TV Review: Supernatural - "Bedtime Stories"
Published June 22, 2008
The pacing of this episode is great from the beginning, and we waste no time going to the next story, Hansel and Gretel. I loved watching that sweet little old lady wield a butcher knife and carve that guy to bits with deep utter joy. While I’m sure that looked great in a script, all the credit there goes to the casting. Best homicidal granny ever! The woman survives, and Sam and Dean get to interview yet another horrified victim. I got the impression this was hitting a little to close to home for Sam, judging by his empathetic look. In season one or two I wouldn’t have given that look a second thought, but in season three that Sam has long been absent.
Sam takes a pretty big jump with his fairy tale conclusion, but we’ll just chalk it up to him being smart. For the record, I was raised on the Brothers Grimm version of fairy tales because my mother is British and the Brits don’t like to sugarcoat anything. I adored Sam’s observance that these original stories of horror were sanitized into “Disney flicks and bedtime stories.” So true! When I read the watered down versions of these stories later, I was appalled. Granny was eaten in “Red Riding Hood,” okay!
So how did Dean get six hours of library duty? Isn’t that usually Sam’s thing? I know that happened in season one’s “Provenance”, but I think that was because Sam got to hit on a hot chick. Here, well, forget it, I’m nitpicking. I’ve forgotten all about it anyway because they come across the frog and Dean gets the funniest quote of the episode, “There’s no way I’m kissing that damn frog.” He knows that story!
I did have a hard time though with Sam figuring out the Cinderella scenario so quickly. You see a mouse and a pumpkin on the porch in the fall and quickly go into this strange house with guns pointed? Yikes, I better think twice come Halloween time. I’m with Dean: “Could you be more gay?” That statement raised tons of controversy, but come on, that’s typical Dean. How else would he have berated Sam for his weird knowledge of these tales? It’s not like Sam had a normal childhood and got these stories when Daddy Winchester was tucking him in.
They’re right, though, and the stepmother went nuts, beating and handcuffing her stepdaughter. Of course Sam gets some more flak from Dean. “Who knows, maybe you’ll find your fairy godmother.” Anyone care to speculate what Sam’s fairy godmother would look like? I’m thinking the lady at the DMV in Reaper, horns and all. Dean sees the mysterious little girl, who leaves behind an apple. “Fairy tale boy” knows it’s from Snow White, and that they’re dealing with someone in a deep sleep.
- TV Review: Supernatural - "Bedtime Stories"
- Published: June 22, 2008
- Type: Review
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: Drama, Video: Fantasy, Video: TV Recap
- Part of a feature: The Winchester Family Business: Supernatural
- Writer: Alice Jester
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- Alice Jester's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
I look forward to your reviews every week and find myself nodding in agreement, laughing, and occasionally crying as I relive each episode. I love that you're so excited by the show and have so many profound things to say about it. In my life, whenever I mention Supernatural in a conversation I generally get a blank stare so it's nice to know you're out there! Thank you for all the time and thought you put into your reviews!
Same for me Kari. People think I'm crazy for loving so much this show. If I speak about Supernatural is like I talk to the walls. People just stares at me not Knowing what I am talking about, so it is very nice to read this reviews, to see that there are people just like you who understand your emotions and your feelings toward that show.
And Alice you do it just fine. It's like you collect all of our thoughts and put it on the net.
About this ep, I really like it. I mean, Dean got the best lines, like that one with the frog, or the wicked stepmother of Snow white.
Anyway i was really impressed with Sam's abilitys of drawning. Picasso would be green with envy:)
My reactiong at seeing that drawning was the same as Dean's.Even now I'm laughing just thinking at that scene.
I noticed that Dean has a pleasure in making Sam feeling inconfortable:this scene with the drawning, that one from PLaythings with the huge crush of Sam in dolls, and etc.
About Red Sky... It will be difficult but that episode too has his part off good lines. Dean's all:)
Even Kripke said he isn't content with that episode but I think they gave us one hell of the finale so we can forgive that ep:)
Barry - Yeah, the number one and two scripted shows, and they get zero respect. The latest budget cut news (I won't reveal for spoiler reasons) really bothers me. It's not fair! As for Dawn, the only reason she isn't gone yet is because no one else will take that crappy job. I wouldn't.
Kari - Why thank you! I'm fortunate to share my love of this show with my husband, but that's it. I have no friends that watch it either, and certainly no co-workers (probably because I work in IT and they're all from India). I'm just thrilled for the opportunity to share my love to an audience like this.
Hi there vichi! Dean does know how to make Sam uncomfortable, doesn't he? I plan on doing an extended commentary on that when my review comes up for "A Very Supernatural Christmas." At least I hope so. That's going to be a very long review, since it's one of the best episodes of the series.
Red Sky isn't the worst, but what I came up with as an alternate should be more fun than analyzing that episode extensively. Even Kripke admitted it was a lost cause, so I can't rub salt into an already open wound. I'm featuring the top five worst Supernatural episodes of the series. When Mystery Spot airs, then I'll do the best since I've already done a review for that. Hopefully these subjective lists will go over well. Either that, or the taunting will be harsh! We'll see.
I read that SN starts on 9/4! :)
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October 2?. It figures!. The CW gets the jump early and gets Gossip and 90210 going, and probably everything else, but no SN?. I hear it's October for Smallville as well. More disrespect thrown their way. Is Ostroff out yet?.