Hollywood Babylon: A Writer's Chronic Agony

Synopsis:

In Hollywood Babylon (season 2 episode 18) of Supernatural Sam and Dean go to a Hollywood film set.  When they arrive via tour bus there is a scary movie where a crew member was murdered.  When they arrive they investigate they discover that he is a paid actor who faked the death in order to garner publicity for the film.  After more deaths arise Sam and Dean discover that Walter, the original writer of the film, is disgruntled due to the numerous edits to his piece.  Walter is the cause of all of the deaths and meets his own demise when he is attacked by the spirits whom he controlled to murder for him. 

My Review:

I found this episode to be extremely charming but also highly satirical and depressing.  I enjoyed the opening scene because it screamed horror movie cliches.  I remember when I first watched this episode I found it strange that the main actress, Tara Benchley, said Brody’s name quite frequently.  As a first time viewer that stuck out a lot to me because I knew Supernatural though pretty predictable, hadn’t stooped that low.  I also liked how the episode included Hollywood film set cliches.  As a viewer we tend to create fantasies in our mind about movie and television sets and how glamorous or how rude the cast and crew are.  I liked how the writers of this episode satirized the fantasies we create as well as the fantasies that Hollywood gives viewers. 

I enjoyed Dean’s interactions with Tara.  It felt genuine and sweet if not awkward at times.  I feel like even though Tara’s character didn’t have much of a personality it is a change of pace for how we fantasize movie stars to be.  She was calm, kind, and relatable.  This stuck out to me as everything else in the episode was so exaggerated that this was the writer’s way of portraying how things really are and how they actually occur and play out.  Usually I dislike how supernatural portrays women but I believe with this episode the little bit that she showed went a long way. 

I also found it funny how this episode painted studio executives.  Having Brad, the studio executive, make silly comments such as making the set “brighter… more color”.  Also when he comments about the “logic bump” wondering how demons can hear Latin incantations all the way from Hell.  Additionally when Brad complains about how ghosts are afraid of salt which according to him doesn’t make sense.  I think these lines were a way of the writers saying that sometimes their scripts get edited to something that makes little to no sense in order to make the higher ups feel better and also how the higher ups want to make changes but end up being entirely wrong on the changes they want to make.  I think these three lines were they writers way of saying they know and acknowledge that the final episode released may have some flaws and plot holes.  I think this is their way of explaining it and apologizing for it. 

I think that the writers portray Walter’s character perfectly.  I was able to feel his frustration about his piece being completely remolded to something that is nothing like what he created.  Even with the minimal exposition given we as viewers are able to understand Walter, I felt myself wanting to help him understand that there are other ways of coping with the loss and desecration of art.  I think Walter was the writers trying to show how insane the edits can drive you.  Though I did also notice that with Walter’s character he is different than a typical “bad guy.” He wasn’t driven to evil, his original movie was going to be as Sam said “ a textbook to summoning demons.”  I don’t think his intentions were ever good but I do believe he is a perfect example of how writers or any artist can feel when their work is changed from its original vision.  I find this the most depressing as an artist myself I think that art is something you put your heart and soul into and for someone to change your heart or soul without even batting an eyelash is the real “bad guy.”  This episode though another addition to the Winchester Gospel is more likely about the writers of the show and what they were struggling with along with the impending doom of possible cancellation.  After watching Hollywood Babylon with new eyes I see it as a stand alone episode, a facetious scream of frustration from the writers.