Okay! So. This was a decent episode, in my opinion. There were definitely some flaws, but let’s focus on the positives first. The characterization was spot on, and Dorothy was great (she didn’t die!). I loved her interactions with Charlie – I hope we get to hear from them again later this season.
The flashbacks were also really well done. I greatly enjoyed the transitions; seeing Dorothy seated at the table in black and white, while simultaneously watching Dean enter the room in color. Good job, special effects team. I’d also like to praise them on their work for Oz. It looked very realistic, and not at all like a green screen, which should always be the goal.
Finally, it was very well-written. The dialogue was witty and had good pacing, without much unnecessary repetition. The fight scenes were really greatly choreographed, and I adored when Sam and Dean got possessed – for some reason, possession is very attractive on this show. Not sure why. And the scene with the “slumber party” was super funny.
As always, the acting was phenomenal. Jensen’s acting when Charlie died was, of course, awesome. You could FEEL the desperation leaking off of him, the pain that this will be the second person he cares about to die within the week. Jared was just as good, both as Sam and Ezekiel, though he didn’t have as many big scenes as he should have.
Now, the negatives. I didn’t feel that the ending was climactic enough. The Witch opened the portal, and Charlie stabbed her in the back of the head. If it was that easy, why didn’t Dorothy just do it before? And why did it feel like it was just tacked on? I think that scene should have been bigger, with Charlie actually fighting the Witch and dodging her zaps.
And I HATED what they did with the Witch. It was just plain stupid. She wasn’t scary, she wasn’t funny – she was literally just a nuisance. There was no motivation for her as a villain, which made her completely unlikable. She couldn’t even COMMUNICATE. They should have made her smart and intelligent. And scary. I wanted her to be terrifying.
Other than that, I liked it. It wasn’t as good as Devil May Care (nothing will ever be as good as Abaddon), but it was definitely entertaining and enjoyable to watch.
However, I’m nervous for next week. This could either go really, really awesome, or really, really stupid.
The Professional Fanwarrior 