SUPERNATURAL: “How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters” – RECAP

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This week’s Supernatural felt like an apology for the missteps that have come so far this season. Everything started off with a bang and then screeched to a sudden halt as Sam and Dean veered off the path toward the Leviathan and went with unrelated cases. They’re a necessity, but frustrating nonetheless. Whereas in previous seasons, the one-off episodes fed into the main storyline in some way, these have felt almost entirely disconnected and created maddening new storylines (Dean killing Amy and all the brotherly angst that came with it). “How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters” didn’t ignore any of what came before it, but it did manage to turn it into something not only watchable, but also highly enjoyable.

“How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters” takes us into what appears to be a standalone episode about the Jersey Devil, when in reality it’s the Leviathan experimenting on humans in order to make them fat and complacent. A percentage of the test subjects experience hyper cannibalism, running wild and eating anyone they run in to. Not only is this a return to the main plot, but we finally get a long glimpse into the Leviathan leader, Dick Roman. He was first introduced at the end of “Slash Fiction”, but it was a very short encounter that left me completely underwhelmed. For someone who is supposed to be the big villain I (rightly) expected something bigger. Last season’s Eve, who turned out to be kind of a dud, at least made a terrific entrance. In a strange reversal, Dick made a lame entrance, yet promises to be one of the most interesting Big Bads since Lucifer.

As I watched Dick perform his evil duties, my mind was quickly comparing him to American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman. He has that strange, psychotic enthusiasm about him that just makes him fun to watch. He oozes charisma, and his position of power in the non-supernatural world makes him a particular threat the Winchesters haven’t encounter yet.

Along with this great villain comes some of the best dialogue the show has had in awhile. Whether it was Dean giving praise to his turducken burger or Bobby explaining to the boys while hunting that “You don’t shoot Bambi, jackass. You shoot Bambi’s mother.” Supernatural does humor extremely well (usually better than it does horror these days), but this was a stand out episode. For the rest of the season, this will be the episode to beat for the sheer amount laughs it has. The highlight of hilarity had to be Dean being “stoned” from eating the turducken burger (which was filled with some gray goop, courtesy of the Leviathan).

The episode ended in a big cliffhanger: Bobby getting shot in the head. It was a moment played out well, allowing the audience to figure it out slowly along with Sam and Dean. This isn’t the first time Bobby’s been ganked, but the last time Castiel brought him back to life. The boys don’t have an angel on their side anymore, leaving Bobby’s future up in the air. I’m half hoping Bobby doesn’t make it. I love Bobby and the show would be significantly different without him around, but this season needs a shake up. Sam and Dean are supposed to be facing their biggest opponent yet, but the stakes haven’t felt that high. Sure they have to live in a shack, but aside from almost being thrown in jail they have had a decently easy time. Taking away Bobby would really put them in a tough spot, forcing them to find their own way to save the world. I want to see them pull that off without any help.

One Comment

1. 

   malicious and loving it

   January 17, 2012 at 6:19 am

   yay Sean Rogerson from Grave Encounters and Harpers Island guest
   stars on this awesome episode as Ranger Rick!

   love him and cant wait to see this episode even though im betting
   he probably freaking dies in it or something!

   and he was on the show before in the second season where he dies
   too.

   hell what the hell do you have against Sean supernatural?

   you rock SEANY!

   Reply