This week’s episode of Supernatural started out like Final Destination and ended as an atypical entry for a show that usually wraps up the monster-of-the-week storyline before the final act. “Shut Up, Dr. Phil” introduced us to Don and Maggie Starks, a wealthy married couple with a knack for sorcery. But as we all know, witches on Supernatural don’t come with lightning bolt scars and magic wands. They come with a twisted sense of humor and a propensity for gory endings, evidenced in this hour by impalement, electrocution, decapitation and the vomiting of vital organs. But these two witches aren’t aiming to hurt their victims; instead, they’re aiming to hurt each other ever since Maggie found out that Don cheated on her. Sam and Dean have got themselves one hell of spat between lovers.
What happens when a pretty broke show goes for broke.
For a show that conveys gruesome murders by splattering blood on the wall, “Shut Up, Dr. Phil” truly gave us a taste of the horror that Sam and Dean encounter every day. From the barbequed head – totally telegraphed the minute Wendy sat down – to the innumerable nails pinning a man to the wall of a Porta-Potty, this episode rivaled any Final Destination movie in terms of pre-ordained carnage. And lest we forget the beating heart inside Jenny’s cupcake, the gore geyser that shot from her mouth or the dinner plate that cut the head clean off Maggie’s friend. This was undoubtedly one of Supernatural’s goriest hours, and while the deaths were a nice change from the familiar splatter, the bloodshed we got seemed almost too much crammed into the same episode.
Don and Maggie can brutally murder me any day of the week.
Then again, we do have the most badass witches in Supernatural history wreaking havoc while dealing with their dirty laundry. James Marsters and Charisma Carpenter sizzled as Don and Maggie. Marsters brought particular gravitas to his role, and as a Smallville fan, it was nice to hear that silky voice that gave Clark Kent so much trouble growing up. The chemistry Don and Maggie shared was effortless and their banter was well-written. Even with their hokey spell casting – the scene where they’re both cursing Sam and Dean is almost laughable – I sincerely hope we see them again down the road. Given the way things ended between them and the brothers, I’d say there’s a good chance we will.
Oh look, it’s the nacho cheese assassin.
The Leviathan storyline, despite its promising start, just isn’t clicking yet. As much as I hate to say it (because as I stated above, this show gets minimal funding), the storyline lacks punch in part because it’s another example of legendary creatures having to use human vessels. Like Lucifer, Eve and Azazel before them, the Leviathans simply aren’t intimidating when they’re driving cross country or tossing Sam and Dean around like every other bad guy. This is a show about monsters, after all, not humans who do evil things because they’re meat puppets. Just once, I’d like to see Supernatural put its big bad on the back burner and stockpile money during the season in order to unleash the beast near the finale. Seeing actual special effects would get me (and probably some other viewers) excited about Leviathans.
Line of the week
Sam: I didn’t realize you were such a spa expert.
Deam: Shut up. I observe…with my eyes.
Next week on Supernatural
Double the Winchesters, double the handsome.
