Supernatural Gushing and Fangirling---Season 1 and a bit of Season 2
I'm posting this because I feel bad about how I'm seemingly always dumping my Supernatural raving onto poor R-girl when she probably wants to know nothing about it. *sweatdrop* (I'm truly sorry, and if I'm making you uncomfortable, please tell me to shut up. ^^)
I'm thinking of making some sort of post to chronicle a bit of me and my friends' Supernatural marathon, but I'm still debating that. So for now, as we're done with season 1, and that was the first time I'd rewatched it, you get my Top Five Favorite Episodes of Season 1, along with my Top Three Least Favorites (because I want to be more positive than negative at the moment). After that, I'll probably muse a bit about season 2, what are my current favorite episodes, and then later after we're done see how much my opinions change.
Spoilers will be beneath this cut, obviously, and possibly up through season 6.
I love Dean Winchester. I really, really do. It was pretty much love at first sight. *smishes him*
Ahem. So! Let's get right down to it. There honestly aren't really any episodes in this season that I consider to be bad or boring or anything like that. (Admittedly, everyone really got distracted during "Route 666", but the point still stands.) However, I do have my preferences and favorites. These are things that, at least the first time around through most of the show, seem to catch my fancy:
- Outsider POVs, especially if they are competent
- Bonus points if said Outsider POV character(s) are girls and they are awesome
- Bonus points if the Outsider POV character(s) are law enforcement of some kind
(And obviously, all three together are worth triple points. Supernatural is quite kind in giving these to me. ^^)
- Dean love and appreciation (Sorry, but I'm a gigantic, unashamed Deangirl)
- things that highlight the strength of the bond that Dean and Sam have
For the record, I still haven't watched season 7, so please no spoilers (not that I'm expecting someone to comment on this post, but you never know).
Fun Comments from Our Marathon
1. The promise to check after five minutes to make sure that I didn't drown in the toilet when I had to go to the bathroom after we watched "Dead in the Water", and that two of my friends claim to have actually bet on it. Thanks, guys. XD XD XD
2. Our nickname for Sam Winchester being "Sam-whore" XD XD XD XD We love you really, Sam.
3. Lys being completely shocked and blown away at the end of "Bloody Mary". ^^ Told her she'd like this show. :P
4. WWBD: What Would Buffy Do XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
5. A long-winded discussion of Lucky Charms during "Something Wicked This Way Comes" XD Also, how Dean seriously needs perspective and to learn to let things go.
Kiryn's Top Five Favorite Episodes of Supernatural's Season 1
1. "Provenance" (1.19)
Two words on what makes this episode so awesome for me: Sarah Blake. OMG, this girl. So, so, so much love. Sarah is just so kickass, and I wish she could have stuck around for longer, and I honestly think that Sam would have been so much better off with her than with any other love interest he gains in the rest of the series. Plus, the haunted painting in this episode is so fucking creepy. But SARAH!!!!!!! I love her. I love the way she calls Sam out on his bullshit. I love that Dean and Sam actually have a conversation about Jessica. I love Sam's complete awkwardness and Sarah's BAMFness. It's just a great character episode.
2. "Asylum" (1.10)
Firstly: badass girl Outsider who can shoot a gun and everything---AWESOME. I love Kat. She rocks. Secondly: Elicott is so fucking creepy. Reminds me of that Therapy Buddy from American Inventor. *shudders* (and if you have no idea what I'm talking about, trust me...you would NOT want 'therapy' from that...thing. Ugh.) Thirdly: Ah, brotherly angst, how delicious are you....I think I'm noticing a theme. My most favorite episodes aren't necessarily the particularly plotty ones...I seem to be geared more towards the ones that just focus on the characters and the fleshing out and developing of their relationships with each other. And this episode is that---Sam and Dean's conflicting views on their father, Sam essentially being forced to lose his filters and releasing all his anger and issues and shooting Dean...it's seriously heartbreaking. And of course, I love it. :3 Plus, come on....who doesn't love haunted asylums?
3. "Pilot" (1.1)
Firstly: Jessica, I will sorely miss you. :(
This episode is just such a good introduction to the show. It hooked me in, and in hindsight, it really set the (harsh) precedent for the show to come that I would completely fall in love with. Because I totally did not see Jessica's death coming. I mean, it was just the FIRST EPISODE!!!! And now, watching it again after having seen most of the show, it's like every second of this episode is a Seed of Awesomeness being planted---Dean being able to escape handcuffs with a paperclip, the Daddy Issues, the John/Sam parallel...it's just so amazing, okay?
4. "The Benders" (1.15)
Their shock that they're just dealing with humans is amusing. Also: KATHLEEN!!!!! Badass woman cop Outsider POV!!! WIN WIN WIN!! :D
Dean's panic and desperation to find Sam is so heartbreaking. Jensen Ackles is such an amazing actor. Plus, I like the equal amounts of Dean and Sam awesomeness.
5. "Devil's Trap" (1.22)
Okay, first of all: the end of this episode completely shocked me. Like the Winchesters, I was COMPLETELY blindsided by that semi. What an edgy and evil cliffhanger to leave the show on. Also, knowing that Jared stole the car horn during those scenes is really adorable and hilarious.
But this is the episode that Dean started breaking my heart in----he didn't completely break it until the end of season 2 with "What Is and What Should Never Be", and then he shattered it in "All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1", but man, this is truly the episode that drove in the spike to make some fractures. Seriously, how fucking sad is it that Dean recognizes his father as being possessed because his dad is proud of him?! And then of course, Azazel gives such a whammy with this line to Dean: "You fight and you fight for this family, but the truth is, they don't need you, not like how you need them." Especially given how Dean's only wish is for his family to be safe and happy and all, and just....ugh. Dean hurts my heart so much. (And as a note, JDM plays possessed!John so freaking well, omg) And the best part is that the awesomeness of this confrontation between Azazel and the Winchesters is on top of Bobby's introduction and Meg's evil-fab and exorcism....it's just a bundle of awesome and heartbreak.
Kiryn's Top Three Least Favorite Episodes in Season 1 of Supernatural
1. "Bugs" (1.8)
Look at the title of this episode. Add it to my intense fear of all things insects and spiders and such. Now do the math. D: *shudders* There are some truly awful ways to die throughout the show, but this episode's is the WORST, in my bug-fearing opinion. DX DX DX
2. "Shadow" (1.16)
It's not that I think this episode is poorly done or anything, so much as it's...odd. In particular, the daevas or whatever are just so weird to me. Like...they're ramped up so much, and then just kind of fizzle and fade out and are NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN, at least up until season 7. I know that Supernatural was still getting into its stride and hammering out their in-universe mythology and all, but...still. Plus, Meg is skeevy and rags on Dean (bitch I will CUT YOU), though I love her actress, Sam's all stalker-y and a bit pervy, and it's just...yeah.
3. "Hook Man" (1.7)
This episode isn't bad or anything. It's just...well, okay, let me say it and bring the wrath down upon myself, but it's a very Sam-centered episode, and there aren't much in the way of my personal triggers to make it awesome and stand out, and so...I suppose what I'm saying is that it's a bit bland for me personally. Also, Lori honestly scares me a bit. There is good religious (Layla in "Faith", for instance), and then there is intense and slightly creepy religious like this. :/
So, these are my thoughts. As of the moment, I'd say that season 5 is my favorite season, because yay tragedy and angst and character development and Death and storms of awesomeness, but...it's still such a fucking depressing season, and as such, I'm glad that I can come back to the (generally speaking) lighter-hearted episodes of season 1. I love me my tragedy, but I do need some fluff to balance it out a bit.
So now, our Epic Marathon is on to season 2, and so far we have seen the first three episodes: "In My Time of Dying", "Everybody Loves a Clown", and "Bloodlust".
If I am to start keeping track of the order in which I like the episodes now....I'd honestly have to say that I like them exactly like that so far. "In My Time of Dying" is just so bittersweet and beautiful and poignant, and I'm pretty sure it'll remain at the top of my favorite episodes throughout this season. "Everybody Loves a Clown" FREAKS ME THE HELL OUT FOREVER, UGH, I HONESTLY THINK THAT THIS MAY BE EVEN WORSE THAN THE BUGS, but I still like it better over "Bloodlust" for three main reasons: 1) there is no Gordon in ELAC, 2) FUCK YES, ELLEN AND JO AND ASH AND THE ROADHOUSE!!, 3) seeing the brothers trying to deal with John's death appeased me and balanced out the utter terror that is that fucking clown. As for "Bloodlust"....well, two things. Even though I like the ambiguity these particular ones bring and how they're generally portrayed in this show....I just am not the biggest fan of vampires. The only time I loveloveloveloved an episode with vampires was season 6's "Live Free or Twi-Hard", and that was because it gave us BAMF!vamp!Dean (take that Christian. Say that Dean isn't a good hunter and is 'rusty' and 'weak' again. I dare you. And I dare you to say it after you've just beheaded an entire warehouse full of 50+ vampires, ALL BY YOURSELF, especially ones that are all theoretically more focused than you because you're also trying to resist the distraction that is the compulsion to feed on all the human blood surrounding you. DARE YOU, YOU ASSHOLE. :/ *hearts Dean* ...Ahem. ). Secondly...fucking hell, I really don't like Gordon. I do like the way they revealed that he killed his own vamp!sister, though...that was excellent. But fuck Gordon. *sigh* I just hate zealots, is all. Thankfully we really don't have to put up with Gordon much....
Anyway. As of the moment, before I've really rewatched this season, these are my top 5 favorites/top 3 least favorites, respectively: 1) "The Usual Suspects", 2) "In My Time of Dying", 3) "Folsom Prison Blues", 4) "Hollywood Babylon", and 5) "What Is and What Should Never Be; 1) "Heart" (ugh, I haaaaaaaaaaate this episode so much DX), 2) "Bloodlust" (oh, Gordon...*sighs*), and 3) No Exit.
So, let's see how this holds out under rewatch. Annnnd I think that'll be all for now. :)
o - o - o
Sam: Hey Dad? What ever happened to that college fund?
John: ...Spent it on ammo.
-"Dead Man's Blood" (1.20)
o - o - o
I'm thinking of making some sort of post to chronicle a bit of me and my friends' Supernatural marathon, but I'm still debating that. So for now, as we're done with season 1, and that was the first time I'd rewatched it, you get my Top Five Favorite Episodes of Season 1, along with my Top Three Least Favorites (because I want to be more positive than negative at the moment). After that, I'll probably muse a bit about season 2, what are my current favorite episodes, and then later after we're done see how much my opinions change.
Spoilers will be beneath this cut, obviously, and possibly up through season 6.
I love Dean Winchester. I really, really do. It was pretty much love at first sight. *smishes him*
Ahem. So! Let's get right down to it. There honestly aren't really any episodes in this season that I consider to be bad or boring or anything like that. (Admittedly, everyone really got distracted during "Route 666", but the point still stands.) However, I do have my preferences and favorites. These are things that, at least the first time around through most of the show, seem to catch my fancy:
- Outsider POVs, especially if they are competent
- Bonus points if said Outsider POV character(s) are girls and they are awesome
- Bonus points if the Outsider POV character(s) are law enforcement of some kind
(And obviously, all three together are worth triple points. Supernatural is quite kind in giving these to me. ^^)
- Dean love and appreciation (Sorry, but I'm a gigantic, unashamed Deangirl)
- things that highlight the strength of the bond that Dean and Sam have
For the record, I still haven't watched season 7, so please no spoilers (not that I'm expecting someone to comment on this post, but you never know).
Fun Comments from Our Marathon
1. The promise to check after five minutes to make sure that I didn't drown in the toilet when I had to go to the bathroom after we watched "Dead in the Water", and that two of my friends claim to have actually bet on it. Thanks, guys. XD XD XD
2. Our nickname for Sam Winchester being "Sam-whore" XD XD XD XD We love you really, Sam.
3. Lys being completely shocked and blown away at the end of "Bloody Mary". ^^ Told her she'd like this show. :P
4. WWBD: What Would Buffy Do XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
5. A long-winded discussion of Lucky Charms during "Something Wicked This Way Comes" XD Also, how Dean seriously needs perspective and to learn to let things go.
Kiryn's Top Five Favorite Episodes of Supernatural's Season 1
1. "Provenance" (1.19)
Two words on what makes this episode so awesome for me: Sarah Blake. OMG, this girl. So, so, so much love. Sarah is just so kickass, and I wish she could have stuck around for longer, and I honestly think that Sam would have been so much better off with her than with any other love interest he gains in the rest of the series. Plus, the haunted painting in this episode is so fucking creepy. But SARAH!!!!!!! I love her. I love the way she calls Sam out on his bullshit. I love that Dean and Sam actually have a conversation about Jessica. I love Sam's complete awkwardness and Sarah's BAMFness. It's just a great character episode.
2. "Asylum" (1.10)
Firstly: badass girl Outsider who can shoot a gun and everything---AWESOME. I love Kat. She rocks. Secondly: Elicott is so fucking creepy. Reminds me of that Therapy Buddy from American Inventor. *shudders* (and if you have no idea what I'm talking about, trust me...you would NOT want 'therapy' from that...thing. Ugh.) Thirdly: Ah, brotherly angst, how delicious are you....I think I'm noticing a theme. My most favorite episodes aren't necessarily the particularly plotty ones...I seem to be geared more towards the ones that just focus on the characters and the fleshing out and developing of their relationships with each other. And this episode is that---Sam and Dean's conflicting views on their father, Sam essentially being forced to lose his filters and releasing all his anger and issues and shooting Dean...it's seriously heartbreaking. And of course, I love it. :3 Plus, come on....who doesn't love haunted asylums?
3. "Pilot" (1.1)
Firstly: Jessica, I will sorely miss you. :(
This episode is just such a good introduction to the show. It hooked me in, and in hindsight, it really set the (harsh) precedent for the show to come that I would completely fall in love with. Because I totally did not see Jessica's death coming. I mean, it was just the FIRST EPISODE!!!! And now, watching it again after having seen most of the show, it's like every second of this episode is a Seed of Awesomeness being planted---Dean being able to escape handcuffs with a paperclip, the Daddy Issues, the John/Sam parallel...it's just so amazing, okay?
4. "The Benders" (1.15)
Their shock that they're just dealing with humans is amusing. Also: KATHLEEN!!!!! Badass woman cop Outsider POV!!! WIN WIN WIN!! :D
Dean's panic and desperation to find Sam is so heartbreaking. Jensen Ackles is such an amazing actor. Plus, I like the equal amounts of Dean and Sam awesomeness.
5. "Devil's Trap" (1.22)
Okay, first of all: the end of this episode completely shocked me. Like the Winchesters, I was COMPLETELY blindsided by that semi. What an edgy and evil cliffhanger to leave the show on. Also, knowing that Jared stole the car horn during those scenes is really adorable and hilarious.
But this is the episode that Dean started breaking my heart in----he didn't completely break it until the end of season 2 with "What Is and What Should Never Be", and then he shattered it in "All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1", but man, this is truly the episode that drove in the spike to make some fractures. Seriously, how fucking sad is it that Dean recognizes his father as being possessed because his dad is proud of him?! And then of course, Azazel gives such a whammy with this line to Dean: "You fight and you fight for this family, but the truth is, they don't need you, not like how you need them." Especially given how Dean's only wish is for his family to be safe and happy and all, and just....ugh. Dean hurts my heart so much. (And as a note, JDM plays possessed!John so freaking well, omg) And the best part is that the awesomeness of this confrontation between Azazel and the Winchesters is on top of Bobby's introduction and Meg's evil-fab and exorcism....it's just a bundle of awesome and heartbreak.
Kiryn's Top Three Least Favorite Episodes in Season 1 of Supernatural
1. "Bugs" (1.8)
Look at the title of this episode. Add it to my intense fear of all things insects and spiders and such. Now do the math. D: *shudders* There are some truly awful ways to die throughout the show, but this episode's is the WORST, in my bug-fearing opinion. DX DX DX
2. "Shadow" (1.16)
It's not that I think this episode is poorly done or anything, so much as it's...odd. In particular, the daevas or whatever are just so weird to me. Like...they're ramped up so much, and then just kind of fizzle and fade out and are NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN, at least up until season 7. I know that Supernatural was still getting into its stride and hammering out their in-universe mythology and all, but...still. Plus, Meg is skeevy and rags on Dean (bitch I will CUT YOU), though I love her actress, Sam's all stalker-y and a bit pervy, and it's just...yeah.
3. "Hook Man" (1.7)
This episode isn't bad or anything. It's just...well, okay, let me say it and bring the wrath down upon myself, but it's a very Sam-centered episode, and there aren't much in the way of my personal triggers to make it awesome and stand out, and so...I suppose what I'm saying is that it's a bit bland for me personally. Also, Lori honestly scares me a bit. There is good religious (Layla in "Faith", for instance), and then there is intense and slightly creepy religious like this. :/
So, these are my thoughts. As of the moment, I'd say that season 5 is my favorite season, because yay tragedy and angst and character development and Death and storms of awesomeness, but...it's still such a fucking depressing season, and as such, I'm glad that I can come back to the (generally speaking) lighter-hearted episodes of season 1. I love me my tragedy, but I do need some fluff to balance it out a bit.
So now, our Epic Marathon is on to season 2, and so far we have seen the first three episodes: "In My Time of Dying", "Everybody Loves a Clown", and "Bloodlust".
If I am to start keeping track of the order in which I like the episodes now....I'd honestly have to say that I like them exactly like that so far. "In My Time of Dying" is just so bittersweet and beautiful and poignant, and I'm pretty sure it'll remain at the top of my favorite episodes throughout this season. "Everybody Loves a Clown" FREAKS ME THE HELL OUT FOREVER, UGH, I HONESTLY THINK THAT THIS MAY BE EVEN WORSE THAN THE BUGS, but I still like it better over "Bloodlust" for three main reasons: 1) there is no Gordon in ELAC, 2) FUCK YES, ELLEN AND JO AND ASH AND THE ROADHOUSE!!, 3) seeing the brothers trying to deal with John's death appeased me and balanced out the utter terror that is that fucking clown. As for "Bloodlust"....well, two things. Even though I like the ambiguity these particular ones bring and how they're generally portrayed in this show....I just am not the biggest fan of vampires. The only time I loveloveloveloved an episode with vampires was season 6's "Live Free or Twi-Hard", and that was because it gave us BAMF!vamp!Dean (take that Christian. Say that Dean isn't a good hunter and is 'rusty' and 'weak' again. I dare you. And I dare you to say it after you've just beheaded an entire warehouse full of 50+ vampires, ALL BY YOURSELF, especially ones that are all theoretically more focused than you because you're also trying to resist the distraction that is the compulsion to feed on all the human blood surrounding you. DARE YOU, YOU ASSHOLE. :/ *hearts Dean* ...Ahem. ). Secondly...fucking hell, I really don't like Gordon. I do like the way they revealed that he killed his own vamp!sister, though...that was excellent. But fuck Gordon. *sigh* I just hate zealots, is all. Thankfully we really don't have to put up with Gordon much....
Anyway. As of the moment, before I've really rewatched this season, these are my top 5 favorites/top 3 least favorites, respectively: 1) "The Usual Suspects", 2) "In My Time of Dying", 3) "Folsom Prison Blues", 4) "Hollywood Babylon", and 5) "What Is and What Should Never Be; 1) "Heart" (ugh, I haaaaaaaaaaate this episode so much DX), 2) "Bloodlust" (oh, Gordon...*sighs*), and 3) No Exit.
So, let's see how this holds out under rewatch. Annnnd I think that'll be all for now. :)
o - o - o
Sam: Hey Dad? What ever happened to that college fund?
John: ...Spent it on ammo.
-"Dead Man's Blood" (1.20)
o - o - o