Supernatural‘s Monster-of-the-Week episode “Hibbing 911″ diverts from the usual formula to focus on the beloved Jody Mills (Kim Rhodes) and newly-returning Donna Hanscum (Briana Buckmaster) instead of the Winchesters. Jody has been part of the show’s universe since season four (4×15), and Donna first appeared last season (9×13). Pairing these two characters works well in a highly enjoyable episode directed by Tim Andrew; Jenny Klein and Phil Sgriccia developed the story, with Klein penning the teleplay.
“Hibbing 911″ opens, appropriately, in Hibbing, Minnesota, where a graffiti artist is decorating a dark alleyway. He’s attacked by an unknown, humanoid monster whose attack sprays blood across the artist’s template, creating a bloody smiley face. Post-title card, Jody arrives at the Minnesota-Dakotas Sherriffs Retreat looking less than enthused. A young girl approaches, a donation cup in hand. Jody considers her appearance and asks how old she is (the girl answers “19”) before putting money in the cup. Her donation is accompanied by the motherly directive to, “Get yourself some lunch.”
Jody resignedly enters the lodge to find a very perky sheriff – Donna – manning the registration table. The initial clash of their personalities is highly entertaining and informative: Donna inquires, “Left your smile back in Sioux Falls?” Jody responds, “I left a kid back in Sioux Falls, plus a pile of work…” I was happy to have the confirmation that Alex (introduced in 9×19) is still with Jody. She and Donna commiserate a moment about having to comply to their mayors’ bidding, and Donna insists that Jody take a yellow sucker.
Just then, Donna’s ex-husband, Doug (Michael Karl Richards), comes over to the table, commenting, “Aren’t you looking good!” Donna proudly announces that she’s lost six pounds, to which Doug replies she’s a “quarter of the way there.” Jody watches in disbelief, particularly as Donna caves to Doug’s request for spare meal vouchers, “since you won’t be using them.” Jody looks appalled, and Donna looks embarrassed, though she offers the explanation, “Doug and I used to be married.”
At the bunker, Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) is researching the Mark of Cain when his younger brother Sam (Jared Padalecki) joins him. Dean gripes that he can’t find anything and complains about the Men of Letters’s priorities. He picks up a thick manuscript and reads, “He-wolf, she-wolf: A Study in Werewolf Transgenderism.” What seems at first like an acknowledgement of diversity then takes a questionable turn as Dean gripes that the Mark isn’t “weird’ enough to get the MoL’s attention. Dean isn’t always the most enlightened in his views, but since the episode never revisits his assumptions to disprove them, I can only guess that this line is meant to highlight Dean’s own mental state right now, which doesn’t seem very open-minded or positive. That said, I’d prefer the scene without Dean’s comment about weirdness.
Back at the retreat, Hibbing’s Sheriff Len Cuse (Fred Ewanuick) nervously directs the already-mostly-bored attendees to find a partner and form a team. Doug teams up with the younger, female Sheriff Goodhill. Jody, who’s been on the phone with Alex, thinks she’s missed the partnering until Donna finds her. While the new partners are perusing the not-so-exciting workshop schedule, they learn that a body has been discovered, one partially eaten to the bone.
Jody steps away to call Sam, and here, we learn that while she knew Dean was missing, Sam hasn’t informed her of his brother’s return. Though I really like this scene, that particularly bit feels off. Sure, it makes sense that the Winchesters aren’t the best at keeping in touch, but there are other insinuations that Jody and Sam have been talking, so how/why would he neglect to at least let her know he’d found Dean? Since Jody doesn’t berate the point beyond a casual admonishment, I wonder if maybe Sam played down Dean’s disappearance and his own worry?
I do love that the Winchesters ask about Alex and laugh at Jody’s admission that she’s “smoking grass under the bleachers.” She informs them about the body, and somewhat oddly, Dean immediately rules out vampires as the monster-in-question. He offers for them to come help, but Jody says she’s fine. Sam tells her to “Enjoy the retreat,” evoking a “Screw you, Winchester” from Jody; I really enjoy their bantering here. Despite Jody’s refusal, Dean’s tired of researching and wants to go – he actually pulls the “puppy dog eyes” to convince Sam.
Jody doesn’t know that the Winchesters are on their way and continues pursing the investigation, starting at the morgue. Unfortunately, her brusque manner doesn’t endear her to the attendant, who refuses her access to the corpse. Donna enters the morgue, seemingly investigating independently too; her manner with the attendant, whom she already knows, is friendly, and they exchange personal small talk. The attendant asks what’s up with Jody, and Donna remarks, “Might say she left her manners back in Sioux Falls – but she’s with me.” It’s an interesting moment; here, Donna “translates” and vouches for Jody, getting them both access to the corpse. Later, Jody will return the favor with the Winchesters. Their examination of the body only yields more of the unknown: Donna can’t deduce what animal would leave a bite/feeding pattern like that, and Jody thinks the victim’s belt was stolen.
Cue victim number two: A man taking out the trash takes the opportunity to sneak a cigarette. He hears a noise and tosses the trash in a dumpster; then, he hears a noise from inside the dumpster. Unwisely, the man goes back, opens the lid, and is pulled inside. The dumpster reverberates from the force of the attack, and blood pours from the dumpster’s drainage hole.
At the retreat, a troubled-looking Cuse is sitting at the bar when Donna and Jody approach him to talk about the animal attack. He assures them that he’s “got animal control on it.” The young Deputy Graham (Aren Buchholz) approaches to inquire awkwardly about a “raffle.” Cuse steps away with Graham, leaving the two women at the bar. Then, Donna sees ex-husband Doug dancing with Goodhill. When Jody realizes what’s gotten Donna’s attention, she offers that “Doug seems like kind of a dick.” Donna replies, “But he was my dick.” Donna excuses herself to the restroom, and Jody takes advantage of the opportunity to approach Cuse again. He and Graham, who were speaking quietly and intensely, continue with the “raffle” cover until Jody has had enough. “Get real, please,” she says. Cuse confirms that another body’s been found. Jody leaves the bar just as Donna returns from the restroom.
Outside, Jody’s on the phone with Alex, who’s apparently being a rebellious teen. Jody demands to know why she can hear firecrackers, but the teen hangs up on her without answering. Donna, who’s walked up behind Jody, comments, “So maybe your life’s not all cupcakes either.” I think that this statement reveals Donna’s insecurities at this point in the episode; she’s been comparing herself to others and/or assuming that others are judging her. Jody remarks that she never said her life was all “cupcakes.”
The ensuing honest exchange leads to the two women bonding, with Jody telling Donna about the second body – to which Donna replies, “Shut the front door.” Jody wants to go to the morgue but figures they’re closed. With nothing to do, Jody winds up talking about Alex for a bit and puzzling, “Why can’t I get through to her?” Donna assures her that Alex will come around, just as Jody did when she was younger. In an obvious overture of friendliness, Donna invites her to raid the mini-bar and watch pay-per-view, but Jody declines. “It’s been a long day.” A moment later, Donna, now alone, says, “Don’t I know it.”
Dean and Sam arrive at the lodge in their FBI agent suits. They look somewhat nervous – rightfully so – as they enter the law-enforcement-filled building, but they go about their business. Jody greets them warmly, hugging each. They tell her they’ve just seen the second corpse, and it was consumed, too. Donna, who’s off getting coffee, calls out to Jody – or, rather, “Jodio” – and after Dean finishes teasing Jody over the nickname, realizes that the nickname-giver is “fat spa Donna.”
Jody confirms that her name is Donna and says, “I hadn’t been able to shake that ray of sunshine since I got here. She’s actually been pretty helpful but it’s just been tough keeping her out of this nightmare stuff.” Sam suggests Jody keep Donna occupied while he and Dean work the case, but Jody resists being a “babysitter” just because the Winchesters have arrived. Dean persuades her with the argument to keep Donna away from the monsters, but Jody promises, “If she tries to show me her sticker collection, I’m out.” Donna recognizes Dean and Sam as the agents from the spa and calls them by their aliases. They great her warmly, if with some amusement, and Jody distracts Donna from the case-in-progress by suggesting they hit the Gear Expo.
The Winchesters then locate Cuse, introducing themselves with a flash of their badges and the same aliases from “The Purge.” I like this sensible continuity, though I do wonder if the aliases were hastily adopted (hence the quick flashing of badges) because of Donna’s presence. Deputy Graham finds the FBI’s presence amusing and pointedly asks if they’re expecting to “arrest a bobcat from Hibbing.” Dean is annoyed by Graham’s apparent disrespect of their position, particularly when Graham coyly remarks, “sure is cute to watch you try [to find something].” Dean, rather riled, responds, “Oh pal, the FBI doesn’t do cute.” Does Dean’s building aggression here come from his response to the insinuations of “cute”? Graham’s looking directly at Dean when he makes that comment, and I think it can be interpreted a number of ways, including as a jibe to dis-empower or even as an almost-tease or flirtation. It also seems odd that Dean identifies so strongly with his fake-agentness that he takes umbrage at Graham’s belittling. Regardless, it’s amusing to see Dean’s aggravation and Sam stepping in to shift the conversation before his brother blows their cover. Afterwards, Sam cautions Dean to be “less defensive of your pretend job.” Dean protests, “This badge means something,” to which Sam answers, “I made it at Kinko’s.” Dean replies, “Yes, you did. Be proud of that.”
While Dean is bristling at the idea of the “FBI” doing “cute,” the “officer ladies,” as the salesman calls them, are deconstructing gender stereotypes. Shown a gun that is determined to be gender-appropriate, Jody and Donna thwart the salesman’s assumptions by demonstrating their knowledge of guns. As they run down the specifications and Jody exhibits her ability to handle the firearm, the feisty sheriff tells the salesman, “You call this a big one? Hope you drive a Porsche.” Scenes like this are why I love Jody Mills; she’s the whole package, and her dynamic with Donna is priceless.
Doug approaches, cautioning the salesman to not underestimate Donna, though he uses a less than flattering cliché to do so: “Sheriff Hanscum here is a wolf in sheepskin.” Donna takes her ex-husband’s words as positive: “Thank you. Wolves are majestic creatures.” She also tells him, “Save your flattery for other female people.” This leads to a cringe-worthy conversation about dating: Doug had previously met Goodhill through Cufflinks, a dating site for cops, and when he hears Donna’s not dating, asks if she’s still “getting in date shape” and grabs at her side. Jody loses her temper at this, confronting him about “fat-shaming chicks” and assuring Donna, “You are so not fat, by the way.” Jody tells Doug, “You are just a douche.” At that, Doug slinks off.
Donna turns her ire upon Jody, then, asking what she’s doing and telling her, “Until you’ve actually lost a husband, you keep your mouth zipped about mine.” Of course, Jody has lost a husband, and a son, and the ensuing flashback shares that information with viewers who may not know or remember that connection (4×15). Jody stands, staring into space as she remembers. Donna sees her and asks, “Did something happen to your husband?” Jody only replies, “We all have our crosses to bear, right?” Donna apologizes and asks if Jody wants to talk about it, but when Jody doesn’t, Donna excuses herself to get some air.
Dean approaches Graham – Deputy Douche – for more information. Graham sarcastically asks if he’s there for some “teenie weenie handcuffs to slap on some paws.” Rather than take the bait, Dean offers, “I think we got off on the wrong foot.” He apologizes and shifts tactics, unleashing the power of his fanfiction green eyes and offering the lure of aiding the Washington office. Amazingly – or, rather, expectedly – Graham’s demeanor changes, and he agrees to help. Dean reminds, “I’m going to need you to be totally straight with me.” Graham has no problem with that, confessing that “Sheriff Cuse changed the password on the server yesterday… [he’s] a straight shooter. I’m sure he had his reasons.” Dean assures Graham, “I’m sure he did,” and promises, “When I need you, I’ll come find you.” Dean’s contemplative, with several expressions crossing his face, as he watches Graham leave.
Outside, Donna’s getting some air when she spots a blood trail. She follows and, from a distance sees Cuse over Goodhill’s mauled body; she’s horrified to see the sheriff bare teeth that the audience knows are the mark of a vampire. Donna, however, doesn’t know what they are – only that she’s seen a monster. She hides and her scared reaction is refreshingly real and one that we see too seldom in Supernatural.
Inside the lodge, Dean and Jody watch as Goodhill’s body is wheeled out. (Did the paramedics have to go through the lodge to get to the back area? Otherwise, why bring the body through the lodge instead of simply going around the building?) Neither buys that this is the result of an animal attack, and Jody takes the opportunity to ask, “How you doing, kiddo?” I love Jody’s dynamic with the brothers, especially Sam, but it’s funny to me that she calls Dean “kiddo” here – after all, in-show, I don’t see how she can be more than ten years older than Dean. He’s surprised by the concern and tells her he’s fine. Jody gently tells him that word is “you went off the res a couple months back.” Dean doesn’t deny it, but only asks, “You and Sam been passing notes during class?” Jody allows his deflection but adds, “I make a mean bowl of chowder if you ever need to talk.” Dean thanks her, but the conversation goes no further. Sam’s arrived with the news that he hacked into the server, but the files that Graham mentioned have been deleted.
Donna, completely rattled, approaches and asks Jody if they can talk alone. (If the body being wheeled out is Goodhill’s, though, where has Donna been?) The Winchesters make themselves scarce, leaving the women alone. Jody immediately apologizes for what she did at the Gear Expo, but Donna cuts her off, “We’re okay.” Since that moment, Donna’s perspective has shifted, and she asks Jody, “You ever think there are things out there, things that don’t end up on the police blotter?” Jody knows what this question means, and Donna confirms it with the story of what she witnessed.
Jody immediately calls Sam, leaving a message when he doesn’t answer. The two women don’t wait on the Winchesters, though, and go to check out Cuse’s room on their own. After Jody deftly picks the lock, Donna finds several tubes of sunblock, which Jody promises to explain the meaning of later, and she does a pencil rubbing of the indentations on a notepad, revealing an address. A noise at the door has Jody pulling out a machete, and Donna, who seems more startled by the sight of the knife than their impending discovery, pulls her gun. It’s the Winchesters, and the revelation that Cuse is a vampire leaves Donna exclaiming, “What the cuss?” Dean sighs and asks Jody, “You want to give her the talk?”
With Donna now in the know, the Winchesters have changed back into their familiar denim and flannel. The four are at the Impala, and Jody’s “talk” has left Donna with questions about the weight-loss spa, which Dean confirms: “Monsters. Sucking on your fat.” Disappointed, Donna remarks, “I knew losing 10 pounds that fast was too good to be true.” She hands over the pencil-rubbing, which Sam looks up on his phone, determining that it’s an old farm outside of town. Dean tells Jody and Donna to stay behind, but Donna’s having none of that: “Stuff you, Dean.” Dean’s obviously taken aback, and Jody’s obviously enjoying the entire exchange. “Hanscum’s good,” she assures Dean. The eldest Winchester reluctantly acquiesces but informs them, “You’re staying back. We’re taking the lead.” Neither Jody nor Donna disputes the plan, so they all pile into the Impala and head out to the farm.
It always surprises me when the monsters don’t hear the Impala and its beloved motor purring – it’s not a quiet car. So it makes sense that the hunters’ arrival isn’t as stealthy as they seem to think it is (that they think they’re stealthy is more of the surprise to me.) I also can’t help noticing that when they leave the lodge, Jody’s sitting behind Dean, but when the foursome arrives at the farm, Donna’s behind him. Upon arrival, Dean and Sam get weapons from the traveling arsenal, and Dean hands Donna a knife, instructing her, “Swing hard. With vamps, heads gotta roll.” Sam approaches the window, peeking in to see Cuse praying; he motions to the rest of his group and then peeks again, but Cuse is gone. Suddenly, Cuse appears at the window, yelling, “Run.” Sam’s startled, but it’s too late – he’s hit from behind. Dean’s knocked out, and Jody and Donna are being held captive. The young girl from earlier in the episode peers down at Sam: “Well, hi there, Sunflower.”
When Dean regains consciousness, the four humans are tied up inside the barn. The young girl, Starr (Morgan Taylor Campbell), informs Dean, “It’s all love, pretty boy. All of you will become all of us. We won’t waste one bit.” Dean’s not impressed by her environmental consciousness and tells her, “You’re a vampire. You’re scum. End of story.” She slips off Dean’s belt, disregarding his quip of “I’m not in the mood,” and gives a speech about “using every part of the buffalo.”
Cuse asks Starr to let the Winchesters and the other sheriffs go, reminding her he’s tried to help cover the group’s crimes, but she refuses: “We didn’t want favors, Len. We wanted you.” Cuse reminds Starr that he’s left the life and he’s even on “bagged blood.” Donna doesn’t believe this, telling him that she saw his fangs. Cuse admits that he saw Goodhill but says he found her, and when he smelled the blood, his fangs reflexively came out: “But I didn’t bite.” Dean doesn’t seem to care about the distinction, which I find odd considering his friendship with vampire Benny Lafitte (S8).
Starr doesn’t like that Cuse isn’t feeding and reminds him it’s his “nature to eat people.” His not feeding is compared to a “tiger eating salad.” While the vampires talk to Cuse and Sam asks distracting questions, Dean works the rope holding his wrists against the nail that’s conveniently in the post to which he’s tied. They learn that Len sired Starr, after he picked her up off the street. “He taught us everything,” Starr says. But one day, he disappeared – until they saw his photo in the paper for the Sheriff’s Retreat. She tells Cuse, “You didn’t just go straight. You became a damn cop. Now that is wild man. Are you feeling dirty, Len? Cause we’re about to have ourselves a bloodbath.”
Cuse tries to stall for time: “Don’t you want to know why I left?” Starr succinctly replies, “You got boring.” Cuse counters, “I got a conscience… even if I used every part, like I taught you, it’s still wrong.” Sam interjects, “…so you walked away.” Cuse adds that he turned to protecting people “after so many years of gutting them. That’s why I’m here.” He promises Starr, “I’ll join your bloody caravan, if it means you won’t kill these people.” Starr corrects Cuse, assuring, “We aren’t killing anyone, you are.” Hibbing’s sheriff is then pushed in front of the four restrained humans.
Jody tells Cuse, “You don’t have to do this,” and Dean tries more desperately to break apart his ropes. Donna’s also been working herself free, using the broken lens from the glasses she keeps in her utility belt. Cuse seems to consider what Jody says and tells the vampires to “kiss my ass.” Out of sight, Star chooses one of the hunter’s blades and tells Cuse, “We love you brother, but we don’t’ know who you are anymore.” He doesn’t know that she’s approaching him from behind, and everyone seems shocked when Starr lops off Cuse’s head. “Can’t say we didn’t try,” she muses.
Finally free, Dean grabs the blade and attacks the vampires. Donna’s also free, and when Starr hisses at Jody, Donna chops off her head from behind, quipping, “Hakuna Matata, lady.” Dean admires her work, “That’s what I’m talking about,” and Donna smiles back at Dean/the camera. The fight scene is brief, but the exchange between Cuse and Starr continues the themes of what it means to be a monster; is being a monster a choice; and can monsterdom be escaped. Like Benny, Cuse chose a different path and reformed himself. Though he agreed to join the “bloody caravan” to free the captive humans, there’s no way to know if he would have actually joined back into the killing. His directive to “kiss my ass” cinches his rebellious stance, much as Castiel’s “bite me” did to Naomi in “The Great Escapist” (8×21). I expect that these reiterated points since Dean’s de-demonizing foreshadow what’s to come as the elder Winchester deals with the lingering effects of the Mark of Cain.
In one of the most abrupt endings ever, the episode ends with a brief and rather jumbled scene at the Impala, before the group leaves the farm. Jody asks Donna if she’s okay; the newest inductee to the supernatural world is still reeling from chopping off Starr’s head. Jody assures, “You were great at that.” At the same time, Dean and Sam are putting the weapons away, and Dean shares, “For the first time since I’ve been back, I didn’t feel like the Mark was pushing me.” Sam’s expression shows concern at Dean’s admission of “first time.” It’s a confession that’s well-timed with Donna’s realization that, as she tells Jody, “knowing these things are out there makes the world seem… bigger. Darker.” Dean shrugs off Sam’s concern with, “All I know is back there, killing those vamps? I felt like me again.” His brother asks, “So that’s good, right?” “Yeah,” Dean says.” But is it? Has Dean forgotten who he is to the point that he identifies more with the killing-drive that the Mark intensified than the other aspects of his identity? It’s also been a while since Crowley last set him up to sate the Mark; though perhaps not having physical possession of the Blade lessens Dean’s need, it’s possible that feeding the Mark, even indirectly, makes Dean feel more like “himself.”
Jody offers to be a mentor and friend to Donna, telling her, “If you want any pointers on how to fight this crazy crap, I’m willing to fill you in.” Of course, Donna agrees, and we can only hope that we get more of the Jody & Donna dynamic. The scene shifts back to the brothers, though Sam’s response seems out-of-step (perhaps a line was cut?) as he tells Dean, “Okay, well, let’s go with that.” Dean nods, and Sam heads for the passenger’s seat. Donna and Jody are getting into the car, and Dean’s the last one. If there was any doubt that he wasn’t being entirely truthful with Sam, it fades here with the contemplative, worried look Dean casts about while he rubs his forearm, where the Mark is located. He gets into the driver’s seat and starts up the Impala, and the episode ends.
All in all, what I enjoy most about “Hibbing 911″ are the character dynamics: Jody and Donna have a fun rapport that’s augmented by Rhodes and Buckmaster’s chemistry. I’d happily watch more episodes that feature them. (And if the CW is still looking for a spin-off, The Adventures of Jody and Donna should be at the top of the list – well, maybe not that title, but definitely the characters.) The interactions between Cuse, Starr, and the others are also intriguing, particularly in light of the hints about the Mark’s continuing effect on Dean. The Monster-of-the-Week plot itself, though, isn’t as strong as it might be. For vampires who are trying to be environmentally conscious, whoever kills taking-out-the-trash guy wastes a lot of blood, and even in the barn, only Dean’s belt is taken – no one else’s. These details throw off the monster storyline for me, but the character interactions and Jody and Donna’s development more than makes up for that.
Next week is the mid-season finale, and “The Things We Left Behind” reunites the Winchesters with Castiel and re-introduces Jimmy Novak’s daughter Claire. The preview and sneak peek promise that this episode will be an exciting one. Supernatural airs on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm ET on the CW network.