Insta-thoughts on SPN 8.06 + CF 1.05
Will get around to finishing/posting the 8.05 & 8.06 recaps/commentaries sometime within the next few days--Diwali weekend is coming up, so I'll get to them in between the fireworks and hogging on my grandmother's cooking.
About Supernatural! Some quick thoughts. SPOILERS under the cut.
8.06: Southern Comfort
1. What's with the dialogue this episode, people? "You're sulking around like a eunuch in a whorehouse"? "I'll make mustard of your brainstem"? "You left me in Purgatory for a GIRL?"
And, of course, "What about Benny?" It doesn't help that Sam sounds like a 5 year old desperately jealous of his newborn sibling when he says that name.
2. I'll be honest--I harboured a healthy dislike for Garth before this episode. But now that dislike's morphed into something approaching fond tolerance, because:
a) He went to dental school. And killed the Tooth Fairy. So much WIN.
b) He SHUT DEAN UP. Thumbs up, man.
2.45. I honestly don't have any problem with Garth taking up Bobby's duties, despite the weirdness of having somebody else say "Idjits!" and "Balls!" I'll tell you what I deeply resent, however--taking over Bobby's role apparently means taking over as couples' therapist for the Winchesters, being the font of all their information, doing all their research for them, and conveniently have the right answer every single time. Not only was Garth much more cognisant of what was happening, he was sensible enough to have Bobby's notes, AND he had to give cues to Dean while interviewing Mary! I miss Bobby, not Bobby ex machina.
2.458. On a related note, why don't these two know about spectres? And considering the number of graves they've disturbed, why haven't they run into green ectoplasm before? And when are these two going to start recording their own hunts, maintain their own resources for research? They've fought things no Hunter has fought before! Why are they still loaning brains--first from Bobby, then Frank, now Garth?
2.5. Conveniently, Garth magically resents NOBODY, so he saves Sam and Dean from killing each other for the 34675th time. Garth ex machina.
2.67. Also, that librarian bore a strong resemblance to Garth. Sister?
2.75. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't Americans learn about the Civil War in detail in school? I mean, why would Dean assume what Garth knew about the war, he learnt from college?
3. DO YOU OR DO YOU NOT WANT TO GO AFTER KEVIN, DEAN? One ep, you're all for ditching Kevin and going on a case. Next episode, you're all over Sam for not being able to trace the kid. The next, you're AGAIN allowing the trail to go cold, because SAVING PEOPLE, HUNTING THINGS, RIGHT?
"People change."
No, they don't. Shut up, Dean.
"You let the werewolf Kate go."
Dean, Sam brought up AMY, who was his FRIEND. A friend that SAVED HIS LIFE. He was making a direct comparison to BENNY. You had no reason to bring Kate into the conversation. Neither of you even MET her!
"Is it time to eat?"
Why are you wasting time in a diner, eating, when you could be ~SAVING LIVES? I mean, that's why you dragged Sam away from the organic market, right?
"You turned your phone off for a whole year."
Okay, I'm getting REEEAL tired of this. Someone's gonna have to call Dean out on this, and soon.
"Not telling me you lost your soul; running around with Samuel for a whole year, letting me think you were dead while you were running around doing all kinds of crap."
He was SOULLESS, DEAN. I know you're possessed, but WTF?
"You left me in Purgatory for a girl?"
To that I say, you value a vampire's word over your own brother's? See how stupid that sounds, Dean?
"He was a better brother than you've ever been!"
OKAY. ZIP IT, DEAN. SSH! ZIP--ZIP IT! GO TO THE CORNER AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST SAID. Seriously, the tone of the argument was like that of two seriously overgrown five year olds.
4. Sam/Amelia! Segues to flashbacks are awkward as hell, but I like the idea of Sam standing around blankly, lost in his own head for a while. I like that it happens frequently.
5. Amelia's backstory is unexpected and painful--her husband, Don, died in Afghanistan in combat. "Don"--"Dean"--"warrior killed in action"--Show's being particularly unsubtle here (no mean feat--Show loves its anvils and sledgehammers), but I love that Sam and Amelia are both damaged, and work to build a relationship on common ground. I'm interested in watching how it unfolds.
5.5. I love how Sam doesn't look for pity. I love that little moment where Amelia tells her backstory (depressing choice of topic for post-coital chat, though), and finishes it with, "... and you hit a dog." Sam's face, then, GOD. How he just holds her closer and says nothing, because there's just too bloody much to tell.
6. OK, look. I get the central conceit of SPN. I mean, for every show, its protags are the centre of its universe, sure. In SPN, however, the conceit is that Sam and Dean are literally the centre of the universe. They're a microcosm of ALL humanity. The fate of the world depends on their family squabbles--Dean felt a little resentful of Sam spilling mayo in the 'pala when he was ten? Boom, you're one step closer to bringing about the END OF THE WORLD. LITERALLY.
This season, however, practically everything has been tailor-made to suit the boys' present relationship difficulties, right down to the supposed backstory of the Unknown Soldier--TWO BROTHERS FIGHTING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE WAR, RESENTFUL OF EACH OTHER. HOW VERY DIFFERENT.
7. This was Asylum and Sex and Violence all over again, huh.
8. I love Sam's little speech right at the end. I was hoping for more references to Ruby, but yeah.
Also: Chicago Fire! First couple episodes were mediocre, tbh, but the last three have been lovely. Cliched plotlines, old drama, but fantastic characters. And some seriously awesome rescue sequences.
1.05: Hanging On
Loving where they're taking the Casey v Voight storyline. I've always adored the Righteous Man turning to his dark side when pushed too hard and too far. I love how Casey is slowly but steadily losing his temper and self-control through the episode, culminating in the fairly disturbing last scene. Fortunately, Boden stops him in time, but that was Seriously Pissed-Off Casey, people. Loving it.
What I'm really hoping to see is Severide-Casey interaction. After the promise of the first episode, they've hardly had two words to speak to each other. Yet, both of them are at their limits, physically and mentally, and neither of them really know what kind of a mess the other's in. Delicious. It makes me wonder at the kind of relationship the men might've had before Darden's death--that Darden might've been the glue that held them together.
Shay and Dawson are too amazing for words. And Otis! And Hermann! Mills! I'm also rather taken by Varghas--he's so committed to movin' on up, but he still misses his old Truck crew. And the scene where he told Casey he was transferring to Squad--amazing scene, so many layers. I could spend paragraphs dissecting that one scene. It was brilliantly underplayed by both actors.
This is the one fandom where I'm tempted to 'ship from the get-go. I ship Casey with everyone and everything (my newest fascination is Casey/Antonio), just not... Casey/Dawson. That Dawson has this unrequited crush on Casey, who's already engaged to Hallie, and the obvious competition between Hallie and Dawson... it's a disservice to two awesome women.
Dawson/Mills has great chemistry, though--their little pasta scene was among the best in this episode ("It's... nutmeg! Yeah, baby!").
I LOVE YOU ALL. Even you, Mouch. Even you, Voight. Even you, slightly-creepy-squad-member-who-seems-to-know-a-fair-level-of-detail-on-Severide's-one-night-stands (except, y'know, I'm sure it's abbreviated on the business cards).
About Supernatural! Some quick thoughts. SPOILERS under the cut.
8.06: Southern Comfort
1. What's with the dialogue this episode, people? "You're sulking around like a eunuch in a whorehouse"? "I'll make mustard of your brainstem"? "You left me in Purgatory for a GIRL?"
And, of course, "What about Benny?" It doesn't help that Sam sounds like a 5 year old desperately jealous of his newborn sibling when he says that name.
2. I'll be honest--I harboured a healthy dislike for Garth before this episode. But now that dislike's morphed into something approaching fond tolerance, because:
a) He went to dental school. And killed the Tooth Fairy. So much WIN.
b) He SHUT DEAN UP. Thumbs up, man.
2.45. I honestly don't have any problem with Garth taking up Bobby's duties, despite the weirdness of having somebody else say "Idjits!" and "Balls!" I'll tell you what I deeply resent, however--taking over Bobby's role apparently means taking over as couples' therapist for the Winchesters, being the font of all their information, doing all their research for them, and conveniently have the right answer every single time. Not only was Garth much more cognisant of what was happening, he was sensible enough to have Bobby's notes, AND he had to give cues to Dean while interviewing Mary! I miss Bobby, not Bobby ex machina.
2.458. On a related note, why don't these two know about spectres? And considering the number of graves they've disturbed, why haven't they run into green ectoplasm before? And when are these two going to start recording their own hunts, maintain their own resources for research? They've fought things no Hunter has fought before! Why are they still loaning brains--first from Bobby, then Frank, now Garth?
2.5. Conveniently, Garth magically resents NOBODY, so he saves Sam and Dean from killing each other for the 34675th time. Garth ex machina.
2.67. Also, that librarian bore a strong resemblance to Garth. Sister?
2.75. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't Americans learn about the Civil War in detail in school? I mean, why would Dean assume what Garth knew about the war, he learnt from college?
3. DO YOU OR DO YOU NOT WANT TO GO AFTER KEVIN, DEAN? One ep, you're all for ditching Kevin and going on a case. Next episode, you're all over Sam for not being able to trace the kid. The next, you're AGAIN allowing the trail to go cold, because SAVING PEOPLE, HUNTING THINGS, RIGHT?
"People change."
No, they don't. Shut up, Dean.
"You let the werewolf Kate go."
Dean, Sam brought up AMY, who was his FRIEND. A friend that SAVED HIS LIFE. He was making a direct comparison to BENNY. You had no reason to bring Kate into the conversation. Neither of you even MET her!
"Is it time to eat?"
Why are you wasting time in a diner, eating, when you could be ~SAVING LIVES? I mean, that's why you dragged Sam away from the organic market, right?
"You turned your phone off for a whole year."
Okay, I'm getting REEEAL tired of this. Someone's gonna have to call Dean out on this, and soon.
"Not telling me you lost your soul; running around with Samuel for a whole year, letting me think you were dead while you were running around doing all kinds of crap."
He was SOULLESS, DEAN. I know you're possessed, but WTF?
"You left me in Purgatory for a girl?"
To that I say, you value a vampire's word over your own brother's? See how stupid that sounds, Dean?
"He was a better brother than you've ever been!"
OKAY. ZIP IT, DEAN. SSH! ZIP--ZIP IT! GO TO THE CORNER AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST SAID. Seriously, the tone of the argument was like that of two seriously overgrown five year olds.
4. Sam/Amelia! Segues to flashbacks are awkward as hell, but I like the idea of Sam standing around blankly, lost in his own head for a while. I like that it happens frequently.
5. Amelia's backstory is unexpected and painful--her husband, Don, died in Afghanistan in combat. "Don"--"Dean"--"warrior killed in action"--Show's being particularly unsubtle here (no mean feat--Show loves its anvils and sledgehammers), but I love that Sam and Amelia are both damaged, and work to build a relationship on common ground. I'm interested in watching how it unfolds.
5.5. I love how Sam doesn't look for pity. I love that little moment where Amelia tells her backstory (depressing choice of topic for post-coital chat, though), and finishes it with, "... and you hit a dog." Sam's face, then, GOD. How he just holds her closer and says nothing, because there's just too bloody much to tell.
6. OK, look. I get the central conceit of SPN. I mean, for every show, its protags are the centre of its universe, sure. In SPN, however, the conceit is that Sam and Dean are literally the centre of the universe. They're a microcosm of ALL humanity. The fate of the world depends on their family squabbles--Dean felt a little resentful of Sam spilling mayo in the 'pala when he was ten? Boom, you're one step closer to bringing about the END OF THE WORLD. LITERALLY.
This season, however, practically everything has been tailor-made to suit the boys' present relationship difficulties, right down to the supposed backstory of the Unknown Soldier--TWO BROTHERS FIGHTING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE WAR, RESENTFUL OF EACH OTHER. HOW VERY DIFFERENT.
7. This was Asylum and Sex and Violence all over again, huh.
8. I love Sam's little speech right at the end. I was hoping for more references to Ruby, but yeah.
Also: Chicago Fire! First couple episodes were mediocre, tbh, but the last three have been lovely. Cliched plotlines, old drama, but fantastic characters. And some seriously awesome rescue sequences.
1.05: Hanging On
Loving where they're taking the Casey v Voight storyline. I've always adored the Righteous Man turning to his dark side when pushed too hard and too far. I love how Casey is slowly but steadily losing his temper and self-control through the episode, culminating in the fairly disturbing last scene. Fortunately, Boden stops him in time, but that was Seriously Pissed-Off Casey, people. Loving it.
What I'm really hoping to see is Severide-Casey interaction. After the promise of the first episode, they've hardly had two words to speak to each other. Yet, both of them are at their limits, physically and mentally, and neither of them really know what kind of a mess the other's in. Delicious. It makes me wonder at the kind of relationship the men might've had before Darden's death--that Darden might've been the glue that held them together.
Shay and Dawson are too amazing for words. And Otis! And Hermann! Mills! I'm also rather taken by Varghas--he's so committed to movin' on up, but he still misses his old Truck crew. And the scene where he told Casey he was transferring to Squad--amazing scene, so many layers. I could spend paragraphs dissecting that one scene. It was brilliantly underplayed by both actors.
This is the one fandom where I'm tempted to 'ship from the get-go. I ship Casey with everyone and everything (my newest fascination is Casey/Antonio), just not... Casey/Dawson. That Dawson has this unrequited crush on Casey, who's already engaged to Hallie, and the obvious competition between Hallie and Dawson... it's a disservice to two awesome women.
Dawson/Mills has great chemistry, though--their little pasta scene was among the best in this episode ("It's... nutmeg! Yeah, baby!").
I LOVE YOU ALL. Even you, Mouch. Even you, Voight. Even you, slightly-creepy-squad-member-who-seems-to-know-a-fair-level-of-detail-on-Severide's-one-night-stands (except, y'know, I'm sure it's abbreviated on the business cards).