As a group, the British Men of Letters have split the Supernatural fandom. Some seem to enjoy the interjection of a new type of hunter to the series. The more vocal segment of the audience, though, hates everything that the group represents. Regardless of where you fall, it’s hard to deny that the British Men of Letters have been brutally violent.
Supernatural did appear to be making strides to address some of the violent problems with the British Men of Letters by fleshing out the character of Mick Davies. Mick gave the audience a wonderful look inside the organization but in “The British Invasion” Supernatural killed him off unceremoniously. Here’s why Supernatural should have kept Mick around for much longer.
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We Were Just Getting to Know Him
It can be positively said about Mick’s death that it came as a complete surprise. “The British Invasion” was essentially a Mick-centric episode as it gave us a look at his early life in flashbacks and the present day revolved around him quite a bit. It’s a bold and effective move to kill off a character in an episode devoted to them. It’s also incredibly stupid.
Mick was far from unkillable. In fact, it was fairly obvious that he wasn’t long for the world of Supernatural. If the tension between the British Men of Letters and himself didn’t do Mick in, his lack of experience fighting monsters probably would’ve ended him. Mick was naive and naivete never serves you well on Supernatural. But the show still had so much more to explore about Mick that his death feels premature for all the wrong reasons. The way Supernatural killed off Mick was shocking but it was also a waste of a character that had a ton of potential.
No More Scenes with Mick and Sam
Supernatural didn’t just rob the audience of learning more about Mick. They also cut short the pretty fascinating relationship he had with the Winchester brothers, especially Sam. Mick and Sam certainly weren’t close friends or even friendly with one another. There was a lot to suggest, however, that Mick could have been Sam’s version of Castiel, a confidant and best friend outside of his relationship with his brother, if given time.
It was already established that Mick enjoyed listening to Sam’s educational podcasts but their connections went far beyond that. Mick and Sam are (or were) cerebral hunters who were thrust into the hunting life, they didn’t choose it. They approached problems similarly and genuinely seemed to enjoy one another at times. It was because of Sam that Mick didn’t kill Eileen in “The British Invasion.”Supernatural made the very wise decision to have Mick be the person that really brought Sam into the British Men of Letters fold.
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Mick and Sam’s growing friendship didn’t just work on paper. They were very good together in practice. Their scenes together have been some of the best in the British Men of Letters arc. Now there is nothing connecting Sam (or Dean) to the British Men of Letters. Which sort of leads to our next reason …
The British Men of Letters Have Become a Lot Less Interesting
There were only three significant members of the British Men of Letters before “The British Invasion.” Toni, Mr. Ketch and Mick were the audience’s faces for the organization. From those characters it was suggested that there were really two types of people in the British Men of Letters: the more violent and ruthless Toni and Ketch and the much more compassionate but still uncompromising Mick. With Mick’s death it is clear that isn’t the case. Mick was an outlier and a rebel. Everyone is like Toni and Ketch and no one is like Mick and if they are they are immediately killed.
The British Men of Letters could have grown into a very interesting story arc for Supernatural. They could have been a dark mirror of Sam and Dean. A group that still does good but goes about it in a somewhat morally questionable manner. With the death of Mick, though, it’s obvious that the British Men of Letters are evil and one-dimensional. They are killing monsters in the name of the greater good but they are just bloodthirsty as the things they are hunting. Mick’s death doesn’t just get rid of a great character, it takes a lot of wind out of the metaphorical sails of the British Men of Letters storyline.
But what do you think? Should Supernatural have kept Mick around? Will you miss the character? Was it a mistake to kill him or was it necessary? What do you think of the British Men of Letters now?
Supernatural season 12 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW. Want more news? Like our Supernatural Facebook page!
(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
