S08.E19: Taxi Driver

[Demented Daisy]

The second task is to rescue an innocent soul from Hell and deliver it to Heaven.

 

 

Way to screw with canon, show.

 

Are you really trying to tell me, after everything we know about him, that Death would allow rogue Reapers?

 

And, with the proper bribe, anyone can go to Hell if Crowley says so?

 

So not cool, show.

[supposebly]

Hate, hate this episode. Wanna-be hunter-like reapers that drive cabs and that are visible to the living. Just, unacceptable.

[DittyDotDot]

It's like they sat down and made a conscious decision to cram three episodes of canon fuckery into one episode and see if any one notices. Well I noticed show, and I didn't care for it one bit. NOT ONE BIT!

[catrox14]

Seriously.  I swear by now every canon assassination has to be deliberate. Like early on I thought well maybe it's just change of writers and showrunners and people not paying attention, but you know what I don't think so anymore. :(. 

[trxr4kids]

It's like they sat down and made a conscious decision to cram three episodes of canon fuckery into one episode and see if any one notices.

Really because I thought they were trying to cram racist stereotypes down my throat for the first 10 minutes, then added the cannon fuckery as an afterthought. I'll have to rewatch it and see.

[Jediknight]

Come back Benny, please come back.

 

The best thing about the episode is by far the Dean and Benny scene.

[rue721]

Crowley to Kevin:  "So we killed her, and got your address with her smartphone." Crowley was ostensibly torturing Mrs. Tran for how long before they finally took her phone?! And of course never used her as bait to just bring Kevin to them. Weird.

 

Something that unaccountably annoyed me is that, all through the episode, Kevin is terrified and sure that Crowley can find him -- but when he disappears at the end, Sam and Dean DON'T assume that Crowley found him. Even if they have no personal respect for Kevin, he's a fucking PROPHET! When a prophet is continuously warns against something, why would anyone just dismiss his fears outright? Mind boggling. Not even going to complain (much) that he wasn't living in the stupid warded-against-everything bunker, because tbh I'm happy to have the show forget about it as much as possible.

 

That they had this episode chock full of both Benny and Bobby, two characters who I don't hate per se but do find irritating and really never want to see, kind of doomed it for me anyway. So no reason to go into all the additional reasons I disliked it. Pretty much the same as for everyone else.

[7kstar]

Come back Benny, please come back.

 

The best thing about the episode is by far the Dean and Benny scene.

The scene with Dean taking Benny's life is the only part I thought worthy of my time and when I find it mixed in youtube videos, it is so well done.  I really liked Benny but yeah now that you've refreshed my memory, I remember why I didn't really like it. 

 

I know they used the issue as a way to bring Bobby back...but I think it would have been more interesting if they had found a better way to bring him back.  So yeah the issues with this one really takes it down.  One or two scenes does not make a good ep.

[DittyDotDot]

This episode is so very wrong, IMO. Bobby being sent to Hell; Purgatory being a walk in the park and Hell being a boring and short walk through an S and M dungeon; rogue reapers (really, show?); All. Of. It.

 

But I think I'm gonna take this opportunity to go on a rant about how much I despise the way Dean and Sam are treating Kevin. It's like he's their little tool (and not in the sexy way) and not a human being. Their total disregard and mocking of him--especially in this episode--makes me so very sad. And then after he gets nabbed, they act like he ran away instead of him being in the hands of Crowley? I just don't get it--I mean, I get it, I just don't like it.

 

Oh, and I find it absolutely hilarious that in the absence of walls, trees are just as good for pinning the Winchesters up against. ;)

 

Season eight...moving on!

[Goldmoon]

See, the windows weren't broken on the houseboat.  I took that as a sign that Kevin imagined the Crowley visit and bolted.  I second your rant on the way the brothers are treating Kevin.  They should have taken him in and treated him like a little brother.  I can picture Dean introducing him to Busty Asian Beauties dot com and can picture Sam taking on some training, like he tried to do with Adam.  I did like seeing Bobby (and loved the surprise) but I don't buy that Crowley can intercept souls heaven-bound.  I was really sorry to see Benny go.  I wish they had done more with him and that Sam hadn't been such an ass about him.  I felt like Bobby's lines against Benny were as much to reinforce the character assassination of Sam as to reflect what Bobby really felt about vampires.  I felt cheated that Sam saw Purgatory and probably thought Dean was exaggerating about how nasty it was since Sam didn't meet that many monsters there.  Hated that Sam co-opted Dean's story from the first few eps of this season anyway. Bonjour, Benny. We hardly knew ye.  This ep re-enforced the idea that you are a saint!

[DittyDotDot]

See, the windows weren't broken on the houseboat.  I took that as a sign that Kevin imagined the Crowley visit and bolted.

 

Oh, I assumed Kevin had imagined the windows blowing out and stuff, but I was just surprised neither Sam nor Dean considered that it could've actually been Crowley as the boy-Prophet had predicted. It was just weird how it seemed like more mocking of Kevin rather than them realizing they may have been wrong.

[sarthaz]

It is at this point in my rewatch that I've come to the sad realization that I am now hate-watching my beloved show.  And this episode -- with its leisurely stroll through Purgatory and its douchebaggy freelance Reaper and its don't-even-have-to-look-for-Bobby-to-break-him-out-of-Hell -- the whole episode can go fuck itself.

[RulerofallIsurvey]

Igh.  I really didn't like that Sam had to go through Purgatory to get to Hell.  Maybe it's never been a thing before and maybe that was the coyote's only way in (although maybe other rogue reapers had a different "back door" into Hell) but I didn't like it.  Why Why WHY?  It's too much.  Dean went to Hell, then Sam went to Hell.  Dean went to Purgatory now Sam had to go to (through) Purgatory.  What?  So he could see how bad Dean had it?  Because he couldn't possibly understand (after spending all that time in Hell) how bad Purgatory could be just from what Dean told him without experiencing it himself?  Ugh.  Just No.  That's so wrong.  

So when does Dean have to go in the cage then?  I mean, if you want to be fair.  Pfft.  (<<I was being incredibly sarcastic.  I don't really hope it happens.  In fact, I really hope it doesn't happen.  Enough with the parallels.  Are the writers that unoriginal?  In a show about the Supernatural?  That's sad...)

And why the hell are the guys, especially Sam - Hey Sam!  Remember your HalLucifercians? - so unsympathetic toward Kevin when he tells them he hears Crowley's voice in his head?  Good Guck.  I just...still shaking my head over that scene.  They (the Winchesters) were pretty much big dicks to poor ol' Kev.  WTF?

Demons ain't too smart if they apparate into a demon trap.  I think they'd be able to sense it ahead of time.  But maybe they just that greedy for a deal/soul.

I don't understand why Sam "had" to go to Hell alone.  Would the Trial not count if he got Dean's help?  Hercules had help with his trials from time to time and they still counted.  I guess, in the end, it was a good thing Dean stayed behind, because other wise they might both be stuck there, except they wouldn't, because Dean would have known where the portal was and wouldn't have needed to kill Benny for Sam and Bobby to find it.

Speaking of Benny - now another thing for Dean to hold against Sam.  Great.  Didn't look for him.  Check.  Made him give up his friend.  Check.  Friend dead because of Sam.  Check.  Oh Yippee.  And of course, Bobby had to lay into about it too.  Yeah, cause we haven't gotten the message that Sam Was a Bad Brother yet.  And to make it worse, he just leaves Benny fighting for his 'life' and doesn't try to help him either.  

I did feel for Benny though - and could understand how hard it was for him back in the land of the living and trying not to be a vampire when that's what he was.  Talk about a rock and a hard place.  

Dean had to use Baby's warp drive to get to Maine that fast.

It was a nice moment between the brothers at the end about Benny's remains.  So at least there is that.

So much for demon warding if they can just blast through it.  What makes the bunker so safe then?

Granted, that brief scene in Hell where Bobby kills the fake Sam and Sam's face after when Bobby said 50/50 shot was fun, but not much else in this ep was fun.  

[DittyDotDot]

38 minutes ago, RulerofallIsurvey said:

Dean had to use Baby's warp drive to get to Maine that fast.

Probably didn't need God's wormhole. I mean it's Maine, after all. ;)

39 minutes ago, RulerofallIsurvey said:

So much for demon warding if they can just blast through it.  What makes the bunker so safe then?

Well, I've always held the opinion that the bunker is only warded when the plot needs it to be warded. However, there's more to come on this...hold on to your shirttails, it's a doozy! ;)

[catrox14]

Fuck this episode.

I hate everything about this episode except for the gut wrenching goodbye scene  between Dean and Benny. I sobbed when they said their goodbyes.

Edited July 6, 2016 by catrox14

[Dobian]

I love Benny and his goodbye scene with Dean was amazing.  Whenever I see him I still think Bubba Gump shrimp more than bloodsuckers though.  Obviously due to budget limitations they couldn't depict Hell with more than a couple of hallways with cells, but it was pretty underwhelming.  It just looked like Sam was down at the county jail made up for Halloween.  And finding Bobby like that?  There have to be billions of people down there and it must be huge.  But it was like, take a left and third door on the right, lol.  I also thought it was kind of dumb that Sam and Dean didn't even remotely consider that Crowley was in Kevin's head or that he might had abducted him.  I did like the episode more than most seem to, though.  It had good pacing and spent more time on action and less on ruminating about things, which I prefer.  Plus it had Crowley.  I like Crowley.

[DittyDotDot]

On 4/17/2015 at 3:01 PM, sarthaz said:

the whole episode can go fuck itself.

My thoughts exactly! Why did Chuck make me a completionist when my life would be much more enjoyable if I could just skip some of this crap?

[sarthaz]

LOL! I just saw this episode on rewatch and came to post my disgust, only to receive notifications that two people had liked my post from 18 months ago expressing my disgust. I don't remember posting that, but I renew my sentiments.

[catrox14]

2 hours ago, sarthaz said:

LOL! I just saw this episode on rewatch and came to post my disgust, only to receive notifications that two people had liked my post from 18 months ago expressing my disgust. I don't remember posting that, but I renew my sentiments.

Disgustception?

[Hanahope]

Wtf??  The boys, especially Sam ignore Kevin's complaint about hearing Crowley in his head?  After Lucifer?

And reapers are now visible to the living and drive cabs?

and hell is a short dungeon walk?

and Sam gets through purgatory in what seems to be a few days? I assume that based on how long it took Dean to drive to Maine.  If Dean was alone in purgatory for most of a year, since it apparently only takes a few days to reach the portal, how does Benny become his bff?

the goodbye scene between Dean and Benny was good, I'll give it that. 

[bettername2come]

"'Unto.' That's how God talks." Kevin's hearing demonic voices. Bobby's in hell. Why do they constantly pick on my boys? Cool effects with the entrance into hell.  "I'm gonna be in my room. Let me know when there's a good day." I don't like Sam in hell, even as a tourist. Bobby! Hugging, yay! "We're getting you out" immediately gives me flashbacks to "You got away. We got you out, Sammy." Which makes me like it, Sam paying the hell rescue forward. "Took a chance. 50/50." No matter how many times Supernatural uses that kind of joke, it does not get old. Aw, Bobby said "my Dean." Oh, Benny. I'll miss your loyalty to Dean and your soothing accent, but not how you unintentionally came between the Winchesters. Poor Kevin. And poor Mrs. Tran. That scream was haunting. 

[catrox14]

On 08/11/2017 at 5:59 PM, Hanahope said:

and Sam gets through purgatory in what seems to be a few days? I assume that based on how long it took Dean to drive to Maine.  If Dean was alone in purgatory for most of a year, since it apparently only takes a few days to reach the portal, how does Benny become his bff?

I don't think Dean was in Purgatory for a year before meeting Benny. I think Dean had been fighting alone for at least  days or weeks maybe a month or more when Benny tracked him down.Then Dean said no I'm not leaving without Cas hence them staying behind to look for Cas for another several months adding up to a year for Dean in Purgatory. Also, bonds formed in battle even over a short period time can be as strong , at least for awhile,  as lifelong relationships. Benny helped Dean try and find Cas which IMO counted for a lot with Dean.

[Katy M]

On ‎8‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 8:59 PM, Hanahope said:

and Sam gets through purgatory in what seems to be a few days? I assume that based on how long it took Dean to drive to Maine.  If Dean was alone in purgatory for most of a year, since it apparently only takes a few days to reach the portal, how does Benny become his bff?

They had to find Cas first.  Plus, I'm not sure Benny knew the exact location of the portal, so there was a lot of looking around.  Obviously the second time he would know where it was.  Plus, they may have started out closer.  I always figured Purgatory would be as big as the earth. Or at least as big as the U.S.  Or at least 50 square miles. So, it could really alter how much time it takes to get somewhere depending on where you started out.

 

On ‎8‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 8:59 PM, Hanahope said:

and hell is a short dungeon walk?

We got a truncated version of the "dungeon walk."  Sam was supposed to meet the reaper back at the meeting spot in 24 hours. assuming the reaper dropped him off within an hour's walk of Hell, he still had over 20 hours to walk around Hell, earth time, and that would be like 3 months Hell time. Since, they didnt' seem to be hanging around the meeting spot all that long before Sam said he was supposed to be there, I'm guessing that Sam spent at least a month rescuing Bobby.  Otherwise, where did all the time go? Or why would the reaper leave him so far from the door if that took longer?

[trudysmom]

Rewatched, have to ask, why was Kevin still on the houseboat and not at the stinkin bunker???? Makes me feel a bit better about the last couple of fiascoseasons, the writing was shitty then, too. 

[Katy M]

5 hours ago, trudysmom said:

Rewatched, have to ask, why was Kevin still on the houseboat and not at the stinkin bunker???? Makes me feel a bit better about the last couple of fiascoseasons, the writing was shitty then, too. 

In a perfect world, S&D would have brought him back to the bunker in the Trial and Error episode.  But, it really makes no sense to not do it, when he's cracking up.  Dean even had 24 hours to kill.  Take Kevin to the bunker.  But, of course, plot reasons.

[trudysmom]

Agreed, KatyM, plot reasons, but good writing could have helped with that.  Anyway, I guess I'm always looking for logic, reason and happy endings. I should know better!

[catrox14]

4 minutes ago, trudysmom said:

Agreed, KatyM, plot reasons, but good writing could have helped with that.  Anyway, I guess I'm always looking for logic, reason and happy endings. I should know better!

You do know you're watching Supernatural, right? 

ETA:  Even Sam and Dean don't get happy endings.

[FlickChick]

6 hours ago, catrox14 said:

You do know you're watching Supernatural, right? 

ETA:  Even Sam and Dean don't get happy endings.

Moving to the Speculations Only thread

Edited June 28, 2018 by FlickChick
Wrong name of thread

[Iju]

ugh, and to make sam's choosing to trust ruby even worse, when dean chooses a monster to be friends with, he's willing to kill himself to save his brother! how convenient. hated that i didn't trust benny but i could have the whole time, when their relationship seemed so sus to begin with. (i can't lie tho, benny was one attractive mofo. which is probably i hated him more.)  

i like how sam and dean (dean most of all) talks about so much smack about heaven and hell, yet bobby going to heaven is so great lol. don't get me wrong, i'd love for him to get to heaven. but i like how the show just jumps over the huge elephant that if hell is like hell, heaven just sucks.

dean hugging sam was one of the more powerful ones, since he knew how terrible it was and was so afraid of him not returning. if i had to see the whole episode again for that hug, i'd do it.

[The Companion]

So, I am happy to report that my husband brought home replacement pie, in case anyone was worried I would resort to Salmonella pie to get through this episode. Pie makes everything better, so I will start with the very generous assumption that the absence of Castiel to heal their poor battered brains have rendered them barely functional. It is the sole explanation for about 90% of this episode. Let's start with the fact that they have been tasked with getting into hell to recover a soul. If only they knew and trusted someone who did just that. I mean, I know Castiel is in hiding but maybe he would be amenable to getting you a message. Maybe one of the angels would help. They are dicks but they want the demons gone too. Pretty much anyone is a better source than random demon who works for Crowley. So this demon tells you to talk to a reaper and gives you a name. It doesn't occur to you to seek literally any other reaper? Because anyone who knows this demon knows Crowley. And don't take Dean because Sam has to do it himself according to nobody. Oh, and he has to do it immediately because of some sense of false urgency. Why even start the trials without a full picture? You don't know that Sam can even survive this. 

MEANWHILE, leave your prophet and his mother exposed. 

Then the writers have the same problem, as evidenced by the ridiculous retcon.

The goodish: I will take Bobby where I can get him. I never warmed to Benny and still feel like he was a walking plot point but the scene with Dean was well done. Oh, and at least Kevin Tran got some pie. Sorry, Dean. You at least owe the poor guy that.

[Katy M]

29 minutes ago, The Companion said:

The goodish: I will take Bobby where I can get him. I never warmed to Benny and still feel like he was a walking plot point but the scene with Dean was well done. Oh, and at least Kevin Tran got some pie. Sorry, Dean. You at least owe the poor guy that.

I can't agree with your whole post, but I am agreeing with this part.  Including the pie.  And especially Bobby.  I love Bobby to an unhealthy degree.  Not that way.  I also love pie to an unhealthy degree. I think I may have issues that go beyond this show.

[DeeDee79]

Personally I thought that the Bobby & Sam scenes were the least interesting of the episode especially with Sam stumbling across Bobby's soul almost immediately after entering hell. Also, Kevin's misfortune and well being isn't just on Dean IMO. I also enjoyed seeing Benny again and was sad to see him go. I thought that he was one of the better parts of season 8 and I loved his friendship with Dean.

Spoiler

I'm glad that we got to see him again later in the series.

 

Edited December 28, 2019 by DeeDee79

[gonzosgirrl]

Why does Dean owe Kevin pie? And sorry, they can't trust angels any more than demons, and Castiel off keeping secrets again in on Castiel, not Dean or Sam. 

The scene with Dean and Benny is one of my favourites of the series. It's only too bad that it turned out to be such a wasted sacrifice. 

I thought it was actually pretty smart that Dean stayed behind. It was logical to have at least one of them free if something went wrong. Not to mention being saved from Sam whining that Dean didn't trust him if Dean had insisted on going with him. 

And they didnt need just any reaper, it had to be a rogue, so none of them would have been any more trustworthy than another.

 

Edited December 28, 2019 by gonzosgirrl

[DeeDee79]

Quote

The scene with Dean and Benny is one of my favourites of the series. It's only too bad that it turned out to be such a wasted sacrifice. 

I agree. I really felt for both of them in that scene especially since it was obvious that Benny would be staying in Purgatory.

[ahrtee]

This is one of the few episodes I refuse to rewatch, specifically because the massive stupidity of the entire script offends me.  Even the Dean/Benny scenes can't save it for me this time.

[The Companion]

35 minutes ago, DeeDee79 said:

Personally I thought that the Bobby & Sam scenes were the least interesting of the episode especially with Sam stumbling across Bobby's soul almost immediately after entering hell. Also, Kevin's misfortune and well being isn't just on Dean IMO. I also enjoyed seeing Benny again and was sad to see him go. I thought that he was one of the better parts of season 8 and I loved his friendship with Dean.

  Reveal spoiler

I'm glad that we got to see him again later in the series.

 

Oh Sam deserves to give up theoretical pie too. He just wasn't there with pie. Kevin literally took Dean's slice of pie. 

Both of them should have listened and entertained the idea that Kevin wasn't just crazy.

16 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

Why does Dean owe Kevin pie? And sorry, they can't trust angels any more than demons, and Castiel off keeping secrets again in on Castiel, not Dean or Sam. 

The scene with Dean and Benny is one of my favourites of the series. It's only too bad that it turned out to be such a wasted sacrifice. 

I thought it was actually pretty smart that Dean stayed behind. It was logical to have at least one of them free if something went wrong. Not to mention being saved from Sam whining that Dean didn't trust him if Dean had insisted on going with him. 

And they didnt need just any reaper, it had to be a rogue, so none of them would have been any more trustworthy than another.

 

Sorry if I was unclear. Kevin inadvertently stole Dean's pie. Given that he has been stuck in a tiny space with hot dogs and neither of them took him seriously and his mom died and now he has to listen to Crowley monologue, I was glad he got the pie.

I hear you,  but they did zero independent verification. They are rushing into this with so little thought. They have prior relationships with a number of beings that might be able to help them, including one who has literally done this before, and it feels like random demon #3 and his reaper buddy should not be the first choice. The angels are untrustworthy but they don't have a reason not to help here (I addressed in a prior thread why that should be of concern). Castiel may still be listening. Dean is on a first name basis with a reaper (and while I don't recommend trying Death again because yikes, at least float him).

I think if they agreed Dean would stay behind for those reasons, it would have been way more solid. It just wasn't the reason given.

Maybe it is just the same problem the late episodes often have in this show, which is that it feels like the writers somehow run out of time.and cram too much into too little time.

[FlickChick]

I hated the entire concept of the trials. Yes, because they did it without thinking about any possible negative outcomes, but also because it was used as a writers' device to divide the brothers into two camps - the doer and the supporter (aka the wind beneath his wings and caretaker). That the doer ended up looking even more ridiculous than the supporter, was not the writers' intent  - I'm positive about that! But it was so unnecessary - just let the guys face the challenges together instead of setting one above the other in importance in the story. 

[Shannonsspirit]

2 minutes ago, FlickChick said:

I hated the entire concept of the trials. Yes, because they did it without thinking about any possible negative outcomes, but also because it was used as a writers' device to divide the brothers into two camps - the doer and the supporter (aka the wind beneath his wings and caretaker). That the doer ended up looking even more ridiculous than the supporter, was not the writers' intent  - I'm positive about that! But it was so unnecessary - just let the guys face the challenges together instead of setting one above the other in importance in the story. 

Maybe it is only some viewers that see it as setting one above the other. Seems to be a central theme, in all things. I have a number of siblings, all doing various things. Sometimes working together, but with each a separate role. Can these brothers not do the same without judging what is most important?

[DeeDee79]

55 minutes ago, Shannonsspirit said:

Can these brothers not do the same without judging what is most important?

It's not "judging" IMO. There's no harm in wanting to see the story to play out in another way than shown on screen. 

Edited December 28, 2019 by DeeDee79

[ahrtee]

1 hour ago, Shannonsspirit said:

Maybe it is only some viewers that see it as setting one above the other. Seems to be a central theme, in all things. I have a number of siblings, all doing various things. Sometimes working together, but with each a separate role. Can these brothers not do the same without judging what is most important?

IDK.  If someone were to make a miniseries of your family, wouldn't you be a little pissed if only one of your siblings got all the attention/credit and the rest of you were shown to be "helping" and not doing interesting things on your own?

[Shannonsspirit]

6 minutes ago, ahrtee said:

IDK.  If someone were to make a miniseries of your family, wouldn't you be a little pissed if only one of your siblings got all the attention/credit and the rest of you were shown to be "helping" and not doing interesting things on your own?

I don't see it that way.  It must decrease the viewing pleasure, immensely, to do so.

[gonzosgirrl]

No denying there are generally preferences one way or another about how a particular storyline plays out. However, I'm pretty sure I've read different places that even Jensen was unhappy about how S8 played out. Believe me, I would love it if the writers made both Winchesters central and important in every storyline.

[catrox14]

1 hour ago, Shannonsspirit said:

I don't see it that way.  It must decrease the viewing pleasure, immensely, to do so.

Not for this viewer.  It makes it much better for me when I recognize the bias which helps me in the sense that I can dismiss it as exactly that. It still pisses me off but I know what box to put it in.

ETA: I don't like the brothers equally and I still enjoy the show for the most part... even when I hate it, I love it.