"Okay, thank you Unsolved Mysteries."
I love SPN so much now that I wanted to go back and finish sharing my thoughts on Season 1 before diving into my thoughts on Season 2. This has been SO MUCH HARDER THAN I ANTICIPATED -- because I just finished the finale of Season 2 like 10 minutes ago and I'm just.....adjsrkj;glfjlashj;adj. Which means, in a small way, it PAINS me to go back to Season 1 when all I want to do is talk about Season 2! But that will come soon enough.....
Before I get into specifics, I have to start by saying again how completely and utterly in love with Jensen Ackles -- and his alter ego Dean Winchester -- I have fallen. He finds a moment to shine in every single episode, and he makes the most of everything he's given. The depth of the emotion he conveys and the absolute and utter sincerity he brings to this role completely humbles me. And having watched the bonus features on both discs and learning more about both actors, I'm even more enamored with both of them now -- with their relationship as brothers on the show, which just gets me right in the heart, and with their personal relationship as complete BFF's off the show. It has enhanced my enjoyment of the show so much! And one last thing: in Season 1, though I liked Sam/Jared, I wasn't nearly as crazy about him as Jensen/Dean. After watching Season 2, my love for him has grown by leaps and bounds. And though I don't think I shall ever love him the way I've grown to love Jensen/Dean, he will forever hold a special place in this gal's heart.
Now on with the show! Again, I suspect it goes without saying, but spoilery raving will follow:
1x12 - Faith. This was a really interesting episode for me in terms of the ethical issues it explored. Obviously I was committed to my Dean not dying, so I was behind ANYTHING Sammy was willing to do to keep him alive. However, it is disturbing to think that in order to keep Dean alive, Sam essentially killed another person -- and an innocent one at that. And the preacher, though completely unaware, was playing God by deciding who would live -- which, of course, would then determine who would die (even if he didn't decide it himself). It was awesome to see Julie Benz in this episode as well. I loved her as Darla in the Buffy-verse, but have grown even more fond of her after watching her play a completely different kind of woman in Showtime's Dexter. As a footnote, I was also very interested in the exploration of the exploitation of religion. It is terribly sad how many aweful things are done in the name of God and church, and this was no exception. A woman so drunk on her own power and so full of self-righteousness that she felt completely justified in killing folks she thought were dirty or evil or unworthy. I suspect God would not look kindly on her behavior, but she would never question whether or not that was true. As delusional as she was, it was clear she felt she was doing God's work -- regardless of how insane that seems to a rational person. On a personal note (aka Dean-oriented), I loved watching Dean struggle with the knowledge that his life had caused another's death. And though he seems to have some moral flexibility from time to time in terms of what lines he's willing to cross to what ends, he's always been very clear -- at least internally -- about what is right and what is wrong. For him to feel as though his life meant he'd crossed that personal line was very devestating, and watching Jensen tackle that mix of emotions was nothing short of awesome.
1x13 - Route 666. I'm gonna be relatively superficial about this one -- the story was good enough, but you know only one thing dominated my attention in this episode: DEAN. HAD. HOT. MONKEY. SEX. Or, well, he had some relatively hot sex that I simply exaggerated in my head to the steamy monkey variety. Still, we got some VERY hot Jensen moments that made me go all ahrleaithag[rbnfdjvnd in the head. I liked Cassie allright -- that actress with the unpronouncable last name from The 4400 was at least marginally better here than on that show -- but what I really liked best was watching some of the softer notions of Dean. Because really, isn't that what the show is about? It's ALL ABOUT DEAN. Sam too, yes. But mainly Dean. It was also completely and utterly entertaining to me to see Sam finally get to turn the table on his normally intractable brother and give him what for on the whole "Rule number one - we do what we do and shut our mouths about it?" It was great watching Dean squirm -- both because of the girl and his brother's scrutiny. I liked that they left the storyline between Dean and Cassie open, but still basically said "this chapter is closed" because while I want to see more Dean-centric romance, I'd rather see it with someone else.
1x14 - Nightmare. I found Sam's visions kind of tiresome and nonsensical in this one -- I mean, they changed in detail and perception from vision to vision so I wasn't exactly sure where the show saw this going. The Max kid was pretty freaking creepy, in an embryonic serial killer kind of way. And I absolutely felt for Sam and his fears about what the demon had in store for him -- and for other kids like him, given that it's likely there are quite a bunch of them. But the best parts for me -- natch -- were about the brother's relationships: the way Sam was absolutely traumatized by a vision of Dean's death (because ME TOO!), and the way Dean was clearly worried about his little Sammy there at the end, but didn't want to let on he was worried at all. He's such a good big brother!!
1x15 - The Benders. While I get the whole "people can actually be more horrifying and evil than demons" thing, this episode left me pretty lukewarm. Of course, as always, the moments where Dean is visibly worrying about his little Sammy -- "When we were young, I pretty much pulled him from a fire. And ever since then I've felt responsible for him, like it's my job to keep him safe." -- are the ones that really get me. The convo between Dean and Sam at the very end of the hour - "You were worried about me!" "I'm just saying, you vanish like that again and I'm not looking for you." "Sure you are." "No I'm not." -- also made my fangirl heart sing with joy. Oh, Winchester boys, how I adore you!!! OH -- and that little gal Missy was FREAKING SCARY AS HELL. That kid freaked me the fuck out, I kid you not. But other than being squicked out by the idea of cannibalism, I don't have too much more to say about this ep.
1x16 - Shadow. While the emotional moments between Sam and Dean, as well as the boys and Papa Winchester, were epic and full of win for me, the story was less than stellar. I'm kind of growing to hate the actress playing Meg and there were a number of things that I thought were dumb and/or stupid and/or made no sense. Let's get the bad out of the way first: the actress playing Meg is getting more annoying to me every time I see her. That first convo with Sam in the bar started out OK, but by the end, she was as terrible as she ever was. And why the hell is it that Dean was acting like such a moron in this episode? I mean, Sam's points about how Meg was completely suspicious and likely tied to the evil in that town seemed very reasonable to me -- and given that Dean's got a couple of extra years of demon hunting under his belt, you'd think he'd have come to that same conclusion as easily as Sam did. So what gives? And lastly, can someone explain how the flare took care of the daeva when the shadows weren't actually them, just the only part of their presence that humans could see? None of it makes sense. Now for the good: Oh Dean! I know I do this every episode, but when you get all emotional about your baby brother and how much your family means to you, I just melt. Jensen, yet again, completely NAILED that moment of emotional vulnerability where he revealed to his brother that the biggest reason he brought him out on the road was because he missed him, wanted to be close to him, and wanted a chance to put his family back together again. And how devastated did he look by Sam's insistence that when things were over, they'd go back to different lives? KILL ME NOW DEAN. And that reunion between father and sons? I'll admit it -- I totally cried. I cried for Dean who was so freaking happy to have both his brother and father together with him in the same room at the same time. And then I cried for Sam and Pops who were able to put their fighting behind them, if only for a moment, to celebrate being together again. It was really wonderful! One last bitch on this episode -- what the hell did Dad mean he didn't want to put the boys in danger? I mean, HELLO DUDE: you've got them hunting demons all over the country! Whether it's THE demon or A demon (or other mythical boogie-man-esque thing), it's going to be dangerous. What a cop out!!!
1x17 - Hell House. Honestly, the only thing worth talking about in this episode was the prank war. How I heart the prank war! It's a part of their dynamic -- much like the "Bitch" "Jerk" moments -- that just give me that happy warm glow. I think I also love it because I can absolutely see Jensen and Jared pulling this crap with one another in real life. I love how boys can show affection by being immature doofuses! It's adorable. There was a little something interesting in the whole concept of an idea gaining power through belief, but mainly I was just annoyed by the website geeks. As far as I'm concerned, this ep was just killing time until ep 18.
1x18 - Something Wicked. OK, seriously, I LOVED THIS EPISODE. Even now, at the end of Season 2, it is still one of my absolute favorites and I can't imagine anything changing that. It was an episode that was absolutely MADE OF AWESOME. Awesome thing #1: I really loved the MOTW this week. It was interesting and creeptastic (That shadowy-clawed, branch-looking hand on the window! The creepy death-eater thing sucking out souls!) but most importantly had an excellent tie-in to the boy's collective pasts which served to push the seasonal arc along. Anything that happens to kids really gets me and this episode was no exception. Awesome thing #2: Dean and kid interaction!!! I loved the way he related and empathized with this kid about the responsibility you feel as an older sibling -- something I can absolutely relate to myself -- and how it helped us better understand some of Dean's motivation for how he relates to his brother. It was wonderful to see him make that connection and use it to help empower this kid while also killing the big bad. Awesome thing #3: The flashbacks were incredible! I loved that they actually used an adorable but somewhat goofy looking kid to play young Dean, which was a nice nod to the observation Missouri made in "Home". But what I particularly loved was getting to see and understand first hand how tough it must have been to grow up a Winchester, particularly as the older child, saddled with responsibilities far too great for his years and knowledge that no child should have to bear. The plot point about how Dean had almost gotten his young brother killed by not following Dad's instructions to the letter beautifully illustrated for us why Dean, who is generally the guy who goes against the grain, has become someone who lives by the letter of his father's instructions -- whether Dad is there to see it or not. It was also a great way to gain insight into the man Dean has become: one who takes his responsibility to family and to his "job" incredibly seriously, and who feels the weight of every "mistake" like a physical wound. Awesome thing #4: the final scene with Dean and Sam where Sam expresses his sadness that little Michael will never have his innocence back again because he'll always know that the things out in the dark are real, and how he sometimes wishes he'd been spared the same rude awakening and could still have that kind of innocence. Dean's reply, "If it means anything, sometimes I wish you could too." just SLAYED ME. So to recap, in case you missed it, this episode was MADE OF AWESOME and can only be described as an EPIC WIN. I don't care what the critics and the haters say, it was amazing.
And now, dear friends, I've got to take a breather and get some sleep. But I promise, I'll be back soon to share my thoughts on the last four eps of Season 1 -- particularly the finale and the "Previously On's" of insane rock brilliance. :-) Then I can move on to thoughts on Season 2 right around the time my Season 3 DVD's arrive on my doorstep -- hooray!!
Before I get into specifics, I have to start by saying again how completely and utterly in love with Jensen Ackles -- and his alter ego Dean Winchester -- I have fallen. He finds a moment to shine in every single episode, and he makes the most of everything he's given. The depth of the emotion he conveys and the absolute and utter sincerity he brings to this role completely humbles me. And having watched the bonus features on both discs and learning more about both actors, I'm even more enamored with both of them now -- with their relationship as brothers on the show, which just gets me right in the heart, and with their personal relationship as complete BFF's off the show. It has enhanced my enjoyment of the show so much! And one last thing: in Season 1, though I liked Sam/Jared, I wasn't nearly as crazy about him as Jensen/Dean. After watching Season 2, my love for him has grown by leaps and bounds. And though I don't think I shall ever love him the way I've grown to love Jensen/Dean, he will forever hold a special place in this gal's heart.
Now on with the show! Again, I suspect it goes without saying, but spoilery raving will follow:
1x12 - Faith. This was a really interesting episode for me in terms of the ethical issues it explored. Obviously I was committed to my Dean not dying, so I was behind ANYTHING Sammy was willing to do to keep him alive. However, it is disturbing to think that in order to keep Dean alive, Sam essentially killed another person -- and an innocent one at that. And the preacher, though completely unaware, was playing God by deciding who would live -- which, of course, would then determine who would die (even if he didn't decide it himself). It was awesome to see Julie Benz in this episode as well. I loved her as Darla in the Buffy-verse, but have grown even more fond of her after watching her play a completely different kind of woman in Showtime's Dexter. As a footnote, I was also very interested in the exploration of the exploitation of religion. It is terribly sad how many aweful things are done in the name of God and church, and this was no exception. A woman so drunk on her own power and so full of self-righteousness that she felt completely justified in killing folks she thought were dirty or evil or unworthy. I suspect God would not look kindly on her behavior, but she would never question whether or not that was true. As delusional as she was, it was clear she felt she was doing God's work -- regardless of how insane that seems to a rational person. On a personal note (aka Dean-oriented), I loved watching Dean struggle with the knowledge that his life had caused another's death. And though he seems to have some moral flexibility from time to time in terms of what lines he's willing to cross to what ends, he's always been very clear -- at least internally -- about what is right and what is wrong. For him to feel as though his life meant he'd crossed that personal line was very devestating, and watching Jensen tackle that mix of emotions was nothing short of awesome.
1x13 - Route 666. I'm gonna be relatively superficial about this one -- the story was good enough, but you know only one thing dominated my attention in this episode: DEAN. HAD. HOT. MONKEY. SEX. Or, well, he had some relatively hot sex that I simply exaggerated in my head to the steamy monkey variety. Still, we got some VERY hot Jensen moments that made me go all ahrleaithag[rbnfdjvnd in the head. I liked Cassie allright -- that actress with the unpronouncable last name from The 4400 was at least marginally better here than on that show -- but what I really liked best was watching some of the softer notions of Dean. Because really, isn't that what the show is about? It's ALL ABOUT DEAN. Sam too, yes. But mainly Dean. It was also completely and utterly entertaining to me to see Sam finally get to turn the table on his normally intractable brother and give him what for on the whole "Rule number one - we do what we do and shut our mouths about it?" It was great watching Dean squirm -- both because of the girl and his brother's scrutiny. I liked that they left the storyline between Dean and Cassie open, but still basically said "this chapter is closed" because while I want to see more Dean-centric romance, I'd rather see it with someone else.
1x14 - Nightmare. I found Sam's visions kind of tiresome and nonsensical in this one -- I mean, they changed in detail and perception from vision to vision so I wasn't exactly sure where the show saw this going. The Max kid was pretty freaking creepy, in an embryonic serial killer kind of way. And I absolutely felt for Sam and his fears about what the demon had in store for him -- and for other kids like him, given that it's likely there are quite a bunch of them. But the best parts for me -- natch -- were about the brother's relationships: the way Sam was absolutely traumatized by a vision of Dean's death (because ME TOO!), and the way Dean was clearly worried about his little Sammy there at the end, but didn't want to let on he was worried at all. He's such a good big brother!!
1x15 - The Benders. While I get the whole "people can actually be more horrifying and evil than demons" thing, this episode left me pretty lukewarm. Of course, as always, the moments where Dean is visibly worrying about his little Sammy -- "When we were young, I pretty much pulled him from a fire. And ever since then I've felt responsible for him, like it's my job to keep him safe." -- are the ones that really get me. The convo between Dean and Sam at the very end of the hour - "You were worried about me!" "I'm just saying, you vanish like that again and I'm not looking for you." "Sure you are." "No I'm not." -- also made my fangirl heart sing with joy. Oh, Winchester boys, how I adore you!!! OH -- and that little gal Missy was FREAKING SCARY AS HELL. That kid freaked me the fuck out, I kid you not. But other than being squicked out by the idea of cannibalism, I don't have too much more to say about this ep.
1x16 - Shadow. While the emotional moments between Sam and Dean, as well as the boys and Papa Winchester, were epic and full of win for me, the story was less than stellar. I'm kind of growing to hate the actress playing Meg and there were a number of things that I thought were dumb and/or stupid and/or made no sense. Let's get the bad out of the way first: the actress playing Meg is getting more annoying to me every time I see her. That first convo with Sam in the bar started out OK, but by the end, she was as terrible as she ever was. And why the hell is it that Dean was acting like such a moron in this episode? I mean, Sam's points about how Meg was completely suspicious and likely tied to the evil in that town seemed very reasonable to me -- and given that Dean's got a couple of extra years of demon hunting under his belt, you'd think he'd have come to that same conclusion as easily as Sam did. So what gives? And lastly, can someone explain how the flare took care of the daeva when the shadows weren't actually them, just the only part of their presence that humans could see? None of it makes sense. Now for the good: Oh Dean! I know I do this every episode, but when you get all emotional about your baby brother and how much your family means to you, I just melt. Jensen, yet again, completely NAILED that moment of emotional vulnerability where he revealed to his brother that the biggest reason he brought him out on the road was because he missed him, wanted to be close to him, and wanted a chance to put his family back together again. And how devastated did he look by Sam's insistence that when things were over, they'd go back to different lives? KILL ME NOW DEAN. And that reunion between father and sons? I'll admit it -- I totally cried. I cried for Dean who was so freaking happy to have both his brother and father together with him in the same room at the same time. And then I cried for Sam and Pops who were able to put their fighting behind them, if only for a moment, to celebrate being together again. It was really wonderful! One last bitch on this episode -- what the hell did Dad mean he didn't want to put the boys in danger? I mean, HELLO DUDE: you've got them hunting demons all over the country! Whether it's THE demon or A demon (or other mythical boogie-man-esque thing), it's going to be dangerous. What a cop out!!!
1x17 - Hell House. Honestly, the only thing worth talking about in this episode was the prank war. How I heart the prank war! It's a part of their dynamic -- much like the "Bitch" "Jerk" moments -- that just give me that happy warm glow. I think I also love it because I can absolutely see Jensen and Jared pulling this crap with one another in real life. I love how boys can show affection by being immature doofuses! It's adorable. There was a little something interesting in the whole concept of an idea gaining power through belief, but mainly I was just annoyed by the website geeks. As far as I'm concerned, this ep was just killing time until ep 18.
1x18 - Something Wicked. OK, seriously, I LOVED THIS EPISODE. Even now, at the end of Season 2, it is still one of my absolute favorites and I can't imagine anything changing that. It was an episode that was absolutely MADE OF AWESOME. Awesome thing #1: I really loved the MOTW this week. It was interesting and creeptastic (That shadowy-clawed, branch-looking hand on the window! The creepy death-eater thing sucking out souls!) but most importantly had an excellent tie-in to the boy's collective pasts which served to push the seasonal arc along. Anything that happens to kids really gets me and this episode was no exception. Awesome thing #2: Dean and kid interaction!!! I loved the way he related and empathized with this kid about the responsibility you feel as an older sibling -- something I can absolutely relate to myself -- and how it helped us better understand some of Dean's motivation for how he relates to his brother. It was wonderful to see him make that connection and use it to help empower this kid while also killing the big bad. Awesome thing #3: The flashbacks were incredible! I loved that they actually used an adorable but somewhat goofy looking kid to play young Dean, which was a nice nod to the observation Missouri made in "Home". But what I particularly loved was getting to see and understand first hand how tough it must have been to grow up a Winchester, particularly as the older child, saddled with responsibilities far too great for his years and knowledge that no child should have to bear. The plot point about how Dean had almost gotten his young brother killed by not following Dad's instructions to the letter beautifully illustrated for us why Dean, who is generally the guy who goes against the grain, has become someone who lives by the letter of his father's instructions -- whether Dad is there to see it or not. It was also a great way to gain insight into the man Dean has become: one who takes his responsibility to family and to his "job" incredibly seriously, and who feels the weight of every "mistake" like a physical wound. Awesome thing #4: the final scene with Dean and Sam where Sam expresses his sadness that little Michael will never have his innocence back again because he'll always know that the things out in the dark are real, and how he sometimes wishes he'd been spared the same rude awakening and could still have that kind of innocence. Dean's reply, "If it means anything, sometimes I wish you could too." just SLAYED ME. So to recap, in case you missed it, this episode was MADE OF AWESOME and can only be described as an EPIC WIN. I don't care what the critics and the haters say, it was amazing.
And now, dear friends, I've got to take a breather and get some sleep. But I promise, I'll be back soon to share my thoughts on the last four eps of Season 1 -- particularly the finale and the "Previously On's" of insane rock brilliance. :-) Then I can move on to thoughts on Season 2 right around the time my Season 3 DVD's arrive on my doorstep -- hooray!!