My Incredibly Shallow Take on Show. 8X08

[roxy]

I'm so happy. This season warms the cockles of my heart. I almost shed a tear for poor little Sammy. I think Show was trying hard to mislead us tonight. I've kind of been thinking in a roundabout way that Sam's been living in a fantasy with this Amelia thing. They kept dropping what normally I'd interpret as anvils, little anvilettes all ep long--but when Amelia got the news that Don was still alive I went all O.O

And now I know, we *are* in a soap opera! I knew it! All those flashbacks, that filmy camera work designed to hide wrinkles, that feisty girl and the way she browbeat Sam into taking a dog when she had no idea if he was a drifter and/or animal abuser...it all makes sense now! So, Don's been in a coma, woke up and had no idea who he was. He had a picture of Amelia but no name to go by. But a nurse in the hospital, let's call her Janet, sees the picture and promises John (John Doe, because, y'know, amnesia) that she'll do all she can to find this girl who may hold the secret to his identity. So she begins to hunt for her, even though it breaks Janet's heart because she's come to care deeply for this strong, silent, probably handsome man. And then one night--success. "John," she says, "this woman is your wife, she's Amelia what the fuck ever i never caught her last name."

John gasps, swats, hits his head on a bedpan and suddenly he knows, "I'm Don! Don what the fuck ever! I must go to her, call her, and let her know I'm still alive and...Don stops and stares at Janet. Because yes, he loves Amelia, with all his heart, but he remembers how he's come to love Janet, her caring sweet nature, her devotion, her willingness to give him back to his wife because she loves him that much...Don looks up at her and says, "So, whataya think, one quick fuck I can blame on the amnesia?"

Or something like that.

Seriously though, Cas and Dean…*happysigh*
And even though Sam and Dean have this big thing between them, it's freaky how they mirror each other. The make the same faces, they make the same gestures…it makes me wonder if it's on purpose or whether Jared is picking up Jensen's acting tics. Not complaining because I like it very much. Makes them look more brotherly. And speaking of Dean (of course we were, you just didn't notice) compared to other seasons, he's creepily healthy! Willing to talk, make eye-contact…if fucking Benny fucks it up, I hope Sam cuts his head off and turns his fucking ass into mincemeat. Just sayin'

Comments

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[laceymcbain.livejournal.com]

LOL. I totally started to laugh when they announced Don was alive. Soap opera, for sure. Actually, every time they went into flashback mode, I rolled my eyes. It's just not a storyline that's been capturing me.

Now Dean and Cas ... that I can deal with, although I'm so worried about Cas getting used by a weirdly creepy version of Amanda Tapping. I do like, though, that Dean seems to have grown up in some ways. He actually goes over and sits down to talk to Cas. And they both looked reluctant to let it go when Sam interrupted. What I like about Dean/Cas (and what I missed) is that Cas gives Dean someone he doesn't have to take care of. He'll always feel responsible for Sam and responsible to Bobby and responsible for pretty much everyone he comes in contact with. And sure, sometimes he likes to blame himself for Cas, but Cas doesn't expect that and never has. He's the only one who keeps telling Dean he doesn't have to take care of him, take the blame for him, or the responsibility for what Cas chooses. It's friendship and it works, and sometimes it's the one bright spot I see for Dean (and that's not just 'cause I'm a shipper.)

Anyway, I hope Cas isn't absent for too much of the season. The moments with him and Dean make me smile.

[runedgirl.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this episode - I interpreted all those anvils Show kept dropping (not the one that squashed that poor dude, but the metaphorical ones) as Sam's dream world being literally that, and 'Don' who comes back from the dead actually being the interruption of the fantasy when *Dean* turned out to be alive. Who knows, but that makes the weird dreamlike flashbacks more interesting anyway :)

[rockstarpeach.livejournal.com]

LOL!

And yeah, Dean's whole 'talk to me, Cas' thing was... so unlike him. I found it a little weird and off-putting. But so super cute and it made me happy, even though I wish Dean would actually talk to SAM once in a while, too...

Heh, and dude, fucking Benny could only be good for Dean :)

[maraceles.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Dean won't stay balanced for long, but it is nice to see him that way for now! Otherwise, I'm just ADORING this season!

[portraitofafool.livejournal.com]

I thought this episode was hilarious--I actually laughed so hard I came thisclose to tears a couple of times. Old cartoons: I get a kick out them, so seeing it done that way just thrilled me to no end. So much so that I actually did very little overanalyzing (and I do that with everything). This episode was a lot like a tiny vacation from all manner of Serious Thoughts. WIN.

I ship Sam/Castiel (there I go with the sacrilege again) so I did notice a few things I could nibble on in that sense, which was just more fun for me. I did also find the, "Talk to me, Cas" thing a bit... weird and not Dean-like. That said, I kind of liked it and um... There were a couple of other things I liked, but won't go into because there's a lot of "I may end up stoned to death" background to go over as well.

Sam's hazy flashbacks--I am VERY INTERESTED in that storyline. I'm hella invested in Sam, yes, yes, I know--but there is so much going on there. More than the flashbacks, what's catching my attention is how he's zoning out in real-time. It's like he simply... is... not... there. He visibly shakes himself back to reality; so delusion, fantasy or just unhealthily obsessive about that relationship... I say Sammy's got some kind of serious problem (and why wouldn't he? the man is bound to have more than a few screws loose and/or missing by now). Poor Sam. I always feel so bad for him when it comes to that stuff. Maybe one day I really will write an essay and call it My Thoughts on Sam Winchester. Because that's an original title.

Castiel was so just... *smish* Loved him this episode. And Amanda Tapping--she does vaguely creepy and malicious very well; there's a subtlety there that I find deliciously intriguing.

Oh! Oh! Oh! And Mike Farrell! Why has no one talked about how awesome his tiny little roll was? WHY? I love that guy, always have, ever since M*A*S*H reruns as a kid. And so much to think about as far as backstory on the Winchesters with that dude goes and then... then... Some of the stuff Sam said (while with Castiel, I will point out) were really... let's say... interesting.

Fun, fun, fun episode overall; I loved it.

[tabaqui]

Heeeeee!
Oh, my. Now i'm even *more* glad i never watched soaps. :)

Oooh, loved this ep, so much *fun*, and this season, and the boys and Castiel and just...all of it! Everything!!!

*what. i'm tired. need to go back to bed!!*

[sonofabiscuit77.livejournal.com]

The Don is actually alive reveal just made me think someone's been watching Homeland, which I suppose isn't so bad. It was also hilarious and made the whole Sam flashback stuff even more unnatural seeming.

I actually kind of liked Cas in this, though it did bother me that he didn't want to go back to heaven because he couldn't face the angels and what he did to them, yet he's happy to hang around with Sam all the time. I am evidently much less forgiving than Sam and Dean.

Also, your mini-fic is amazing. I want to know what happens to the sad tragic love of Janet and Don <3

[munibunny.livejournal.com]

I read your review out loud to my hubby because you are just that awesome.

This season has made me very happy, especially now that the pieces are coming together. Didn't expect the thing with Amelia to implode this quickly, to be honest, but I'll be happy the flashbacks end because they're quite distracting. And I'm a Dean-girl so, yeah, having him be not so much of a broken shell for a change is a bonus.

[tifaching.livejournal.com]

LOL, I love your soap synopsis! Perfectly plausible!

[tasabian.livejournal.com]

Loved the ep but I need poor beautiful Sammy to be liberated from his soap opera - I swear, every time they cut to Jared looking pensive, I knew Boredom was coming. Why can't he have monsters in this flashbacks instead of ice machines?

And even though Sam and Dean have this big thing between them, it's freaky how they mirror each other. The make the same faces, they make the same gestures…it makes me wonder if it's on purpose or whether Jared is picking up Jensen's acting tics. Not complaining because I like it very much. Makes them look more brotherly
I love when they do that too.

Also loved Cas investigating Dean's cosmetic bag and the whole "oh, I'll just stand here and stare at you sleeping" thing.

[gingersnap1224.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode. I am love, love loving this season.

Sam's flashbacks have seemed a little off to me from the jump. The birthday scene was so dreamy and romanticised. Besides the fact that in real life the logistics of pulling something like that off are mind blowing (really, how long would it take you to train the dog to lead him to that exact spot) the implication that Dean didn't celebrate Sam's birthday is absurd, not to mention the fact that Jessica seemed like a homemade cake and surprise party kind of girl. Then Sam and Amelia just happen to be at the same hotel and her sink just happens to get clogged and the dog just happens to run into her room. That's an awful lot of coincidences. I know,I know this is tv and stuff like this happens on tv all of the time, but the dinner scene with her dad was so off putting that it has to mean something. When Sam kissed her and called her baby it seemed so awkward. The only time he seemed like himself was when he talked about his dad or Dean.

Anyhoo, I have to say that my love for Dean has been rekindled. He's so much hotter without all of the guilt he's been carrying around for the last 4 seasons weighing him down. I like it when the brothers are in sync.

I hope next week isn't the end of Benny. My greatest fear is that Dean has to kill Benny to save Sam. I know this is inevitable but couldn't they give us just a tiny Dean/Benny flashback. I might be able to forgive the killing Benny if I had that to keep me warm.

Okay, I'll shut up now.

[silsbee329.livejournal.com]

Yes, I AM creepily still following along on your LJ for reactions to past episodes. I missed it the first time around, dang it!!

So! If this season keeps it up, I might just like it as much as last season! This was an AMAZING episode! So clever. So well-photographed (Sam and Cas out in the Roadrunner desert!). Love. Cas interrogating the cat (ha!); Cas trying to get shotgun in the Impala (ha!); Dean and Cas having serious talk... Love it.

I don't know about this Amelia thing. I never considered that it might not be real until I read these comments. I'm still thinking it was real and that it was JUST THAT AWFUL. Poor darling Sammy. :(

Okay. Time for the next ep. Benny!!! \o/

Signed,
Ms. Whatsername *G*