A disappointing season comes to an end...
7.5
Season 7 of Supernatural. I suppose the main question is: what went wrong?
That is probably unfair. I think it is easy to criticize this show. After all, season 5 remains THE best season of anything I have seen on television, especially the last 7 episodes. 2 seasons later and the writers prove they can still pull out some top episodes. But here is the problem with this season: the top episodes featured Bobby, Castiel, Crowley and Meg.
Obviously, Supernatural is about Sam and Dean, but it has developed into being as much about its supporting cast as its main one, especially with the writer's love of killing them all off. It was like, behind the scenes of season 7, the writers wanted to make it a more personal story about Sam and Dean. The result: all of the other pretty awesome characters in the show had to go.
Castiel I can kind of understand. While his character being beefed up for season 5 made sense at the time, he was just too powerful in season 6, and the writers clearly had no idea what to do with him most of the time. Killing him off at the start of the season, while it did annoy me, also seemed like a good way to end his story arc. But it was like someone stepped in and said, "Sara. You know the fans love Castiel right? You have made a HUGE mistake. Write him back in!!"
Seriously. The past few episodes featuring Castiel smack of a hastily rewritten final because the writers regretted killing him off. You can just see that whatever crazy idea they had, about killing off all the supporting cast, was thrown out of the window for the season final. Yes, I was thrilled they brought him back. I kind of even like what they have done with the character. But I do believe they deeply regretted killing him off, and unfortunately this does smell of weak writing.
Bobby. What the hell? If the show suffered without Castiel this season, the writers went one step further in killing Bobby. Probably the stand out episode of the season was Bobby's death, and although I thought they made a huge mistake killing off basically the 3rd main character since the beginning, they did a good job sending him off. Until, again, they realized what a mistake this was, and brought him back as a ghost.
This was, actually, a SUPERB idea. Seeing our beloved Bobby fighting becoming an evil spirit was touching and interesting, and the stand out episode of this series again is when he's fighting that evil ghost in the mansion. But it all seemed to amount to nothing, when Bobby's story sort of fizzled out in the final and he was burned into the afterlife anyway.
Crowley. He is awesome. Back in season 6 they killed him off, and probably the same mind that demanded Cas and Bobby's return in the final also told them to bring him back. He was easily the best thing about this final, stealing every scene he was in. But he was WOEFULLY underused this season. To quote him from last year, " I haven't seen you all season." Where has he been? What has he been doing? It says a lot that just the mere sight of a demon made what would otherwise be an average episode seem pretty stellar. The same can be said of Meg, although at least with her I think they got the balance right. Rachel Minor has made the part her own and I have no criticism of her at all, but it is a shame we can't have the original Meg working with the boys. Call me curious, but I reckon they would find it a lot harder to, erm, swallow.
So what about the vilians of this season, the Leviathons? Well, after Azazel, Lillith, Lucifer and Castiel himself where do you go? The idea, of terrible creatures God himself was fearful of at the start who can even kill Angels, is a brilliant idea. So why was it executed so poorly?
I don't really know what went wrong. If you are bringing new monsters into the show that can kill your most powerful beings (Angels) maybe you should have shown us that BEFORE the last three episodes? The character of Dick really did shine at the end, but all season all we've had are hints as to what they are doing. They had great potential, but it just shows that, once again, the writers must bring back Angels and Demons into the season final. Both woefully pushed aside this season, they are what made season 5 and earlier seasons so great. I'm all for moving the show on, but they dropped the ball with the Levis. And Dick's death at the end was a HUGE dissapointment. He took like 5 seconds to kill! Hardly worth the wait was it, really?
So what about our stars of the show, Sam and Dean? Well, easily the best thing about season 7 was Lucifer. His appearances in Sam's head were awesome! Mark Pelligrino owned this role and should have been featured a lot more. Sam saw Lucifer for 10 episodes, yet we didn't get to see him? That's not fair!
The Lucifer hallucinations made up for what was another big disappointment; Sam's condition. All through season 6, it was said again and again Sam cannot remember ONE SECOND of hell. So he gets his memory back... and then nothing. Lucifer aside, he's the same old Sam. No effect on his character, no nervous wreck... nothing. What about his need to atone for everything he did as soulless Sam? There is a lot of stuff we haven't seen still from his year with the Campbells. Are they going to ever address this?
Dean didn't really do much this year. Yes, a dark path for him was hinted at with alcoholism and killing Amy, and his grief for Bobby and Cas (made completely obsolete when Cas returned). But, comparing to his struggles in previous seasons, he didn't really get much to do. Nothing against Jenson or Jared. The know these characters amazingly well, and still managed to hit some incredibly high notes this season.
So, I suppose I should technically talk about the final. It was, easily, the worst one yet, Carry on my Weyward Son aside. The good guys talked. The bad guys talked. The good guys talked some more. The Impala!!! The good guys killed Dick! Dean and Cas are in purgatory. Sam's all alone. Crowley is now king of Leviathon.
I admit, the ending was pretty good, and I am actually kind of excited for season 8. The alpha vamp promised he'd see the boys next season. So who is going to be the big bad? Crowley is becoming a big issue. I can't see Dean being in purgatory for long. Of course, remember there are a hell of a lot of things there that hate him, Eve and Dick included.
So, overall, this final summed up what was a drop of the ball, and season 7 overall. Its best bits concerned Cas, Bobby and Crowley, its worst the Leviathon. The writers did not appreciate the cast they had this year, and the show suffered.
Next season brings a new exec, and we'll see what he has planned for the show. If you read all of this, and props to you, you probably think I hated season 7. I didn't hate it at all, it just could have been so much better. When Supernatural wants to be good, nothing else can touch it. Unfortunately, those times came few and far between this year. I still love this show, and will still religiously watch it so season 8 and beyond...