10.09 (non)-review

[ash48]

I prepared a "proper" review for 10.09 but after mulling over it I've decided that I don't really have much more to add since my reaction post (and other discussions I've had recently), so I'll leave it be.

I do have a couple of reviews that I think are worth checking out though. Fangasm's review is balanced and presents some interesting points

Comments

[amberdreams]

I haven't got round to watching again yet. Maybe I will just to look at the cinematography, but the story isn't pulling me back, even though I wasn't as discontented at the time as you and others clearly were.

Sam's hair - I just realised after watching the last ever Sons of Anarchy that this weird male bob must be in fashion or something, because it's the exact same style as they'd given Jax Teller. I'm happy to say it looked just as silly on him as it does on Sam.

[cuddyclothes]

I posted "Part Two" of the trenchcoat videos for you! I know this is OT.

[ash48]

Haha! Thanks hun. :) I'll check it out.

[ash48]

Oh noes! Jax has that hair now too?! *sobs* What even is it with that?! Sooo bad…:((

I wanted to watch again incase it was just my mood that made me annoyed with it. But I watched it in a much better frame of mind and it made me grumpy again! I enjoyed looking at the shots again though. :)

[alleysweeper]

*And I wonder if premonitions are actually a side effect of the mark*

I'm not so sure that was a premonition. I kinda thought it was a memory surfacing through his dream, much like the memories of Hell did.

[ash48]

Awww, a memory dream. That didn't occur to me. Could be, particularly as I don't think they're going for a premonition side effect of the mark.

[quickreaver]

After much reading about that consternatious scene, I've come to the very same realization you have: it needed to happen that way because it needed to happen that way. Dean needed to be alone, to go into that killing frenzy. And Cas needed to bring Claire back in to scream and be shocked by it all.

Now, we as fans can thread whatever Watsonian explanation into it that we wish (and depending upon our proclivities, it could be any of the spins you mentioned), but that's truly irrelevant to the show. What chafes my buns a bit is that it shouldn't be irrelevant to the characters...but I guess we'll see when the show returns if we get any exploration of that!

I imagine what happens is that the director figures out how to make the script work, make it look as great as they can, and if that means some things are left in a bit of an ambivalent state, them's the breaks.

Gives us something to write scene tags and codas about, eh?

[killabeez]

And Cas needed to bring Claire back in to scream and be shocked by it all.

The first thing I thought, after thinking "Way to go, Cas," was that I would have been more horrified by the scene without the screaming.

[ash48]

What chafes my buns a bit is that it shouldn't be irrelevant to the characters...but I guess we'll see when the show returns if we get any exploration of that!

I would love to have some hope for that. I haven't seen any promos for the next episode so I have no idea, but my feeling is it will be hunting as usual but this time Sam's face will look even more worried. That probably sounds sarcastic but I'm not sure they will be wanting to resolve anything about the mark tooooo soon. If a cure can't be found soon they'll just have to go on hunting - only their relationship will be more strained (yay) and their trust for each other will continue to be torn apart. We now know how much Carver loves the boys at odds so I figure they'll be much more "I'm ok" from Dean and "I know you're not, but there's nothing I can do so I'll look worried" from Sam. or maybe I am being just a little bitter…

I imagine what happens is that the director figures out how to make the script work, make it look as great as they can, and if that means some

[quickreaver]

I honestly think we actually WILL get some serious myth arc business in January, because of how little we got in the mid-season finale. It's well and truly time they addressed the Mark of Cain. I can't even imagine dragging it out longer, jeeze. *crosses everything crossable!*

[tebtosca]

The difference is that when Sam had the mytharc, Dean had the emotional POV. We would see him worrying or researching or talking to other people (including guest stars) about Sam or the situation. Hell, 8.20 was basically an entire episode about Dean's fear over Sam's situation couched in the guise of a Charlie one-off

[runedgirl]

Of course that ignores the fact that many of us are STILL gnashing our teeth about your quitting and yelling WHYYYYYY???

[ash48]

What I want to know is why are the ratings so good? I figure it's more about appealing to the general viewer that the hard core fans maybe? When I see the ratings for the last episode at the highest for - what? 4 years, I wonder what it is I am missing. The problem is (for me) that this signals that this type of episode is popular with viewers and more will be created like this. It didn't even have anything supernatural in it so I'm not sure what that says? It hardly featured S&D so does that mean (as some often say) Castiel is the real draw card? I would have thought the MoTW eps may have been more of a draw card for the casual viewer anyway...

*headscratch*. I mean, I'm really happy for the show I suppose (more Js to enjoy!) but I'm confused.

And yeah - 8 hours working on something that's a struggle ain't fun (though I'm sure many people need a laugh sometimes to cheer them up!).

[tebtosca]

the ratings were NOT the highest in 4 years. As I said was going to happen on twitter, the overrun from Flash inflated the early prelim numbers. It's metwork PR's job to lie, so they release press releases based on prelim numbers that they know are inflated to look better to create a narrative. People who have a vested interested in that particular narrative (Misha, Jim Michaels, Guy Bee, Superwiki) repeated the lie even though I'm sure they knew it was a lie, and then of course failed to correct their error when the final numbers came in later showing the ratings were not much more impressive than the ratings for the Clue episode, a regular MOTW vs. a mid season finale.

Sorry -- I work in TV and look at ratings data twice a day I roll my eyes at this stuff lol. The ratings are FINE and S11 (and probably S12) are a guarantee, so it's just silly.

Content rarely affects ratings, particularly in a show this old. But this is a convo for another day because it would get long and technical haha.

[ash48]

Haha!! :D - forgotten to switch the light on! (it's that hair - they can't find the switch under that bob!)