2:8 CROSSROAD BLUES
Directed by Steve Boyum. Original Airdate: November 16, 2006.Watched and Reviewed on June 3, 2011.
Synopsis: She'll make your dreams come true for a price... your soul. Dean confronts a demon straight out of Faust who makes the young ghoul-hunter a startling - and tempting - offer.
If the episode's title and the above screenshot conjure up specific images that give you an idea of what it might be about, chances are you're familiar with iconic Blues guitarist Robert Johnson. This episode is partly based on the legend that Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the talent that eventually led to him being renowned as one of the best Blues musicians who ever lived. "Crossroads" is a reference to the location where Johnson made a pact with the devil, and this episode sees the Winchester brothers travel to the area surrounding said location to investigate a series of mysterious deaths that may be linked demonic dogs. This is a pretty well done episode in terms of look and style, and it's probably the best Monster of the Week episode of the second season so far. The actress who plays the She-Devil in the episode is easily one of the hottest guest stars yet. Good Lord.Score: 7.5
2:9 CROATOAN
Directed by Robert Singer. Original Airdate: December 7, 2006.Watched and Reviewed on June 4, 2011.
Synopsis: In a small Oregon town, Sam is infected by a supernatural virus that sweeps friends and neighbors into a frenzy of violence.
A premonition on Sam's part, in which Dean shoots and kills a seemingly innocent person, leads the brothers to a small town in Oregon where things just don't seem right with the locals. George Romero's brand of survival horror really came to mind when watching this episode (specifically THE CRAZIES) and I couldn't help but wonder just how much the Zombie King was an actual influence here. All of that being said, this isn't your typical atmospheric Monster of the Week episode where Sam and Dean peek around corners of a dark house with a flashlight in one hand and a shotgun full of rock-salt in the other; it's easily one of the most unpredictable episodes yet. The ultimate outcome is obvious (good guys win), but the path that the episode takes to get there is another story. While it's not the most entertaining episode, it's a solid one in terms of plot and really getting to the core of the show's psychological aspect. This one also marks a huge turning point in the running storyline. On a final note, I was bothered by the deus ex machina and the lazy writing that closed this particular plot out, but the twist ending totally made up for it.
Score: 7
2:10 HUNTED
Directed by Rachel Talalay. Origina Airdate: January 11, 2007.Watched and Reviewed on June 4, 2011.
Synopsis: After Sam learns of his father's warning, he splits from Dean and starts hunting for others with his gift - or curse - of psychic powers. And someone's hunting for him: Gordon, the relentless vampire hunter.
A trend I've noticed, mostly in the first season, is that the show has a tendency to set something up which has the potential of being juicy, only to follow it up with something lackluster, if at all. Well, HUNTED is one of the episodes to break that trend, and it's a solid follow-up to the impressive CROATOAN. The focus here in the second season seems to be mostly on two things: the controversy surrounding Sam and Dean's father, and the untapped psychic potential that Sam possesses. That being said, the last couple of episodes, including this one, have been a marker for some important turns in the overall story. This is probably vague for people who aren't familiar with the show (although I doubt much people are reading this in the first place anyway), but hopefully those who are fans of the show will know what I'm talking about and agree with me.Anyway, a few recurring characters show up in this episode, including a certain person whose presence I quite enjoyed in the BLOODLUST episode. We also get a new character introduced who may or may not be a character that turns up again, although the end of the episode certainly hints at it. I don't really have much to say about this particular episode. It's solid, well written, and well acted, but I'm more impressed with the direction the season is going and the turns that the show is taking. We'll see if it stays consistent, or if it gets derailed by some low points. Katharine Isabelle from the GINGER SNAPS series guest stars. Directed by the chick who made TANK GIRL (ugh) and FREDDY'S DEAD (eh).
Score: 7.5
Really enjoyed all three of these episodes Aaron, I thought the Croatoan episode was excellent, and you're right about the she devil in the Crossroads episode, she was absolutely smoking hot!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback, AHND. I was hoping these posts would generate some SUPERNATURAL discussion, but apparently not much of my followers watch the show! But anyway, yeah, these three episodes were really impressive.
ReplyDeleteMaybe more people will give it a go when it's finished, I was late to the party like you and only really started it as I'd run out of other shows to watch. It may not always be great but some of the episodes are better than what passes for horror movies these days and for a network tv show that has to be worth celebrating.
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