Born Under a Bad Sign
Late as usual but that's my life right now. Loved this episode and I've gotta say possessed!Sam hits a serious hero-goes-bad kink of mine.
Once again the sound track really rocked, so subtle and haunting. The editing was no slouch either and just ratcheted up the tension especially at the beginning when it is not clear what the heck is going on.
This is another episode that rewards watching unspoiled. I am so so glad I’m managing to avoid spoilers. It’s hard to resist but then the pay off with episodes like this is so huge it makes all that delayed gratification delicious. Until Sam attacks Dean I was clueless as to what was going on. Clearly Sam had done things that were out of character and way, way bad. I was so not getting how it was all going to resolve My tense and anxious meter reading was off the scale.
The episode started on a wonderfully angsty moment, Dean had lost his Sam. Whimper. Wet bedraggled Dean is so yummy. Then he finds Sam and Dean’s all over him, searching for the source of the blood on Sam's clothes.
Sam: Dean, ... I don’t remember anything.
So the big question, post viewing, is, until the reveal, just how much of what we’re seeing is Sam and how much the demon. The demon seems to have a pretty good handle on how Sam interacts with his brother.
Dean rolls over the hunter's body.
Sam: Dean, I did this.
Dean: We don’t know that.
Sam: What else do you need? How else do explain the car, the knife, the blood?
Dean: I don’t know man. Why don’t you tell me? ... Even if you did do this, I’m sure you had a reason, self defense, ah, he, he was a bad son of a bitch, something.
Sam goes immediately to the bad place, whereas Dean knows his brother is incapable of doing what he’s been shown doing. Watching Dean, watching Sam slit the hunters throat was gut wrenching. As the break came I was holding my breath for all I was worth.
Sam: Murder, Dean, that’s what I did.
Dean: Maybe, okay. We don’t kn... shapeshifter.
Sam: Oh, come on. You know it wasn’t, you saw the tape. There was no eye flare, no distortion.
Dean: But it wasn’t you. All right? Well, yeah, it might have been you, but it wasn’t you.
Sam: Well, I think it was. ... I think maybe more than you know.
Dean: What the hell does that mean?
Sam: For the last few weeks I’ve been having ... I’ve been having these feelings.
Dean: What feelings?
Sam: Rage. Hate. And I can’t stop it. It just gets worse. Day by day it gets worse.
Dean: You never told me this.
Sam: I didn’t want to scare you.
Dean: Well, bang up job on that.
I love how Dean is just twisting himself in knots to find reasons why it isn’t Sam doing these terrible things. When Sam talks about the rage and hate, I think this is the demon reflecting their own feelings. Also it helps sow a seed of doubt in Dean’s head. Even when he discovers what is going on he’ll be left with that lingering question about what is going on in Sam’s head.
Sam: Dad knew that too. That’s why he told you, if it ever came to this...
Dean: Shut up, Sam.
Sam: Dean, You promised him. ... You promised me.
Dean: No. Listen to me. We can figure this out. Okay? I mean, there’s got to be a way, right?
Sam: Yeah, there is.
Sam picks up the gun.
Sam: I don’t want to hurt anyone else. I don’t want to hurt you.
Dean: You won’t. What ever this is ... you can fight it.
Sam: No. I can’t. Not forever. Here, you’ve gotta do it.
Sam gives the gun to Dean.
Dean: Ya know I’ve tried so hard to keep you safe.
Sam: I know.
Dean: I can’t. I’d rather die.
Dean puts the gun down
Sam: No. You’ll live.
Sam picks up the gun.
Sam: You’ll live to regret this.
Sam smacks Dean and knocks him out.
At this point we know Sam has gone bad. Even if we don’t know all the details. And, holy moley, I was holding my breath again and was so so tense.
Demon!Sam goes to find Jo. The Sam we see with Jo can afford to be more openly the demon and less Sam. She doesn't know Sam that well and has a natural antagonism towards him due to the way John was involved in her dad's death. Sam appears to be getting off on deliberately hurting Jo, especially when he talks about Dean’s attitude toward her. And what’s really scary is Sam and Jo have serious sexual chemistry. He comes on to her hard which triggers her to immediately blow him off. Then he’s all over her, in an overpowering, sexually provocative way. There are definite hints at the possibility of rape, plus the fact he’s so huge and dominating of her. All sorts of brain cells are being blown here with fanfic possibilities. Even more so when Dean walks in on the two of them.
I liked Jo a lot in this episode. She’s out doing her own thing and the balance between competence and inexperience seemed right to me. Right now I’d actually like to see more of her and Dean interacting, especially in hunter mode. I think there are some interesting conversations to be had between them.
Love the shot of Sam leaning around the post talking to Jo as she’s tied up.
Sam has a really big knife! Hmmmm, wonder if there trying to tell us something?
We learn how Jo’s dad really died. (John shot him so he didn’t suffer a long painful death.) I suspect that Ellen knows this as I can see John confessing all to her in an effort to get her to hate him and blame him and punish him. John's a bit of a masochist at heart. Ellen, though, is not going to tell Jo that, knowing 'the truth' doesn't add to Jo's life. I think it's pretty clear the demon possessing Sam killed Jo’s dad.
Sam: My daddy shot your daddy in the head. In a sing song tone. He’s so evil!
Dean arrives and Sam completely changes demeanour. Up to now he’s been predatory and aggressive. Now he goes into Sam!guilt mode begging Dan to kill him, to stop him from killing Jo. The hysteria really gets jacked. Dean refuses to kill Sam, again.
Sam: What’s wrong with you Dean? Are you so scared of being alone you’d rather let Jo die?
Dean hits him with the holy water and we get to see Sam with demon eyes. Oh my, oh my. Sam jumps through a window and escapes. Dean pursues him.
Sam: See, this was a test. I wanted to see if I could push you far enough to waste Sam. ... Should have known you wouldn’t have the sack.
Sam shoots Dean but deliberately misses, imo.
I love how Jo finds Dean by listening out for his cell phone and then patches him up. It’s so sad when she recognises that Dean won’t call her as he says. Love the shot of Dean, from the back, as he leaves the bar. All that wonderful skin on display. Shit. It’s not that many frames but, wow. Dean needs to be wearing more sleeveless tees.
Then Sam goes after Bobby. But we know Bobby won’t be so easily had. He recognised that Meg was possessed before the boys did, at the end of last season. Holy water in the beer allows him to tie up demon possessed Sam. The exorcism doesn’t go to plan as it turns out the demon has used a binding link. Ooops.
So Sam gets to beat on Dean and torment him some. Happy dance, gotta love the Dean!angst.
Sam: You know when people want to describe the worst possible thing? They say it’s like hell. You know there’s a reason for that. Hell, is like ... well its like hell, even for demons. It’s a prison made of bone and flesh and blood and fear. ... And you sent me back there.
Dean: Meg.
Sam: No. Not anymore. No, I’m Sam. By the way, I just saw your dad there. He says howdy. All that I had to hold on to was that I would climb out one day and that I was going to torture you. Nice and slow, like pulling the wings of an insect. But what ever I do to you, it’s nothing compared to what you do to yourself, is it? I can see it in your eyes, Dean. You’re worthless. You couldn’t save your dad. And deep down, you know that you can’t save your brother. They’d have been better off without you.
Bobby saves the day with a red hot poker to break the binding link. As Sam comes to himself Dean gets in a retaliatory punch. Poor Sammy, all that pain and suffering. Who's gonna kiss it better?
Bobby makes it clear they don’t want to tell anyone about the hunter Sam killed. They are clearly becoming isolated from the hunter community.
Bobby: Charms, they’ll fend off possession. The demon’s still out there. This’ll stop it from getting back up in ya.
Dean: That sounds vaguely dirty but thanks.
The look on Bobby’s face when they leave does not auger well for the future.
Car conversation to finish.
Sam: No matter what I did you wouldn’t shoot.
Dean: It was the right move, Sam. It wasn’t you.
Sam: Yeah, this time. What about next time?
Dean: Sam, when dad told me ... that I might have to kill you, it was only if I couldn’t save you. Now if it’s the last thing I do, I gonna save you.
The tension is broken by laughing-giggling!Dean.
Dean: Dude, you, like full on had a girl inside you for like a whole week. ... That’s pretty naughty.
Very naughty indeed.
Once again the sound track really rocked, so subtle and haunting. The editing was no slouch either and just ratcheted up the tension especially at the beginning when it is not clear what the heck is going on.
This is another episode that rewards watching unspoiled. I am so so glad I’m managing to avoid spoilers. It’s hard to resist but then the pay off with episodes like this is so huge it makes all that delayed gratification delicious. Until Sam attacks Dean I was clueless as to what was going on. Clearly Sam had done things that were out of character and way, way bad. I was so not getting how it was all going to resolve My tense and anxious meter reading was off the scale.
The episode started on a wonderfully angsty moment, Dean had lost his Sam. Whimper. Wet bedraggled Dean is so yummy. Then he finds Sam and Dean’s all over him, searching for the source of the blood on Sam's clothes.
Sam: Dean, ... I don’t remember anything.
So the big question, post viewing, is, until the reveal, just how much of what we’re seeing is Sam and how much the demon. The demon seems to have a pretty good handle on how Sam interacts with his brother.
Dean rolls over the hunter's body.
Sam: Dean, I did this.
Dean: We don’t know that.
Sam: What else do you need? How else do explain the car, the knife, the blood?
Dean: I don’t know man. Why don’t you tell me? ... Even if you did do this, I’m sure you had a reason, self defense, ah, he, he was a bad son of a bitch, something.
Sam goes immediately to the bad place, whereas Dean knows his brother is incapable of doing what he’s been shown doing. Watching Dean, watching Sam slit the hunters throat was gut wrenching. As the break came I was holding my breath for all I was worth.
Sam: Murder, Dean, that’s what I did.
Dean: Maybe, okay. We don’t kn... shapeshifter.
Sam: Oh, come on. You know it wasn’t, you saw the tape. There was no eye flare, no distortion.
Dean: But it wasn’t you. All right? Well, yeah, it might have been you, but it wasn’t you.
Sam: Well, I think it was. ... I think maybe more than you know.
Dean: What the hell does that mean?
Sam: For the last few weeks I’ve been having ... I’ve been having these feelings.
Dean: What feelings?
Sam: Rage. Hate. And I can’t stop it. It just gets worse. Day by day it gets worse.
Dean: You never told me this.
Sam: I didn’t want to scare you.
Dean: Well, bang up job on that.
I love how Dean is just twisting himself in knots to find reasons why it isn’t Sam doing these terrible things. When Sam talks about the rage and hate, I think this is the demon reflecting their own feelings. Also it helps sow a seed of doubt in Dean’s head. Even when he discovers what is going on he’ll be left with that lingering question about what is going on in Sam’s head.
Sam: Dad knew that too. That’s why he told you, if it ever came to this...
Dean: Shut up, Sam.
Sam: Dean, You promised him. ... You promised me.
Dean: No. Listen to me. We can figure this out. Okay? I mean, there’s got to be a way, right?
Sam: Yeah, there is.
Sam picks up the gun.
Sam: I don’t want to hurt anyone else. I don’t want to hurt you.
Dean: You won’t. What ever this is ... you can fight it.
Sam: No. I can’t. Not forever. Here, you’ve gotta do it.
Sam gives the gun to Dean.
Dean: Ya know I’ve tried so hard to keep you safe.
Sam: I know.
Dean: I can’t. I’d rather die.
Dean puts the gun down
Sam: No. You’ll live.
Sam picks up the gun.
Sam: You’ll live to regret this.
Sam smacks Dean and knocks him out.
At this point we know Sam has gone bad. Even if we don’t know all the details. And, holy moley, I was holding my breath again and was so so tense.
Demon!Sam goes to find Jo. The Sam we see with Jo can afford to be more openly the demon and less Sam. She doesn't know Sam that well and has a natural antagonism towards him due to the way John was involved in her dad's death. Sam appears to be getting off on deliberately hurting Jo, especially when he talks about Dean’s attitude toward her. And what’s really scary is Sam and Jo have serious sexual chemistry. He comes on to her hard which triggers her to immediately blow him off. Then he’s all over her, in an overpowering, sexually provocative way. There are definite hints at the possibility of rape, plus the fact he’s so huge and dominating of her. All sorts of brain cells are being blown here with fanfic possibilities. Even more so when Dean walks in on the two of them.
I liked Jo a lot in this episode. She’s out doing her own thing and the balance between competence and inexperience seemed right to me. Right now I’d actually like to see more of her and Dean interacting, especially in hunter mode. I think there are some interesting conversations to be had between them.
Love the shot of Sam leaning around the post talking to Jo as she’s tied up.
Sam has a really big knife! Hmmmm, wonder if there trying to tell us something?
We learn how Jo’s dad really died. (John shot him so he didn’t suffer a long painful death.) I suspect that Ellen knows this as I can see John confessing all to her in an effort to get her to hate him and blame him and punish him. John's a bit of a masochist at heart. Ellen, though, is not going to tell Jo that, knowing 'the truth' doesn't add to Jo's life. I think it's pretty clear the demon possessing Sam killed Jo’s dad.
Sam: My daddy shot your daddy in the head. In a sing song tone. He’s so evil!
Dean arrives and Sam completely changes demeanour. Up to now he’s been predatory and aggressive. Now he goes into Sam!guilt mode begging Dan to kill him, to stop him from killing Jo. The hysteria really gets jacked. Dean refuses to kill Sam, again.
Sam: What’s wrong with you Dean? Are you so scared of being alone you’d rather let Jo die?
Dean hits him with the holy water and we get to see Sam with demon eyes. Oh my, oh my. Sam jumps through a window and escapes. Dean pursues him.
Sam: See, this was a test. I wanted to see if I could push you far enough to waste Sam. ... Should have known you wouldn’t have the sack.
Sam shoots Dean but deliberately misses, imo.
I love how Jo finds Dean by listening out for his cell phone and then patches him up. It’s so sad when she recognises that Dean won’t call her as he says. Love the shot of Dean, from the back, as he leaves the bar. All that wonderful skin on display. Shit. It’s not that many frames but, wow. Dean needs to be wearing more sleeveless tees.
Then Sam goes after Bobby. But we know Bobby won’t be so easily had. He recognised that Meg was possessed before the boys did, at the end of last season. Holy water in the beer allows him to tie up demon possessed Sam. The exorcism doesn’t go to plan as it turns out the demon has used a binding link. Ooops.
So Sam gets to beat on Dean and torment him some. Happy dance, gotta love the Dean!angst.
Sam: You know when people want to describe the worst possible thing? They say it’s like hell. You know there’s a reason for that. Hell, is like ... well its like hell, even for demons. It’s a prison made of bone and flesh and blood and fear. ... And you sent me back there.
Dean: Meg.
Sam: No. Not anymore. No, I’m Sam. By the way, I just saw your dad there. He says howdy. All that I had to hold on to was that I would climb out one day and that I was going to torture you. Nice and slow, like pulling the wings of an insect. But what ever I do to you, it’s nothing compared to what you do to yourself, is it? I can see it in your eyes, Dean. You’re worthless. You couldn’t save your dad. And deep down, you know that you can’t save your brother. They’d have been better off without you.
Bobby saves the day with a red hot poker to break the binding link. As Sam comes to himself Dean gets in a retaliatory punch. Poor Sammy, all that pain and suffering. Who's gonna kiss it better?
Bobby makes it clear they don’t want to tell anyone about the hunter Sam killed. They are clearly becoming isolated from the hunter community.
Bobby: Charms, they’ll fend off possession. The demon’s still out there. This’ll stop it from getting back up in ya.
Dean: That sounds vaguely dirty but thanks.
The look on Bobby’s face when they leave does not auger well for the future.
Car conversation to finish.
Sam: No matter what I did you wouldn’t shoot.
Dean: It was the right move, Sam. It wasn’t you.
Sam: Yeah, this time. What about next time?
Dean: Sam, when dad told me ... that I might have to kill you, it was only if I couldn’t save you. Now if it’s the last thing I do, I gonna save you.
The tension is broken by laughing-giggling!Dean.
Dean: Dude, you, like full on had a girl inside you for like a whole week. ... That’s pretty naughty.
Very naughty indeed.