Never have I ever been so frustrated and elated with an episode like I have with Supernatural‘s ‘The Raid.’ While I appreciated Mary clearing the air, Sam choosing family first, and Dean growing as a character, I loathed every single second spent with the British Men of Letters (BMoL). They’re everything that the Winchesters aren’t and I can’t wait until they’re taken down another peg or completely dismantled.
Let’s dive right into ‘The Raid’!
Sam the Peacekeeper
Let’s start off by saying that Dean’s words were completely unfair to Sam. This gentle giant stayed with and picked Dean when Mary spilled the beans about her partnership with the BMoL. And the only reason why Sam forgave Dean for his words, almost instantaneously (we know he did it, it’s Sam, people!), is because he understands one crucial thing.
Family is complicated.
Sure Sam didn’t have the most stable childhood. And sure he doesn’t know what it feels like to have a parent if it smacked him in the face. *sob* But he understands that family is a weird and twisted thing that we watch out for, give another chance, and fight for, no matter what. Sam told Mary to go not because he wanted her out of his life. He did it because he needed time to think, time to mull over what had just happened, and come to a conclusion that would help all of them.
Compared to Dean, Sam is able to compartmentalize better and set his anger aside in the hopes of understanding the other person, especially when it comes to someone he loves. His choice to seek out his mother, fight off the Alpha, and stay with the BMoL, despite the time one of its members spent torturing him, is because he trusts his family and is willing to take a risk because of them.
By no means is it going to be perfect from here on out.
Sam knows that they’ll continue being a pain in the ass and that Mary will be working alongside them. And at some point he’ll also discover that the BMoL have done horrible things, i.e. killing Magda Peterson, that will make him regret his choice. It’s even more reason for him to keep his enemies close so he can watch them and destroy them from inside if need be.
Character Growth, Oh My!
Despite my general annoyance with Dean’s accusation of Sam being a peace keeper, I think this episode marked a turning point for him. Dean’s been waiting with bated breath for his mother to…be his mother. Not that Dean wanted her to cut up his sandwiches and read him a bedtime story. I’m talking about hitting the road with them, giving them life advice, and working together.
In Dean’s mind, family means hunting together. *cue dramatic flashbacks of the last twelve seasons with Sam, John, Ellen, Joe, Bobby, Cas, Charlie, etc* Family sticks together and Mary’s not falling into line as his mother. She’s not sticking around and destroying the big bads with them. Instead she’s destroying the big bads for them. That right there FREAKS DEAN OUT!
It’s different from anyone else that has ever cared for him because she’s his mother. She gave birth to him, cared for him, and has come back to him. Dean idolized Mary. And now that she’s back, hunting on her own, and making choices for them on her own, it shatters the vision he had of her or what his mother would act like now that she’s back. That’s why he was so angry to start with and why he apologized at the end.
By the end of the episode Dean started to understand the notion that family is complicated, can’t be squared away in a picturesque box, and that you have to stick by it, no matter what. He can’t change Mary or stop her from protecting him. It was unfair for him to put such heavy expectations on Mary and not take into account that she is and will always be different from the picture his mind had of her.
Mary is still Dean’s mom. It’ll take some time to adjust. It’ll take some time to accept that she’s not what he expected. But he’ll do it because he loves her and wants to respect her choices.
The British Men of Letters Suck
If I had to choose between the Alpha Vampire and Sam, it’d choose Sam every time. But if I had to choose between the Alpha Vampire and the BMoL…well, the dark side would be getting a new cheerleader. I hate the British Men of Letters.
They continue to be a arrogant thorn in my side despite the fact that I love that the enemies of this season are other hunters. Their little headquarters felt like something from another show and made it glaringly obvious that they’re different from the Winchesters down to the core. They see style, fancy toys, and regular meetings, as the reason why they’re the creme de la creme.
Hunting things is fun and something the BMoL can brag about..
Being part of this elite club also enables them to let little things slide. And by little things I mean glaringly obvious wrong doings. Mr. Ketch was beating that vampire in a sadistic manner that tells that this isn’t the first or worst thing he’s done to what he considers a “monster.” Who these creatures were before or what thoughts or feelings they have now, are irrelevant to this killer.
In no way, shape, or form, is Dean Winchester like Mr. Ketch. In fact, none of the Winchesters are like these hunters. They’re better!
Favorite Moment from The Raid: Sam & the Colt
As soon as Sam’s fingers touched the Colt his big ol’ puppy eyes filled with pain and we were floored at Jared Padalecki’s acting skills. Twelve seasons later and he’s still got it.
Check out the trailer for next week’s episode of Supernatural titled ‘Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell’:
Supernatural airs Thursdays at 8/9c on The CW.