Supernatural
Season 5 /Episode 17
99 Problems
directed by Charles Beeson
written by Julie Siege
They should start every episode of Supernatural with Dean hard-driving the Impala. I’ll shoot it to you straight, it gets my blood pumping every time I hear that engine rumble and the squeal of those tires on pavement.
99 Problems did what every good episode of Supernatural does, that is it interjects some quick witted humor into impossibly horrific situations.
The Winchester Boys, overrun by a horde of demons, find help from a small community turned evangelical militia, complete with their own prophet. Except, in true Supernatural fashion, Leah Gideon ain’t no prophet, she’s the freaking Whore of Babylon.
Nice!
I love it when the writers play with all the right biblical toys.
Ms. Gideon is setting the town up for the big fall, using the tried and true method of calling God fearing folk to acts of evil under the pretense of it being the Big Guy’s Will. And she stokes the fires by laying down some down-right puritanical laws to govern her flock by, knowing damn good and well that people just don’t have it in them to be that good.
“No drinking, no gambling, no premarital sex.
Dean, they basically just outlawed 90 percent of your personality.” — Sam
Lots to love in this episode, from some big time demon throw-downs to Castiel’s drunken bitterness… but the kicker, and believe me it was right to the gut, was the emotional destruction of Dean Winchester.
At the end of his proverbial rope, Dean’s had it and abandons his brother, storming off into the great unknown in search of Michael. Dean’s ready and willing to offer himself to the Archangel… but on one condition.
Dean pays a visit to Lisa, from Season 3′s The Kids Are All Right, and promises that when the world goes to hell that she and her son Ben will be looked after.
She represents what might have been and Dean’s secret, innermost desire: a family.
His sacrifice is for them… or is it? Could it be that he’s just abandoned all hope?
Next week we get the 100th episode of Supernatural and the Apocalypse is definitely not taking a vacation from the look of things… nor is Dean’s angst.
