I didn't get a chance to watch this episode right away, so I had plenty of time to watch everything unfold on tumblr before I actually saw it for myself. It seems like most people didn't like it... or thought it was really weak in comparison to the parent show. Myself? Well, if you view this as an episode of Supernatural, it's infuriating because we really want to focus on the bigger plot concerns like Metatron, Abaddon, Crowley, Cas, et al, and I get that. But if you view it as the pilot for a new show? Not awful, in my opinion. Not spectacular... definitely needs a lot of work... but not awful.
So. We're in Chicago. And we meet our main character, a guy named Ennis. Just before he was about to propose to his girlfriend, some monsters get into a fight and she is killed on accident. Ennis, furious, wants to track down the monsters responsible. The Winchesters, on the hunt for whatever's causing trouble in the area, run into Ennis. We learn that Ennis has a sister, his mother is out of the picture, and his father, a former cop, was killed. Sam and Dean warn him not to get himself tied up in all of this, but Ennis refuses to stay put. He wants revenge.
We discover that Chicago is run by five supernatural families. We don't get to know much about the djin, vampires, etc. but we do learn about two key families.
The Shifters: so far, we know Margo Lassiter, who has been running the family in place of her ailing father. Then there's David Lassiter, her brother who is back in town after trying to leave and live life as a human. David is back in town because his brother was recently killed. Margo believes the werewolves did it, and she wants revenge. David doesn't want to start an all-out war, so he tries to figure out what really happened. This puts him in contact with Ennis, since Ennis witnessed David's brother's death in the same fight where his girlfriend died.
The werewolves: Julian Duval leads the werewolf family, and we learn that although he didn't kill David and Margo's brother, he's not going to say so. He's ready for a war, too. Violet, Julian's sister, seems against the idea of a war, but she doesn't have much of a say in the matter. Julian refers to her as a "bitch" which seems to be more than just the usual derogatory term against a woman in this case, as the werewolves are in some sense actually dogs. Apparently Violet, being the "bitch" of the pack, doesn't have the same rights. Things get really complicated when we learn that Violet and David had previously had an affair.
Violet is captured by the mysterious creature with claws that killed David and Margo's brother, and also killed Ennis' girlfriend. The Winchesters, Ennis, and David try to find Violet and this "monster," but David is also captured. Turns out, the clawed killer is actually just a human, masking himself and killing the monsters, seeking revenge for the deaths of humans in Chicago. Violet partially transforms into a werewolf, enabling her to break free of her bonds and attack this man. Ennis and the Winchesters turn up, and Ennis shoots this man, getting his revenge for his girlfriend's death.
We learn that in the past, Violet and David were planning on running away together, but David's brother told Violet not to go through with it: if they ran off, it would start a huge war between the families. Violet is now engaged to someone else.
In the end, Dean gets a phone call from Cas saying that he has a lead on Metatron. Sam and Dean rush off, encouraging Ennis to stay out of the monster's way and mind his own business. Ennis says he can't do that, since this is his fight now. He gets a phone call from his supposedly dead father, warning him to stay out of it.
So... what do I think? Well, I mentioned before that this is not an episode of Supernatural. In some ways, it reminds me of The Vampire Diaries or something... but maybe The Vampire Diaries when it's at its best. Sure, the drama is centered around love affairs and family tensions, but there's not necessarily anything wrong with that. It's not the same show we've been watching for nine years, but that doesn't make it awful.
First let's talk about a few weaker elements, because yeah. I think they've got a ways to go before they're going to be viable as their own series.
I don't like Margo. Some combination of the actress and the writing just pushed her too far into cliche territory. Presumably, with more time, she could become a nuanced character, but for the moment she's a real bore. The same can be said for Julian. So far he's just a tough and unreasonable bad guy, and nothing more.
Another thing: I think they missed a really great opportunity here, because honestly not much about this show ties it to Supernatural. The existence of werewolves, vampires, etc. doesn't mean it has to connect to its parent show necessarily, you know? There are plenty of shows out there about supernatural beings. I think one thing would have made it stronger: if the monsters had heard of Sam and Dean. If the Winchesters were something of a myth to them. Like, they hear through the grapevine about these legendary hunters, or whatnot. It could have been an interesting jumping off point for the show, because Sam and Dean wouldn't even need to be there, but they could still be a presence, in a way.
Also, the ending annoyed me. I didn't understand why Ennis says that this is his fight, now. His girlfriend is dead, and he manages to get revenge by killing her murderer right off the bat. So why is he still wanting to be a part of all of this? It doesn't make sense.
Then there's the fact that they seem to be recycling a lot of stuff from Supernatural's early days. Dead girlfriend in the pilot? Check. Absentee father who occasionally calls with cryptic messages? Check. A member of a family who wanted out of the life but comes back when things get tough? Check. A forbidden love between two members of different species? Che - sort of check. Whatever. I'm gonna say Dean and Cas count.
This early in a new show, it's discouraging to see so many recycled plots and cliches already making an appearance. Revenge for the loss of a loved one seems a bit tired at this point, don't you think? Maybe we could retire that particular plot point for a while? People who are presumed dead reappearing? Mysterious phone calls?
A nitpick - aren't shape shifters supposed to shed their skin? Are we ignoring that part of the established mythology now? Whatever.
But, the reason I think this show just might do okay, and really the biggest plus I can see here, is that David, Ennis, and Violet all seem like strong and viable characters. I could already see the seeds of a friendship-of-convenience forming between Ennis and David, and I think that could offer a lot of delicious tension. Violet started off as just a pawn in the games of her family, but she has proven herself willing to do whatever it takes to protect the people she loves. David seems like the calming presence in a crazy family, and I'm excited to see what's underneath that smooth exterior.
In terms of other good moments in the episode, I loved Dean's look of concern when Cas called, of course. I also loved the Buffy reference. Even with very little screen time, we still see that Dean is pretty affected by the Mark of Cain. He's gruff and business-like, while Sam is willing to slow down and talk with Ennis about what's happening.
I'm going to leave it there. If I didn't have such a dedication to Supernatural, this show wouldn't pique my interest. But if it does get picked up, I'll give it a few episodes to grab my attention. Ennis, David, and Violet have earned that, I think.
6.5/10
In the end, Dean gets a phone call from Cas saying that he has a lead on Metatron. Sam and Dean rush off, encouraging Ennis to stay out of the monster's way and mind his own business. Ennis says he can't do that, since this is his fight now. He gets a phone call from his supposedly dead father, warning him to stay out of it.
So... what do I think? Well, I mentioned before that this is not an episode of Supernatural. In some ways, it reminds me of The Vampire Diaries or something... but maybe The Vampire Diaries when it's at its best. Sure, the drama is centered around love affairs and family tensions, but there's not necessarily anything wrong with that. It's not the same show we've been watching for nine years, but that doesn't make it awful.
First let's talk about a few weaker elements, because yeah. I think they've got a ways to go before they're going to be viable as their own series.
I don't like Margo. Some combination of the actress and the writing just pushed her too far into cliche territory. Presumably, with more time, she could become a nuanced character, but for the moment she's a real bore. The same can be said for Julian. So far he's just a tough and unreasonable bad guy, and nothing more.
Another thing: I think they missed a really great opportunity here, because honestly not much about this show ties it to Supernatural. The existence of werewolves, vampires, etc. doesn't mean it has to connect to its parent show necessarily, you know? There are plenty of shows out there about supernatural beings. I think one thing would have made it stronger: if the monsters had heard of Sam and Dean. If the Winchesters were something of a myth to them. Like, they hear through the grapevine about these legendary hunters, or whatnot. It could have been an interesting jumping off point for the show, because Sam and Dean wouldn't even need to be there, but they could still be a presence, in a way.
Also, the ending annoyed me. I didn't understand why Ennis says that this is his fight, now. His girlfriend is dead, and he manages to get revenge by killing her murderer right off the bat. So why is he still wanting to be a part of all of this? It doesn't make sense.
Then there's the fact that they seem to be recycling a lot of stuff from Supernatural's early days. Dead girlfriend in the pilot? Check. Absentee father who occasionally calls with cryptic messages? Check. A member of a family who wanted out of the life but comes back when things get tough? Check. A forbidden love between two members of different species? Che - sort of check. Whatever. I'm gonna say Dean and Cas count.
This early in a new show, it's discouraging to see so many recycled plots and cliches already making an appearance. Revenge for the loss of a loved one seems a bit tired at this point, don't you think? Maybe we could retire that particular plot point for a while? People who are presumed dead reappearing? Mysterious phone calls?
A nitpick - aren't shape shifters supposed to shed their skin? Are we ignoring that part of the established mythology now? Whatever.
But, the reason I think this show just might do okay, and really the biggest plus I can see here, is that David, Ennis, and Violet all seem like strong and viable characters. I could already see the seeds of a friendship-of-convenience forming between Ennis and David, and I think that could offer a lot of delicious tension. Violet started off as just a pawn in the games of her family, but she has proven herself willing to do whatever it takes to protect the people she loves. David seems like the calming presence in a crazy family, and I'm excited to see what's underneath that smooth exterior.
In terms of other good moments in the episode, I loved Dean's look of concern when Cas called, of course. I also loved the Buffy reference. Even with very little screen time, we still see that Dean is pretty affected by the Mark of Cain. He's gruff and business-like, while Sam is willing to slow down and talk with Ennis about what's happening.
I'm going to leave it there. If I didn't have such a dedication to Supernatural, this show wouldn't pique my interest. But if it does get picked up, I'll give it a few episodes to grab my attention. Ennis, David, and Violet have earned that, I think.
6.5/10
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