Donna suffers a loss that could possibly push her towards the Wayward Sisters (crossing fingers), Sam loses his faith (again), and we find out that there’s a whole other brand of monster that the Winchesters have never considered (the 9 to 5 kind), in Supernatural’s “Breakdown.” And contrary to what it looks like, this is everything BUT a filler episode. It’s a step forward into new territory for the Supernatural mythos.
Let’s break down Supernatural’s “Breakdown”!
Pushing Donna to the Wayward Sisters
Donna is my Minnesota gun-toting queen who unfortunately got her heart broken in “Breakdown.” And on any other show, I would’ve expected the guy doing the breaking to drag this out and end up looking like an ass for doing it. Not Supernatural. Doug knows she’s a badass hero and he let her know it. But this life, the supernatural hunting/sacrificing/vampire riddled life, isn’t for him.
Honestly, I’m equal parts devastated and relieved that he broke up with Donna. Devastated because Brianna Buckmaster, who plays Donna, made me feel the pain and heartache she was going through. And relief because they didn’t drag it on. He could’ve given her a chance, tried to work around the hunting life and stayed with her as her ride or die. But he knew he wasn’t strong enough for her so he bounced.
It’s true what Sam said, that the people who lead this kind of life will know loss. And this is Donna’s. But it’s not the end. If anything, it’s a beginning. This loss will push her to leave her old life behind and seek shelter and comfort in the form of Jody and the rest of the Wayward Sisters. And I don’t know about you guys, but I want that spinoff and I want it now!
Sam Losing Hope Again Isn’t That Much of A Surprise
One of the biggest complaints I see from longtime fans who’ve lost hope and decided to join the ‘let’s trash Supernatural train’ is that this show is repetitive when it comes to Sam & Dean losing hope. For the first half of the season, Dean will brood and lament his life choices. And right when the older Winchester gets his shit together, Sam loses it and takes on the brooding quota for the family.
Many just brush it off and act as if this is lazy writing and a lack of understanding Sam and Dean’s journey. I, on the other hand, think that the brothers losing hope, again and again, is an inevitability of their lives. They are two men who have lost their parents, friends, and loved ones. They’ve gone to hell, lost their souls, and watched each other die multiple times.
The pain that the Winchesters have been through leaves scars that we cannot see, that brew beneath the surface and survive Castiel’s healing touch after he heals their bodies. They’ve never sat down and really had therapy and they keep things locked away even from each other. They are alone.
What makes the Winchesters remarkable is that they keep trying. Season after season, loss after loss, they still seek for meaning in their lives. They still hope, falter, rise up and face the day. They survive. And right now Sam is faltering. He’s taken the mantle from Dean. But that’s only for now. Sam will rise up, he’ll shake this off, and they’ll go find their mom.
Why? Because these boys are survivors, a proud/complicated/still hopeful example of people who have gone through suffering but keep living and punching life/monsters/pain in the face!
New Lead on 9 to 5 Monsters
At first, I thought “Breakdown” was a simple monster of the week kind of story, the one that gets solved in a day. You watch it, enjoy it, and then put it to the back of your mind because it’s just a monster of the week. Nothing important.
It wasn’t until I watched the episode again that I realized that discovering this darknet auction could be a valuable source for the Winchester. Maybe this is the future of hunting for the brothers this season. We knew that this season would be pulling back from the demons and angels and going for something new. They certainly gave us something new when it came to the alternate universe and this could be another lead.
The worst of the worst are just chilling in their homes, working their 9-5 jobs, and purchasing human body parts online the same way you’d bid on some cute ass china dolls on Ebay. They are the real monsters. With their food supply done and over with they’ll be looking for another supplier or revert back to their old ways and snatch people up like they’re picking the juiciest or freshest fruits and vegetables at a supermarket.
Except the fruits and vegetables are humans.
Favorite Scene from Supernatural’s “Breakdown”:
Expression of the week that had us rolling on the floor laughing:
Check out the trailer for next week’s Supernatural titled “Various & Sundry Villains”:
Supernatural airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.