SPN Review: 4x02
I'll be honest, on first watch I wasn't that impressed. I was enjoying moments as I went along, but was left feeling empty as the credits rolled. I have my reasons (which I'll probably rant about), but my main issue was what I like to call "Folsom-Prison-Blues-Syndrome": being spoiled for some aspect of the plot that has me forming a picture of how the episode will play out and thus being disappointed in the final version when it doesn't match up. I was spoiled back in July for the appearance of Nicki Aycox's Meg in this episode and so envisioned a Devil's-Trap-esque situation with Meg taunting Dean about his time in hell. Remaining unspoiled was probably more of a curse here than a blessing, because I couldn't help thinking what might have been while watching as the plot unfurled quite differently. Still, I managed to dig my squee out on second watch, so I'm thinking it was more my issues that were the problem, rather than the actual ep.
- Wicked music on the recap. Need to download that song.
- I had this crazy moment where I thought the hunter in the teaser was Pamela. Yeah, go figure.
- HI THERE SAM! Wow, we're pretty this week, aren't we? I blame the shirt and the hair *nods* though LOOKEE! Dean has a fitted tee on *YAY ARMS* Dean's pretty too guys, did you notice?
- Okay, here's the first of my issues: gone is the fucked-up Sammy of last week and in his place is a Sam who's completely onboard with Dean being saved by God. One, I refuse to believe Sam would be so normal again so quickly - it's only been three days. I understand why Kripke would make such a move, me being one of the fans that bitched about Dean's apparent personality change at the beginning of s3, but I'd have liked to have seen more adjustment (although maybe we will considering the exchange between Meg and Sam later). Two, after all Sam's been through these past few months and all the changes that have occured (see 4x01), I'm struggling to accept Sam's instant belief in God's intervention. Sam may have kept his faith after Jess and his fathers' deaths, but (and I'm basing this also on Mystery Spot Sam) in both cases we didn't see the reaction that Dean's death evoked in him, not to that extent. I was expecting open disbelief, skepticism at the least, ala Sam in Long Distance Caller. Not approval. At least Dean's still not completely buying it (I do and hope Castiel does turn out to be everything he claims, but that doesn't mean that I want the boys to instantly, not after everything they've been through).
- Which leads me onto another point. Could we please stop giving Miss Gamble the religious episodes please? I for one am thrilled they're exploring the flip side of hell, (angels, God, and all), but feel Sera never manages to write all the God talk as anything but cheesy and cringe-worthy. Again, I feel this not because I'm against them bringing God into the show, but because of the way Sera's script handled the discussion. A different writer at the helm could have transformed that scene into something profound and thought-provoking.
- Look at Dean touching his shoulder at the mention of hell (thank you for pointing it out, willoweese). Wonder if the mark will still be there the next time we see his shoulder.
- New!Ruby is still very unlike Ruby. I'm also still unimpressed by new!Ruby's acting skills. I can't believe I'm typing this, but I might actually come to miss Katie Cassidy *looks semi-horrified* in all fairness, Katie got better as she went along and I took quite a few episodes to warm to her (twas Malleus Maleficarum if I remember rightly) so hopefully the same will be true of Genivieve.
- Ack, see what I mean about Sam? It's in this scene that he's at his most normal. He's disgusted by the body for crying out loud!
- EWWWW I CAN SEE RIBS!
- Sam's driving again?! *feels Dean's temperature* yes, he is hot, and I'm not just talking about when he's sleeping. Though I do worry that Dean's head is hanging out of an open window. A lorry could have passed and scalped him! Dear Sam...
- I thought that was Castiel watching outside the gas station.
- HENDRICKSON! I half wish I hadn't watched the recap so I could have been surprised by this. Awesome to see him again. Also, does this count as the first time Dean saved Sam since he got out of hell?
- The sequence in Bobby's house creeped me out. Yes, I am that easy.
- YAY for concerned!Dean. I like that he shut Sam down before he could wallow in all that guilt, though again, a little too normal a reaction for Sam than I like. Though this could be building up to a blowout about Sam not being able to save people at all, because he wasn't the one to save Dean. Just the way he says, "we got him killed," makes we wonder whether Sam applies the same logic to Dean's death.
- MEG!!! Nicki remains one of, if not, the best actress to guest on the show. "You're supposed to help people Dean, why didn't you help me," was simply heartbreaking. I'm guessing her speech about her little sister was simply to get Dean thinking about the effect his months away had on Sam (there's a look he sends Sam's way in the panic room where I was certain he was going to bring it up and I like to think he bottled out of bringing it up, falling back on the God discussion instead). I'm hoping this leads somewhere Kripke, most likely with the revelation of Sam's powers.
- Whee for smart!Dean shooting the chandelier.
- Panic Room, what a clever idea, Bobby. Never stop being awesome.
- God discussion in the panic room is much better. Maybe the iron keeps out shit writing too? I think I want to read Revelations now.
- I can't explain it, but I love when the boys pass guns to each other. Seriously love it.
- Oh Ronald, you should never have died cos you were awesome too. Not Bobby awesome, but getting there.
- Love that Meg calls Sam on Ruby. Nice touch. And there's the hardened Sam I've been expecting all episode. Good to see you're still lingering. I can't wait till Dean gets a hold of you.
- Wow, way to make Hendrickson and co's deaths that much worse. I liked that twist.
- BROTHER!TOUCHING! Yay for protective!Sam.
- Oh look at the boys sleeping. Aren't they pretty?
- CASTIEL *YAY ARMS* great entrance again. I'm pretty sure I read that kind of appearance in a slash fic. Just in case you're wondering, he is actually that pretty, you didn't embellish the memory over the week between the episodes.
- I love Dean's look after he threatens Castiel. I believe his thoughts are something along the lines of, "Oh shit, I just threatened an angel!" Castiel's answering look *draws hearts* exasperated, dear angel?
- I adore the development of their relationship and Castiel's harder edge here, but I miss the innocence and sincerity that was present last week. Not to mention the modernisation of his speech. I'm going to blame it on him being grumpy and upset after his brothers died and they lost the battle. That last line gave me chills.
- This season is going to be epic. The apocalypse, Lucifer, God, angels? I hope you really bring it Supernatural, I really do.
- Sam's hair flick is really distracting, and not in the good way.
- I like to think Dean tells Sam about the dream with Castiel there. Also, I think it's interesting that Azazeal and Castiel can both enter dreams. Maybe it's an angel thing, considering Azazeal was fallen.
So yes, enjoy the episode better the more I watch it.
Quotes
- "Ya, one with a little less fairy dust on it please."
- "You built a panic room?" "I had a weekend off."
- "If you're going to shoot, shoot. Don't talk."
- "I dragged you out of hell, I can throw you back in."
- Wicked music on the recap. Need to download that song.
- I had this crazy moment where I thought the hunter in the teaser was Pamela. Yeah, go figure.
- HI THERE SAM! Wow, we're pretty this week, aren't we? I blame the shirt and the hair *nods* though LOOKEE! Dean has a fitted tee on *YAY ARMS* Dean's pretty too guys, did you notice?
- Okay, here's the first of my issues: gone is the fucked-up Sammy of last week and in his place is a Sam who's completely onboard with Dean being saved by God. One, I refuse to believe Sam would be so normal again so quickly - it's only been three days. I understand why Kripke would make such a move, me being one of the fans that bitched about Dean's apparent personality change at the beginning of s3, but I'd have liked to have seen more adjustment (although maybe we will considering the exchange between Meg and Sam later). Two, after all Sam's been through these past few months and all the changes that have occured (see 4x01), I'm struggling to accept Sam's instant belief in God's intervention. Sam may have kept his faith after Jess and his fathers' deaths, but (and I'm basing this also on Mystery Spot Sam) in both cases we didn't see the reaction that Dean's death evoked in him, not to that extent. I was expecting open disbelief, skepticism at the least, ala Sam in Long Distance Caller. Not approval. At least Dean's still not completely buying it (I do and hope Castiel does turn out to be everything he claims, but that doesn't mean that I want the boys to instantly, not after everything they've been through).
- Which leads me onto another point. Could we please stop giving Miss Gamble the religious episodes please? I for one am thrilled they're exploring the flip side of hell, (angels, God, and all), but feel Sera never manages to write all the God talk as anything but cheesy and cringe-worthy. Again, I feel this not because I'm against them bringing God into the show, but because of the way Sera's script handled the discussion. A different writer at the helm could have transformed that scene into something profound and thought-provoking.
- Look at Dean touching his shoulder at the mention of hell (thank you for pointing it out, willoweese). Wonder if the mark will still be there the next time we see his shoulder.
- New!Ruby is still very unlike Ruby. I'm also still unimpressed by new!Ruby's acting skills. I can't believe I'm typing this, but I might actually come to miss Katie Cassidy *looks semi-horrified* in all fairness, Katie got better as she went along and I took quite a few episodes to warm to her (twas Malleus Maleficarum if I remember rightly) so hopefully the same will be true of Genivieve.
- Ack, see what I mean about Sam? It's in this scene that he's at his most normal. He's disgusted by the body for crying out loud!
- EWWWW I CAN SEE RIBS!
- Sam's driving again?! *feels Dean's temperature* yes, he is hot, and I'm not just talking about when he's sleeping. Though I do worry that Dean's head is hanging out of an open window. A lorry could have passed and scalped him! Dear Sam...
- I thought that was Castiel watching outside the gas station.
- HENDRICKSON! I half wish I hadn't watched the recap so I could have been surprised by this. Awesome to see him again. Also, does this count as the first time Dean saved Sam since he got out of hell?
- The sequence in Bobby's house creeped me out. Yes, I am that easy.
- YAY for concerned!Dean. I like that he shut Sam down before he could wallow in all that guilt, though again, a little too normal a reaction for Sam than I like. Though this could be building up to a blowout about Sam not being able to save people at all, because he wasn't the one to save Dean. Just the way he says, "we got him killed," makes we wonder whether Sam applies the same logic to Dean's death.
- MEG!!! Nicki remains one of, if not, the best actress to guest on the show. "You're supposed to help people Dean, why didn't you help me," was simply heartbreaking. I'm guessing her speech about her little sister was simply to get Dean thinking about the effect his months away had on Sam (there's a look he sends Sam's way in the panic room where I was certain he was going to bring it up and I like to think he bottled out of bringing it up, falling back on the God discussion instead). I'm hoping this leads somewhere Kripke, most likely with the revelation of Sam's powers.
- Whee for smart!Dean shooting the chandelier.
- Panic Room, what a clever idea, Bobby. Never stop being awesome.
- God discussion in the panic room is much better. Maybe the iron keeps out shit writing too? I think I want to read Revelations now.
- I can't explain it, but I love when the boys pass guns to each other. Seriously love it.
- Oh Ronald, you should never have died cos you were awesome too. Not Bobby awesome, but getting there.
- Love that Meg calls Sam on Ruby. Nice touch. And there's the hardened Sam I've been expecting all episode. Good to see you're still lingering. I can't wait till Dean gets a hold of you.
- Wow, way to make Hendrickson and co's deaths that much worse. I liked that twist.
- BROTHER!TOUCHING! Yay for protective!Sam.
- Oh look at the boys sleeping. Aren't they pretty?
- CASTIEL *YAY ARMS* great entrance again. I'm pretty sure I read that kind of appearance in a slash fic. Just in case you're wondering, he is actually that pretty, you didn't embellish the memory over the week between the episodes.
- I love Dean's look after he threatens Castiel. I believe his thoughts are something along the lines of, "Oh shit, I just threatened an angel!" Castiel's answering look *draws hearts* exasperated, dear angel?
- I adore the development of their relationship and Castiel's harder edge here, but I miss the innocence and sincerity that was present last week. Not to mention the modernisation of his speech. I'm going to blame it on him being grumpy and upset after his brothers died and they lost the battle. That last line gave me chills.
- This season is going to be epic. The apocalypse, Lucifer, God, angels? I hope you really bring it Supernatural, I really do.
- Sam's hair flick is really distracting, and not in the good way.
- I like to think Dean tells Sam about the dream with Castiel there. Also, I think it's interesting that Azazeal and Castiel can both enter dreams. Maybe it's an angel thing, considering Azazeal was fallen.
So yes, enjoy the episode better the more I watch it.
Quotes
- "Ya, one with a little less fairy dust on it please."
- "You built a panic room?" "I had a weekend off."
- "If you're going to shoot, shoot. Don't talk."
- "I dragged you out of hell, I can throw you back in."