Supernatural 9.07 Thoughts (spoilers)
It's been a while since I've done episode reaction posts on SPN, but I really wanted to work some things out after this episode, because I found it very confusing.
First things first, Sam and Dean's ages in this episode were supposed to be 10 and 14 but got changed to 12 and 16 when they cast Dylan Everett as young!Dean. He did do a great job as Dean though (although it took me a while to get over the fact that he looks so much like Dave Franco). But eyebrows aside, he really got Dean's mannerisms down.
I kind of wish they'd stuck with the original ages though, because even though Dylan doesn't look 14 (and btw I just looked him up on IMDB and he's 18? And he was in those cheesy YTV shows I would always flip through? WEIRD), it would fit better with my headcanon. First of all, it would've made for a nicer transition from the Ridge Canipe -> Dylan Everett -> Brock Kelly versions of young Dean. Although I realize that's difficult to do with casting, and I'm willing to handwave that, especially since Dylan did a great job. And secondly, I find it hard to believe that Dean had his first kiss at 16. But that's a pretty minor issue. And third, it would've made more sense with Sam too. For one thing, he looked way too young at the end. Also, it would've made it slightly easier to believe that Sam didn't question John or Dean about what happened. I mean, all these years and Sam just accepted the fact that John had "lost" Dean and spent two months trying to track him down? And when Dean came back looking just fine, there were no questions? When he was young, Sam idolized Dean as much as Dean idolized John. He should've been ecstatic when they went to pick up Dean, especially if he'd been told that Dean had been lost on a hunt. He shouldn't have been chilling like they were picking Dean up from school.
And that brings up the point that John left Dean--in police custody for two months! I was discussing this with someone over twitter, and they said they saw it as John punishing Dean for failing to do his job. I can sort of see how separating Dean from his family can be a punishment (aside from the obvious reasons). Being separated from his family takes away the two things that Dean found self-worth in: protecting Sam and hunting. But I still find his actions to be very OOC for John, especially based on what we've seen in past episodes (see: "Something Wicked", "Dark Side Of the Moon". I don't want to get into a John Winchester rant right now). John wouldn't have had the patience to teach Dean a lesson in that way. Because John doesn't trust easily, and despite whatever failures he believes Dean was guilty of, Dean was still his best choice to take care of Sam and to help him out.
As for Dean going for the "normal" life? HOMG SO OOC. This whole episode was made to show us that Dean did want a normal life after all, but he has responsibilities to Sam that stop him from having that. I mean, that car speech? ARGH. But if Dean had wanted a normal life that much, he wouldn't have been so against Sam trying to have a normal life of his own. And I am so confused by the broment at the end. So Dean runs away and renounces his family for two months (because seriously, it's not like Dean couldn't have run away and gone to Bobby's or Pastor Jim's before John came to pick him up) and Sam apologizes for keeping him from what he wants, and the viewers are supposed to be sympathetic. But every time Sam tries to go for a normal life, he's vilified. How does that make sense?
Also, Dean idolized John when he was younger. Even in the present timeline, he still struggles to acknowledge that John was a shitty father. A teenaged Dean wouldn't be badmouthing his dad like that, and especially not to a stranger. And he wouldn't have had the need for a substitute father figure either. Even if he did recognize what a terrible father John was, it's not until much, much later in canon that he realized how much it messed him up.
Reading Adam Glass's tweets didn't make me think any better of the episode either (no surprise there). His whole live-tweet session was basically him saying "I wrote it this way because that happened to me when I was a kid!", which, NO. Don't try to turn Dean Winchester into you, WTF?!
Seeing the Samulet again was great though, and I did like the fact that they were on an old-fashioned salt 'n burn. With the ghost, and the deaths, at times the episode felt like it would've fit in with S2. Although I wonder if this was supposed to be a Harry Potter homage or something, what with the geeky kid in wire-rimmed glasses, and the mom protecting him even after death. I wish they hadn't made the ghost shed her deathly exterior before she moved on though. Like, what made this ghost so special? You don't need to add new lore to a monster each time we see one. The relationship between the main characters should be the focus, and the MOTW plot should serve to enhance our understanding of it. If the main character arc is written well enough, it won't be a big deal if the MOTW is a regular one, instead of trying to make one "special".
Dean's line about doing something for yourself, even if it hurts others was interesting. I took that as foreshadowing for the inevitable Ezekiel reveal. Obviously Dean's choice to have Zeke possess Sam wasn't for Sam, but for himself, and he did it knowing full well that Sam will hate him for it.
And I know that, canonically, this episode is 9.07, but it was originally supposed to be 9.05. I was hoping that this episode would have made more sense as episode five, but after thinking about it, I'd say that it wouldn't make sense no matter where you put it in canon :(
First things first, Sam and Dean's ages in this episode were supposed to be 10 and 14 but got changed to 12 and 16 when they cast Dylan Everett as young!Dean. He did do a great job as Dean though (although it took me a while to get over the fact that he looks so much like Dave Franco). But eyebrows aside, he really got Dean's mannerisms down.
I kind of wish they'd stuck with the original ages though, because even though Dylan doesn't look 14 (and btw I just looked him up on IMDB and he's 18? And he was in those cheesy YTV shows I would always flip through? WEIRD), it would fit better with my headcanon. First of all, it would've made for a nicer transition from the Ridge Canipe -> Dylan Everett -> Brock Kelly versions of young Dean. Although I realize that's difficult to do with casting, and I'm willing to handwave that, especially since Dylan did a great job. And secondly, I find it hard to believe that Dean had his first kiss at 16. But that's a pretty minor issue. And third, it would've made more sense with Sam too. For one thing, he looked way too young at the end. Also, it would've made it slightly easier to believe that Sam didn't question John or Dean about what happened. I mean, all these years and Sam just accepted the fact that John had "lost" Dean and spent two months trying to track him down? And when Dean came back looking just fine, there were no questions? When he was young, Sam idolized Dean as much as Dean idolized John. He should've been ecstatic when they went to pick up Dean, especially if he'd been told that Dean had been lost on a hunt. He shouldn't have been chilling like they were picking Dean up from school.
And that brings up the point that John left Dean--in police custody for two months! I was discussing this with someone over twitter, and they said they saw it as John punishing Dean for failing to do his job. I can sort of see how separating Dean from his family can be a punishment (aside from the obvious reasons). Being separated from his family takes away the two things that Dean found self-worth in: protecting Sam and hunting. But I still find his actions to be very OOC for John, especially based on what we've seen in past episodes (see: "Something Wicked", "Dark Side Of the Moon". I don't want to get into a John Winchester rant right now). John wouldn't have had the patience to teach Dean a lesson in that way. Because John doesn't trust easily, and despite whatever failures he believes Dean was guilty of, Dean was still his best choice to take care of Sam and to help him out.
As for Dean going for the "normal" life? HOMG SO OOC. This whole episode was made to show us that Dean did want a normal life after all, but he has responsibilities to Sam that stop him from having that. I mean, that car speech? ARGH. But if Dean had wanted a normal life that much, he wouldn't have been so against Sam trying to have a normal life of his own. And I am so confused by the broment at the end. So Dean runs away and renounces his family for two months (because seriously, it's not like Dean couldn't have run away and gone to Bobby's or Pastor Jim's before John came to pick him up) and Sam apologizes for keeping him from what he wants, and the viewers are supposed to be sympathetic. But every time Sam tries to go for a normal life, he's vilified. How does that make sense?
Also, Dean idolized John when he was younger. Even in the present timeline, he still struggles to acknowledge that John was a shitty father. A teenaged Dean wouldn't be badmouthing his dad like that, and especially not to a stranger. And he wouldn't have had the need for a substitute father figure either. Even if he did recognize what a terrible father John was, it's not until much, much later in canon that he realized how much it messed him up.
Reading Adam Glass's tweets didn't make me think any better of the episode either (no surprise there). His whole live-tweet session was basically him saying "I wrote it this way because that happened to me when I was a kid!", which, NO. Don't try to turn Dean Winchester into you, WTF?!
Seeing the Samulet again was great though, and I did like the fact that they were on an old-fashioned salt 'n burn. With the ghost, and the deaths, at times the episode felt like it would've fit in with S2. Although I wonder if this was supposed to be a Harry Potter homage or something, what with the geeky kid in wire-rimmed glasses, and the mom protecting him even after death. I wish they hadn't made the ghost shed her deathly exterior before she moved on though. Like, what made this ghost so special? You don't need to add new lore to a monster each time we see one. The relationship between the main characters should be the focus, and the MOTW plot should serve to enhance our understanding of it. If the main character arc is written well enough, it won't be a big deal if the MOTW is a regular one, instead of trying to make one "special".
Dean's line about doing something for yourself, even if it hurts others was interesting. I took that as foreshadowing for the inevitable Ezekiel reveal. Obviously Dean's choice to have Zeke possess Sam wasn't for Sam, but for himself, and he did it knowing full well that Sam will hate him for it.
And I know that, canonically, this episode is 9.07, but it was originally supposed to be 9.05. I was hoping that this episode would have made more sense as episode five, but after thinking about it, I'd say that it wouldn't make sense no matter where you put it in canon :(