Review: Supernatural 'Everybody Hates Hitler'

Episode 8.13 Everybody Hates Hitler was an excellent follow up episode for last week's As Time Goes By. I was expecting a filler but Everybody Hates Hitler was more than that. The introduction of Men of Letters paved the way for more new possibilities and storylines that might have been under the radar all these years and Supernatural wasted no time in establishing this direction quickly. Everybody Hates Hitler is an example of that -- the Judah Initiative, a secret society with a rich history of fighting evil, has been a long time ally of the Men of Letters. What I love about this episode is the almost-archaeological feel of it. I love the historical connection between two allies -- Judah Initiative and Men of Letters. This was an excellent way to integrate a new mythology into a filler-ish episode. But in the very centre of it was still the brothers, who began to discover the history of Men of Letters and their allies. There was almost a hint of proudness when Sam told the Golem "Our grandfather was a Man of Letters."

The episode was brilliantly written by Ben Edlund, who tackled every aspect of the story awesomely! While this wasn't one of Ben Edlund's craziest ideas (I am still waiting for his ninja episode!), I just love the pace of the story and the dialogues, everything was so brilliantly integrated. One has to know the series' past, present and future -- Ben Edlund has skillfully written an episode that paid respect to the history of the show, explored present situation/ new elements, as well as kept the doors open for future possibilities.

"I am taller than Sam. Yay!"

It took eight seasons for series to mash the Nazi and supernatural theme together. And I love it when Supernatural introduced a new language, in this case Hebrew, into the dialogues. I love the whole theme about Golems raised by Rabbis to protect the Jews in time of crap. The on-screen chemistry between Adam Rose and John DeSantis were surprisingly fun to watch as they played their roles as Aaron and Golem, but I believe it started with having a good script with great dialogues. Hal Linden as Rabbi Bass was brilliant, his performance set the tone of the episode very well. The sets of the German camp and the bunker were amazing, I feel like it was movie quality! I love the opening of the episode which reminded me of Indiana Jones, Captain America and Hell Boy. And I love the sound of vinyl played in the bunker's turntable, and Dean was certainly ok with listening to Ella Fitzgerald. But I do wonder when Dean will bring in his stereo and cassette tapes and start pumping chis favourite classic rock tunes. I love Dean's comedic moments in this episode, Jensen is always so great at it! And Jared is so good in that three-piece outfit! So nerdy! 

Let's talk about the Men of Letters HQ! While the Impala has always been the only 'home' for the Winchester brothers, the bunker is an awesome idea! Instead of going back to the motel room, Dean and Sam get to go back to the bunker, have a drink, relax and do some admin work! The bunker is a Disneyland for Sam as much as for Dean. The brothers haven't had a home since Sam was six months old. The concept of having a home is so foreign to them. But now they have it, I think they both are going to love it! Dean loves the shower, waking up from his own room and walking around the bunker like this is his home. While Sam enjoys waking up in the morning and plays with his books. Having a library at home is like a dream come true for Sam!

I love it when they were matching t-shirts!

I agree with Sam on the bunker being a 'break'. They can really use the stuff in the bunker for a lot of things. I think it will be stupid for the writers not to utilise Men of Letters and the bunker for the rest of the series. Not overuse it, but utilise it probably. There are just so many things to explore. I am so excited and happy for the writers, they have finally found this WOW factor that can work for years. Despite having a home, I love how Dean and Sam didn't sit on their asses all day and be comfortable about having a home. I love that Dean and Sam were working on a case, but it was also about gaining some allies, who of course didn't get kill off in this episode. I have no doubt the brothers will find more allies through the archives. Who knows? May be they will find the Colt family? My apology, I am a obsessed with the Colt too, as some of you know.

One of my favourite Dean shirts! Love the red!

Let's talk about Dean. I do not think Dean is intimated by all the books, the wealth of knowledge and people who are 'smarter' than him, as mentioned by one to two reviews I've read. I think he has a very clear idea in his mind about his identity -- he is a hunter and he always will be. That's the way Dad taught him, he is sticking to his role and this is his job. He well knows that just because the Men of Letters thing is in the picture, it doesn't mean that he is obligated to give up being a hunter. There are still people to save and things to hunt. Dean is more than capable of doing good research where required, he is smarter than people realise. With Sam being more nerdy about all this stuff, Dean knows this is one of his little brother's fortes. He is proud and happy to see Sam being so comfortable with it. 

I think Dean will get more comfortable and respect the Men of Letters more as the wealth of knowledge in the bunker comes to play a bigger part in the future. Dean isn't the kind of man who can be easily influenced or manipulated. If he sees it with his own eyes, he will believe it and respect it. Just because Henry believed in it, it doesn't mean Dean has to believe in it without getting to know about it first. So it only makes sense that Dean is taking one step at a time and see what's this Men of Letters thing can do for them. So no, I don't think he is intimated by all this stuff.

Let's talk about Sam. I love Sam in this episode! See! I am not a Sam hater! I do like the guy, and this is the perfect Sam for me! Sam has earned the honour of winning my favourite line of the entire episode "We are hunters, but our grandfather was a Man of Letters.' [Could that be used as a pick up line for Dean?] Dean has his moments of self doubts as part of his hero complex, and Sam has always been a bit lost when it comes his role as a hunter, which has been evidently shown in this season. I love how Sam is embracing Men of Letters so naturally as if he has finally found his constant. It makes sense to see him being a Man of Letters. It's so Sam!! He looks extremely comfortable with it. While Dean isn't going to give up on hunting and certainly won't handover the hunting to other hunters, he is totally comfortable with Sam embracing it. It feels right! I know Sam doesn't need his big brother's approval to do anything but it sure means a lot to Sam if Dean is proud of him.

As to how exactly the Men of Letters will impact the way the brothers' way of life from now on, it's remained to be seen. In this episode, Dean was the one going on a field trip check on Kevin and Garth to make sure they were doing ok, while Sam was in the bunker doing research on the Men of Letters. On one hand, I can see Dean being out there and Sam doing research behind the desk, but on the other hand, hunting is still a two people job! I can also see them both getting into the Impala, travelling from one town to another, working on a case, saving people, hunting things. Men of Letters add good things rather than bad I think, it's helpful when you have your own library, I guess.

Men of Letters have only been just introduced but it is adding freshness without messing up the existing storyarc and the brother dynamic. I made a video last week based on Men of Letters and a comment from my friend reminds me about what Supernatural is all about -- it's about the brothers and the family. It isn't about which brother is better or which brother is right or wrong. I think the Men of Letters thing will work perfectly for the boys -- it adds new perspectives and it actually helps the brothers to move forward as a team and as a family. And it is refreshing for me as a viewer to see a new element on the show that contributes to the brother relationship. This is what they really need right now. Overall, I love this episode. What's not to like about a Golem? Again, I make no apology for saying this: Everybody Hates Hitler is another favourite episode of season eight. And I really love the whole Men of Letters thing!!!

Next week, Supernatural continues with the tablets story! One word: YAY!

8.14 Trial and Error: KEVIN DECIPHERS THE TABLET — Kevin (Osric Chau) deciphers the tablet and figures out how to close the gates of Hell. He tells Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) that according to the tablet one person must face a series of three tests designed by God. The first one – kill a hellhound. Sam and Dean argue over who should complete the trials. Kevin Parks directed the episode written by Andrew Dabb. 

[Fanvid] Supernatural 'The Winchester Legacy: Men of Letters'

"Dad wants us to pick up where he left off…Saving people, hunting things...family business!" ~~ Dean Winchester, Supernatural 'Pilot' ~~

After watching Supernatural 8.12 As Time Goes By, I cannot help but to put together a video on the Winchester Family! I have to! I just have to! 

I think I am a little in love and obsessed with this episode than most people. But if you are like me, then you will understand how I feel. There is nothing more awesome than putting the family and time travel element together.

Will Dean and Sam pick up where their Grandfather left off?

Visit my YouTube Channel for other feature clips.

If you have missed my review on this episode and interested in reading, please take a look and feel free to leave a comment -- MY 'AS TIME GOES BY' REVIEW.

Review: Supernatural 'As Time Goes By'

Is it just me or has Supernatural just produced the best Winchester Family episode since The Song Remains the Same and the best TV episode since Swan Song? I can't see you, but if my opening sentence perplexes you, let me use this review to explain.

For the 101 million times, I love the Winchester family episodes where more than two Winchesters and/or the entire family appear in one episode  -- Home, Something Wicked, What Is And What Should Never Be, A Very Supernatural Xmas, In the Beginning and The Song Remains the Same. These episodes are tied to the family John and Mary created. These are also my all-time favorite episodes of the show.

"One Direction?"

Apart from the family episodes, the second type of episodes that I love are the time travelling episodes -- The End, Frontierland and Time After Time. When you put the family and time-travel element together, you get In the Beginning and The Song Remains the Same. Not only these episodes are two of my all-time favorite episodes of this particular show, they are also my all-time favorite TV episodes.

And now, I will go as far as to say, As Time Goes By has joined the elite league of awesome with In the Beginning and The Song Remains the Same in my book. It is not to say that this episode was flawless, but it was close to perfection and I can forget about questions I may have regarding the mythology of the Winchesters and the show.

Season eight is really going strong. I find myself saying 'this is my favorite episode this season' in every review of recent weeks! But let me put it this way: A Slice of Kevin, Citizen Fang and LARP and the Real Girl are like 'awesome pancakes day' -- the only day of the week you get pancakes for breakfast, you look forward to it and you love it! But As Time Goes By is like going to Tetsuya's! This episode is that brilliant!! This season does have the season four and five epic vibe, which I miss! While you can't top the apocalypse, there are other things you can top! Jeremy Carver and his team of writers have just shown us that!

Supernatural is about the House of Winchester. As Time Goes By gave me a lot more than I can digest right now. In this episode, we learnt more about the Winchesters as well as the hunters community. There were the Men of Letters, and there were the elite hunters and the 'apes' hunters. I wonder if we will get to know who the 'elites' were. I wonder if Sam and Dean will find out more about the hunters community from the documentations in the bunker. If so, where are the descendants of these elite hunters? One thing for sure, if Henry Winchester was still alive, he wouldn't get along with the Campbells, the hunters. The Winchesters and the Campbells would be like the Capulet and the Montague, making John 'Romeo' and Mary 'Juliet'.  

We knew about John and his ways of rising his children; how Mary's death impacted John and therefore the lives of Dean and Sam; we know about the daddy issues; we know about Mary's backstory as a hunter; we know about Mary and John being Heaven's top priority; we know about how the angels have manipulated details, making sure Dean and Sam were born and prepared to be the vessels of Michael and Lucifer for the apocalypse showdown. These family stories have been carrying the show for seven and a half seasons. By bringing Henry Winchester into the story, I feel the show has entered a whole new level of awesome.

Jeremy Carver told us at the beginning of season eight that there would be a game-changing element. No kidding! The appearance of Henry Winchester and the introduction of Men of Letters and the family legacy will totally change how the game is played from now on -- Dean and Sam now have a motherload of advantage! John, Sam and Dean have been doing the family business for a long time, regardless of the existence of Men of Letters and the Apocalypse. They kept going -- saving people, hunting things. The Winchesters before them were doing just fine, until Henry made a jump to the future. And because he never made it back to 1958, the 'original' family business was discontinued and things turned out differently than the Winchesters ancestors intended it to be. 

The Winchesters have been the angels' puppets, pretty much since Henry left. The angels have ruined their lives! It is good to have an advantage for a change, thanks to their Super Great Grandpas, who have been building their very own version of the Ark of Covenant! The whole secret organisation thing is a bit like the old Knight in Indiana Jones to me -- the guardian of the Holy Grail. Except the Winchester's version of 'Holy Grail' is the supernatural motherload. The Men of Letters have left something extremely valuable for Dean and Sam. 

We are about to see the Men of Letters bunker and how it will help the brothers to fight demons, angels, monsters, the LOT! We are about to see what kind of place this bunker is and how Dean and Sam will utilise this place as a home base. This bunker is a lot more than what Bobby's house was in terms of the quantity of information. This bunker is the Watch Tower, CTU, Atlantis or even better, the Batcave! I wonder if there is a place for BABY too, just like Batman has a permanent place to park the Batmobile in the cave. The boys will definitely be on the road as usual, but at least they have a home, a place to come back to. It's good to have their own HQ for a change!
 

"We're preceptors, beholders, chroniclers of all that man does not understand. We share our finding with a few trusted hunters – the very elite. They do the rest." ~~ Henry Winchester in As Time Goes By ~~

Henry Winchester is not a physical fighter, but he is 500 times way better than Samuel. I don't mean to compare two Grandpas, but I really dig Henry! Gil McKinney is brilliant as Henry Winchester. Matt Cohen totally blew my mind as young John, he nailed every single scene. Gil McKinney is on the same level as Matt. Gil's performance was commanding and believable. I was nervous before because I had no idea who this actor was. But within the first 5 minutes, I was totally sold! Henry was a completely different kind of man than John, Dean and Sam. Henry was like he just stepped out from Casablanca! But at the same time, his mannerism reminded me of Sheldon Cooper and George McFly! Henry was a very well spoken, very well educated and intelligent man. He was a critical thinker. We have never met any Men of Letters, but somehow Henry had defined every quality of Men of Letters.

What about the chemistry between Jensen, Jared and Gil? Totally believable! There was so much chemistry between the actors. It was truly a Winchester affair. There chemistry was as strong as Jensen, Jared, JDM and Samantha Smith; as strong as Jensen, Jared, Matt Cohen and Amy Gumenick. It was totally awesome!! The dialogues were well written, the story was well-paced and well-directed. As Time Goes By seemed like an old Supernatural classic, not because a Grandpa was there, but everything in this episode reminded me of Home, In the Beginning and the Song Remains the Same. I love how John's diary played a great part in this episode. It was so amazing to see how emotional the diary was for Henry (and me). I love the initial 'HW' on John's diary, John hated his father, but he still kept the diary. I thought the last scene where Henry held Dean's and Sam's hands were amazingly touching. They didn't even get to hold John when he passed. They didn't have a proper goodbye with John. Part of me wanted Dean and Sam to talk to their Henry more, and I wish Dean wasn't as resentful (but that's Dean for you!) Part of me wanted Henry to stay alive for a little longer because I think this character has so much potentials. But I guess the writers have to keep you wanting for more!

Did Henry know about the bloodline angel vessel thing? Did they angel know about Henry? I think the angels definitely knew about Henry and the legacy. I think while the angels may not have any direct influence on Henry's journey into the future, they certainly didn't stop that, they just let things to work itself out! The angels definitely knew about Henry and his secret organisation. But they have to make sure John grew up the way he did, met Mary, got married and be the father of Dean and Sam -- the vessels for Michael and Lucifer. If it wasn't Abaddon, the angels would've destroyed the Men of Letters anyway to prevent Henry from raising John. 

John never found out about it and the legacy, he grew up just as the angels wanted him to be. The angels wouldn't settle for the Winchesters being just scholars and keepers of knowledge, which was really the true purpose of the Winchester bloodline. I don't think Henry knew about the angels' plan for his son and grandsons. It certainly wasn't part of his duty. I don't think he had ever interacted with the angels. Henry was just doing his job and concentrate on becoming a Man of Letters. The angels had to make sure they carried out their plan and executed it without disruption and unnecessarily confrontation. 

The Dean speech in the motel room to Henry was so Dean. Here, Jensen Ackles gave one of his best performances, it was so season four and five Dean. Dean and Sam both have Daddy issues, and their feeling for John was always complicated. But no matter how much it hurt and how resentful they were towards John, they always saw their father as a hero -- a father who really tried to be a good father. Henry couldn't 'Marty McFly' himself back to John in 1958, leaving John to grow up alone and experienced life the hard way. Dean had some serious issues and also uncomfortable about this legacy and Henry's presence. I can't read Sam just yet, he is always hard to read. But I think Sam agrees with Dean, but at the same time he is keeping an open mind about this legacy. 

As Time Goes By reminded me of another theme of Supernatural -- hope. As long as the Winchesters are here, there is always hope. When things have been taken away from them, their family dead and their friends dead, it is good to see the brothers gaining friends -- Cas, Garth, Charlie, Kevin, Benny and Amelia. These people help them to gain perspectives. And now, the brothers will begin to unearth their family history. It isn't so bad to know about their family history, and all things that come with it -- the supernatural motherload! The whole revelation reminds me of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code -- what if you find out you are the descendant heir of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, and there are people in a secret society who have been protecting this secret for centuries?  

How will the Men of Letters legacy change Dean and Sam? I don't see Sam and Dean abandoning their identity as hunters -- the way John taught them -- and I don't see them doing things by the book as Henry did, because since when Sam and Dean do as they are told, right? I think Sam and Dean will defy everything and keep doing things their ways. It's up to Sam and Dean how they run their family business. While I don't see Sam and Dean falling into the tradition and all of a sudden feel obligated to abandon this jobs as hunters to exercise their duties as Men of Letters, I do see the legacy element as some kind of constant, returning Dean and Sam back to the Winchester family business. If you don't have a constant, you'll drift, you'll get lost, you need a constant to latch on to. Dean and Sam are each other's constants, but they have been experiencing some very difficult times in their relationship over the past few years. I think this family business thing serve as a constant for them, helping them to move forward. 

The House of Winchester has been around for a very very long time. But now it involves more than a family that started off with only four members -- John, Mary, Sam and Dean. There were others before them -- their ancestors, who have been preceptors of supernatural things. That's the family business. The supernatural motherload is very powerful, it could be the ultimate weapon against demons, angels and all things supernatural. In light of current events, Dean and Sam will do anything to protect their legacy from demons and angels, as well as hunters. Jeremy Carver and his team didn't disappoint us, Dean and Sam are not just Hunter #1, 2, 3, the family legacy is giving them an advantage to fight. And I think they are going to love it and it will change their perception about the Winchester Family. Somewhere at the back of my mind, I am hearing Bobby screaming "Why didn't I know about it before? It would've been made life so much easier." 

A conversation on Twitter got me thinking about the Winchester family business. The introduction of Men of Letters is certainly so tightly connected to the Winchester family business. The series started off with two sons looking for their missing father, it was personal! And then, things got bigger, John, Dean and Sam were smacked in the middle of something much bigger. Now that the Men of Letters business is introduced, things will come full circle. Perhaps this is heading to the end of the series. I do believe Jeremy has a three year plan, which takes Supernatural to season ten. If so, this is a perfect to end of the series, back to basic, back to the men John, Dean and Sam should've become a long time ago. But like I said, Dean and Sam will do it their way!

In terms of the production of the episode, of course it was brilliant! This is Adam Glass' best work to date and Serge Ladouceur did a superb job as the first time director! This was a near classic perfect Supernatural episode. An epic opening montage marked the beginning of a great episode -- the Winchester mythology was brilliantly summed up in 53 seconds. It was very nice to see Dean and Sam still using John's journal and it turned out the inside cover had Henry's initial 'HW' in it all these years. How brilliant was that? It was brilliant! The Devil Trap bullet was Daniel Loflin's idea, according the Adam Glass on Twitter. I think it was a geninus idea, and I can file this one (and the demon bombs) under 'best new tricks'. The Back to the Future and Star Wars references were my favourites. Of course, Henry's 'I am his father' carried the same epicness as Dean's 'I am your son.' in The Song Remains the Same. EPIC! 

The time-traveling element was close to perfection. On one hand, it stayed true to the mythology of the story and the characters, but on the other hand, it added new elements to the show. I feel that As Time Goes By could well be a two parter because there were so much to explore -- the family legacy, the emotions and the reunion. Fans are probably trying to connect all dots, going way back to season one. But where do we start questioning about the mythology and where do we end? As Time Goes By was so great and well written, I can forget about questioning the past and to look forward to the future and how this Men of Letters legacy will integrate into the future of the story. 

Before I wrap up this week's review, I have a crazy theory to share: What if Samuel Colt founded Men of Letters? Samuel Colt disappeared and nobody knew where he went. Samuel was a man with great supernatural knowledge, he built a giant devil trap with five churches and he built the devil gate. It is possible that he founded this secret organisation from his days with another Winchester? Because Samuel knew the boys needed all the help they could get. Knowledge building doesn't happen overnight! May be he met a Winchester after 1861 and they founded Men of Letters? Just saying…

Next week, we will see the new HQ for the boys! I have already watched that clip many times, but I can't wait to see more. I really can't!!! 

Episode 8.13 Everybody Hates Hitler: SAM AND DEAN FACE OFF AGAINST A GOLEM — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate the death of Rabbi Bass (guest star Hal Linden, Barney Miller), who spontaneously combusted. The case becomes ever more confusing when they learn that the Rabbi was researching Nazi Necromancers. Sam and Dean are attacked by a Golem (guest star John DeSantis) who turns out to belong to the Rabbi’s grandson, Aaron (Adam Rose). The key to the case lies with the Golem but Aaron doesn’t know how to control him, which leaves everyone in danger. Phil Sgriccia directed the episode written by Bed Edlund.