TV episode review
US airdate 22 April 2010; 29 April 2010; 6 May 2010; 13 May 2010 (The CW)

Even though Dean is no longer required by the angels to become Michael’s vessel, they are still hurtling towards the Apocalypse and their fate now rests with Sam. And as Sam comes ever closer to offering himself to Lucifer, Bobby and Dean have hard decisions to make too. Bobby’s own sacrifice – a pact with Crowley – promises to give them an edge. But will it be enough?

Supernatural’s ability to sustain an intense level of dramatic tension while adding plenty of tongue-in-cheek touches is illustrated perfectly by this final clutch of Season 5 episodes. As it rushes to a conclusion – and what a conclusion! – there’s comedy in ‘Hammer of the Gods’, pathos in ‘The Devil You Know’ and Faustian drama in ‘Two Minutes to Midnight’, all culminating in tragedy in ‘Swan Song’.

The twists and turns in the narrative are not always unpredictable but they’re executed with such panache that it doesn’t really matter if you can see where things are heading. The ever-convincing central cast are supplemented by Mark Sheppard as Crowley – and very welcome he is here too (despite seeming to turn up on every genre show going at the moment).

The key to the success of these episodes is the writing, especially in the series finale. This episode, the end of Eric Kripke’s five-year plan, would have been an absolutely perfect ending for the series as a whole. What on Earth can they do to top this? It’s been sheer perfection! Brigid Cherry

VERDICT
Hammer of the Gods: 9/10
The Devil You Know: 8/10
Two Minutes to Midnight: 8/10
Swan Song: 10/10

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