Baby's Rear View Recap: 11.13 "Love Hurts"

This post is about Supernatural 11.13 "Love Hurts," written by Eric Charmelo & Nicole Snyder and directed by Phil Sgriccia.

Happy Unattached Drifter Christmas!

In honor of the day, I have included a few (carefully selected for content and humor) Supernatural Valentines!

And my personal favorite:

I got all of these from this Tumblr, where there are plenty more to be found. Knock yourself out.

And without firther ado, here's the recap:

Spoilers to follow.

“College Girl Dies of a ‘Broken Heart’”

The episode opens with a nice-looking couple getting ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day. They’re kissing when—suddenly—the doorbell rings; it’s the babysitter. The husband meets the babysitter at the door and they share a kiss—turns out the husband is schtupping the babysitter. After the couple leaves and the babysitter is alone, the camera goes into creepy stalker-mode. Someone sneaks up on the babysitter, but once she sees who it is, she isn’t scared (it’s obvi the husband). For a second, she’s pleased. And then he punches out her heart.

“I can’t help it if I’m a hopeless romantic.”

“You got half of that right.”

Back in the Bunker, Sam is studying. Dean walks in barely awake, sporting a hickey. He stumbles to the fridge and proceeds to stuff his face with takeout, only to spit it back out again, as it has clearly gone bad. This is a fun scene; Dean is clearly celebrating Unattached Drifter Christmas right. Amid brotherly banter, Sam fills Dean in on their new case.

“Was it like an ironic werewolf?”

The boys interview the husband and wife. They find out the nanny-cam is missing, and the boys surmise that something is up with the husband—turns out he took it. Dean questions him and gets him to show him the video. (Side-note, Dean is really not impressed by this guy. He’s looking really tired and uninterested, almost like a real FBI agent.) The video makes it look like the perp was the husband himself, but the flashing eyes point to shapeshifter.

“I’m guessing it’s the wife.”

We cut back to the husband’s office, where he is alone at the end of the day. Someone is stalking him, and it turns out to be the dead babysitter. After a moment with her, the husband has lost his heart. Confused, the boys decide to question the wife next. Even though she admits she knew her husband was cheating, she denies being a murderer. The boys test her with a silver pen, but she doesn’t flinch. As soon as they leave, however, the wife pulls out a shoebox full of what looks like a spell. She then calls someone, asking for help. Later that night, the wife is drinking wine when the husband shows up.

“Hey, what’s a ‘Dad Bod’?”

Dean gets back to Sam at the “Too Tired Motel” (love this play on words, btw) after striking out at the bar. The wife turns up right after, having somehow escaped her dead husband. She explains that her hairdresser gave her a Return-to-Love spell, which may have somehow led to the broken-hearts murder spree.

“Kinda makes you nostalgic for good old-fashioned herpes.”

After looking at the spell, Sam explains that it’s actually a curse called “The Kiss of Death.” (A curse spread by kissing?! I like it.) The husband soon shows up, and Dean, seeing that silver bullets can’t stop him, kisses the wife to save her (my hero). Sam is very upset, and the three scramble into the impala to make their escape. As they peel out of the parking lot, we see the shadow of the husband morph into a woman.

“What kind of FBI agents are you?”

“The fake kind.”

Once they’re at a safe distance, Sam expresses his frustration to Dean. Good, Sammy, get it all out. He tells Dean that he shouldn’t try to be the martyr or the guinea pig, but Dean shrugs it off. Meanwhile, the wife is freaking out and the boys do an okay job at calming her down. After their talk she leads them to the salon where she met the witch, “The Art of Dyeing.” (“Can’t say she didn’t warn you.”)

“You punch her, you stab her, you drop a freaking house on her if you have to.”

The boys leave the wife in the car and get to work. While investigating the salon, the boys find a book of spells and read up on the one the witch used. It’s a Qareen, which presents itself as “your deepest darkest desire” and can only be stopped when its heart is destroyed. The catch is that its heart does not reside in the body.

“I finally get some face time with Daisy Duke.”

The boys split up to look for the heart (which must be possessed by the witch in order for her to control it. Why her possessions are in the salon and not on her person or in her house is not explained. Does she live here?) The boys play a rousing game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who goes where, which Dean wins for once (yay Dean! You’ve gotten so much smarter!). He’s so pleased with himself that he doesn’t even mind that Sam takes the upstairs anyway. Sam finds a likely looking locked box, but unfortunately, the witch has found him. And the Qareen has found Dean. As it turns out, Dean’s deepest desire is Amara. Should’ve seen that one coming.

“You’re practically a feminist.”

I don’t even know what to say about this line. On first watch, I felt really betrayed by this line. (Come on, Samantha, I thought we were soul sisters—do you not understand what feminism is?) Is he equating this witch with feminists? Because I am not a witch, thank you very much. After watching it a couple times, I’m beginning to hope that maybe Sam is being very subtly sarcastic. Maybe he’s making fun of the witch not because she is acting like a *ridiculous* feminist, but for erroneously thinking she’s a feminist (and by extension, he’s making fun of people who think that feminism is all about punishing men). The former is the impression I got from the scene, but the latter fits better with who I personally think Sam is. Either way, I think it was a pretty confusing and unnecessary joke and as a feminist, it alienated me because I’m not sure whether my beloved Sam is making fun of me or not (Oh, what did I do to deserve this!)

“I guess I’m just weeding out the idiots… and you’re next.”

Dean and Qareen-Amara have a heart-to-heart (pun intended) about Dean’s desire for Amara and his shame over it. She lovingly encourages him to give in. But when Dean calls her a cheap imitation, a fight ensues. Meanwhile the witch tries to kill Sam with a spell; luckily, the wife interrupts and Sam is able to hit the witch with some of his (aptly named) witch-killing bullets. Dean is just a heartbeat away from a violent death when Sam stabs the Qareen’s heart, just in the nick of time.

“We need to kill the Darkness… and I don’t think I can.”

In my favorite scene of the episode, Dean finally admits to Sam that he’s attracted to Amara, and Sam admits that he already knows. Dean expresses his fear of weakness and of being complicit in Amara’s evil acts. Sam commiserates with Dean and explains that he doesn’t blame him; he implores him not to beat himself up over it. Dean finally acknowledges that he must rely on Sam to see this through when he can’t do it for himself, and apologizes for putting it all on him. Sam takes it all on like a true brother and assures Dean that he will take care of it. Look at my babies all grown up.

Questions:

This episode was super Monster-of-the-week and didn’t tie into the plot much until the end. That said, the only question it really brought up was what is Sam going to do about Amara? Can he actually take the burden from Dean?

Conclusions:

This has not been my favorite episode of the season. I usually love holiday-themed episodes, but I thought the plot of this one was pretty “eh.” I love the idea of a curse spread through kissing, and I have to admit that I didn’t see it coming. But the whole setup with the cheating husband was pretty darn done. I didn’t care for any of the secondary characters at all, they were uninteresting plot-filler. However, Sam and Dean’s interactions together were extremely well-written and funny. That last scene was really beautiful, and shows some real character development.

There was a ton of problematic relationship issues not addressed to my satisfaction, from Dean’s shame over Amara to the wife’s sick devotion to her attempt to force him to love her to the husband’s affair with a tiny child. Gross and under-developed and PROBLEMATIC.  

And then there’s the feminist comment which I really can’t get over.  Just tell me, what was he trying to say?! The “f-word” just packs too big a punch not to be certain what you’re aiming at.

Also, the dad bod comment. I want to know the context in which Dean heard it. Because he does not have a dad bod. I’ve been hearing lots of discussion on this point and I want it settled.

Also, a canon question: why did the video show flashing eyes if the Qareen is not a traditional shape-shifter? And remind me—what are witch-killing bullets and why do we need them? 

Overall, I really enjoyed the jokes and the Sam and Dean, but the other elements of the episode fell a bit flat for me. While I will fondly remember some of the moments (Dean finally winning rock-paper-scissors) the episode as a whole is definitely not one of my favorites.

Baby's Rear View Recap: 11.12 "Don't You Forget About Me"

This post is about Supernatural 11.12 "Don’t You Forget About Me," written by Nancy Won and directed by Stefen Pleszczynski.

Spoilers to follow. 

“What are you?”

The show opens on two teenagers in a parked truck. Seems pretty standard, but as it turns out, the danger lurking in the shadows waiting for them is not a monster—it’s Claire. It seems she thinks she is hunting a monster, but the “monster” is really just a boy. Thankfully, the people in the opening scene get to live! Finally.

“Some dude took a picture of a weasel riding a flying woodpecker.”

After the title, we cut to Sam and Dean in the bunker doing… absolutely nothing. It seems they are no closer to finding Amara than before. No word from Cas, either. Dean pulls out dinner for the night: it’s “The Elvis,” a burger with glazed donuts for buns. I say “yum,” but Sam for one is not impressed. Luckily a call from Claire interrupts, and Sam is saved from the double donut monstrosity. The boys are headed back to Sioux Falls, South Dakota!

“You don’t have the boobs for my dress.”

Next we see Alex at school, walking with her boyfriend and a friend and talking about Prom. We are also introduced here to “Mr. P,” Alex’s favorite teacher. Sherriff Jody Mills watches from the car, with the sweetest, most sincerely pleased smile on her face that I just cannot get over. When Alex hops in the car, she immediately starts to talk to Jody about her day. Jody expresses her pride for how well Alex is fitting in. That is, until she catches a glimpse of Alex’s birth control and realizes she’s fitting in a little too well…

“Well there goes the neighborhood.”

Jody and Alex arrive home to find the Winchesters sitting in the house with Claire. Cue standard sibling bickering and mom-voice intervention. (But you know, it’s still good because it’s clever dialogue, and Kim Rhodes!) Soon it’s established that Claire is the one who put up the “bat signal,” and Jody expresses her doubt in Claire’s judgment.

“But it’s shaped like chicken. Not a patty or—or a nugget.”

Ah, the instantaneously infamous dinner scene. At dinner, the boys unceremoniously stuff their faces as though they haven’t had a home-cooked meal in weeks. (They probably haven’t.) It’s simultaneously cute and gross and funny and sad. The boys compliment Jody on the food until Claire not-so-subtly steers the conversation back to the case. It seems that three people are missing and Claire suspects foul play—and is frustrated that no one else does. In the ensuing disagreement, Alex tries unsuccessfully to sneak a sip of Jody’s wine. The conversation turns to Claire’s previous run-ins with monsters who turned out to be less than they seemed. Now Alex is contributing to the conversation, reveling a bit too much in Claire’s embarrassment. In true sibling fashion, Claire turns the talk to Alex’s sex life.

“Oh, we’re going there.”

Jody thinks it’s time to have the sex talk with her girls, hoping that Dean and Sam will back her up. They don’t, as they’re completely out of their element here. Sam can only mumble, and Dean (though he’s listening intently) keeps saying “what” whenever Jody looks his way. Finally Jody gives up and turns to her wine glass instead.

“I’ll put Sammy on it. He’s better with the whole talky thing anyway.”

Jody expresses her concern over Claire to Dean in private, and Dean agrees to try to help (via Sam). Sam does in fact go to talk with Claire, and it’s a very lovely conversation. Sam makes clear that he’s not taking sides, and Claire reveals that she feels left out of Jody and Alex’s family. When Claire suggests that she should leave, Sam gently talks her down. He shares that while he can relate, he has learned to prioritize family over hunting—because while monsters will always be around, family won’t.

“Nobody wants to go to school, Claire—it’s school.”

Poor Mr. P gets taped to the flagpole (exsanguinated, presumably). Alex is crushed, but Claire is validated. She joins the gang at the crime scene but is kicked out by the sheriff and fake-FBI. Dean takes her aside and gives her the respect talk. Thankfully, he has improved at it since he gave it to Sam all those years ago. Dean also tries his hand at “dadding” Alex, giving a very convincingly dangerous and nuanced glare to her boyfriend, Henry.

“I deserve hazard pay for that.”

Sam and Jody interview the school janitor, who found the body, while Dean checks out the school itself. Again, we see Dean getting tired out, as he complains that the school is “bigger than it looks.” Sam confides that the janitor was “squirrely.” They know that something’s going on, but they don’t know what.

“There are awful things out there.”

Alex, still upset about her teacher, talks with her boyfriend about her fears. She goes through flashbacks of her former life, luring men to her family’s nest. She shares as much as she can with Henry, explaining that she used to be a different person, and that she has done awful things. Perfect boyfriend that he is, Henry assures her that he doesn’t care.

“I always thought you were the pretty one.”

As it turns out, the janitor’s social security number is fake. The boys go to track down Mr. Weiler while Jody and Claire prepare to meet with the registrar of Claire’s school. On the way to the car they are ambushed by none other than Mr. Weiler himself. When Jody takes a forceful hit to the back of the head, Claire comes to her rescue but is overpowered. Jody, in turn, tries to rescue Claire but gets a broken leg for her trouble and a sickening uppercut that really should have knocked her out. It’s a really gruesome fight, mostly because it’s so one-sided. It just gives off a disgusting air. Luckily Jody is able to get a call off to Dean, who rushes back to the house with Sam. By the time they arrive, everyone is gone. While there, the boys get a call and realize that the janitor is a vampire from Alex’s hometown. Dean goes to pick up Alex who is still with her boyfriend. By the time he arrives, Alex has been taken. Sam visits the Vamp’s office and discovers a map to the old pool building. He and Dean agree to head there.

“You were right.”

Claire and Jody are indeed being held in the old pool building. There are bodies there as well, and Claire identifies them as the three missing persons from earlier. Henry, also a vamp, enters dragging Alex, who is distraught to see her family there. As it turns out, the vamp was one of the guys lured by Alex in Nebraska. He was a good guy who drove her home after he scared off the older man that was with her. After he got turned, he killed his own family. He has been watching Alex for some time, and decided to make her watch her own family die as payback. He turned Henry and directed him to build Alex up so that he could “chop [her] right down, piece by piece.”

The vamp prepares Claire, telling Alex that he will make her watch everyone she loves die. Claire insists that Alex hates her, but Alex shows her love by begging him to let her lure for his nest in exchange for Claire’s release. He bites Claire anyway. Sam hears her screams and comes running, but the vamps ambush him. In the chaos, Claire frees herself and stabs the vamp. Dean steps up from behind and cuts off his head. Sam subdues Henry and offers him to Alex, who gives him a well-deserved punch in the face. Claire slices his head off, and the girls share a meaningful look.

“That’s what’s scary about family: it gives you so much to lose.”

The gang has all the sweet moments as they say goodbye for now. The boys leave the house with Tupperware full of left-overs. Claire and Alex finally connect, and Alex reveals that it is too hard for her to be around monsters. They don’t know what will come next for them, but they know that they can rely on each other.

And:

“As long as everyone wears a condom, we’ll be fine.”

Questions:

What’s next? This episode was so removed from the plot of this season that it didn’t really give us any clues as to that. I don’t mind though, personally.

Is Dean sick? Maybe the show is just having fun with age jokes, but this is the second episode in a row where Dean has admitted that he’s more tired than he should be after doing his (semi)normal tasks.

And most importantly:

WILL THERE BE A SPIN-OFF?

I certainly hope so. I mean, I would watch any Supernatural anything—except the Stein family Bloodlines spin-off (no, actually, I’d watch that). But I’m really enormously excited at the idea of this particular spin-off. I LOVE Kim Rhodes and have always enjoyed her character tremendously. I’ve expressed my disappointment in the show’s general lack of female representation, and I think this would be a phenomenal avenue to explore Claire’s and Alex’s development in particular. They both have incredible backstories that could spawn some really nuanced stuff. I would love to see the spin-off take a look at the line between victim and perpetrator, as both girls have done horrible things but were also really used and abused themselves. I feel we don’t explore this in the main show enough (or at least not in a way that speaks to my personal experience) and I just get giddy at the thought of diving into the nuance of teenage girl emotions, because it is SO RARELY done well. I also just loved seeing my Twitter feed explode with happiness and support for our Wayward Daughters, and hope that I will be able to have that community for real one day.

Do I actually think it will happen? Nahh, not really. Maybe I’m just cynical. It read to me less like a backdoor pilot to make the fans excited and more like a one-off to make the fans content. Especially because Alex insinuated at the end that she did not want a future in the hunting business and might be heading off soon. Sounds like a confirmed “no” to me. BUT I won’t lose hope, and I 100% think that they should make this a spin-off.

Conclusion:

I LOVED this episode. I cannot say enough good things about it. It was both exceptionally funny and remarkably poignant. The actors did fantastic and had such beautiful chemistry together that I could probably watch them all day. Even though there wasn’t a whole ton of plot in this episode, I loved it anyway. 

I am devoted to Sam and Dean, and I did not mind one bit that they were not as heavily featured as they usually are. I thought it was refreshing that the development of the other characters was totally equal to theirs. In fact, I enjoyed it very much. The relationships were definitely the focus of this episode, and if there were things that were sacrificed for that, I didn’t miss them.

There are definitely parallels between the Winchesters and the Mills-Novak-Joneses. (SO PERFECT FOR A SPIN-OFF). I loved seeing this dynamic at play, especially when it came to the boys relating to what the girls were going through. Some parts of the episode had a tropey feel (like the dinner scene, but let’s face it, that was amazing anyway). A lot of the episode was refreshingly new, though, giving us actual real character development. (Which is all I really ask for in my TV shows these days anyway.)

SO basically, I want this for a spin-off. It’s perfect.

Baby's Rear View Recap: 11.11 "Into the Mystic"

This post is about Supernatural episode 11.11 "Into the Mystic," written by Robbie Thompson and directed by John Badham.

Spoilers to follow.

“Mo chuisle”

This episode begins with a flash-back to Cork County, Ireland, 30 years ago. At this point we don’t know who the characters are, but it’s a solid opening scene featuring horror and music. We get a glimpse of the monster to be featured this episode: to me, she didn’t look too realistically frightening, although the screams were truly horrible. I’d also like to point out that the mother seems to be the primary bread-winner while the father stays home with the baby. It’s really nice to see the powers-that-be working to proactively create representation for women on the show and to combat traditional gender stereotypes. During the scene she calls him “mo chuisle,” which is a Gaelic term of endearment akin to “my dear.”

“You haven’t left the bunker in days.”

We see that Sam is having trouble sleeping; as he tosses and turns, he hears Lucifer’s voice in his head, telling him to prepare for his friends to die. So Sam spends his time cleaning his weapons instead of sleeping. When Dean comes to him with a case, he argues they should be focusing on the Darkness or on Cas. (Notably, Sam refers to her as “the Darkness” while Dean automatically refers to her as “Amara”.)

“Cas will be fine. He always is.”

We cut to Casifer in a park, reveling in the beauty that is topside. An Angel happening by recognizes him and attacks. Casifer politely tries to explain that he is there to save his brothers, but when the angel resists, Casifer explodes him with a snap of his fingers. He then proceeds to lick the Angel’s insides off of his fingers. This reminds us just how dangerous Lucifer can be.

“Looks awesome; maybe we ought to make a reservation.”

(FBI) Dean and Sam show up at the scene of the “crime” (a nursing home) to work the case. It’s a nice place, but Sam remarks that they will not likely live long enough to use it. While Dean interviews the manager (Jonathan Potts), we are briefly introduced to Mildred (played by Dee Wallace). The manager explains that he was staying late because his wife has left him, making him vulnerable. Meanwhile, Sam checks out the victim’s room.

“A real dick move, huh.”

Sam finds out that the victim was stealing other residents’ Viagra, and Dean sneaks a bottle. This was just too funny.

“How many people died in this place?”

As it turns out, a lot. Go figure. Although there are lots of possibilities for vengeful spirits at a nursing home, the boys pick a likely candidate and get to grave-digging. Dean has to take a rest while digging, and the boys have a moment. Dean broaches the subject of retirement, and Sam points out that Dean is the one who has always want to go out “Blaze of Glory” style. Dean asks Sam if he’s okay, and Sam admits that he’s not. Good for him! But then he says he doesn’t want to talk about it… okay, we’ll get there, Sam.

“Get it out of my head!”

Although the boys burned the bones, we know that this is no ghost. Meanwhile, the manager is talking to Mildred when he begins to hear a screaming that Mildred can’t hear. In a repeat of the opening sequence, the manager bashes his own head in while Mildred watches, helpless. Mildred tells the boys that it was a woman who fed on the manager’s brain. The boys figure out that it’s a banshee, and definitely not a ghost.

While Dean is comforting Mildred, Sam goes to question an employee who seems to be very interested in their conversation. Here, we are introduced to Marlene (Shoshannah Stern). Marlene happens to be hard of hearing, and a concerned Sam tries to sign to her. It’s a sweet, if understandably uncomfortable moment. Marlene thanks him for trying and gets back to work.

“Dean, tell me everything.”

Dean takes a trip back to the bunker to get gold daggers. There he finds Cas(ifer) mid-ransack, and they talk about Amara. Cas mentions his meeting with Amara, and Dean admits that he has had two chances to kill Amara and fell short both times.

“My brother and I aren’t gonna let that happen. We’re gonna protect you.”

Sam meets with Mildred, who he has discovered has a health condition that may make her the Banshee’s next victim. Mildred reveals to Sam that the woman Sam talked to earlier was not, in fact, a staff-member named “Mildred.” Sam goes in search of his mystery woman, who turns out to be the baby from the episode opener. She’s now a hunter (named Eileen), hunting the banshee who killed her parents. After a tense, brief mix-up where Eileen believes that Sam might be the banshee, the two become fast friends. Sam and Eileen bond over having lost loved ones and finding out that they are both legacies of the men of letters.

“I don’t know that I can resist it.”

Dean admits to Cas(ifer) that he is attracted to Amara. Dean asks him to keep the information private, and Cas(ifer) assures Dean that next time he faces the darkness, he won’t be alone. When Cas(ifer) touches Dean comfortingly, Dean's a little taken aback. (Do they really touch so rarely that that would throw him off?) Seems Lucifer may have misjudged the two and their relationship.

“I always did have a thing for Blanche on Golden Girls”

The boys half-heartedly agree to use Mildred as bait, in a cute phone conversation where the brothers agree not to judge each other on their love for the Golden Girls.

“All we have to do now is wait.”

Eileen admits that she is nervous to finally face the banshee that ruined her life. She talks to Sam about love for family. Sam tells her that revenge is not all it’s cracked up to be, and asks what she will do after it’s done. She mentions becoming a lawyer, and Sam shares his history studying law; the two are bonding over that as well when Dean arrives.

“Honey, it’s almost as gorgeous as you are.”

Mildred has a talk with Dean, sharing her trepidation about the plan. Dean assures her that everything will be fine, and asks her about her life. Mildred, who was in a Patsy Cline tribute Band. When Dean asks if she misses life on the road, she says she doesn’t. Mildred tells him the secret to living a long and healthy life: “follow your heart.”

It turns out that Dean is the Banshee’s target, as he begins to hear the screams. The gang goes up against the monster while Dean begins painfully banging his head against the wall. Mildred wises up after some prompting from Eileen and uses the magic trapping symbol; poetically, Eileen gets to make the kill.

“So, how do you feel?”

Sam and Eileen share a sweet goodbye while Dean does the same with Mildred. Mildred admits that she knew it would not work out between them, as she can tell that Dean is pining for another. Dean denies this, and the brothers hop in the car to head back home.

Back at the bunker, Dean and Sam have a talk. Dean reveals that Cas is acting weird and they agree to keep an eye on him; Sam admits that Dean was right to get him back in the hunting game. Sam finally talks about his latest experience with Lucifer, and apologizes to Dean for not looking for him in purgatory.

“I’ve never forgiven myself for it.”

“Well I have.”

After some hesitation, Sam asks Dean why the banshee would have gone after him. Dean says he’s overthinking it, though it obviously bothers him as well. To round out the episode, we see Sam putting the retirement brochure in his keepsake box; As a book-end to the beginning of the episode, Sam finally settles into his bed. Dean, however, can’t seem to sleep.

Questions:

Why is Dean vulnerable? I think it’s pretty obvious that he is, and that his excuses are crap. Is it some sort of health condition like the first victim? This could explain his tiring out while digging. Or is it mental/emotional like the second victim? Does it have something to do with his attachment to Amara (also a focal point of this episode)? 

What was Cas really doing in the bunker and what is his plan? It seems to me that he wasn’t there to talk to Dean—he was hoping to catch the bunker Winchester free. Was he looking for something and what could it be?

Also: Where is Amara? And what is Crowley up to? Will we see Eileen again?

Conclusion:

I liked this episode. It was a really solid monster-of-the-week episode, and had a good dose of carry-through from the last episode. I would take seeing Casifer over Amara or Crowley, so I’m not too upset that we don’t have any clue what they’re up to—gotta build suspense somehow. I love seeing the boys get to know new people. Dean was just cute as all get out dealing with Mildred. I especially appreciated seeing Sam bond with someone, because for the last few seasons, he’s fallen a bit behind Dean on this front. I always get a bit uncomfortable when the boys are being objectified or romantically targeted, and this episode toed that line a bit with Mildred. But Mildred actually did seem to really care about the boys, so it wasn’t as damaging as it often is. I liked this much better than the similar themes in the past, featuring older women flirting with Sam to his intense discomfort. As usual, everyone did a stand-up job with the material they were given. Special shout-out to the new additions, Dee Wallace and Shoshannah Stern, who were lovely and lively and had good chemistry together and with the boys.

I loved the character of Eileen. It is so wonderful to see portrayals of characters who are hard of hearing, and I am loving seeing all of the support for Shoshannah and the spike in interest in ASL and the experiences of those who use it. Beautiful! I especially appreciated that they didn’t commodify the character’s deafness, as shows like this sometimes do by featuring the trope where the deaf character saves the day with her lip-reading super power. Eileen was just a normal hunter and nobody questioned her abilities. They supported her and treated her as a human rather than as a stereotype of a deaf person, or a stereotype of a female person. Additionally, the character is in her thirties! I love seeing female characters who are allowed to represent real people and not just be the conventionally attractive young girl that is so often the only archetype featured in popular TV shows. Overall, I’m really pleased with this character and the show and I’m feeling good going into the second half of this season.