Supernatural: Old School Special
Okay, well I loved this episode. Season four has been really satisfying so far, and this episode perhaps most of all. Maybe the dialogue was a little too simplistic in spots (Dirk the Jerk? Had they really not thought of that name before? Come on! It would've been something much worse at my school), but it didn't really bother me. I'm just a sucker for wee Sam and Dean stories. I would totally watch a spin-off involving them. Especially if Colin Ford were in it, because, man, can that kid act. He is going to be a star some day, mark my words. He just is Sam. Now, Brock Kelly I'm not so sure about. He looked like Dean, he had the mannerisms down, but there was just something a little off about him. It's like he was channeling Fonzie or something. I can't really put my finger on it. But I wasn't sold on him like I was with Sam.
Anyway, with the salting and burning and the EMf and all, it felt pretty old school. It should've been called "Old School special."
The shorts! Oh man, the shorts. That will never not be funny. I've been giggling at the spoiler clip of this scene since before Christmas. Sweetheart, I know you don't do shorts, but you so should. And Sam is a janitor! Hee. How come we never saw him mopping floors or something? Plus, love that Dean was thinking of his stomach first and the case second. He can't miss sloppy joe day! (Uh, do they do lunch days in high school? I seem to remember only having pizza day and such in elementary school...)
The goo coming out of the eyes reminded me of Bloody Mary and I thought for a moment they might finally solve that mystery, but yeah.... no. Unless... maybe the secret is what we already learned about Sam having demon blood and whatnot, and that's why his eyes bled? Discuss among yourselves.
Outsiders reference FTW! That is so perfect. See, show, you can be subtle with the allusions! No need to hit us over the head. :)
"No one's ever asked me that before." I guess this is the moment it occurs to Sam that he actually has a choice; he doesn't have to become a hunter. Poor little guy, all he needed was a little attention.
Okay, the bus driver looks like a homicidal maniac, so if that wasn't the team's first clue something was up...
I love the 21 Jump Street reference, and I love it even more that the kids had no idea what that is since it was before their time. ("Dream on Jump Street, I'm not leaving you alone with her." Sorry, I had to sneak that in there. ;) )
You know, I like that Dean's girlfriend can see through his bad boy act, but I don't really believe that most teens are that perceptive enough to psycho-analyze someone they've only known a couple weeks. She was so composed. Any of the kids I knew would've been like, "No parents?! PAR-TAY!"
I think it's telling that the one place where Sam and Dean both found acceptance is the one place Dean can't wait to get away from. I can't express how, exactly... but yeah, it's interesting. Maybe it's Dean's self-esteem issues kicking in.
Then the end... well, it's just depressing. Sure, happiness matters, but it's also a fleeting thing. A lot of people don't have the luxury of enjoying what they do for a living. A job is just a means of survival for them. You have to eat, after all, and sometimes that means doing something you hate just to get by. Happiness doesn't even enter the equation. And the show seems to be saying that no matter what Sam did with his life, he was doomed to be unhappy, and happy to simply be surviving. Which is just the saddest thing ever. Thanks for leaving us with that thought, show! Now I need a drink...