SUPERNATURAL: Is Any of this Real?

“Hello, Cruel World” was just the kind of nonstop ride of dark intensity I was looking for from the Supernatural season 7 premiere. Right off the bat, we dive in to where we left off with Castiel’s body inhabited by an unknown number of Leviathans. Cas’s body could barely handle the raw power of these creatures of Purgatory and it was good to see that nothing has changed in that regard. Cas may be “dead”, but that doesn’t mean his vessel is any stronger. From here the show makes smart move after smart move.

Instead of all the Leviathans hanging out in one used up, melting body, they spread themselves out through a public water supply. This new evil has an endgame, and while we’re not clear what that is, they seem to be making good progress.

My only issue with the Leviathans is their need to possess humans. I would love to see a full on monster for once. It feels like years since we got a real beast for the Winchesters to tangle with. My memory may be a bit rusty, but I’m pretty sure the last straight up monster they faced was the Wendigo in Season 1. It’s a small complaint, but one that I’ve had since last season introduced dragons and phoenixes.

Sam’s mental debacle served for great entertainment thanks in part to the always-magnificent Mark Pallegrino. Having Lucifer back, even as a hallucination provides a nice break from the usual hunter talk. Seeing Sam talking with Dean and Bobby, but constantly glancing over at Lucifer for his input was marvelously comedic. A little comedy helps a lot, especially since this is as dark as the show has ever been. It goes to show how mature Supernatural has become that it can freely let one of its leads physically hurt himself so he can tell what’s real or not.

What I liked most about Sam’s confusion was Dean. Ever since Sam got his soul back, I kept waiting for Dean to open up a bit about his own time in Hell, but I guess the writers were saving that conversation for this moment; Sam considering shooting himself in the head so he can stop the illusions. Dean knows a thing or two about Hell and helps Sam realize that the pain he feels isn’t the same pain you feel in the Pit. That was a touching moment between the brothers, and just goes to show how far Dean has come as a character. Would he have been so understanding of Sam six years ago? I think he would have responded a lot like the way the imaginary Dean did. But the real Dean is a much stronger person emotionally. So strong that he carries a lot of his guilt and regrets close to his heart. There’s a lot of weight piling on Dean, and he it was nice to see him finally admit it.

More than ever before, Dean is in a bad place. Sam is crazy, Bobby is missing and he and Sam are headed straight to Leviathan central. The situation is unbelievably grave and he’s the only one who can fix it at this point. The trouble is, there isn’t much he can do. As always, things are hopeless for Dean and Sam.

I find it interesting that this episode ended with yet another cliffhanger. Normally the show would stuck in a standalone episode by now, but the momentum of the storyline is moving forward so quickly there’s no stopping it. The show seems bent on dealing with these Leviathans before moving on to something else. I’m not surprised we’re headed in this direction. Every year Supernatural becomes more and more serialized, and I like it. I feel more inclined to watch when things are left in a fustercluck like this.

Check out a teaser for Supernatural “The Girl Next Door”!