Supernatural Season 1 Episode 2: Wendigo -Review

I liked this episode a lot the first couple times I saw it years ago. Seeing it now, after having seen so many other SN episode, I still really like it. Ackles and Padalecki jump right into their characters like they've been doing them for years. Most shows don't have that until Season 2 or 3. There is still a bit of getting every aspect of them across on screen that is still being worked on. But at no point in this episode are there any acting points so bad it takes me out of the fiction, and makes me have to put myself back in mentally. Many shows I have to do that for, especially early on, and some of those shows went on to be amazing things. The writers, also do a great job of bringing the brothers to life, though they are also at this point still working out exactly what Sam and Dead would do in a given situation. There are points in the show where characters do things completely out of character, for the sake of emotional build-up or working out plot devices. But these are not a frequent thing, and people in real life sometimes do things completely out of character.

I find it endlessly amusing that Sam continuously considers himself a little better than Dean (when he's not demoning out or souless or something). I don't mean like truly a better human being, but like existing on Earth the way people should.Because Dean's a letch, and Dean drinks too much, and Sam eats healthier, and is usually nicer and more polite. But when you look at the big picture, Sam far more often is the one to get in a bad mood and say "fuck helping people right now, I'ma do what I want." Dean might be a dick about it sometimes, but he far less often just says fuck it.He goes in and helps. There are a few instances where the reverse was true, and Sam decided to go help when Dean didn't want to, but on average Sam has done it many more times. This is a recurring theme in the show, and in society in general. Loads of people consider themselves morally superior for trifling reasons, but when the shit hits the fan, they're no more likely to jump in and rescue someone than the over drinking, strip club regular, rudely loud guy. I am in no way saying it's better to be that person than the other, but it's a false reasoning that says that one is deep down a better person than the other. I am much more like Sam in real life than Dean (except for the eating habits and lechery), but I like Dean's character a bit better, and that is one of the reasons why. That and Dean is funnier most of the time. Neither is anywhere near perfect, or even now and then that well balanced, but each has dealt with all the crazy shit in their life far better than most people would, and Dean a bit more so.

This episode was pretty scary at times when I first watched it, though far from the scariest in the show. The creepy eerie feeling when they're all in the woods and start realizing exactly what they're dealing with. And people getting eaten and such. Not very scary on my 3rd or 4th viewing, but I can vaguely remember how I felt the first time I saw it. I love how they give Dean the line about skeptics, right before the show acts out the horror story trope of the skeptic always being the first to die.A little acknowledging the 4th wall is there, while still staying in the story, makes me smile.The first time I knew anything about a Wendigo was Marvel cartoons and comics. So seeing this version of it was a bit of a let down from that bad-ass version, but still satisfyingly ugly and monstrous. And maybe even a bit creepier for being even closer to humanity, and showing how thin a line it is between us and becoming a monster. That is an ever recurring theme in this show, and one that never really gets old because it's a worry that everyone watching has had about themselves, their neighbor, their family.If you just watch the show without really thinking to deeply about what you see, you miss a lot of universal shared pain and terrors, and triumphs. Still enjoyable, but would seem at times to just be good looking people killing stuff and making fart jokes.

So, to make a conclusion, good episode. And a good indicator of even more epicness to come. Also, just commenting, I would love to get a physical "official" version of John's journal published by Warner.

Overall: 8 Acting: 8 Plot: 7 Dialog: 8 Horror: 8 Drama: 7 Importance: 8 Humor: 8 Action: 7