Supernatural Think Tank - Anna's Thinky Thoughts on American Nightmare 12x04

As I watched this episode Dean's words hearkened in my ears:  "Demons I get, people are just crazy". Never have words rung so true as they did in this episode, not since the Benders anyway, and I can't help but believe that there is no greater monster than the human one. I must admit that I found this episode super disturbing and I must confess that I'm totally loving it.  Supernatural is really beginning to feel like a horror movie....so cool.

Hostile Dean

So true to Dean's character, not only was he hurt by his mom's actions but he was also angry. We see this in his attitude with the priest, Carl the Coroner or Coroner's Asst, and most especially Sam. He is, as Sam noted, cranky and kind of just downright mean, but Sam takes it in stride demonstrating his empathy and understanding of Dean's justified anger. What I found to be a bit unnerving was Dean's instant condemnation of Beth without any actual evidence that she'd  done something wrong.  He based his decision on the fact that she was an admitted Wiccan (who I thought practised White Magic) who through no fault of her own inherited her boss' position. I found Dean's behaviour questionable, so I tried to find reasoning for it.  My take on it is, Beth worked for child services. It's her job to protect children, which means sometimes she has to take the child away from the parents. Dean's state right now, I can only imagine that he sees her as the one who splits up the family, not as the one who is trying to protect them. Dean's anger for his mom is now deflected onto Beth.  In his eyes, she is seen as the villain here.

Empathetic Sam

Sam on the other hand is seen to be empathetic.  He understands Dean's hurt and anger and is perfectly willing to accept Dean's need to lash out at him, even though he calls him out on it.  Sam feels for the others that Dean lashes out at as well. It's not their fault yet they end up bearing the brunt of Dean's anger. Sam tries to get Dean to talk to him, explaining that their Mom just needed some time.  Sam understands where she's coming from and tries not to judge Mary harshly.  Unfortunately in typical Dean fashion, he totally drops the subject, not really up for this Dr. Phil moment. The thing is, what Dean doesn't get, it wasn't just about Sam getting Dean to talk about his anger and hurt feelings, I think it was also about Sam wanting/needing to talk to Dean about his. Sam may be doing his damnedest trying to empathise and understand his mom's need to leave and her decision to do so, but that doesn't mean it isn't hurting him just as much as it's hurting Dean.  We can see Sam demonstrate his pain when he confronts Magda's mother and tells her that it wasn't the devil that killed her daughter, she did.  I thought Sam was going to throw down on her for a minute.  Judging from the look on Dean's face, I think he might have been thinking the same thing.

Truths/Realisations

While talking to Magda's mother, it didn't take Sam long to realise that something was very wrong with this family.  Sam believed that Magda's vengeful spirit was the one  causing these deaths.  He wanted to check the farm for EMF.  Dean on the other hand believed this was a good family and believed that it was Beth who killed Olivia and the delivery boy, even though Sam insisted that Beth didn't even know the delivery boy. On the surface it seemed like a contest of wills on who was right and who was wrong.  On the surface. Earlier when Sam tried to explain to Dean their mom's actions and noted that she just needed some time and space, Dean had questioned Sam on whether he really believed she would be coming back.  Sam's retort was "you don't?"  I think this is very significant.  Dean was determined to prove to Sam that it was Beth causing all these deaths.  The reality of it though, as Dean found out, Beth didn't have any reason to want to kill Olivia.  Despite what Dean believed, she hated her new job and didn't want anything to do with it really.  She wasn't happy, she was stressed.  She wondered how Olivia managed to do it every day. Dean had to face the truth, she was in fact innocent and Sam had been right....well mostly. It's more than that though.  When faced with the realization that he was wrong about Beth, that he let his hurt cloud his decision making, I believe Dean came face to face with another truth. His hurt and anger was preventing him from being able to empathise with Mary's need to have some space and time to process all that was happening to her.  We can see that Dean had come to this realisation when he tells Magda that she just needs some time and space. We also see it when Sam asks Dean if he really meant what he said and Dean admits to understanding that Mom needed time.  He got it. The affirmation from his Mom when she sent the text seemed to reassure Dean that Sam was right, and that Mom just needs some time and she will come back.

Sam discovered that Magda wasn't in fact dead, but a prisoner in her own home, where she was beaten and psychologically abused.  He learnt that she wasn't evil or the devil as she was led to believe by her family, but that in truth she had psychic abilities.  Sam shared a truth with Magda, letting her know that he too was psychic, that he had visions and could move things with his mind. He didn't think he still had those powers (who knows if he still does?), but he did know that these powers didn't mean he was evil or had the devil in him and neither did she. Sam helped Magda to see the truth, that she didn't intentionally hurt anyone and that she didn't have to let the power control her. She could in fact control them. Sam offered her a shoulder and an ear and told her if she ever needed anything he would be there for her.  Sam helped Magda see that she is good and there is good out there. The boys gave her a second chance and a chance to be part of a new family.    For Sam, judging by his comment to Dean, "you think our family is crazy", I'd say that despite the Winchester's ups and downs, Sam wouldn't trade his family for the world.

The Human Monster

I was totally intrigued when the Then had showed us psychics from the past.  They varied from the special children chosen by YED to the more mundane, like the one from The Mentalist. I really loved the fact that they brought the whole psychic thing back as we haven't seen anything regarding psychics for five years. I was especially intrigued at the fact that Sam wasn't sure if he still had those powers. Ooooh.  Then I started to question whether bringing up Sam's psychic abilities was just a one off for this eppy or does it mean more?  Then my mind started to wander and I got myself wondering.....

 Did the mention of Sam's psychic abilities have more to do with the possibility that he could be in danger?  Did Ketch kill the girl because her psychic abilities were used to kill people, though unintentional?  Or did he kill her because she was a psychic and she was considered a danger? Do these BMOL think along the lines of Gordon Walker? Do they consider all psychics dangerous? Sam was a psychic and for all anyone truly knows he still could be. Does that mean the BMOL consider him a threat? Would they want Sam dead if they found out? Do they even know? How about dean, he was a demon. He bore the MOC. How much do they know about Dean? Would they consider him a danger? They know of his time in Purgatory and his friendship with a monster.  I'm beginning to wonder if bringing up the whole psychic thing with Sam could foreshadow trouble for the Winchesters in the future.

 I fear for those who Sam and Dean had given second chances.  Those like Kate, Alex, and Garth. 

This Mr. Ketch is trouble.  Ketch reminded me of Crowley, when he had begun to kill the people the boys had saved.  I'm not making excuses, but Crowley had done it to get what he wanted.  Ketch, I feel is much worse, much more dangerous.  Feels to me that this Ketch is someone who believes he is among those who have the right to decide who dies and has declared himself righteous executioner.   Who's to say who Ketch decides he considers a monster.  Cas?  Mary?  Sam?  Dean ?  Crowley? Rowena?  (Though the last two are understandable.)  Lady Toni refers to Ketch as a psychopath whom she wants nothing to do with. There is another in history who had the same beliefs, you all might recall his name....Adolf Hitler.  (Isn't it ironic, don't cha think that next week's ep happens to be about Hitler?....just saying....bwahaha..... I fear that this Mr. Ketch and the BMOL faction that he is working for might possibly end up being worse than any monster the boys have faced. 

Not for nothing folks, but these BMOLs gots to go.

Great episode.  The guest cast was impressive and Jared and Jensen were fantastic.  A great first for Davy Perez.  This episode really felt like old school Supernatural.  I'm loving s12 so far and look forward to all that's to come.

Til next week.

-Anna