Usually, one wonders what you think are the best episodes of SPN. Instead I wanted to ask you what do you think are the worst episodes. Thank you.
Easy, the worst episode is 10x09, introduction of a character that NOBODY asked for, Claire Novak. Even worse, they wasted the mid-season finale on her, a character that NOBODY asked for. No surprise that showrunner Jeremy Carver was tote on board because Claire was his creation in season 4, meaning he would get paid residuals every time his character shows up on screen.
This youtuber's reaction sums up my anti-Claire Novack feeling even though Kathryn is playing a different character: “I swear to God this girl through the entire movie makes me feel like placing my forehead against her forehead and having my forehead absorb her brain for the empty calories because it’s not like she’s using it anyways.”
The other worst episode was 6x20, “The Man Who Would Be King”, a Castiel centric episode that should be taught in screenwriting class on the wrong way of using flashbacks to retcon and salvage a character instead of adding to the plot.
There should be only one reason for flashbacks, the character has a backstory that matters to the main plot and moves the plot. Even then, it’s not a good enough reason for flashback to be worthwhile unless it has enough information to be important. After that, the flashback must be a plot catalyst for a plot revelation that jumps the character’s arc into higher gear than ever before.
Now did any of Cas’s flashbacks do that in Supernatural? Be honest now, this is a safe space. NO IT DIDN’T. The episode was literally telling the audience that Cas is a swell guy through Cas’s narration. Worse, his backstory was used for padding instead of progression because it wasn’t integral to the narrative. None of Cas’s flashback offer new information other than making look Cas worse, like confirming that he took Sam out of the Cage and despite knowing something was wrong with Sam, took no further action to rectify the situation.
Most of the appeal of Cas’s story is the subtext. The moment TMWWBK brought his backstory into the clear light of dramatized narrative, it cease to be subtext and instead it became blatant and on the nose. It lost more than half its power. Cas’s main story was sacrificed to a needless exploration of a backstory that could have been revealed with more power and precision without the flashbacks. Flashbacks should be earned, just as any plot development is earned.
Writers need to always ask if the fun of dramatizing the backstory is worth the subtlety and mystery they lose in the main story. Edlund turned Castiel into a charisma-vacuum character.
I think Misha and Edlund knew the main audience will turn against Cas when he breaks Sam’s mind in the finale two episodes later and why they (or maybe just Misha) campaigned hard to have a Cas-centric episode before the finale to excuse explain Cas’s actions. Except I don’t think it worked since most Cas stans don’t refer to TMWWBK to defend Cas.
ETA: correction on the episode number for 10x09
