Supernatural: Optimism (14x06)

I loved this episode. It was excellent. It was also one of the few lighthearted C-plot episodes where Sam and Dean are fully separated for the whole hour, which gave each of them a chance to work off of other characters in our ensemble cast.

Cons:

We know where Mary and Bobby are, we can assume that Cas and the myriad others are off on hunts, but it still felt odd to see the bunker so entirely empty when Dean showed up. Is everyone out on a hunt at the same time? That doesn't seem like a smart way to run things, Sam. I get that this season is set up in such a way that not every episode has the budget for a larger cast, but it felt odd not to have a few random folks walking by in the background.

Pros:

Charlie and Sam's little subplot was hilarious. Most of the episode is just the two of them running surveillance in a car, but we do get to see them defeat the weird fly monster in a brief scene towards the end. I loved the absurdist comedy of the creature they were hunting. Sometimes it's nice to show that not every case turns in to a big, complicated, dangerous mystery. Sometimes it's just some boring surveillance and a quick, yet still creative, dispatch of the monster.

Of course, the main thing going on in this plot thread was the discussion of Charlie's past and future. Turns out, in her world, she met the love of her life. A woman named Kara. When Michael and Lucifer started their blow-out, Kara didn't survive, and Charlie was thrust suddenly into the world of war. Now that she's somewhere more stable, she wants to give up hunting and go live in isolation on a mountain. Sam encourages her to stick around, because people need other people.

Things I love about this? All of it. I like that we're really exploring the differences between this Charlie and the one we knew, just like we saw in previous episodes with Bobby. She's still a nerd who loves computers, but she wasn't a hunter, and she had found happiness before the apocalypse. It's pretty clear to see that Charlie hasn't had a chance to properly grieve Kara. I also love that Sam wants her to stick around. He's tried to escape the hunting life a couple of times himself, but he now has an attitude about it that makes it work for him. He knows that he makes a positive difference, and he has hope that the people he saves will go on to help others. I think Charlie should be able to choose a life that doesn't involve hunting, if she wants. But I also think Sam is right that she shouldn't just run away in order to avoid the pain of it. She needs to make a mature decision about her future, and I for one am beyond thrilled that Charlie is sticking around.

Now for the real meat of the episode - Jack and Dean go on a hunt together, and it is EVERYTHING. I'm not really sure where to start. I guess with the comedy. Jack is adorable, Dean is adorable, they are adorable together. There are too many funny moments to count. Jack calling Dean and asking to learn everything about sex, Dean's affronted expression when Jack calls him "old man," Jack's enthusiasm at being "hunting buddies," Harper's puppy-dog eyes, and then the reveal of her true nature, and the creepy letter to Jack... all of this is just hilarious. What a fun episode.

We also see that Dean and Jack are going through something very similar. While Dean blames himself for what Michael did using his body, Jack blames himself for not being strong enough to take Michael down when he had the chance. As both try to reassure the other that they are not to blame, they are forced to confront their own hypocrisy and admit that maybe Michael's wrongdoings aren't their own fault, either. This part of the plot thread didn't overpower the comedy, but provided some real human stakes underneath all of the laughs. Dean and Jack had something of a rocky start at the beginning of the last season, but they have come a long way since then, and it's so obvious that they care about each other now.

Another little hint that I enjoyed: Sam and Dean are not onscreen together at all this episode, but we still get a moment early on where Jack tells Dean that Sam is worried about him, and Dean replies: "yeah, that sounds like him." I just love how much they're going in to Dean's pain and trauma, and how Dean isn't totally dismissing Sam's concern for him. The Winchester brothers aren't always great at understanding and discussing their emotions, but they've certainly gotten better about it recently.

And then we get that ending, where Jack's persistent cough leads to him collapsing. Nooooo. I have every faith that they will be able to save Jack, but it's obviously going to be tricky, and angsty, and I am all about it. Next week we've got Jack's three dads, and Rowena, all around to try and save his life. Maybe. Rowena is a tricky one. I'm excited to see where this goes, and delighted that Jack's story wasn't a one-season affair. I want to see him stick around for a long time!

9.5/10