Supernatural: Safe House Review

What a fantastic episode to kick off the return of Supernatural! Feelings of nostalgia mixed with comedy and some genuinely creepy moments.

The structure of this episode was definitely unique. It paralleled Sam and Dean’s discovery of a house with a Soul Eater terrorizing it to an early case in the same house with Bobby and Rufus investigating the same monster. The flashback is tied neatly together with Sam and Dean referencing Bobby’s exaggerated account in his journal, but also by their shared experiences. When the Winchesters meet the nosy neighborhood watch lady and the nurse in the hospital discussing the previous events, the scene switches between them and Bobby and Rufus.

The structure lent itself directly to a different style of editing. There were numerous detours to the previous case, but these flashbacks weren’t showy, with a bright white flash of light or a weird transition (check out every show on television to see what I mean.) The flashbacks cut neatly together with the Winchesters’ scenes, making it almost seem like they were in the same room at the same time.

That editing helped with the comedic timing. Supernatural has always had its funny moments. It’s one of those things that keep the fans coming back season after season. This comedy often played out when juxtaposing Sam and Dean with Bobby and Rufus. One such moment was when the boys are digging up graves, and Dean laments that there’s got to be an easier way. Flashback to Bobby using an excavator in the same spot.

Sam and Dean resort to one of their comedic staples—the Rock, Paper, Scissors battle. The scene cuts away from that and directly to Dean walking away saying, “We are never settling anything with that again.” It was a good decision to not even show the result of the game when you can cut immediately to the reaction. It kept up a quick pace while emphasizing the humor.

Bobby and Rufus were such a delight every time they took the scene. Their buddy-cop attitude, notably Bobby’s gruffness and Rufus’s quippy remarks, made these two an excellent team. They were so entertaining, I had wistful thoughts of a spinoff show. The Bobby/Rufus Power Hour.

The episode finally comes full circle when Bobby and Dean’s separate stories intersect in the Soul Eater’s nest, a place outside time and space (Doctor Who, anyone?). Dean and Bobby actually see each other at this moment. It’s a touching, if brief farewell.

All the ingredients in this Supernatural recipe made for an episode so good I can’t even nitpick. And that’s hard to do.