10x13 SpN

[roxy]

This was a decent ep in terms of shout-outs to S1 casefic. We've had a few this season and it's an appreciated change of pace. We're giving the angels a rest and I'm glad of that. I like Cas, but I'm not too pleased with his journey, and I'm beginning to resent the time other characters take from Sam and Dean. I totally get it in a real world sense. It has to be good for the actors--probably gives them a little break from having to carry the whole show, and I do enjoy the *occasional* show without them as leads, but I am happiest when the show centers on them.

Now, let me complain. I hated, truly hated, that one line about the car, someone has the exact quote, I'm sure. I hate when they ignore stuff that ten minutes and the Wiki would tell them. It's not like death and the car are obscure events, like that trip to the damn Grand Canyon that had to have happened only in Sam's fever-induced dreams. (what is this particular type of fannish denial called? there's a name for it, right?) It grates when they choose to ignore canon or make up stuff that contradicts what we know. It feels like being handed a very, very dead fish and told to enjoy the rose.

Things I liked about the ep? All the little MOC tics. Dean busting through the police tape, chowing down on mountains of food, practically drooling at the coeds...it was funny, *and* it was creepy. He was harsh with the hit-and-run chick, even though she was truly remorseful. It took a bit for his Dean-ness to kick in. Heavy-handed, I know, but I enjoy when Dean is either the anti-Dean or Dean to the nth degree.

I thought the speech at the end was really Anvil Falls, but I enjoy that they listened to each other. It seems like they're *really* listening to each other these days. I'd hate for us to go all "I'd let you die" again. I like this closeness, I want to see them right back to where they mirrored each other. Kind of like the way Sam mirrored Dean's hand and arm movement in The Hunter Games, I think--that walk-and-bitch in the hallway?

So, there's my impression of the ep. Rambly perhaps but these are the type of posts I'm not going to delete anymore. What the hey! There needs to be more fannish type babbling here, right? Thanks for reading and pray for the return of sideburns. Good night! :D

Comments

[fanspired]

I think they simply don't expect the audience as a whole to remember that the show had a history prior to the current season : /

Tbh I wasn't really that excited with any of it. It was very much "I know what you did last summer" meets Ghost Whisperer. The only new element was the ghost in the wi fi, and that probably wasn't an original either.

Dean leching on the co-eds. No. I'm sorry. The show needs to recognize that what was charming at 26 is just creepy at 36. Dean himself acknowledged back in s7 that he was too old for this shit and the show needs take that to heart and find a more age appropriate way to express his sexuality. Tom catting around at his age is not charming, it's not funny and it certainly isn't sexy.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

But the leching thing was so over the top that I really think that it was meant as a flag that Dean's personality is out of whack. Look how not creepy he was with that woman was ended up deaged. He was sure he was going home with her and when it didn't happen he was surprised but okay with it. And in fact, he kind of chose Sam over her so I was pleased.

[fanspired]

Well, that's the difference when Adam Glass is writing. Actually, the way that whole interaction was handled was a fine example of exactly the kind of more mature approach I had in mind. I have a lot of respect for his episodes on the whole. In the hands of many of the other writers, though, Dean has become a sleaze and maybe that's what they're shooting for. Maybe. But more likely I think it's just that people don't recognize that he's not young and pretty any more and slutty isn't a good look on him.

[tasabian.livejournal.com]

I was hoping for a good, scary MOTW but was disappointed. (Except in the VFX, which were great.) No teenager walking the face of the earth talks the way those teenagers talked. The flashback scene to the night of the accident is like how a 50 something male writer imagines "kids today" talking. And the young widow would also not use the term "co ed."

All the dialogue between the brothers felt repetitive and "off" to me, including Dean's rambling speech at the end. J2 seemed on auto-pilot to me, not exerting the effort on a dud script.

I like Tim Omundson so glad to see Cane back next week!

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I forgot to mention how terrible the kids' dialogue was, oy! Hell, I'm 60 and *I* know kid don't talk like that! And this wasn't even old folks writing the ep. It was lazy writing in my opinion. They've done much better--they've done worse. I don't think this writing team really understands Dean. Still, I did like those anvilly hints of the MOC.

Co-ed, right? Do folks even say that anymore meaning it seriously?

J2 seemed on auto-pilot to me, not exerting the effort on a dud script.

They seemed most on point when Dean was shoving noodles in his face. *G*

[elwarre.livejournal.com]

I hated, truly hated, that one line about the car

Do you mean the whole I'd kill you if I died and you did something to my car bit? Ugh. Me, too.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

It was awful, right? I'm going to have to watch the ep again because my initial liking of the ep has been overshadowed by That Line.

Of course, I change my mind about an ep on every rewatch! *G*

[(Anonymous)]

Of course, the funny part was where, after saying he'd kill Sam if he stunk Baby up with taquitos, Dean gets himself a big old plate of taquitos from the Student Union. :)

--Jessica

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

LOL!! I didn't notice that!! Apparently it's okay for Dean to stink of taquitos. *snorfles to self*

[supernutjapan.livejournal.com]

or, he's sending Sam a message that he really wasn't serious? :)

[elwarre.livejournal.com]

haha omg I totally missed that!

[elwarre.livejournal.com]

Has your mind changed any with the rewatch? (Other than the One Line, which was objectively terrible)

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Ach, I haven't had a chance yet--I've got a free day coming up Tuesday, so I'll probably rewatch that and a few others then. :)

[tabaqui]

Ah, man. Yes. I think, as someone else said, the don't realize just how much we *know*. And how not having the same writers consistently means that the writers just don't know enough, either.

I'll never understand why they don't have a big cork board or even *book* with 'things not to eff up in episodes' and 'things that have already happened/not happened'. How hard would that be?

In fact - it already exists! Superwiki!

But, not a bad ep. I, too, love that the boys are really, really, really *talking*, and listening, and not mired in their own bubbles of self-doubt and grief and denial.

I didn't mind Dean and the 'co eds' - right now, leggins as pants (and shirts that are too shirt) are the *thing* - hell, i wear 'em, but with nice, long sweaters that cover what needs covered.

Young chicks in skin-tight leggings isn't something Dean (or Sam) has been around a lot lately, so - Dean noticing? Par for the course. He's a guy that likes sex, likes women, likes intimacy like that. When was the last time the guy got laid? (Demon!Dean doesn't count 'cause it wouldn't count for Dean.)

So, you know - a few long looks isn't too big a deal. He didn't say anything gross or really ogle anyone.

(Just my opinion, of course.)

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

I really read that bit as Dean being influenced by the mark. He's generally a wee bit more subtle than that--granted, not by much. ;D

I don't know how script writing works but it would be really, really nice if they did as much research as the average, half-way decent fic writer does. you know, they probably don't think of Show as *theirs*, not the way we do.

[tabaqui]

Yeah, I think that's so - i think some writers are brought in and they want to 'make their mark (HA)' on Show. Which they need to not do, as wildly varying character and events are *not good*.

Hee. He is. Dean's appreciation of women has never actually bothered me. In episode one, it did a bit, but after i got to know him...it juts never did. (And not in that 'oh, he's hot so i'll forgive his gross crap' way, but.... He's starved for affection, damaged, full of fear and guilt, has zero idea how to really 'be' in the real world and can never really tell anyone the truth about himself way.)

:)

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Dean's appreciation of women has never actually bothered me.

Yeah, he's obviously a guy with a lot of baggage. He's never going to discuss deep personal things with any woman or want to know anything real about her. Still, he's not cruel, in fact, I think sex isn't really all about sex as much as he claims it is. It's a stand in for intimacy, just like it probably is for half the guys on the planet. At least you know Dean isn't going to do anything assholey after sex.

And not in that 'oh, he's hot so i'll forgive his gross crap'

Right? *Nobody's* that fucking hot. If I thought he was a total jerk, I'd probably have tuned out that first time Show caught my attention!

[tabaqui]

I think Dean sees women as the thing he can't have, as in - softness, tenderness, rest, affection. He takes it when he can, but he knows that his life simply doesn't contain those things. Women are a mystery to him, in a lot of ways.

Oh, yes - if he was the kind of ass i detest (neckbeard, anyone?) i'd have been outta there.

You really, really, really must read this essay about Mr. Ackles/Dean: http://www.sheilaomalley.com/?p=72302

It is awesome and intent and *smart*. And it's more than just about the funny. And then? You must read *all her recaps*. She's only up to 'Nitghtshifter', but she loves Show, she is smart about movie history, cinematography, and acting, and she's in love with Dean (and Jensen). But not in the creepy, embarrassing way some people in fandom are.

She talks *a lot* about women on Show, in the boy's lives, what it all means, sexuality, consent, walls, secrets....

Seriously, read 'em all. Just hit the 'Supernatural' tag at the end.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Oooo, this looks very good! Thank you, beloved--I will give this a read.

[tabaqui]

*twirls you*

You will luff. :)

[digitalwave]

I know, sweetie, as we talked about before. The sad thing is, all it would have taken was a couple of lines to make it right. When Sam said something about the first kid getting his older brother's car, Dean should have replied with something like, "Yeah, Sammy, we know how well that can go. When you had your shot at Baby first thing you did was douche her up! An Ipod, Sam, really?"

How hard would that have been? That line completely jarred me out of the episode for a few minutes. Normally I can go with the flow but, this one, not so much.

[supernutjapan.livejournal.com]

Dean busting through the police tape, chowing down on mountains of food, practically drooling at the coeds...it was funny, *and* it was creepy.

I'm glad it wasn't just me that thought it was a bit creepy. I just don't like Dean stuffing his face to begin with so it wasn't even funny for me. The coed drooling - he hasn't done that for ... how many seasons? so it was a bit spooky, yeah.

Agree with you about the inconsistencies, although I guess it could be argued that Dean was too busy dealing with hell and purgatory to haunt Sam those two times he was dead :P He was suitably annoyed when he got back LOL

[(Anonymous)]

Well, not so much too busy as just not present on the earthly plane. Take Bobby, for instance. When he dodged his Reaper, his spirit was stuck on Earth and he could haunt the boys, but once they burned the flask and released him to his afterlife (Hell, then a rescue mission and Heaven), no more haunting. Well, when Dean was torn apart by the Hellhounds, they took his soul straight to Hell, do not pass Go, do not collect $200--no chance to haunt Sam. And when he went to Purgatory, he wasn't so much killed, IIRC, as sucked in bodily by the spell, so no haunting there either. The closest Dean's ever come to haunting Sam, oddly, is when they were both in Heaven; it's the only time either of them's been properly dead and on the same plane of existence as the other.

--Jessica

[supernutjapan.livejournal.com]

exactly :) Thanks for filling in the details :D

[bluemeridian]

This may be a bit off topic, but I've been thinking of you regularly as the gym usually has one TV tuned to TNT, who've been running a marathon. The first time I realized it, though, here I was stretching out and I look up and the world kind of tilts sideways because I instantaneously recognize what I'm looking at is the very first time we see Dean in the first ep. It was a moment of "Wait, where am I and what date is it?!" If the TV in question were in front of the treadmills rather than the bikes, I would have run way too many miles this week. :P

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

LOL!!!

Okay, for a moment I was completely 'buzzh-hunh?' when I read this to far:"but I've been thinking of you regularly as the gym" because perfectly spherical me and gyms...but then I read TNT and instantly got it!

Heeeee! Dean Winchester, hunting things, inspiring people since 2006. ;D