Supernatural

Season 8 Episode 14

Trial and Error

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8.9
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EPISODE REVIEWS
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Episode Summary

Kevin translates the tablet and finds the way to close the gates of Hell. He tells Sam and Dean that in order to do so, one person has to face three tasks designed by God, one of which is killing a hellhound, and the brothers argue about who should complete the tasks.

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TV.com Episode Review

  • Supernatural "Trial and Error" Review: Here Doggie, Doggie, Doggie...

    With the Winchester Mission Statement finally reading "Save the World AND LIVE," it seems that the series has turned its gaze toward the future... and the future looks pretty good.

  • SUBMIT REVIEW
    • Don't deal with the devil!

      9.5
      I just finally caught this episode, I still have 2 or 3 to catch up on, and thought it was great. While I am not a huge fan of the grand arc the show takes at times, this was a great episode along the current arc, closing the gates of hell. The story itself with the pitiful family and the hired hand was interesting and it was great to find out they had sold their souls to Crowley himself! It was also interesting to see Kevin going bonkers trying to find the solution to closing the gates and the reason he was running himself dry doing it. And finally there was Dean's and Sam's brotherly love showing through although it didn't turn out the way Dean planned it. Just a great episode and I wonder if this is setting the show up for the grand finale and end of the series this season? I'll hate to see it go but not too many shows make it to eight seasons to begin with. Now I have to update that last statement as Supernatural has been renewed for a 9th season, woohoo!moreless
    • Trail and Error

      10
      I saw this episode and had very high hope for it and the episode managed to deliver on my high expectations of it. The highlight of the episode for me was the brotherly bond between Sam and Dean that we havent seen in a while and i havent felt that since the end of season 5. The graphics were amazing and both brothers sacrificing themselves for their brother was awesome. Jeremy Carver you have returned Supernatural to basics. Cant wait to see what the other trails are and how they face them and what will the consequences be.moreless
    • Finally the stakes are raised!

      9.0
      With the last few weeks being centered on the Men of Letters, we FINALLY get back to the main plot of the season- closing the gates of Hell. Kevin manages to decode the tablet and tells Sam and Dean that one of them needs to complete three trials before gaining the power to close the gates. Dean, being the angsty suicidal guy he is, decides to do the trials, the first being to kill a Hellhound. This makes sense because he knows how they operate, given that he made a deal himself and was torn apart by one in season 3. To everyone's surprise, it's SAM who kills the Hellhound, completing the trial, and telling Dean that unlike him, Sam isn't planning on dying and plans to have a life after it's all over, and wants to share the post-hunting life with Dean.



      This is a great episode because it actually gives Sam something to do now. Sam was originally the main character of Supernatural; Dean wasn't even introduced until 10 minutes into the pilot, and only about three episodes of season one centered around Dean. After the season premier of season 2, though, I noticed that the seasons slowly began shifting the focus off of Sam and more onto Dean. Dean was the one who killed Yellow Eyes, saved the world from Lucifer by snapping Sam back to reality, killed Eve, killed Dick. What really has Sam done in the series? Killed Lilith and jumped in a hole with Lucifer inside him. That's pretty much the major accomplishments that Sam has done. Heck, after season 5, the series could've been called "the Dean Show" because Dean seemed to do EVERYTHING while Sam stood on the sidelines watching. But in this episode, Sam now has the responsibility to ultimately beat Crowley and close the doors, leaving Dean as the helper for these trials. The show has gone back to the mechanics of season one with the focus on SAM, not Dean, though there are plenty of issues that Dean needs to resolve on his own as well. Cas is being manipulated by Naomi, and Benny has a bloodlust now that he may or may not be able to control.



      I also like how the trials for closing Hell are explained mid season instead of the last for or 5 episodes like the past few seasons. It gives the boys more time to come up with a strategy for facing the Big Bad, instead of the typical "we get a Deaus ex Machina way to deal with the problem as the season ends!"moreless
    • Trial and Error

      7.5
      Not the best episode by any means but still was a leap forward in terms of the major storyline of the season. Getting into Kevin's routines and seeing his miserably monotonous attempts at deciphering the tablet was a nice change of pace and I was a little worried when he collapsed on the floor. But Sam and Dean's different approaches of giving Kevin advice were amusing. Sam telling him to slow down so as to not kill himself and Kevin's rebuttal about wanting to get back to his life with no demons after him anymore. Dean's giving him pills for his headaches as glue to keep him together rather than actually prescribing actual rest and down time. But Dean wants the exact same thing that Kevin wants and that's to shut the gates of Hell. Kevin deciphering the first of 3 challenges by God is decoded and how the champion must bathe in the blood of hellhound. So Sam and Dean head to a place where signs point to a crossroads demon appearance a decade before and find a family that struck oil where there was none ten years ago. They begin work there as supposed drifters and do grunt work while one of the sons who had traded his soul to be with a woman he was infatuated with is killed by a hellhound meaning but the strange occurrences keep happening which means that there must've been more who had made deals at the same time. Dean is determined to face the hellhound and save Sam the trouble since he is the one who "sees a light at the end of the tunnel" and how Dean wants to sacrifice himself doing this. The brothers' hot worker overseer offering sex to Dean when they hold the family captive to know which one also sold their soul was a red flag for me. She should've just said, "It's a one night offer. Because I sold my soul to I would've liked to see Dean be a little more afraid of the hellhound after his being killed by one in Season 3 or at least a little more hesitance but seeing him the glasses bathed in God's flame was humorous. The farm worker boss had sold her soul for her mother who had Parkinson's and is now happily retired. Her explanation of family sacrifice is no stranger since this show operates on that kind of familial sacrifice being the Winchester kryptonite. When another one of the family is dispatched (making three deals) Sam and Dean are in much more of a hurry (this one having traded her soul for the wealth). Hearing how Crowley was the "suave businessman" who came into town ten years ago was a little on the nose but believable since he wasn't always top dog and would be ambitious enough to get three deals or more in one corner of the world. Sam is the one that ultimately kills the hellhound and tells Dean that he needs to have faith and see the light at the end of the tunnel too. I like that Sam is doing it instead of Dean, causing there to be some more tension between them. They make a hex bag so that the girl that wasn't dispatched could hide from Crowley and other hellhounds. Granted, this was the main plotline but this is only one of three which Kevin hasn't translated completely yet so expect a few monster of the week episode before we get back to this. Not a perfect episode, although that thing with Sam's arm after having cast the spell could be problematic down the road. Nice to see the season arc continue and be a "Godly obstacle course" as Dean puts it. And all of Dean's pop culture references to the hellhound as "Huckleberry Hound" and "Clifford the Red Dog" were much appreciated.

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    • Trial and Error

      10
      Trial and Error was an exceptional episode of Supernatural. I really enjoyed watching because the story was swell written and very entertaining. There was also some great character development for both Sam and Dean. kevin is pushing the limitations of his body and mind in order to translate the tablet and though he has done good so far I fear for his future. Ellie's role was somewhat predictable but still awesome nonetheless. It what's intriguing to see the conflict between Sam and Dean as to who would perform the tasks required. I liked how everything played out and I certainly look forward to watching what happens next!!!!!!!!!



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    Danay Garcia

    Danay Garcia

    Ellie

    Guest Star

    Alisen Down

    Alisen Down

    Alice Cassity

    Guest Star

    Francis X. McCarthy

    Francis X. McCarthy

    Noah Cassity

    Guest Star

    Osric Chau

    Osric Chau

    Kevin Tran

    Recurring Role

    Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

    FILTER BY TYPE

    • TRIVIA (0)

    • QUOTES (6)

      • Dean: I haven't had my own room... ever. I'm making this awesome. I've got my kickass vinyl. I've got this killer mattress. Memory foam--it remembers me. And it's clean, too. There's no funky smell. There's no creepy motel stains. (Sam drops a gum wrapper on the floor) Really?
        Sam: Sorry.

      • Dean: Look, I'm gonna feel dirty saying this, but you might want a salad and a shower.

      • Sam: So, what--God wants us to take the SATs?
        Kevin: Yes. Uh, He works in mysterious ways.
        Dean: Yeah, mysterious douchey ways.

      • Ellie: And, well, her last album was a bunch of holiday songs for dogs. My favorites were "Jingle Bark Rock" and "Don't Pee on This Tree: Happy Arbor Day."
        Dean: So she's the Devil?
        Ellie: Pretty much.

      • Dean: (cooking) Impressed?
        Ellie: I do like a man who can handle his meat.

      • Dean: (to a hellhound) Oh, so you're Crowley's bitch. I guess pets do really look like their owners.

    • NOTES (2)

    • ALLUSIONS (10)

      • Sam: Trials, uh, like, Law & Order?
        Referencing the long-running TV franchise, created by Dick Wolf starting in 1990 with Law & Order. There have been three spinoffs since then, with episodes often drawing on headline-grabbing real-life crimes as the basis for its fictionalized plots.

      • Dean: Get between him and Clifford the big dead dog.
        Referencing the gigantic (25') tall) red dog, Clifford the Big Red Dog, first published in a series of books in 1963 written by Norman Bridwell. Initially a runt, Clifford grows to giant thanks to the love of his young owner, Emily Elizabeth. The books were made into an animated PBS series starting in 2000.

      • Dean: Well, let's go visit the Beverly Hillbillies.
        Referencing the TV series The Beverly Hillbillies, starring Buddy Ebsen as Jed Clampett, the grizzled patriarch of the hillbilly family. When he finds "oil in them there hills," he moves his family to Beverly Hills and comedy hijinks ensue.

      • Cindy: Keep it coming, Ken Doll.
        Referencing the Mattel doll, Ken (aka Ken Sean Carson), perpetual boyfriend/husband/significant other to Barbie (Barbara Millicent Roberts) since 1961.

      • Dean: Do not let J.R. and the gang out of your sight.
        Referencing the primetime TV soap opera Dallas (1978-1991, CBS), which features the rivalry between two Texas families, the Ewings and the Barneses. J.R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, was the oldest son and the one responsible for most of the scheming and backstabbing among both families. The series was continued on TNT in 2012.

      • Ellie: The whole Clark Kent look.
        Referencing the secret identity of Superman, the comic book character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in Action Comics #1 (June 30, 1938). Arguably the most recognized comic book character in the world, Baby Kal-El was rocketed from the doomed planet Krypton, landed on Earth, and gains superpowers under the yellow sun. Assuming the identity of mild-mannered Clark Kent, Superman fights a neverending battle for Truth, Justice, and the American way, and has appeared on radio, television, cinema, video games, and novels among other media.

      • Dean: See, I get Old Yeller out there.
        Referencing the novel of the same name by Fred Gipson (1956), subsequently made into a Disney movie in 1957. Old Yeller is a Labrador Retriever/Mastiff adopted by a young boy, Travis. When Old Yeller is bitten by a rabid wolf, Travis is forced to shoot his beloved dog in a tearjerking scene.

      • Dean: See if I can't gank Huckleberry Hound.
        Referencing the animated blue-furred Southern-accented dog created by Hanna-Barbera in 1957 and originally voiced by Daws Butler. He first appeared on TV in The Huckleberry Hound Show as the featured character, but later teamed up with other Hanna-Barbera characters such as Yogi Bear on a variety of programs.

      • Dean: If Landshark comes knocking, you call me.
        Referencing the sketch character from Saturday Night Live, played by Chevy Chase. Described as "the cleverest of all sharks," the Land Shark's modus operandi involves going up to young women's apartments, posing as a plumber, delivery man, door-to-door salesman, dolphin, etc. They would inevitably open the door and be eaten. The Land Shark first appeared in a parody of the original Jaws movie, in SNL's first season.

      • Noah: We're the damn Waltons.
        Referencing the 1970s TV show The Waltons. The story is told through the eyes of John Boy, who wants to be a novelist, goes to college, and eventually fulfills his dream. The signature scene that closed each episode was the voice-overs, where each character bids the other good-night: "Good night, Mary-Ellen." "Good night, Jim-Bob." "Good night, Elizabeth." "Good night, Ben," etc., until the last good-night from John Walton, Sr. to his son: "Good night, John-Boy." "Good night, everyone." The show ran on CBS from 1972 to 1981.

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