CW's "Supernatural" Gets Drunk with "Party On, Garth!:" A Television Review

*spoiler alert.

Director Philip Sgriccia.

Writer Adam Glass.

The creators of Wayne’s World should grin with "Supernatural" tongue-in-cheek episode, “Party On, Garth.” Viewers cannot help but smirk at how Garth Fitzgerald (DJ Qualls), a hunter, may get a fan following of his own. After three episodes (two appearances and one non-speaking), he comes through as irrepressible.

But this light-hearted episode also looks Eastern folklore yet again. In this case, there is an alcohol spirit, known as a Shōjō, on the loose. This female Japanese spirit loves partying and enjoys drinking games. In traditional lore, they behave like merry leprechauns and they are normally friendly. Conventional tales say count yourself lucky if you ever manage to catch one of these gentle fairies. Should a human ever manage to, a wish will be granted on the condition that it will be released.

But if anyone manages to catch a Shōjō, maybe the person should count him or herself unlucky. They can be caged too, and they begrudgingly will have to do the bidding of their masters. When they are forced to do ill will, they are not particular in whom they want to harm.

With this episode, The Winchesters are returning a favour of sorts too. They are here to help Fitzgerald in a case that is getting way over his head.

What the trio discover is a plot that brings into question about who owns Midwestern Brewing Company. One partner of this company, Dale, was not too thrilled when the others, Jim McAnn (Eric Keenleyside), and Randy Baxter (Terry David Mulligan), sold their label to a larger distribution conglomerate. Now the feelings of Dale’s sudden death—who supposedly he took his own life prior to the episode’s start—are only now coming to haunt the extended family like one particular Irish famine from long ago.

Writer Adam Glass has the beginnings of a good tale, but the question of whether or not the two other partners killed him is never explored. For an individual to be angry over what his other partners have done would not have involved a suicide. It sounded more like a cover-up. Glass would have done better to at least suggest this red herring than to let this particular plot drop by the wayside.

Instead, this writer flip-flops between the other two stories. The case of whether or not Bobby is indeed around is finally answered—he is a ghost.

And the case of the Shōjō spirit gets the atypical treatment: define it, look for it, and kill it. Strangely, instead of the traditional appearance that it should have had—to bear a mane of red hair and look like a monkey—this one looked like it came from the movie, The Ring. Talk about mislabeling a package; the box-like container where the ghost came from was at least accurate.

While the sea spirit is supposed to distract those audiences from the big reveal, the appearance of Bobby at the end of the episode is honestly not all that surprising. Dean is as desperate as Bobby in regards to being able to reach out to each other, but that does not happen.

Bobby could have easily stepped in to fight the Shōjō instead of Dean, and that would have been proof positive of Singer's fate to the brothers. Instead, all he can do is to help them along in small ways. With him kicking the sword to Dean, is that a violation of the contract he made with the Reapers? Will the three ever reunite? More questions are being formed. The final set of episodes is set for broadcast late April and early May. The writers of the series better provide some answers!

The "Supernatural" at the CW:

Supernatural at the CW

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