Supernatural: Hunteri Heroici

Posted by: Kyle Tetarenko  •  November 28, 2012 @ 10:24pm

Filed under: Recaps & Reviews

After a few weeks away, Supernatural is back with its zaniest episode yet in Hunteri Heroici.

Now that Kevin and his mom are safe with Garth, the boys don't have that much on the go but when Castiel gets word a man's heart leapt ten feet from his chest, they just might have a case. Not willing to go back to heaven just yet, Castiel has decided to become a hunter and tag along with the Winchesters as their third wheel. When they get to Oklahoma City and view the body, Sam and Dean come to the conclusion that the victim was having an affair but after Castiel's bad cop style interrogation, she isn't to blame. Later on, a man about to commit suicide is able to walk on air before falling to his death and for the final nail in the coffin, a bank security guard is killed by a one ton anvil. It's Sam who makes the connection between the cartoonish events when he notices in a police report similar events happening around a retirement home. At the home Sam again sees that an old friend with psychokinetic abilities is one of the residents but the question remains: is he driving the bus or just a passenger like the rest of the victims?

Hunteri Heroici definitely turned out to be the comic break that Supernatural fans needed. Though it didn't have the action fans are accustomed to, most episodes this season have been gravely serious and this week's gave us that emotional break with excellent humour (mostly due to one guy in particular) and an overall sense of fun.

Misha Misha Misha, thank God he came back. Misha Collins as Castiel provides a perfect contrast Sam and Dean. Castiel's unfamiliarity and subsequent discovery of cartoons was perfectly in his character and his eagerness to become a hunter is incredibly endearing. Collins' ability to flip the switch from comedy to dramatic is also just as impressive. The most striking moment though was Castiel's reveal of his fear to return to heaven. It was sympathetic without being overbearing but it shows that Castiel will never be a one dimensional character even for a single episode.

While Hunteri Heroici had it strengths, there were a few areas that could have used the same amount of attention. Unfortunately, Sam's flashbacks to his times with Amelia have really begun to overstay their welcome. Although his flashbacks were the connective tissue between himself, Castiel and Fred Jones, I would have much rather seen Castiel face his fears and have Sam and Fred make the realization that they can't always run from the reality they live in. Lastly, even though the show stretched out with the looney tunes concept, I think they could have taken that farther. For example, the first scene when Gary's heart burst out of his chest could have been more comical rather than end with the cliché blood splatter. Olivia could have caught his heart and it could have been cartoonishly heart shaped. Also, the full cartoon effect should have been used for the fight/chase between Dean and Dr. Mahoney. Dr. Mahoney could have thrown a stick of dynamite at Dean and had there been a chase into one of the black holes on the wall. Could you imagine the expression on Dean's face if he was chasing someone in a dark tunnel only to suddenly have a white light from a cartoon train appear behind him? I think that scene had the potential to be one of the best moments in the entire series but it fell short.

Overall, Hunteri Heroici was a good episode that just fell short in a few areas. We'll see if next week will be just as good when Benny returns in Supernatural's midseason finale, Citizen Fang.

Tags: Supernatural, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Castiel, Misha Collins

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