I started writing a review of the entire season of Supernatural, and then I realized that there is no way I’m going to jam it all into one review. So this is what I’m going to do: I’m going to tell you my favorite episodes of season 11 first, then next week I’ll talk about some of my least favorites. After that, I’ll write up a review of the growth (or lack thereof) of Team Free Will, Crowley, and our awesome guest cast this season.
So without further ado: Meg’s Top Five of Season 11:
5) Just My Imagination: Episode 8
Written by: Jenny Klein
Directed by: Richard Speight Jr.
Source: The Game of Nerds
I wasn’t yet reviewing for TGON when this episode aired, but it was one of my favorites. Not only did we get to have some light hearted moments in the middle of a pretty intense season with The Darkness, but we got to learn a lot more about both Sam and Dean. Sully (played by Nate Torrence) is Sam’s imaginary friend from childhood, only he wasn’t pretend; he was real. This episode gave a poignant, if not entirely new view on Sam’s lonely childhood, but it also shed some light on how Dean grew up. He didn’t have imaginary friends, he didn’t really get that luxury, plus family was so deeply embedded in who Dean is, that he couldn’t imagine needing anything else. It caused some friction between the two brothers that, call me a sucker for angst, I loved.
4) Hell’s Angel: Episode 18
Written by: Brad Buckner, Eugenie Ross-Leming
Directed by: Philip Sgriccia
Source: The Game of Nerds
This episode was a huge personal favorite of mine for one reason: Casifer. Misha Collins just did an awesome job playing Lucifer with many different attitudes (Tony Robbins Luci, Hellfire Luci, Desperate to Not Get Killed Luci) and throwing Cas in there, too. We also got Rowena back, some fun back and forth with Crowley and the boys, and good forward momentum in the A plot of the season. I am also always glad to see Amara being angry and vengeful without the creepy obsession with Dean. I remember reviewing this and not being able to think of a character who was my BAMF, but like I said, Misha is why Hell’s Angel is on this list. He was having so much fun and it made the episode a treat to watch, and rewatch.
3) Don’t Call Me Shurley: Episode 20
Written by: Robbie Thompson
Directed by: Robert Singer
Source: The Game of Nerds
This was not a complicated episode. There wasn’t a ton of flash or bang, but it was amazing. The guest appearances by Rob Benedict as Chuck and Curtis Armstrong as Metatron made me forget about Dean and Sam entirely. It was a quiet, tonally different episode than the rest of the season, made all the more memorable for being Robbie Thompson’s last. It’s hard to condense it all into one little paragraph, which is why I wrote a whole big review. I felt for Metatron, which I didn’t think was possible, and we got the bonus of hearing Rob Benedict sing. This whole episode was great, with a satisfying, if not at all surprising (for us meta nerds) reveal.
2) Don’t You Forget About Me: Episode 12
Written by: Nancy Won
Directed by: Stefan Pleszczynski
Source: The Game of Nerds
You would be grateful that I wasn’t reviewing Supernatural for TGON during this episode, mostly because the whole thing would basically just be me shouting “WAYWARD DAUGHTERS!! WAYWARD DAUGHTERS!!” over and over again. There isn’t enough to say about this perfect possible spin-off pilot for a show that I would watch the shit out of. Kim Rhodes, Kathryn Newton, and Katherine Ramdeen return as Jody, Claire, and Alex; a makeshift family of damaged, but strong women who can kick some serious ass. I will always welcome strong, badass women on this show, and there was clearly so much more to delve into that one episode just isn’t enough.
1) Baby: Episode 4
Written by: Robbie Thompson
Directed by: Thomas J. Wright
Source: The Game of Nerds
Baby was the absolute best episode of season 11, and I’d argue one of the best episodes of the entire series. Told completely from Baby’s point of view, it’s everything that makes this show great. The writing was funny and challenging, the directing was fantastic. This is the kind of episode only a show like Supernatural can pull off. I loved watching the boys traveling around hunting monsters. It was just an all around fantastic hour of television and I watched it about…. Ten times. At least. The head on the wipers, man…
Season 11 Overall Rating: ⅘ pies
What were your top five episodes this year??
