“Do You Believe in Miracles?” was a well written, very enjoyable episode. The Season 9 Finale, which aired last Tuesday, May 20th, signified the culmination of a struggle of trust and sacrifice between the Sam and Dean Winchester while allowing the angel conflict to be resolved in a satisfying way. A cliffhanger of epic proportions has left a lasting impression in my mind with the expectation of interesting possibilities and developing storylines for the near future in Season 10. Today we will be analyzing and reviewing Season 9 as a whole, as well as providing a continuation to our Season Nine Retrospective.
Since its conception, Season 9 has been setting up for an all-out confrontation between Heaven and Hell, with the Winchester brothers stuck in the middle of the conflict. Despite a few less than stellar episodes, the first half builds up on this power struggle between angels and demons while introducing tension between the brothers to new levels: Sam feels betrayed and can no longer put his trust in his older brother, while Dean feels abandoned and disappointed Sam is not willing to sacrifice as much as he is for the sake of the family and the greater good. After its cliffhanger mid-season Finale and one of the best episodes of the season, “Holy Terror”, it appears as though the brothers have been split apart and will each deal with one side of the conflict: Sam and Castiel will handle the Civil War in Heaven, while Dean and Crowley attempt to stop Abaddon’s plans to become the new Queen of Hell.
Unfortunately and much to my dismay, the conflict between Sam and Dean is resolved rather quickly while the episodes to follow rarely, if ever, develop the season’s overall story arc. Instead, we are treated to filler episodes featuring guest characters from previous seasons: Charlie, Garth, Sheriff Jody Mills, Linda Tran (AKA Mama Tran), Tessa the Reaper, and even the Ghostfacers make a comeback. It was a season of cameos and a story that could have been but never was. In a way, it appears the writers and directors have instead taken the opportunity to enjoy and have fun by developing these guest characters and using them in new and interesting ways, albeit at the expense of neglecting the overall plot of the season. The palpable passion and commitment actors, writers, and directors alike have for the show make these episodes, and the season in general, to still be entertaining and fun to watch despite its flaws in storytelling.
It is quite commendable that the cast and crew continue to produce great episodes after 9 years. Despite its shortcomings, the show retains its quality and entertainment value by doing what it does best: telling a story about brothers who defy all odds as a family and hunt the supernatural. Season 9, and the show in general, remains as strong as ever at the expense of providing us with a less than stellar story arc this time around. Cliffhangers aside (the last 5 seconds of the finale, to be exact), I still anxiously await for Season 10 during Fall 2014 on the CWTV.
Best Episode:
- 9.23 – Do You Believe in Miracles?
Honorable Mentions:
- 9.09 – Holy Terror,
- 9.10 – Road Trip,
- 9.21 – King of the Damned
Worst Episode:
- 9.20 – Bloodlines
Dishonorable Mentions:
- 9.04 – Slumber Party,
- 9.06 – Heaven Can’t Wait,
- 9.12 – Sharp Teeth