Supernatural (TV Series) The Heroes' Journey (2020) User Reviews

Mixed feelings

[sk70091 · 8/10 · 24 January 2020]

There were parts of this episode that I absolutely loved, and parts that confused me. I love Supernatural's funny episodes, and this certainly made me laugh out loud. I loved that we finally got an episode where the brothers were working together, and seeing Garth again was great too.

What I didn't really appreciate was the idea that Sam and Dean's lives have relied on luck up until this point, and not their own skills that they have acquired through how many years of hunting and training. Not being "main characters" of their story shouldn't strip them of those skills. There are plenty of side characters in this show who are still skillful hunters. Suddenly losing acquired skills is not "bad luck". That doesn't happen to "normal" people either. It's just weird writing.

Lots of Metahumor, but Kinda Misses the Point

[Gislef · 8/10 · 24 January 2020]

I see what Andrew Daab was trying to do. Sorta. He was pointing out that almost all TV superheroes seem to have "luck". They never have problems picking locks, they are never lactose-intolerant, they never trip, they never get sick (except when it's relevant to the plot), they never get cavities, they do all kinds of illegal parking things and never get tickets, their credit cards always work. It can be a Star Trek crew, or MacGyver, or a CSI detective, or any "hero" on TV.

But as was noted elsewhere, some of it IS skill. Lockpicking, for instance, isn't just "Ooh, look how lucky I am that I can pick this lock" but "I've trained for years in lockpicking". It isn't "luck", for instance, that Spock spots the one scientific clue that lets him solve the whole mystery. It's decades of him studying and being the smartest guy in the room. MacGyver isn't just lucky the things he needs are in the room: he's spent years studying and training to pick the right things out of anywhere, or make do with what's there.

I can kind of buy the premise: Chuck should start screwing with the Winchesters. But just say that he cursed them, not that he he took away their TV hero "luck". That's where Daab should have gone, but instead he went with the whole luck thing. When Daab brought in "luck", he went off in a different direction and missed the point.

That, and there was other stuff that was just weird. Like Dean's dance routine, and Garth and Bess dancing at the end. Which didn't seem to have anything to do with anything Daab was trying to say about luck and plot contrivance and "heroes". That stuff was funny/amusing/touching, sure, and Supernatural always gives good humor. Mostly thanks to Ackles, but Qualls and Padalecki helped, too.

As a result of all of this, the episode just felt funny but meandering. The Winchesters have lost their luck, but it's not all luck. It's a "funny" episode, but Daab & Company are trying to make some serious points and make Chuck a formidable Big Bad. Except they've already done the "Winchesters Have Bad Luck" plot, which makes Chuck look like a bush-league one-shot opponent instead of a "Curse of Job"-giving Big Bad. It also doesn't help that Chuck's end-game is so vague. Is he really trying to get the Winchesters killed off, or give them something formidable to overcome so he can write his story with a decent finale? Or what? Season 15 is supposed to be some incredible God-written story. But the only way the creative team can pull that off is to have God-like writing talent. Daab & Co. are good, but they're not that good.

So as a one-off, "Journey" was okay. Judging from the preview, the whole Bad Luck Winchesters is going to run into the next episode. But to what end? They get rid of God's curse, which means God couldn't have been too powerful in the first place. Why can't he just snap his fingers and reinstate the bad luck? He's God, not some one-shot villain. That's been a big problem with Season 15: God is... well, God. If he's omnipotent, the Winchesters shouldn't be able to take him on like the typical monster-of-the-weak. He's omnipotent. They did that a bit last week, with God just knowing what Eileen was trying to do with him and stopping it with a snap of his fingers. But once or twice ain't enough. And it's a thin tightrope to walk between God being omnipotent, and God being defeatable.

But if he's not God, what's the point? You can't have him as 15 seasons of the biggest Big Bad the Winchesters have ever fought, but also reduce him to some monster-of-the-week with one-and-done powers.

But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?

Brilliant

[steveo7777 · 9/10 · 24 January 2020]

Just when I thought it was all getting a bit dull an episode like this comes out and its refreshing reminds me why this series so great.

God withdraws the hero status

[daniel-n-c180 · 10/10 · 18 March 2020]

I disagree with the other reviews that make it sound like this is unreasonable: God withdrawing the hero status suddenly leaves Sam and Dean helpless and lost. Of course not everything they've ever done has been because of God, but most of it is.

This is my second time watching this show and thus time I did it all in 3 months. Had a lot of time and spent entire days just watching it.

There are a LOT of inconsistencies to the Supernatural world. It's often silly and ridiculous when you think about it. Of course, we don't, because we go along with the show. We suspend disbelief.

It's not that Sam and Dean never get cavities. That's just a funny way of putting it to drive home a point. No it's about the fact that Sam and Dean (and the 'hunter' world) can go around impersonating fbi etc and almost never get caught, abd when they it's just another adventure: they always get out. They and their hunter friends can live without work, solely on fraud - and don't get caught. They fight monsters and are smashed around the room and the next day they don't have so much as a concussion or a sprained ankle. Even young girl like Claire. They're able to take hits from vampires and the like, and be just peachy.

That's just the basic stuff, nevermind the infinite number of close runs with demons, being brought back to life, going bro purgatory etc. How is this possible? Well, it's not. Chances are, Dean is thrown against the wall by a demon and ends up in a wheelchair at the very beginning. Or they get thrown in jail and stay there for good.

But this isn't a show about prison or fraud. It's a show about hunting monsters. Sam and Dean, and the hunters as a whole, for the most part, get to go on fighting the good fight because that's the show Chuck Shirley likes watching. It's his favorite show.

Sure, they might be special in their own right, but having watched about 350 episodes in 3 months, it's clear their endless life-and-death adventures can only take place because Chuck wills it.

Reminds me why I watch the show

[Winchester519 · 24 January 2020]

This episode is a ton of fun, one of the funniest one actually. You will have good time with this one

Still Got It

[brandirclark · 10/10 · 25 September 2021]

I love that after 15 years the writers still remember to drop in humor episodes and that occasionally we need a fairly stand-alone episode rather than constant stress. Great series!

Funny stuff

[sonofdisaster18 · 10/10 · 29 January 2020]

A great episode with lots of laughs! I've always been such a big fan of the "meta episodes" or different concept episodes. I feel like Supernatural is a show that could go on forever just because of the meta concept alone. There's so many different things they could possibly do(still waiting for Dean/Sam body swap episode) lol I'm actually shocked it never happened haha But anyways, This episode not only brings some of that classic Supernatural humor feel back but also brings a lot of heart and memorable moments with Garth. He Had some memorable scenes in this one. If this was a goodbye episode for him, I'd say they did a pretty solid job of it. The episode started out wonderfully bonkers and did not disappoint the rest of the way. I felt like the director/writers did a good job in coming up with an idea that not only was funny but actually made sense to the story of what Chuck had or has been putting the Winchester's through. I really liked the choice of music also. It was so different but fully bathed you in the nuttiness that was ensuing. Without being fully overly positive the only complaint I would say is a couple scenes seemed almost forced or out of place but I feel like that might of just been because it was so crazy at times. But it had a little bit of everything: The same but different feel, hilarious and with a dash of heart in there. Not a classic like a Mystery Spot or Bad day at Black Rock but really enjoyable none the less.

One of the funniest episodes ever!

[Splarke22 · 10/10 · 24 January 2020]

15 seasons in & Supernatural still finds a way to blow me away. There have been so many hilarious moments & episodes throughout its run, but this one might just be the funniest of all time (if not, it's definitely right up there). I also loved seeing Garth & his family again, him saving Sam & Dean was amazing! This was all around such an amazing episode that had me laughing almost nonstop! Really sucks knowing we're so close to Supernatural being over soon..

Little fun nice change

[amanda28972 · 10/10 · 21 June 2020]

Not laughed at supernatural for a while had a right good laugh watching this episode great change to the recent episodes really enjoyed this episode

Great episode.

[ashleybelle91 · 10/10 · 24 January 2020]

When the episode first started, I was like ugh this is going to be another one of those "filler episodes". But after watching it all the way through I discovered the true message and it was nice to have a different outcome. Like this time Sam and Dean needing the saving. It's weird to think that Sam and Deans luck even ran out because we always think of them as hero's and evincible to a certain extent. It just makes you think just how much Chuck is really controlling their lives. All the horrible things they have ever been through was because of Chuck and him needing a good story. Makes you think that Sam and Dean should have died way more in their stories but that's because God was always on their side even if it was just to fulfill his needs. It was nice to see Garth doing so well. In the beginning of the episode I thought it was going a completely different direction. Garth and his wife seemed kinda off in a way. And I think they should have left Deans dream out of the episode. I wonder if that was really Jensen dancing? Lol Any who, I just really hope Sam and Dean gets their luck back and take control of their lives. Maybe even having the show end with Sam and Dean both having a family and being happy. This episode makes me have some glimmer of hope because even after losing their luck, Sam and Dean still pressed on. Maybe Chuck hasn't controlled as Much as he led us to believe? And I wonder if that surprised Chuck? We will see......

Left a bad taste in my mouth...

[Manbearpig_666 · 6/10 · 25 January 2020]

The acting was slapstick at best, I feel this episode was made to be funny but left me feeling unsatisfied and confused... Jared and Jensen usually are at their best but this felt off...

It starts of quite promising with Sam and Dean having a bad day, Dean getting a parking ticket and his credit card getting denied... You mean to tell me Sam just touches a boiling hot pot without anything to protect his hands? Did Chuck take away their brain cells too? Sam and Dean can't fight or pick a lock now? Sam and Dean Just loose any skill they've ever had why? It's not a good notion to suggest that everything they've ever accomplished in life and all their skills was because some "mojo" Chuck gave them... Unless that's what their going for it kinda defeats the purpose of what the show has been about... "Human beings (Brothers) going up against the supernatural... This episode seems to want to push the Narrative of the "batman never gets a flat tire" scenario but if memory serves Sam and Dean are human, they're not superheroes, they've had bad luck runs, they've had "normal problems" beforehand... They shouldn't be handicapped if Chuck simply just caused them to have a run of bad luck...they should still be able to be coordinated in some capacity...

If felt like to me they nerfed the main characters to highlight Garth and give him his heroic spotlight...

Though, Garth was the same loveable character he's always been... he's delightfully charming and grows on you! The highlight of the epsiode was seeing character happy, it felt like a good send of for Garth but it could have been done without insulting the premise of these characters and the show's meaning...

I wish they would stay on point.

[Adam-09265 · 8/10 · 24 January 2020]

Don't get me wrong, i don't mind it when a series has that episode that is dimmed down like a break from the main story and intensity. Although that only works if the previous episodes have been on good pace.... which they haven't.

At this point the story is struggling, this episode was completely out of context and displayed unnecessary humour leaving me confused as to why. Cheesy piano tones making it sound like i was watching the show 'Everybody Loves Raymond' and cheap hero conclusions to end the episode like a quick page turn so it would be like it never happened. Introducing us to new disposable characters that have no meaning to the main plot, not Garth we know Garth.

I understand Dean and Sam's normal life disease caused by Chuck and the accidents 'bad luck' displayed as humorous but after a while it just looked like a gimmick. It's importance to the story of Dean and Sam not being as survivalist as they were before could have been displayed better, humorous yes if need be but more towards a tone supposedly set by Chuck himself episodes ago.

Speaking of humour, i've enjoyed moments of it over the years but only when it was correctly placed seasons ago. Not now, not this attempt, it was a mock at it's own entertainment and leaving fans wondering if the ending to Supernatural will be good enough to stay tuned to at all. I enjoy watching Supernatural but i just think now is the time to stay on point and give us some clarity.

Was there anything i liked about the episode at all? Yes, i like Garth's character, he's a good person with a good heart and i'm glad they brought him back. It was courageous for him towards the end and that's what i like about Supernatural, and that's the reason why i still gave this episode an 8/10.

At lot of people may disagree with this review, afterall it's only my opinion.

Fun little filler

[oakshield · 7/10 · 24 January 2020]

A fun little filler with a great job by DJ Qualls.

What you would expect of an episode number 10.

Good watch.

Disgraceful discredit to the characters

[sonjafilukasz · 1/10 · 5 April 2021]

This season did a lot of retconning, but none more than this episode.

There's a reason the boys areas good as they are - training, experience, perseverance and heart. They have definitely survived way more than they should, and yeah Dean should be suffering because of his diet etc lol, but they should not be struggling with basic tasks and losing all hand-eye coordination. This is "bad luck rabbit's foot" level stuff, not "lose God's extra favour in hunting" level stuff.

It's a major discredit to their skill and their resolve to say that ALL of it was God's machinations down to Sam knowing not to touch a boiling pot ffs.

Most scenes were uncomfortable to watch as they felt so out of character. Especially Sam rolling on the floor after drinking the hot sauce. Like, come on.

I feel like the writers' room and the directors should have re-watched the show before making the last season, or at least had someone around who knows every detail of the show. Because I was very sick of the inconsistencies.

Very important episode

[ColtyTP · 9/10 · 25 January 2020]

People seem to be underestimating the importance of this episode. It really brings up an important point and actually makes the series seem more "realistic", in a sense.

I had been wondering for a while why Dean was able to eat all this junk food and stay in such good shape. When was the last time you saw either of them working out at all? A lot of people just come up with excuses like "they are always in the field frighting and moving". Well... no. Mostly its them driving around and talking to people with the occasional fight. This does not at all explain how they are still in such good form and never get sick.

So at one point I called it - Dean and Sam are not normal. They have essentially immortal via luck. How could they have survived all of this for that long? This is their power given to them by God.

Now, I didn't realize that it was because God was writing their story - I thought it was just some obscure luck based power, but close enough I guess. They are alive, because God allows it.

This has basically spoiled them and they are now acting like children when faced with everyday problems. It actually makes the show more realistic to me - they could do all that only because God had their back.

I wonder if they will stick to this idea or maybe backpedal a bit and show that God was not only not helping them now, but also messing with them (the car breaking down that often for instance is a bit odd). I guess we'll see.

I'm never watching anything that John F. Showalter has directed ever again...

[trnod · 10/10 · 26 January 2020]

Lordy this episode was cr*p.... please stick to good directors, and dont break what isn't broken....

Really enjoyed this one

[lordjesus-17667 · 10/10 · 24 January 2020]

This episode was so much fun. And that tap dancing scene.. Wow Jensen can really dance. And it was great to see Garth again

Decent and made with flair

[Kingslaay · 8/10 · 29 February 2020]

This was a pretty entertaining episode. It looks like writers and the cast wanted to have fun with this fun. Smart narrative to have J2 downgraded to normal status to explain why they've had so many close calls in the past with monsters and won. Now the loose guiding hand is gone they are pretty normal.

From start to finish this episode is made with great flair. The music and rhythm gives it a boost and that extra edge. Small echoes of Tarantino over here. A fun story line as well that flowed well and kept me hooked. Nice to know there is some spark. 8/10

Hilariously stupid and fun

[shwetafabm · 9/10 · 17 August 2020]

It is pretty clear the episode was going for slapstick stupid comedy and they delivered. I was laughing. I love the crazy episodes of Supernatural. I also liked the meta, sure it was a bit much and skills like lockpicking and fighting shouldn't have been downplayed but it can be chalked upto the nail was too thick and the vampire shouldn't have had been taken down because was too strong. I lived Garth in it too. Also i found the opening very compelling, i was genuinely invested and had no clue what was going on, one of the creepier and interesting set ups the show has had. I guess my only issue is something the show does way too much, problem solving is way too easy and unbelievable. It would have made more sense if God restored them on his own.

Garth is also the writers' favourite, I think...

[nakrugt · 10/10 · 25 December 2022]

Garth is also the writers' favourite, I think...

Whichever episode he is in, Garth steals the show, and the writers do that intentionally. They write a story that would stay true to the character, and each and every time it works. Whenever I see the name DJ. Qualls and Garth in the flashbacks (the road so far in the opening), I know it is going to be a fun episode.

Sometimes, as in this episode, it is going to be a meta-fiction sort of story-telling so that I am not going to get disappointed.

According to IMDB, this is the last episode that Garth is in, and I think it is quite a fit to the character arc of Garth's: from an amateur hunter to the hunter-werewolf and a family man.

Some criticize stating it is the episode Supernatural jumped the shark, but I think the producers and writers try to tie up as many story lines and character arcs as possible in the final season.

Ok I guess

[swadwolf1 · 8/10 · 24 January 2020]

This was an ok episode but Sam and Dean were next to useless so they learned stuff from their dad but really no it was all chuck? And at the end of last week billy aka death told jack it's time so I figured they'd do something this week unless she said it's time and they were gonna go see a movie or something who knows but yeah we need to get back to business

Worst Supernatural Episode Ever!

[alekozz · 1/10 · 25 January 2020]

Very bad episode at a very bad timing... I mean it's the last season of our beloved show... Don't waste our time with fillers... And if so...make it count.. This episode had no humor even for a filler, was pointless and didn't do anything to help the main plot... And what does even mean they became "normal"? Normal doesn't mean stupid clumsy sick worthless or with no skill at all... With being normal did they lose their memory too and forgot how to fight?? Generally I like this season but this episode was really bad.... 😔

Great Episode. Maybe the best of the season.

[jopousa84 · 10/10 · 26 January 2020]

I loved it. It´s funny, and found pretty interesting how the managed the 'hero's luck'. It´s a great concept that works great with what is happening right now in the season.

The idea of the 'UFC monsters' it´s also really good.

Honestly, I don´t know why so many people hate it. Maybe because of what implies about heroes and in this case, Sam and Dean.

Hilarious

[acharrell · 10/10 · 25 January 2020]

I love their humourous episodes, and this one didn't dissapoint. Sam and Dean having bad luck is some excellent meta comedy. It's surreal at parts and slapstick at parts and Goofy and heartwarming all together. Getting to see what Garth is up to was great, and the bit with his twin boys named Sam & Castiel was hilarious. Loved it.

Loved this episode

[melly-94919 · 10/10 · 3 October 2021]

Maybe you won't get it or maybe you will. Charming, comedic genius and shines a light on every hero that seemed skilled in everything, with no humanely problems.