Supernatural 5.08
Usual caveat lector: I am pro-pretty-much-everybody. Yes, even him. I especially love Dean. And Sam. And Castiel. And Bobby. And John. And Ellen. And Jo. And Ruby. And Bela. And Andy, Ash, Ava, Gordon, Victor, Rufus, Jimmy, Amelia, Claire, Anna, Zachariah, Uriel, Sarah, Lucas, Ben, Lisa, Kubrick, Travis, Jim, Caleb, Josh, Jefferson, Rumsfeld... Um. Yeah.
First, to start off, I think we need to have a long, serious look at the opening segment. We need to explore the ways it connects the overarching mytharc and the ongoing character development, the references to popular culture and how the show intersects with our understanding of American life as revealed in the misfortunes of these two characters, with, of course, thoughts about previous episodes and the brilliant job the writers have done carrying themes over years of sequential storytelling.
Or, you know, it could be because I think their faces are hilarious.
I love Dean's cartoon Dagwood sandwich and the cartoon sitcom walls and their cartoon sitcom faces.
What's fantastic about this part is that Jensen and Jared do have a brilliant sense of comic timing. They'd be great on a sitcom. (Too good for most of them, of course.) They can do the broad expressions and the hilarious gestures with ridiculous aplomb. But here they've turned it up into the stratosphere, and it's cheesy and stupid and AWESOME.
Jared's face is so perfectly wonderful here. I bet the Js just had the best time filming this episode.
That was the cutest ghost we've ever seen on this show, y/y? Sam's theatrical fright is adorable.
Oh, Deeeeeaaaaannnn. SO CUTE. I want to see this face for real from him someday.
THEY HAVE A BOUQUET AND BAGUETTE. THEY ARE GOING ON A PICNIC. ON THEIR BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH ASLKGJOIQOSPPDKSFKA.
This is the part where dickensgirl almost choked on her sandwich and I told her that it would be better not to eat during this episode.
Or maybe it was this part, I forget. There was a lot of choking going on.
"Created by Eric Kripke." Oh, Kripke, Kripke, Kripke, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this. ♥ ♥ ♥
Dean is so FASCINATED by this show. ♥ ♥ ♥ "Not a fan" my great-aunt Bertha's chompers. Dean, cutie, you are quite transparent. ::pets his iddle head::
They seem to really be back in sync in this episode. That is a GOOD THING and it makes me happy.
"Oh, no, those movies were terrible!" This lady is so adorable. I love how she's a fangirl, too, but only of the TV Hulk. (According to my geeky friends, the latest Hulk movie was actually okay, but I haven't gotten around to seeing it yet.) I betcha that's where the Trick...Ga... You know what, I can't decide what to call him. For the purposes of this review, I'm going to call him Tricky McGee.
Anyway, I bet that's where Tricky McGee got the idea for this whole thing, from her. And as it turns out, maybe her TV hero saved her from an abusive asshole of a husband, and I can get behind that.
This is Dean's SRS RSRCH face. ♥
Sam hates Tricky McGee so much. ♥
I loved how Dean has wanted to gank Tricky McGee since Mystery Spot. My immediate thought was that it was because he saw how much that whole experience hurt Sam. For weeks after that, I'm sure Sam was kinda weird and clingy and having nightmares. Of course Dean would want to kill the creature who did that to his brother.
SAM'S EARNEST FACE. ♥ (I'm just handing out ♥s left and right, aren't I?) Of course he wants to talk to the guy. Of course. I'm very glad that this was suggested in the show. I've seen the idea bandied about in fandom quite frequently and always found it very interesting. And if Tricky McGee wasn't...Tricky McGee, it might even have worked.
I also loved how this dynamic hearkened back to their S1/S2 selves, with Dean perfectly fine with killing whatever it is they're facing that week, and Sam being more cautious and optimistic and hopeful of a peaceful solution. ♥ ♥ ♥ They need this from each other.
Also "moral stand," pfff, Sam. You kinda need to make up your mind about this one way or another. Do the ends justify the means or don't they?
THE BOYS HAVE A POLICE SCANNER. \o/ \o/ \o/ Of course they do, of course of course. I don't know why it's never occurred to me before. This must show up in fanfic A LOT from now on, do you hear? ::throws a rock at fandom at large, sees it plink down in the ocean and disappear::
Worth a shot.
This is the best confuddled!Sam face ever OMG OMG OMG. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I love how they can open any random door on this show and find a couple making out. ♥ Of course, that's the door they came through, but still. Any random door. Try some more, boys!
LOL, okay, so my first thought here was "SAM IS CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW?????"
"Sexy but earnest," "sexy but arrogant," "sexy but neurotic"... Dean, did you come up with those on your own, or do you read the fanzines?
JDM REFERENCE FTW! I howled. Howled, I tell you. dickensgirl didn't get it so I had to explain.
"IT'S HIM," in that voice of hushed reverence. Oh, Dean, Dean, Dean, your utter fanboyness will never stop being amusing to me. ♥ ♥ ♥
I absolutely, positively adore how he looks at Sam all "What do I do? WHAT DO I DOOOO?"
I love how short Tricky McGee is, especially compared to Dr. Sexy. I bet Tricky McGee liked that get-up.
♥ for Sam ninja-sidestepping the slap this time. You CAN learn! ♥
And Dean's epic eye-roll at the deluge of emo. Oh, Dean, we all have parts of our favorite shows that we could just as well do without.
Penknife, dental floss, sewing needle, fifth of whiskey. Well, that's how they do it at the motel.
From the faces Dean's making, you'd almost think he doesn't trust Sam to take a bullet out of his spine.
Ow, ow, ow. I don't have balls, and...I'm glad. Kinda slow on the uptake though, aren't they? As soon as I heard the name of the show, I knew where this was going. :D
Dean's instant shock is just... Have I used the word adorable too many times yet? Anyway, it's adorable. And you KNOW that he wants to do something to help his brother, but not only is he fastened to the floor, but there just isn't a whole lot you can do for someone in that situation.
THESE TWO ARE SO PERKY AND ADORABLE AND PERFECT. And Shrimp Chips sound disgusting. "Nutritious, great flavor, and they make you skinny!" Oh, I just bet they do.
CASTIEL!!!! He's so SRS here. When the doors started banging I totally thought Tricky McGee was gonna come be the star of this show, too, and then I was both surprised and delighted. CAAAASSSSS. I also love how Sam is bending down here to give Castiel access to his forehead. Many, many ♥s for the the gigantor.
Aww, and this is the face Dean made after he got the question right. Behold: the face of terror.
You know, Tricky McGee really doesn't like Sam, does he? Both questions in Nutcracker were low blows to Sam...first his choices, then his very existence. And now an STD. Tricky McGee might feel like the end of days is inevitable, now, but he's still angry and bitter about it. Or maybe he's mad at his brother Lucy, and taking it out on Sam because he can. In any case, poor Sam. ::pets his iddle disease-ridden head with a nice long stick::
I LOVE THIS FACE.
"How is that funny? Vultures." I loved the stupid laughtrack, but it did start to get annoying, so I was also glad when Tricky McGee shut it off.
CASTIEL! BABY! He's so determined. And oh, oh his poor FACE. :(
I loved how this was the breaking point for Dean, how after this he couldn't do the "monkey dance" anymore, because Tricky McGee was messing with his friend. ♥
Really, truly, all power to the shippers, I do love you, but to me, this is where Dean decides that Castiel is family. And just like he doesn't put up with someone beating on Sammy, he won't put up with someone beating on Cas. That is just not on.
I HEART THIS SEGMENT WITH A MILLION HEARTS. "You know who wears sunglasses at night? No-talent douchebags!" And Dean's flaily indignation at police procedurals, oh, honey, I feel you. Dean and I could totally be TV buddies. (Though I do like Numb3rs and Criminal Minds, for non-police-procedural reasons.) I also find it very amusing that he knows to call it a "police procedural." Isn't that kind of an industry term? Dean, just what magazines are you reading?
The boys do look ridiculously good, though. I mean, it's ridiculous how good they look. GUH.
Sam! You are the smartest Sam ever to Sam! ♥
LOL, so CSI, this roller-coaster close-up on the heart as the stake pierces. Oh, Show, my clever Show, you are indeed clever. Yes, you are. ::feeds it cookies::
I freely admit that I was actually quite sad that they managed to kill Tricky McGee. Because I do love me some Tricky McGee.
So you can imagine my joy when it turned out that he wasn't dead. (Also Dean being worried about Castiel warmed my cockles pretty fiercely.)
AND THIS. You've all seen ash48's "Channel Hopping" vid, right? This part just about killed me
SO.
PERFECT.
An angel all along, eh? Well. ::raises an eyebrow::
I just like this shot, okay? I think it's cool.
I find it interesting, the different reasons the angels have given for wanting the Apocalypse. Zachariah, I think, just gets off on the idea of that kind of power, holding that many lives in his hands. And maybe he really does buy the party line that this is all for the good of humanity, but hey, it's a good that Zachariah gets to pick for us, and he likes that. Raphael claims to just want paradise. Gabriel just wants it to be over, wants his brothers to stop fighting. Wants peace.
They're all very selfish, aren't they? Seeking their own good no matter who it hurts. Bunch of sissypants jerks.
Reflections and mirrors, above and below, big brothers and little brothers. Oh, show. Oh, boys. Oh, world. We are all kind of headed for the crapper, aren't we?
GAH, CASTIEL. So it turns out it was his big brother beating on him this whole time. THAT IS NOT COOL. No wonder Tricky McGee taped his mouth shut back in the sitcom, and no wonder Castiel stared at him with those wide blue eyes. Not cool, not cool. Ouch, my heart.
I do love this, though, the three of them standing together. Like a team. Like a family. Oh, boys.
Tricky McGee, you are a dumbass. Don't you want to be on this team? How could you not want to be on this team? I am very confused by you.
This betrayal and sadness and OW MY HEART OWWW.
And here is where I hold out just the tiniest bit of hope, because it looks like maybe Tricky McGee WOULD like to be on their team. It looks like maybe he's reconsidering, a little bit.
You know what I want? I want Tricky McGee and Jesse to team up and PWN THE WORLD with their reality-shifting abilities. That would be awesome. And adorable.
In any case. I really want to see Tricky McGee again later in the season, hopefully on SamnDean's side this time.
And OH, this hurt me, Castiel standing over there by himself, beaten all to hell, while Sam and Dean walk over to their car and apparently forget all about him. Agh. Castiel has been so horrendously alone this whole season, and he just keeps taking hit after hit after hit, and oh, I want so badly for him to get something good, to get something back, after everything he's lost and sacrificed. I want him to find God and I want God to be a good guy, however unlikely that might be in this crapsack universe, because I want Castiel's faith to be justified. I want him to turn out to be right.
I also want many h/c codas for him. I've read two so far and I'm cogitating on how to write one. Just so y'know.
In conclusion, I leave you with two more shots of the boys looking RIDICULOUSLY BADASS.
First, to start off, I think we need to have a long, serious look at the opening segment. We need to explore the ways it connects the overarching mytharc and the ongoing character development, the references to popular culture and how the show intersects with our understanding of American life as revealed in the misfortunes of these two characters, with, of course, thoughts about previous episodes and the brilliant job the writers have done carrying themes over years of sequential storytelling.
Or, you know, it could be because I think their faces are hilarious.
I love Dean's cartoon Dagwood sandwich and the cartoon sitcom walls and their cartoon sitcom faces.
What's fantastic about this part is that Jensen and Jared do have a brilliant sense of comic timing. They'd be great on a sitcom. (Too good for most of them, of course.) They can do the broad expressions and the hilarious gestures with ridiculous aplomb. But here they've turned it up into the stratosphere, and it's cheesy and stupid and AWESOME.
Jared's face is so perfectly wonderful here. I bet the Js just had the best time filming this episode.
That was the cutest ghost we've ever seen on this show, y/y? Sam's theatrical fright is adorable.
Oh, Deeeeeaaaaannnn. SO CUTE. I want to see this face for real from him someday.
THEY HAVE A BOUQUET AND BAGUETTE. THEY ARE GOING ON A PICNIC. ON THEIR BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH ASLKGJOIQOSPPDKSFKA.
This is the part where dickensgirl almost choked on her sandwich and I told her that it would be better not to eat during this episode.
Or maybe it was this part, I forget. There was a lot of choking going on.
"Created by Eric Kripke." Oh, Kripke, Kripke, Kripke, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this. ♥ ♥ ♥
Dean is so FASCINATED by this show. ♥ ♥ ♥ "Not a fan" my great-aunt Bertha's chompers. Dean, cutie, you are quite transparent. ::pets his iddle head::
They seem to really be back in sync in this episode. That is a GOOD THING and it makes me happy.
"Oh, no, those movies were terrible!" This lady is so adorable. I love how she's a fangirl, too, but only of the TV Hulk. (According to my geeky friends, the latest Hulk movie was actually okay, but I haven't gotten around to seeing it yet.) I betcha that's where the Trick...Ga... You know what, I can't decide what to call him. For the purposes of this review, I'm going to call him Tricky McGee.
Anyway, I bet that's where Tricky McGee got the idea for this whole thing, from her. And as it turns out, maybe her TV hero saved her from an abusive asshole of a husband, and I can get behind that.
This is Dean's SRS RSRCH face. ♥
Sam hates Tricky McGee so much. ♥
I loved how Dean has wanted to gank Tricky McGee since Mystery Spot. My immediate thought was that it was because he saw how much that whole experience hurt Sam. For weeks after that, I'm sure Sam was kinda weird and clingy and having nightmares. Of course Dean would want to kill the creature who did that to his brother.
SAM'S EARNEST FACE. ♥ (I'm just handing out ♥s left and right, aren't I?) Of course he wants to talk to the guy. Of course. I'm very glad that this was suggested in the show. I've seen the idea bandied about in fandom quite frequently and always found it very interesting. And if Tricky McGee wasn't...Tricky McGee, it might even have worked.
I also loved how this dynamic hearkened back to their S1/S2 selves, with Dean perfectly fine with killing whatever it is they're facing that week, and Sam being more cautious and optimistic and hopeful of a peaceful solution. ♥ ♥ ♥ They need this from each other.
Also "moral stand," pfff, Sam. You kinda need to make up your mind about this one way or another. Do the ends justify the means or don't they?
THE BOYS HAVE A POLICE SCANNER. \o/ \o/ \o/ Of course they do, of course of course. I don't know why it's never occurred to me before. This must show up in fanfic A LOT from now on, do you hear? ::throws a rock at fandom at large, sees it plink down in the ocean and disappear::
Worth a shot.
This is the best confuddled!Sam face ever OMG OMG OMG. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I love how they can open any random door on this show and find a couple making out. ♥ Of course, that's the door they came through, but still. Any random door. Try some more, boys!
LOL, okay, so my first thought here was "SAM IS CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW?????"
"Sexy but earnest," "sexy but arrogant," "sexy but neurotic"... Dean, did you come up with those on your own, or do you read the fanzines?
JDM REFERENCE FTW! I howled. Howled, I tell you. dickensgirl didn't get it so I had to explain.
"IT'S HIM," in that voice of hushed reverence. Oh, Dean, Dean, Dean, your utter fanboyness will never stop being amusing to me. ♥ ♥ ♥
I absolutely, positively adore how he looks at Sam all "What do I do? WHAT DO I DOOOO?"
I love how short Tricky McGee is, especially compared to Dr. Sexy. I bet Tricky McGee liked that get-up.
♥ for Sam ninja-sidestepping the slap this time. You CAN learn! ♥
And Dean's epic eye-roll at the deluge of emo. Oh, Dean, we all have parts of our favorite shows that we could just as well do without.
Penknife, dental floss, sewing needle, fifth of whiskey. Well, that's how they do it at the motel.
From the faces Dean's making, you'd almost think he doesn't trust Sam to take a bullet out of his spine.
Ow, ow, ow. I don't have balls, and...I'm glad. Kinda slow on the uptake though, aren't they? As soon as I heard the name of the show, I knew where this was going. :D
Dean's instant shock is just... Have I used the word adorable too many times yet? Anyway, it's adorable. And you KNOW that he wants to do something to help his brother, but not only is he fastened to the floor, but there just isn't a whole lot you can do for someone in that situation.
THESE TWO ARE SO PERKY AND ADORABLE AND PERFECT. And Shrimp Chips sound disgusting. "Nutritious, great flavor, and they make you skinny!" Oh, I just bet they do.
CASTIEL!!!! He's so SRS here. When the doors started banging I totally thought Tricky McGee was gonna come be the star of this show, too, and then I was both surprised and delighted. CAAAASSSSS. I also love how Sam is bending down here to give Castiel access to his forehead. Many, many ♥s for the the gigantor.
Aww, and this is the face Dean made after he got the question right. Behold: the face of terror.
You know, Tricky McGee really doesn't like Sam, does he? Both questions in Nutcracker were low blows to Sam...first his choices, then his very existence. And now an STD. Tricky McGee might feel like the end of days is inevitable, now, but he's still angry and bitter about it. Or maybe he's mad at his brother Lucy, and taking it out on Sam because he can. In any case, poor Sam. ::pets his iddle disease-ridden head with a nice long stick::
I LOVE THIS FACE.
"How is that funny? Vultures." I loved the stupid laughtrack, but it did start to get annoying, so I was also glad when Tricky McGee shut it off.
CASTIEL! BABY! He's so determined. And oh, oh his poor FACE. :(
I loved how this was the breaking point for Dean, how after this he couldn't do the "monkey dance" anymore, because Tricky McGee was messing with his friend. ♥
Really, truly, all power to the shippers, I do love you, but to me, this is where Dean decides that Castiel is family. And just like he doesn't put up with someone beating on Sammy, he won't put up with someone beating on Cas. That is just not on.
I HEART THIS SEGMENT WITH A MILLION HEARTS. "You know who wears sunglasses at night? No-talent douchebags!" And Dean's flaily indignation at police procedurals, oh, honey, I feel you. Dean and I could totally be TV buddies. (Though I do like Numb3rs and Criminal Minds, for non-police-procedural reasons.) I also find it very amusing that he knows to call it a "police procedural." Isn't that kind of an industry term? Dean, just what magazines are you reading?
The boys do look ridiculously good, though. I mean, it's ridiculous how good they look. GUH.
Sam! You are the smartest Sam ever to Sam! ♥
LOL, so CSI, this roller-coaster close-up on the heart as the stake pierces. Oh, Show, my clever Show, you are indeed clever. Yes, you are. ::feeds it cookies::
I freely admit that I was actually quite sad that they managed to kill Tricky McGee. Because I do love me some Tricky McGee.
So you can imagine my joy when it turned out that he wasn't dead. (Also Dean being worried about Castiel warmed my cockles pretty fiercely.)
AND THIS. You've all seen ash48's "Channel Hopping" vid, right? This part just about killed me
SO.
PERFECT.
An angel all along, eh? Well. ::raises an eyebrow::
I just like this shot, okay? I think it's cool.
I find it interesting, the different reasons the angels have given for wanting the Apocalypse. Zachariah, I think, just gets off on the idea of that kind of power, holding that many lives in his hands. And maybe he really does buy the party line that this is all for the good of humanity, but hey, it's a good that Zachariah gets to pick for us, and he likes that. Raphael claims to just want paradise. Gabriel just wants it to be over, wants his brothers to stop fighting. Wants peace.
They're all very selfish, aren't they? Seeking their own good no matter who it hurts. Bunch of sissypants jerks.
Reflections and mirrors, above and below, big brothers and little brothers. Oh, show. Oh, boys. Oh, world. We are all kind of headed for the crapper, aren't we?
GAH, CASTIEL. So it turns out it was his big brother beating on him this whole time. THAT IS NOT COOL. No wonder Tricky McGee taped his mouth shut back in the sitcom, and no wonder Castiel stared at him with those wide blue eyes. Not cool, not cool. Ouch, my heart.
I do love this, though, the three of them standing together. Like a team. Like a family. Oh, boys.
Tricky McGee, you are a dumbass. Don't you want to be on this team? How could you not want to be on this team? I am very confused by you.
This betrayal and sadness and OW MY HEART OWWW.
And here is where I hold out just the tiniest bit of hope, because it looks like maybe Tricky McGee WOULD like to be on their team. It looks like maybe he's reconsidering, a little bit.
You know what I want? I want Tricky McGee and Jesse to team up and PWN THE WORLD with their reality-shifting abilities. That would be awesome. And adorable.
In any case. I really want to see Tricky McGee again later in the season, hopefully on SamnDean's side this time.
And OH, this hurt me, Castiel standing over there by himself, beaten all to hell, while Sam and Dean walk over to their car and apparently forget all about him. Agh. Castiel has been so horrendously alone this whole season, and he just keeps taking hit after hit after hit, and oh, I want so badly for him to get something good, to get something back, after everything he's lost and sacrificed. I want him to find God and I want God to be a good guy, however unlikely that might be in this crapsack universe, because I want Castiel's faith to be justified. I want him to turn out to be right.
I also want many h/c codas for him. I've read two so far and I'm cogitating on how to write one. Just so y'know.
In conclusion, I leave you with two more shots of the boys looking RIDICULOUSLY BADASS.
