Supernatural

I'm beginning to understand why creator Eric Kripke has repeatedly said he'd like to end Supernatural after its fifth season.  The first episode of season 4 introduced God and angels into the show's mythology, while last night's installment began setting up a showdown between the Winchesters and Lucifer himself.  Lilith's quest to break the 66 seals sounds like it'd take about two seasons, and if Sam and Dean successfully thwart her and stop Satan from walking the Earth, where else could the series possibly go?  Once you've beaten back Lucifer and the armies of Hell, everything else seems like small potatoes.

I don't feel it's a bad thing that Kripke seems to be setting the series up for its eventual end.  I'm glad he's thinking ahead and pulling the villain to top all villains out of his hat.  Focusing on a specific endgame helped make shows like Lost and Battlestar Galactica better than ever, and I think Supernatural is on a similar path.  As much as I loved the overarching stories of the first three seasons, none grabbed me as instantly as this Heaven vs. Hell setup.  Season 4 of Supernatural is building to something truly epic, with the apocalypse nipping at the Winchesters' heels.  It feels like all hell is about to break loose once again.

Aside from the Lucifer bombshell, one of the highlights of last night's episode was the return of Meg, Henricksen and Ronald.  Not only did these characters act as a gut-wrenching reminder of the innocent people the Winchesters failed to save, but their return was like an extra treat for loyal Supernatural fans.  As BuddyTV reader N0Nightowl pointed out, the episode may have been more powerful had Bobby's wife been the one to haunt him.  It's possible the actress wasn't available, so it's certainly a forgivable gripe.

Last night's episode also found Ruby 2.0 making a run for it, possibly never to return.  The demon understandably had no desire to hang around and risk being spotted by an extremely powerful angel.  I'm really not a fan of what Genevieve Cortese has brought to the role (mainly a lisp and a blank stare), so I won't miss her.

What do you think of the direction Supernatural is taking this season?  Do you want more monsters and fewer Biblical shenanigans, or is it time to bring on the apocalypse?


- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)