"Slash Fiction" isn't a term I generally like to see in an episode title for one of my favorite shows. But there it was as the name of Friday's new episode of Supernatural, and if you know anything about some of the series' more "creative" fans, you probably aren't surprised. The phrase refers to fan-written work that features two same-sex characters getting it on, and it's a hot topic for some Supernatural fans because some people just love the thought of Sam and Dean satisfying their sexual desires together on a lone Kansas highway while "Carry On My Wayward Son" plays in the background. All I can say is, at least Wincest is better than some of the Castiel Crabclaw stuff I've had the misfortune of reading.
In a bit of false advertising, Sam and Dean didn't become butt buddies in "Slash Fiction," but the episode did open up the world of the Leviathans and expose their weaknesses. Oh, and it featured, like, a billion beheadings, which didn't hurt. But on the negative side, "Slash Fiction" was a bit uneven, story-wise, and some of its humor missed its mark and poked fun at Air Supply. This will be no making fun of Air Supply on my watch!
Things kicked off with a pair of Leviathans who'd shapeshifted into Sam and Dean doing what many Supernatural fangirls have already done: scouring a hotel room the pair had stayed in for old hair. The bad guys' plan was to run rampant around the country, pulling off bank heists and restaurant robberies (dialogue provided by Pulp Fiction!) so that the feds would go after the Winchesters and make their lives miserable. In the first scene, the imposters held up a bank and viciously slaughtered the captives; the plan didn't make the best of sense, but no one's ever said the Leviathans are smart. The real Sam and Dean didn't find themselves in many close calls, despite never trying on fake mustaches or getting their hair cut, so the premise lost some sting when they still managed to drive around the country without facing much difficulty from the Pigs.
So let's examine the Leviathans' plan further: Were they trying to get Sam and Dean killed, or simply arrested, thus keeping them out of the way? Did they really need to commit crimes in the same places and in the same order as Sam and Dean's early hunts from Season 1, instead of, oh I don't know, just causing random chaos? After murdering a dozen or so people in a bank vault, did it really make sense to keep committing crimes instead of letting the police do their work? Plus, what would've happened if the Feds tried to stop the Leviathans? Would they've shot 'em up, thus blowing the Leviathans' cover and exposing the secret that there are freakin' monsters from Purgatory running around? I may be nitpicking, but these Leviathans are arrogant and incredibly sloppy. The concepts of the episode were great, but the explanations were not. I like the idea that Leviathans take over people and assume their lives, but I'm beginning to think these monsters are borderline morons.
At least we now know how to kill them, thanks to Sheriff Mills' clumsiness while doing Bobby's chores. Silicon Borate, or Borax, is a common household cleaner that dissolves the Leviathans. And don't forget to cut the head off, put it in a box, and give it to your new squeeze to dispose of, as Bobby did with the sexy sheriff. Helpful hint: Borax also works on ants! I'm guessing that's no coincidence, as the hivemind mentality of the Leviathans is definitely reminiscent of picnic pests.
Sam and Dean were eventually captured by Saul Tigh from Battlestar Galactica (Michael Hogan, in a criminally underused role), and it wasn't until he saw a pair of Leviathans eating one of his deputies that he believed the brothers' story and released them. In the ensuing chaos, Sam and Dean encountered their brother's Leviathan counterpart, and this led to the best part of the episode that didn't involve a lot of space being created between somebody's head and shoulders by an axe. Taking over Dean's body not only gave the Leviathan Jensen Ackles's abs and soap-opera good looks, but also Dean's memories, knowledge, and dirty little secrets. The Leviathan couldn't help but tell Sam that Dean killed Amy (Sam's first kiss from a few episodes back), and Sam made a frowny face because that totally sucks, dude. It was a cool way to get Dean's secret out, and the episode ended with the two splitting up and going their separate ways, as is required of them at least once per season. It's always a bummer when the bros turn their backs on each other. This is anything but slash fiction! I want my money back!
Notes
– It's great to see Supernatural get a lot of use out of its computer-generated beheading technology. There was one last week, and a few more this week! And how cool is it that Dean got to cut his own head off?
– From reading what some fans have said, apparently I'm the only one who thinks Dean lip-synching soft rock isn't funny anymore. But I will agree with Dean that Air Supply is awesome. I also had zero interest in Frank Devereaux, Bobby's buddy who helped Sam and Dean get new identities while never once suggesting that they wear sunglasses or a hat.
– We met the head Leviathan, or the one we think is the head Leviathan: a Christian Bale impersonator named Dick Roman who is a high-ranking corporate somebody. Crowley tried to ally with him, but Leviathans and demons don't mix, and Dick told him to bugger off.
Supernatural Season 7 Power Rankings
I'm sure a lot of you will be pretty upset that I think "Shut Up, Dr. Phil" is the season's best episode to date, but I have to stand by it. It was goofy and gory, two things I think Supernatural does best when it isn't taking itself too seriously. "Slash Fiction" was one of the better episodes this season, but let's be honest here: We're all still waiting for the first great episode of Season 7 to surface.
1. "Shut Up, Dr. Phil" (Episode 5)
A pair of witches needed some couples counseling in a gory fun-fest that guest-starred Charisma Carpenter and James Marsters.
2. "Meet the New Boss" (Episode 1)
Castiel got all righteous on those who didn't respect The Good Word, and it was great.
3. "Slash Fiction" (Episode 6)
Two Leviathans disguised themselves as Sam and Dean and took off on a cross-country shootin' spree!
4. "Hell, Cruel World" (Episode 2)
The Leviathans set up a buffet at a hospital after spreading into the water supply.
5. "The Girl Next Door" (Episode 3)
Via flashback, we saw Sam's first kiss... with a monster! Then Dean killed her.
6. "Defending Your Life" (Episode 4)
Dean went on trial before Osiris because of the guilt he carries. Jo came back to blow him up!
Follow TV.com writer Tim Surette on Twitter: @TimAtTVDotCom
I love the show, but I am getting sick and tired of them splitting up and then getting back together after a few episodes. Either keep them together or keep them separated!
i seem to remember this theme of the bros wanted by the law b/4...hmmmm...but have not seen it yet. glad to hear it was good.
She wasn't clumsy with the cleaning. She was cleaning a wood floor and the solution went between the boards!
I never get too concerned with the names of the episodes. The writers are always poking fun at everything and messing with us. I remember when everybody was freaking out over the "Jump the Shark" episode and the episode turned out to be not a big deal after all.
I enjoyed the episode. Sam and Dean's clones gave great insight into the Winchester's character. It was a very funny scene in the caboodle with Air Supply. I think the decision to dump a Leviathan head in water is going to come back to bite them. And the end where Sam walks away from Dean-come on these guys are adults this is not the way to handle a conflict. We were told that the show was going to follow Butch and Sundance so let's see that. Sam would be Sundance and Dean would be Cassidy. Please let the brothers have an
adult relationship.
Great episode. I especially enjoyed the fake Dean and Sam's conversation in Dean's favorite dinner. As for the Borax, I don't think it actually kills them, but just burns them. Kind of like how holy water doesn't actually kill the demons, but just burns them (they haven't used holy water against vampires in Supernatural). As for it causing them harm...it's a cleaner and they're black goo/ooze. It kinda makes sense to me. Anyway it looked as if Bobby didn't actually think it kills them as he told them (and did himself) to cut off the head and then separate it from the body to keep it from repairing itself. The borax just allows them to get close enough to the Leviathans so they can take their heads off.
I thought the end part with Crowley was interesting. We might see him teaming up with or helping the brothers since he now knows the Leviathans will happily destroy him and his minions.moreless
I think the Leviathans did what they did to draw attention to the boys. After Jus In Bello, they were supposed to have died along with Hendrickson, and therefore everyone thought they were dead, including the authorities. When they were believed to have been dead, no one was looking for them. The Leviathan's are looking for them and trying to draw them out, for whatever reason. They knew that in order to do so they had to do something heinous, like killing a bank/restaurant full of hostages. That would skyrocket the Winchester bros to the top of the most wanted list by all government officials and local pd's. When they were captured, the Leviathan's could swoop in and capture them. Perhaps they see the Winchesters as a threat or maybe there's more to their destiny, or whatever.moreless
I am sure that there is more to this as there always is, which is why I LOVE this show.
Slash Fiction is the best episode of the season so far.
Ps, I WANT CAS BACK!!!
I think the point of the leviathans touring through the cities where Sam and Dean had been was to lure them out so they could kill them. That's the most sense I could make of it. Btw, I found Dean lip-synching HILARIOUS! :D
I think there's more to the Leviathans than simply wanting the Winchesters dead. Like they either want them captured, or want their non-clone corpses for something.
Perhaps they see them as the only way to get revenge on God (not that I want to start THAT whole storyline again). But the big G did send them to Pergatory, and the Winchesters are the only thing that have gotten him to come out of hiding in the last few thousand years. Maybe they're going to try to draw him out?
Just a theory.
Then about the Borax. I really hope they have an explanation for that. Borax is lethal for these invulnerable primordial demons? Please ellaborate, or else...
And about Bobby's contact, funny character, but stupid and non-sensical way to introduce him. I guess we won't be seeing him again any time soon.
Also, pack this head and take it far far away? Throw it off a bridge? Hadn't the Leviathans' ooze transport through water before? Hell yeah, not a good idea to throw those heads into water.
BTW, why not try to burn them, with fire I mean. That's got to do something (or I'm forgetting about a failed Leviathan cremation in these first episodes?)
"Then about the Borax. I really hope they have an explanation for that. Borax is lethal for these invulnerable primordial demons? Please ellaborate, or else..."
Why, do we ever learn WHY ghosts don't like Iron or Vamps don't like holy water? Do we ever learn WHY "The Colt" is such a powerful weapon? Nope.
It's a chemical, the Leviathans are fleshy living organisms that were created WAY before the current circle of life. It's not beyond the real of possibilities that some compound is more caustic to them than other living beings.
Actually... Most of the methods used to kill a monster are directly tied to the lore around them. Vampires are so unholy, that holy water hurts them. Ghosts don't like salt because it's a spirit bane. The Colt is powerful because it was specifically designed with spellwork to affect demons and other baddies. It originally only had thirteen bullets, until Bobby figured out how to cast more. However, a modern chemical compound killing a creature that old? I don't see it. Read up on the lore of the Leviathan. Most of the stuff, the writers got nailed down. But the borax is just... bizarre.
You said it Left4Ed, we had explanations for previous weapons and weaknesses, hope we'll get explanation for Borax too.
Well, after watching the episode I thought it was probably the best of the season. However, it did have some sloppiness. The thing you mention about the Leviathans' plan. I mean, it's a great plan, frame the bros, they won't be able to show their faces around, nor drive the Impala. But let's face it, Kripke isn't here anymore. So the bros never wore glasses, grew a beard or moustache, or cut their hair, even change clothes, they just changed wheels, and apparently that won't go for long either.
But it was a great plan, in a Kripkean world it would have lasted a couple more episodes at least.
I really don't get the fan-Wincest matter. They are brothers man, people who came up with that stuff is really really messed up. Like waaaaaaaaayyy messed up. There, I said it.
I enjoyed the episode. I loved the lip-syncing because I've missed the "old" Dean. I liked Frank, but only because I was wishing for him to be a Bobby replacement. How can you go wrong with old Dean and Saul Tigh??? Best episode of the season!
Dean lip-syncing made me laugh out loud. It was funny if you realize he was missing his car at the time.
Plus, there was Sam's reactions to what Dean was doing. These guys don't even need to say anything. They reveal so much by just their facial expressions and actions. Also, Dean has criticized Sam for liking mellow music, and here is Dean liking the music, too. In addition there was, Dean's little smirk that Sam wasn't supposed to see. The whole thing was just hilarious!!
I love seeing the guest stars like Crowley, Bobby, and the Sheriff. The storylines are getting boring once they killed off Misha/Castiel. I find Grimm to be much more interesting. They definitely should bring back Charisma Carpenter and James Masters. The mini Buffy/Angel reunion was awesome! I guess that I am done with this show.
Are you kidding? Things got MORE interesting when they killed off Castiel! The actor had other projects and with his death, the writers were able to properly showcase how effed up the Leviathans are. And while I'm all for guest stars, don't forget who the stars of the show really are. Not Cas, not Crowley, not two dysfunctional house-witches. Sam and Dean are the stars of the show and it's been like that since the beginning. All these guest stars detract from the essence of the show. So while Charisma and James are great -though seriously desperate for work-... No. One episode of them was enough. I say more of what we've been getting, great drama and acting from who the show is really about. And honestly? You're saying one episode of Grimm is more interesting than the whole of season seven so far and for that, you are "done"? Wow...moreless
I agree! I like seeing the guest stars, BUT I love the show because of the brothers.
Actually it does makes sense. The Leviathans were committing the crimes in the pattern so Sam & Dean would know where to come and find them. As a bonus it was likely they'd either be killed or captured by the police and so make their job easier. If they had been caught in the middle of a crime they'd have simply killed all the witnesses to their monster personae. The only weak points I thought were that Sam & Dean's DNA contained all their memories and experiences and the unlikely/convenient way in which Bobby discovered that borax was the magic bullet. It would have been better if he'd just tried everything in the kitchen sink out of desperation, or he'd had an ant infestation and decided to give ant poison a try because nothing else was working.moreless
I love Supernatural and I loved Slash Fiction. Uneven? Yeah, maybe, but in the whole of the episode I didn't really notice it that much.
Like others, I didn't really care about Frank. But then ... we saw him all of what? Ten seconds? He's no Rufus, though. :(
Air Supply is amazing and that's that.
Thanks for the review. :)
I thought the sheriff was a leviathan too!
Also, the Bale impersonator is Dr. Zee from Galactica 1980. I am happy he is still around
Awesome and fun episode and I look forward to finding out more about the Leviathans!
I love the idea that the ancient leviathans who were created in the begining of time can be killed by something so simple and modern like Silicon Borate. I still don't understand why they can't just cut the head off and hide it. Why do they need the Silicon Borate?
Actually, borax has been around for a long time, occurs naturally and is a salt.
I totally thought that Bobby's sheriff was one of the Leviathans when she showed up. Yey that she wasn't, go Bobby! I was also a bit disappointed with Bobby's friend, I hoped for a total makeover or something fun but nooo.
Good ep all in all and I never get tired of Dean lip-synching! Am I the only one who thinks that the Leviathans computer made mouths look terrible? Bothers me every time I see them.
Yeah them splitting up again was the only thing i couldn't stand...it's one of the few tired plot cliches in an otherwise awesome show.
Why can't they just let the brothers be buds? Every season....
All I know is I was laughing my ass off at Dean's lip-syncing shenanigans. The part I didn't like, though, was the end. It felt forced, you'd figure that after everything they'd being through, they'd quit constantly walking out on each other, at least not for something as trivial as killing a demon that Sam had an interest in like 20 years ago.
Probably my funniest bits from Supernatural where from the episode where Dean gets infected by the "fear curse" and is freaking out at everything.
But what takes the cake was the out-take they showed during the closing clips... of Dean lip-syncing "Eye of the Tiger."
I have to admit, when the episode titles were first released and "Slash Fiction" showed up on the list, I was very hesitant. Especially after the sad debacle that was "The French Mistake". Gladly, there were no nods from Sera Gamble to the fringier of the shows fans, which was a giant relief. But I did enjoy the episode, stumbles and all. The dialogue from 'Pulp Fiction' was amazing -especially since that made Dean Honey Bunny- and it's always a good time when Bobby has the big bad tied down. And with the discovery of Borax being the Leviathans kryptonite -way to come out of left field with THAT, writers- I'm scratching my head on the lore of that. Generally, the way to kill monsters on this show is directly correlated with the myths around said monster. So... I'm iffy on that revelation. I'm still hoping they dig up the Colt from Carthage and use it on them bad boys some time in the near future. I know, it's a cop-out but compared to floor cleaner...
And big ups to Tim for giving me first crack on this on the Twitter box! You're the best, man!moreless