Supernatural Round Table S12E16, “Ladies Drink Free”
Welcome to this week’s round table where we discuss this week’s episode of Supernatural. “Ladies Drink Free,” written by Meredith Glynn and directed by Amryn Kaderali, brings us back to a good old-fashioned werewolf hunt, or is it? Read along as Jackie Bojarski, Lizzy Schweitzer and I discuss this week’s episode. As always, we’d love to hear what you thought, so post in the comments.
The Winchesters and The British Men of Letters
Sam, Dean & Mick’s Tentative Working Relationship:
Jackie: Honestly, I’m surprised that it’s lasted this long. Sam & Dean’s approach to hunting is quite different than Mick’s–so different, in fact, that I knew things were going to implode the minute that Dean finally agreed to give them a chance. I’m just glad that Sam & Dean remain a united front in this.
Lizzy: We all knew this was not going to last, but I must say, I did enjoy seeing Dean so happy staying at a three-star resort.
Debbi: I was surprised that Dean so easily agreed with Sam’s plan to work with the BMoL. The Dean I’m used to would have been a lot more suspicious and would have held out longer. I do like that he is placing his trust with Sam, but this still seems a little too easy.
I’m also getting just a little bit annoyed with the writers/showrunner this year in regards to Dean. He has always been a little goofy and not quite as worldly as Sam, but this year they are making him out to be the butt of all the jokes. Dean may not be educated, but the guy is smart and at times dorky; not a dork and at times smart. Waste of the Dean character in this instance.
Mick lying to Sam & Dean:
Jackie: Given that Mick’s ideology conflicts with Sam and Dean’s, I expected that Mick would be doing things behind their back. In addition, I also knew that he wouldn’t be so keen on letting any supernatural beings go if they crossed his path. In this episode, Mick proved me correct. Luckily, Dean picked up on the fact that he wasn’t being honest and called him out on it. Now they have a chance of actually having a functional working relationship!
Lizzy: I kind of understand why he lied, although I completely disagree with his actions. After Dean and Sam told Mick about saving Garth, he didn’t trust them to take out the girl. But if there is one thing Sam and Dean are all about lately, it is honesty. Happy that Sam stuck by Dean after catching Mick lying.
Debbi: Not at all surprised that Mick was distrustful of Sam and Dean and then lied to them about killing the girl. The BMoL have stated all along that their mission is to cleanse the earth of all monsters – no amnesty for anyone. This was how both Sam and Dean were raised, to the point where in an earlier season, Dean went back to kill a monster (a friend of Sam’s) that Sam decided to let live in peace. It has been their experiences with monsters since then that have tempered this compulsion in both of them. I don’t think Mick will stop lying. I don’t see this ‘relationship’ being anything but toxic for the Winchesters. I strongly feel that all of them (Mary included) are being used.
Mick’s views/actions on hunting monsters:
Jackie: For me, they were perfectly aligned with the ideology of the British Men of Letters: the less supernatural beings, the better. Maybe it works in the long run but no one can deny that it’s also heartless and ruthless.
Lizzy: His actions and views are not so different from Dean’s pre-purgatory views. They are small-minded with an us vs them mentality. Glad Sam and dean are not like that anymore and it shows hunters are a lot more open minded and compassionate than men of letters.
Debbi: I can’t say it better than Jackie and Lizzy have. I agree with both of them and don’t really know how the Winchesters’ current views will mesh with this hard-line stance.
Claire Novak’s actions:
Claire Hunting:
Jackie: I’ll give Claire this: the girl has guts. She’s committed herself to the path of a hunter. With that said, she’s so inexperienced that she puts other people in danger. Hopefully, she’ll learn to put her ego aside and actually listen to people so that they can help her. After this episode’s fiasco, maybe this will actually happen.
Lizzy: I love any episode with the Wayward daughters, but really, at some point even she should see how reckless she is being. I know Claire will never stop, it is an obsession, just hoping she will be able to find a balance between living a real life and hunting.
Debbi: I admire Claire for sticking with her intentions, it is too bad that she hasn’t taken the time to actually get trained and educated in the finer points of both the Lore and the actions of a hunter. I suspected we’d end up seeing her in trouble because of her actions. Hopefully she will have learned from this experience.
Sam Calling Jody, Confronting Claire on Her Actions:
Jackie: I was glad that Sam called Jody so that we could find out the truth about how Claire ended up hunting alone. It makes my heart happy to know that Jody truly wants a better life for Claire. It’s too bad that Claire is so set in her ways that she won’t allow others to help her. Even when Sam tries to have a rational conversation about her recent actions, she still can’t see beyond her own ego. This has always been one of the worst flaws of her character and one of the reasons why I don’t like her. Basically, she needs to grow up.
Lizzy: If Sam has learned anything, it is keeping secrets hurts everyone, including the person you are trying to protect. It needed to be done and I am glad he stepped up and showed Claire that people out there love her and her actions are hurting not only herself, but those around her.
Debbi: I wasn’t surprised at all that Sam called Jody. At this point, Jody has become not only a valuable ally for both Sam and Dean, but a kind of touchstone for when they need to feel nurtured. It is perfectly natural to turn to her, especially since one of ‘her’ girls were involved. Jody needed to know what Claire’s been doing.
Claire Being Turned:
Jackie: Who didn’t see this coming? Once I found out that this werewolf was targeting teenage girls, I knew that it was only a matter of time before he went after Claire. The fact that this led to yet another lesson about belonging and family was only fitting considering that this was one of the biggest themes of this episode.
Lizzy: Totally saw that one coming, especially after Dean and Sam discussed Garth with Mick. I knew someone was going to get turned this episode, I thought it was either going to be Claire or Mick.
Debbi: Yeah, this was completely predictable and I was hoping it would be Mick and that they’d have to really angst about whether to kill him, cure him or leave him be. Like Jackie though, I figured it would be Claire who’d get turned and need rescuing. I’m not sure she needed to be turned to enforce the family lesson of the episode, but it wasn’t a problem for me that she was.
Werewolves and Their Lore:
The werewolf’s explanation for going after people now:
Jackie: I probably would feel bad for this werewolf if he wasn’t purposely turning teenage girls. In his mind, he’s giving them the family and the love that they never had. But, in the end, they don’t really have a choice in the matter. He turned them against their will, binding them to him against their will. Because of this, my sympathy is diminished.
Lizzy: Booooooooo. No, I get what he is saying, but no. No one has the right to completely change someone’s life against their will just because he thinks he is making their life better.
Debbi: I can’t help comparing this werewolf’s reasoning with that of a serial kidnapper/rapist/killer – ‘they were unhappy, I was the only one who understood them, I gave them what they wanted’. All crappy reasons for taking someone’s life from them and making them over into your own fantasy of them. He is equally as reprehensible as a werewolf who hunts and kills humans.
The Cure:
Jackie: Since there is a cure for vampirism, I guess I really shouldn’t have been that surprised that there’s also one for lycanthropy. And, interestingly enough, the process to cure both these conditions is relatively the same: both involve using the blood of the one who sired or created the person that they’re trying to cure. What was more interesting to me is the fact that apparently, rodents can be infected with lycanthropy. I’ve never really heard of this before and it would actually like to see explored further on the show.
Lizzy: I am glad there is finally a cure. The lore was there, just happy to see it materialize. Especially now since maybe we will get to have another Garth episode!!!
Debbi: While it is not surprising that there is a cure, it does surprise me that Sam hadn’t run across it before this. Especially since you’d think he’d have been looking for one after what happened with Garth. I have to say that I’m tired of the BMoL having all the answers to everything. With their high-tech weapons and their knowledge, there will be no need for hunters and I can’t see either Sam or Dean going off quietly into the sunset to live with Mildred at her assisted living center. The BMoL have become a deus ex machina machine – something that both God and the angels were/are – a way to get the Winchesters out of all of their tough situations without effort.
Overall Score:
Jackie: C. Overall, this episode was fairly predictable and came across as quite bland. Definitely not one of my favorites, but it did have some interesting moments.
Lizzy: A. This episode had a lot of elements of Supernatural that I love. Bringing back loved characters, monsters, brothers getting along, Dean appreciating the finer things in life, and the hope that we will get to see my favorite characters again!
Debbi: C. I’m already sick of the BMoL riding to the rescue and am waiting for that relationship to implode. Additionally, I’m tired of seeing Sam and Dean (Jared and Jensen) being used to provide a backdrop for guest star stories. I don’t really feel like the show is about Sam and Dean anymore.
That’s the round table for this week. We had a split in terms of ratings, what do you think? Do you love or hate the BMoL? Where do you stand on Sam and Dean’s role on the show? What do you think is going to happen?