8X21 The Great Escapist

Once Upon a Time, 
     There was a man who loved stories just as much as he loved to cause the chaos that made them so interesting...

Part One: Summary

     Kevin Tran continues working on his broken half of the demon tablet until Sam and Dean arrive with the other half as they supposedly tricked Crowley into giving it up. Something seems off with the brothers as they didn't use the secret knock to enter the boat which puts Kevin on edge. In the Bunker, Sam continues to grow more sick from the Trials and Dean tries to call him off of it until they receive an unexpected email from someone containing notes they need to unlock the third Trial. The notes lead the boys to Colorado where they come across a Native American tribe that was believed to be protected by the "Scribe of God." Castiel is on the run trying to protect the angel tablet from Naomi and her men but someone else is pulling the strings behind the chase.

Part Two: Review

     Storytelling is probably the most ancient form of entertainment for humankind as it can be traced to cave paintings during the Upper Paleolithic Era so it's no wonder that the Supernatural used this episode to talk about the process of storytelling while introducing one of the most influential characters of the series: Metatron. A character that we all love to hate, Metatron is known as the "Scribe of God", a lowly angel picked by God to write His word before He disappeared, or so he claims. This episode is three away from the finale for Season 8 which seems like a strange spot to introduce a new character, but the writers use the motif of "voyeurism" in order to add on to the exposition of the resolution of the Trials.
     The episode begins when Sam and Dean (demons, as we have yet to figure out) use the wrong knock on the door to get Kevin's attention. Kevin notices it and makes a comment, but it is looked over as Sam and Dean bring the other half of the demon tablet. There is a significant difference with this pair of Sam and Dean as the "Sam" character has taken on more "patois", or slang that Dean is suppose to use and even the aura of the brothers is not as edgy or stand-offish that Kevin is accustomed to. Noticing that there is nothing else for them, Sam and Dean exit. This is where "voyeurism" comes into play. When used in the literary sense, "voyeurism" is a cinematic tactic used to give the audience a sense of "peering in" on something that they shouldn't but is used to highlight something that could be of importance to the story. This can cause a conflict in the audience as they have the feeling that they should cover their eyes, but they are too intrigued as to what is happening. When Sam and Dean exit the boat the camera pans vertically to the boys and then tracks backwards in order to show them passing through the portal that reveals the demons that were portraying Sam and Dean. That portal is the "peep hole" for the audience.
     The demons then confront Crowley, who criticizes them on their "performance" and explains to them the difference in the brothers speech and how they can improve for next time. The way that Crowley speaks of the brothers gives a more sexualized meaning to voyeurism because it's as if Crowley "spies" or pays close attention to Sam and Dean when the audience is not there to perceive it. As Crowley dismisses the demons, the audience gets a long shot from the camera with Crowley to screen-left because he is not the focus, but the computer screens displaying Kevin along with the demons monitoring them are. This is a more explicit example of voyeurism as Crowley uses this set up to keep Kevin under wraps about him being kidnapped thus he is literally watching his every move, kind of creepy right?
     The most unexpected display of voyeurism in this episode would be that through the character of Metatron. Metatron enters the episode with 13 minutes left of screen time, and is a great example of what a "voyeur" is. A "voyeur" is essentially someone who gains gratification from "peeping in" on what is incidentally revealed to them. How we meet Metatron is when Sam figures out his symbol in the notes Kevin left them. Sam then puts together old Native American mythology about Metatron which leads them to the Two Rivers tribe in Colorado. Once there, Dean goes to investigate more about the tribe at the museum while Sam suddenly grows more sick and delusional. The museum director tells Dean about the tribe's history with the "Messenger of God" and how he allowed them to live as long as they did offerings, and for him it was stories.
     At this point, the audience is a "voyeur" as they experience Sam's sickness and stumbling down the hallway where he discovers the stacked books outside Metatron's door, making the connection that Metatron is present. Flash-forward to when they break in and Metatron introduces himself, he also tells the boys that for about a millennium all he has done is hole himself up and peer in on humanity as if it were a never-ending story. Sam is infuriated by what he says and retorts with, "All the time you've been hiding here. How much suffering have you read over? Humanity's suffering! And how much of it has been at the hands of your kind?" This shows a sort of sadistic satisfaction that Metatron has gotten by watching the humans and reading the thousands of stories that the people of offered him. He is exactly what a voyeur is, and perhaps that is why the fandom hates him so much? Perhaps this sort of extreme sadism makes him the worse antagonist that the writers of Supernatural have ever created?

Part Three: Concerns/Questions

     Because season 8 doesn't appeal to me at all, it was easier for me to distance myself from the narrative. As for this episode, I didn't have any questions or concerns that come to mind. What I can talk about though is the fact that Jared and Jensen's acting is superb in this episode as they had to portray themselves as demons portraying them and then Jared had to once again revive his role as the "ill patient" from season 7 when he recovered his memories of hell, except this time he is enjoying this pain because, as he says, it is "purifying him." I've often wondered if the writers of Supernatural purposely made Sam with these suicidal tendencies to help make a deep connection with the fandom, not saying that the fandom is like that but because that topic is so sensitive and not addressed publicly for our generation even though it is important I feel that Sam is meant to be the gateway for issues such as that. I do also wonder, is that a characteristic of being a hero?