys.'

Genevieve: It's an alpaca, dumbass.

Dean: Right. Cause you're not... Ruby. You... I mean how could you be? You. Of course. You are the lovely actress who plays Ruby, and you are in Jared's house er, because you two are, er... married! [To Sam] You married fake Ruby?!

Homeless guy: Yeah, the scary man killed the attractive crying man.


The promo for next week's episode, And Then There Were None, looks reassuringly normal and creepy as usual! Great! See you for another recap in a few days, and remember, tweet safely you guys.