The Winchester Boys Go to Massachussett - Episode Reaction to Malleus Maleficarum
Oh, show, you are back!
OMG. This episode was definitely an explosive start after the hiatus. Fantastic, fantastic stuff. In a gist, the Winchester boys went to Massachussett to investigate a coven and got more than they bargained for. The origin of Ruby and demons like her came to fore and the rising possibility of Dean becoming an unlikely ally to prep Sam as the Grand Marshall of Hell.
Ben Edlund’s talent for inserting humour among the angst is showcased in every episode penned by him. The plot development was well-paced and the dialogue was witty and natural even when heavy with exposition. But a good story needed to be delivered well in order for it to be appreciated and this was the task of the actors.
Jensen delivers consistent performance as hell-bound Dean dealing with his upcoming departure and his concern for his brother. His deep voice alternates between rumbly shouts during “chick flick moments” and cute doofusness when he was puzzled. A very physical actor, he tells the story not just with the expressions flying across his face but his body also tells the story of his character’s life. Is it wrong to squee over a character spewing blood and writhing in pain? Because not only did he make it pretty, it was terrifyingly realistic (kudos to the special effects department) and nearly all Dean-girls watching had their heart in their throat for the fate of their beloved. His extreme dislike of witches was adorably comical and his drawly “burn witch burn”? For the win.
Jared continues to impress as the tormented Sam who is torn between his ideals and the reality of what he must become. His confession to Dean that he needs “to become like you” in order to cope in a world without his brother was heart-rending and incredibly telling. This underscores the little brother who looked up to his older sibling as the hero to emulate and his acceptance of the fact that he may not be able to save his brother. In less than a minute he conveyed grief, anger and acceptance, the whole gamut of emotion associated with the loss of a loved one. The little break in his voice and the bitterness is heartbreaking. But no matter how much bigger he is physically, or that he is a competent, well-trained hunter, the little brother who looks to Dean to help him make sense of the world is never far.
I will confess to being the few fans who were quite accepting of Ruby. I felt that the character was well placed and well developed; not too anvilly (after all, this is a TV show) and well executed by Katie Cassidy. Katie did an excellent job of conveying Ruby’s smartass remarks are a shield; her observation of Dean’s stoicism lacked mockery, laced instead with wonder and sympathy. She succeeded in making me believe that Ruby is definitely a “devil do care”, to borrow Dean’s words.
The actresses playing Elizabeth and the grating Mrs Renee van Allen were awesome in breathing life into their role. The demon was lovely to watch; quite an Angelina Jolie for the small screen. She conveyed all the attributes of demons common to the SPN ‘verse; arrogance laced with snarky witticism. The animal magnetism she exuded when discarding the Tammy persona is likely to inspire the femme-slashing fans. Not to mention the steamy exchange she had with Ruby shortly after she had both Winchester boys pinned to the wall like an oversized butterfly collection. It is likely that this episode will generate a greater number of femme and het slash fics and arts soon.
This episode showed us the origin of demons in the SPN universe and I happily welcome how well the writers of the show craft this world. In the SPN ‘verse, demons are originally humans who were damned and subsequently became perverted during their sojourn in hell. I like that the writers steered away from most explanations of the origin of demons as often outlined by various religious schools and myths (to my knowledge that is). It also underscores a theme in the SPN ‘verse whereby the worst monsters are human (Re: The Benders, Gordon Walker). I adore how well the show writers mesh the devices in their universe with many common precepts.
The character development here is nicely done, IMHO. It explained that Sam's new-found ruthlessness was not because he's the Anti-Christ (personally, I thought he was merely tapping his inner Winchester); rather, a response to the changes in his life and how he needed to adapt or die. I like that the show progresses to his accepting that he may not be able to save Dean; no more bravado on how Dean is not going to hell. Dean's facade continues to crack at the edges; we began to see more and more of his apprehension of his fate and less of the "Dean Winchester is scared of nothing" cockiness that marked the earlier episodes. It would be unlikely that he is unafraid of going to The Pit: now that he has a better idea that damnation is more than just flames and torment, he would be afraid of turning into the very thing that he hunts. What a wonderful reflection to the season 2 premier where the reaper told him that he was in danger of becoming the bane that he banishes.
Can't wait to see what is in store this coming Thursday. Only hopes that the torrent will be speedier this time around. *pouts*
OMG. This episode was definitely an explosive start after the hiatus. Fantastic, fantastic stuff. In a gist, the Winchester boys went to Massachussett to investigate a coven and got more than they bargained for. The origin of Ruby and demons like her came to fore and the rising possibility of Dean becoming an unlikely ally to prep Sam as the Grand Marshall of Hell.
Ben Edlund’s talent for inserting humour among the angst is showcased in every episode penned by him. The plot development was well-paced and the dialogue was witty and natural even when heavy with exposition. But a good story needed to be delivered well in order for it to be appreciated and this was the task of the actors.
Jensen delivers consistent performance as hell-bound Dean dealing with his upcoming departure and his concern for his brother. His deep voice alternates between rumbly shouts during “chick flick moments” and cute doofusness when he was puzzled. A very physical actor, he tells the story not just with the expressions flying across his face but his body also tells the story of his character’s life. Is it wrong to squee over a character spewing blood and writhing in pain? Because not only did he make it pretty, it was terrifyingly realistic (kudos to the special effects department) and nearly all Dean-girls watching had their heart in their throat for the fate of their beloved. His extreme dislike of witches was adorably comical and his drawly “burn witch burn”? For the win.
Jared continues to impress as the tormented Sam who is torn between his ideals and the reality of what he must become. His confession to Dean that he needs “to become like you” in order to cope in a world without his brother was heart-rending and incredibly telling. This underscores the little brother who looked up to his older sibling as the hero to emulate and his acceptance of the fact that he may not be able to save his brother. In less than a minute he conveyed grief, anger and acceptance, the whole gamut of emotion associated with the loss of a loved one. The little break in his voice and the bitterness is heartbreaking. But no matter how much bigger he is physically, or that he is a competent, well-trained hunter, the little brother who looks to Dean to help him make sense of the world is never far.
I will confess to being the few fans who were quite accepting of Ruby. I felt that the character was well placed and well developed; not too anvilly (after all, this is a TV show) and well executed by Katie Cassidy. Katie did an excellent job of conveying Ruby’s smartass remarks are a shield; her observation of Dean’s stoicism lacked mockery, laced instead with wonder and sympathy. She succeeded in making me believe that Ruby is definitely a “devil do care”, to borrow Dean’s words.
The actresses playing Elizabeth and the grating Mrs Renee van Allen were awesome in breathing life into their role. The demon was lovely to watch; quite an Angelina Jolie for the small screen. She conveyed all the attributes of demons common to the SPN ‘verse; arrogance laced with snarky witticism. The animal magnetism she exuded when discarding the Tammy persona is likely to inspire the femme-slashing fans. Not to mention the steamy exchange she had with Ruby shortly after she had both Winchester boys pinned to the wall like an oversized butterfly collection. It is likely that this episode will generate a greater number of femme and het slash fics and arts soon.
This episode showed us the origin of demons in the SPN universe and I happily welcome how well the writers of the show craft this world. In the SPN ‘verse, demons are originally humans who were damned and subsequently became perverted during their sojourn in hell. I like that the writers steered away from most explanations of the origin of demons as often outlined by various religious schools and myths (to my knowledge that is). It also underscores a theme in the SPN ‘verse whereby the worst monsters are human (Re: The Benders, Gordon Walker). I adore how well the show writers mesh the devices in their universe with many common precepts.
The character development here is nicely done, IMHO. It explained that Sam's new-found ruthlessness was not because he's the Anti-Christ (personally, I thought he was merely tapping his inner Winchester); rather, a response to the changes in his life and how he needed to adapt or die. I like that the show progresses to his accepting that he may not be able to save Dean; no more bravado on how Dean is not going to hell. Dean's facade continues to crack at the edges; we began to see more and more of his apprehension of his fate and less of the "Dean Winchester is scared of nothing" cockiness that marked the earlier episodes. It would be unlikely that he is unafraid of going to The Pit: now that he has a better idea that damnation is more than just flames and torment, he would be afraid of turning into the very thing that he hunts. What a wonderful reflection to the season 2 premier where the reaper told him that he was in danger of becoming the bane that he banishes.
Can't wait to see what is in store this coming Thursday. Only hopes that the torrent will be speedier this time around. *pouts*