CW/Supernatural: Misha Collins as god
"Meet the New Boss" ~ Written by Sera Gamble
~ Directed by Philip Sgriccia
Starring ~ Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Jim Beaver, Misha Collins
Guest Starring ~ Julian Richings, Mark Pellegrino, Mark Sheppard
Supernatural takes off running with more energy and sparkle than "Exile on Main Street". Starting with Castiel (Misha Collins) proclaiming his new status, the episode already looks better than most of season six.
Supernatural's reoccuring motif of "What's wrong with Sam" switches to "What's wrong with Dean"! Questionable, quiet, and elusive, Dean (Jensen Ackles) focuses on the main agenda: stop godCass. Dean's emotions seem muddled. His relationship with Castiel seems lost and irretrievable.
What is wrong with Dean? Dean refuses to fight for Cass. Dean refuses to hold his brother's hand. What do the writer's have in store for the brother who usually takes care of everybody?
While I'm still reeling from the change of tone with Dean's character, the team conjures up Crowley (Mark Sheppard), who lives in a trailer with useless sigils, drinking good whiskey. Crowley gives the team the spell to bind Death. Consistently entertaining, Mark Sheppard breathes life into Crowley with sensuous passion. Professional and poised, Mark Sheppard makes Crowley a demon we love to hate. Or maybe we just love him.
Our boys working with a demon in their desperate hour? They must be desperate.
Always a pleasure, Julian Richings exudes the mystery of Death with wisdom, power, and witty one liners. To soothe Death, Dean produces a bag of fried pickle chips and a soda. But the all seeing god/Castiel interrupts Dean, Sam (Jared Padalecki), and Bobby (Jim Beaver) and unbinds Death. Death reveals what creatures inhabit Castiel and decides to help.
After Sam calls Castiel, an injured Cass agrees that he must purge his inhabitants.
All the while, Sam's memories of the pit leave him a prisoner. He hallucinates. His mind remembers being choked by chains, his body ravaged by meat hooks.
I think the writers received an overwhelming amount of screaming by Mark Pellegrino fans. Thank you writers for reinstating Mr. Pellegrino as Lucifer. His beauty and presence and incredible acting perfects Sam's hallucinations. Mark Pellegrino's heavily nuanced and clever portrayal of Lucifer shines like a beacon of light in this episode. His Lucifer believes in his crafty snark. My advice to the writers: Keep Mark Pellegrino, he delivers.
While Sam and his hallucination speak, Dean and Castiel have their moment of peace together. Dean and Castiel have very little time together, but they have a moment to share remorse, sadness, and forgiveness. Albeit short, the actors Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins do their best to state that Dean and Castiel understand each other. The intimate moment rings true for both characters; with both actors determined to make the scene work considering the sparse dialogue. Dean and Castiel apologize to each other in their own way before the big bad of season seven rises and takes over Castiel.
Jared Padalecki does a very good job with his flashbacks. Believable without going over the top, Mr. Padalecki's solid acting forces us to feel Sam's trauma. We feel Sam fight to control the emotions of fear as he struggles with reality.
Jim Beaver supplies us with the funnier moments of the episode, first bowing down to god/Cass (I need to explain this. Bobby comes across as annoyed rather than terrified at Castiel's new god complex), then referring to Death as "your honour". Bobby also mentions a god killing weapon, it could be a shout out to Drive Angry. Jim Beaver's performance is the key in the episode. As the only recognizable character, Bobby serves as foil to Dean as well as Sam. Mr. Beaver keeps Bobby stable and sane while Sam has his PSTD, and Castiel is god. As for Dean, we'll find out about him later. Jim Beaver keeps the episode light, funny, and focused.
Misha Collins plays three different characters vividly and so distinctly, they physically look different too. Mr. Collins makes the episode fun to watch despite the smiting, blood, and gore.
Jensen Ackles does well with his "What's wrong with Dean" story. Shut out from Dean's thoughts, we see him ignoring Sam. We see Dean attempt to take down god without going to extremes to help Castiel. Jensen Ackles plays a deliberate and delicate game in this episode.
I can't wait to see how Supernatural deals with Leviathan. Will it be a whale? A fire breathing dragon? Or a sea serpent? Perhaps Supernatural will go with one of the Four Crown Princes of Hell. Supernatural's creatures usually have human qualities like the Phoenix or Dragons. Whatever the writers choose, I'm sure it will be a chaotic ride for Bobby, Dean, and Sam.
Overall the solid and entertaining episode delivers, despite the feeling that too many pieces of a puzzle were lost. Sera Gamble does a good job fitting the pieces together, and for the most part, Gamble delivers an entertaining story. The make up department should take a bow with god/Castiel's character, many thanks to Harlow MacFarlane, Ryan Nicholson, and Geoff Redknap. I enjoy Philip Sgriccia's work, in prime form, Sgriccia sets the dark and mysterious tone of Sam's PSTD, the new big bad, as well as Dean's uncharacteristic outlook. So far...so good.
Season seven is off to an enjoyable start. See you soon.
~Louisa Hinmon
The article expresses the opinions of the author. The author and Celebrity Hollywood Connection are in no way affiliated with Eric Kripke or the CW. Supernatural is the property of the CW network. All photos are property of the CW network.This is a fanblog.
