Supernatural - Episode 7.11 - Adventures in Babysitting - Recap

Wow, it's been a while. Hello again to all the hunters out there. After only a month of hellatius that seemed like forever, Supernatural is finally back! I don't know who shortened our painful waiting time, but I like him. So how was the first episode of the new year? Well, it wasn't great. But it wasn't bad either. It sure as hell was weird. Let's begin.

A World Without Bobby

First of all, it's interesting to look at all the #11 episodes. S1 was just a case-of-the –week episode. Same goes for S2, but it had a nice twist. S3 is a classic (I'll never get tired of the 'Dean-repeatedly-dying' scene). S4 was kind bad, S5 was OK. Appointment in Samarra is also a classic in my books, but way higher than MS. It was funny, scary, intense, but most of all touching. Definitely in my Series top 5.

Boy, this episode had every reason to flop big time, mainly for two reasons: One, it has a kid. I don't like kids on this show. OK, correction – I don't really care for kids on this show. I think the only kid actor I liked is Colin Ford. The others were pretty much annoying.

Second reason: the crew. It was written by Adam Glass and directed by Jeannot Szwarc. Yes, a tag team of the director of one of the worst episodes in the series (Mannequin) and the writer of meh-ish to terrible episodes. It seemed like this plane crashed in my books before it even took off.

But then it started. As usual, the show came back from hellatius with a cool rock song. But this song was different. It was awesome, but… It started with a high-pitched tone that sounds, to me at least, like an alarm. The recap also ends with this tone. And something about it is just…great. It's great because it's so, so fitting to the situation.

Bobby is dead (more on that in a bit). The boys were knee-deep in lots of crap all those years, they lost a lot of friends, but Bobby was always there for them. And now even he – that big, important anchor in their lives – is gone too. They've always had each other, but now it's literally all they have. This alarm tone is like an alarm clock, to their new, grim reality. Now's the time to say "Hello, cruel world". Now they're on their own.

We get a nice recap of all the events of the first half of the season – Leviathans, Dick Roman, Crowley, and Bobby. No mention of the Amy thing, thank god. And of course, the cool action scenes (that shot of Dean with the flames from The Mentalists is just awesome). The recap is also edited in a way that suggests we'll see more of the consequences of Sam's collapsed wall and Hallucifer. Sadly, this week we don't.

The episode begins with… a guy in a diner. Who spies on a pretty lady, with a knife. He follows the lady, but loses her. Then his waitress from the diner appears, saying she spiked his coffee. Normally, that would be suspicious. But turns out the waitress is a monster, so I guess she does it every day. The poor hunter tries to fight, but gets knocked out easily. Some waitresses take their tips very seriously.

28 Days Later

The episode really begins with…silence. And the boys sitting in a promo-esque pose. This is also great. Usually, the episodes begin with a weird incident, and as soon as the NOW shows, the boys start working the case. This time they just… sit there. They sit, and they drink, and they try to figure out what the numbers mean. And all of it is done in silence. They're mourning. I don't think they need to show a burial or a body-burning. This scene perfectly says it all. Besides, who's to say they're done mourning? Maybe now they're just keeping it inside, acting normal, just waiting to explode like Dean did at the end of ELAC after John died.










Now, to be clear – Bobby is dead. It was made clear in Death's Door. He died, and his options were to stay, as a spirit, or move on. We don't know what he chose, but he's dead as a doorknob. Knowing the boys like we do, you would've expected them to summon a crossroads demon first thing when they got home and make some deal for Bobby. But they don't. Probably because they learned by now that those things never end well. And because they know Bobby would be pissed at them for doing it.

Five minutes in (!) Sam finally speaks, suggesting they called Bobby's acquaintances and tell them about his demise. Dean refuses, and I think it's a denial thing. Even though it's been 4 weeks, he still refuses to realize Bobby's gone. Just then, Bobby's phone rings. On the other side is a kid, looking for Bobby. Before Sam can explain anything, she hangs up.

Sam suggests they go check if she needs help. Dean refuses, saying they should go see Frank, who's apparently also trying to figure out the numbers. So obviously, they decide to split up. And then strange thing #1 happens: Dean's beer bottle is emptied without him drinking it. Was it Spirit-Bobby? Was it the Flash? Did Dean have a Butterfly Effect-ish blackout? (Whoops, sorry. No Kutcher references). Did Sam really drink Dean's beer and then switch the bottles just to screw with him? What a mystery…

Sam goes to the little girl's house, and she lets him in after warning him she got 911 on speed dial. Apparently, the girl – called Krissy – doesn't know about her father's occupation, and thinks he's a salesman. Sam finds clues on his whereabouts in the closet, and leaves to search for him.

Hey, it's Gibbs again! I mean, Frank!

Meanwhile, Dean finds…Frank! Welcome back, Kevin McNally. This is a nice surprise. I thought Frank only had a one-time gig. Dean and Frank are at a Mexican Standoff, each of them thinking the other is a Leviathan.

"You're not a Leviathan. Dick Roman's not a Leviathan. Gwyneth Paltrow's not a Leviathan." Ha. It's good to have Frank back.










Naturally, Dean decides that they'll prove that they're human by cutting themselves. I think these boys cut themselves so many times for reasons like this over the years, they barely feel it anymore. After they both pass the blood test, they get in Dean's red Buick. (Nice car, but why aren't they back in the Impala?! The Leviachesters are dead, so they're believed to be dead too. Did they sell it? They better not have. John would haunt them for life.)

As if Frank wasn't paranoid enough, he is now operating from an RV because he believes that Dick's got people watching him ever since he started checking Bobby's numbers. Strange thing #2: Frank's convinced Dean called him days ago, when it was actually weeks ago. Now, this might not seem that strange. Lots of times what happened a couple of days ago can look like a long time ago and vice versa, but it fits with the other time malfunctions in the episode.

"I paid you 15 grand for this."

What? How do they have that kind of money? They can't use credit card scams or anything. Maybe they're playing some really high-stakes pool games. Anyway, they're good on the financial side…Somehow.

Frank realized Bobby must have dropped a number on Sam's hand since he was dying and all, which leads us to strange thing #3: The last number Bobby wrote in his limbo-thing was 5. The last number in Frank's coordinates is 3. It seems like a stupid continuity mistake to make, so I doubt it's intentional. So does that mean Frank's wrong and the numbers mean something else? But he isn't wrong; they found a field purchased by a subsidiary of Roman Enterprises. So what's going on here? This episode just keeps confusing me.

Meanwhile, Sam finds out about 3 missing people, and a blood-drained body. Good times indeed.

Surveying the Surveillance

Dean and Frank go examine the field. While Frank uses binoculars to spot some creepy, terminator-ish security cameras, Dean's not so comfortable in the truck-crane thing. Since the place's already under surveillance, they just hack into the cameras. And they begin the waiting game. Well, Frank does. Dean begins the sleeping game.

Back to Mr. Sidebur…Sorry, Sam, who introduces the monster of the week – Vetala, a vampire-like creature that kidnaps people and drains their blood. But all it takes to gank them is a silver knife to the heart. I love how he says they should the girl her father back. He just lost his father figure, and wants to help someone else not lose his.

Sam goes to the diner, and questions the lazy-tippers-hating waitress about Krissy's dad (Called Lee). She tells him to talk to Sally, the girl Lee was spying on in the beginning of the episode. Sally cleverly isolates Sam from plain sight, and then he's ambushed by the two pretty Vetalas. IS THIS THE END FOR OUR HERO? FIND OUT…IN A FEW PARAGRAPHS.










Meanwhile, Dean wakes up and commences the dialogue AKA strange thing #4. Also, this is the 2nd best scene in the episode, after the mourning one. Almost all of it is quotable.

"How long was I out?"

- "About 36 hours"

Ummmm, I'm no expert, but even if you don't sleep much at night, sleeping for a day and a half is pretty unusual. I'm saying, Even if you're not his butler, Frank, sleeping for a freakin' day and a half isn't normal! Then again, Dean says he was 'out'. Maybe he fainted from sleep deprivation, in which case maybe it is normal to be out for 36 hours. Again, I'm not expert. But it seems weird.

Frank shows Dean Amanda Willer, (Sounds pretty close to the comics character Amanda Waller, who *gasp* appeared on Smallville, Supernatural's former broadcast-buddy) who works for Dick and came to survey the field. Frank says they must wait again, but Dean's tired of waiting, so Frank suggests he 'goes and kill something to blow off steam'. And that Dean looks like crap.

"Maybe because somebody I cared about just got shot in the head, and this is like shoving a rock up a hill. And…Screw you."

A Bobby reference, a Greek Mythology reference and an insult? This line definitely takes the cake in this episode for me. Suddenly, Frank gets all serious and emotional.

"Do what I did when I was 26 and came home to find my wife and 2 kids gutted on the floor. Decide to be fine till the end of the week. Make yourself smile because you're alive, and that's your job. And do it again the next week. Do it right, with a smile, or don't do it."

Damn, that was intense. And great. Till now I thought of Frank as a comic relief. But he just made himself sympathetic in a couple of sentences. Kevin gets all my props for this monologue.

Family Matters

Dean finally listens to Sam's message. A second later he gets a call from Krissy, and realizes he got Sam's message a little too late.

And back to Sam! His situation ain't looking too bright. Same goes for Lee. Sam tells him he was sent to look for him by his daughter. Lee tells Sam about the Dynamic Vetala duo, and that they drained some of his blood already. Bet Sam's regretting going after them alone right about now.

Aaaand back to Dean. He goes to Krissy's place and does the same search Sam did, but finds nothing. Turns out Krissy is very aware of his true 'job'. That Wascally Wabbit. She pulls a gun on Dean and insists on going with him.

"My dad left and he didn't come back. Sam left, and he didn't come back. I give you the info, you leave, you don't come back."

Can't argue with that. Dean easily swipes the gun, and demands the info. But there's one problem – she read and burned it. Did I say kids are annoying? So reluctantly, Dean takes Krissy with him to rescue Sam and her dad. Doesn't seem like a good idea.

"I'm a fun guy. I'm actually awesome. But right now, I'm not in the mood."

You forgot 'modest', Dean. But again, I can't argue. Dean tells Krissy he didn't tell Sam his lesson from his own Vetala encounter because Sam was at Stanford at the time. I think this is the only part where the kid's acting was decent, the way her eyes light up when she hears Sam went to college. It gives her hope that maybe not all hunters are screwed from birth. But Dean might wanna warn Krissy about waking up and finding her boyfriend burning on the ceiling one night.

Should I even bother describing this short Sam scene where he taunts one of the Vetalas to save Lee's life? Well, I just did, that's about it. Back to Dean.

"Why is that waitress getting in that truck?"

- "I'm not explaining the R-rated crap to you."

Oh, Dean. I already noted my favorite line of the episode, but this sure is a runner-up. I would like to hear that R-rated explanation. Dean follows the truck back to the Vetala's lair, and wants to congratulate with a fist bump.










"What century is this? No one fist bums anymore."

Woha, woha, woha. First of all, you're like 14, kid, you barely remember the previous century. Plus, Shawn, Gus and I disagree. Fist bumps are awesome. Way better than high fives. Kids today are growing up all wrong…

Kids Do the Darnest Things

But Dean doesn't want a fist bump at all. He just tricked Krissy to handcuff her to the steering wheel. She tries to convince her to let her come by telling him Sam and her dad are probably dead (how is that helpful?) and how she saw her mother die. Sorry kid, Frank's story was better. Plus, she's not that great of an actress. No sympathy from me. Dean takes her lockpick and goes to save the day. Dean, you should take her hair clip too! Don't you watch movies? That's always how chicks pick locks!

Dean sneaks in and starts kicking some Vetala ass, until…Oh, those kids never learn. Krissy storms in and gets herself taken hostage. Dean reluctantly releases the other Vetala, who starts draining Lee. Krissy panics and Dean is at loss, but then…Krissy turns around and stabs the Vetala.

I'm not doctor, but I'm pretty sure the heart is a little higher. Krissy cuts Sam free and he stabs the other Vetala in the same spot. Guess that in the lore, 'heart' means 'abdomen'. Man, these chicks are pretty ugly now.

"Bad actress, huh?"

- "I take it back." Well, I don't.

Quit, or Just Keep Smiling

And cut to the scene of Lee in the hospital, where he thanks the boys and yadda yadda. But there are two things I wanna say about this scene. The first is its unused awesome potential. Lee's face resembles those of Mark Pellegrino. Well, in season 5, at least. Just imagine how epic it would be if even for a second Sam would suddenly see Lucifer lying there instead of Lee. Just a simple face-transformation effect. It would also tie in nicely with the hints about the storyline in the recap. Unfortunately, either Mark wasn't available, or the writers and I don't think on the same wave.

The second nice thing is Dean telling Lee to quit when he can. A hunter's life means leaving almost everything normal behind, always being on the road, and always being in danger. Growing up into that life sounds pretty bad. Lee may want revenge for his wife, just like John, but he should quit while his daughter is still alive and still kinda normal. And as we learned from Dean's life, after some point you just can't quit. Even if you try, you get pulled back in. The last lines sum it up perfectly.

"You ever knew anyone who left the life?"

- "No. They all get killed first."

Dean and Krissy have an 'emotional' end-of-episode goodbye, where he figures out she broke out of the cuffs with a bobby pin (no kidding). She says she and Lee are retiring from the life, and she's considering going to college. They end their goodbye with a proper fist bump this time. (Not you too, Dean! Fist bumps are not lame!)

The episode ends with a great scene, where the boys are on the road. They both admit they're still shaken up about Bobby's death, but agree that the best treatment is to distract themselves by working. And planning how to kick Dick's ass. The final, amazing shot is of Dean, using Frank's advice – There's a ton of crap eating him and things are pretty bad, but you just gotta keep on smiling. Just keep smiling.










THE END

RATING – 7 fist bumps out of 10

Like I said, this episode was good. Not bad, not great, good. Aside from the mourning scene and the Frank scenes, it was a basic Monster of the Week episode. We got some teeny bit of progress with the Leviathans and some nice emotional stuff. A post-hellatius episode should be a little better, IMO, but this was OK.

- What's with the weird stuff happening in the episode? Dean's beer might have been Spirit Bobby (though I don't think so) but what about the weeks \ days thing and Dean sleeping for 36 hours? Time was a little strange this week…

- Again, did Frank get Bobby's right numbers? I'm pretty sure the writers know Bobby wrote a 5 at the end, but if it's not the right number, how come they found the field?

- I've seen in the episode poll article that a lot of fans complain that Sam's barley getting screen time. Well, this episode sure doesn't prove them wrong. Sam's been clearly benched here. He was just a damsel in distress for half the episode. And it doesn't look like things will get better next week.

I love Dean as much as the next fan, but I have to agree that I wanna see Sam do some awesome stuff too. The season started promising for him with Halluficer and all. But then it was forgotten and we got that annoying Amy plot, which also mainly focused on Dean and his guilt. Then we had his ridiculous marriage to Becky. He got some pretty equal screen time with Jensen in episodes 9 and 10, but now it's starting to look like The Dean Show again. Hope we get some more Sammy soon. (Again, I love Dean and sure as hell don't mind seeing him. But this show is about two brothers).

- Again, love Kevin McNally. Hope to see some more Frank too.

- It would also be nice to hear from Crowley again. Sure, he called the demons off the boys, but I refuse to believe his goodbye was in the episode Sam married Becky. I wouldn't mind if Crowley sticks around, but if they're letting him go, at least do it properly.