Supernatural 13×11 returned to the series’ roots by providing a disturbing, suspense-driven episode

Fans of Donna (Briana Buckmaster) can rejoice! After appearing in last week’s “Wayward Sisters” along with several other butt-kicking women, Donna called Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) to ask for their help in this week’s Supernatural. Donna’s niece Wendy (Sarah Dugdale) was taking a gap year and mysteriously vanished. So with the help of Sam, Dean, and Doug (aka, “Dougie Bear”) (Brendan Taylor), Donna set out to find her niece.

The group’s search led them to Manny’s Truck Stop Cafe and numerous creepy local individuals. From a cashier who turned out to be a vampire (Steven Yaffee) to a preacher with some twisted hang-ups, the Winchesters, Donna, and Doug never suspected the FBI Agent Clegg (Christopher William Martin), who was also working with them. It turned out that he was running an auction site to sell off human body parts to monsters. Sam ended up being captured and Clegg managed to sell Sam’s heart for $500,000 to an unusually wealthy monster before being killed by Dean.

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“Breakdown” featured a large tonal shift from the rest of the season and made extensive use of suspense to drive the action. The return to a gorier, more disturbing story gave the episode a classic Supernatural feel. The mystery itself gave plenty of possible suspects as well. The cashier, minister, and almost every other character at Manny’s Truck Stop Cafe ended up being a candidate. This episode also had references to the previous times Sam and Dean were wanted by the FBI. It’s unclear if the show is planning on reviving that subplot or if it was merely a reference.

With Donna’s return, Doug’s difficult time learning about monsters by becoming one, and the increased level of suspense, “Breakdown” was an exciting change of pace from the rest of the season. What did our roundtable think of the episode? Let’s find out!

Rachel (@raelee514) – I’m Rachel and I fangirl.

Lena (@lenastiel) – Hopeful optimist and lover of peanut butter who is passionate about Supernatural and its amazing cast members.

Tricia (@tricia_16_) – Wayward wife and mother of two who found my people, my passion, and myself through Supernatural and its fandom

Sarah (@mishdestiel) – Writer, reader, student. Cornered by Supernatural eight years ago.

Linda (@devilsinhiding) – A fan that is a bit too emotionally attached to the characters

Cat Bow (@Pathryn34) – Wife and mother who tries to be loving and kind, but traffic…

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1. Clegg claimed that he was saving lives by auctioning off human body parts to monsters. Do you think he had a point or was he just a human monster himself?

Rachel (@raelee514): Tough one. It’s one of those questions. I think it’s possible he had a point, but his point is rather scarier in itself. All those monsters out there, passing as humans and still managing to kill innocent victims. Made them feel a bit more like human monsters than monster monsters this time… It’s dark. It’s not a good thing, really. Something for Sam and Dean to think about, for sure.

Lena (@lenastiel): He was definitely a human monster. That’s undeniable. His method of kidnapping the victims, cutting off their body parts and auctioning them off is simply horrendous. However, as much as it disgusts me to say it, he tried to justify his actions by saying that the victims are those who seem like they don’t have anyone to search for them, and in a very twisted way, that would save other “less expendable” people from monsters. Either way, that’s a very disturbing kind of justification.

Tricia (@tricia_16_): I do think he had a point, but I think it was more about killing things and making money than it was really about saving people. I also think he raised an interesting point about how it’s only the stupid monsters who screw up all the time and get caught, and how most of them mow the lawn on the weekends. Not something I’d thought about before!

Sarah (@mishdestiel): Clegg was a human monster to me. Monsters are able to deal with their nature and live without harming humans, coexisting (Garth and Benny can be examples of that), they just need to compromise and want to be alive. That’s why Dean and Sam have already let many of them live. Clegg thought he was doing something great but he was only being selfish and creating chaos.

Linda (@devilsinhiding): The whole concept of kidnapping people who “won’t be missed” is wrong on so many levels. However, the idea of auctioning off human parts to monsters is somewhat smart. As it is feeding the monsters and keeping people who are around them safe Clegg and the others probably could have found a different way. Like stealing bodies that are dead already from a morgue but that would defeat the live auction.But then I suppose the rest of the monsters watching who don’t get anything would just resort to their old habits. Bottom line I think Clegg was a monster as the ones he tries to feed.

Cat Bow (@Pathryn34): He was a human monster looking to make money and trying to justify it. One, there is no way he is supplying all those hundreds of thousands of monsters. Also, if the monsters had to hunt on their own, they would have a harder time fitting in, and would be killed by hunters.

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2. Donna returned again this week. As with “Wayward Sisters,” she was given a lot of great scenes. Did you have a favorite Donna moment?

Rachel: One? Well, her first scenes she had me in tears. Her phone call to them for help was so sad… And she was brilliant in the interrogation scenes, just brilliant at it. I do have to say the one that made me smile the most was when she shot the vampire in the kneecap, that was just pure Donna and perfect. She’s really grown as a character throughout the years, and I do truly hope we get to see more of her and that Wayward Sister’s will happen.

Lena: Very much agreed. Donna is a beloved character. I love how she is simultaneously this kind and gentle person, but is also one of the most badass characters in Supernatural. My personal favorite is when she interrogated the priest because that was absolutely. Clever. And. Badass! “Don’t lie to God!” – that line was iconic!

Tricia: Oh man. So many to choose from! I think I have to go with the look she gave Dean after Doug 2.0 slapped the vampire up the side of the head. “That’s how we do it in the FBI.” Donna gives him a look that screams, “Really, Dean?” and then Dean attempts to look ashamed for about a second before he looks all proud of himself. Donna and Dean really work well together and I hope we get to see more of that!

Sarah: The emotional scenes Donna was given were very enjoyable. I liked her a lot, but after seeing how fragile but still strong and willing she was in the face of adversity, I found myself loving her even more. That’s character development right there! My favorite moment of all, though, was when she got in the room to press the preacher into talking…that’s my girl!

Linda: I adore Donna. She has had a lot of character development since she was introduced. The scene with the preacher really caught my attention. We all know the bubbly person she is and that scene really showed a different side of her which is good. I thought it was overall a good piece. The way she brought in a subject the preacher loves the most and turned it around back on him to get it somewhere was fantastic. And she really did get what she needed to hear.

Cat Bow: My favorite Donna moment was the interrogation of the pastor. Starting with quoting scripture, convincing him to talk without a lawyer, then ending by putting the fear of God into him. The “Sunday dinner” line was my favorite. She was powerful, funny, and terrifying.

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3. Poor “Dougie Bear” had a rather traumatic experience in this episode. He became a vampire for a few hours and learned that Donna not only hunted monsters but that monsters actually exist. Do you think there’s a chance he’ll change his mind and embrace that part of Donna’s life? Or is he gone for good?

Rachel: I like Doug. He is just a sweet guy. I think his reaction was realistic. I think most people might react like did. It’s just so much to take in and not only that but he was turned into a monster. Yes, they were able to save him but for a guy who likes helping people to have a moment where he attacks a woman he cares about. It was a lot. I feel bad for Donna and I’m happy he called her a hero. I hope he can maybe come around, wouldn’t mind seeing him again.

Lena: When – I wrote when and not if because I do have a great optimism for this spinoff – Wayward Sisters gets picked up by the network as a series, I’m sure we’ll get more of Doug. It’s always interesting to have an outside perspective of the hunting life, and it’s Donna’s turn to have this dilemma between her normal life and moonlighting as a hunter of the supernatural. It might take a while for him to change his mind, though. His refusal and fear were quite clear. On the other hand, he did have a very bad day.

Tricia: I think because the character is so well received by the audience that there’s a chance he’ll make a comeback. He’s seemed like such a good guy so far, that I think him reacting that way was a surprise for a lot of us! Crossing my fingers that he comes around! I think he could be Wayward AF!

Sarah: Doug didn’t deserve that. Donna should give him some time to take everything in and if he changes his mind, they should try again in my opinion. But if not, Donna is better off without him. She already dealt with a bad relationship with Sheriff Kontos, so I feel like she needs someone that can support fully who she is and what she does. Maybe another hunter or maybe no one at all…

Linda: I really do hope Doug will change his mind and accept that hunting monsters is part of Donna’s lifestyle. I found their relationship very cute, and maybe he will come back in the near future if he truly loves Donna. But his first experience with a monster then becoming one of a while might really affect his thought process. Perhaps he just needs some time to think everything over.

Cat Bow: I so hope he comes back! I just think it’s going to take time. He wants to save people, if that requires fighting monsters, so be it. But, there was a lot to process. He will probably be more likely to call them in the future and he definitely won’t go looking for monsters. I also wonder if this is another example of how Donna is out of his league and he just feels he can’t be the man she needs.

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4. We met Donna’s niece Wendy in this episode. While she also had a really traumatic experience, do you think there’s potential for her to become a recurring character on Wayward Sisters?

Rachel: I kind of wish we saw a bit more of her, though the focus was Donna for obvious reasons. Seems likable enough and she got to see her aunt be the badass she is. I’m open to learning more about her. Also unsure if she found about the supernatural, Donna might have protected her from that but I wouldn’t mind seeing her again.

Lena: While she had a really traumatic experience, I don’t think she was aware of the supernatural yet. There is potential, considering her connection and status as Donna’s niece. Only time will tell, I guess. Since it’s said that she is a popular girl and has her whole future ahead of her, her perspective could be quite similar to Patience. The difference is Patience has powers she can’t control, while Wendy is a normal person, by all appearance. Interesting to see how this pans out.

Tricia: Not to be mean, but she didn’t really leave much of an impression on me, so I’m not too sure. I wouldn’t be upset to see her in Wayward Sisters, but I’m not super looking forward to it or anything.

Sarah: I hadn’t thought about that but it could be interesting! Seeing each character have its branches, personal stories and relations is important to the plot, so having Wendy around would be very emotionally rich for Donna. Maybe she can be a nice addition to Wayward Sisters. I for one would be up for that!

Linda: No, I don’t see a chance of Wendy becoming a recurring character on Wayward Sisters because we barely met her. Yes, the episode was centered around finding her and getting her back safely but we don’t know much about her other than what Donna told Sam and Dean that she has her life ahead of her. I think Donna ended up telling her what situation she was in. Wendy will most likely continue her leap year then go to college and carry on with her life.

Cat Bow: Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that. To her, they were just sicko humans. I think she will be traumatized and more cautious. It might even scare her to going to college. But, I would like to see her again.

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5. “Breakdown” had a rather dark, gory, and twisted premise. Did you find its use of gore and suspense effective?

Rachel: Oh, it was so creepy. It started out so creepy, I just wanted Wendy to get out of there. And then the people, all the people we thought were just people were also so creepy. And then it’s selling off body parts, ugh. Like I said above, it’s a dark place the script went too… It felt like serial killers and it is how the monsters are acting to hide themselves in a way of all things. I thought the script did a great job with the premise, with the horror of it all… Davy Perez, tonight’s writer, did a great job.

Lena: Well, this episode is deliciously dark, gory and twisted. Okay, that sentence sounds so wrong, but you get what I mean. I really enjoyed the twists and surprises, like when Clegg turned out to be the bad guy, and when Marlon (the cashier guy) turned out to be a monster. Even though I’m not a big fan of gore, I do love the suspense.

Tricia: Absolutely! It was more of a thriller than any episode has been in a really long time. I actually like that kind of thing, so it didn’t bother me, but my husband was pretty freaked out by it, and I saw MANY people talking about how gross and disturbing it was! I think they nailed it!

Sarah: It was effective, yes! I wasn’t suspecting the FBI agent at all so it worked for me. Supernatural should be dark like that more often, not only with human monsters but with actual monsters as well.

Linda: I think there wasn’t a lot of gore but just enough to make it known what is going on and how people are being killed to feed monsters. The suspense, however, was very pleasing. I was literally on the edge of my couch throughout the episode. I found it really effective. At first, I assumed it was just a crazy person kidnapping people. I would have never guessed it was to feed monsters. It was a nice plot twist.

Cat Bow: Yes! I was so creeped out and honestly scared. The director did a really good job of creating atmosphere. You kind of expected everybody in that truck stop of evil. I really worried for Wendy. Would they save her in time? There were many times I had to avert my eyes. *shudder* The whole set up of organ harvesters juxtaposed with the music. Even though I knew Sam would survive, I was still so scared for him. I honestly winced at the gunshot.

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6. Sam raised a good point about the two of them having another run-in with the FBI. Do you think their luck will eventually run out and they’ll be hunted once again by the FBI? How could the show make that kind of subplot feel fresh?

Rachel: I agree with Sam. They keep getting lucky (kinda) with getting the FBI off their backs. They do need to be careful, but they can’t and wouldn’t turn their backs on people either. They’ve always got to be careful about the lines they cross and what they do while on cases.

Lena: Eventually, probably yes. And that kind of scene is usually a foreshadowing judging from many patterns in the past. Honestly, I have no idea how that kind of subplot would feel fresh. It’s been done several times already in the past. Plus, Sam and Dean have Castiel and, more recently, Jack to bust them out of FBI situations. Perhaps we need more FBI agents like Victor Henriksen who was aware of the supernatural and could stay alive.

Tricia: Nah, I think that storyline has pretty much been beaten to death. I was surprised when Sam said the FBI thinks they’re dead, though. The last run in they had with the FBI was after they escaped solitary confinement, wasn’t it? They chased after them in the woods. Surely they don’t think they died?

Sarah: If they keep pushing their luck, they will probably become hunted again soon. I believe they only weren’t this time because the agent happened to be the “bad guy” and was worried about something bigger than that. Personally, I can’t see it fresh in any way, especially because they have already been hunted so many times and almost every possible outcome to situations such as that were already used by the writers. It would take a lot of creativity to be fresh.

Linda: Well Sam and Dean are the FBI’s most wanted eventually they will find out that they are still in fact alive and not dead. It’s been a couple of seasons since their fake deaths so most likely the luck will run out. The brothers already have a lot on their plates, but to add the FBI onto it will be interesting to see. The idea of bringing this idea back is hard for me to imagine what will happen and how it will become fresh because there really isn’t anything new to bring in about being hunted down again.

Cat Bow: I really hope they don’t. I mean, they have already died at least twice. What I would like is that a portion of the FBI actually deals with the paranormal, a secret subset. And they want to recruit the Winchesters. But after having dealt with the British Men of Letters, Sam and Dean are super hesitant.

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7. While Sam has often had a more optimistic view, he took a much darker turn in this episode. Did you find his change of heart believable and in line with his development this season?

Rachel: It felt earned to me and Davy Perez wrote it well. Showing us him sleeping late, acting differently than his usual self and in depressive ways. Dean calling him out and trying to talk about to him. Sam almost was too happy the beginning of the season, it was the way he chose to react to their losses then. But now they’ve still not found Mary, Kaia just died and they don’t know where Jack even is. I see why he’s fallen low and am worried about him. Want to see where it goes think it could be a good story beat for Sam.

Lena: Believable. It makes sense that Sam has been hiding his negative emotions behind an optimistic façade, especially when Dean has been going through a hard time himself. A lot of Sam’s loved ones have died as well, including Castiel who is also Sam’s best friend, as well as the loss of Mary and Jack that Sam is currently facing. I hope we’ll get happier times ahead for the brothers, Cas, Jack, and Mary.

Tricia: Not really. I mean, a lot of us have been waiting for Sam to show some kind of emotion in season thirteen, but I feel like this kinda came out of left field a little bit for me. Sam’s depression/moping is certainly valid after everything he’s been through this season. I just feel like there was a switch flipped too quickly for it to come across as genuine.

Sarah: It’s perfectly understandable that Sam’s emotions are coming forward, even if it’s in a weird, uncharacteristic way. He has been repressing his feelings for a long period of time and that isn’t healthy, so everything was due to explode. Since that is the way he found to deal with the problem, he might go back to being positive soon, once he finds a way (and gets permission) to do some catharsis and vent further about what he feels. I also think Dean should try to help him with that, encouraging him to talk.

Linda: I find the change believable, and totally in line with this season. It has been tough for Sam, having hope that his mother was still alive then finding out she was. Eileen’s death. What Sam said was true. People around them get hurt or often killed. It’s not dark. What he is saying is nothing but the truth.

Cat Bow: His viewpoint did seem to change abruptly, but honestly, I think it’s his turn. Dean was grieving at the beginning of the season. And now that Sam’s “distractions” from his grief are gone, he must face it. When Jack was there, he needed to be there for Jack. When Dean was sad, he needed to be there for him. He also knows his mom is alive, but in danger. However, he has no way to get her. So he has to face his feelings of inadequacy like Dean did. This probably has been right below the surface all season. There is just nothing to hide behind now. Hopefully, something will happen to help him out of it.

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Final Verdict: Donna’s return mixed with a dark and disturbing monster of the week story turned out to be a brilliant combination

Supernatural started as a much creepier, gorier show than it’s been in recent seasons. While the show still has plenty of bloody situations and monsters with gory eating habits, telling creepier stories is something found more in the show’s past. At least that was the case until “Breakdown.” Between Wendy’s capture, the disturbing plot surrounding the humans harvesting human limbs and body parts from live victims, and the way the episode was paced and edited, “Breakdown” was a surprising return to the show’s roots.

It’s also impossible to discuss “Breakdown” without bringing up Donna. Yes, she appeared as recently as last week in “Wayward Sisters” but more Donna is always a good thing. Normally, Donna is in good spirits. This episode let us see another side to Donna and it really gave Briana Buckmaster play a much darker, more desperate version of the character. The most notable example was her interrogation of the minister. Donna didn’t use violence. She simply talked to him and managed to appeal to his humanity.

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Even though “Breakdown” didn’t appear to revive the storyline with Sam and Dean being hunted by the FBI, it did make a direct reference to it. Sam was concerned that getting too directly involved with other FBI agents might lead to it being discovered that they’re actually still alive. We’re probably worrying about nothing but if the plan is to revive that storyline, we feel that it would be a mistake. It simply isn’t a fresh or interesting subplot at this stage in the series.

Not everyone may find Sam’s large attitude shift in this episode to be completely believable either. It’s true that Sam has often been the one acting as support for others this season. But more of a gradual shift in his mental state would have been appreciated.

Not everyone may find Sam’s large attitude shift in this episode to be completely believable either. It’s true that Sam has often been the one acting as support for others this season. But more of a gradual shift in his mental state would have been appreciated.

SUPERNATURAL returns next THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1st at 8/7c on THE CW.