Supernatural: S08E14 - Trial and Error.

Things have been looking up for Supernatural in the last couple of weeks, largely because they seem to be ignoring the shit that has been coming before it, so I'm just waiting for them to screw it up. Will it be this week? Let's find out...


So the brothers are happy, yay! Honestly they are so happy, you can't help but smile and grin along with them. Especially Dean, who seems to have that goofiness back from before Sam died and he went to hell and all the rest. How long until Supernatural pisses on this?

So Kevin isn't doing so well...but at least we actually know how to close the gates of Hell now, three tests set up by God. The first trial involves killing a Hellhound and bathing in its blood, in the early days of Supernatural something like this would sound like it lives up to being an apparent 'Herculean' trial but given how underpowered most of the villains are in this show these days this seems strangely easy. Especially as the show seems to have forgotten Dean was already killed by Hellhounds before.

They really missed an opportunity with that honestly. Sam eventually gets to kill the Hellhound, he also gets an excuse to kill it bloody but he makes no remark back to when his brother was murdered, there was no intensity...no sense of revenge. This is why I get so frustrated with this shows continuity, this could have been a powerful, adrenaline rush, fuck yeah moment...instead it was just flat.

What makes it worse is that the first trial is finished within the one episode, I don't mind fast pacing, but for the trials to be introduced and one third of them to be completed all in one episode seems perhaps a little too quick. I'm guessing though judging by the themes of the episode and what happens when Sam says the magic words, the trials won't be the hard part...the hard part will be that Sam will have to die to close the gates.

Honestly, after I saw what happened after Sam said the Enochian words I started to wonder...is it possible that Kevin translated wrong, is it possible he's got it out of context...could it all be a trick by the demons themselves? Kevin doesn't really seem to be in the best of states to be doing a job as important as the one he is doing. Slaying Hellhounds sounds Godly, for sure, but bathing in the blood? The Angels may be brutal racist assassins, but they don't tend to wave that on their flag. Then again, since we know Season 9 is happening, all suspense is gone as to whether the brothers die or not. Not that there really was any in the first place, with all the times they've been brought back from the dead now.

What is ironic however is that considering all that does indeed happen in one episode, the episode in itself feels extremely slow and meanders for long stretches. The episode wouldn't have been nearly as long if it didn't pad itself out so much to try and add some false suspense.

The pacing wouldn't have been as much of a problem either, but the episode was just so predictable. Every 'twist' I had seen coming ten minutes beforehand, and so I met each reveal with an eye roll and a sigh. The only time I was wrong was when I assumed Ellie was possessed by Crowley, which was why she was as forward as she was. And I'm especially annoyed at being wrong, because that predictable twist would have been much more interesting than her making a deal to cure her Mum's parkinson's or whatever so they could make a half reference to the lengths Dean has/would go for his own Mother, hit home by him propping up a picture of her at the start of the episode.

Trial and Error has some great dialogue, although most of the characters are deliberately unlikeable, the dialogue is tight and witty and extremely funny. However where it really comes together dialoguewise is in the serious moments, Dean's declaration to Sam was an achievement both writing and actingwise, much like Sam's in response later in the episode.

We get some further lore widening...of Hellhounds. Sure, okay? We haven't seen them for like two or three seasons now, but I guess there must have been some demand or something? Hey at least we get to see them, they look sort of like panthers, which is pretty standard in that usual Supernatural unimpressive way.

I will be honest...holy crap this episode was scary, when Dean's face suddenly started twisting and going fucked up...it was so unexpected my heart skipped a beat, there was no musical warning or anything Jesus. Hats off, guys.

As it stands, Trial and Error is just okay. Had they remembered Dean was killed by Hellhounds then this could have been a big, emotionally charged revenge rush...instead we get a better than average monster of the week episode, to all extensive purposes. And although I am disappointed this episode isn't everything it could have been, the episode was still strong enough for me to not come away from this on a negative note.

Pros;

• Happy Brothers, yay!
• Great dialogue. 
• Some good humour.
• Those speeches man.
• Well at least we actually get to see the Hellhounds?
• Dean's hallucination face was scary as fuck!
• I'm glad the show is getting on with things.

Cons;

• How could you have the first Hellhound centric episode in several seasons and completely forget why they are so important? What a fucking waste.
• There is no real suspense in this show any more. 
• So predictable.
• Maybe it was better when we couldn't see the Hellhounds...

Think About It!

-Locke

What would you rate, 'Trial and Error'?