If I was going to skip one episode of "Supernatural" this season, this would probably be it. It doesn't fit in with the story arc, or add anything to the season's mythology. It does show Dean as someone capable of deep feelings. He thought that he loved Cassie and when Dean loves people, he doesn't lie to them. He sleeps around with a lot of women, but he's capable of more. When he does open up to someone, like Cassie, he stays committed to them even years later. He drops everything to go and help her, which I think is sweet. It also shows the difference between Sam and Dean. Sam was willing to marry Jessica without ever telling her the truth about the family. Dean, as soon as he felt something real for a woman, told her everything up front. Dean's usually more willing to break the "rules" for the people he loves, than Sam is. Really, though, if you're in a hurry to get through the season, you can skip this episode and not miss anything.
"Route 666" revolves around a ghostly, racist, monster truck killing African American men. It runs them off the road, then vanishes into the night. One of its victims happens to be the father of, Cassie, Dean's old girlfriend. She dumped Dean when he told her about his life of hunting, but now she needs his help. Sam & Dean come to town and start investigating. It turns out that the truck belonged to an evil racist guy name Cyrus. Cyrus wanted to marry Cassie's mother, and when she choose Cassie's father instead, Cyrus went nuts. He firebombed a church and tried to kill Cassie's dad.
Dean and Cassie get closer again. They wind up sleeping together. Meanwhile, the truck picks off another victim, this one white. Cassie's mother finally explains that Cassie's father killed Cyrus, after Cyrus nearly beat him to death. Then Cassie's dad and his friends hid the body. Now Cyrus is back for revenge and his spirit is attached to the monster truck. Sam & Dean have to stop it by tricking the truck on to hollowed ground -the church that Cyrus burned- before Cyrus can kill Cassie. Then, Cassie tells Dean that she really doesn't see a future for him, given his life style as a Hunter, and Sam & Dean leave town.
There are some good parts to this episode. I like Sam teasing Dean about his relationship with Cassie. He's so happy about Dean actually caring for a girl that it's like he's mentally singing "Dean and Cassie, sitting in a tree..." It makes me laugh. I think it's cute when Sammy acts like a pesky little brother. Also, I like the way the brothers defeat the monster truck at the end. It's very cool, with the truck sort of dissolving into nothing as it meets the Impala head on.
On the downside, just the fact that I feel bad about giving this episode a low rating, shows that the social message takes over from the story in "Route 666." My grandparents came from different cultures, so I think that this could actually have been a good story to present on the show. It's important. But, it's done way too heavy handedly here and it comes off a fake. It's not a story about racism. It's like a 45 minute public service announcement saying, "Racism is bad," with nothing else to make the characters and their problems real. It cheapens the whole message, because it doesn't connect with the audience. It's a hollow, cardboard presentation of a real life problem. Plus, Cassie herself is very, VERY unlikable to me. Nothing against the actress, I have no problems with her. But Cassie dumps Dean twice -TWICE!- in one episode. She only calls him because she need him, after she broke up with him when she found out that he was a Hunter. Then she uses him and tosses him aside, after he solves all her problems for her. He opened up to her and she broke his heart. I just can't like anyone who hurts Dean, I don't care how relevant a social message they represent.
My favorite part of the episode: Sam's saying how much he misses college and "conversations that don't start with, 'So, about this killer truck'." It makes me laugh every time.
"Route 666" revolves around a ghostly, racist, monster truck killing African American men. It runs them off the road, then vanishes into the night. One of its victims happens to be the father of, Cassie, Dean's old girlfriend. She dumped Dean when he told her about his life of hunting, but now she needs his help. Sam & Dean come to town and start investigating. It turns out that the truck belonged to an evil racist guy name Cyrus. Cyrus wanted to marry Cassie's mother, and when she choose Cassie's father instead, Cyrus went nuts. He firebombed a church and tried to kill Cassie's dad.
Dean and Cassie get closer again. They wind up sleeping together. Meanwhile, the truck picks off another victim, this one white. Cassie's mother finally explains that Cassie's father killed Cyrus, after Cyrus nearly beat him to death. Then Cassie's dad and his friends hid the body. Now Cyrus is back for revenge and his spirit is attached to the monster truck. Sam & Dean have to stop it by tricking the truck on to hollowed ground -the church that Cyrus burned- before Cyrus can kill Cassie. Then, Cassie tells Dean that she really doesn't see a future for him, given his life style as a Hunter, and Sam & Dean leave town.
There are some good parts to this episode. I like Sam teasing Dean about his relationship with Cassie. He's so happy about Dean actually caring for a girl that it's like he's mentally singing "Dean and Cassie, sitting in a tree..." It makes me laugh. I think it's cute when Sammy acts like a pesky little brother. Also, I like the way the brothers defeat the monster truck at the end. It's very cool, with the truck sort of dissolving into nothing as it meets the Impala head on.
On the downside, just the fact that I feel bad about giving this episode a low rating, shows that the social message takes over from the story in "Route 666." My grandparents came from different cultures, so I think that this could actually have been a good story to present on the show. It's important. But, it's done way too heavy handedly here and it comes off a fake. It's not a story about racism. It's like a 45 minute public service announcement saying, "Racism is bad," with nothing else to make the characters and their problems real. It cheapens the whole message, because it doesn't connect with the audience. It's a hollow, cardboard presentation of a real life problem. Plus, Cassie herself is very, VERY unlikable to me. Nothing against the actress, I have no problems with her. But Cassie dumps Dean twice -TWICE!- in one episode. She only calls him because she need him, after she broke up with him when she found out that he was a Hunter. Then she uses him and tosses him aside, after he solves all her problems for her. He opened up to her and she broke his heart. I just can't like anyone who hurts Dean, I don't care how relevant a social message they represent.
My favorite part of the episode: Sam's saying how much he misses college and "conversations that don't start with, 'So, about this killer truck'." It makes me laugh every time.