Amber Benson

TV Review: SUPERNATURAL - SEASON TWO - “Bloodlust”

Amber Benson guest stars as a vampire with a heart of gold, well, black heart of gold. Meanwhile, BLADE the vampire hunter makes an appearance. GRADE:

STARS: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Amber Benson WRITER: Sera Gamble DIRECTOR: Robert Singer RATING: NR DISTRIBUTOR: Airs on The CW @ 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Published: 10/13/2006

It’s not a shock that Amber Benson may become somewhat of a reoccurring character on The CW’s SUPERNATURAL. The show needs all the help it can get and tapping into the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER universe is an excellent way to garner a little momentum.

Benson was really one of the few from the show not to find another television show to fall back on after BUFFY ended (OK, Sarah Michelle Gellar chose not to find a show), so this is a pretty good fit moving laterally from one supernatural show to SUPERNATURAL. However, will it be enough to save the show that barely made it back from the one-season curse already? The show is getting slaughtered by the deadly combination of GREY’S ANATOMY and CSI on Thursday nights. Given The CW merge was supposed to bring in more viewers not just maintain the status quo will its small increases in certain demographics keep it around? Time will tell.

But I digress, Benson is a great talent and I always thought she was highly attractive even at the beginning of her run in BUFFY. Seeing her as a vampire gives me a little giddy-up in my step, if you know what I mean, and that’s always a good thing. She also isn’t the pillowy, innocent, good natured, wheatgrass drinking lesbian anymore but a little more mature and lot more dark - but not your typical vampire who drinks human blood but the good kind who drinks cattle fluid because the found other ways for “survival.” Benson, with new dyed hair, looks great as a pale brunette and I, for one, would love for to keep this look as it brings a whole new level of hotness.

So yeah, she isn’t a bad-ass vamp which is too bad as that would be great to see but at least she’s getting some decent work and again has a chance to come back in the series if it gets a bump from those checking it out just for her. ALIAS tried to do this with ANGEL’s Amy Acker during its last season and while it initially worked, long-term no one was interested in seeing the hot Acker play a mean ole terrorist. Will they take to Benson the same way here? Again, time will tell.

So Sam (cough, the one with the powers) gets abducted from these same friendly vampires after he and Dean travel to Montana to investigate some crazy happenings involving dead cows and beheadings. Turns out the beheadings are from a local BLADE, the vampire hunter (who obviously moved networks after Spike TV cancelled his series) who has been systematically hunting the undead because God damn he hates bloodsuckers. Oh, and the vamps attacked his family but bygones.

Of course, Samwise, who is let go by the friendly vamps, just can’t seem to bring himself to let his brother get rid of the vermin seeing as they didn’t harm him. Whatever, never trust someone who enjoys your hot, creamy innards is what I say. As Dean says, “What part of vampire don’t you understand?” Anyway, it appears these vamps don’t die in a traditional BUFFY way as the ole stake through the heart and such doesn’t work. Decapitation is the way to dispose of them only, which I’m sure will have the Internet forums abuzz over the proper way to slay a vampire.

Interesting that Dean and BLADE seem to have a kinship that Sam and Dean obviously don’t have. My theory regarding this is simple. Sam’s a big p***y. He’s too caring and loving toward all supernaturals, instead of having the “nuke ‘em all” philosophy of his brother. Maybe Sam needs to grow a set, stop making friends among "the other human-like entities" and do his damn job. In the words of FULL METAL JACKET’s Sergeant Hartman, “What is your major malfunction, numbnuts?”

Regardless, after a big tiff between the brothers it turns out BLADE is a bit off his rocker, the elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top and all those other phrases for crazy. So Sam and Dean find themselves on the side of the filthy vamps. Which, of course, leads to a lame fist fight between Dean and BLADE, some reflection on why Dean and Sam hunt and some possible plot threads to be continued at a different time.