SUPERNATURAL: Family Remains

This was an entertaining enough stand-alone episode but it’s not one that I think I’ll be watching much when I ultimately get the season four DVD set. As shocking/gross (in a good way) as it was, I didn’t really connect with it overall. I’ve been trying to put my finger on what my problem with it was, and I think it’s that we didn’t get much in the way of character development or a sense of moving the story forward at all. Not to say that every episode has to feature Castiel or epic revelations, but there wasn’t much interaction between the brothers – the focus was very much on the family at the center of the drama of the week. It sort of had that feeling you’d get when you’re watching your favourite sitcom and realize the whole episode is about the neighbour or coach and you realize you’re being acquainted with the new people because they are about to be spun off into their own show. Since I’m pretty sure we won’t be watching Family Remains: The Series next year, I’m not sure why the show took this turn.

That being said, they weren’t lazy with the twists and turns at all. Just when I thought my jaw had dropped as low as it could, another twist and/or disturbing visual would cause it to go down another notch. As deep as my love is for Supernatural, it doesn’t often have the intended effect of scaring the crap out of me, like a lot of people who watch the show. However, tonight they didn’t play fair – first they featured a scene with the urban legend that scared me most as a kid and then there was the ghost-that-wasn’t-a-ghost and her rat-eating, murderous ways.

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