Supernatural (TV Series) Exile on Main St. (2010) User Reviews

You can't run from your past

[tiriake · 7/10 · 31 July 2013]

I don't think it is as bad as most reviews say. I kinda expected a bad episode, maybe that is why I don't think it is that bad :) I mean I came literally expecting the worst possible episode.

Season 5 ended with Dean going to Lisa and last scene was of Sam, who stood under street lamp and flicked away like ghost/demon, something supernatural. A year has passed since last episode. Dean is living apple-pie life, with Lisa and Ben. It turns out that djinn's want revenge on Dean, so they poison him. Sam, who should be in hell, comes to the rescue.

Not only is Sam back, with no real explanation, also their grandfather Samuel (Mitch Pileggi) is back from dead, along with 4 relatives from the Campbell side, I am not even certain that they were alive.

Further it turns out that Sam has been back for a year and didn't think it would be good idea to inform his grieving big brother about that little detail. Bobby knew also and agreed. They all gave Dean the speech how they wanted to let him walk away from hunting... that just does not ring right. Then suddenly Sam decides that he after year not wanting to hunt with Dean, wants to hunt with his brother again.

Dean decides to stay with Lisa and says that him leaving would just leave them defenseless. I liked that part. Mind you I am pretty sure that eventually Dean will go back to the road, but that he didn't immediately drop everything for Sam like he has done his entire life.

I am glad to see, that Dean got the chance to live the "apple-pie" life for a little while. But I think he will go back hunting, because in the end of day, he can't run from his past.

Don't trust any of the Campbells or Sam for that matter. Something is off. We will get clued in eventually.

I agree with one other reviewer, that season 5 ending would not have been the perfect ending. Dean would not ever leave his brother to rot in hell.

It was not a perfect episode, not one of the greatest, but it was OK.

On other note, one more reason why I think it was OK, is that one of my favorite series happens to be Fringe. I survived all the crazy story lines there...So writers of Supernatural really need to step up their game, if they want to scare me away with new directions/story arcs. That said I still love Supernatural. Although this episode didn't rank anywhere near my favorite season starters, it was a new start. We'll see where season 6 takes me :)

Not Bad, But After Season 5 Finally, Picking The Story Back Up Was Going To Be Tough

[iwfcyb · 7/10 · 29 February 2020]

Season 5 ended the main story arc of the first 5 years of the show. Starting season 6 having to basically reboot the series was always going to be tough and there was bound to be tons of haters. With the challenges the writers faced trying to find a way to basically start over, it was decent all things considered.

One gripe though is when shows that feature characters who are supposed to be weapons experts make even the most basic mistake in terminology....in a handgun, it's called a MAGAZINE, not a clip.

Beautiful Loser

[zombiehigh18 · 8/10 · 16 December 2011]

The problem with great stories is that, after they end fans are always left craving for more, to know what happens next. However those next mostly turn out to be disappointing because simply they never live up to the essence of the original stories leading most sequels to hit the ground very hard. As I watch the season six premier I can't help but wish the story ended with the amazing season five finale, Don't get me wrong I'm still a big fan and I'll keep watching the show as long as the writers keep writing and the actors keep acting. Although it might be not bad to watch, "Exile on main street" didn't live up to my expectations simply because it lost the most important factor the show was built on in the first place, The great brotherly chemistry. This chemistry is what got me to watch the show and it is clearly lost on this season's premier. (I know it serves the story line for this season but it just didn't seem right to me.)

A year after the apocalypse, We see Dean settled in a normal life as a family man and a construction worker through a beautifully done montage showing the contrast between the past and the present. But is Dean happy with this apple pie life? The answer comes out with a big NO as he wakes up in bed with Lisa beside him, She asks him if he is OK and he answers her with his "I'm good" reply but we know Dean too well to know he is lying to her and to himself as well. He wakes up in the morning with the thought "What am I doing here? this just doesn't feel right" but he has to keep going because first he promised Sam and second because he clearly loves Lisa and Ben and he now has someone to look after which serves his protective personality right. But Dean is also a hunter it is part of who he is, he has his shot gun and holy water under the bed, he checks on the windows and the Devil trap at the door before he sleeps and goes without hesitation when he hears a scream at night. Dean might have ended up with the perfect woman for him but he still wants his brother back and wants his life again as a hunter and he clearly is traumatized by all that happened to him and the way his mother died through his hallucination of the YED. (I liked bringing Fredric Lehne back to the show even for a brief moment, he was always perfect as Azazel)

When Dean crashes after being infected with a Djinn poison, he is surprisingly saved by Sam. As happy as he can be to have his brother back, Dean is hurt and angry with Sam and later with Bobby because they kept him in the dark for a year not giving him some peace of mind over Sam's safety leaving him wrecked and trying desperately to bring his brother back. He is even more shocked to see his grandpa alive again and is not happy or trusting the Campbells (And like you Dean, I'm not happy about these guys, Mitch Pileggi was way better on "In the beginning" but right now I don't like him that much) And when asked to rejoin the hunting life again and be with his brother, Dean had to make yet another tough decision to decline and choose his new family's safety over his desire.

On the other hand there is Sam, The moment he appeared every cell in my brain kept saying something is wrong with that man. He seemed cold distant and as he put it "not caring". And we wonder what exactly does he remember about Hell and What happened to him there? And who saved him from the bit? these are questions that are left for later to answer.

Finally Sam's new car is cool but nothing can match our beloved Impala, she as Dean said should be hunting and I really miss her. And I enjoyed seeing Dean as a one woman man, not responding to girls trying to seduce him like he was in the past, is he really truly in love with Lisa? I have no problem with that!

Different, but not bad.

[tango_268 · 8/10 · 9 June 2011]

Now, I've watched every episode of Supernatural at least once and I've bought the DVDs, written fanfics etc etc so I think I can say that i'm a fan.

But I wasn't impressed. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to be overwhelmed with excitement since it's the second ever season premier NOT to be directed by Kim Manners, RIP, not including the pilot, and the season 5 premier didn't overwhelm me either.

However, it may not have overwhelmed me with awesomeness, but it pretty much did it's job. It gave us a whole new bunch of questions to answer, it showed us what Dean had been doing for the past, we found out Sam had been hunting with long lost family an Grandpa Sam for the past year and we had a creature to hunt. Honestly, the suspense music was a bit much and I think it was a messy episode with no real solid narrative for the 40 minutes BUT it was decent and I think this series could go on to do wonderful things. I expect it to be a slow start what with Kripke stepping down and letting Sera Gamble take the reigns, not because she's a bad writer but basically, she's not Kripke.

Let's be honest here, season premiers are always a bit iffy, especially with a climax like that in season 5. I read in one of the reviews that it would have been a good place to finish the show all together and I somewhat agree because it was a tidy ending (without Sam coming back) but it wasn't a Supernatural ending. One of the brothers goes to hell and the other settles down with a nice family in a nice home having barbecues with the neighbours? It just ain't right...and they addressed that. So, I think they made the right move carrying on, as long as they don't make a complete mess of it.

All in all, I think it was a decent premier. It deserves credit for the complex story lines (that we know are ALWAYS there) and the amazing character work on Dean and Sam, especially now that they've both changed. I'll give it a good ol' chance because although Kripke isn't the big boss anymore, the SPN writers team are still pretty darn good, not to mention the directors. It will be an interesting journey, no doubt, and could open up some new story lines apart from the Lucifer vs Michael situation.

Much like the season itself this is uneven

[CubsandCulture · 8/10 · 26 March 2020]

It was inevitable that after they completed the first story the show would struggle to find its footing again. This episode is like a microcosm of the season on the whole. It has some really good parts-the domestication of Dean and the Lisa-Ben dynamic. It has some truly awful parts-the Campbells' bizarre attitude towards Dean. It has some half backed notions that mostly work-Soulless Sammy and the monster as family stuff. It's good but a notch or two below what the show had been.

Family Life

[ulrikekalb · 9/10 · 29 January 2020]

Season 5 Finale was brilliant, so you can't expect the first episode of the new season to be a match...but it's a good episode, I love especially the montage scene at the beginning, great choice of music! Heart rending to see Dean with Lisa and Ben, because it's obvious the family life won't last...

A new beginning

[Red_Identity · 24 September 2010]

Exile on Main Street represents the new chapter in the Winchester's lives, one that is surely different in the path.

Where we left off in the fifth season was with Sam looking at Dean through a house window, and we learn that he has been back for a year now. Now, I do not like this whole 'one year passed' thing. I do not care if time passed, but why always a year? Why not 10 months, or 8 months, or heck, even 11 months? Why exactly a year always? Anyways, besides that nitpicking, Sam has gotten back from Hell, and Dean must have to choose in the end if he will stay with Lisa and Ben or go hunting with Sam. But here is the complexity...

We find out that despite Dean caring a lot for Lisa and Ben, the primary reason why he went to them was because it was what Sam wanted. After seeing the opening episode of the sixth season, we subtly learn that Dean is actually happier with Sam, so why did he choose Lisa and Ben in the end? That's the thing, a note that I encountered in an online summary. Dean is lying to himself, he really wants to want to be with Lisa and Ben over Sam, but he honestly does not. He wants to join Sam, which is why he does not, because Dean is such a complicated person that he contradicts everything he feels for. This has been proved over and over throughout the series. How long will Dean stay with Lisa and Ben though? Probably not long, he will finally admit to himself that he can't (and that he does not want to, knowing his little brother is out there).

On the other side of the spectrum, we have Sam. The focus from the show started with both Sam and Dean but throughout the years we have noticed how Dean is probably the primary character, and this episode proves it. Sam is in the backside, and while many will argue that he has certainly become cold-hearted (his speech to Dean at the end proves it), but I think over the last two years he has become a much more interesting character, and I think Padalecki is playing him brilliantly, considering how the brothers have practically changed roles as hunters from the first season to now.

Overall though, very good episode, not perfect, but very good start and the show has not lost anything. I do wish, however, that they would use less music in the suspense scenes, since it sort of ruins the tension at times.

Badmouthing possums

[guruofchem · 9/10 · 6 June 2021]

Minor correction - possums actually have too low a body temperature to carry rabies. They may carry other communicable diseases, but almost never rabies. Just in case you were wondering...

Rather disappointed

[jojinas · 6/10 · 23 October 2010]

This opening episode for season 6 didn't have me enthralled as with the opening episodes for the all previous seasons. It's a pity considering how season 5 ended and this episode didn't carry on with the same momentum.

I hope the rest of the season truly picks up where season 5 left off in terms of quality storyline and music score. Thought it was a bit off in parts.

The reunion of Sam and Dean I found to be surprisingly flat and not as dramatic as when Dean came back from Hell and reunited with Bobby and Sam.

Ben's character seems to be flat too, no longer displaying any similarity to Dean as in 'The Kids are Alright' (season 3, episode 2), which made his character fun.

Somehow the formula that makes Supernatural a unique TV series seems to have changed considerably. The new Campbell characters do not gel well into the storyline.

Hopefully I'll be proved wrong as the story progresses. So long as our favourite characters remain (other than Sam and Dean) - Bobby, Castiel, Crowley and Chuck.

Boring... as good as all the episodes... wait that's perfect.

[samme5995 · 10/10 · 25 September 2010]

OMG. I have waited to see this episode 4 months and 11 days and I can tell you this episode was worth the wait. It was absolutely perfect. When it ended I was like: 'That was a short episode. How long was it 25 minutes tops?' I checked the clock and it was 40 minutes long!

Jensen's and Jared's acting was, as always, top notch. They made me cry a couple of times.

I can say that if I didn't know, I wouldn't have noticed that it was a different writer so a round of applause for Sera Gamble. The plot was amazing and there were some surprises too like when you find out Dean's life with Ben and Lisa wasn't at all perfect.

All in all great episode. Would recommend it to anyone who love good shows.

The monsters are what disappoint

[shwetafabm · 7/10 · 19 June 2020]

Unlike a lot of people i don't mind the existence or story arch of season 6, i quite liked it, now i am rewatching this 7-8 or so years later and i don't remember much but i do remember being completely fine with it. The episode is slow, the reveal seems very normal i guess. We get more hunters which is great. Also i just love seeing stargate actors on spn, this time 2, Samuel and one of the brothers was Quinn on Stargate. Btw if anyone wants to see a show much like spn, stargate sg-1 is it, it's got religious themes, overpowered enemies, a hot nerdy empath, a suicidal sassy badass, a rebel alien, so pretty much Sam, Dean and Cass. Ok i digress Basically i am down for the whole thing unfolding, i like Lisa and Ben too, not too much but enough to care. And i'm also ok with the continuation because there must be an aftermath. Now do i think that was handled well especially the angel thing, no, atleast of what i remember but i like Season 6 and i am looking forward to watching it and seeing my new perspective on it from when i was a clueless teen because i definitely enjoyed and even learned a few things from 1-5 more as an adult.

Ok back to the episode Did not like the monsters, they nerf everything, what's the point even of fight scenes.... Just disappointed and i think this will be a trend. Like i have said before the ghosts are the only scary things i find, everything else they have to nerf like demons.

Just as I expected

[Shadow Hawk · 2/10 · 30 September 2010]

Supernatural was, for me anyway, a sign that good TV could still be found. I watched every episode, bought every season, etc. It was a perfect balance of dark humor, drama, and action. The characters were extremely well written and the actors played them perfectly. Then I heard that season 5 was the end of the main story arc and that the creator was stepping down. Then I read something truly horrible...... the series was going to continue in the hands of the person that was responsible for the atrocious episode "Route 666". I'll be honest, she has written some really good episodes, but that one sticks out in my mind. Then I saw the season 5 finale. It was almost perfect for a series finale (I would have added a bit more story and made it a two part episode since it felt a bit rushed, but whatever.) And it appears that it should have actually been the series finale. If they had left it like that (though without Sam's resurrection) I would have been perfectly happy to let the series go gracefully off into the sunset. But it wasn't left at that. They decided to keep going. And now we have..... this. "Exile of Main Street" was exactly what I thought it would be, a disappointment. It was bland, and to be perfectly honest, the total role reversal of the brothers sickened me. I also think bring gramps back into the picture (as well as the other hunters) is a HUGE mistake. I've decided to give it until episode 4 or 5 to become what it once was, hoping that it will get better. I'm sorry to say, I'm not expecting it to. So in the event that it truly doesn't regain it's former glory, Farewell Supernatural! It's a shame to see you become one of the walking dead that your cast hunts.

Disappointed

[Mrs_Black · 3/10 · 30 September 2010]

I've been waiting all summer to see the Supernatural season 6 premiere. Supernatural was a sign that good TV could still be found but I had to keep my guard up after Kripke said he was stepping down after the 5 season arc ended. So far I wish the show ended last year. It was a perfectly good show finale and it finished the story as it should. No clichés and overdone stuff (well apart from the impending, yet avoided, apocalypse). It should end just like Prison Break finished at 4 seasons despite its huge success.

Season 6 premiere was a huge disappointing WTF. It started good but in the middle it started losing me. The ending was kinda rushed and the way Sam was thrown into Dean's life again was very poorly written and the total role reversal of the brothers.. ugh don't even let me start on that. Other than that, why the frak is Grandpa Campbell back but no Mary or John? In my opinion the Winchesters should hunt on their own. Adding so many new people to the Hunter crew feels like a violation, which might be fixed in the following episodes since they surely seemed they were up to something. What with bagging the Djins and all.

On the plus side, the acting was fantastic, well at least they tried to support it <_< I will keep watching in hope things will get better. Maybe Kripke will step back in to save his babies from this awful, miserable fate. Please don't let Supernatural become another Heroes :|

The screenplay sucks!!!

[jmposvip · 3/10 · 27 September 2010]

I'm a huge fan of supernatural and I love all the 5 seasons and I was awaiting season 6 and hoped it would be awesome like the other 5 seasons but...I was so disappointed!

The screenplay sucks big time,the story is stupid and the music in dramatic scenes is so awful. Where are your writers,are they still on vacation? This show was so great,best music,best story,best acting,best scenes....All of my friends loved this show but now.....this episode is really disappointing and I wish now that they did end it with season 5 but I hope that they will do better in the upcoming episodes or I will stop watching! I'll give it 3/10,one for bobby,one for sam and one for dean.

Get new writers!!!!

Get New Writers!!

[ZoZo13 · 3/10 · 25 September 2010]

The main thing that made Supernatural a UNIQUE and wonderful show was the creative screen writing. If you've ever seen "Buffy" or "Angel", it was the same with these shows.

The main problem is that we've seen the story lines before. So what sets any show apart is when the main characters step into a storyline with humor or something other than the unrelenting fighting and whining. It's a needed break before they go on to the next monster hunt.

In Season 5 we had nothing but the dreariness of yet another Apocalypse (been done before in the before-mentioned shows). Okay. They start Season 5 with ......what???

SPOILER!! Dean has been living a year without Sam, who died. All of a sudden, Sam shows up at the door and no one reacts like normal except Dean. It seems that Sammy has been around for an entire YEAR!! Bobby knew too. Adding other characters as Sam's new crew of Hunters is really a mistake. Hopefully this won't continue.

Absolutely Overrated and Disappointing

[claudio_carvalho · 4/10 · 12 October 2012]

One year ago, Dean moved to Lisa's house to live a normal, "apple-pie" life with Lisa and her son Ben, as recommended by Sam, working as a construction worker.

One day, Dean finds scratches of Djinn in several places and he chases the supernatural being. When his is attacked by the Djinn, he is saved by Sam that tells him that he was released from hell one year ago and teamed-up with their Grandfather Samuel and three Campbells. Now Dean has to decide whether he wishes to leave Lisa and Ben to hunt demons again or stay with his regular life.

I have just bought the 6th Season of Supernatural and the first episode, "Exile on Main St.", is absolutely overrated and disappointing. Sam is back without any explanation and Dean is absolutely contradictory is his behavior. Further, he lives in a typical quiet suburb but no neighbor notes the weird things happening in Lisa's house. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Exílio na Rua Principal" ("Exile on Main St.")

Dean, Dean, Dean

[Johnny_West · 3/10 · 22 August 2023]

Sam is back from hell and nobody knows why. Mitch Pileggi was brought back from the dead, and nobody knows why either. Just a couple of miracles, cause that's how they roll in Supernatural.

So it turns out a year has passed, which puts season six in the future, but that's OK too. Dean has been in a very happy relationship with Lisa and her son for the past year, working as a car mechanic. Suddenly he is being attacked by genies (djinns) and Sammy boy is rescuing him from death.

It should have been a great moment for Dean, but when he finds out Sam has been back for a year, Dean is outraged. How could Sammy let him be in a positive and loving relationship with Lisa, for a year? Why didn't Sammy come back from hell running to be Dean's lapdog and punching bag? How could Sammy dare to have his own life?? So now Dean has to do the incredibly cliche & predictable break-up with Lisa, so he can be a "hunter" again.

Dean's attitude is beyond creepy and ridiculous. This series should have tried to keep Sam as the main hunter character working with the Campbells, and followed Dean and his family life as a subplot for a lot longer than just a couple of episodes. It would have been even better if Dean stayed in his "normal-guy" life, and got written off the show. It was better without Dean and his never-ending negative attitude and god-complex. He thought he was better than everyone else, but he was just an angry drunk in denial.

Ugh

[jazmineflower2004-729-223537 · 5/10 · 13 October 2016]

This entire show gets a 5. It stopped being fun when they stopped doing monster of the week. Yes, I love story arcs like the next person or it would be just another sitcom. I know a few people that idolize this show but to me it's just become crap like Vampire Diaries and Walking Dead. Most of the show has been filler since about season 4 on. I'm going to keep watching though. Everything deserves a chance right? I really hope this won't be Fringe and fizzle out. The writers love to kill people off in this show. Someone above mentioned Heroes...Heroes was good, the problem I think...was that people like all magic...all the time. Okay, done ranting. I'll be entertained until I'm not.

The season gets worse from this episode onwards

[NatashaJAmos2015 · 1/10 · 6 December 2021]

Season six is the worst season of the entire series. It starts with an awful opener that doesn't hold s candle to the excellent season finale of season 5. Plus the jerk Samuel returns which doesn't make any sense and Dean playing happy families just feels wrong.

Season six was just an excuse to let the series drag on and they should have ended it at season five.

Lame

[MariaLBD · 23 January 2021]

That was perhaps the worst imaginable reunion episode ever in the history of television. So disappointing. Dean and Sam have been apart for a year (and Dean thought Sam was gone forever) and they're just like, "um, hi." So out of character got both of them. Terrible writing.