SPN 3.8
"A Very Supernatural Christmas"
Roomie's Rating: 4 1/2 *****
- Initially a 3.5 rating - but she loves Christmas and the pagan gods were "adorable," so it got an extra star
- Best reaction to the episode: As I was complaining about the stakes being too big, I noted that in Blade that HIS stakes were too small... as I began my tirade about BtVS being the perfect size - Roomie says: "Well you know how men are." Me: "What about Blade? Roomie: "He's black - he doesn't have the need to compensate..." at which point we both collapsed into giggles. A highly inappropriate joke, but possibly the best part of this episode for me.
My Rating: 2 *****
+ One star for the flashbacks <- Seriously makes or breaks an episode for me
+ Two stars for Dean's necklace reveal at the end of the episode <- I've been wondering about that necklace since 1.1
+ One star for the references to pagan holidays that were taken over by the Christians
+ One star for the gods, they were quite fun for a monster-of-the-week
- Minus Two stars for Sam's unrelenting douche-baggery
+ One star for child-Sammy recognizing that child-big brother needs a present just as much as he does
- Minus One star for the "Dean? wait! I'm fighting back tears!!! Oh no one is in the corner of my eye!! laughcoughsigh I'm so manly and fighting back manly tears!!! Wanna watch the game?" bullshit
- Minus One star for the "IhateChristmasbecausemybigbrothertoldmethatmonstersareforrealsiesinthesamebreaththathealsotoldmethatSantaISN'Trealiescausewhatabigmeanie"
+ One star for Dean being a good big brother, no matter how bratty Sammy is
VS!
Sam 1/5 > for thinking that everything is always about you
Dean 5/5 > extra point for keeping that necklace forever!!! SO cute!!!
I find it hard to force myself to come back to this show after taking a break... I just am not that invested in these characters. Or rather... I am invested in Dean (and really, really, really crave an episode.... or for the love of god just a SCENE... in which Sam isn't a total douchebag) but find that he has to have the same conversation with Sammy every week, so I really don't feel like we're getting anywhere. It's quite frustrating. I have never disliked a character to the point that I dislike Sam. Every time he's on screen I lose my interest.
And I know some of my feedback seems like I love to hate Sam. But honestly, I don't love to hate any character ever. I want to at least be interested in their story, their evolution, to be curious/hopeful that they'll change. Or - for characters that I love in the moment until I look back on their whole arc (I'm talking about you, Xander) and realize that there isn't much that I like about them at all, and then dissecting that - I don't mind hating upon re-watch. Or growing to hate (I'm talking about you, Kate Austin and Jack Shepherd). That's fine. But if I distrust you day one and each day afterward you grate more and more on my nerves and have rarely a redeeming MOMENT then there is a problem. And it's no longer loving to hate. It's just annoying.
Dear Sam,
Please redeem yourself soon because I can't take this much longer.
Sincerely,
A fan of your darling brother who is desperately trying to like you