Quick Reaction: 7x23 Survival of the Fittest
Okay, so, in a rare turn of events, I actually watched this episode twice in a row! (This has the added bonus of me getting the S7 timeline out faster...heck, I'll probably do it this weekend).
So, without further ado...
At first, I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what the heck to think about this episode...I don't think it was one of their stronger finales, but then, it does leave a LOT of things open-ended, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. On second viewing, I felt better about some stuff that I didn't feel good about the first time...but, let's try to begin at the beginning...
We have Dick and Crowley...we find out that Kevin DID translate the Word correctly for Dick, so there goes that wild-card. Dick wants to lock down Crowley's blood, and in exchange...Crowley will get Canada. You know, speaking as a Canadian...I for one welcome our new Crowley overlord. If he should be looking to take on a human mistress, I'd like to....well, you get the picture. Did you know that Canada has one tenth the population of the US? It's also very cold in the winter, so 90% of us live as far south as possible within the country. Basically, I'm saying that we have a lot of space up here....for demons...though, we'd probably annoy them with politeness.
I like Crowley's "Standard Rider"...it looks like it's in latin? It has very nice calligraphy, anyway.
Meanwhile, Sam and Dean are robbing some nuns graves...and here's where Dean's smarter than me (it's not hard), because at the end of last week's episode I was still trying to think "Who do they know whose righteous?" and I was only thinking about LIVING people...it wasn't until my lovely flisters (more than one of you) pointed out that they COULD just get some already dead person's bones that I realized I was an idiot. Thankfully, Dean and Sam are smarter than I. So, get thee to a nunnery!
ETA: I love the story about Cas showing up naked and covered in bees...it made me think of Eddie Izzard "I'm covered in bees!" Heheheh :)
It's a gamble, I think, because who REALLY knows the heart of a dead person. But, they're taking a lot of gambles with this plan...
Meanwhile, Bobby is walking around in a pretty maid named Louisa.
We finally get to see which is stronger - a summons or a devil's trap. Turns out, it's the devil's trap...which makes sense, since demons could just have friends summon them away if they get trapped.
Cas and Meg show back up...I'm honestly not sure how I feel about Cas' crazy attraction/interest in Meg. It's very weird. I do, however, like the fact that Meg doesn't seem to really know whether she's made the right decision in getting her "weapon" attached to her.
I like Dean going out to speak to Cas while Castiel is in the car...and that moment Dean takes to gather his patience. Actually, there's a lot about Cas's interactions with Dean that I think are actually GOOD for Dean.
My friend (who DOES now about this sort of thing) informs me that they do not test cosmetics on monkeys in reality...because monkeys are VERY expensive to keep. So, the Supernatural-Universe must be different...just in case any of you were suddenly wanting to free the monkeys from the cosmetics labs. :P
But anyway, the reason I say that Cas in this condition might actually be good for Dean is that Dean has to be much more obvious and honest about his emotions so that Cas understands. When Dean gets upset at the news that Cas' old garrison is dead and Kevin has been kidnapped, he yells (as Dean is wont to do), and Cas gets upset...and Dean actually calms down and admits "we're worried." And that's the thing with Dean, all emotions other than happiness are expressed through anger. It's actually, I think a problem with a lot of men - because if you think about it, the only emotions men are expected to display are happiness and anger - anything else is "gay" or "girly." But you know, that gets into the whole "how misogyny hurts men" thing which is an essay best written by other people....what I'm saying is that it'd probably do Dean a lot of good to deal with his emotions differently.
But, back to the show...
We get to see Crowley and Meg in the same room since S6, and it's interesting - because Meg actually seems more afraid of Crowley than she had been before. Also, we learn that Crowley really DIDN'T know about Cas still being alive...or at least, he's not revealing that he did. And he DEFINITELY didn't know that Cas is insane (arguably).
I do like the whole scene, with Castiel being Broken-Castiel and Sam and Dean making the "This is awkward but you do see the problem with him don't you?" faces to Crowley...but then when Crowley does start calling Cas crazy, Sam at least looks offended on Cas' behalf, and Dean changes the subject.
And Crowley double-crosses Dick, in what COULD be a double-bluff, and basically the boys really do just have to trust him. It makes me wonder though, how Crowley can get away with it...he couldn't have tampered with the contract, so maybe contracts aren't binding UNLESS there's a kiss? And Crowley just left off that part?
Oh, I should say...I really like Crowley's insult to Meg - the fact that she's boring and she lacks poetry. It's a brilliant insult and really pin-points the difference between Meg and Crowley exactly.
Meanwhile, Kevin is trapped in a room with a zombie girl. It's kind of heartbreaking when he asks her if she's a prophet...and then realizes that she's dumb as a post. As Kevin says, he really is all alone. Thankfully, Kevin's a vegan...and when he isn't panicking, he can use his brains for good. By the way, I love the look of disgust on the demon's face when Kevin says that he's a vegan. :P
The boys make the weapon, but there's no thunder or lighting or magic or anything to let them know whether it works or not...so, they really are going into this not even knowing if their ultimate weapon will work.
The stake-out...I wonder if they're still in touch with Charlie, or if Sam just learned some skills off Charlie while they worked together the last time. Sam definitely doesn't know where she is...but, for reasons that I'm sure I don't need to explain, I like the thought of Charlie being out there somewhere emailing Sam occasionally.
Bobby! Sam has a great memory for petite brunettes...I wonder why that is? :P
I didn't talk about Dick's doppleganger plan...but, yeah, it's quite ingenious. He KNOWS they only have one shot.
I do like how it's Sam that goes to stop Bobby...I do feel like this show gives a lot of interpersonal moments to Dean, and very few to Sam. We know a LOT about Dean's relationships, but we don't know that much about Sam's...besides his relationship with Dean anyway. And Dean might be Bobby's favourite, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't love Sam...so him beating up on him REALLY shows how far from himself Bobby has gone. And in a classic move...Sam gets strangled.
But, it seems that Sam shares at least PART of Dean's secret superpower (ie. the ability to help people fight against possession)...or it really is just a matter of Bobby seeing his reflection and realizing that he's CHOKING HIS SURROGATE SON! Jeez.
So, they get Louisa to a hospital - yay!
And then Dean yells at Cas - because they really do need his help. And...yes, some of what Dean says is a little brutal - I'm mainly thinking of the "no one cares that you're broken!" line...and when Cas flies away, I really wasn't expecting him to come back, but it seems that part of Cas must have already decided to help or at least, not leave. Someone has to make the sandwiches, after all.
Then comes Bobby's second death...and this is what really confused me about this episode, because what was the point of Bobby if he doesn't play some crucial role in Dick's defeat? Why bring the character back as a ghost if it's not even going to be a crucial storyline? But then, on the second watch, my friend pointed out that we don't actually KNOW where ghosts go when you burn them...so, maybe Bobby's story isn't actually over yet.
Uh, I forget where it fits in (yes, I know I watched the episode twice, but come on!)...but Dick's introduced a coffee-creamer that will kill off short skinny super-smart people. I'm not sure why chicky-poo had to be naked to demonstrate it, but whatever. I do know that my waif of a little sister used to drink every single coffee-creamer on the table when she was toddler...so, yeah, that'd be an effective way to kill at least her...when she was a baby anyway....and that's a cheery thought.
Dean finally goes to retrieve the Impala...who was apparently waiting in a barn for him. The whole conversation with Castiel is a good one. Mainly because I was worried that Dean had forgotten his speech over Rufus' grave, but it appears that he hasn't...if Dean dies, blanket forgiveness all around....and I think Castiel needed to hear that there was hope. Because if Dean is willing to forgive in death, he's more than likely willing to forgive in life too. Also, I think it helped that Dean did begrudgingly accept that Castiel didn't want to fight...he wasn't going to force him, or guilt him into it, and he could have...he could have kept the same tone as their fight the previous day, but he didn't.
So, Castiel helps...and the plan?
The plan is to let Meg drive the Impala....and yeah, wow. You know the Winchesters believe that they're on a kamikaze mission when...
Especially when they let her DRIVE IT THROUGH A SIGN! I have a feeling that wasn't part of the plan...also, Sam has to back that thing out of there!
Dean, Sam and Cas sneak in the back...and Sam goes to rescue Kevin, while Dean and Cas start tracking down Dicks. (hehehe.)
I'm glad Kevin is still alive...I really like him. I also like that he wants to blow up the lab...and I like that he asks by saying "please" and giving Sam the puppy-eyes of doom...how does it feel being on the other side of the puppy-eyes of doom, Sam?
Dick's in the lab and Dean and Cas find him there. I like the bluff. But here's a tip, guys, when someone starts PULSING, you RUN, you don't just keep standing close to them...
And this brings us to the end of the episode...Dean and Cas are gone and Sam is alone. Crowley takes Kevin and orders Sam to clean up the rest of the levis and prevent them from organizing...and...yeah...Sam is alone.
Dean is in purgatory with Cas. Sucked there in Dick's death-throws. He's trapped with everything he's ever killed along with things that existed before time began...and he's there with Cas, who I don't think will leave Dean unprotected, but I also don't think he's sane either. What's more...and, this is the most important part to me...Dean is there in his NEW LEATHER JACKET! Oh god...how is that jacket going to survive?
Okay, seriously though...this is bad.
And what I mean by "this is bad" is "this is extremely interesting."
Dean has now been in the three sections of the afterlife. Does this mean anything for the character mythology? Dean's been The Righteous Man, he's been on the road to becoming a demon...he's been a vampire, and he's been bitten by The Mother of All...and he's now in purgatory.
Sam is still on earth...alone. Sam NEVER does well alone. Not only that, Sam has to kill as many levis as he can. He has to destroy Sucrocorp and basically all of Roman's industries...he has to make the food supply safe again....and he has to do all that while knowing that his brother and his angel friend are, essentially, dead - trapped in the afterlife. And it's not just a matter of going to Wyoming and opening a devil's gate...the door to purgatory isn't as easy to open, and to do so would be to undo what his brother just died for.
Not only that, we also have to worry about what Crowley might be planning...is he fine with the status-quo? There's a power vacuum in heaven, they're several Hunters down on earth, and Crowley's sitting pretty in his reign over hell.
And how will Dean survive until he's rescued? HOW will Dean be rescued? Furthermore, as I hinted at earlier...WHO is he trapped with? Is Lenore in there? Madison?....Gabriel? Is killing angels like killing with the Colt? Are they dead dead, or do they go to purgatory? Presumably, since Crowley and Cas didn't know where purgatory was in the beginning of S6, we have to assume that Dean cannot be rescued from purgatory by angels. Castiel says that "we have to get out of here", but can they? There's a flow of souls between heaven, earth, and hell...but how does purgatory work? Humans become monsters, or monsters breed, and when they die they go to purgatory...and is each monster born a new monster-soul, or is there an outflow off souls from purgatory as well?
Personally, as much as I've called the boys dumbasses for splitting up in the past...I do actually like it when they're apart, because it makes for very compelling story. Mainly, because it's always these two guys who want desperately NOT to be apart, even when the separation is their decision.
What I'm saying is that although I don't think this finale was one of their strongest finales...it's still left me VERY intrigued for what might happen in S8. If the writers play their cards right, it could be a very interesting season.
As usual, let me know what I missed that you desperately want me to talk about!
I'll miss these posts! It sounds like I'll be waiting a good 5 months before I'm able to make another one. Hello Summer! Whatever am I going to do with all this free time?
So, without further ado...
At first, I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what the heck to think about this episode...I don't think it was one of their stronger finales, but then, it does leave a LOT of things open-ended, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. On second viewing, I felt better about some stuff that I didn't feel good about the first time...but, let's try to begin at the beginning...
We have Dick and Crowley...we find out that Kevin DID translate the Word correctly for Dick, so there goes that wild-card. Dick wants to lock down Crowley's blood, and in exchange...Crowley will get Canada. You know, speaking as a Canadian...I for one welcome our new Crowley overlord. If he should be looking to take on a human mistress, I'd like to....well, you get the picture. Did you know that Canada has one tenth the population of the US? It's also very cold in the winter, so 90% of us live as far south as possible within the country. Basically, I'm saying that we have a lot of space up here....for demons...though, we'd probably annoy them with politeness.
I like Crowley's "Standard Rider"...it looks like it's in latin? It has very nice calligraphy, anyway.
Meanwhile, Sam and Dean are robbing some nuns graves...and here's where Dean's smarter than me (it's not hard), because at the end of last week's episode I was still trying to think "Who do they know whose righteous?" and I was only thinking about LIVING people...it wasn't until my lovely flisters (more than one of you) pointed out that they COULD just get some already dead person's bones that I realized I was an idiot. Thankfully, Dean and Sam are smarter than I. So, get thee to a nunnery!
ETA: I love the story about Cas showing up naked and covered in bees...it made me think of Eddie Izzard "I'm covered in bees!" Heheheh :)
It's a gamble, I think, because who REALLY knows the heart of a dead person. But, they're taking a lot of gambles with this plan...
Meanwhile, Bobby is walking around in a pretty maid named Louisa.
We finally get to see which is stronger - a summons or a devil's trap. Turns out, it's the devil's trap...which makes sense, since demons could just have friends summon them away if they get trapped.
Cas and Meg show back up...I'm honestly not sure how I feel about Cas' crazy attraction/interest in Meg. It's very weird. I do, however, like the fact that Meg doesn't seem to really know whether she's made the right decision in getting her "weapon" attached to her.
I like Dean going out to speak to Cas while Castiel is in the car...and that moment Dean takes to gather his patience. Actually, there's a lot about Cas's interactions with Dean that I think are actually GOOD for Dean.
My friend (who DOES now about this sort of thing) informs me that they do not test cosmetics on monkeys in reality...because monkeys are VERY expensive to keep. So, the Supernatural-Universe must be different...just in case any of you were suddenly wanting to free the monkeys from the cosmetics labs. :P
But anyway, the reason I say that Cas in this condition might actually be good for Dean is that Dean has to be much more obvious and honest about his emotions so that Cas understands. When Dean gets upset at the news that Cas' old garrison is dead and Kevin has been kidnapped, he yells (as Dean is wont to do), and Cas gets upset...and Dean actually calms down and admits "we're worried." And that's the thing with Dean, all emotions other than happiness are expressed through anger. It's actually, I think a problem with a lot of men - because if you think about it, the only emotions men are expected to display are happiness and anger - anything else is "gay" or "girly." But you know, that gets into the whole "how misogyny hurts men" thing which is an essay best written by other people....what I'm saying is that it'd probably do Dean a lot of good to deal with his emotions differently.
But, back to the show...
We get to see Crowley and Meg in the same room since S6, and it's interesting - because Meg actually seems more afraid of Crowley than she had been before. Also, we learn that Crowley really DIDN'T know about Cas still being alive...or at least, he's not revealing that he did. And he DEFINITELY didn't know that Cas is insane (arguably).
I do like the whole scene, with Castiel being Broken-Castiel and Sam and Dean making the "This is awkward but you do see the problem with him don't you?" faces to Crowley...but then when Crowley does start calling Cas crazy, Sam at least looks offended on Cas' behalf, and Dean changes the subject.
And Crowley double-crosses Dick, in what COULD be a double-bluff, and basically the boys really do just have to trust him. It makes me wonder though, how Crowley can get away with it...he couldn't have tampered with the contract, so maybe contracts aren't binding UNLESS there's a kiss? And Crowley just left off that part?
Oh, I should say...I really like Crowley's insult to Meg - the fact that she's boring and she lacks poetry. It's a brilliant insult and really pin-points the difference between Meg and Crowley exactly.
Meanwhile, Kevin is trapped in a room with a zombie girl. It's kind of heartbreaking when he asks her if she's a prophet...and then realizes that she's dumb as a post. As Kevin says, he really is all alone. Thankfully, Kevin's a vegan...and when he isn't panicking, he can use his brains for good. By the way, I love the look of disgust on the demon's face when Kevin says that he's a vegan. :P
The boys make the weapon, but there's no thunder or lighting or magic or anything to let them know whether it works or not...so, they really are going into this not even knowing if their ultimate weapon will work.
The stake-out...I wonder if they're still in touch with Charlie, or if Sam just learned some skills off Charlie while they worked together the last time. Sam definitely doesn't know where she is...but, for reasons that I'm sure I don't need to explain, I like the thought of Charlie being out there somewhere emailing Sam occasionally.
Bobby! Sam has a great memory for petite brunettes...I wonder why that is? :P
I didn't talk about Dick's doppleganger plan...but, yeah, it's quite ingenious. He KNOWS they only have one shot.
I do like how it's Sam that goes to stop Bobby...I do feel like this show gives a lot of interpersonal moments to Dean, and very few to Sam. We know a LOT about Dean's relationships, but we don't know that much about Sam's...besides his relationship with Dean anyway. And Dean might be Bobby's favourite, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't love Sam...so him beating up on him REALLY shows how far from himself Bobby has gone. And in a classic move...Sam gets strangled.
But, it seems that Sam shares at least PART of Dean's secret superpower (ie. the ability to help people fight against possession)...or it really is just a matter of Bobby seeing his reflection and realizing that he's CHOKING HIS SURROGATE SON! Jeez.
So, they get Louisa to a hospital - yay!
And then Dean yells at Cas - because they really do need his help. And...yes, some of what Dean says is a little brutal - I'm mainly thinking of the "no one cares that you're broken!" line...and when Cas flies away, I really wasn't expecting him to come back, but it seems that part of Cas must have already decided to help or at least, not leave. Someone has to make the sandwiches, after all.
Then comes Bobby's second death...and this is what really confused me about this episode, because what was the point of Bobby if he doesn't play some crucial role in Dick's defeat? Why bring the character back as a ghost if it's not even going to be a crucial storyline? But then, on the second watch, my friend pointed out that we don't actually KNOW where ghosts go when you burn them...so, maybe Bobby's story isn't actually over yet.
Uh, I forget where it fits in (yes, I know I watched the episode twice, but come on!)...but Dick's introduced a coffee-creamer that will kill off short skinny super-smart people. I'm not sure why chicky-poo had to be naked to demonstrate it, but whatever. I do know that my waif of a little sister used to drink every single coffee-creamer on the table when she was toddler...so, yeah, that'd be an effective way to kill at least her...when she was a baby anyway....and that's a cheery thought.
Dean finally goes to retrieve the Impala...who was apparently waiting in a barn for him. The whole conversation with Castiel is a good one. Mainly because I was worried that Dean had forgotten his speech over Rufus' grave, but it appears that he hasn't...if Dean dies, blanket forgiveness all around....and I think Castiel needed to hear that there was hope. Because if Dean is willing to forgive in death, he's more than likely willing to forgive in life too. Also, I think it helped that Dean did begrudgingly accept that Castiel didn't want to fight...he wasn't going to force him, or guilt him into it, and he could have...he could have kept the same tone as their fight the previous day, but he didn't.
So, Castiel helps...and the plan?
The plan is to let Meg drive the Impala....and yeah, wow. You know the Winchesters believe that they're on a kamikaze mission when...
Especially when they let her DRIVE IT THROUGH A SIGN! I have a feeling that wasn't part of the plan...also, Sam has to back that thing out of there!
Dean, Sam and Cas sneak in the back...and Sam goes to rescue Kevin, while Dean and Cas start tracking down Dicks. (hehehe.)
I'm glad Kevin is still alive...I really like him. I also like that he wants to blow up the lab...and I like that he asks by saying "please" and giving Sam the puppy-eyes of doom...how does it feel being on the other side of the puppy-eyes of doom, Sam?
Dick's in the lab and Dean and Cas find him there. I like the bluff. But here's a tip, guys, when someone starts PULSING, you RUN, you don't just keep standing close to them...
And this brings us to the end of the episode...Dean and Cas are gone and Sam is alone. Crowley takes Kevin and orders Sam to clean up the rest of the levis and prevent them from organizing...and...yeah...Sam is alone.
Dean is in purgatory with Cas. Sucked there in Dick's death-throws. He's trapped with everything he's ever killed along with things that existed before time began...and he's there with Cas, who I don't think will leave Dean unprotected, but I also don't think he's sane either. What's more...and, this is the most important part to me...Dean is there in his NEW LEATHER JACKET! Oh god...how is that jacket going to survive?
Okay, seriously though...this is bad.
And what I mean by "this is bad" is "this is extremely interesting."
Dean has now been in the three sections of the afterlife. Does this mean anything for the character mythology? Dean's been The Righteous Man, he's been on the road to becoming a demon...he's been a vampire, and he's been bitten by The Mother of All...and he's now in purgatory.
Sam is still on earth...alone. Sam NEVER does well alone. Not only that, Sam has to kill as many levis as he can. He has to destroy Sucrocorp and basically all of Roman's industries...he has to make the food supply safe again....and he has to do all that while knowing that his brother and his angel friend are, essentially, dead - trapped in the afterlife. And it's not just a matter of going to Wyoming and opening a devil's gate...the door to purgatory isn't as easy to open, and to do so would be to undo what his brother just died for.
Not only that, we also have to worry about what Crowley might be planning...is he fine with the status-quo? There's a power vacuum in heaven, they're several Hunters down on earth, and Crowley's sitting pretty in his reign over hell.
And how will Dean survive until he's rescued? HOW will Dean be rescued? Furthermore, as I hinted at earlier...WHO is he trapped with? Is Lenore in there? Madison?....Gabriel? Is killing angels like killing with the Colt? Are they dead dead, or do they go to purgatory? Presumably, since Crowley and Cas didn't know where purgatory was in the beginning of S6, we have to assume that Dean cannot be rescued from purgatory by angels. Castiel says that "we have to get out of here", but can they? There's a flow of souls between heaven, earth, and hell...but how does purgatory work? Humans become monsters, or monsters breed, and when they die they go to purgatory...and is each monster born a new monster-soul, or is there an outflow off souls from purgatory as well?
Personally, as much as I've called the boys dumbasses for splitting up in the past...I do actually like it when they're apart, because it makes for very compelling story. Mainly, because it's always these two guys who want desperately NOT to be apart, even when the separation is their decision.
What I'm saying is that although I don't think this finale was one of their strongest finales...it's still left me VERY intrigued for what might happen in S8. If the writers play their cards right, it could be a very interesting season.
As usual, let me know what I missed that you desperately want me to talk about!
I'll miss these posts! It sounds like I'll be waiting a good 5 months before I'm able to make another one. Hello Summer! Whatever am I going to do with all this free time?