Repo Man 7x15: A Supernatural Review

Summary

In this episode, Sam and Dean return to a town when it seems like a demon they had exorcised is back and killing women. They visit Jeffrey, the man who was possessed, only to discover his life has been utterly miserable since their intervention four years ago. Jeffrey tricks Dean and takes him prisoner. He then uses Dean’s blood to work a spell that will bring the demon back from hell. Meanwhile, Sam panics when he can’t reach Dean and speaks to his hallucination of Lucifer which unfortunately makes his psychosis irreversible.  Supernatural 7.15 "Repo Man" Promo

Review


Written by Ben Edlund and directed by Thomas J. Wright, “Repo Man” accomplishes two things. The first thing it accomplishes is giving us some insight into the aftermath of an adventure with Sam and Dean Winchester. As viewers, we rarely get to see what happens to the victims of the horrific interactions with monsters and those that survive the contact due to the Winchesters. I think we just assume there is a “Happily ever after” scenario that happens. This episode shows us that maybe Sam and Dean aren’t the only ones that walk away unscathed. 

Let's talk about that title. "Repo Man" refers to the movie of the same title, but it's more than that. When your car gets repo'd, it is repossessed by the company that holds the lien on it. You lose control of it. Not only does Jeffrey want to be repossessed by the demon who possessed him four years ago but Sam's hallucinations of Lucifer (referred to as Hallucifer by the fandom) become too strong for Sam to fight back anymore. Hallucifer taunts Sam constantly trying to get him to break. 


 
Unfortunately, Sam makes the mistake of responding to the hallucination, which relinquishes his slender control on his sanity. By the end of the episode, Hallucifer has a strong hold on Sam. So much so, that Sam cannot get the hallucinations to stop like he could before. 






Even more unfortunate, is that Dean is unaware of what is happening to Sam. Dean makes a callous statement about Jeffrey.

Dean: He was a psychopath, Sam. That's what they do all the time, is act. Act like they're normal. Act like they're not balls-to-the-wall crazy. 

The saddest part, is that after Dean says this, Hallucifer appears and torments Sam. Since Sam allowed him in, he won't be able to get rid of him anymore. Sam will now have to "act normal" just like Dean was saying. Jared playing this slow descent into madness is heart-breaking. Mark Pellegrino is, as always, an absolutely chilling Lucifer.  

Questions. Problems. Concerns. Observations.

While the insight into what survivors and victims may go through is enlightening, the real story is Sam’s mental state. This episode really ratcheted up his psychosis and pushed his story arc further along. However, this story did nothing for the Leviathan story arc. It is solid writing by Ben Edlund. He can tell a story like no other and as always, it has his stamp of humor. 

 

Dean: We just had to make sure.

Jeffrey: Of what? That I peed my pants today? 

For whatever reason, this is not an episode I rewatch much, and it should be. It has a good story and let’s face it, a Mark Pellegrino episode guarantees some incredible acting. 

It has serviceable direction by Wright, meaning there is nothing brazen or dynamic about it. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This is his first time directing for Supernatural. And while he has directed for other fantastic shows in this genre, he doesn't have a handle on the feel of this show. This episode has a lot of camera movement and cut-away shots, which can be a bit distracting. Just as you are getting into a scene, it cuts away to a different angle, which disengages the viewer. 

It also had bare, generic music. Not even the same background music that is synonymous with this show. It also didn’t have any classic rock - as a lead in or anything! Perhaps this episode was over budget, I don’t know. All I know is it didn’t have that Supernatural feel to it.  That’s really the only issues I have with this episode. Other than that, it had all these great elements, but I still feel like it fell flat.