Rewatch S12: Regarding Dean (12x11)
I hope everyone had a great New Years Eve! I did, which resulted in me waking up at 2pm on New Years Day with a hangover... fun times.
But, I'm all recovered now, so let's get down to business... (to defeat the huns)
Regarding Dean
I like it when we see Dean from the POV of the hunted. Also, the premise of this episode (a curse right before the caster dies) is the start of SO MANY FANFICS. Usually either de-aging or fuck-or-dies (or both? Oh god no!)
Oh shoot forgot to do clothes...backing-up.
So, Dean ASSUMING that he blacked out, means that Dean has blacked out before... which isn't surprising, but still, it's been a while since Dean has had visible alcohol troubles.
I do like how the memory problems are just shrugged off as the effects of a night out - which Dean DID have.
I still love how Sam's the least squimish out of the two. I think the last time they were both squimish was back in S1 or possibly S2, when they were investigating the vampires and neither of them wanted to touch the head to check for teeth.
I think the first sign something is REALLY off was when Dean forgets which key is for the Impala. Though, not two minutes later he forgets his own name, so Sam takes it seriously pretty damn quick.
The stickynotes! I'd forgotten about those! Man, I like this episode.
Rowena cheating at cards.
And Sam's calling her for help. So, this is where we enter interesting territory for Rowena, where she's a neutral party, rather than an evil one or a good one.
I like this episode. I like the dialogue between Sam and Dean. I think the characters are in character... it's all good. Good job, Meredith Glynn.
I like how Dean is enthusiastic about being a Hunter.
Dean: "AND our best friend's an angel! WHAAAT?!"
- I love the fact that he's "our" best friend. I just love the fact that Dean and Sam are two separate people with the exact same bestfriend. Like... I don't know. I can't put it into words why I like it. Like they're two people, but they're also Sam&Dean the singular unit.
The blonde witch is WAY too over-the-top for my liking.
Dean: "Your hair, it's all so bouncy!"
Rowena: "Why thank you! Do we have to fix him?"
Sam: "Rowena!"
- Another thing I like about this episode is that it DOES give the characters a chance to interact with a clean slate - in Dean's case, SUCH a clean-slate that he's got the honesty of a child, without any of his upsetting memories or any reason to distrust anyone.
Sam: "Do you remember HBO? Cinemax?"
Dean: "Skinamax?"
*Sam sits Dean down in front of the TV*
*Dean looks between Rowena and Sam*
Dean: "Live Skinamax?"
- I love this line, because Sam completely doesn't clock it.
- I also love this line because DEAN THAT'S YOUR BROTHER! I don't think you'd really be into watching him get it on with Rowena.
- I, however, would love to watch him get it on with Rowena. Does that fanfic exist somewhere?
Oh yeah! Rowena is in this for the book. I don't know, I guess if we're arguing alignments, you could claim that Rowena has always been chaotic neutral - in it only for herself. BUT, I like the storyline that they floated late S11 and early S12, that Rowena was slowly turning away from the more evil aspects of her usual morality. I like the *knowing the Winchesters is a changing thing* aspect to this show, and my rewrite would be to have explored that more in the back-half of S12 through the characters of Crowley and Rowena, instead of having the stupid Lucifer plot.
It's also a chance to explore the different mothers in the show - as Rowena is one. Of course, it doesn't come up much in this episode, I don't think.
Sam: "You know, I've seen my brother die, but watching him become... not him. This might actually be worse."
- Man, you could write whole essays on this. I'm not going to, it's been explored in many pieces of art out there... usually to do with degenerative mental health problems linked with aging... but yeah, watching someone 'die' but their body is still around, and they're still a person, but not the person you know... it's a special kind of torture.
Jensen just knocks this mirror scene out of the park too. Because yeah, if you think it's terrifying and torturous for the people who love the person... I can't even imagine BEING the person.
Rowena: "What a gift not to recall the things you've done."
Dean: "Oh, you're a killer, Dean Winchester."
Rowena: "Scores. [...] but everything you've done, you've done for the greater good [...] but me, I've done horrible things. [...] then I met God and his sister..."
- Ah, this is the speech where we get the tie in with the motivation change with Rowena! I love it.
When Sam starts screaming in pain though, Dean remembers him enough to say "Sam?" and that KILLS me.
You'd think witches would be strong enough to fix their near-sightedness. That guy has THICK glasses man.
We also get a lot of Rowena backstory.
Sam: "No no no, brother! Witch!"
- And also knows enough to take Sam's word for it.
Dean: "Whose this hippie."
Dean: "Ha! Look at his face. Kinda like that time I stole all your halloween candy..."
Sam: "Not funny."
- I'm with Sam on this one. Though, I think he should have been tipped off given the fact that a)Dean can speak. And b)Dean's making fun of him for having long hair. 100% that's Dean back.
And Sam remembers to confiscate the book.
Sam: "We've had this weight forever, and seeing it gone - you looked happy."
Dean: "...it was what we do, all of it. So if that's what being happy is like, I think I'll pass."
- Dean's made that decision before - given the choice between not hunting, and not having all he has with Sam (and dying), or going back to having that incredible burden - that was What Is and What Will Never Be.
God, sexiest thing Supernatural has ever done, including the sex scenes, is Dean lying down backwards on that bull in slow-motion. Just. Ends me.
Okay, besides that very last shot... and on a less libido driven note... my favourite thing about this episode, and I think the important thing this episode was trying to get across, is that you strip Dean Winchester of everything - to the point where he can't even distinguish his brother from a witch, or remember how to speak - and he will still pick up a gun and kill bad guys. Now, that's not to say he doesn't have a choice in life, we've seen him retire before and he could do it again, but it'd have to be his choice - because Hunting, for better or for worse, has become a fundamental part of him, so fundamental that it's still there even when his own name isn't.
Also, that song they play at the end - I mean, I know it's all lighthearted, but in CONTEXT, it's brutal - because it's basically telling us that these are the good times in Dean's life, and soon it'll all end, which is does.
Anyway, no rewrites on this one - I like it. There's enough of an exploration of Rowena there that I'm satisfied, and really nothing needs to change. Yay!
Good episode!
And I'm half an episode away from being half-way through S12! Woo! This entry was originally posted at https://hells-half-acre.dreamwidth.org/549735.html.
But, I'm all recovered now, so let's get down to business... (to defeat the huns)
Regarding Dean
I like it when we see Dean from the POV of the hunted. Also, the premise of this episode (a curse right before the caster dies) is the start of SO MANY FANFICS. Usually either de-aging or fuck-or-dies (or both? Oh god no!)
Oh shoot forgot to do clothes...backing-up.
So, Dean ASSUMING that he blacked out, means that Dean has blacked out before... which isn't surprising, but still, it's been a while since Dean has had visible alcohol troubles.
I do like how the memory problems are just shrugged off as the effects of a night out - which Dean DID have.
I still love how Sam's the least squimish out of the two. I think the last time they were both squimish was back in S1 or possibly S2, when they were investigating the vampires and neither of them wanted to touch the head to check for teeth.
I think the first sign something is REALLY off was when Dean forgets which key is for the Impala. Though, not two minutes later he forgets his own name, so Sam takes it seriously pretty damn quick.
The stickynotes! I'd forgotten about those! Man, I like this episode.
Rowena cheating at cards.
And Sam's calling her for help. So, this is where we enter interesting territory for Rowena, where she's a neutral party, rather than an evil one or a good one.
I like this episode. I like the dialogue between Sam and Dean. I think the characters are in character... it's all good. Good job, Meredith Glynn.
I like how Dean is enthusiastic about being a Hunter.
Dean: "AND our best friend's an angel! WHAAAT?!"
- I love the fact that he's "our" best friend. I just love the fact that Dean and Sam are two separate people with the exact same bestfriend. Like... I don't know. I can't put it into words why I like it. Like they're two people, but they're also Sam&Dean the singular unit.
The blonde witch is WAY too over-the-top for my liking.
Dean: "Your hair, it's all so bouncy!"
Rowena: "Why thank you! Do we have to fix him?"
Sam: "Rowena!"
- Another thing I like about this episode is that it DOES give the characters a chance to interact with a clean slate - in Dean's case, SUCH a clean-slate that he's got the honesty of a child, without any of his upsetting memories or any reason to distrust anyone.
Sam: "Do you remember HBO? Cinemax?"
Dean: "Skinamax?"
*Sam sits Dean down in front of the TV*
*Dean looks between Rowena and Sam*
Dean: "Live Skinamax?"
- I love this line, because Sam completely doesn't clock it.
- I also love this line because DEAN THAT'S YOUR BROTHER! I don't think you'd really be into watching him get it on with Rowena.
- I, however, would love to watch him get it on with Rowena. Does that fanfic exist somewhere?
Oh yeah! Rowena is in this for the book. I don't know, I guess if we're arguing alignments, you could claim that Rowena has always been chaotic neutral - in it only for herself. BUT, I like the storyline that they floated late S11 and early S12, that Rowena was slowly turning away from the more evil aspects of her usual morality. I like the *knowing the Winchesters is a changing thing* aspect to this show, and my rewrite would be to have explored that more in the back-half of S12 through the characters of Crowley and Rowena, instead of having the stupid Lucifer plot.
It's also a chance to explore the different mothers in the show - as Rowena is one. Of course, it doesn't come up much in this episode, I don't think.
Sam: "You know, I've seen my brother die, but watching him become... not him. This might actually be worse."
- Man, you could write whole essays on this. I'm not going to, it's been explored in many pieces of art out there... usually to do with degenerative mental health problems linked with aging... but yeah, watching someone 'die' but their body is still around, and they're still a person, but not the person you know... it's a special kind of torture.
Jensen just knocks this mirror scene out of the park too. Because yeah, if you think it's terrifying and torturous for the people who love the person... I can't even imagine BEING the person.
Rowena: "What a gift not to recall the things you've done."
Dean: "Oh, you're a killer, Dean Winchester."
Rowena: "Scores. [...] but everything you've done, you've done for the greater good [...] but me, I've done horrible things. [...] then I met God and his sister..."
- Ah, this is the speech where we get the tie in with the motivation change with Rowena! I love it.
When Sam starts screaming in pain though, Dean remembers him enough to say "Sam?" and that KILLS me.
You'd think witches would be strong enough to fix their near-sightedness. That guy has THICK glasses man.
We also get a lot of Rowena backstory.
Sam: "No no no, brother! Witch!"
- And also knows enough to take Sam's word for it.
Dean: "Whose this hippie."
Dean: "Ha! Look at his face. Kinda like that time I stole all your halloween candy..."
Sam: "Not funny."
- I'm with Sam on this one. Though, I think he should have been tipped off given the fact that a)Dean can speak. And b)Dean's making fun of him for having long hair. 100% that's Dean back.
And Sam remembers to confiscate the book.
Sam: "We've had this weight forever, and seeing it gone - you looked happy."
Dean: "...it was what we do, all of it. So if that's what being happy is like, I think I'll pass."
- Dean's made that decision before - given the choice between not hunting, and not having all he has with Sam (and dying), or going back to having that incredible burden - that was What Is and What Will Never Be.
God, sexiest thing Supernatural has ever done, including the sex scenes, is Dean lying down backwards on that bull in slow-motion. Just. Ends me.
Okay, besides that very last shot... and on a less libido driven note... my favourite thing about this episode, and I think the important thing this episode was trying to get across, is that you strip Dean Winchester of everything - to the point where he can't even distinguish his brother from a witch, or remember how to speak - and he will still pick up a gun and kill bad guys. Now, that's not to say he doesn't have a choice in life, we've seen him retire before and he could do it again, but it'd have to be his choice - because Hunting, for better or for worse, has become a fundamental part of him, so fundamental that it's still there even when his own name isn't.
Also, that song they play at the end - I mean, I know it's all lighthearted, but in CONTEXT, it's brutal - because it's basically telling us that these are the good times in Dean's life, and soon it'll all end, which is does.
Anyway, no rewrites on this one - I like it. There's enough of an exploration of Rowena there that I'm satisfied, and really nothing needs to change. Yay!
Good episode!
And I'm half an episode away from being half-way through S12! Woo! This entry was originally posted at https://hells-half-acre.dreamwidth.org/549735.html.