Supernatural’s Time Is On My Side showed the stark reality of human fear

Supernatural Season 3, Episode 15 isn’t the most comfortable viewing. Yet again, it’s a human that’s the monster, but Time Is On My Side really showed the stark reality of humanity and fear.

Watching back over old episodes of Supernatural means I get a new perspective. The first few times I rewatched, I’d look out for the foreshadowing. Now I look out for messages and meanings. “Time Is On My Side” isn’t the most comfortable of episodes to sit through, but it is an important one.

This episode shows you humanity and fear throughout. This isn’t just in Doc Benton’s quest for immortality–although, it’s clear that he’s afraid of life after death. We get it from Sam’s point of view.

Just an episode earlier, Dean had a realization. There was nobody but himself (and Sam) who could save him from this crossroads deal. His time was running out and he’d have to put the effort in, instead of hoping for a last minute miracle. With that realization, Sam knew that it was less and less likely Dean was going to be saved.

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Sam would do anything to keep his big brother alive. Once he realized that Doc Benton’s immortality spell wasn’t magic after all but science, he had hope. After all, using science isn’t like using witchcraft. There’s a sense of goodness in science and some sense of explanation.

What Sam didn’t do in the Supernatural episode was think it all the way through. He never considered that it would mean stealing organs and body parts from unsuspecting victims. Dean would never become a monster, but that’s what Sam wanted him to consider. Had it been the other way around and Sam was the one who had sold his soul, Dean would have likely pressured Sam into becoming like Doc Benton too.

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Our minds do irrational things when we’re scared. That fight or flight mechanism steps in and Sam wanted Dean to fight in one of the most unconventional and monstrous ways. Had it been anyone else, Sam wouldn’t have accepted it. Sure, he wanted to study Doc Benton but that was more to get answers than anything else.

At any other time, Sam would have killed the monster in the episode. He didn’t purely out of fear of life without Dean.

What message did you take from Supernatural Season 3, Episode 15? How did you view “Time Is On My Side?” Share in the comments below.

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