SPN: I finally finished S2 and started S3!
In which I talk a lot about 2x21 & 2x22, "All Hell Breaks Loose," Parts 1 & 2, 3x01, "The Magnificent Seven," and 3x02, "The Kids Are Alright."
2x21: All Hell Breaks Loose (I love how literal this title is!)
Thoughts I had while watching the episode:
-Unfortunately, I am already spoiled that Ava is evil. Unless that spoiler is wrong, in which case I sound silly.
-Aldis Hodge! Very pretty person!
-Hee, I really like Andy.
-Eurgh, I dislike creepy little children like the girl demon.
-Oh Lily, it’s not smart to go off by yourself.
-Nononononononono, don’t let Ash be dead.
-SCREW YOU.
-Oh great, and now they killed the lesbian.
-This guy who plays the YED is really good. Fantastically creepy.
-Ewwwww, feeding the baby blood?? Lovely.
-Oh man, Andy’s gonna die in some horrified, awful way.
-Ew, okay, I officially don’t like Ava anymore.
-I really like the actress who plays her, though. She’s excellent.
-Eep! Jake just snapped her neck! Er…good for him, I guess? :/
-Oh, Sam, don’t be all noble and get rid of your weapon when the guy can press 800 pounds and break your neck with his bare hands. HE ALREADY HAS HIS WEAPON, SAM. ALWAYS REACH FOR YOURS. DIDN’T YOU WATCH “FOOL FOR LOVE”?
-THAT LAST SCENE. JENSEN AND JARED ARE SO GREAT.
Purely Subjective Rating:
4/5
Favorite Boy:
Tie
AHBL is the only episode I have notes for because I was on the treadmill for the other two, but I thought they were all excellent. The ensemble of demon kids in Part 1 was really well put together, combining great old characters like Andy and Ava with engaging new characters like Lily and Jake. I really liked Jake until the end, and while Lily didn’t last long, she still made an impact with her heartbreaking power and story about her girlfriend. I could understand her fear and instinct to run away from the group, even though it wasn’t, in the end, a good choice.
Ava’s backstabbing was disappointing but also understandable. The weird thing is, I’m not sure how much I dislike her for it? I think she got what she deserved, but I can also understand how she was driven to commit such crimes, if it was the only way to survive. Maybe her first murder was even an accident, borne out of panic and self-defense, and from there it got easier. In any case, I don’t feel like I can take a high moral ground when who knows how I would react in the same horrible circumstances. I’d like to think I’d be foolishly noble and idealistic to the end like Sam, but who knows. I feel similarly about Jake, in that I don’t approve of his actions, but I understand why he did what he did.
The one thing I would like to know about Ava is, did she already know that her fiancé was dead or was her reaction to Sam’s news genuine? I feel like if she had known the whole time, she would have mentioned it during her villain monologue to Sam, as the horror of his death could have contributed to her “going to the dark side.”
All of the acting in these episodes was fantastic. Besides Dean, Ava and the YED stood out to me the most. Ava just turned on a dime between good and evil, and the YED was incredibly engaging; with his sadistic glee and ability to manipulate people into turning against themselves, he reminded me of the Joker.
Jensen was incredible at the end of Part 1 and beginning of Part 2. Jim Beaver was also really great, especially when he saw Sam alive again for the first time. On a character note, I really appreciate how Bobby blew up at Dean. I totally understand why Dean did what he did, and I think I would have done the same thing, but he did mess with the natural order of things, and that’s not something to take lightly; I’m glad that Bobby didn’t.
I liked that the immediate plotline with the YED was resolved, but there are still so many questions needing to be answered, starting with, How the hell did Mary know the demon? Also, Why did he pick those children, why did he have to wait generations, why did he need a specific one to open the gate to Hell, etc., etc., etc.
Okay, so I guess not much was resolved. Possibly I have even more questions than I did before. But at least the show is moving forward and addressing these questions more-or-less immediately in S3 with the introduction of Ruby.
Last two things about the finale, I’m so glad that John escaped from Hell, and I’m glad that Sam found out more-or-less immediately about Dean’s deal; if that had been hanging over them for S3 the way the secret of John’s last words did for the first half of S2, I would have been really frustrated.
Moving onto S3, I enjoyed “The Magnificent Seven,” although it also creeped the shit out of me. When Isaac was compelled to drink the Drano, I freaked out on the treadmill, gasping and clutching the handles, etc. That was one of the more horrific deaths in this show, IMO, particularly because he was forced to kill himself. And with Tamara watching and screaming and unable to do anything- oh my gosh, it’s so fucked up and heartbreaking and terrible.
I don’t have much to say about this episode except that I’m glad the show dealt with repercussions from the gate opening immediately and that I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Tamara. A look at IMDB tells me that won’t be happening, though. Oh well…
Oh, and if Bobby’s with them, where the hell is Ellen? And why did nobody ask about Jo in the finale or in this episode?
Also, I felt ridiculously proud of myself for getting the Se7en reference. I understand you, Dean. I was also impressed by the subtitles, which spelled the movie title correctly.
I liked the “The Kids Are Alright” more than 3x01, although the evil kids scared me, NGL. I really can’t deal with evil children. It’s a trope guaranteed to freak me out. I was super glad that they were changelings, though, and that the children weren’t actually possessed and evil. I felt so bad for the mom of Katie, although driving her kid and car into the lake seemed like an extreme measure. I think I would have checked myself into a mental ward first, afraid that I was losing it and it really was my kid. Or if I were really convinced the child was not my child, I would have, you know, tried to figure out where my real child was.
I really liked Lisa and Ben, and I’m glad that IMDB says Lisa will be back for a slew of more episodes (I looked her up because her name in the credits was familiar, and lo and behold, it turns out she plays JM’s love interest in a fantastically cheesy made-for-TV sci-fi movie that I own). I love seeing Dean be, well, maybe fatherly is not the right word, but you know what I mean. His minor freak-out about Ben’s age was hilarious and adorable, and I love that he asks Lisa if Ben is his. He could have just walked away from the possible responsibility, but instead he faced it. I loved how friendly he was toward Ben (although I hated that “only bitches go to grown-ups” line. Stop being misogynistic, show!), and I loved how wistful he was at the ending. I know it’s probably never going to happen, but I think Dean could be a great father.
And last but certainly not least, there’s Ruby. I’m not sure what to think about her yet, although I’m much more intrigued now that I know she’s a demon. There’s nothing offensive about her, but the “sultry-sexy-mysterious-obnoxious-demonfighter” archetype is a little grating, personally. I’m sure I’ll like her more when she’s not just all one-liners and secrets.
Well, it took me more than a year to watch two seasons, but S3 is off to a great start, so hopefully I’ll go faster from now on; although maybe not if the TWW has anything to say about it. Heh, will I ever catch up enough to watch this show in real time? :)