“Art of Dying”

The Winchesters provides a look at Mary’s potential future when an old family life that left Hunting behind calls for help as Lata questions her worth to the team.

I’ve mentioned in previous reviews that this show has a very clear formula that it is consistently bad at hiding within its storytelling. John and Mary receive the bulk of the attention while the other characters take turns receiving development in a given episode. This episode has Lata step up to the plate with Carlos backing her up. The formula is for the focal character to have a particular emotional problem to resolve that connects to the main plot of the episode and by the end, they have comfortably put it behind them. It’s increasingly clear that this show was developed as a team show but the writers either have no experience or actual interest in creating a true team dynamic. This creates the transparently formulaic structure that holds the show back from being better.

Lata’s arc over the episode is reasonably engaging. She is a pacifist among Hunters that employ violence to stop the threats they encounter and it makes her question her worth as a part of the team. A Hunter being killed forces her to think about it as she feels ill-equipped to protect herself which implicitly puts a burden on the others to watch out for her. Her point is interestingly complex as she isn’t apologising for her commitment to pacifism and recognises her expertise when it comes to lore and science but also worries that needing to be protected puts the others at risk. Her initial concerns set up her need to be confident in what she brings to the team and not see her pacifism as a weakness.

One thing the show does very well is the lived-in Carlos/Lata friendship. A lot of that comes from the actors who play a really comfortable dynamic between the two characters that completely sells the idea that they know each other well and are good friends. This makes it believable when Lata confides in him about her concerns and he immediately offers her unconditional support. The fact that she chooses to confide in Carlos rather than Mary says a lot about how the relationships between the characters work. One of her concerns is that Mary won’t understand her point of view which only adds to her anxiety about the issue. Lata’s perspective is that Mary is a Hunter by trade so doesn’t understand or value a pacifist approach. Carlos is more open-minded in her view and she trusts him more naturally. The formulaic storytelling approach gets in the way of developing these relationships more naturally which is frustrating as the Lata/Carlos content in this episode is really strong.

Lata’s arc culminating in her perspective solving the problem in a way unique to her outlook is perhaps expected but no less satisfying. She uses what she has learned through bitter experience to break the cycle of violence for Mac. He feels abandoned by Tracy (Audrey Marie Anderson) and is entirely justified in feeling that way judging by the account of what happened by Lata’s point that more violence isn’t the way to resolve it. She talks about her father coming back from War a changed man infected by what he experienced and becoming violent to the extent of turning it on Lata. Her admission that this caused her to become angry and act on it in ways she now regrets is a fascinating insight into the circumstances that led to Lata embracing peace. The point she makes is that peace is a difficult choice but also a worthwhile one and Mac can choose not to let it consume him. Being a Ghost means that embracing violence and acting out of a desire for revenge is preventing him from resting in peace. Using a vengeful spirit to support Lata’s point and his passing on as a consequence of her getting through to him makes her point very powerfully. Solving the problem with passionate words highlights that her choice to pursue a pacifist lifestyle is entirely valid and she can be of value to the team

The account of Lata’s backstory leading to her pacifist outlook is very exposition heavy and comes across as a staged speech but it’s delivered with conviction by Nida Khurshid and adds weight to her choice through her arriving at her decision under difficult circumstances. It also adds some edge to her character through the constant struggle she has against her violent tendencies. Bookending the episode with Lata attempting to meditate is effective as the audience comes to understand why it’s so important to her by the end of the episode and the other characters recognise the value in her pursuit of a peaceful life.

This is especially pertinent for John who spends the episode struggling with his own violent tendencies and is unable to contain his anger. Being possessed by Mac was a nice touch as Mac represents a possible future for him if he continues down the path of obsession. Those who have seen Supernatural will know that John’s future is consumed by obsession and it ends up infecting his relationship with his sons so it’s a very real internal struggle that he will ultimately lose. Based on John’s characterisation in this show, it’s difficult to imagine him ending up in that place but the possibility is there and it’s clear that he will continue to struggle with this side of himself.

When confronted about the way he is behaving he admits that he’s pushing himself because he doesn’t want to hold a Hunter’s funeral for Mary. Experience a bad end for a Hunter affects him as much as it does Lata and he becomes determined to do everything he can to protect Mary until she reaches the point where she can safely leave the life behind. Mary is concerned about John getting caught up in the life, likely speaking from the experience of witnessing it happening to others and encourages him to take a break in order to refocus and take a step back from it. At that point, he isn’t prepared to listen to that advice because he is so obsessed with stopping the threat in front of him. The experience of being possessed by a violent Ghost and Lata’s words ringing in his ears prompts him to admit that he has been running from his problems and leaves him open to letting Lata help him deal with his anger. Experiencing first-hand how mentally damaging being a Hunter can be encourages Lata, John and Mary to take a step back and rethink their approach to leading the life they have chosen. For Lata she doubles down on her pursuit of peace but John opens himself up to other possibilities after getting a glimpse of where he might end up.

Mary also gets a look at her potential future through Tracy. She initially represents where Mary would like to be; a happy life free of Hunting. They have an open conversation about leaving it behind where Tracy makes the point that Mary might not be as ready to get out as she insists as she has set herself a milestone of finding her father and stopping the Akrida. Tracy rightly states that there will always be another monster so the best time to leave it behind is exactly when ready to do so. The implication is that John is another reason for her continuing to Hunt but Mary is adamant that she will reach her milestone and then leave it behind.

The conversation doesn’t cover the sense of responsibility that will come with being a Hunter. Tracy points out that there is always another monster to take down which means that leaving Hunting behind might come with guilt as a lapsed Hunter may feel that they’re letting people down by not being there to protect them. It doesn’t initially seem to be a problem for Tracy who professes to have no regrets but her sense of responsibility does eventually take over when she opts to tie up the loose ends. Mary’s reaction is a very despondent one as she interprets this outcome as there being no escape from Hunting but Tracy assures her that they aren’t the same and she is someone who can get out.

This episode greatly benefits from putting the Akrida in the background and focusing on the characters in a specific situation. The threat is still hanging over them and it forms part of John’s obsession but they aren’t crowbarred into the plot unnecessarily which helps make the universe the show inhabits feel larger. It does appear that they will be directly confronting them in the next episode based on Carlos learning the location of their radio tower which loops the plot back in but taking a break from the Akrida for a full episode was welcome.

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Verdict

A good episode that provides strong insight into who Lata is while offering compelling looks at potential futures for both John and Mary. The death of a Hunter acting as a catalyst for some of the characters to examine their choices worked really well. Lata receiving development is consistent with the formula that the show fails to hide but the content surrounding her was well delivered. Her lived-in friendship with Carlos provides her a natural avenue to open up about her concerns and the fact that she doesn’t confide in Mary says a lot about the established relationships. Lata’s arc over the episode is reasonably engaging and her account of the circumstances leading to her pacifist outlook makes sense even if it is clunky exposition. Nida Khurshid delivers it well which mitigates some of the issues and it’s a good completion of the arc that starts with her questioning her worth to the team. Using a Ghost consumed by a desire for revenge was a nice touch as embracing violence prevented him from resting in peace. This proves Lata’s worth to the team and makes her pacifist outlook a valid choice. John spends the episode struggling with his own violent tendencies. Being possessed by Mac was appropriate as he represents a possible future for John. When confronted he admits that he’s pushing himself because he doesn’t want to hold a Hunter’s funeral for Mary. She is worried about him getting caught up in the life and being consumed by his obsession but he isn’t prepared to listen until after being possessed by a vengeful Ghost. Experiencing first-hand how mentally damaging being a Hunter can be encourages Lata, John and Mary to take a step back and rethink their approach to leading the life they have chosen. Mary gets a look at her potential future through Tracy. She initially represents where Mary would like to be. Their conversation about leaving it behind where Tracy suggests that Mary isn’t as ready to leave it behind as she insists she is. Tracy rightly states that there will always be another monster so the best time to leave it behind is exactly when ready to do so. The implication is that John is another reason for her continuing to Hunt but Mary is adamant that she will reach her milestone and then leave it behind. The conversation doesn’t cover the sense of responsibility that will come with being a Hunter but it comes into play when Tracy gets back into the life to tidy up her own loose ends. Mary’s reaction is a very despondent one as she interprets this outcome as there being no escape from Hunting but Tracy assures her that they aren’t the same and she is someone who can get out. Leaving the Akrida out of the episode is to its benefit as it helps the universe feel larger. It does appear that they will be directly confronting them in the next episode based on Carlos learning the location of their radio tower which loops the plot back in but taking a break from the Akrida for a full episode was welcome.

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