SPN 2x04: Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things
Once or twice during this episode, I would have sworn I was reading fan fiction -- "Are you high?", "Awkward," the porn channel thing, "Now I'm gonna lose you too?". And I confess. IT MADE ME SQUEE. YES. IT DID.
Sam's increasing frustration with Dean as Dean continued to reject all efforts to help him, particularly in the first half of the ep, was plain, and it made the dynamics between them feel a little off, to me. I think that's why I liked that moment where Sam basically offered to let Dean take another shot at him (oh, Sam!!), and Dean's chilling, can't-do-this reaction. (Because I think for a moment, the thought had crossed his mind. Maybe more than once.) He swung from not being willing to let Sam go off alone (and not being willing to go to the Roadhouse without his company, though that was mostly an excuse *g*) to needing to get away from Sam's persistent attempts to crawl inside his psyche. Ouch. But I loved them annoying each other to the point of total aggravation. It is truly the way of siblings. As I can attest.
I thought the sequence with Sam leaving the dog tags at Mary's grave was touching. I found it incredibly poignant that Sam wanted to leave something of his father with his mother. One wonders if Sam believes they are together now. Awww.
Dean was way, way off his game in the house with the father. I loved how Sam was able to pick up on the shift in the father's attitude, the cues that said he didn't know wtf Dean was talking about, and Dean was so focused on his agenda, his issues, that he was blind to it. Which, wow. He is truly fucked up. One interesting thing here was that JP seemed to be stumbling over his dialogue once or twice, and if that was an intentional choice, it lent authenticity to Sam being a little off his game as well, floundering a little, not all cool and confident. As Dean is unraveling, Sam is unraveling too, unspooled by Dean's ragged edges. Dean's grief may be killing him, but it's sucking Sam into its dark black center a piece at a time. But he implied to Sam that they would deal with this later -- I get it, yes, let's kill zombies now -- and then later, he followed through on that implied promise instead of just blowing it off. Which was pretty wonderful.
Sidebar: I kind of hate Sam's hair this season. It is exceptionally unflattering. It makes his head look big and his face look fat. *hates*
Back to the ep. Look, it's Necrophilia Boy and Living Dead Girl. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww.
DUCKY OMFG. Someone's been watching the oeuvre of John Hughes. I bet Dean crushed on Molly Ringwald's lips.
Two porn jokes in the same episode? Plus a hardcore sex line? Um. Okay. I'm not complaining, but. Okay. *g*
I sure hope Dean and Sam can find a use for all those extra candles. (she said innocently) What??
Dean with the shooting and staking? Hotter than a thousand blazing suns at mid-day.
I sort of figured that after three repetitions of "What's dead should stay that way" or something along those lines, they were heading somewhere with it, but wow. Dean tears = Des tears. That was some payoff. And as I said once before, Sam just absolutely does not do well when Dean finally comes unglued. Not only was he at a loss for what to say, but he couldn't even look at Dean, because Dean called that one correctly. No platitudes or comforting words; no comfort he can offer, aside from being there to hear it, finally.
As for them not hugging -- it wouldn't have worked for me, sorry. I think if Sam had tried, that would have been the last time Dean ever tells him what he's feeling. Ever. The lines and boundaries around Dean are now entirely defined by Dean; he's the one who decides which of them can be crossed, and all Sam can really do is...try to be there when a barrier falls.
I love this show so much, it hurts.