Do you miss Brett Love's CliqueClack reviews of 'Supernatural'? We do too! I got this busy theatre-goer to catch up on season seven of 'Supernatural' so we could really dig in to what has been good this season, where they've gone astray and what we'd like to see for the rest of the season.

Debbie:

It’s time to take stock of Supernatural‘s season seven so far. It’s no secret that this hasn’t been my favorite season of Supernatural. I never thought there could be a season that I was somewhat dissatisfied with, but here it is. However, going back through the episode reviews Keith and I did, I realize that I enjoyed almost all of the episodes on some level, save for the Jewel Staite (love her, hated the episode) one. I want to really dig into the details of what has made this season great and what has been less than stellar, but first, what’s your overall feeling of season seven so far?

Brett:

So far, I’d say my overall feeling on Supernatural is OK. I hesitate to refer to the show as my favorite, as I have many times in the past, but it does still keep me coming back. The issue this season for me really comes down to two bits that got things off on the wrong foot. First, leviathans. Frankly, they just don’t measure up. Over the years, there has been a building of the big bads. It actually gets back to one of the things I’ve always loved about the show. They finish things. And as they finish, something bigger and better is right around the corner. So far, I’m not seeing anything bigger or better about the leviathans. The whole thing feels like it’s more worthy of season two or three in the scale of foes. Not season seven. Perhaps I’ll be surprised at some point when the rabbit comes out of the hat and the leviathans do pay off in some amazing way. For now though, color me less than impressed.

The other thing is the whole deal with Dean killing Amy, and the havoc it brought. I just never bought that Dean should be having that big an issue over it. It doesn’t really read given what we’ve learned of him over the past six years. Perhaps more problematic for me though is that it was a tired story that had already been told plenty of times. You can go all the way back to “Croatoan” in season two where they have the argument over should they or shouldn’t they kill a person/monster. And it’s come up again since then. They really didn’t need to go back to that well.

Looking at that, it looks a little gloomy. But all is not lost. I started to come around about the time of “The Mentalists.” Some of the angsty/mopey Dean was gone and it looked like Amybacle might finally be put to rest. It also led to a pretty strong run of episodes where there was some fun to be had. Bringing back Becky was a great idea. That reminds me of another of my highlights for the season so far. The casting has been outstanding. Marsters and Carpenter in “Shut Up Dr. Phil,” Nicholas Lea as Eliot Ness (!), Emilie Ullerup in “Defending Your Life,” DJ Qualls in “Time For A Wedding,” and Meghan Ory in “Adventures In Babysitting” were all great additions.

Debbie:

In theory, I completely agree with you about the leviathans. I’m not placing a ton of importance on it, though, because for me, this show really isn’t about the monsters; it’s about the characters and how the events in the episodes effect them, for better or for worse. So even if the leviathans turn out to be fairly lame, as long as Dean and Sam react in a way that is up to snuff, it’s fine by me.

I think the Dean/Amy issue speaks to a larger problem I see with the season, and that’s the whole going retro thing. I agree with you about “The Mentalists”; it was one of my favorite episodes this season, and partly because it really did bring us back to the good old days, when the two brothers were fighting the good fight. However, you can’t go retro if you bring back tired stories without incorporating all of the new experiences the boys have had since then. That’s one thing this show has always done so well — the characters have grown in such an organic way based on their experiences. They can’t go retro and lose all of the growth; even though we’ll enjoy the episodes on one level, it will leave those of us who value the characters feeling empty. However, going retro has given us some wonderful moments, like seeing Jo again, for example.

To speak to the guest cast this season, it has been outstanding, and I need to see Marsters’ Don Stark again. I can see him working as a recurring character like Chuck or The Trickster.

Now here’s a can of worms to be opened — how do you feel about the way they handled Bobby’s death?

Brett:

I always assumed Bobby would die at some point, but I thought the events that led up to it would be much more epic. Something that would come at the climax of the big battle of the season. In that regard, this was a bit of a let-down. But I’m not overly worried about it, because if we have learned one thing over the last six and a half years, nobody is ever really gone on Supernatural. And I do kind of like the idea of ghost Bobby.

Debbie:

I felt let down by the way he died at first too, but I get what they’re trying to do with it. They juxtaposed it beautifully with the episode “Adventures in Babysitting,” the hunter getting out of the life for his daughter. Everyone dies if they stay in the hunting life, and everyone who is associated with Sam and Dean die, so Bobby had no chance. And the fragility of that life was driven home by that one little bullet getting Bobby in what should have been a routine escape. I get it, but I still don’t want him dead … but he was ghost-drinking Dean’s beer, I’m sure of it!

One other thing that I wasn’t too keen on at first was the way they seemingly dropped Sam’s scrambled Hell wall brain, but I’ve come to respect how they handled it. I love the way Sam will squeeze his scar now and then, to remind himself of what’s real, and that’s really the only little nod we need. Sam’s chosen an optimistic path of gratitude, which we needed to juxtapose with Dean’s “I am the victim of this crappy life” attitude. I’m hoping that Eliot Ness finally talked some sense into Dean and he can start to see the shiny side of the coin as well.

We know that Castiel is coming back for several episodes beginning with episode 17. I love Cas, and I missed him a lot at first, but I’m rather curious about how they’re going to incorporate him back into the storyline. His character wouldn’t fit with the retro themes, with the fact that the human race is where the power is and that it all comes back to the Winchester boys. We’ve revisited human vulnerability as well as human power this season — how will Cas fit into all that?

Brett:

My guess is that his return coincides with the return to the bigger story, and the ramping up of the stakes. It will all fall on Sam and Dean, as always, but they won’t be able to do it alone. That’s where Cas comes in. And I think he’ll be back to offer them help, having used the time away to straighten things out. Although, I would also be all for the return of Cas being the crux of the problem, leading us in a whole different direction.

Debbie:

It will be interesting to find out, that’s for sure.

I can’t end our post without mentioning one of my favorite scenes from season seven: Dean singing Air Supply. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the “Eye of the Tiger” outtake, and just how hilarious Jensen Ackles is.

Any last thoughts? Something you hope to see before the season ends?

Brett:

Well, I am curious what you think about another season. Assuming those involved are up for it, do you think the network should march on, or bring the show to a close?

Debbie:

A good question, and one that I ask myself often. At the end of season five, when Kripke left and it was in question whether or not the series would go on, I was on the fence then. It was a good ending point, the creator was leaving, the series was conceived as a five-season arc and the story had been told. But, they pulled off a season six that I enjoyed from start to finish, so I stayed on board. I’m almost thinking they need a season eight to redeem themselves, to plan out a series ender from start to finish, to orchestrate the perfect ending befitting a near-perfect series (did I overstep a bit there?). If they ended it now, it would feel rushed and I want them to do it right.

How about you, Readers — how are you feeling about Supernatural‘s season seven so far?

Photo Credit: The CW