Is this title a Jean-Paul Sartre reference? Hell is other people? Maybe.
I liked seeing some East Coast action. So many cases take place in tiny cities in the midwest or the south, so as a northeastern city girl I was pleased to see Philadelphia in an episode.
Obviously, the main thing to discuss when it comes to this episode is Jo. I think I said it in my last post (and the one before that, and the one before that) that I adore Jo. I seriously love her. And the reason I love her is because she’s so imperfect. Some of the women on Supernatural are so unlikable because of their perfection (COUGH COUGH LISA COUGH), whereas Jo feels so real as a character.
For instance, she can be such a child sometimes. It’s funny that she and Dean are the ones who connect, because I think he is far too old and mature for her. It’s extremely childish to ask someone to lie to your mother for you, especially the way she reacts afterwards, like, “Yay, I got my way!” instead of, “Thank you, Dean, I really appreciate it.”
Giving credit where credit is due, Jo is an excellent tracker and researcher, which are two very important hunter qualities. However, having a knife collection and a hunter for a father does not mean you’re qualified to hunt a demon alone. Hell, Sam and Dean are two giant men who have been hunting since they were children, and they need each other as backup sometimes. Wanting it isn’t enough.
Dean is so mature in this episode. I guess it’s because he’s around Jo and he feels the need to protect her (again, I think their relationship is very sibling-ish) but he almost astounds me with his wisdom. Especially in the scene in the hallway where Jo accuses him of being a chauvinist, and he responds with this:
“This ain’t gender studies. Women can do the job fine. Amateurs can’t.”
I’m glad that Dean has this attitude, especially considering that his own mother was a fantastic hunter. She was very similar to Jo in looks and build, but she had been trained from a young age. The speech Dean gives to Jo is so sweet; it clearly comes from the fact that he cares about her and doesn’t want her to get involved in this very dangerous lifestyle. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be close to your father, but there are other ways, and she has options that Dean and Sam don’t have. I’ve said it in previous reviews, but I’ll reiterate the fact that the Winchesters couldn’t get out of this life if they tried. The demon has its claws in Sam, and Dean by association, so it’s too late for them. But Jo could get out and have a life outside of hunting.
However, I empathized with Jo a lot in this episode. I understand the want to prove yourself to people who doubt you and the enthusiasm to do a job well. I especially loved the moment when she wakes up in the coffin and lets herself cry a little bit. It’s an extremely vulnerable moment, and she was disappointed in herself for failing. I loved it and it solidified my extreme adoration of Jo.
Off of the topic of Jo and my gigantic girl-crush on her, there were a lot of things I liked about this episode. I love that they used an actual historical figure in the storyline (I have a morbid fascination with serial killers and H. H. Holmes was one scary motherfucker), I love that they were able to procure a cement truck at the end, and I LOVE that my favorite Foreigner song played when they were in the car with Ellen (only two or three seconds, but I’ll take it).
Two words: Dean’s freckles. WHY do they cover them up with makeup in the later seasons?
My final thoughts will be on Ellen. As I’ve said before and will undoubtedly say again, I love her. But I was frustrated with her at the end of this episode. She barely knows Sam and Dean; she can’t judge them based on a mistake their father made. I don’t understand how Ellen and Jo could be mad at the boys for this. I understand them being upset, but John hurt Sam and Dean in a lot of ways, too. Eh. I can forgive them but it made me a little mad.
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