SPN 9.19: this is a cleanup mission, not a rescue.
SPN 9.19
So was that episode fab or what?! It packed so much goodness into forty minutes-lots of violence, horror, angst, and a surprisingly gentle sort of emotionality, all the more beautiful for how understated it was. And also ANVILS, because this is the Carver regime we’re talking about here.
(I also understand that not everybody is as happy with the episode as I am. I heartily welcome discussion and debate, of course.)
SPOILERS ahead.
1. Ann’s story was clearly intended to parallel Sam’s, and not just in a situational way like Harry’s, but as a whole arc. If this doesn’t convince people that Show knows exactly what it’s doing, then nothing will.
The “family is everything” concept that was deified (literally; Chuck-god Wrote it) at the end of season 5, has been torn down comprehensively, a process that perhaps started right with s6. Its faults have been revealed; its “specialness” has been questioned. The Winchesters may be the metaphorical centre of this ‘verse, but strong, glorified fraternal bonds, with its implied hierarchy of age and subsequent circles of control, is not exclusive to the Winchesters or even to their own species; actually, Dean finds the werewolf family from earlier this season disgusting, and he was quite happy to obliterate the vampire family this episode.
The same filial bonds that drew Ann to her “family” despite her revulsion for what they did and what they made her do; the dismissal of her very valid emotions as a “teenage phase” and implying that she was complicit in her own abuse because she “enjoyed it”, because she was co-operative; maintaining a kind of “innocence” in her out of some deluded thought of “helping her”; finally subsuming her in the vampiric life completely; alternating wildly between reassurance and naked anger; assigning blame on her for things entirely out of her control. Tell me this isn’t Sam’s story. Tell me.
(The scene where Ann injects the dead man’s
blood into “Mama” instantly brought to mind Amy Pond stabbing her mother to save Sam. A part of why Dean killed Amy-a significant part, I’d wager-is that he found this idea of opposing kin and striking out threatening to his whole life philosophy. Perhaps he was so bent on killing Ann because he refused to see her as a victim; didn’t want to see her as one. I mean, Dean’s black-and-white view of things comes into play here, sure, but one thing he absolutely cannot do is see Sam as a victim of his own family, even when it’s hitting him in the face.)
2. Sam was noticeably wary around Dean in this episode, and immediately clamped down on any kind of confrontation in front of Jody. He’s both afraid of and afraid for Dean; he’s carrying around a Mark whose last owner murdered his younger brother and turned into a killing machine; he’s not sure how deep or how far his brother’s bloodlust runs yet.
There was noticeable hesitation when he agreed with Dean about Ann; he cast several furtive looks at his brother. On top of that, I think he (correctly) suspected that Jody was getting attached to Ann and was hell-bent on protecting her because of what happened with her family. He knew the danger of making the hunt quite that personal (“what’s this really about?”), and was probably trying to get them to distance themselves from Ann’s situation.
On top of this, Dean has been remarkably petty and bitter over the last several episodes in response to both Sam’s well-articulated hurt and concern; Sam was just tired and dispirited and simply did not wish to engage.
3. … Okay, look. I’m having a hard time defining the extent of the “Mark of Cain’s influence” over Dean’s behaviour. I’ve seen the words “dark”, “darkness”, and “dark!Dean” used so much that they don’t even seem like words anymore to me. I get that his Mark calls to the First Blade. I get that it hurts. But I don’t see any evidence of “uncontrolled bloodlust”. I don’t see any significant change in behaviour from his usual self. The same Dean that slid a knife into Amy Pond wanted to kill Ann. The same Dean that crushed in that ghoul’s skull and kept going even after it was dead even as his brother was bleeding out was the one that enjoyed wiping out that vampire family today. I mean. I see the Mark as an excuse to indulge in inherent bloodlust; I see it as a prop behind which Dean hides, so he can avoid facing himself. He obsesses over it; scratches at it; gazes at it in the mirror. He is both terrified and fascinated by his killer nature, now that it has a symbol that he can fondle and use as an external marker of his ~endless manpain.
Just. Look at the way he approaches his brother, his bleeding-out, hypovolemic, shocky brother, and tells him, “I know, you wouldn’t have done the same to save me.” How bitter, how petty that is. How completely inconsiderate, terrible and thoughtless that is. And there are people attributing this to the Mark of Cain, which I call bullshit.
Dean is aware of several things here:
- That what he did was clearly over-the-top and something that his brother would (correctly) object to;
- That what he said is ridiculous, because he’s been hurt by his brother’s words, and is using them to hurt Sam back in passive-aggressive ways;
- That would probably prompt a “of course I didn’t mean it that way, Dean,” from Sam, which he could use to try and re-establish the dynamics of power. Sam, either through will (because he prioritised saving Jody over his personal squabbles), or shock, didn’t give in.
Not one word that came from Dean was in any way sympathetic; not one action was done outside of his control/intentions. I love the episode for this.
4. JODY motherfucking MILLS.
Y’know, there was so much talk prior to this episode about the show preserving Sam and Jody’s friendship and not handing it over to Dean, but I’m glad this episode was about her, her past, her badass hunting skills, her efforts to reach out to Ann, her acknowledging her own grief and pain, and offering to use that experience to help Ann through.
She is such a great leader-so many instances of her looking out for her lads at the station. She stood up to SamnDean when her principles were at stake, and she did not flinch. She did not need rescuing. She is humble enough to admit to her vulnerabilities, but not so needy she wants comfort from SamnDean.
She is beautiful, inside and out, and god did she shine in this episode.
(Also: lots of neat continuity! Apart from the obvious references to Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, the vampire cure from Live Free or Twihard came up again-complete with creepy burst-subconjunctival-vessels effect-and the inquiry after Jody’s shoulder which she hurt half-a-season ago. Also: A+ wound makeup.)
5. I think it’s fairly obvious that at some point between Jody cutting off Mama’s head and SamnDean’s heart-to-heart, they visited a hospital? Or at least a clinic? Because she’s wearing a knee brace, they’ve had time to prepare the antidote. Probably gave Sam fluids and a unit of blood in the interim.
6. Lord that last scene. What a wonderful note to end the episode on.
7. I’m so impressed with this episode, guys. I felt for the vampires, I felt for Jody, I felt for Ann; it was written with great regard to the complexity and often contradictory nature of any sentient being, without once excusing their questionable judgments. The exposition was laced with enough emotion and moments of Jody bing awesome that it never felt boring. And there were so many call-backs.
I’m unsurprised that the same writer who wrote Captives wrote this one.
8. Finally: my fondest hope is for Sam to have the conversation that Ann and Jody have in the final scene with someone like Jody. Fondest hope.