Here ye, here ye!! It’s an episode Recap of Supernatural S8 Ep11!!

*YE SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!*

Last I checked, role playing is supposed to be fun. You get your friends and dress like mythical characters and have pretend kingdoms and wars. You know, just good clean fun. Well, what if someone took the game a little too far. Not” chase down the fat kid in dodgeball” too far but far enough to where someone succeeds in summoning a magical creature.

Sam and Dean’s next case begins in Michigan where a guy has been torn to pieces. A neighbor told local police that they heard what sounded like horses. They find and interview the guy’s friend who also dies mysteriously while at the police station. The Winchesters investigation leads them to the unlikeliest of places—on the grounds of a park full of people who are Live Action Role Players or LARPers. Yep, this is one of the light humor oriented episodes much like the “Looney Tunes” inspired Hunteri Heroici. Asking around the grounds, Sam and Dean soon come across a familiar face—Charlie Brandbury, who is the Queen of Moondoor (LARP game). If you recall, Charlie helped out the Winchesters back in Season 7. She has since hidden herself for fear of Dick Roman coming after her (it’s not clear whether or not she knows Dean killed Dick… pun). Charlie is less than happy to see them and tries to leave. Sam and Dean inform her that two of her “subjects” are dead. Reluctantly, she helps out Dean and Sam to find the killer. They show her a symbol that appeared on the victims’ arms which (big surprise) she does recognize. While Sam heads to the only tent with computers to further the investigation, Dean suits up to join Charlie, Queen of Moondoor’s army.

It seems like whenever these kinds of episodes of Supernatural air, the comedy relief fall on Dean (Jensen Ackles) and he always does a fine job pulling it off. Like in the recent “Hunteri Heroici” episode, a lot of the comedy bits went to Dean (he was smashed in the face with a frying pan). In this episode, he dons armor and carries a cardboard sword. Now one would suspect that this is something that Dean would pass on. However, he shows amazing interest in this live version of “Dungeons and Dragons”. Not something expected from a guy such as he.

While online, Sam discovers that there are several other LARPers who have met mysterious deaths. Meanwhile, Dean and Charlie conduct the investigation in their own way—with their LARPing roles. Through their interrogation, they discover that there is one group who has not lost any members, the Black Orcs. Dean and Charlie find the Orcs only to be denied by her “subject” Jerry to speak to the Orc King. Jerry, whose character is Boltar, tells Charlie to return to her “kingdom”. Staying in character, Dean tells Charlie to find Sam. While Dean follows the LARPer knight, Charlie makes her way back to find Sam where she has a run in with someone who may’ve taken their role a little far.

Sam and Dean soon meet up and exchange their findings which point a fairy. It is then that they discover that Charlie is missing. Accompanied by two of her subjects, the Winchesters search for the missing Moondoor Queen, where they soon find her in an unknown tent thanks to help from another LARPer with a crush on Charlie, and Dean’s careful convincing via a handgun. She is there with the fairy Gilda in an intimate moment (yes, Charlie is a lesbian). Gilda alerts everyone that Boltar/Jerry is her master. Apparently, Jerry felt like a nobody in his regular life so he figured he take out his “enemies” in order win the queen’s heart. Looks like Jerry let the game go to his head as he even sucks in the imaginary world of role playing. With the fairy’s magic, he battle Dean. Dean eventually knocks the spell book (brought from eBay) from his hand and Charlie destroys it, freeing Gilda. The fairy takes Jerry to meet justice by her people.

Two lessons were learned this episode. First, Charlie realized that she can’t keep running away and makes the decision to stay in Michigan. She even offers her help if they ever need it. Second, this episode was about Dean getting Sam to loosen up as it has been nothing but work lately. Sam realizes that it doesn’t hurt to have a little fun once in a while. He and Dean join Charlie’s “kingdom” in battle against its enemies with Dean rallying the “troops” with a speech stolen from Braveheart before they charge into “battle.”

It’s nice when Supernatural veers off the monster hunting to do something a little different. It keeps the show fresh in my opinion. Hopefully, Sam will take things a little easier.