Supernatural’s “Mint Condition” was a belated Halloween present for all of us in the #SPNFamily. It showed that the Winchesters are just like you and I (yes, even the Fortnite references and long flowing hair) but in a style that is less trash magazine with celebrity sections boasting how they are “regular” humans like you and I. The Winchesters hurt, struggle, and rise up while looking hot as hell in those nerdy glasses. Looking at you Dean Winchester!
Let’s dive into Supernatural’s “Mint Condition”!
Love Watching the Brothers Be Silly
I don’t consider episodes like this filler. It’s not an adventure that takes away from the main arc of the season. If anything, episodes like “Mint Condition” help the Winchesters evolve into something better and more grounded, so they can take on the big bad.
Dean has been hurting since Michael’s departure. And instead of glossing over that, Supernatural gave us an episode where we saw Dean brooding (while watching scary movies) and then working through his fears and torment. It might not be the way that some of us would do it, but this distraction, aka horror slasher bad guy, helped Dean.
You could see it in the way that Dean carried himself and how he joked with Sam. He’s not ok but he’s working on it. And this adventure that they took gave him perspective on what is out there and how his brother needs him not to just brush things off. His brother needs him to acknowledge what has happened and be smart about what they do next with Michael.
There’s no going in half cocked. Michael deserves their concentration and utter focus for the damage that he has done. And the sooner they give him that focus, the sooner they could kick his ass and get on with their lives. Well…until the next big bad comes around. But that’s for later. Let’s not worry about that now.
What Their Mirror Images Say About Sam & Dean?
Sam and Deans counterparts, aka their mirror images with flowing hair and a love for scary movies, were evidence that the Winchesters aren’t as different as the regular old Joe. Sure they have saved the world over and over. They have lost their souls, battled demons, and went head to head with Lucifer over and over again. But even with all of that, at the end of the day, Sam and Dean are just people.
They’re people who know what Fortnite is and the ins and outs of crazy horror flicks where the bad guy always loses. They’re people who are smart and know how to set a trap or use the things around them to escape a room or exorcise a dark spirit. And most importantly, they’re people who enjoy life. And that’s something we can all connect to and should aspire to remember.
The world isn’t rainbows and butterflies for anyone. We all experience bumps, ups and downs, and things that twist us about. But what connects us, what grounds us when everything seems lost, is what we love and enjoy. It might not fix the problems we might be experiencing at the moment, but it will give us respite and the strength to rise up and face the challenges ahead of us.
So go on and spiral on Overwatch, the fact that Dean looks amazing in those hipster glasses (LIKE, REALLY AMAZING. AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON SAM’S SHIRTS), and movies with crazy & intricate plots. You deserve it, need it, and should indulge in it to keep you floating and going. Dean does it with his pizza, pillow cuddling, and scary movie marathons. You should too!
Scooby Doo Halloween Crossover, Anyone?
Every year the Halloween episodes of Supernatural are off the wall. They’re different, hilarious, and all sorts of weird that stick with you long after the screen goes black. But most importantly, they’re uniquely Winchester. And oh does it work!
It all comes down to the writing. The people behind the scenes don’t forget who Sam and Dean Winchester are or what they are capable of. The situations that they land themselves in during these hilarious episodes, are situations meant to reaffirm our faith in the Winchesters, their abilities to get shit done, and that the group of people behind the scenes (that work their asses off to give us great content) got this.
They got us.
They got Sam and Dean.
And no matter what they go through (cuz you know they’re going to be thrown in the ring again and again) Sam and Dean will make it through this. So next year, when the writers are planning to take the Winchesters and us for a ride, why not make it crazy, make it weird, and give us a Scooby Doo crossover for Halloween.
The writers have once again proven that they know their characters in “Mint Condition” and I’ve got no doubt that they’ll do it again next year and the one after that.
Favorite Moment from Supernatural’s “Mint Condition”:
http://itsokaysammy.tumblr.com/post/179675825957/14×04-mint-condition
Check out the trailer for next week’s Supernatural titled “Nightmare Logic”:
Supernatural airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.
