Review - Supernatural 10x08 "Hibbing 911" - Sheriffs Doing It For Themselves

True confession time: I harbour an epic girl crush on Kim Rhodes. She’s amazeballs. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing her at a few conventions as well as getting the chance to talk to her about life, loss and all things in between when she was in Australia a couple of years back.

So suffice to say, I also love Jody Mills. Sheriff Mills has gone from being a victim of the supernatural, to someone who understands it and, though she doesn’t actively seek it out, stands toe to toe with it when it crosses her path. She’s as smart and sassy as the woman who plays her, yet equally as human. 

Jody has also become a friend, confidant and somewhat of a mother figure to the Winchester brothers. She’s the type of women they absolutely need in their lives, because she calls them on their bullshit, but also offers them chowder if they ever need to talk. I adore how her relationship with Sam and Dean has developed. The fact that Sam contacted her when Dean was missing was gorgeous…and I loved Dean’s “You and Sam been passing notes in class?” comment (ack, I just love the way Dean phrases things), but you could see he genuinely appreciated her reaching out to him. And Sam’s beaming face when he saw it was Jody on the phone…and Dean’s little phone wave and the big grins and hugs when they all saw each other! Yeah, I love Jody Mills; she’s one of my favourite characters Supernatural has ever created.

Last season we met another awesome Sheriff; Donna Hanscum. I dug Sheriff Hanscum immediately. She was so bright and bubbly and positive and her whole, “oh yar” way of speaking was hilarious. Brianna Buckmaster, who plays Donna, proved to be a masterful comedian and an absolute joy to watch.

So what happens when you put these two wonderful characters together? Girl power awesomeness, that’s what happens!

“Hibbing 911” was another super fun episode in a what’s proving to be, a super fun season! I mean let’s face it even Demon Dean was fun…and yes, even when he was chasing his brother with a hammer! Traumatic sure, but also fun…in that Supernaturally kind of way! 

Once again, this was an episode about the characters in our show and not the monsters they are fighting. The vampires, they were just window dressing! The real story was Sheriff Mills and Sheriff Hanscum being badassed! And I loved that. This no Big Bad thing (yet) allowing the characters their own story and that being the story, is just great. It’s such an intimate season…touching base with all the people we love and enjoying time with them when they’re not necessarily running for their lives!

Jody and Donna didn’t hit it off right from the get-go, and so the way their trust and bonding developed felt very real. They found common ground in their work, but as they slowly got to know each other, also in their lives. Neither of their lives was perfect. Donna dealing with self esteem issues after her marriage breakup and Jody dealing with the new world of a rebellious teenage daughter who is probably more like Jody than Jody cares to own up to! These women were having conversations that felt like they could have been lifted out of real life…all peppered with fabulous one-liners and great character dialogue – like Donna’s “Ate the whole kit and caboodle, that’s for dern sure”. Love! I love Donna, “What the h e double hockey-sticks!” Love her!

I have no doubt that these two fantastically capable women could have probably dealt with the vampire issue on their own…though they would have been a tad out numbered, so enter Sam and Dean!

How beautiful was the Impala rolling into town with The Band’s “The Weight” playing? I was lucky enough to see Jensen sing this song with Jason Manns during his jam session at LA Con 2011 (my first!). It’s one of his favourite songs – which he tweeted during the West Coast screening of this episode, and it went so fabulously with Baby zooming up the leafy drive to the Sheriff’s retreat.

I’ve been helluva appreciating the Impala porn each week. It’s like she’s been reborn along with the brother’s relationship. It seems fitting that as the brothers start to find their way back to each other, she’s there too, all shiny and gleaming, looking better than she has for a long time. She’s like a metaphor for Sam and Dean’s relationship…the closer they get to being Sam and Dean again, the more we get to see the Impala. She’s a big part of the brother’s lives, and as we take this journey with them in this decidedly intimate season, she’s there too…like she has been since before they were born. I’m kinda in love with it. She really has taken centre stage ever since Dean got undemoned, and I don’t think there’s any accident to that. She adds to the old school vibe this season is giving us. And I’m most definitely onboard with how much Baby we’re getting to enjoy each week.

And just as the Impala was in fine form, so were Sam and Dean.

I can’t keep harping on about how much I’m loving Sam and Dean this season, can I? Oh, whom am I kidding! Of course I can!

“Hibbing 911” once again gave us some deliciously sigh worthy brother moments to make my heart go zipity zing!

Opening on the bunker, all soft glowy lighting, as the brothers talked about and researched the Mark of Cain, was divine. Here they were, AT HOME, and didn’t they just look it? Plus, they must have been talking…there’s no hiding stuff, not sneaking around researching when the other brother isn’t looking. Like Jensen and Jared have said, Sam and Dean are tackling the MoC problem together…and it’s a joy to behold. As was Dean giving Sam a taste of his own puppy eyes! Nice to see the tables being turned there! How could Sam resist that plaintive look on that beautiful face! 

Then there was the fabulous Kinkos scene – which was partly adlibbed by Jensen.

Sam: …This time try to be a little less defensive of your 'pretend job.'

Dean: You know this badge means something.

Sam: I made it at Kinkos.

Dean: Yes you did. Be proud of that.

Bahaha! Oh Jensen. Epic adlib is epic.

Plus we got tied up bros – having a silent eye conversations across the barn, keeping the vampire Star (please tell me that was a Lost Boys reference), monologuing while they tried to work out an escape route…working as a team, even without words, be still my beating heart.

Even their serious moment felt good. Sam didn’t chastise Dean when Dean said that the vampire kill was the first time that he felt like the Mark of Cain wasn’t pushing him. He didn’t yell at Dean and accuse him of keeping secrets or ask Dean why he hadn’t told Sam what was going on before this, or say Dean was lying or any of that stuff that might have happened in the past. Dean was being honest (at least he thinks he was) and Sam let him and the moment be… “Okay, well lets go with that.” I appreciated the hell out of him not pushing Dean, and that showed an understanding of his brother that was totally perfect. 

And then Dean walks off rubbing his arm, because regardless of what he’s saying out loud, he’s scared shitless and you can see it in every part of his being. Actually I think they both are. Dean is in denial. He might be fooling himself, he might be fooling Sam…I don’t know, but I think it’s more like they both know this is not great and this is a dark cloud looming over them, regardless of what Dean is saying to Sam or to himself, but as they don’t know what to do about it, neither of them is willing to talk about it with any realism…yet. Like, don’t mention the war! I just don’t think they’re ready, so they’re rolling with what Dean is trying desperately to believe. But I think they’re about to have to face the music. At least they’ll face it together.

I can’t talk about this week’s episode without talking about Jensen Ackles and his tweeting…which might be the best thing that’s ever happened! From his first tweet...

To his epic pizza tweets…

The whole thing was heart clenchingly perfect. That man, I tells ya. Just when I think I can’t possibly love him any more than I do because I love him that much, he goes and hashtags #PepperoniDreaming and I fall head over heels again and again and again. His random hashtags crack me up! He tweets odd commentary, just like we do. You don’t have to worry about spoilers, because his tweets are just…well, as random as his hashtags. And every single tweet sounds like it comes right out of his mouth! It truly is like watching the show with him. You can’t help but hear them in his voice, because they’re so him! And it makes it feel like he’s simply chatting to us while watching the show. The pizza tweets though… 

The man is perfection. Sorry…just had to gush about ma boy!

“Hibbing 911” was a thoroughly enjoyable hour of TV. I hope like hell that down the track we see Jody and Donna again. I worry that Donna now knows about what’s out there in the dark…but I think she’s pretty damn capable and I think lopping that vamps head off probably did wonders for her self-esteem! CW, if you’re still looking for that spin off…look no further than Sheriffs Mills and Hanscum, because these women rock and I’d sure tune in to watch them tackle the world of hunting…along with teenaged daughters, failed relationships, and the day to day of Sheriff life. I’d so be there.

Now…I’m just going to briefly and cryptically talk about the previews for next week’s mid-season heartbreaker, I mean finale. 

The promo was OMGWAAAAAD! But I couldn’t leave it at that, so I pulled it apart frame by frame. Actually literally. I downloaded it and split out every frame…because I couldn’t see what was going on in that super quick edit! I must say, I felt a tad better after I did that, because I could see that apart from the dream/memory like footage of a bloodied Dean surrounded by bodies, all the other Dean/Demon Dean stuff was from past episodes. I know what you did there, CW promo producer…because I’d do exactly the same thing! It’s hard to trick another promo producer! It was a good promo though…which gave us all a terrifying sense of foreboding. But I felt less terrified after deconstructing the spot. But only minimally! Because I'm not a total idiot...there's hurts ahead!

I’m looking forward to seeing how the brothers tackle the Mark of Cain, which is obviously on Dean’s mind constantly. I’m looking forward to seeing how straightforward he’s going to be with Sam about how it’s affecting him internally – and probably externally, which I’m sure Sam can see. We know…because Tim Omundson (who is coming to Vegas…YAY!), said at Burcon, that Cain will be back in episode 14 of the season, which is the next ep to be shot by the way, so how that will affect the mark and Dean and therefore, Sam…well who knows…it’s sure as shit gonna be exciting to find out! It looks like next week we start to address this in a serious nature. Can I say I’ll also LOVED the preview clip…LOVED. But I’ll go into that more in my Light On Spoilers Preview tomorrow.

And I have next Wednesday afternoon off…so I will get to watch the episode with everyone else! Wooohoooo! WE CAN ALL CRY TOGETHER!

So yeah, another fabulous week in a fabulous season! Season 10 is so great, I’m sorry for being repetitive, but I feel like I’m walking around in a Sam and Dean love bubble haze the whole time… ALL RIGHT…I KNOW…I ALWAYS AM!

-sweetondean

(I needed to include this cap for reasons)