Season 7 Episode 17

The Synopsis

Supernatural’s seventeenth episode of season 7 is called “The Born-Again Identity”.  In this episode Sam struggles with his Lucifer hallucinations.  His hallucinations cause him to get hit by a car and he is admitted to a psychiatric unit. Sam finds out that the psychiatric unit is haunted while Dean finds out that there might be someone who can heal Sam.  Dean tracks down Emanuel only find that it’s actually Castiel who has lost his memory.

My Review

The Born Again identity does very well in its storytelling.  It features the “show don’t tell” mode of storytelling.  Giving the viewer Sam’s perspective of his situation also adds to the story.  The introduction of Manuel also does well in adding to the story.

Sometimes supernatural can lay the exposition on a little thick.  However this episode does well to chronicle Dean and Sam’s experience with dealing with Sam’s Madness.  Instead of telling us that Sam losing his soul was bad we can see it in his hallucinations.  He runs from them, he also can’t sleep.  Sam isn’t his calm self, he presents more as tired and ready for some kind of release from the hallucinations.  The introduction of Emanuel does well in this aspect also.  He is described as a healer and doesn’t seem to be effected by the tests of what constitutes a monster.  This however the reveal that he is Castiel is more than shocking and his memory loss is shown in his reaction to the demon attack and seeing Dean.  When Cas takes on Sam’s hallucinations he doesn’t say what he plans to do but when he sees Lucifer sitting on the bed instead of Sam it becomes apparent what he has done.

                The episode’s opening of Sam frantically running from Lucifer is more than enough to paint the turmoil that he is enduring.  We see Sam so distraught that he manages to run in front of a car.  Seeing Sam in the psychiatric unit it was made his pain even more real.  He gave up and accepted the reality of the situation, if he didn’t get any sleep then he would die.  Even when Sam helps Marlin he seems beat.  He wants to help but it’s obvious he’s using it as a way to distract from his suffering and he truly is exhausted and tortured.  Additionally when Sam is almost electrocuted we see the fear in his eyes as he realized he may die because of this demon.  When a scene was shot from Sam’s perspective this episode did well in portraying the pain and helplessness he felt. 

                Manuel’s introduction was very mysterious and almost reminded me of Missouri Moses.  When I first watched episode I remember thinking that he was going to be a new great and used only once character just like her. They kept this character’s background very excited yet vague.  I remember thinking the demon at the Allen house was Manuel and getting excited but also underwhelmed.  Castiel actually being Manual was a plot twist I could have never guessed which added another layer to the storytelling in this episode.  Manuel’s mannerism and the way he responded to certain situations were still akin to Cas yet like a new character at the same time.  The viewer sees Castiel from the outside as opposed to where we see Sam from his internal conflict.  We create this insider knowledge that has to be kept from Emanuel until he is ready to face what he has done.  This adds another layer to the storytelling as we must watch cautiously from the distance.

                Overall I would definitely say this episode was a very well written episode (aside from the sexist undertones Dean holds towards Meg).  The storytelling in this episode is big on the “show don’t tell” concept and allows us to feel for Sam’s internal struggle yet at the same time hold ourselves at a distance from Castiel who must not know what he did.  I think this contrast does very well to bring the title of this episode to life.  Sam, who had lost his mind, was now back to his old self.   Castiel, who was once a healer named Manuel, had to become mentally disturbed in order to atone for his sins.