Supernatural: Croatoan
I watched this episode September 24th last year (yes, I date my episode thoughts), and for whatever reason, I wrote a review, even though I didn't write the reviews for the previous episode and those after it. I guess it's because I really liked "Croatoan" and had a lot of brother feelings about it. Anyway, here it is, written from last fall.
2x09: Croatoan
Thoughts I had while watching the episode:
-Ooh, that’s a really neat use of Sam’s vision to have him see Dean killing someone.
-If Sam saw Dean kill someone, isn’t the logical thing to do to not go find that person?
-Why would you just let Dwayne in assuming he’s all right?
-They all seem remarkably upbeat at the end (especially Dwayne) considering their entire town was just killed, including friends and family.
-Ah. Well, that’s why Dwayne is upbeat. Poor Sergeant. Flashback to Meg.
-What about the doctor? She was left behind.
-Is Dean drunk? Why is he admitting this to Sam?
-And of course it’s a cliffhanger, you motherfuckers.
Moments that made me giggle inside:
-“You got a neighbor named Mr. Rogers?” “Not anymore.”
-“Awkward” (when Dwayne asks if his family is all right).
Moments that made me actually LOL:
-“That’s Schoolhouse Rock!”
Overall Thoughts:
I was dreading this episode a little bit because I thought it was going to be terrifying, but it was actually fantastic. The Dean and Sam stuff is amazing. When Dean yelled that he would shoot anyone who tried to hurt his brother, I just started flailing inside. To the rest of the world Dean is this tough-as-nails, cold-hearted jerk, but when Sam is in trouble he is a wreck. Not on the outside, maybe- he stays together enough to threaten the bad guys and protect Sam, obviously- but inside he is just losing it. It’s such a heartbreaking moment when he tosses the car keys to the sergeant. Of course he’s not going to leave Sam to die alone, and of course Sam isn’t going to want him to, and these brothers love each other so much I can’t even describe my feelings. When Dean says that he’s tired of it all and doesn’t want to go on…gah. It’s easy to forget or overlook when he acts like a PUA, but he is so damaged inside. For all his book smarts, I don’t think Sam realizes quite how thin a tread Dean is hanging on by. He knows that John’s death changed Dean, but this is the episode where he realizes that there’s more to it than that and that Dean’s death wish is a very real thing.
Obviously, Dean reminds me of Buffy in so many ways here. They’re both consummate warriors who will nevertheless give up the fight rather than let their siblings come to harm- Dean wanting to stop hunting and Buffy’s readiness to let the world end rather than kill Dawn. Dean’s threat to shoot anyone who comes near Sam is very reminiscent of Buffy’s threat to kill anyone who tries to kill Dawn. They also shut down and lose all will to live when they think they’ve lost their siblings- Dean’s death wish here and Buffy’s comatose state in “Weight of the World.” I see a lot of Dean/Faith mentioned, but the idea of Dean/Buffy appeals to me so much more. Maybe they wouldn’t work out romantically (although after seeing Cassie, I think Dean likes strong women more than he lets on), but their ideals are so similar, even if their methods aren’t, that I’d love to see work together on a mission (in a hypothetical way, not in an I’m-actually-seeking-fic way).
The supporting actors, especially the sergeant and the doctor, were good, too. The scene in the car between Dean and the sergeant where they’re pointing guns at each other was really clever and amusing.
The episode itself wasn’t nearly as scary as I imagined it being, but the concept itself is still terrifying (kind of like “Blink” in Doctor Who). A virus that can’t be stopped and turns your loved ones into monsters you have no choice but to kill? Being infected and knowing that you have only a few hours left until you turn into a monster? It is so creepy to think about because some of the aspects could happen in real life. Probably not the monster bit, but unstoppable, population-destroying diseases have occurred before, and even with modern medicine, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that we could have another plague. It reminded me of the new movie Contagion, which I have not seen but have read the spoilers for and also looks terrifying. Anyway, it was a creepy premise and a fascinating use of the Croatoan myth, which I had never even heard before, despite having haphazardly studied Virginia history in 4th grade.
The only bit of the episode that disappointed me was the end, when Sam starts pressing for what’s wrong with Dean and Dean finally admits that John had a secret. I’m going to assume Dean was slightly wasted at that point, because it made no sense why he suddenly gave up the information, without even much prodding from Sam. One second he’s saying he promised Dad he wouldn’t tell and the next he’s starting to spill his guts. It was an awkward transition, IMO, and the confession could have been handled much more gracefully.
Of course we blacked out before hearing the secret, so of course I went to the next episode and fast-forwarded until we got to the boys, and that John’s secret?? Save Sammy or you might have to kill him? That’s what we’ve been waiting for on tenterhooks and with bated breath? Lame. Maybe there’s more to it than that. I had to stop watching because my phone rang.
So barring the end, I really enjoyed this episode. The brothers’ relationship made me so happy, and God help me, I don’t approve of it at all but I understand why so much Wincest exists. I think I’ve said that before, and if we keep getting emotional gut punches like this, I’ll probably say it again.
Purely Subjective Rating:
4.5/5
Favorite Boy:
Tie
2x09: Croatoan
Thoughts I had while watching the episode:
-Ooh, that’s a really neat use of Sam’s vision to have him see Dean killing someone.
-If Sam saw Dean kill someone, isn’t the logical thing to do to not go find that person?
-Why would you just let Dwayne in assuming he’s all right?
-They all seem remarkably upbeat at the end (especially Dwayne) considering their entire town was just killed, including friends and family.
-Ah. Well, that’s why Dwayne is upbeat. Poor Sergeant. Flashback to Meg.
-What about the doctor? She was left behind.
-Is Dean drunk? Why is he admitting this to Sam?
-And of course it’s a cliffhanger, you motherfuckers.
Moments that made me giggle inside:
-“You got a neighbor named Mr. Rogers?” “Not anymore.”
-“Awkward” (when Dwayne asks if his family is all right).
Moments that made me actually LOL:
-“That’s Schoolhouse Rock!”
Overall Thoughts:
I was dreading this episode a little bit because I thought it was going to be terrifying, but it was actually fantastic. The Dean and Sam stuff is amazing. When Dean yelled that he would shoot anyone who tried to hurt his brother, I just started flailing inside. To the rest of the world Dean is this tough-as-nails, cold-hearted jerk, but when Sam is in trouble he is a wreck. Not on the outside, maybe- he stays together enough to threaten the bad guys and protect Sam, obviously- but inside he is just losing it. It’s such a heartbreaking moment when he tosses the car keys to the sergeant. Of course he’s not going to leave Sam to die alone, and of course Sam isn’t going to want him to, and these brothers love each other so much I can’t even describe my feelings. When Dean says that he’s tired of it all and doesn’t want to go on…gah. It’s easy to forget or overlook when he acts like a PUA, but he is so damaged inside. For all his book smarts, I don’t think Sam realizes quite how thin a tread Dean is hanging on by. He knows that John’s death changed Dean, but this is the episode where he realizes that there’s more to it than that and that Dean’s death wish is a very real thing.
Obviously, Dean reminds me of Buffy in so many ways here. They’re both consummate warriors who will nevertheless give up the fight rather than let their siblings come to harm- Dean wanting to stop hunting and Buffy’s readiness to let the world end rather than kill Dawn. Dean’s threat to shoot anyone who comes near Sam is very reminiscent of Buffy’s threat to kill anyone who tries to kill Dawn. They also shut down and lose all will to live when they think they’ve lost their siblings- Dean’s death wish here and Buffy’s comatose state in “Weight of the World.” I see a lot of Dean/Faith mentioned, but the idea of Dean/Buffy appeals to me so much more. Maybe they wouldn’t work out romantically (although after seeing Cassie, I think Dean likes strong women more than he lets on), but their ideals are so similar, even if their methods aren’t, that I’d love to see work together on a mission (in a hypothetical way, not in an I’m-actually-seeking-fic way).
The supporting actors, especially the sergeant and the doctor, were good, too. The scene in the car between Dean and the sergeant where they’re pointing guns at each other was really clever and amusing.
The episode itself wasn’t nearly as scary as I imagined it being, but the concept itself is still terrifying (kind of like “Blink” in Doctor Who). A virus that can’t be stopped and turns your loved ones into monsters you have no choice but to kill? Being infected and knowing that you have only a few hours left until you turn into a monster? It is so creepy to think about because some of the aspects could happen in real life. Probably not the monster bit, but unstoppable, population-destroying diseases have occurred before, and even with modern medicine, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that we could have another plague. It reminded me of the new movie Contagion, which I have not seen but have read the spoilers for and also looks terrifying. Anyway, it was a creepy premise and a fascinating use of the Croatoan myth, which I had never even heard before, despite having haphazardly studied Virginia history in 4th grade.
The only bit of the episode that disappointed me was the end, when Sam starts pressing for what’s wrong with Dean and Dean finally admits that John had a secret. I’m going to assume Dean was slightly wasted at that point, because it made no sense why he suddenly gave up the information, without even much prodding from Sam. One second he’s saying he promised Dad he wouldn’t tell and the next he’s starting to spill his guts. It was an awkward transition, IMO, and the confession could have been handled much more gracefully.
Of course we blacked out before hearing the secret, so of course I went to the next episode and fast-forwarded until we got to the boys, and that John’s secret?? Save Sammy or you might have to kill him? That’s what we’ve been waiting for on tenterhooks and with bated breath? Lame. Maybe there’s more to it than that. I had to stop watching because my phone rang.
So barring the end, I really enjoyed this episode. The brothers’ relationship made me so happy, and God help me, I don’t approve of it at all but I understand why so much Wincest exists. I think I’ve said that before, and if we keep getting emotional gut punches like this, I’ll probably say it again.
Purely Subjective Rating:
4.5/5
Favorite Boy:
Tie