We were due for a typical Supernatural episode after three weeks of setting up this season’s big storylines and we got it in “Defending Your Life.” The Leviathans get a brief mention in the opening minutes but after that it’s on to this week’s case, which involves guilty people being killed in mysterious ways. First we have a guy who’s murdered by a car in his living room – very reminiscent of “Route 666” in the first season – then another who’s mauled by a dog in a restaurant bathroom. Sam and Dean stumble upon the third victim, and with the help of some scribbling and Bobby’s impeccable research skills, they discover the Egyptian god Osiris is sentencing people to death for their guilt.
Let’s hook Dean up with some of Sam’s happy pills.
Aside from being your typical “monster of the week” episode, “Defending Your Life” exhibited another Supernatural trademark by forcing one of the brothers to confront their feelings right after a traumatic event. Given that Sam mentioned Amy early in the episode, it seemed obvious that Dean would be doing some serious soul-searching concerning his “murder” in last week’s episode. Typically a speedy dose of introspection would feel forced, but this episode did a nice job setting the table before Osiris got his hands on Dean. The oldest Winchester brother seemed stressed and weary throughout “Defending Your Life.” Between his frustration at the complexity of the case and his pep talk before hooking up with the bartender, it was nice to see the cracks in Dean’s tough guy façade starting to show.
Because who doesn’t want to hold court in a barn?
When Osiris finally brings Dean to trial, we get a firsthand look at just the kind of budget the CW gives Supernatural. The barn courtroom is dimly lit with a few Egyptian statues and a nice throne for Osiris. While I very rarely complain about the show’s meager budget – mainly because Supernatural excels at stretching every penny – the courtroom was really shoddy and didn’t feel appropriate for the Egyptian god of the underworld. Maybe I base too much off The Mummy, but I needed more light and more opulence. Thankfully the actor playing Osiris (Faran Tahir from Iron Man) brought gravitas to the role and made up for the drab surroundings.
Add this to Sam’s resume: lawyer for the damned.
I was a bit surprised that Osiris let Sam stay but was even more shocked by the callback we got to the pilot episode when Sam reminded us that he was pre-law. While Sam seemed in over his head at first with his constant objections, he eventually settled down and prepared for the first witness Osiris had in store for Dean – Jo Harvelle, who as you’ll recall went kaboom two seasons ago. Supernatural has an illustrious mythology and the showrunners do a great job bringing back familiar faces; “Defending Your Life” is no exception. Jo’s life was tragically cut short and it was nice to hear that she became a hunter because of her father and – while she didn’t get to finish – that she presumably didn’t blame Dean for her death. Her use later in the episode as Osiris’ puppet was tragic as she clearly didn't want to kill Dean.
Another day, another case, another great place to park and drink.
We got another Supernatural staple in this episode: the park and drink, where Dean and Sam park the Impala somewhere, enjoy a few cold ones and rehash their feelings in the most macho way possible. It’s no surprise that Dean sidestepped Sam’s question about the final witness, but I’d be shocked if the Amy issue wasn’t revisited sometime this season. It seems like the perfect tool to create friction between the brothers. One quick thing before we sign off – it was shown last week that the Leviathans know some of Sam and Dean’s tricks since they tracked them down using one of their aliases. Yet this week our heroes are driving the Impala and using their cell phones without a care in the world. It seems unlikely to me that if the Leviathans know Sam and Dean’s aliases they wouldn’t also know about the Impala, which wouldn’t be that difficult to track using the right surveillance. They again, maybe I’m giving our newest big bads too much credit.
Line of the week
Dean: “Tell that to ghost dog.”
Next week on Supernatural
Charisma Carpenter and James Marsters reunite for some sinister spell casting!
