Supernatural: About a Boy (10x12)

I'm distinctly torn about this episode, because on the one hand - oh my GOD this was adorable. But on the other hand? I'm not convinced that they used this scenario to its full potential. Let's go over what happened.

Sam is worried about Dean, because he's locked himself in the bunker and refuses to do anything but research about the Mark. Sam finally convinces him to work a case. They show up in a town where people have been disappearing. Dean flirts with a girl named Tina in a bar, while Sam scopes out the neighborhood looking for clues. When Tina leaves the bar, Dean hears her scream and goes to investigate. Both Tina and Dean are taken.

When Dean wakes up, he's in a basement, and he's fourteen years old. Tina has also been de-aged. There's a mean, gruff looking man as their prison-guard, and Tina distracts him so that Dean can escape and come back with help. Dean goes to Sam, who is of course shocked that Dean has been de-aged.

The two of them go back to free Tina and figure out what's going on - they know it's a witch, and that they need to find a way to defeat her. However, Dean points out that since he's de-aged, he doesn't have the Mark of Cain any more. Maybe he should stay young in order to solve that problem. Sam is skeptical, but Dean does have a point.

They get to the place where Tina is being kept, and they discover that the prison guard is named Hansel, as in Hansel and Gretel. He says that the witch is his master, and that he hates her because she made him eat his sister. He also tells Sam and Dean that squeezing a magical hex bag will reverse the de-aging. Hansel agrees to help them defeat the witch.

They go upstairs and find Tina tied up, as the witch prepares a meal made out of another person. She reveals that she can't take kids anymore, because people make such a big fuss when they go missing. Instead, she de-ages adults who nobody will miss, and then eats them. Turns out, Hansel was lying about hating the witch, and he turns against Sam and Dean. As Sam is about to be killed, Dean manages to lunge forward and squeeze the hex bag, turning himself back into his normal age. He sticks the witch (and the hex bag) into the fire. Problem solved.

Poor Tina is stuck in a teenager's body, though. Sam and Dean offer to try and find a way to reverse the spell, but Tina says that this is her second chance. She was sort of a mess as an adult, and now she gets a do-over.

Sam and Dean talk about the Mark, and how Dean lost a chance to be rid of it. Sam thanks Dean, saying that he wanted him back anyway, and that Dean has saved his life. Then, they get into the impala and Dean turns up some Taylor Swift as they drive away.

Okay, so the disparate parts of this episode are all awesome, but as a cohesive whole, I can't help but feel that they could have done a lot more with the concept of Dean Winchester being stuck in his teenage form. I was expecting a lot more in the way of hilarious jokes about how he can't drink, can't drive the impala, etc. etc. I was also expecting maybe an examination of Dean's macho-man demeanor, and how his position as Sam's big brother is really important to him. I thought we might explore the role reversal between Sam and Dean, which has been going on all season, with this unique setup of Dean being literally younger. I thought we might get more talk about Sam and Dean's childhood, given his status as a fourteen-year-old. There were just a lot of different angles to take here, and I felt like none of them really panned out. There was actually very little purpose to Dean being younger at all, beyond a few quick jokes, and the absence of the Mark of Cain.

But even if I felt like there was some wasted potential, I still loved everything that we did get to see. For example, there were a lot of adorable broments in this episode. In particular, we do explore that protector/protected dynamic in this episode, but mostly at the beginning, before Dean is de-aged. Sam tells Dean that he believes in him, and you can tell that it's so important for Dean to hear it. He wouldn't be able to get up in the morning if he was on his own - he can't believe in himself at all. Then, as they work on the case, Sam suggests that they separate, and you can see this brief look of panic in Dean's eyes. Sam immediately says that they can stick together if Dean wants. Dean brushes him off and goes off on his own anyway, but you can see in this moment how in tune Sam is with Dean's feelings. Really powerful.

At the very end, when Dean gets back to his old self, he and Sam have a conversation in which Sam thanks Dean for "pulling a Dean Winchester" and saving his life. Dean has a look of surprise on his face, because he continually devalues himself and sometimes can't believe how much Sam values him. So sweet. On a less serious note, there were some funny brotherly moments in this episode, mostly when Dean was de-aged, including a couple of dick jokes and references to silly behavior from their childhood. So, that was lovely.

Then there's this Tina character. The scene between Tina and Dean in the bar was really important, I think. Dean actually acknowledged that he was a functioning alcoholic in this episode, which was just like... WOW. Also, I think Tina and Dean really found some catharsis in talking about their crappy childhoods. I just about wept at the adorable-ness of Dean making different types of mac-and-cheese, including one recipe with marshmallow fluff, which Sam found "exotic." So, so cute. I think there was definitely an attraction between these two characters, but Dean's relationship with Tina in that brief scene was so much healthier than any of his normal hook-ups. They really helped each other, and sex wouldn't have been the right way to continue that relationship.

Inevitably, I must talk about Dylan Everett. Oh. My. God. He is so phenomenal as Dean. As I was watching, I literally thought of him as the same person as Jensen. I forgot to be impressed by Dylan Everett's acting, because I literally forgot that it wasn't just Dean Winchester in a younger person's body. He has the mannerisms down like you would not believe. His way of talking, his movements, everything. Like, holy hell, kid. You are talented.

Then there's Mrs. Patmore. I mean... the witch from Hansel and Gretel. I mean Lesley Nicol. In any case, as a big Downton Abbey fan, it was a little disconcerting to see Mrs. Patmore as an evil witch, but I did like the idea that the de-aging came from a witch, instead of a random and completely made up new creature. Keeping it simple is usually the best way to go for monster-of-the-week episodes. And hey, we got a mention of Rowena! This C-plot episode did a really nice job of keeping up the themes of the rest of the season.

Speaking of, the Mark of Cain was still a hot topic this week, as we see Dean wrestle with his darkness and with an impossible choice. As much as I praise Everett's acting, I've gotta hand it to Jensen Ackles too. When he gets back to his normal age and defeats the witch, you can see the darkness and anger just below the surface, and you can see how hard it is for him to rein it in. As inconceivable as it is for the rest of us, and for Sam, you could tell that the prospect of being free of the Mark was really enough for Dean to consider staying pre-pubescent.

Some more superficial observations... Dean in a hoodie! Abort! Abort! Too adorable! Too precious! Petition to have Jensen Ackles wear hoodies to all future convention appearances. Hot damn, that guy looks good in everything. Also, Dean called Sam "Sammy" in this episode, both before and after being de-aged. That's always cute, and we haven't heard it a lot this season.

I will end with the ending, logically enough. I am so, so happy that "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift played in this episode. (As a side note, Tumblr people, I'm disappointed in you. I saw some of the live-blogging of this episode before I watched it, and several people said the song was "Blank Space.") In any case, hearing Taylor Swift on Supernatural was pretty surreal, and I appreciated it for the cultural relevance alone. But it was also, I think another important step in Dean's character development. He is becoming more aware of his alcoholism, and he's allowing himself to like what he likes and stop posturing as a macho-man. These things are connected, and even though the Mark of Cain is really dragging him down, Dean really is becoming a more confident and self-assured person underneath it all. There's no shame in liking a bit of the T-Swift, Dean. The rest of the world sure does.

So, there you have it! Next week we get "these kids with their texting and murder!" Can't wait.

8.5/10