SPN ep reviews
There are two little boys, maybe ten and eight years old, playing with the pendulum toy on my desk. Their mom is waiting in my lobby for an appointment, and they're actually being remarkably quiet, especially compared to most kids when trapped in my lobby. They're both watching the pendulum very seriously (when nudged, it makes perfectly symmetrical patterns in a little tray of sand) and whispering very softly to each other. They're only about two feet away, and I can't make out what they're saying.
The younger one started playing with the pendulum first, and the older one scolded him and gave me an apprehensive look, like he was afraid they'd get in trouble. I laughed and told him it was okay to play with the pendulum while they waited, that's why we have it. So now they're both watching it, riveted, and the older boy keeps muttering "Hey," and making little irritated gestures at his brother whenever the younger boy reaches out and taps the pendulum to make it swing in a different direction, make a new pattern. The younger one doesn't really seem to notice his brother, he's just interested in making the pendulum do its thing.
Did I mention that the older brother has adorable freckles?
Guys, I totally have Sam and Dean Winchester circa 1990 (or so) in my lobby. *dies of teh cute*
And on that note, ep reviews!
Jus in Bello
To coin a phrase, OH MAN, YOU GUYS!!
This episode review will involve heavy use of the word "awesome." Like, even more so than usual. Just so you're warned.
I don't even know where to start.
Henrickson and Dean exchanging barbs, and the really-well-played emotional reactions we get from both brothers when Henrickson insults John and threatens them with separation? Dude.
Peter Deluise as FBI agent! Yay! Hi, Peter!
Peter Deluise as possessed FBI Agent! Heee! Bye, Peter!
Go Sam, with the mad exorcising skillz. I don't think we've ever seen him Latinate that fast. That was impressive. Also kinda hot.
Speaking of kinda hot (only without the kinda): Dean + shoulder wound is officially my new OTP. Because really, that whole arrangement of sleeve and bandage is just delightful on an aesthetic level. *happy sigh*
How much do I love Victor Henrickson, all of a sudden? Damn. I loved hating him, now I just love him. I love how he just makes the switch from Winchesters = Bad Guys, Monsters = Not Real to Monsters = Real, therefor Winchesters = Good Guys in 0.007 seconds flat. And I love his gear-up scene with Dean, where they both realize how much they have in common, how similar their end goals are. Just...Henrickson! Henrickson is awesome!
In the continuing theme of I Love This Show, But It Hates Me: did they just dangle the possibility of Henrickson as an ally, and of Henrickson actually going hunter himself, at some point...and then SNATCH IT AWAY?? Why, show, why do you hate me? *tantrums*
I couldn't help thinking that amberdulen is not going to be happy with this season, when she sees it. First Gordon, Now Henrickson...she's going to be so disappointed.
So, Ruby. I'm really curious whether she fully intended to go through with the whole vaporizes-every-demon-in-a-ten-mile-radius thing, or not. Was this just a test to see if Sam would sign up to sacrifice someone? Was she really willing to die to get the guys out, and if so...what did her plans amount to in the event of her death? I suppose I shouldn't think too hard about this, but I wonder.
I kind of adore Dean's part of the whole "virgin" conversation. "Nobody's a virgin." Like they're on the list of Things That Don't Exist with unicorns and Santa. Hee. Silly Dean. And yeah "Nobody kill any virgins," is pretty priceless.
I found myself kind of glad this aired after Mystery Spot instead of before. Sam's behavior in this episode--from how quiet he is, to his willingness to entertain the whole virgin sacrifice idea--strikes me a lot easier to explain if he already has the loop of Tuesdays and the six months of serial-killer-esque alone time under his belt. Seems kind of fortuitous that they ended up getting switched, though I gather that there was much sturm und drang from fandom about the decision. *shrugs* Whatever, I like them this way, for whatever that's worth.
So I had no idea what Dean et all were planning until Nancy and the random deputy guy started salting the place from the outside. Then I realized that Dean's open-the-doors-and-fight plan was actually made of pure awesome. MASS EXORCISM FOR THE WIN!!
I really want exorcism via audio recording to show up again, sometime. Just 'cause.
So, Lilith. Really? Lilith? As in Adam's supposed first wife? As in the demoness that was supposed to torment early monks when they took their vows of chastity? As in has a girl-power fair named after her? That Lilith. Ookay. I guess I was more or less okay with the YED being assigned the identity of Azazel since Azazel is basically a name that crops up here and there but doesn't have any very definite character to attach to it. Lilith, on the other hand, has more lore than you can shake a stick at, as an individual character rather than as a concept or category like a spook or a cryptid. And for some reason that bothers me. I don't know. We'll see. Maybe they're just using the name, and they're going to do their own thing with the character. I think I'd be cool with that. Anyway.
Okay, after I got over her very Mary Sue-esque introduction (nice work, there, show) I tended to find Ruby pretty fun to watch, even if I occasionally got tired of having to constantly wonder whether she was lying or not and what her angle was. But her little rant at the end of this ep elicited a "Hey! Ease off the boys, wench!" from me. Because really. How is it their fault that Lilith killed everybody at the station? And since when does Ruby care about body count? But maybe the rant and making the boys miserable was all part of her Plan. Assuming she has one. Again, it kind of gets old wondering what her angle is all the time.
Dang, for such an awesome ep, this ends on a real downer, doesn't it? Doesn't stop it from being AWESOME. *grin*
Ghostfacers
This will be shorter than the preceding review because my reactions to this ep mostly boil down to a lot of giggling and snorting. Oh dear. Hee. So much hilarity.
Possibly the most hysterically funny thing about this ep was the fact that my poor father-in-law was so confused by it when he came in to find me watching it on my computer. He thought it was some kind of fan-made project at first, and could not easily be disabused of this notion. Then he thought that it was some kind of joke vid that the SPN crew had put together in their free time. I had to pause the ep and explain that no, this really was an actual episode, for real and also explain that it was a pastiche of another TV show, one where real people purportedly hunted ghosts, three or four times before he finally got it and stopped asking why the camera work was so shaky. Heh. Poor Dad.
Ed and Harry cracked me up in S1, and they crack me up now. There is a level of ridonkulouslness that is achievable only to those who take themselves very, very seriously.
I love the way the brothers are introduced to the ep, with the Impala's engine and "American Band" audible before they roll by.
Endless love for the outsider POV and for the format, which allows for so much gleeful meta.
Also, the cursing. *snerk*
Death echos, huh? Cool.
I kind of want to keep Maggie. Can she team up with the boys for bit, maybe? She can bring Harry, if she wants.
So this week's spook is...kind of more disturbing than I anticipated. Even if it did turn out his motivation for hording bodies was slightly different than the one Dean and Sam originally theorized, the whole thing still gave me the heebs.
"No, no, no. I'm not going to whine about my *bleep* problems to some *bleep* reality show. I'm going to do my *bleep* job!"
Poor Sam. This is really not his episode, is it? *pets him*
I like that Dean manages to rustle up an endorsement of the show as "half-awesome." Hee. And nice hard-drive-wiping magnet thing! I love any chance we get to see Dean's MacGyver skillz in action.
Ghost. Ghost Faaay-cers! Stay in the kitchen when the kitchen get hot!
*falls out of chair giggling*
I will be seeing the last three eps of S3 at izhilzha's house this weekend. I'm lacing up my knee-high angst-canceling boots, now.
The younger one started playing with the pendulum first, and the older one scolded him and gave me an apprehensive look, like he was afraid they'd get in trouble. I laughed and told him it was okay to play with the pendulum while they waited, that's why we have it. So now they're both watching it, riveted, and the older boy keeps muttering "Hey," and making little irritated gestures at his brother whenever the younger boy reaches out and taps the pendulum to make it swing in a different direction, make a new pattern. The younger one doesn't really seem to notice his brother, he's just interested in making the pendulum do its thing.
Did I mention that the older brother has adorable freckles?
Guys, I totally have Sam and Dean Winchester circa 1990 (or so) in my lobby. *dies of teh cute*
And on that note, ep reviews!
Jus in Bello
To coin a phrase, OH MAN, YOU GUYS!!
This episode review will involve heavy use of the word "awesome." Like, even more so than usual. Just so you're warned.
I don't even know where to start.
Henrickson and Dean exchanging barbs, and the really-well-played emotional reactions we get from both brothers when Henrickson insults John and threatens them with separation? Dude.
Peter Deluise as FBI agent! Yay! Hi, Peter!
Peter Deluise as possessed FBI Agent! Heee! Bye, Peter!
Go Sam, with the mad exorcising skillz. I don't think we've ever seen him Latinate that fast. That was impressive. Also kinda hot.
Speaking of kinda hot (only without the kinda): Dean + shoulder wound is officially my new OTP. Because really, that whole arrangement of sleeve and bandage is just delightful on an aesthetic level. *happy sigh*
How much do I love Victor Henrickson, all of a sudden? Damn. I loved hating him, now I just love him. I love how he just makes the switch from Winchesters = Bad Guys, Monsters = Not Real to Monsters = Real, therefor Winchesters = Good Guys in 0.007 seconds flat. And I love his gear-up scene with Dean, where they both realize how much they have in common, how similar their end goals are. Just...Henrickson! Henrickson is awesome!
In the continuing theme of I Love This Show, But It Hates Me: did they just dangle the possibility of Henrickson as an ally, and of Henrickson actually going hunter himself, at some point...and then SNATCH IT AWAY?? Why, show, why do you hate me? *tantrums*
I couldn't help thinking that amberdulen is not going to be happy with this season, when she sees it. First Gordon, Now Henrickson...she's going to be so disappointed.
So, Ruby. I'm really curious whether she fully intended to go through with the whole vaporizes-every-demon-in-a-ten-mile-radius thing, or not. Was this just a test to see if Sam would sign up to sacrifice someone? Was she really willing to die to get the guys out, and if so...what did her plans amount to in the event of her death? I suppose I shouldn't think too hard about this, but I wonder.
I kind of adore Dean's part of the whole "virgin" conversation. "Nobody's a virgin." Like they're on the list of Things That Don't Exist with unicorns and Santa. Hee. Silly Dean. And yeah "Nobody kill any virgins," is pretty priceless.
I found myself kind of glad this aired after Mystery Spot instead of before. Sam's behavior in this episode--from how quiet he is, to his willingness to entertain the whole virgin sacrifice idea--strikes me a lot easier to explain if he already has the loop of Tuesdays and the six months of serial-killer-esque alone time under his belt. Seems kind of fortuitous that they ended up getting switched, though I gather that there was much sturm und drang from fandom about the decision. *shrugs* Whatever, I like them this way, for whatever that's worth.
So I had no idea what Dean et all were planning until Nancy and the random deputy guy started salting the place from the outside. Then I realized that Dean's open-the-doors-and-fight plan was actually made of pure awesome. MASS EXORCISM FOR THE WIN!!
I really want exorcism via audio recording to show up again, sometime. Just 'cause.
So, Lilith. Really? Lilith? As in Adam's supposed first wife? As in the demoness that was supposed to torment early monks when they took their vows of chastity? As in has a girl-power fair named after her? That Lilith. Ookay. I guess I was more or less okay with the YED being assigned the identity of Azazel since Azazel is basically a name that crops up here and there but doesn't have any very definite character to attach to it. Lilith, on the other hand, has more lore than you can shake a stick at, as an individual character rather than as a concept or category like a spook or a cryptid. And for some reason that bothers me. I don't know. We'll see. Maybe they're just using the name, and they're going to do their own thing with the character. I think I'd be cool with that. Anyway.
Okay, after I got over her very Mary Sue-esque introduction (nice work, there, show) I tended to find Ruby pretty fun to watch, even if I occasionally got tired of having to constantly wonder whether she was lying or not and what her angle was. But her little rant at the end of this ep elicited a "Hey! Ease off the boys, wench!" from me. Because really. How is it their fault that Lilith killed everybody at the station? And since when does Ruby care about body count? But maybe the rant and making the boys miserable was all part of her Plan. Assuming she has one. Again, it kind of gets old wondering what her angle is all the time.
Dang, for such an awesome ep, this ends on a real downer, doesn't it? Doesn't stop it from being AWESOME. *grin*
Ghostfacers
This will be shorter than the preceding review because my reactions to this ep mostly boil down to a lot of giggling and snorting. Oh dear. Hee. So much hilarity.
Possibly the most hysterically funny thing about this ep was the fact that my poor father-in-law was so confused by it when he came in to find me watching it on my computer. He thought it was some kind of fan-made project at first, and could not easily be disabused of this notion. Then he thought that it was some kind of joke vid that the SPN crew had put together in their free time. I had to pause the ep and explain that no, this really was an actual episode, for real and also explain that it was a pastiche of another TV show, one where real people purportedly hunted ghosts, three or four times before he finally got it and stopped asking why the camera work was so shaky. Heh. Poor Dad.
Ed and Harry cracked me up in S1, and they crack me up now. There is a level of ridonkulouslness that is achievable only to those who take themselves very, very seriously.
I love the way the brothers are introduced to the ep, with the Impala's engine and "American Band" audible before they roll by.
Endless love for the outsider POV and for the format, which allows for so much gleeful meta.
Also, the cursing. *snerk*
Death echos, huh? Cool.
I kind of want to keep Maggie. Can she team up with the boys for bit, maybe? She can bring Harry, if she wants.
So this week's spook is...kind of more disturbing than I anticipated. Even if it did turn out his motivation for hording bodies was slightly different than the one Dean and Sam originally theorized, the whole thing still gave me the heebs.
"No, no, no. I'm not going to whine about my *bleep* problems to some *bleep* reality show. I'm going to do my *bleep* job!"
Poor Sam. This is really not his episode, is it? *pets him*
I like that Dean manages to rustle up an endorsement of the show as "half-awesome." Hee. And nice hard-drive-wiping magnet thing! I love any chance we get to see Dean's MacGyver skillz in action.
Ghost. Ghost Faaay-cers! Stay in the kitchen when the kitchen get hot!
*falls out of chair giggling*
I will be seeing the last three eps of S3 at izhilzha's house this weekend. I'm lacing up my knee-high angst-canceling boots, now.