Supernatural Season 14 Episode 5 Review: Nightmare Logic

This Supernatural review contains spoilers.

Supernatural Season 14 Episode 5

This week, the Winchesters faced down with a familiar monster, a Djinn, who has changed its method of attack after intervention from Michael. It’s a great way to tie in what horrors Michael has committed to create new monsters without being a Michael-centric episode. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Supernatural is a show about people hunting monsters. Did you notice, however, how important its themes of family are?

One of the most famous series quotes is: “Saving people, hunting people, the family business.” Who knew the emphasis was always on the last part? Hunting is a family legacy. Having Mary and Bobby re-introduced has reinforced that theme, but so does the connection built between the alternate universe survivors and our main characters. They might be bunkies because of circumstance, but being in close proximity brings them closer emotionally, making Maggie’s disappearance in this episode all the more impactful.

Sam isn’t overly protective of his people just because they’re footsoldiers. He feels responsible on a deeper level. He’s the Mother Hen of this group of people, not even allowing himself a full night of sleep because he devotes so much of his time to keeping tabs and educating these new hunters. He’s become a nascent John Winchester, in charge of guiding a bunch of Sams and Deans into a very scary world of monsters.

The family theme continues with Bobby. He’s been keeping Mary, a potential love interest, at arm’s length. When Sam rightly suggests that maybe something in his past is keeping him from opening up. AU Bobby had a son who was killed by angels, so naturally the villain of this episode brings Daniel’s image to life to torture Bobby.

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Bobby faces extreme guilt over his son’s death. He says he brought his son to war, which led to his death. The John Winchester vibes were in full swing. Daddy Winchester brought his sons up as hunters. It’s an important legacy, but also often a tragic one. A hunter’s life can be cruel and short.

It all wraps up full circle with the strained relationship between Sasha and her father. “He’s the only family I have left” It too, weirdly echoes the WInchester boys and their dad.

This episode gave us another familiar monster with a twist.

Michael’s experimentations and bargains have changed the rules of the game. It keeps us guessing. Now, even when we see something we’ve seen before, like a vampire or werewolf or djinn even, we can’t expect them to behave or be dispatched in the same old ways. It’s another element that keeps this season fresh and unexpected.

I also wanted to mention how much I liked this old estate that provided the setting for the episode. It was this striking home and grounds that made Sam and Dean’s (and Mary and Bobby’s) excuse of being from the historical preservation society valid. Plus, it lent some great visuals. That top down shot on Sam in that zigzagging hallways was sweet. I love it when we get something out of the ordinary like that. A shot like that is complicated to set up, but makes your scenes stand out.

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