Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki
Supernatural, Season 8, Episode 13: “Everybody Hates Hitler”
Written by Ben Edlund
Directed by Philip Sgriccia
Airs Wednesdays at 9pm (ET) on CW
It has been established numerous times over Supernatural’s run that dabbling with otherworldly forces is not something new; in fact, it has been going on for a very long time. This point was driven home once again last week with the reveal that Sam and Dean’s grandfather was part of a larger organisation that fought against otherworldly forces, opening up another historical aspect to the fight. As there were those who fought for good, it’s believable that there were also humans who fought for evil, and it was only a matter of time before they surfaced as well, posing a new threat to the Winchesters. The idea of a resurrected society of supernatural evildoers is the one that this week’s episode explores, opening up a new story arc in the process and giving the Winchesters a new kind of foe to battle.
The potential that the Thule society holds is an exciting one. The Winchesters, perhaps apart from the occasional witch and warlock, have never battled humans with supernatural powers, and have never tackled them as a large scale group, as even the aforementioned tussles with witches and warlocks have been isolated incidents. This is thus a new kind of enemy for the Winchesters, with its own kinds of challenges. As this episode displays, not much is known about either side in this fight, as even Garth was unable to help with regards to golems or the Thule society, so how the Winchesters tackle this new threat should make for a compelling season, especially in terms of what role Castiel, Garth, Kevin, and the brothers’ other associates eventually play in it. Credit must also be given to the writers for avoiding the main pitfall of season 7’s Leviathan threat by making the necromancers of the Thule society killable, and arming the Winchesters with the knowledge of how to do so, thus already making the Thule society a more compelling adversary.
John DeSantis and Bernhard Forcher
It will also be interesting to see how the Winchesters go about rebuilding the Men of Letters and the Judah Initiative, if they do so at all. Henry’s jump into the future with the key means that any members of the Men of Letters that may have survived after Abbadon’s attack would not have been able to access the place, but the possibility of the place still being monitored is quite strong, either by said remaining member, or other chapters of the Men of Letters. If that is the case, whoever is monitoring the place may consider the Winchesters the heir apparent and/or the new leaders, and whether they accept the brothers with open arms or show a level of hostility towards them due to their hunter status, the way Henry initially did, is worth looking out for. The possibility of a next-generation Men of Letters group who have heard the stories of the group but dismissed it as fable, the way Aaron did with the Judah Initiative, also has the possibility of existing, and how they deal with Sam and Dean, and whether the two try to bring them into the fold or let them be, could be fascinating to watch as well.
Overall, this was a solid episode. The presence of the Golem added an interesting dimension to the fights, and how the Golem and Castiel interact, if the former were to make a return appearance, should be fun to see, as both are powerful entities that can lay waste to numerous foes, but who do it in different ways. Aaron’s evolution into full-fledged hunter, as well as how his path crosses with the Winchesters, both promise to be fascinating, and hopefully the show keeps Aaron involved going forward as well. How the Winchesters tackle the Thule society, whose complete powers still remain a mystery to the brothers and the audience, and how they keep Crowley at bay while doing so, as well as how long the Winchesters’ new safe haven remains safe, are all potentially exciting developments that are worth tuning in for next week.
– Deepayan Sengupta
