My interpretation of SPN 6.01 (Exile On Main St.)
So this is it. After four months of waiting, the boys are finally back in town. Hellatus wasn't as bad as it was in previous years for me... thank god.
And now the boys are back, another year is about to start and no matter what Season Six will bring along, I am excited, I am happy and I can't wait to see where the journey ends. If it ends...
Onto my thoughts about the premiere:
I liked it. It was very different from what I am used to, felt somewhat wrong at times and yet you can tell that it is Supernatural. The same show we've been watching for the past five years... but still. Something was off. The way I see it, it's no longer a show for anyone but has become a show for fans... my heart was literally bleeding for Dean, I felt his pain, his facial expressions made me experience the deep wounds and gruesome memories he carries around day in and day out. You could tell that he tries so hard to be a good man, a good father and partner - but we all know that no matter how hard he tries, he could never truly escape. He has seen too much, has suffered and fought and bled and cried way too much for him to forget and accept a new, monumentaly different way of life. An easy life... it's not meant to be, even if it is everything his mind and soul want at this point (peace and quiet, a family, another chance... anything to get rid of the endless pain and guilt from the past).
And that is why it is difficult as a non-fan to enjoy and understand the depth of this premiere. Just like with Swan Song, it's the emotional investment we have with Sam and Dean (though admittedly, people who prefer Sam over Dean may feel a bit underwhelmed - more on that later) that made the episode. The montage at the beginning which contrasted the past and the present of Dean's life made me tear up, it literally shook me inside, squished my heart into an unrecognisable ball of sadness and regret. There is SO MUCH to see and feel when we imagine ourselves in Dean's situation. And that's one of the main reasons for me to love the episode - Dean's reaction to all the things coming at him during those 40 minutes. An occasional watcher wouldn't be able to understand the importance behind the pain and confusion Dean was feeling - they'd probably see where he was coming from but I doubt that they could actually relate to what he is going through. Show has become a fan-thing. I'm not complaining because, obviously I am a fan and I enjoy being invested.
Lisa. She was okay. I wish they had written her a bit more conflicted and less like someone who'd let someone as broken as Dean get away with everything. I get why she took him in, I understand why she felt responsible... but it has been a year and I am sure that even the sanest woman could not carry the weight of Dean Winchester as unconditionally as she seems to be. If there had been more anger and sadness on her side, I would have been more than happy. But it's okay, I guess. At least she finally appeared a bit more layered (her concern, her motives, her feelings... etc.)
As for Sam, I can't say I feel anything. Right now, I don't like the way he was portrayed. But it's only the first episode, so I'll reserve judgement for now. I understand why he didn't want to tell Dean anything but I can't help thinking that he wasn't completely honest with his reasoning. He seems cold and careless... if this is truly who he is inside then I can't buy it that it was his concern for his brother that made him stay away. I think it was a memory from before the cage that made him do it. He remembered that it was very important to him that Dean would get a normal life. He probably can't feel it anymore and he KNOWS that he can't - which is why he told Dean that he needed him - he knows it and he feels the shift in his mind-set but he can't change it. He remembers that he used to have ethical standards and that he used to care for people - he wanted to safe the world (hell, he did safe the world) and now it's all gone. It's just monsters now, and his job to kill them and get rid of them once and for all. His motivation? Not the people anymore but the fact that hunting has always been his life.
I see where this coldness is coming from. I suppose the things he experienced in the cage pressured his soul into building a cold, careless wall to shield himself from suffering and pain, from memories and regret... all the bad and horrible feelings that make a person forget who and what they are. It's a survival technique and now it made him into... this. This unrecognisable version of Sam that makes me feel itchy and sad. I really really hope that by the end of the season, we get him back. Our Sam. God knows I miss him.
Well, that's my interpretation at least. Maybe I'm wrong but it's the only way it would make sense to me.
Bobby. I love him to death. See the difference between him and Sam? Sam didn't appear invested in the idea to leave Dean out of the hunting life (as I mentioned above, the idea is just a memory for him). Bobby though... it makes sense to him. He knows all about the hardships that come with being a hunter. And he just cares so much, loves the boys so damn much that he is willing to make that sacrifice. He is willing to keep Dean out of the loop which also means that he most likey won't ever get to see one of the two people he considers his own blood ever again. Show breaks my heart, seriously. I really think Dean can see this side of Bobby's reasoning as well. He's just too hurt to acknowledge it at the moment. I'm sure he'll get over it though =)
Grandpa Campbell. I don't like him. I honestly think he is bad news. Just wait and see...
And Azazel! I missed that son of a bitch. What a wonderful way to bring him back! :D And who knew that Yellow-Eyes would be Dean's worst nightmare? You'd think he'd see Sam suffering in hell, instead he sees YED which basically means that hhe slowly but surely starts to care for Ben and Lisa as though they were his very own family. Because YED stands for Mary's death, for John's death... he's the thing that killed and destroyed Dean's entire family safe for Sam. It's heartbreaking to think that he was so close to come to terms with the fact that Sam is dead and gone... and the next minute he appears on Dean's doorstep, tearing up all the barely healed wounds.
Here's what I didn't like:
The plot was really flat. I missed the suspense, there was no real turning point in the story. And the portrayal of the Djinn's was seriously lackluster. There was too much information in one episode, too much talking. I miss the usual SPN creepiness.
But still, it's only the first episode and it surely didn't disappoint on the emotional, insightful level. That's why I'm definitely looking forward to next week (and the rest of the season, obviously).
And now the boys are back, another year is about to start and no matter what Season Six will bring along, I am excited, I am happy and I can't wait to see where the journey ends. If it ends...
Onto my thoughts about the premiere:
I liked it. It was very different from what I am used to, felt somewhat wrong at times and yet you can tell that it is Supernatural. The same show we've been watching for the past five years... but still. Something was off. The way I see it, it's no longer a show for anyone but has become a show for fans... my heart was literally bleeding for Dean, I felt his pain, his facial expressions made me experience the deep wounds and gruesome memories he carries around day in and day out. You could tell that he tries so hard to be a good man, a good father and partner - but we all know that no matter how hard he tries, he could never truly escape. He has seen too much, has suffered and fought and bled and cried way too much for him to forget and accept a new, monumentaly different way of life. An easy life... it's not meant to be, even if it is everything his mind and soul want at this point (peace and quiet, a family, another chance... anything to get rid of the endless pain and guilt from the past).
And that is why it is difficult as a non-fan to enjoy and understand the depth of this premiere. Just like with Swan Song, it's the emotional investment we have with Sam and Dean (though admittedly, people who prefer Sam over Dean may feel a bit underwhelmed - more on that later) that made the episode. The montage at the beginning which contrasted the past and the present of Dean's life made me tear up, it literally shook me inside, squished my heart into an unrecognisable ball of sadness and regret. There is SO MUCH to see and feel when we imagine ourselves in Dean's situation. And that's one of the main reasons for me to love the episode - Dean's reaction to all the things coming at him during those 40 minutes. An occasional watcher wouldn't be able to understand the importance behind the pain and confusion Dean was feeling - they'd probably see where he was coming from but I doubt that they could actually relate to what he is going through. Show has become a fan-thing. I'm not complaining because, obviously I am a fan and I enjoy being invested.
Lisa. She was okay. I wish they had written her a bit more conflicted and less like someone who'd let someone as broken as Dean get away with everything. I get why she took him in, I understand why she felt responsible... but it has been a year and I am sure that even the sanest woman could not carry the weight of Dean Winchester as unconditionally as she seems to be. If there had been more anger and sadness on her side, I would have been more than happy. But it's okay, I guess. At least she finally appeared a bit more layered (her concern, her motives, her feelings... etc.)
As for Sam, I can't say I feel anything. Right now, I don't like the way he was portrayed. But it's only the first episode, so I'll reserve judgement for now. I understand why he didn't want to tell Dean anything but I can't help thinking that he wasn't completely honest with his reasoning. He seems cold and careless... if this is truly who he is inside then I can't buy it that it was his concern for his brother that made him stay away. I think it was a memory from before the cage that made him do it. He remembered that it was very important to him that Dean would get a normal life. He probably can't feel it anymore and he KNOWS that he can't - which is why he told Dean that he needed him - he knows it and he feels the shift in his mind-set but he can't change it. He remembers that he used to have ethical standards and that he used to care for people - he wanted to safe the world (hell, he did safe the world) and now it's all gone. It's just monsters now, and his job to kill them and get rid of them once and for all. His motivation? Not the people anymore but the fact that hunting has always been his life.
I see where this coldness is coming from. I suppose the things he experienced in the cage pressured his soul into building a cold, careless wall to shield himself from suffering and pain, from memories and regret... all the bad and horrible feelings that make a person forget who and what they are. It's a survival technique and now it made him into... this. This unrecognisable version of Sam that makes me feel itchy and sad. I really really hope that by the end of the season, we get him back. Our Sam. God knows I miss him.
Well, that's my interpretation at least. Maybe I'm wrong but it's the only way it would make sense to me.
Bobby. I love him to death. See the difference between him and Sam? Sam didn't appear invested in the idea to leave Dean out of the hunting life (as I mentioned above, the idea is just a memory for him). Bobby though... it makes sense to him. He knows all about the hardships that come with being a hunter. And he just cares so much, loves the boys so damn much that he is willing to make that sacrifice. He is willing to keep Dean out of the loop which also means that he most likey won't ever get to see one of the two people he considers his own blood ever again. Show breaks my heart, seriously. I really think Dean can see this side of Bobby's reasoning as well. He's just too hurt to acknowledge it at the moment. I'm sure he'll get over it though =)
Grandpa Campbell. I don't like him. I honestly think he is bad news. Just wait and see...
And Azazel! I missed that son of a bitch. What a wonderful way to bring him back! :D And who knew that Yellow-Eyes would be Dean's worst nightmare? You'd think he'd see Sam suffering in hell, instead he sees YED which basically means that hhe slowly but surely starts to care for Ben and Lisa as though they were his very own family. Because YED stands for Mary's death, for John's death... he's the thing that killed and destroyed Dean's entire family safe for Sam. It's heartbreaking to think that he was so close to come to terms with the fact that Sam is dead and gone... and the next minute he appears on Dean's doorstep, tearing up all the barely healed wounds.
Here's what I didn't like:
The plot was really flat. I missed the suspense, there was no real turning point in the story. And the portrayal of the Djinn's was seriously lackluster. There was too much information in one episode, too much talking. I miss the usual SPN creepiness.
But still, it's only the first episode and it surely didn't disappoint on the emotional, insightful level. That's why I'm definitely looking forward to next week (and the rest of the season, obviously).