For the second week in a row, ‘Supernatural’departs from season ten’s major story in lieu of a bit of light-hearted hunting and monster murder (or as light and airy as one can get with those qualifications). Last week it was a private school stage production of Carver Edlund’s ‘Supernatural’books while this week’s version explores the world of the rich and vapid in a Clue?–like whodunit.

New Canaan, Connecticut

Philip, the head butler, gives his two charges (maids Olivia and Collette) instructions on preparations for the family’s arrival after Bunny Lacroix, the manor’s heiress, has gone the way of the do-do. Collette is tasked with prepping the dead woman’s funeral garb and decides to try on a bit of the jewelry. Well, Madam Bunny doesn’t like that and shows up long enough to rip the pearl necklace from the maid’s throat, shocking Collette into falling over the bannister and to her death. Philip comes to the body and stares up at the should-be-dead Bunny and demands “What have you done?”

The boys meet Detective Howard

Itching for something to do, the Winchester boys are coming up with bupkis in the hunting department, get a message on one of Bobby’s phones regarding an inheritance coming for their deceased surrogate dad. They get to New Canaan and are exposed to the over the top arrogance and dysfunctional family. Heady and Beverly are cougars with both brothers in their sights (Sam especially), Stan and his “child bride” Amber, and Dash, the baby of the family. Philip takes the brothers aside and gives them the package left for Bobby; it’s a cross of the fakest of variety though the key inside hints at something deeper than an heirloom. Unsure of the lock the key is destined for, they do a one-eighty back to the manor to find Stan beheaded by, according to his young wife Amber, Bunny’s late hubby Lance.

Their re-arrival puts them firmly in the camp of murder suspects, so says Detective Howard, the man called in to investigate. Restricted from getting to the Impala and their hunting tools, the boys set out to search the mansion for possible clues on the ghostly presence. After getting the eye from Beverly, Sam chats it up with Dash. The youngest of the clan reminds Sam how lucky he is to have family he gets along with. Upstairs, Dean cases the murder scene and eventually finds a hidden door, one which the key originally gifted to Bobby opens. He finds Olivia there along with Collette. It looks like Philip locked her up there with “Clown College Collette” (the story he told the group when the maid disappeared). This opens up a whole other can of questions. Dean brings Olivia to Sam and discuss what happen, with the latter confronting Philip on his actions. And that’s when Sam runs across Philip, a knife in his back.

It’s not a ghost they’re looking for, but a shape shifter. This is confirmed when ‘Philip’ gets away from Dean and sheds its skin. With Olivia’s help, they weapon up with some silver and go about testing the remaining family members to discover the shape shifter. After Dean finds Amber and Dash fooling around in the closet, Olivia’s scream brings everyone running to the commode where Detective Howard’s been drowned. The Winchesters fruitlessly attempt to regain control of the situation but Dash, whisking up the detective’s discarded gun, force the brothers into a room. Of course, they are shocked when Olivia takes the gun and points it at them. Silly people; don’t you know that if it ain’t the butler, it’s the maid?!

Sam and Dean powwow on Olivia’s story

But why? Olivia was Bunny’s daughter who killed Philip because he turned on her. As the brothers watch the confrontation on the closed circuit cameras, they stumble upon the safe, lock it and load a couple of guns and blast their way out of the room. Sam comes across Olivia and she gives him a bit more of the story. Bobby killed her father and, to spare her life, Bunny promised to have her locked up in the attic. Due to Sam’s inaction, she realizes he has no silver bullets and moves in for the kill. That’s when Dean strikes and puts a bullet in her. Then two. Then three. Why not go for the gusto…he empties the entire clip into her.

Case closed, the brothers depart but not before handing Dash the key to the attic. The drive is quiet until Sam explores the giant elephant in the front seat, namely Dean’s over the top fatality of the shape shifter Olivia. “You sure it wasn’t demon residue or something to do with the Mark?” he asks and Dean cuts the conversation off, stating he has no need to justify his actions. Sam wants more but allows the only sound to be the speakers blaring out Bob Seger’s ‘Travelin’ Man’.

A Monster’s Choice

  • In the fight for his life, Sam makes an interesting point to Olivia. While you can’t change how you were born into this world, you do have the power to decide how you live in it. She may have been a shape shifter but it was her choice to behave like a monster. It’s very reminiscent of Hellboywhen Myers’s voiceover comes to the conclusion that what makes a man is “the choices he makes. Not how he starts things, but how he decides to end them.”
  • Speaking of ending things, Dean’s unrestrained violence in taking out Olivia was reminiscent to his rapture in taking out vampires in season three’s “Bloodlust” and a few other pointed moments over the past decade. But now that he 1) possesses the Mark of Cain and 2) just reverted to human status after months of being a demon, bring into question just where his head’s at right now. Yes, he’s always enjoyed the hunt and the kill more than the empathetic Sam but the youngest Winchester’s concerns this time around are even more justifiable. It’s foreshadowing that the Mark and Deanmon are 100% in the picture and will lead to some harrowing moments as the season moves forward. As if we didn’t know that already…