Supernatural 8.05 “Blood Brother”
gave us a lot of answers and left us asking more questions. It’s likely to be
an episode that evokes a lot of fan reaction. With a finely crafted Ben Edlund
script, expertly directed by Guy Bee, and stunningly acted by the entire cast,
this is going down as one of the best episodes of the series for me, even if
the final scene had me screaming at the television.
Tonight’s episode went a long way
towards filling out the back story of Amelia and Benny. And here’s where fandom
is likely to be polarized. I’m really enjoying Jared Padalecki’s work this
season because I really like this Sam. He still cares about the world around
him. In fact, he’s enjoying being able to connect with people in a way that he
can’t when he’s hunting. And he’s really connecting with Amelia. Liane Balaban
has done an outstanding job conveying a quietly wounded woman; her performances
are subtle and believable, and I’m really looking forward to finding out more
about her. I like that she’s observant and logical, her comments on Sam’s
wardrobe all coming from army surplus comes to mind. It feels very right to me
that this relationship between Amelia and Sam comes about because they
recognize and understand each other on a very deep level. It’s telling and
important that this relationship doesn’t simply start with sex as so many of
both brothers’ relationships do. I also really appreciate how the flashbacks
are being done. Sam’s flashbacks in this episode felt a lot like Dean’s in
previous episodes as something happening in the present triggers a memory from
the past year – it’s a good technique that mimics how we really do remember
things.
The bulk of this episode really
rested on Benny’s back story, and his relationship with Dean. Ty Olsson is
outstanding in this episode and solidifies himself as a terrific addition to
the show. Now, let’s just hope that we can keep him! He too delivers a subtle
and nuanced performance. Benny is going to present problems of acceptance for
viewers as well as Sam, but it’s one of Supernatural’s
greatest assets that it can force us to think again and again about what it
means to be a monster and to keep coming up with new answers. Olsson delivers
an outstanding performance to bring Benny to life and to make him a sympathetic
character. His slow southern drawl is equally adept at relating the heart
wrenching tale of his death and lost love and the hilarious banter that always
punctuates an Edlund script.
I have to admit, I don’t think it
will be possible to have enough Dean, Benny, and Castiel in Purgatory scenes,
watching the expressions fly across Jensen Ackles’ face as Benny baits Castiel.
Misha Collins is always a joy to watch and this version of Castiel is very much
like the Cas we came to know and love in seasons four and five. Of course Cas,
under Edlund’s prompting, would be the one to muse about the metaphysics of
where a monster’s soul goes when it’s killed in Purgatory! We also learn that
Castiel is a seraph. This is the first time we’ve learned what his standing is
in the angel hierarchy. Of course, this information is of limited use because
the hierarchy is different whether you are talking about the Judeo or Christian
mythology and Supernatural usually
has some version of the mythology of its own anyway. What it could mean,
however, is that Cas is actually a fairly high ranking angel.
It’s interesting that both Cas and
Benny try to convince Dean that Cas is dangerous to have around and that it’s
likely he won’t be able to get out anyway. Benny says that Purgatory wants to
spit Dean out because he’s human and Benny insists that without “the fangs and
fun” he was human once. What everyone fails to point out is that Cas is
currently inhabiting a human vessel.
Surely that must count for something. Dean keeps insisting that he isn’t
leaving without Cas.
The flashbacks to Purgatory are once
again stunningly shot and lit. I love the use of freeze frames and quick edits in the fight scenes and the gritty
washed out colors. They are contrasted by the saturated colors of Sam’s flashbacks
that are so full of life and so at odds with Purgatory. The fights are violent
and the camaraderie between Dean and Benny starts to make sense.
Even after a year in Purgatory, they
seem to still be learning about each other, or perhaps re-learning about each
other topside. Dean is amazed at how Benny is able to heal from his injuries,
and Benny is amazed that Dean’s loyalty and friendship extend to him. It’s
possible that Benny accepted Dean’s loyalty while still in Purgatory because
they were both useful to each other and didn’t think it would continue once
they were out, but Dean is nothing if not loyal to a fault. It’s one of the
reasons why Dean is always so hurt by anyone being less loyal. It’s one of the
things that Sam could never understand about Dean’s relationship to John: that
he would remain loyal regardless of the others actions or inactions.
Benny does recognize this loyalty in
Dean and witnessed it between Dean and Cas in Purgatory. Benny does try to let
Dean off the hook, but Dean knows Benny is in over his head in trying to go
after his maker and insists on helping. This is another parallel between Sam’s
flashbacks and the present story between Dean and Benny. Sam has that same
instinct to help. And of course, that is the central tenant of the family
business that both boys have learned: helping people. Sam may have stopped
hunting but the flashbacks in this episode prove that he didn’t stop helping
people.
I loved the scene between Benny and
Dean as Benny explains what his old nest does. The dialogue is some of
Supernatural’s best and there’s nothing more fun than watching Dean when he
thinks he’s been clever:
“Vampire
pirates. That’s what you guys are. Vampirates!”
But
what makes this scene work so well is the obvious chemistry between Olsson and
Ackles and the subtle things in the episode like the gentle amusement of Benny
to Dean’s vampirates comment and Dean covertly pocketing the dead vampire’s
cash. Both Ackles and Olsson marry an economy of movement with expressive
delivery in their acting styles.
It’s important that the scene in
which Benny tells Dean about falling in love with Andreas and being killed by
his maker takes place in the Impala. It’s a significant nod to the depth of
this relationship as this is where we’ve come to expect the brothers to have
their serious conversations. Benny is more open and honest and bares more of
his soul than Sam and Dean have done with each other in a long time, however.
It was also a great choice on Bee’s
part to set the scene where Benny voices his problems in determining what’s
real in the same forest that they use to shoot Purgatory. It looks very
different shot with the usual lighting of the show. Once again a shout out to
the entire production crew for their attention to every detail to reinforce the
story.
The phone calls between Sam and Dean
as he’s trying to rescue Benny are a terrific example of how seamlessly Edlund
can blend comedy with drama with the result being an increase to the tension
and drama.
Olsson is fantastic in the scenes
with his former nest, simultaneously exuding anger and remorse, wrestling with
trying to do what’s right. Andreas reminds Benny of what it’s like to be turned
when all you think about is blood, and she points out that Benny severed his
ties with Quentin when he died, so he’ll be able to kill him. Benny, we learn,
only came back to stop the killing, and in the end, he does what he sets out to
do, and Dean killing Andreas spares Benny from having to do that, but it does
mean that with the death of his nest, Benny is left on his own. Benny wanted to
put Andreas’ memory to rest and he realizes that what he loved “it ain’t here
anymore. It was snuffed out a long time ago by monsters like me.” The parallel
between Benny’s nest and family is underscored by Quentin’s calling him his “wayward
son”, an obvious shout out to the familiar Kansas song that ends every Supernatural season “Carry On My Wayward
Son.” But Benny has truly changed.
Benny tells Dean in Purgatory that
he “drinks blood, he doesn’t drink people.” He wasn’t killing people before he
went to Purgatory because he’s seen something in humanity that shouldn’t be
taken. He promises Dean he isn’t going to start killing people once he gets
out, which is completely consistent with what we see in this episode. In fact,
Benny seems to find life or humanity more sacred than Dean. Sam and Dean's conversation at the beginning of the episode in which Dean defends his attempt to kill Mrs Tran because he was trying to kill Crowley, reinforces the theme in this episode. Benny helps to prove himself to
Dean by saving Cas even after he insists that Cas is going to get them killed. Benny
has somewhat lost his way with the killing of his entire nest, and he tells Dean he isn’t sure what he is anymore, but he’s proven
once again to Dean that he is loyal and a man, or vampire, of his word. Dean is
genuinely worried about Benny, but he sees the goodness in Benny.
The final scene of this episode is a
tour de force of acting and directing and editing. Sam meets them on the docks
and we have his first meeting with Benny. All the dialogue is Olsson’s. This
may be my favorite scene of Jared Padalecki’s in the entire run of the series. He’s
not happy with Dean, but doesn’t hesitate to shake Benny’s hand, then in close
up we see as it registers that Benny’s hand is not the hand of a living person.
Dean looks unrepentant. Shock gives way to steely hunter on Sam’s face and we
get a close up of Sam’s hand unbuckling his weapon with Dean’s out of focus
face in the background. An overlay of a heartbeat punctuates the now slow
motion shot as Benny tilts his head to acknowledge Sam reaching for his weapon.
Benny clearly was ready to accept his fate. Had Sam tried to kill him, I doubt
Benny would have tried to stop him. More because he’s in a bad place after
losing Andreas again, but I wonder if he will go out of his way not to get
between the brothers. Then we cut to Dean slowly and subtly shaking his head
no. Sam acquiesces to his brother and stands down, but his face becomes a mask
of anger. Dean’s face closes down. Dean is not going to apologize for Benny
because that is what loyalty means for Dean. Dean and Benny have a relationship
forged in Purgatory that I don’t believe will ever replace his bond with his
brother – the episode title is blood brother – but there is more than one way
that you can share blood with someone – in battle or in your veins. Benny
acknowledges that the brothers have a lot to talk about and he leaves. Sam and
Dean’s eyes meet, and we fade to black...
And I started screaming at my
television because I simply can’t wait for that conversation! Is it next week
yet???
