A great season finale which ties up on sub-plots and creates new ones! The finale had everything; comedy, drama, action and special effects. The boys solve the Bobby and Dick Roman problem. There is much comic banter between Roman and Crowley. I hope the writers bring back the character Dick Roman in the next season. He added a certain charisma to the show. The question is Did it matter which Dick they killed? The out of it Cassiel plays comic relief perfectly. The drama and action parts of this episode where, the Boys put Bobby to rest, and have to deal with multiple Dick Romans. The season ending had great special effects, and left the viewer hanging. One wonders what will happen next year. I give Survival of the fittest a ten out of 10.
7 Reviews
They could have been bolder
CubsandCulture7 May 2020
The overall finale of the season is engaging. Dean and Cas making peace is touching. The car porn with the Impala returning is exciting. Even the central game of whether Crowley is going to betray them is fun. But the show never fully embraces the leviathans as stand in for corporations. The critique of capital is too muted and they should have gone further with the material.
The season overall is much stronger than season 6. It has a clearer storyline and a stronger sense of where it was going. The season has a few throwbacks to earlier years and they don't get bogged down in the Leviathans all that much. This is a solid season. I don't know if Gamble continued to be the show runner where it would have ended up but her two years are better than the first season and there was a mark improvement between seasons 6 and 7. The show had a more interpersonal vibe with Gamble. Whether it was Lisa-Ben or Bobby-as-spirit there was a stress on the personal over the mythical that I rather liked.
Average episode score: 8.0869
Best 3 episodes
1. Death's Door 2. Time After Time 3. The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo
Worst 3 episodes
21. The Slice Girls 22. Defending Your Life 23. Adventures in Babysitting
The season overall is much stronger than season 6. It has a clearer storyline and a stronger sense of where it was going. The season has a few throwbacks to earlier years and they don't get bogged down in the Leviathans all that much. This is a solid season. I don't know if Gamble continued to be the show runner where it would have ended up but her two years are better than the first season and there was a mark improvement between seasons 6 and 7. The show had a more interpersonal vibe with Gamble. Whether it was Lisa-Ben or Bobby-as-spirit there was a stress on the personal over the mythical that I rather liked.
Average episode score: 8.0869
Best 3 episodes
1. Death's Door 2. Time After Time 3. The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo
Worst 3 episodes
21. The Slice Girls 22. Defending Your Life 23. Adventures in Babysitting
Garnering enough dedicated fan base, and you can feed them with Dick Roman's syrup and make them watch another season.
honorhorror19 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Talking about double standards, I never really dropped my skepticism for another CW show "Nikita" cause every time I try to buy myself into its logics and twists, I was made aware of the premise of that show which is essentially two skinny Barbie dolls trying to save America and teach us low-life's some true colors. They are just directed to their destined triumph where there always are Ken dolls waiting to kiss them in sunsets. Supernatural, however, entertains me in multiple facets while logics boil down to pretty much like, "Nah, this is all just demented supernatural stuff, yeah?" Which is why I keep referring this show to friends of mine as "guilty pleasure" since I could be aware of the culmination of bad theology and blatantly offensive parts of the show. So the fact is Christianity takes center stage as the laugh stick, while nearly all other religions took shots in their backs. This "screw all you religious hypocrites" vibe reached an all time high in the episode "Surviving of the Fittest", where we got a upright nun's bone in a cynical's hands as an ultimate weapon against the "another most difficult monster to take down". The show seems to be so eager in claiming itself as unredeemable, pulling no punches at these jokes in excellent (I tip my hat to the writers, again) sarcasm. Interesting enough, people with their cynical pop-corns choked on their chills somewhere in the show's plot, sadly.
So you may have noticed that most negative criticisms come from the audiences who're aware of the "lameness" where Cas was reconciled with Dean and Dean's cause when he sensed a thread of Dean's forgiveness. I smiled through that part because having a Ghandi-quoting, "make-love-no-war" Cas returning to his normal angel awareness takes some serious guts from the show-runners, and some over-the-top absurdity to add to the show's already-paramount, uh, absurdity. Now you've dropped your cynical pop-corns because after all the 24-episode story is still a reconciliation and redemption story, and the show-runners opted to diffuse the absurdity, a bit. Now those who care about the characters have more to worry about, which is the fate of Cas and Dean in, ahem, purgatory.
This instantly turned a lot of people off. But to me, honestly it's not a big issue, since I somehow figured out that the way you make "guilty pleasure" works for me is to somehow balance the scale between "totally guilty" and "totally complacent" with pleasure. The show-runners are smart enough to pull this trick off again and again, while preventing from appealing too much to my daily-weakened religious conscience. After all, keeping the fate of the main cast in a hunting reserve does make a fan's heart squeeze a bit, doesn't it? The cumulation of the nihilist ego in the trend of this new story arc of "Supernatural" does make me wonder how Season 8 would come into light. My point, that the writers essentially takes the spitting if they keep writing that there's a sovereign God and such God is a jerk, still stands. Also, if you declare a troubled kid a lost course, and decided to add more trouble to him, well, you'd be careful about things taking a dramatic turn, Deus Ex Machina style. Such a comment is irrelevant to a delusional angel at all.
So you may have noticed that most negative criticisms come from the audiences who're aware of the "lameness" where Cas was reconciled with Dean and Dean's cause when he sensed a thread of Dean's forgiveness. I smiled through that part because having a Ghandi-quoting, "make-love-no-war" Cas returning to his normal angel awareness takes some serious guts from the show-runners, and some over-the-top absurdity to add to the show's already-paramount, uh, absurdity. Now you've dropped your cynical pop-corns because after all the 24-episode story is still a reconciliation and redemption story, and the show-runners opted to diffuse the absurdity, a bit. Now those who care about the characters have more to worry about, which is the fate of Cas and Dean in, ahem, purgatory.
This instantly turned a lot of people off. But to me, honestly it's not a big issue, since I somehow figured out that the way you make "guilty pleasure" works for me is to somehow balance the scale between "totally guilty" and "totally complacent" with pleasure. The show-runners are smart enough to pull this trick off again and again, while preventing from appealing too much to my daily-weakened religious conscience. After all, keeping the fate of the main cast in a hunting reserve does make a fan's heart squeeze a bit, doesn't it? The cumulation of the nihilist ego in the trend of this new story arc of "Supernatural" does make me wonder how Season 8 would come into light. My point, that the writers essentially takes the spitting if they keep writing that there's a sovereign God and such God is a jerk, still stands. Also, if you declare a troubled kid a lost course, and decided to add more trouble to him, well, you'd be careful about things taking a dramatic turn, Deus Ex Machina style. Such a comment is irrelevant to a delusional angel at all.
Entertaining ok finish for an ok season
shwetafabm24 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The episode doesn't have the typical series finale coolness or pace but it was ok just like the season has been.
A lot of rehashed things here alone, like how they had to stop the croatoan virus from shipping, it was just unnecessary that skinny girl and the cream thing.
Bobby's arch is wrapped up, i'm ok with that, i liked it tho it wasn't that hard hitting in the moment.
It's always Crowley huh. I missed Crowley.
Cas has some character development and Dean sorta forgives him a bit.
Ok episode
S7 review 8/10 Watching S7 made me realize how good the plot/plots of S6 were, it wasn't a bad season, it was just down a notch for spn, it was kinda boring, up the melodrama, underwhelming monsters and some very mediocre episodes It felt more serious because its plot was serious, it had to go into trauma and loss with Sam and Bobby and the boys were focused and isolated a little too much, then that Amy thing was just weird. I think it had the most 1-2 feel to it, with the new threat, the focus on the guys. I was missing that dynamic tho, they sorta had it for a very short time and then in that pennywise plucky ep. I had stopped watching spn in mid S9 and i barely remember this season, what i did remember was that i was getting bored, i think the extra years have made me appreciate the way the season went into organised monsters and loss and going crazy, also i think this is better as a binge, with the episodes not consistently being top quality and a lot of mediocre standalones i feel its better watched at once. Spn does have a way to make the eps entertaining tho, i felt that was missing here for the most part but it was still there plus we are so invested in the main characters. A pretty generous 8/10
Things that happened 1. Leviathans Our shapeshifters on steroids. I love the shapeshifter eps in s1-4 they are some of the best written, then the whole possession thing of demons too plays into the same thing. Leviathans were just nothing new or special, they were like demons basically, just more efficient, and like demons in the beginning they get burnt by some liquid and we have to wait for some weapon. The only thing they did were not be dumb for the plot, like burn Bobby's house that every demon and angel knows of, and woah use a gun, shocker. The most important thing about them was that they were organised and that became social commentary on food addiction and corporations. Not mad about it. I liked it. It just wasn't that great? Also wished it went a bit into animal rights or something in their social commentary because they could. Their nerf was kinda stupid but ok, then the final thing was fine by me, not the best but ok. 2. Bobby I love Bobby, he brought such a great dad character in the show, his send off episode was great too and very realistic in his backstory. I liked that they did the character justice and i even liked the ghost arch, it was interesting. 3. Cass We see Cass go darkside, i don't know how fitting that is as a character, but it was hard to see this Adorable character turn into that, it sure was entertaining tho, i liked the arch. His ressurection is hinted as being punishment by god, i don't like the constant dues ex machinas, i think him just not dying would be more fitting, i didn't like the amnesia thing, not sure if he even was to be introduced but besides that i liked seeing crazy unsure cass 4. Sam's wall Cass breaks it and we see crazy Sam. I think it was well done. Didn't like the resolution with Cass absorbing it, if its mental how... Whatever we gotta go past it somehow right, Sam needs to be sane so whatever 5. The Amy thing Ugh this could have been good but i just don't like the way it was handled or the amount of episodes it loomed around, i think those few episodes were a bit freaking boring too. Dean kills Amy who Sam spares. He does this and her kid sees. He's awful to the monster kid not giving one crap about how scarred he is. On top of that he knows the kid needed to be fed and is without guidance now. In what universe does this make sense. Sure they gotta do what they do but they don't kill kids. Dean's actions make no sense plus are just cruel because of the kid involved. It would have made sense if Amy killed for herself. We see that he doesn't even feel guilty about the kid, just about lying, now we could have not gotten the full inside but that's how it comes off. And Sam gets pissed but Dean gives him crap and Sam's like you are right. Then we get that Amazon episode. I don't hate it, i think it was poorly done and boring maunly because they ignored the kid part, maybe because they realised they screwed Dean here and Dean has to always be righteous. 6. Side characters Garth and Charlie were great, jody mills was fine to see, bobby ofcourse, frank was good, we don't see much of Crowley and Cass we see the aplha vamp and becky again even biggersons and dr. Sexy is something we saw before. I like that, i like when a series connects its past, that's the best part of a tv show, it's inside references. But i did feel a void, like it was too much Sam and Dean, too little happening, not a sloid group of characters around, after having a lot of that in S6 i felt the pace too slow while S6 was too fast i suppose. 7. Sam's character development I like Sam but he's a bit boring tbh, obviously Dean's the comedy relief and Sam seems to have lost a lot of his Sass. He goes through crazy and we see him come out kinder and softer, he isn't even mad at Cass though ofcourse he took the crazy for him so he must have forgiven him and related to him. He seems to have some form of acceptance, he isn't made or angry, he's not that guilty either cuz he thinks he paid his due. I like the character development, i think it makes sense even if its too nice for me but the character has been unnaturally nice since the beginning. I mentioned this in the becky ep too, he comforts becky in the end even when she violates him because he's tha character, mr nice guy that goes through tremendous tragedy but is still nice guy 8. Dean's character regression It's not that i am anti-Dean or anything, he's my favorite but man do they screw him since he wiped Lisa and Ben's memory, the Amy and her kid thing, the punching and the not being able to give Sam space, though i think the last one is justifiable since Sam was crazy at the time he tracked him down. Also the who saviour whiny thing, getting old, i do like when we see him go hopeless because that makes sense to me, cribbing about people that died whose death he had nothing to do with is just annoying.
Also in a season full of dick jokes it's the ball washer did it that takes the cake for me.
Fave eps 1. Pennywise one Wackiest, funniest one, i loved it so much especially that they fit backstory and Sam's fear into it. I like pretty much whatever Edlund does. 2.repo man 3. At deaths door
S7 review 8/10 Watching S7 made me realize how good the plot/plots of S6 were, it wasn't a bad season, it was just down a notch for spn, it was kinda boring, up the melodrama, underwhelming monsters and some very mediocre episodes It felt more serious because its plot was serious, it had to go into trauma and loss with Sam and Bobby and the boys were focused and isolated a little too much, then that Amy thing was just weird. I think it had the most 1-2 feel to it, with the new threat, the focus on the guys. I was missing that dynamic tho, they sorta had it for a very short time and then in that pennywise plucky ep. I had stopped watching spn in mid S9 and i barely remember this season, what i did remember was that i was getting bored, i think the extra years have made me appreciate the way the season went into organised monsters and loss and going crazy, also i think this is better as a binge, with the episodes not consistently being top quality and a lot of mediocre standalones i feel its better watched at once. Spn does have a way to make the eps entertaining tho, i felt that was missing here for the most part but it was still there plus we are so invested in the main characters. A pretty generous 8/10
Things that happened 1. Leviathans Our shapeshifters on steroids. I love the shapeshifter eps in s1-4 they are some of the best written, then the whole possession thing of demons too plays into the same thing. Leviathans were just nothing new or special, they were like demons basically, just more efficient, and like demons in the beginning they get burnt by some liquid and we have to wait for some weapon. The only thing they did were not be dumb for the plot, like burn Bobby's house that every demon and angel knows of, and woah use a gun, shocker. The most important thing about them was that they were organised and that became social commentary on food addiction and corporations. Not mad about it. I liked it. It just wasn't that great? Also wished it went a bit into animal rights or something in their social commentary because they could. Their nerf was kinda stupid but ok, then the final thing was fine by me, not the best but ok. 2. Bobby I love Bobby, he brought such a great dad character in the show, his send off episode was great too and very realistic in his backstory. I liked that they did the character justice and i even liked the ghost arch, it was interesting. 3. Cass We see Cass go darkside, i don't know how fitting that is as a character, but it was hard to see this Adorable character turn into that, it sure was entertaining tho, i liked the arch. His ressurection is hinted as being punishment by god, i don't like the constant dues ex machinas, i think him just not dying would be more fitting, i didn't like the amnesia thing, not sure if he even was to be introduced but besides that i liked seeing crazy unsure cass 4. Sam's wall Cass breaks it and we see crazy Sam. I think it was well done. Didn't like the resolution with Cass absorbing it, if its mental how... Whatever we gotta go past it somehow right, Sam needs to be sane so whatever 5. The Amy thing Ugh this could have been good but i just don't like the way it was handled or the amount of episodes it loomed around, i think those few episodes were a bit freaking boring too. Dean kills Amy who Sam spares. He does this and her kid sees. He's awful to the monster kid not giving one crap about how scarred he is. On top of that he knows the kid needed to be fed and is without guidance now. In what universe does this make sense. Sure they gotta do what they do but they don't kill kids. Dean's actions make no sense plus are just cruel because of the kid involved. It would have made sense if Amy killed for herself. We see that he doesn't even feel guilty about the kid, just about lying, now we could have not gotten the full inside but that's how it comes off. And Sam gets pissed but Dean gives him crap and Sam's like you are right. Then we get that Amazon episode. I don't hate it, i think it was poorly done and boring maunly because they ignored the kid part, maybe because they realised they screwed Dean here and Dean has to always be righteous. 6. Side characters Garth and Charlie were great, jody mills was fine to see, bobby ofcourse, frank was good, we don't see much of Crowley and Cass we see the aplha vamp and becky again even biggersons and dr. Sexy is something we saw before. I like that, i like when a series connects its past, that's the best part of a tv show, it's inside references. But i did feel a void, like it was too much Sam and Dean, too little happening, not a sloid group of characters around, after having a lot of that in S6 i felt the pace too slow while S6 was too fast i suppose. 7. Sam's character development I like Sam but he's a bit boring tbh, obviously Dean's the comedy relief and Sam seems to have lost a lot of his Sass. He goes through crazy and we see him come out kinder and softer, he isn't even mad at Cass though ofcourse he took the crazy for him so he must have forgiven him and related to him. He seems to have some form of acceptance, he isn't made or angry, he's not that guilty either cuz he thinks he paid his due. I like the character development, i think it makes sense even if its too nice for me but the character has been unnaturally nice since the beginning. I mentioned this in the becky ep too, he comforts becky in the end even when she violates him because he's tha character, mr nice guy that goes through tremendous tragedy but is still nice guy 8. Dean's character regression It's not that i am anti-Dean or anything, he's my favorite but man do they screw him since he wiped Lisa and Ben's memory, the Amy and her kid thing, the punching and the not being able to give Sam space, though i think the last one is justifiable since Sam was crazy at the time he tracked him down. Also the who saviour whiny thing, getting old, i do like when we see him go hopeless because that makes sense to me, cribbing about people that died whose death he had nothing to do with is just annoying.
Also in a season full of dick jokes it's the ball washer did it that takes the cake for me.
Fave eps 1. Pennywise one Wackiest, funniest one, i loved it so much especially that they fit backstory and Sam's fear into it. I like pretty much whatever Edlund does. 2.repo man 3. At deaths door
Main story fell off after season 7
imtheamplifier18 April 2024
In retrospective upon re-watching the show I can say that I truly underappreciated this season in particular. I believe my memories were mostly altered because of the following seasons. Leviathans storyline being cheesy at times turned out to be complete and less forced around the edges than it seemed.
The ending was a bit rushed but perfectly executed, the consequences for the characters were kind of a transitional forced line that marked the end of the main story that once used to be all about brothers living their hunters' lives: saving people, hunting things, family business (in a natural and consecutive manner). Now in season 8 and so on we mostly get supernatural stuff in cheap writing of forced storylines.
The ending was a bit rushed but perfectly executed, the consequences for the characters were kind of a transitional forced line that marked the end of the main story that once used to be all about brothers living their hunters' lives: saving people, hunting things, family business (in a natural and consecutive manner). Now in season 8 and so on we mostly get supernatural stuff in cheap writing of forced storylines.
Welcome to the Purgatory
claudio_carvalho17 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Dick Roman summons Crowley and makes a deal with the demon, asking him to give blood from a common demon to the Winchester brothers instead of his own. Meanwhile Dean and Sam get the bone of a nun and they just need Crowleys blood to prepare the weapon to vanquish Dick Roman.
Dean and Sam also burn Bobby's flask so his ghost can rest in peace. Ewen Crowley arrives, he tells his agreement with Dick to Dean and Sam and gives sample of his blood. Is Crowley betraying Dick Roman or the Winchester brothers?
"Survival of the Fittest" is the last episode of the Seventh Season of Supernatural with a disappointing conclusion. As usual, Crowley steals the show, but the writer could have written a better conclusion for this season. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Survival of the Fittest"
Dean and Sam also burn Bobby's flask so his ghost can rest in peace. Ewen Crowley arrives, he tells his agreement with Dick to Dean and Sam and gives sample of his blood. Is Crowley betraying Dick Roman or the Winchester brothers?
"Survival of the Fittest" is the last episode of the Seventh Season of Supernatural with a disappointing conclusion. As usual, Crowley steals the show, but the writer could have written a better conclusion for this season. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Survival of the Fittest"
Welcome to Purgatory...CD
hp1993-739-94778510 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This season wasn't perfect - we lost Impala for the most of the season, then Bobby (in this episode once and for all), new member Frank...and I 'm afraid we lost the villains with no style at all.
Crowley becomes the King No1 - no enemies on the road; Sam stands alone, Castiel and Dean in Purgatory. Kevin with the King and...Meg on the same place.
Very bad finale - it didn't have enough juice to catch the attention. Leviathans were so smart...to be killed by a bone...Bobby vanished like the writers forgot on him and then realized they have to do something with him...Do they realize that this character was there since the beginning? Writers, you torture us - you gave us some great nostalgic episodes and then bring the "tablet" thing, Castiel again on the feet (seriously again rescued and no one bothers to explain WHY and WHO - God is out of the game?!...) and you had to let Winchesters trust the demons again...I'm really disappointed..Out of ideas? Deus ex machina celebrates...
For me as a fan there is a very problematic scene...Would've Dean confided Meg his BABY??? ...When this is the end of the season and a beginning of the eighth season, I'm afraid I have to sing I See A Bad Moon Rising again...
Crowley becomes the King No1 - no enemies on the road; Sam stands alone, Castiel and Dean in Purgatory. Kevin with the King and...Meg on the same place.
Very bad finale - it didn't have enough juice to catch the attention. Leviathans were so smart...to be killed by a bone...Bobby vanished like the writers forgot on him and then realized they have to do something with him...Do they realize that this character was there since the beginning? Writers, you torture us - you gave us some great nostalgic episodes and then bring the "tablet" thing, Castiel again on the feet (seriously again rescued and no one bothers to explain WHY and WHO - God is out of the game?!...) and you had to let Winchesters trust the demons again...I'm really disappointed..Out of ideas? Deus ex machina celebrates...
For me as a fan there is a very problematic scene...Would've Dean confided Meg his BABY??? ...When this is the end of the season and a beginning of the eighth season, I'm afraid I have to sing I See A Bad Moon Rising again...
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