Summary: Sam and Dean discover a man who is unable to permanently
die. Every day, the man is killed, but always manages to come back to life with
all his wounds healed immediately. Though he has died every day for as long as
he can remember, the man, Shane, is unable to recall more than a few years of
his life—only back to an avalanche in which he saved his lover, Hayley, and
himself from death. Hayley appears with their son, Oliver, who has the same
curse as his father. Sam discovers Shane is Prometheus, who was cursed by Zeus to
relive death every day for providing fire and knowledge to the humans, thereby
saving them. The adults work together to summon Zeus, but all goes wrong when
the mother frees the vengeful god over a false promise to save Oliver. While
Zeus tortures the family, Sam talks Artemis, Zeus’ daughter, into confronting
her father to save Prometheus, whom she loves.
Artemis attempts to kill her father, but Zeus pulls Shane in front of
him, so that he is hit by the arrow. Like a true martyr, Shane pushes the arrow
further through his body so that it kills the ancient god. Both die,
permanently, in Shane’s sacrifice for his family.
Review: This episode is particularly full of great acting
and writing, which allow the characters to be more believable, and the episode
to be communicated more effectively to the viewers. The scenes in which Sam is
bleeding from the trials and is persuading Artemis to save Prometheus are
brilliantly acted by Jared Padalecki, though the scene is also bettered by clueless
Dean in the background, making funny faces and comments. The characters
introduced in this episode are all strong-willed, complex individuals, which
makes delving into their stories, as they are confronted with the Winchester’s hunting
lifestyle, all the more intriguing. Hayley especially proves to be a resilient
character. Langton communicates the sense of worry, determination, and humor of
Hayley well. The dynamic between Jensen Ackles and Brooke Langton (Hayley) proves
itself the comedic highlight of the episode. There is much to enjoy when it
comes to the banter between Dean and Hayley (especially their quips about “a
dead guy who’s named after genitalia” and Dean’s unnecessary habit of breaking
and entering). The addition of new characters and the aspects of humor or
trickery do not take away from the episode’s drama. The pain on Jensen’s face
as he acts out a scene in which a watery-eyed Dean prays to Castiel for Sam’s
protection is stunning. Similarly, the mother’s love and desire to take the
curse away from her son compels her to take matters into her own hands. This
moment is a clear and believable scene of desperation, and demonstrates the
episode’s careful attention to character. Additionally, while the Zeus figure
(played by John Novak) is a cheeky, likeable, and convincing villain, his aura adds
to the impression of danger and the high stakes of the episode. The episode is
all-around well crafted, especially in its writing and acting.
The Winchester brothers and the
appearance of Shane’s former lover and new-found son present Shane with a
choice: confront his fate and save his family, or run away and let the curse
persist. This notion is reminiscent of Sam confronting the trials. Sam must put
himself in peril to save humanity, or otherwise allow the gates of Hell to
remain open as a danger to all. As they dig up a grave, Shane asks Sam why he
is putting his life at risk to help others. Sam replies with Prometheus’
sacrifice in mind, “It was worth it. You pretty much saved the whole world.” When
Shane responds, “None of the means anything unless I can save my son,” it again
demonstrates the importance of family. Nevertheless, there is a distinction
between the father dynamic of Shane and Oliver as compared to that of the
brothers and their father. It is interesting that the episode does not focus in
on the latter relationship, especially considering that it has played such a
large role in the series. Still, Shane’s ultimate sacrifice for his family
proves his dedication to them, and exemplifies the former or potential sacrifices
that Sam and Dean have made or might make. In this episode, their familial
dynamic seems especially strong, and the use of narrative revolving around the
importance of family and sacrifice exemplifies the importance of their own
relationship with each other.
This episode lies within the season’s
context of attempting to complete the trials to close the gates of Hell. Sam is
bleeding internally, and (not so shockingly) hides it from Dean. At the end of
the episode, Sam pitches to his brother the idea that he may not arise
unscathed from the trials. Dean immediately shuts down the idea. With this
discussion directing following the plot, this monologue seems to foreshadow
another potential death or similar hardship for the Winchesters. The fact that
Dean prays to Castiel for help, stating that he is aware that something is going
on with Sam, furthers the suspense of the rest of the season. Might this show a
parallel to seasons 1-5’s “hero’s-journey” evolution of Sam, who is once again
trying to be protected by his big brother?
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