 Ah, the bell tomes for Benny. Sort of. Actually, this is a really good Benny episode. Ooh, that's a hot mug, guys. Hey guys, this is my review for episode 5 of Supernatural Season 8, Blood Brother, and this is very much a Benny-centric episode. A little bit of dashing of Sam in his backstory with the lady who we've been alluding at for the last few episodes. I actually have to say that I like how that story has been just very lightly sprinkled over the last five episodes, and it just keeps on kind of establishing a little bit more and a little bit more. And then, obviously, the parallel between Benny's history with his girl, who turns out to be a vampire in this episode, but his reasoning for leaving the life he had as a vampire, it parallels very much with Sam, leaving the hunter's life for his lady. And Dean slowly gets to understand that, while also using a cell phone that is ages old. The cell phone bit, I'm going to go in a little bit of tangent because it's actually probably one of my favorite things about Supernatural, especially watching it the last few years. We have left the flip phone era, and now we are in the digital phone, the phone screen era. But you guys remember just how it was? This is a phone size now. That is the phone that Dean's using. Not exactly the same one, but do you see how small this is? It's literally the palm of my hand. I miss when phones were this big because this is when they were barely able to function in terms of what they are, and now they're little mini computers. Then texting Sam about their plan of going to the island and then kind of deleting it, that gave me a nostalgia trip I was not prepared for. But actually the episode itself, I like Benny's story in this because not only does it correlate into his progression of a character in this season, but it also goes back to the survival story that he, Castiel and Dean had while going through Purgatory. He is definitely a variety of character traits and hanty hero in some ways, but he also is a lost soul, and this episode really delves into that, especially at the very end. The whole reason for him coming back was to get revenge on his vampire horde that killed the love of his life, but then only to realize that his maker turned his love and after killing the maker, his love wants to continue doing the terrible things that they did before and so Dean kills her. Just imagine going through all the hardship of Purgatory, finding something to actually live for, to only have it be snuffed out and just completely decimated. Revenge doesn't even take anything anymore, it's very empty, it is not even cold, it's non-existent for Benny. And that's why I like this episode so much, despair, give me that despair. And Dean's kind of trying to sidestep it because he doesn't have that relation, but I think Benny's action story and his previous relationships are slowly making Dean realize, hey maybe I do understand why Sam did what he did, and it's super sad to see because this is not a happy episode for anyone really. He eats Sam with his backstory, but I love how it ends with Sam at the end too, where he holds onto the knife and there's that really slow handshake between him and Benny and Dean gives him the shake and Benny just says, I can see that you have a lot to talk about. This by far is the best episode of the season, not only in terms of entertaining factor, but also how the stories progressed. Dean's relationship with Benny has grown and had a little bit more definition, Sam's history is being more explained and more understood, and just how this episode plays out is just so despairingly sad, but such a good kind of despair. I think I'm maybe being a little bit over-generous about this episode, but I think it's because it's a welcome change in terms of the last few episodes we've had, but also this is just a really well-written one-off episode, like it's not going to have any real continuation truly, but I like how it goes, but there's this little niggling thing in the back of my mind. I swear they did something like this again later on in the show, but not to this extent, so I think that's why I'm enjoying this so much. But I also imagine this kind of story element of coming back to save someone to find out that they're only now a monster is something that the show has done in previous iterations, but I liked how they did it here. So in the end, I'm going to give Blood Brother a 6 out of 7. I really like this episode. I am still surprised. However, we'll see how this kind of goes over in the next few, but it's definitely up on my top 5 so far. I've only done 5, so that's kind of a visit given. Anyways guys, those are my thoughts about this episode. Let's see what you guys had to say. Blood Brother is an underrated gem of that episode. I love how it's written and the acting and the visuals make up for the most part. I love that it gives us a good way to appreciate Benny, who in my opinion is a very underrated character in the series. I still love the delivery of the line. I think we're all damned. I think that not only describes how the Winchesters feel throughout the show, but also describes the existence of being a monster in a world that is dominant of humans and caters more to humans than monsters. Because you're damned to Percatory if you don't eat humans and you're damned if you do, then you have the Winchesters relationship to each and their lifestyles and who are damned if you do and damned if you don't mentality. At the end of the episode, it's understandable Sam is still in the mindset to put down monsters since season 7's fiasco of how they treated monsters. But this time we have Dean who sees Benny as another brother that we're bound in the supernatural Dramonji Percatory. That's a good way to describe it. It's an excellent way to make the brotherhood of Sam and Dean at more conflict with what they need and want from each other in this current season. Yeah, like I've said, this is actually a realistic conflict. The latter seasons would just make conflict for conflict sake, but this one's an understandable one. Blood Brothers is the first episode in season 8 that was decent agreed. I always like it when Benny returns. I didn't like the fact that you can be killed in the afterlife without an explanation to where they go. I also noticed that when they're in Percatory, where is Eve? This would be a good chance for her to, yeah, I guess, but I think Carver just didn't want to touch monsters anymore after that because could you blame them after how the entire kind of little bit of season 6 was? Blood Brothers was great because you get to see Benny again. Ty Olson is fantastic in the episode. He's one of the favorite things about season 8. I really love the friendship between Dean and Benny, and I like the flashback scenes in Percatory. Castiel, Benny, of Castiel, Benny and Dean working together as a team. Not surprised that there was a little bit of conflict between Benny and Castiel. My only problem with the episode is Sam's flashbacks of Amelia. I don't like the cinematography in those scenes. Yeah, I think I made a comment earlier about how it's got that kind of blown out softness. That's what Supernatural would literally have in the final season. Let's start with saying that season 8 is one of my favorite seasons. Most of the reason there's Percatory and the reason I like Percatory so much is because of Benny. When I learned that this would be a Benny backstory episode, I was very excited until I watched the episode. While Ty Olson brings on so much nuance of shading to the character, they can't be said for the former vampires in the nest. Olmy, Jack, they're bad actors. They're so unconvincing and non-threatening vampires. I love Benny, but it's a painful episode that's unwatchable and might peg for one of the worst episodes. Wow, okay, I'll give you credit that yes, the acting is not the greatest or they do seem a bit douchey, but I feel that they were channeling a lot of interview with the vampire, but it's definitely not one of the worst episodes. It's one of my favorite ones of the year just because of how much is in this episode and so much pain for Benny. This episode at first seems like a relevant filler, but trust me, when I say it's more important than you think, here is the biggest and most impactful theme of Carver's era and that revenge isn't the answer. Very good actually, very good point. I get that you think that everything after season 5 is irrelevant mainly because you think that there wasn't a plan behind those seasons. I probably wouldn't change your opinion, but I still didn't disagree. Although he didn't know if he would be able to follow through with three and four season arc due to how the show faced cancellation every year, Jeremy Carver managed to not only take the mess of season 6 and 7 and build them, but also had a clear vision and major character development for the boys that wasn't explored in the Kripke era. Remember that the boys got their revenge, but they never actually sit down and realize that what they did to accomplish it by it. It is the themes that defined the Carver era and it always was his plan to end the series around that theme. Just as Benny realized in the end that the blood brothers of blood brothers so did Nomara realize at the end of season 11 that revenge didn't always bring her satisfaction. Season 8 is a slow build to the finale that exemplified his theme. So from now on we encounter, I'm going to point it out just so that you can understand. Okay, I can't. I can kind of get where you're coming from there. I, the themes were kind of explored a bit in the prior in the Kripke era, but not I guess to that extent. No, I will give you a point that's actually probably one of the most best things that someone's pointed out about the Carver era so far. So I'm going to keep an eye out for that. Alright guys, that is that episode done. Now let's see what's the next one. Southern Comfort. Give me guys' thoughts on that episode in the comments and I'll read those off in the next review. Until then though, hope you guys enjoyed this review. If you did, leave a like and if you're interested in more, subscribe. Until then, see you guys in the next one.