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Supernatural (opens in new tab) Season Eight Episode Six “Southern Comfort” TV REVIEW
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Episode 8.06
Writer: Adam Glass
Director: Tim Andrew
THE ONE WHERE The Winchesters hunt the avenging spectre of the Confederate Unknown Soldier, and Garth is on hand to help… as the new Bobby? (You shut your mouth)
VERDICT Oh Garth, how we’ve missed you. The gangly ghoul ganker has been MIA since season seven’s “Party On, Garth” (where he helped Sam and Dean dispatch another murderous spirit, funnily enough) and here he returns with a new responsibility: he’s the new Bobby, complete with multiple mobiles, authentic baseball cap and authentic(ish) catchphrases.
He’s the highlight of an otherwise by-the-numbers monster of the week affair. There are some pretty grisly kills, and it takes a ballsy show to make the Confederate Unknown Soldier the villain of the week, but it never quite catches fire. It works wonderfully, however, as a metaphor for the trouble between Sam and Dean, and allows for a very revealing climactic confrontation in Sam and Dean’s Nascar-adorned motel room. Does Dean really feel that strongly? Or is it just the vengeance spirit talking? Either way it’s not something Dean’s willing to let go of any time soon. Full marks for the performances during this scene as well, particularly Jensen Ackles who exudes explosive rage without hamming it up.
The scenes featuring Sam and Amelia’s first night together are similarly revealing. To date the flashbacks have felt like a load of soft focus Hallmark channel nonsense, but this episode’s heartfelt exchanges reach something approximating genuine human emotion. Rather than simply expecting us to accept Sam was willing to give up searching for his brother because of a birthday picnic, here we’re shown just how deep his feelings run.
DEAN WISECRACKING
Sam : “Kid’s like Rain Man.”
Dean : “He’s like a crappy little credit-card-counting criminal prodigy Rain Man.”
DID YOU SPOT? Supernatural ’s famous deer head appears during the scene in Fat Mack’s Rib Shack.
SPECULATION And wild speculation at that. Sam and Benny are clearly going to square off one day soon, in which case, what better way for Benny to get one up on Sam than by threatening Amelia? If it happens, you know where to reach me, Supernatural writers.
LMAO Garth’s “U Can’t Touch This” ringtone is a lovely gag for everyone paying attention during the first scene where he and the brothers meet.
SAM’S HANGDOG EXPRESSION OF THE WEEK
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FEATURED MUSIC “ Fell On Black Days ” by Soundgarden can be heard over the neat recap of the penny’s three day journey. It’s an impressive little sequence, and the one bit of flair in an otherwise solidly (but nothing more) directed episode.
BEST LINES
Castiel : “It does present a curious curl in the metaphysics, doesn’t it? If you murder a monster in monster heaven, where does it go?”
Benny : “And this is the crazy aunt I want to take on the road?”
Castiel : “I am not your aunt.”
Benny : “What? Really?”
Castiel : “I have no possible relationship to your sibling offspring.”
Jordan Farley (opens in new tab)
Read all our Supernatural Season Eight reviews here. (opens in new tab)
