Supernatural Review: Don’t You Forget About Me (Season 11 Episode 12)

I’ve got to be honest with you all. I do not like, “Don’t You Forget About Me” at all.

When Supernatural tackles episodes where the brothers are a part of the action, but the episode is not theirs, there is always a fine line between whether or not the episode will be enjoyable.

It’s a risky move; the writers are betting on new characters to carry the plot and that the audience will make a connection to them, the way they do to Sam and Dean.

In this case, we already know the characters taking over the story. Jody, Alex, and Claire have all made impactful appearances on the Supernatural in the past, so checking in on them seems like a fantastic idea.

Sam and Dean have put two teenage girls with serious issues in the care of their trusted sheriff friend, Jody. Jody is now doing the best she can to parent two kids who are not her own, create a family unit, and clean up their messes. It’s a really sweet premise. I like Alex, I love Claire. Jody is a memorable member of the Supernatural family.

But I just don’t love the story the writers told with them in this instance.

First off, the idea for the entire hour seemed to spawn from a writers room conversation that probably went something like this:

WRITER #1: Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if Sam and Dean had to give someone the sex talk?
WRITER #2: Oh, bro that would be so funny!
WRITER #3: Wait, I can make it even funnier! What if it was at the dinner table?
WRITER #1: Yes! That’s perfect. And let’s make them really uncomfortable while they do it.
WRITER #3: And let’s make it girls. They have to give the sex talk to girls!
WRITER #2: Oh, bro that would be so funny!
WRITER#1: Okay, so how do we put this into an episode?

The only reason I think this has to be the case is because it’s the overall standout moment in a generally forgettable episode.

Jody discovers that Alex wants to have sex, at the dinner table, and attempts to give her the talk about condoms and birth control, all while Sam and Dean chow down on the home cooked meal, that is not resting upon a glazed donut (though, the “Elvis” DOES sound delicious.)

Claire wants to be a hunter. This is a great place for her character to go. I even like the idea of searching for cases in places that they don’t exist. I don’t love the far-too-long pause where she’s holding a knife to a kid’s throat. That doesn’t work for me.

Additionally, Claire’s family was torn apart by the Angels. Shouldn’t her vendetta be with them, not with monsters or vamps? I’d like to see hunter Claire who’s gone rogue trying to avenge her family against heaven. That would make much more sense than what we see her doing here.

I also don’t love there being zero mention of Jimmy Novak, or Cas, when Sam and Dean are with Claire. She’s tied into the Supernatural universe in a much deeper way than Jody and Alex are. I expect just a bit more where she is concerned.

I also don’t care about this vampire plot line. Maybe had they used an ACTUAL vamp from Alex’s episode. Maybe someone viewers actually had a connection to, there’s been plenty of vampy instances.

The reveal is also really predictable. Of course the super popular boyfriend is in on the reveal, because they make a point of saying that Alex doesn’t have any friends and has only come out of her shell since this boy took a liking to her.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out this plot a few minutes in. You only need to have watched 11 seasons of this show and a handful of teen horror movies.

I will give some credit to the parallel that’s drawn between Jody, Alex, and Claire against John, Dean, and Sam. The family hunting dynamic is in place, only in this instance, the adult is balancing the supernatural with schooling and actual parenting skills.

I have a feeling that we haven’t seen the last of Jody’s new family, but am hopeful that the next time we see them, it will be in an episode that serves all three of their characters much better than this one.

What did you think of this episode of, “Don’t You Forget About Me”? Did it hit all the right notes with you? Am I being too harsh? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Supernatural airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.

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