Review - Supernatural Episode 11x07 "Plush" - Count on us.

-by sweetondean

Creepy. Creeeeeeeepy. C.R.E.E.P.Y! YIKES! Don’t cha just love it when Supernatural reminds you that it’s a horror show!

“Plush” was an honest to goodness, old school ghost hunt, complete with creeptastic masks and a nice amount of gore…and being Supernatural, an underlying message about the damage lack of trust and crippling fear can do. It was no coincidence the camera lingered a little on Dean during the sister’s speech…and not just for the pretty…though the pretty was OFF THE CHARTS. Really Sam and Dean, do you have to get better looking with EACH episode? Oh, you do? Okay then. I’ll try and cope! The sacrifices I make! 

We had a murderous bunny, a killer school mascot and a clown pulled straight from Sam Winchester’s nightmares. I love that Sam is scared of clowns. Love it. Clowns are indeed horrific, but it’s more that this tough assed hunter, who has taken down Lucifer and all manner of freakishly terrifying things, is frightened of…clowns. It’s kind of adorable! Jared did such a great job at looking completely wigged out when that clown came into the lift! And even though this was the first traditional monster of the week episode of the season, it was still bookended with scenes that tied through to the season mythology, and was laced with a message that reflects where the brothers are at with their individual trails and tribulations, something that has haunted their relationship in the past; those old chestnuts, trust and fear. 

You know, I think I sigh a little every time we have a scene that reflects how the bunker has become a true home to Sam and Dean. I’m so glad they have this space, which is relatively safe from outside influences and where they can relax, or bone up on lore, or watch Speed 2, or whatever.

I loved opening after the teaser on Sam praying…though close the door sweetie if you don’t want your brother to see! I do love that Sam has this faith and that this faith has been a constant for him since we found out he prayed in season 2’s “Houses of the Holy. I do love that Sam has held on to his faith through everything that he’s been put through, and is reaching out, trying to make sense of the messages he’s receiving. But I can’t say I’m sold on the whole this is God speaking thing just yet. Not yet.

I’m guess I’m sceptical like Dean. In fact, I’m of the Dean Winchester, screw destiny right in the face, school. I don’t look at the long list of amazing achievements that the Winchesters have accomplished and see God’s hand in every little bit of them, guiding them, or assisting them. I see the Winchester’s hands in all these things, and I feel like attributing God to having been there in all things, looking out for them somehow diminishes their whopping achievements. 

Dean is pissed at God. He feels that God turned His back on humanity when He let the inmates from upstairs, run the damn asylum. He doesn’t think God gives a damn anymore, and unless God makes His presence truly known somehow, I can’t see how that opinion will change. The fact that God has not shown Himself when the Apocalypse raged, or those pesky Leviathan ran riot, or any of the angel crap that the Winchesters have been knee deep in for seasons now… well, I think Dean feels well and truly let down.

He told the priest in the confessional in “Paint it Black, “I believe there is a God. But I'm not sure He believes in us.” That smacked of such disappointment. And I think that’s what a lot of Dean’s hostility towards God is rooted in. Where as Sam still has faith, Dean is just plain disappointed. Ever since Joshua told them that God didn’t think the Apocalypse was His problem, Dean has felt disappointed and more importantly, abandoned by The Man Upstairs. 

I do think Dean would like to believe God cares. He’s angry, and that anger demonstrates one thing for sure, Dean cares that apparently God doesn’t. So I don’t think he’d turn his back on God if it became clear God was helping the brothers. I think that’s an important distinction and important to note. 

So maybe if we find out that these messages are from God that will change Dean’s perspective. But having the story definitively tell us that the visions are from God, bringing God into the story in such a visible way, would be a massive play on behalf of the show. They’ve always steered away from clearly showing God’s involvement, cleverly putting Him on a permanent vacay, so they don’t have to write The Big Guy. Hinting at His involvement, allowing characters to speculate, but never confirming it outright. If they do go down the God road, it’ll be a ballsy move for sure! Until then, I sit on the fence. I don’t know who or what these visions are coming from, God or someone representing God, or someone less benevolent… I’m still stuck on the “I never could fool you, could I?” line from Not!John I really don’t think those words were coming from God or a God representative. I wish Sam would ponder those words a bit… One thing I do know though; Dean’s “Don’t count of God, count on us.” is right on the money. That’s where the Winchesters’ strength always lies. With each other.

This week’s story revolved around a vengeful spirit, who was wrongly accused of the worst of crimes, and then (accidentally) killed by his friends because of that. The spirit attached itself to creepy assed masks, which the ghost had used when he was kid’s performer…which gave us a bunch of fabulous visuals, bad wabbit jokes, and Sheriff Donna!

Donna is a delight. Right from the get go, when we first met her sharing messy donuts with Dean, she’s been an absolute delight. Her colloquial language and brightness is a breath of fresh air…even if she was tough on New!Doug. New!Doug…that was pretty funny. Donna’s kickass, can take care of herself and is now a fully-fledged hunter! 

What I like about Donna is that she can be all these things, but is still allowed to have insecurities and be honest and open about them without appearing weak. We know that she’s had a bad relationship, and like most people, has been scared by that. We know she worries about her weight. I think she’s a female character that a lot of us can relate to, because despite being rocking at her job, she still has a tendency to not rate herself. But that’s not written in a way that makes her seem powerless, but written in away that makes her human. She can be a sheriff and a woman, with everything that comes with both of those things. I love her and love that she’s written in such a way that I feel like I could be her. Briana does a wonderful job with Donna…and DONNA LIVES! So we get to enjoy her again down the track! And she’s a hugger…like Jodi. WHO CAN BLAME THEM.

As I said earlier, this being Supernatural, the creepy monster of the week episode, was a metaphor for what is currently going on between the brothers. Their relationship and their issues being reflected back at them is how the Winchesters often learn. They live in this little bubble…mostly just with each other, and if they need to talk something through, they’ve pretty much just got their brother to turn to…and you don’t always want to discuss everything with your brother! So having these moments, where we get to see the Winchesters hear their story, or their problems represented through the case of the week, is important for them and us.

The moral here was, the sister of the ghost Chester, was too scared to ask her brother if what was being said about him, was true. She should have trusted her brother, but also trusted herself to be able to deal with whatever the answer was. But instead she was crippled by fear of the truth and that fear and lack of all around trust, led to her brother’s accidental death at the hands of his accusers.

Dean is terrified of what’s going on between him and the Darkness. He doesn’t understand it and he’s too scared to talk about it, because not only does that make it real, but he probably thinks it will make Sam look at him differently…like a diseased killer puppy.

But I think there’s so much more than just fear going on here. The Darkness was brought about because Dean needed to be cured of the Mark of Cain, and yet here we are, Darkness on Earth, Dean Mark of Cain free…and yet it’s still ruling his world. Dean feels shame over the whole Mark of Cain, becoming a demon and hanging with Crowley thing. He’s said he wishes he could go back and make a different choice when it came to Cain. He’s said he’s embarrassed that the demon thing happened to him. He lost control and he lost himself when he had the Mark of Cain. Now here he is, after everything that Sam went through to cure him, after everything Dean went through, he still might not be able to control who he is or what he does.

Dean is frightened of what this bond means, of his inability to assert himself in the presence of the Darkness. That she can exert this kind of control over him. Is he going to go dark again? Is he going to end up helping her against his will? Will he ever be free from the effects of the Mark? Can you just imagine everything that’s swirling in his mind and his gut right now? Fear, guilt, self-doubt, shame. I want to hug him.

Of course…here’s where the crippled by fear, need to trust in your brother thing comes in. Dean’s too scared to face the truth of what this bond might mean, he no longer trusts himself to be himself around the Darkness…and he isn’t trusting in Sam enough to be open with him. Dean is a typical Dean mess. 

The Winchesters are two different men, totally different. It’s what makes them so damn compelling and what makes their relationship so damn compelling. Even though they’re each other’s most important person, they’re both epically good at keeping secrets from each other. But Sam has always been more prone to wearing his feelings on his sleeve. For the most part, he speaks about his fears and dreams and feelings. He’s more open to expressing these things and tends to externalise what’s eating him up. Where as Dean keeps everything inside, his fears, his hurt, his doubt, his guilt, his insecurities; he locks it all in until it (usually) comes out in an explosion of rage or sometimes tears…or a single tear *sigh*. These habits are hard to break, regardless of “we’re stronger together” or “count on us”. You don’t change who you are or how you were raised overnight.  No matter how much we want that change to happen... I long ago stopped judging Sam and Dean.

Dean is as paralysed by his fear of what this bond with the Darkness means. That is the art of what she’s done to him, she’s got into his head as much as anything else. But like so many before her, she’s underestimated Dean and more importantly, Sam and Dean. Don't you dare think, Darkness, that there is anything, past or present, that Dean would put in front of Sam! Dean pulled himself out of her grasp once because of Sam…and that’s going to happen again, and then it’ll all come out…my bet is in 2 episodes time.

Oh my gosh, my stomach is all churny now! It’s such an epic season.

And then we had the final scene in the car. After what was a super creepy, gory, kind of fun, in that horribly dark Supernatural way, episode, we get that big THE CAGE clanger, when Sam shares with Dean what he thinks his visions are showing him. Close your ears/eyes if you don’t like language, but I came off my high so quick and landed with such a thud that I actually said out loud to absolutely no one “WELL FUCK YOU VERY MUCH, SHOW!” I was suddenly feeling sick to my stomach at where this is all going. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so onboard with the whole cage thing, I’m so onboard with the whole Lucifer and Michael thing…especially Lucifer… but like Dean, it’s a big HELL NO from me to Sam going back to the pit! No Sammy. Just nope.

nothinidputbeforeyou.tumblr

Dean…channelling me: “Sam, no. No, okay? I don't know if these visions are coming from God or PBS or what. But we been down that road. Anything having to do with that cage is-it's suicide, you of all people know that. So no. Just... not gonna happen.”

It’s so going to happen though isn’t it…my bet is in 2 episodes time. Lucifer is coming. Eeeeeee! LIKE SERIOUSLY… EEEEEEEEEEEEE! Maybe he wants to hang out with his aunty. They could both talk about how mad they are with God… 

Oh my gosh I have a feeling this mid-season finale is going to be a HUM DINGER! I feel sick and excited all in one. How very Supernatural.

“Plush” fit so well into this season’s family business vibe. It was funny and icky and nightmarish and had enough foreboding to freak me out entirely. And if someone doesn’t cosplay as that bloodied bunny at an upcoming con, I’ll be so disappointed! Get on that one for me, fandom…preferably at Vegas, so I can get a photo with the killer wabbit!

Oh my gosh I love this show!

-sweetondean