Supernatural 1.5: "Bloody Mary"

Written by Eric Kripke, Terri Hughes Burton, and Ron Milbauer
Directed by Peter Ellis

In which Sam and Dean investigate a death which seems to have been the product of an urban legend, but as the case unfolds, Sam must also deal with his guilt over Jess’ death…


Another week, another good episode. I recently caught up with my review schedule (between “Serenity”, work, and RL issues, it wasn’t easy), and as it happens, I reviewed the second episode of “Night Stalker” just before this, so it was fresh in my mind. There’s a reason I think this series is superior, and it has much to do with the style bright to the table. Both series have strong “X-Files” pedigrees, but where “Night Stalker” goes for the ultra-serious scares, “Supernatural” goes for the mixture of wit and cultural relevance.

One aspect I really liked about this episode was the strong connection between the urban legend and the development of a “real world” history. The brothers are chasing down legends in this underbelly of the “real world”, this unseen side of society, and so the overlap between the “real world” and their lives should be distinct. That’s where I thought the previous episode slipped a bit; this one came together a lot better.

I also liked the snippets of folklore that were connected to the legend, such as the idea that ghosts or spirits can be trapped within a mirror and bound to it. It’s that mish-mash of accumulated lore that gives the series’ mythos so rich and unusual. It’s not like every episode is based on a single version of a single legend; the brothers routinely accept that different aspects of various legends might intersect in a specific situation. It makes the characters look like experts, which they should be.

What didn’t work for me entirely was the connection to Sam and the whole Jess situation. Sam is still the weak link of the story, and while this is clearly meant to be character development for him (why else bring up the pre-cog question?), Jared just doesn’t have the same depth that Jensen brings to the table.

But the whole idea of Sam’s pre-cog ability, if it’s real, could tie in nicely with the idea that there’s a family history with the entity responsible for killing their mother and Jess. It would similarly explain why this family has been “hunting” in the first place. If there is a connection between the family and the paranormal, going back generations, then it would make sense that multiple connections exist.

That could be an early indication of the season/series arc structure. Why does Sam see Jess? Has she become some kind of guardian presence, some symbol of his desire for redemption? Or has she become something else, subsumed by the entity that killed her? It seemed like more than just a case of Sam seeing things for psychological reasons.

This series is working (to the point of getting a quick full season pickup) because unlike many of the new shows, this one has found itself very quickly. It really had its pieces in place from the pilot, and while there’s still room for improvement, it’s not as though the series has fundamental issues. Sure, this episode retreads a couple of ideas from “The Ring”, but it works within the story and the style of the series itself.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10