Last week, I talked about how this season of Supernatural has put the characters in positions where they aren't in control. The Winchesters don't know why creatures are expanding their dominion and the path following the Apocalypse is unclear. What's more, Sam is clearly out of control and Dean doesn't know what's going on.
"You Can't Handle the Truth" tackles the relationship issue directly, with a character, Veritas, whose sole purpose is to extract the truth. This leads to the moment of truth, when Dean directly asks Sam about standing by to allow the vampire to turn him, and the result, shockingly, is anything but the truth. Sam delivers boldfaced lie after boldfaced lie without any hesitation. Just incredible, almost like Lucifer in Sam's body last season.
And when they finally confront Veritas and get tied up, Sam once again lies his ass off in front of Veritas herself and Dean. Recognizing the lie, Veritas claims he's not human, confirming Dean's suspicious, but before she says more, there's a big fight and she dies. Then Sam finally tells the truth: Since his return, he's been a better hunter, but also feels nothing. Of course Dean has to give him the beating that's been coming to him.
We come to the end of the episode and there's a stark fact. Sam isn't Lucifer and he's not being affected by a creature. It's him and only him, a human being who is dehumanized to the point where right and wrong, truth and lie have no meaning. Veritas induced truth from him, but if his brain truly cannot distinguish between the two, what comes out defies even what the magic can obtain. This is physically the Sam as we knew him. The scary part is that there is no obvious solution, no destination to drive to, no demon to vanquish, no special recipe. Sam must confront his problem head-on (apply directly to the forehead--sorry had to do that).
Score: 9.1/10
Friday, October 29, 2010
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