The CW, 30 September, 7 October
The Leviathans, let into the world by Castiel, have taken up residence in a hospital, all the better to feed…
Hello, Cruel World kicks off a two-part encounter with the toothy Leviathans, masquerading as doctors (oh, how satirical). Castiel is now gone (for how long, though?), and the Winchester brothers are on their own, apart from the ever reliable Bobby Singer (except when they briefly think he’s dead). While Dean deals with the monsters, Sam is talking with the devil. The imaginary friend gambit has been so overdone in SF TV in recent years, it is disappointing to see Supernatural resorting to this now worn-out ploy so late in the day.
That episode cliffhangers directly into The Girl Next Door, but things don’t pick up. There are some nice directorial touches here (Jensen Ackles is behind the camera), but the script is the let down, somewhat wasting Firefly’s Jewel Staite as ‘Amy Pond’ (Doctor Who in-jokes are proliferating across US TV these days). Jumping back between young Sam and young Amy and their older counterparts, it’s all very predictable stuff. Additionally, the relentless blood splatter everywhere is getting tedious…
Sam’s decision to spare Amy is perhaps understandable, but Dean’s choice to spare her (potential killer) kid doesn’t make any sense whatsoever (apart from the fact that TV heroes generally don’t kill kids, even when they’re monsters).
Verdict: A very lukewarm season so far—things better catch fire soon.
Episode 2 ‘Hello, Cruel World’: 5/10
Episode 3 ‘The Girl Next Door’: 5/10
Brian J. Robb
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