‘The Winchesters’ 1×04 Review: “Masters of War”

While there was naturally a case of the week to deal with, this episode took things to a much deeper and more emotional level. And I was definitely here for it. When a man involved in a therapy group for servicemen is killed under mysterious circumstances, John and Carlos go undercover in the group themselves to figure out what is going on. But they may just learn some things about themselves along the way! And they aren’t the only ones dealing with emotions as Mary is dealing with the loss of Maggie and beginning to open up a bit more about her and what happened to her. So keep reading for The Winchesters 1×04 review!

Emotions and Tension

Watching Mary and John spar probably shouldn’t have been as attractive as it was. But my goodness, it was! The amount of tension between these two is freaking ridiculous. In a good way, of course. Though I could have done without Mary’s new reporter friend that she went to the movies with. I would have much rather Mary went to the movies with John. Plus, Kyle gave me some bad vibes. And not because he clearly has a bit of a crush on Mary. Okay, maybe it is a little because of that. But not entirely! And I don’t think it’s ever a good idea for hunters to get involved with reporters. Unless that reporter is also a hunter.

Image via The CW

Mary asked John if the case was too close to home and he insisted that he was fine. But it was clear that wasn’t the case. Not that it wasn’t completely understandable, it just had me worrying about him for the entirety of the episode. And I clearly wasn’t the only one as Mary was pretty worried about him as well. But it was nice to see that John had Carlos at his back. Especially since he has service experience of his own. John and Carlos clearly have more in common than they first thought and it got me thinking that perhaps the two of them can help one another deal with the things they saw and did while involved in the war. Because this episode showed that they are both struggling with some things and their lifestyle doesn’t exactly allow for them to have a regular therapist to meet with.

Fighting Family

I really loved that Millie got involved in this case. It’s no surprise that she’s a badass herself and is willing to do anything within her power to ensure that John is okay. Obviously, John learned to fight before going to war. But it’s also just as clear that he got his strength from his mother. Even when things weren’t looking good for him, it was clear that John wasn’t going to give up. If he was going to go down, he was going to go down fighting. I think Mary witnessing Millie’s strength also helped her deal with Maggie’s death a bit. At least to the point of being able to open the door and allow someone else to stay in the room.

John got his ass seriously kicked in this episode. But that didn’t stop him from doing what he had to in order to survive. Because he gave as much as he got and did what he had to do. Sure, he looked a little worse for the wear when the case was over, but he’ll be okay and that’s all that matters. Especially since he and Carlos seemed to have bonded not only over what happened with the case but with the fact that they both still struggle with what they saw during the war. Maybe being able to rely on someone who understands what the other went through will help the two of them do more than just get through it. Maybe it will help them to at least begin dealing with it and healing.

Serious Issues

PTSD is no joke and I appreciate that the show doesn’t just gloss over it or act like John is fine from one episode to the next. It’s something real and something that doesn’t just magically go away. And while he is doing something good by taking down monsters and demons with Mary and the others, it’s clearly having an effect on John. Though, I do also think that it is helping him in a few ways. But having to participate in a therapy group and bring up some of the horrors of war that he faced, was a struggle. Though I think it may have been something that John needed more than he realized. Plus, it was a nice added bonus to see John and Carlos in their respective uniforms. Looking as badass as ever.

Image via The CW

What did you think of The Winchesters 1×04? Did you enjoy seeing Carlos and John team up in the hospital? What did you think about the way John’s PTSD was portrayed in this episode? Do you think we will ever get the full story of Maggie and the details of what happened to her? Were you surprised by how the episode ended? Or did you expect it? Find and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @capeandcastle to discuss all things The Winchesters 1×04. And you can find and follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Sarah_Jeanne17. Be sure to also check out our site for more content on all things Disney and beyond!