Supernatural: #THINMAN (9x15)

I've heard people complain that this was a filler episode. And yeah, okay, technically, but it expanded on so many of the important themes of the current plot arcs, namely: Dean and Sam's relationship. Also, I think there's a very strong argument to be made that the Mark of Cain is doing something strange to Dean... let's look at the plot.

Dean and Sam go to work a case where a creepy looking figure appeared in the back of a girl's selfie just before she was murdered inside her locked house. When they arrive on the scene, they find that the Ghostfacers have beaten them to the punch. The Winchesters tell Harry and Ed to scram, but they don't listen. Harry and Ed reveal that they think they're hunting "Thin Man," a monster that has been trending in online forums recently. Dean thinks it's just a ghost, but Sam thinks there might be something to this whole Thin Man theory.

Then, Ed reveals something to the Winchesters: he invented Thin Man, because Ed wanted to keep Harry in the business, instead of letting him move on with his life and get married. When Sam and Dean go to try to find out what's going on, they get tasered and tied up. Turns out, there is no Thin Man, nor any supernatural creature of any kind. It's just two human beings, orchestrating the whole thing so they can be famous online. Dean is almost killed, but Harry and Ed turn up and they all manage to get out alive. However, Dean kills one of the two Thin Man impersonators, and Harry kills the other.

Harry says he can't forgive Ed for what he's done, and decides to stop being a "supernaturalist." He asks the Winchesters for a ride, and the three of them drive away.

So, I feel like people are being a bit too harsh in reviews. Was it a legendary episode that will be remembered as one of the greats? Probably not. Were there some problems? Of course. But actually, I think this is exactly the type of C-plot episode we needed. But... as I usually must, let's start with the few things I didn't like.

Perhaps the parallels between Harry and Ed, and Sam and Dean, were a bit heavy handed. I mean, I love that the comparisons are there, but I wish they could have been a touch more subtle. There were literally moments where Ed and Harry were quoting almost directly from conversations between Sam and Dean.

And honestly, Thin Man was not the most exciting villain. It was cool with the twist that it was human beings the whole time, but I was rolling my eyes a bit at the reveal scene. It was just too... I don't know... anticlimactic? I may be nitpicking.

But there were also amazing things!

The parallels! Oh, the parallels. Now, no matter how casual a viewer you are, it's painfully obvious that Sam and Dean's current fight is not going to be brushed under the rug. It is serious business, and is going to be treated with real gravity. It really seems like they're on their way to a healthier relationship once and for all!

All of Sam and Dean's interactions in this episode were just heartbreaking. At the beginning, Dean tries to comment on how out of wack everything is, but Sam is just interested in the case. And then the scene with the memory? Batman and Superman? Are you kidding? I think what's so heartbreaking about this moment is that in another episode, it could have just been a quippy little joke that fans could squeal over. In this episode, it's the one and only reminder of the brothers they used to be, and we see the way they are with each other now... and the contrast is just so sharp that it's painful to watch.

Also, Dean killed a human being! I think we're supposed to be a bit disconcerted about this, as Sam does point out to Dean that they were just people. Dean doesn't seem particularly phased. Is the Mark of Cain doing this to him? I'm excited to find out!

Harry doesn't forgive Ed. Just like Sam can't forgive Dean. But there's a difference, of course. For all of Sam's talk of "there are some things you can't forgive," he can't actively leave his brother, either. I'm not saying this is a good or a bad thing, but it seems to be true. Maybe Sam believes that they'll finish the job - shut the gates of Hell, restore the Angels to Heaven, all that good stuff, and then they can split apart. We as the viewers know that there's no happy ending for Sam and Dean if they aren't okay with one another.

There were occasional bits of good humor in this episode as well, although there were also some misfires. For an episode with the Ghostfacers, which I'm sure we all thought would be hilarious, it took a surprisingly deep and depressing turn.

There you have it! Sam and Dean and character development and angst-y brother feelings... can't wait for next time!

7.5/10