Supernatural 6x20
This is going to stun anyone who is familiar with my feelings about SPN, especially my feelings as of late: I quite liked this episode.
Which is not to say I thought it was a good episode. I mean, objectively, narrating an season's worth of exposition in one episode = lazy storytelling. I'm sorry, but that is just not how you tell a story. It is stupid. And I honestly think they could have had everything they put in this episode work with about 80% less narration. (This is exactly the same thing I hated about the finale of last season. SERIOUSLY. NARRATING WHAT'S GOING ON MAKES THINGS SUCK.)
I was, however, not bored! I can see how people would be, but I was not. I was hardly on the edge of my seat (...thanks, narration) but this is basically exactly how I was hoping the plot would go after last episode, so it was satisfying to see it all go the way I wanted (admittedly, the Dastiel fanservice did bore me, because blah, not interested, but whatever. I WAS INTERESTED IN THE REST. And the Crowley/Castiel fanservice can stay).
Another shocker for anyone who knows my relationship with this show: I liked Castiel in this episode.
It seems like the non-Castiel side of my flist is going "Meh, Castiel. :/" and the Castiel!girl side of my flist is going "OMG CASTIEL. ;___; JUST BREAK OFF YOUR LINKS WITH CROWLEY, OMG, YOUR SAUNTERING SLOWLY DOWNWARDS IS SO TRAGIC." Apparently I'm the only person in the world going "Hey! Castiel, you have developed opinions of your own and are sticking to them! It's almost like you have a personality! GO, CASTIEL, GO! Don't listen to the Winchesters, YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT, HERE."
I think that's my biggest problem with SPN. The morality. The show strikes me as being very deontological (DON'T MAKE DEALS WITH DEMONS) whereas personally I favour teleological ethics (WHAT IS THE POINT OF FOLLOWING RULES IF THAT JUST LEADS TO EVEN WORSE THINGS HAPPENING?) so while I'm pretty sure Castiel is going to get punished in show, I fully morally support his choices, just like I fully morally supported Sam's in Season Four. Castiel is doing the right thing. And the fact he actually has some conviction rather than just following Dean around like a puppy is... well, basically had he just given in when Dean told him not to "because he said so" I would have screamed with rage and frustration. NO. FOR FUCKS SAKE, WHY DO PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE IRRATIONAL DESCISIONS OUT OF LOYALTY? IF YOU CANNOT GIVE A GOOD ARGUMENT FOR SOMETHING, FUCK NO, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE YOUR SIDE ON IT.
Which is not to say I don't love the crap out of Sam and Dean still. I know exactly why they're making the descisions they're making. Just look at their history. Of course they think this is a bad idea. Plus, I mean, it's totally understandable that they have a bit of a personal beef with Crowley. I'm not opposed to their reaction to all this at all.
FUCK YEAH, MORALS ARE SUBJECTIVE!
I am morally on Castiel's side but Sam and Dean are still my favourites! I CONFOUND THE STORYTELLERS' INTENTIONS!
What I want to happen next: Sam and Dean try to thwart Castiel, and his plans go awry. But not to the extent that the apocalypse happends again (because DEAR GOD, I cannot face watching that storyline one more time D:), but so it half works: Raphael doesn't win heaven, but something else terrible happens instead. Castiel is convinced that he was doing the right thing, and is extremely angry with Sam and Dean for fucking it up and creating bad side effects; Sam and Dean are convinced that they did the right thing, and think that they probably managed to avert even worse things happening by what they did. There is a distinct angry rifty thing between the boys and Castiel, but none of them are 'evil'. Nor do any of them 'realise they were in the wrong all along and that they should have listened to the others'. Next season they all try to clean up the mess, and there is a hostile relationship between Castiel and Sam and Dean, but they are not out to kill one another, they just have differing methods and sometimes get in one another's way. THINGS ARE NOT BLACK AND WHITE.
(LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL, THEO WANTS SPN TO STOP BEING OVERLY SIMPLISTIC AND MAKING EVERYTHING BLACK AND WHITE. THEO HAS LEARNED NOTHING FROM THE LAST FIVE SEASONS OF SPN. BECAUSE SHE IS STUPIDLY OPTIMISTIC AND APPARENTLY LIKES SETTING HERSELF UP TO BE LET DOWN.)
In conclusion: Oh man, I am going to hate the ending of this season so much, I can feel it already.
Which is not to say I thought it was a good episode. I mean, objectively, narrating an season's worth of exposition in one episode = lazy storytelling. I'm sorry, but that is just not how you tell a story. It is stupid. And I honestly think they could have had everything they put in this episode work with about 80% less narration. (This is exactly the same thing I hated about the finale of last season. SERIOUSLY. NARRATING WHAT'S GOING ON MAKES THINGS SUCK.)
I was, however, not bored! I can see how people would be, but I was not. I was hardly on the edge of my seat (...thanks, narration) but this is basically exactly how I was hoping the plot would go after last episode, so it was satisfying to see it all go the way I wanted (admittedly, the Dastiel fanservice did bore me, because blah, not interested, but whatever. I WAS INTERESTED IN THE REST. And the Crowley/Castiel fanservice can stay).
Another shocker for anyone who knows my relationship with this show: I liked Castiel in this episode.
It seems like the non-Castiel side of my flist is going "Meh, Castiel. :/" and the Castiel!girl side of my flist is going "OMG CASTIEL. ;___; JUST BREAK OFF YOUR LINKS WITH CROWLEY, OMG, YOUR SAUNTERING SLOWLY DOWNWARDS IS SO TRAGIC." Apparently I'm the only person in the world going "Hey! Castiel, you have developed opinions of your own and are sticking to them! It's almost like you have a personality! GO, CASTIEL, GO! Don't listen to the Winchesters, YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT, HERE."
I think that's my biggest problem with SPN. The morality. The show strikes me as being very deontological (DON'T MAKE DEALS WITH DEMONS) whereas personally I favour teleological ethics (WHAT IS THE POINT OF FOLLOWING RULES IF THAT JUST LEADS TO EVEN WORSE THINGS HAPPENING?) so while I'm pretty sure Castiel is going to get punished in show, I fully morally support his choices, just like I fully morally supported Sam's in Season Four. Castiel is doing the right thing. And the fact he actually has some conviction rather than just following Dean around like a puppy is... well, basically had he just given in when Dean told him not to "because he said so" I would have screamed with rage and frustration. NO. FOR FUCKS SAKE, WHY DO PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE IRRATIONAL DESCISIONS OUT OF LOYALTY? IF YOU CANNOT GIVE A GOOD ARGUMENT FOR SOMETHING, FUCK NO, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE YOUR SIDE ON IT.
Which is not to say I don't love the crap out of Sam and Dean still. I know exactly why they're making the descisions they're making. Just look at their history. Of course they think this is a bad idea. Plus, I mean, it's totally understandable that they have a bit of a personal beef with Crowley. I'm not opposed to their reaction to all this at all.
FUCK YEAH, MORALS ARE SUBJECTIVE!
I am morally on Castiel's side but Sam and Dean are still my favourites! I CONFOUND THE STORYTELLERS' INTENTIONS!
What I want to happen next: Sam and Dean try to thwart Castiel, and his plans go awry. But not to the extent that the apocalypse happends again (because DEAR GOD, I cannot face watching that storyline one more time D:), but so it half works: Raphael doesn't win heaven, but something else terrible happens instead. Castiel is convinced that he was doing the right thing, and is extremely angry with Sam and Dean for fucking it up and creating bad side effects; Sam and Dean are convinced that they did the right thing, and think that they probably managed to avert even worse things happening by what they did. There is a distinct angry rifty thing between the boys and Castiel, but none of them are 'evil'. Nor do any of them 'realise they were in the wrong all along and that they should have listened to the others'. Next season they all try to clean up the mess, and there is a hostile relationship between Castiel and Sam and Dean, but they are not out to kill one another, they just have differing methods and sometimes get in one another's way. THINGS ARE NOT BLACK AND WHITE.
(LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL, THEO WANTS SPN TO STOP BEING OVERLY SIMPLISTIC AND MAKING EVERYTHING BLACK AND WHITE. THEO HAS LEARNED NOTHING FROM THE LAST FIVE SEASONS OF SPN. BECAUSE SHE IS STUPIDLY OPTIMISTIC AND APPARENTLY LIKES SETTING HERSELF UP TO BE LET DOWN.)
In conclusion: Oh man, I am going to hate the ending of this season so much, I can feel it already.