TV Review: SUPERNATURAL - SEASON FOUR - 'Jump the Shark'

Was it me, or was it Dean (Jensen Ackles) crawls through tight spaces week?




I love that SUPERNATURAL and its writers are so self-aware.

Two new episodes ago, they took pots shots at themselves and all the good (and bad) episodes they have done and the craziness of some of the plotlines, ripped the fanboys and fan fiction writers a new one (but in a funny, fairly nice way). Earlier this year they had an episode entitled “Criss Angel is a Douchebag” having nothing to do with anything during the episode – other than it was about magic. And now they have proclaimed that they are “jumping the shark” by introducing the third – yes third – Winchester brother into the mix.

“Jump the shark” is the coined phrase for when a show had reached a point in its history where it veers into absurd storylines or out-of-the-ordinary characterizations. Originally was pointed out in HAPPY DAYS when Fonzie literally jumped a shark while water skiing.
Here, they are poking fun at themselves because after four years and introducing a potentially major new character into the mix – a brother no less – is a little hard to imagine. Luckily, by naming the episode “Jump the Shark” they realize this and are giving us the nod once again that they know, they know.

But in true SUPERNATURAL fashion, they took the premise and made it their own – aw damn I’ve been reviewing too much AMERICAN IDOL, I’m sounding like Paula Abdul. Instead of introducing a lame character everyone will hate because he’s the third (or fourth, or fifth) wheel. Sure, we were introduced to Sam (Jared Padaleki) and Dean’s brother, Adam, but it is a ghoul that assumed his identity – along with his mother and another ghoul. And they feasted on the real Adam and his mother for a long time before ending their lives and stuffing them in a crypt and stealing their identities.

See John Winchester – the boys father and also father to real Adam – killed the ghouls father and, well, pay back’s a bitch. So they took revenge on Adam and gunned for the other Winchester brothers by posing as their long lost brother seeking their help. A good ruse but luckily for us, the writers did the right thing and made for a decent filler episode.

But next week it is straight back to business with angels and demons back in action and a furthering of the mythology. That’s a good thing since there are only three episodes left still the season is over and we have many questions to answer.