Supernatural (TV Series) Criss Angel Is a Douche Bag (2009) User Reviews

The Magician

[ttapola · 8/10 · 29 July 2011]

When an episode opens with the great Barry Bostwick as a guest star, you know you are onto a winner. Furthermore, the title is dead on, the show-runners just stating the fact for those who didn't already know it from watching "Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed" (2008) – that far too many of Criss's tricks involve paid-for "audience" and/or editing trickery despite claims to the opposite. The man, therefore, is a douche bag.

Having had a few good laughs at Criss Angel's expense, the story proper begins. And it is great. By this point, Supernatural has found the stream of never-ending laughs, but on the dramatic side the results have varied. Fortunately, as any story involving magicians should, this one has plenty of momentum, good twists and reveals, but even more importantly, a lot of heart. The main guest characters are well-written and the actors bring them really alive.

Among all the mystery, we get some great musings about the Apocalypse and life as a Hunter from the Winchesters. And who'd have thought the most important lines in the episode would come from Ruby's mouth? That scene is the one that most sticks to the mind from watching this. While not a full classic, or even essential viewing considering the myth-arc, this is still 8/10 greatness.

The Evil Magician

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 6 June 2010]

Sam and Dean travel to the Magic Week in Iowa where amateurish and professional magicians are gathered everywhere presenting their abilities. They discover that the veteran and decadent magician Jay has a fantastic show with two other old friends risking his own life; but when Jay succeeds to escape from death, another magician dies the same way. Sooner the Winchester brothers find that one magician of the trio is using black magic.

'Criss Angel Is a Douche Bag" is another good episode that does not follow the lead story of this Fourth Season that seems to be stalled. There is a surprising plot point where the evil magician is disclosed but nothing special. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Criss Angel É um Idiota" ("Criss Angel Is a Douche Bag")

Real magic

[zombiehigh18 · 7/10 · 25 November 2011]

On season two's "Time Is on My Side" Rufus Turner told Dean that there is no happy ending for guys like them it always ends sad and bloody. Dean has seen how bad it can get, he has seen the worst of it and he now knows Rufus was right. While Sam still hopes there will be life after and wonders how would it be, Dean's dark thoughts and Jay's words at the end tear him apart. When looking on the lives of Jay and Charlie, Sam and Dean identifies with them. Dean is more like Jay, he trusts his lifelong partner and is kept in the dark about Sam's actions just like Jay was with Charlie's, while Sam and Charlie both play with fire thinking they are doing the right thing. And you wonder, will Dean ever be like Jay old, bitter and suicidal? Will he be forced to kill his brother when the time comes? Will Sam really go dark side? What is Sam still hiding from Dean?

Not exactly my favourite, but the story was good and the casting was great. It was cute to know that Sam had a magic phase back when he was 13 and nice to see the boys doing some brotherly teasing again. I liked the fact that someone eventually saw right through the boys' fake IDs (It reminded me of bobby's "don't try to con a con man", Oh I miss that guy) Finally, I have to admit I didn't feel bad for any of the victims this time, whether it was Vance or Jeb Dexter, well, both were Douche bags. The one thing I really missed on this episode was Dean's beloved Impala.

One of the very best episodes; a tragicomedy to its core

[CubsandCulture · 10/10 · 7 March 2020]

This is one of my all time favorite episodes of the show. There are several factors why. I just happen to like stage magic, magicians and I thought it was about time that the show did an episode like this. Likewise, the vulgarities of aging are pretty obvious fodder for horror and this episode script tries Jay's story into the Winchester story well with it feeling entirely organic and about time this sort of thing was addressed. But mostly it because of two things. First, Barry Bostwick (Jay) and to a lesser extent Michael Rubenstein (Weston) (Young Charlie) give two of the very best one off performances in the show. Bostwick captures the melancholy and regret of Jay grappling with his age and then the choices he was forced to make. Rubenstein plays the affection for Jay and the mad trickster of Charlie fully. The chemistry between them is just great. I almost wish that the characters could be revisited because of how good these two were.

Second this is episode is one of the most overtly homosocial and/or homoerotic episodes in the entire series. It's not just the Chief-through yes that is hysterical and adds to ever growing amount of queer bait with Dean. But the bond Jay and Charlie shared is clearly stronger than mere friendship. On Charlie's end he seems particularly devoted and it almost plays out like a Hays Code era gay villain, which is entirely correct given the general vibe of the episode.

There is a weird emotional power to this episode that crops up because of the various tonalities. It vaguely reminds me-SOMEHOW!-of a queer and B flick version of The Illusionist (2010, animated). That is just wonderful.

Acting magic

[janedoe5300 · 9/10 · 11 December 2021]

I've only ever seen Barry Bostwick do comedic roles, and he excells at that already. Oftentimes I find comedians make for mediocre dramatic actors at best, with a few exceptions from geniuses like Robin Williams or Jim Carrey. What Barry Bostwick does in this episode is "Eternal Sunshine..." level. I am so impressed everytime I watch this, he really makes me feel the sadness of being an worn-out old has-been, who gets a glimpse of regaining his glory! He nails every emotion, every line, every tiny little glance! Its a performance so perfect that it elevates an otherwise only okay episode, to something quite magical!

Magicians

[shwetafabm · 8/10 · 12 June 2020]

I quite liked this one. The thrill was low but the central message was great. Also i'm a sucker for tarot. Also also how sad is this when you see them talk about the future, this is why i hesitated starting spn that i stopped watching at season 9, it gets depressing the longer it goes because that happy ending never to come and it's just the sheer time these two guys have spent in this miserable situation.

Fun!

[lkm1900 · 8/10 · 11 May 2020]

Glad to be back to a regular episode instead of the angel/demon story arc

Running out of ideas!

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 27 January 2009]

The Supernatural series is running out of ideas, but the episode "Chriss Angel is a douche bag" is good. The script writers, on this episode, blended two running themes together. There is a magician who uses his evil powers to destroy people, but the flip side the magician tries to help his friend with these powers. In the end, the friend must do the right thing and stop the evil magician. The story is interesting, and blends into Ruby trying to make sSm use his powers. Dean warns you cannot stop evil, it just grows another head is a forewarning for the series. I wonder if Dean will be alone like the aging magician and will have to stop Sam. Why does Sam never learn? I think the show is trying to stretch out of ideas. The first two seasons were a little more slicker. I give Chriss Angel 7 out of 10.