Supernatural, Season 4

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

Movie

Plot

The Winchester boys, Dean and Sam, are on a new mission to save earth from total annihilation—and keep Satan right where he belongs…hell.

Starring

Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Jim Beaver, Misha Collins, Genevieve Cortese, and more.

The Review

When my son, then 14, first introduced me to the television series, Supernatural, I wasn’t too thrilled to discover he’d become fascinated with a show centered around characters who steal other people’s identities in order to fund their “jobs”. But then I began watching the series with him and realized that while distasteful, it’s not the center of focus and therefore, could be overlooked.

Soon, my son and I had a weekly pact to watch Supernatural together—he’d even come get me if I’d forgotten about the time! It was a great bonding time. We’d have a nice dinner, watched Supernatural, then commenced to talk about the series—which ultimately allowed us to discuss other “related” or “not-so-related” things. For that, Supernatural will always hold a special place in my heart.

As for season four, I must admit that I missed most of the season since we discontinued cable and relied solely upon the Internet for television. That’s why obtaining a copy of the series on DVD was so important—to allow me to continue my bonding time with my, now adult, son.

Season four really surprised me! I wasn’t expecting the creators to bring angels into the series, nor to make them so complicated. Most often, when shows introduce angels, their very presence is majestic—like royalty and they’re often portrayed as sweet, helpful, and awe-inspiring. Nothing at all like angels displayed in Supernatural. In fact, when confronted about how very different they are from what the Winchester boys expected one of Angels made it clear that they were in a war and in war things are far from what is expected.

The season opens with Dean being pulled out of hell, followed my Sam exorcising demons with his mind whilst feeding off demon blood (like a vampire), and both boys trying to figure out who pulled Dean out of hell and why. Sam’s newfound strength is a surprise to Dean but causes him great worry as Sam embraces the evil within. Meanwhile, Dean has grown a bit soft as he tries to shake his experience in hell and worries about his salvation, knowing the evil he committed whilst in hell.

As the show progresses, it becomes abundantly clear that the “end of times” is near and unless the boys stop their archenemy, Lilith, the world will be lost forever. But just when they think they have the upper hand, the angels throw a loop in their plan by hijacking Dean and making it clear that they want the war to take place while Ruby (Sam’s lover and “reformed” evildoer) reveals her true purpose in helping Sam—and that’s to fulfill the prophesy and allow Satan to escape from hell.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well the series has handled itself as each year progressed. It has continued to remain strong. It has continued to stay the course. And it has had no need to alter script or direction or even throw in lame attempts to sensationalize the series to increase ratings.

Your Task

Watch the series from a pure entertainment standpoint, then discuss the plot with your children as you would discuss the plot of a book in a book club. Allow your children to share their insights and don’t correct or judge them. This will allow you to learn things about them you never knew before and allow them to share their own personal beliefs with you. Then, if you want to get real, pull out your Bible and read Revelations to find out the truth about the “apocalypse”. You can also borrow books from the library to research what mythology and theology has to say about good versus evil and God versus Satan. And finally, season four comes with some really cool extras on mythology that’s worth a viewing.

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