The Winchesters Season 1 Episode 5 Review: Legend of a Mind
The Winchesters is still on a path to find its groove. As with many freshmen shows, there have been stumbles along the way, but improvement and growth with each episode nonetheless.
The Winchesters Season 1 Episode 5, “Legend of a Mind,” is the best so far this season. It works because it gives viewers unexpected insight into Ada and Mary’s pasts. Finally, we officially meet Ada.
The character has kept her life mysterious since her introduction. It has taken five episodes for layers of her past to peel, and because this episode is so compelling, the wait feels worth it.
The revealing of Ada’s past also gives The Winchesters its first recurring character in Tony.
Tony’s goodbye leaves things open for him to return in future episodes, especially for a twist or cliffhanger moment. Unfortunately, it may also take repeat visits from Tony before we know more about him.
“Legend of a Mind” throws in a last-minute hint of romance between Latika and Tony, but that isn’t developed enough yet for us to care. They only have a few scenes together before we see a little flirting. Again, this feels rushed and out of nowhere.
I am not opposed to their romance, but we need to see them together more to root for a relationship.
We’re heavily invested in Mary and John’s romance. However, it’s becoming frustrating. The Winchesters doesn’t seem to know what to do with them. Because we know how the story ends, the writers struggle to find compelling reasons to keep them apart.
The Winchesters Season 1 Episode 3, “You’re Lost Little Girl,” introduces a new potential love interest for Mary with Kyle. But, then, he is barely mentioned in “Masters of War.”
We are still unsure if Kyle may return now that John has shut things down between them.
However, he doesn’t seem like a threat to their future romance now that he’s barely been mentioned after their movie date.
The new conflict for their romance seems to be John’s closed-off nature. This choice feels like the writers are just throwing stuff at the wall to keep them apart. The Winchesters is likely waiting for a midseason finale or season finale for the big first kiss.
So the writers must do everything possible to keep their relationship status at “it’s complicated” until that moment, a decision we understand all too well.
However, it feels like the show cannot decide what should be the thing that keeps them from running away together now.
Ada isn’t the only one who must face her past in The Winchesters. We further see how monster hunting traumatized Mary in many ways.
Her killing a child werewolf as a child is unexpectedly dark, especially for a show that has been dark but not that dark yet.
The fact that “Art of Dying” involves werewolves makes me believe that the next episode will further dig into Mary’s history with werewolves.
This episode leaves an impression because it finally feels like the show is not only trying to introduce us to these characters but it’s building this world for future seasons.
The Akrida even starts to take form. Finally, we know a little more about their plan of world domination.
This first episode will keep your attention from beginning to end. But it also creates momentum as we rapidly approach the second half of Season 1.
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What did you think of this episode of The Winchesters? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Winchesters airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
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Jerrica Tisdale
Jerrica Tisdale is your favorite neighborhood pop culture junkie. She will annoy you with random TV and film facts, while complaining about whatever is the hottest new book. She has been a TV fan all her life but writing about it for over a decade. You may find her work all over the internet especially reality TV rants. She is a senior writer at Tell-Tale TV.