SUPERNATURAL: ‘Two and a Half Men’

After last week’s good but very disconcerting episode, I’ve spent far too much time trying to figure out what is going on with Sam, with the Campbells and with Domestic Dean. After last night’s episode, I’m no closer to a solid theory than I was a week ago, but on the plus side, there was a (partial) return to the old Sam and Dean dynamic that was clearly lacking in the season premiere.

As new showrunner Sera Gamble has discussed in interviews, season six is seeing a return to monster of the week type stories, but this year we’ll be seeing the origins of a lot of the monsters we’ve come to know and love. Last night this was true for an old favorite, the shapeshifter. It seems the Alpha Shifter (the first one ever), has been spending his time impregnating unsuspecting women and then returning when the babies reach the age of six months to claim them, leaving a trail of gruesomely murdered parents in its wake. It’s unclear what the shifter is collecting babies for (perhaps it’s trying to get it’s own show on TLC?), but this is just how shifters spawn.

When Sam manages to intercept the shifter after it murders the parents of one of the babies, he ends up with a baby on his hands and no idea what to do with it. Cue Dean, who in his year of raising Ben (and let’s not forget the time he spent essentially raising Sam when they were kids), has developed his paternal instincts and is at least competent with an infant. Although some parents may disagree after seeing him mock the baby’s cries and feed him (a teensy amount of) whiskey, but what are you going to do? He’s not Dr. Spock, and he’s doing the best he can.

Sam and Dean alone (as in, Campbell-free) is interesting. They revert right back to the old banter and one-liners, and I couldn’t be happier. After the chill of last week, it’s excellent to see them together, joking and getting along like old times. Does this mean that Sam is real Sam? Time will tell.

On the baby front, Sam leaves Dean alone with their young charge to do some more investigation, because it would be hard to convince people that Bobby John is a cop (this isn’t Cop and a Half, you know) and someone needs to babysit. One thing Dean learns quickly about shapeshifter babies? Yup, they can shift. And when they do, it’s pretty damn disgusting. After the child turns itself into the baby on the diaper box near it’s crib, Sam decides its time to seek help from the “family”.

Once again, the Campbells prove to be weird, creepy, secretive and generally unlikable. There is much discussion of giving the baby to Christian and his wife who have been trying to conceive but as Dean rightly points out, you can’t Angelina Jolie a shapeshifter. Soon the Alpha is knocking on their door and almost immediately Mark is dead. After a few attempts to kill or even slow down Daddy Shifter, he’s absconded with his progeny.

We then see Samuel on the phone with someone, explaining that the shifter got away with the baby, but promising to deliver it to whoever he’s speaking with. In addition to the fact that Grandpa kept the djinn alive last week, seemingly unbeknownst to Sam, something is not kosher. Who is he talking to? Does Sam know about all of this? Are these people who they claim to be?

Dean returns home to Lisa and the two decide that Dean is better off in the hunter life. His sticking around could even prove more dangerous for Lisa and Ben in the end. However, given that Lisa is the most understanding person ever, she tells Dean that this doesn’t mean that they’re done. He should pop in when he can, but feel no obligation to stick around. Yay! Dean’s hunting full-time again.

Cue “Smoke on the Water”, and then 30 seconds of pure Impala porn. The tarp comes off and the smile is back on Dean’s face. No matter what happens next week with Sam, Dean and the Campbells, or where they end up, at least they’ll get there in the proper vehicle.

Did last night change your theories at all? A lot of you were convinced that Sam isn’t right – that maybe it’s not even Sam at all, and I’m still open to all scenarios. Share your theories below, tell me your favorite moments, etc. from last night’s episode. While we all ponder what’s really going on, check out the promo for next week, called “The Third Man”, featuring a character return that I could not be more excited about (plus bonus shirtless chinups!):

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