Comments | ash48: 12.12 reaction

ash48

12.12 reaction

Feb 19, 2017 21:30

I know I shouldn't post this reaction because I really didn't like that episode but I feel the need to work out my thoughts so I'll put it here.

Please don't click and read if you loved it (and I know many did - I'm against the stride with this one *g*). I just feel like I'm getting closer and closer to being completely done.

( they better have a damn good reason for this direction... )

s12 reaction

Comments 59

amberdreams February 19 2017, 13:37:44 UTC

As usual, you've pretty much summed up how I was feeling - I hadn't got as far as dissecting Mary's actions because I was getting so distracted by the Tarantino devices, which totally broke up the storyline for me and like you say, negated any tension. But I did definitely think she was going to turn out to be possessed, she was behaving so oddly.

I didn't for a second think Cas was going to die, and his 'death' scene actually irritated me with it's awkward callback to Castiel's Leviathan hosting - all the black veins and black goo. Instead of worrying about him I was just thinking - oh really, you couldn't think of anything else to do for him 'rotting away'?

I'm annoyed by this episode because the last couple I'd really enjoyed. Let's hope this next one is a whole lot better!

ash48 February 19 2017, 13:49:25 UTC

Ah yes - I didn't connect the Leviathan death with this one.

IF he had actually died I could see why they gave him the "I love you - all of you" speech. I would have been fine with all of it - but instead I was eye rolling and thinking "you're all wasting your emotion, he's gonna be fine". (I know I'm a hypocrite because in Red Meat we knew Sam wouldn't be dead, but I was more than happy to see Dean's emotion over that).

I just want Mary's behaviour to be explained (not redeemed). With such a big leap (betraying her sons) I would love to see a really good explanation. I'm not holding my breathe on that one...

I'll always watch the next one in hope (though I saw the promo and more of the regular secondary characters so it might not be for me. We'll see...*g*)

amberdreams February 19 2017, 14:07:16 UTC

I haven't seen the promo, I'm still avoiding them. :D ( ... )

ash48 February 20 2017, 09:49:02 UTC

*nods* I was feeling that too. It felt like fan service but I didn't want to repeat myself from last week's observation about fan servicing. I think they are listening to fans - but I really wish they wouldn't. I want them to have their own ideas about the direction without trying to please fans - there are too many of us to make us all happy.

And I also agree on why Red Meat worked on a different level - the pacing was indeed fantastic. *happy sigh* what a great ep that was (and a Dabb one!)

Thread 5

anniespinkhouse February 19 2017, 13:41:25 UTC

I'm with you on all of this.I kinda knew I shouldn't watch I am done with episodes with the angel - because, as you say, tedious, but I loved the teaser. I have a feeling that this week is a Buckner, Ross-Leming in which case I will definitely be staying away.

ash48 February 19 2017, 13:53:26 UTC

I loved the promo for this ep! It was so well edited. I also enjoyed the teaser - so I thought we were in for a great ep. :)

Oh no! the Duo?! Damn. :/ Though at least I'll know so expectations will be so low I might even enjoy it.

amberdreams February 19 2017, 14:07:38 UTC

Oh no, is it? Damn...

harrigan February 19 2017, 14:05:52 UTC

Ditto to every single point. I'm on vacation with my sister and brother-in-law, so the latter watched it with me, though had never seen it before. And afterward, I had to explain:

I am really invested in the two main characters. There are some really good episodes that are so very satisfying to watch that I continue to follow the show and probably will till the end. Because the show isn't an anthology but follows a story arc, that means I have to watch the bad episodes too, just so I'll fully understand and appreciate where the characters are and their history over the season. Unfortunately, this was one of the latter kinds of eps.

I think I'm not AS frustrated as you, because I have pulled in the range of emotion SPN can evoke in me now. The lows aren't as low, but the highs aren't as high either. Show has gone from being a love affair to being on par with a workplace friendship in terms of my emotional engagement on an episodic basis.

amberdreams February 19 2017, 14:09:48 UTC

Great description of my relationship with the show too. Or maybe it's more like the lover you now live with and see all their irritating habits. You tolerate them because you do still love them, but the passion has died down.

ash48 February 20 2017, 09:53:45 UTC

Perfect summing up. That speaks for me also. My hubby often asks why I still watch it - especially after all the complaining I can do - and I say the same. I continue to want to watch Sam and Dean. The good episodes can often be amazing and they are the ones that keep me going. After one like this I just feel let down and I just have to remember that there will always be ones that don't work for me.

To be honest I'm amazed I still fell this level of passion. Damn show!

borgmama1of5 February 19 2017, 14:28:33 UTC

hells_half_acre had a fascinating analysis of why Mary is trusting the BMoL--I am copying it here:

I do wonder about her psychology a little and the fact that she's trying out this situation where she's basically directed where to go by the UKMoL. It occurred to me, while I watched, that the last time Mary hunted, she was very much under the direction of her authoritarian father.... I mean, YES, she hunted a little bit after her and John got together too, but I think the bulk of her hunting was done as a teen under her father's command. I wonder if there's something appealing to her, familiar, about having orders to follow. Like... Dean is sort of that way, or used to be. He took comfort in John's orders, and a lot of him falling apart after John's death was him trying to cope with that loss of security in knowing what to do... it's why he briefly was seduced by Gordon.... anyway, those are just some thoughts I had, not sure if they hold water or not.Don't know if that helps at all ( ... )

amberdreams February 20 2017, 11:29:42 UTC

Oh thanks for this link, that looks like an interesting read!

ash48 February 20 2017, 11:32:51 UTC

Hey.

I accept all of these explanations. I think we can come up with a heap of really good reasons why Mary is behaving the way she is. The problem I have (as I have had many times with the show) they are (so far) leaving it up to us to give her reasons for the way she is acting. I suppose I would just like them to show us the reasons they are thinking of. I don't want to be spoon fed, but I would like them to help us sympathise with her - show more of her journey to us maybe. They were doing a great job of this until this episode ( ... )

borgmama1of5 February 20 2017, 13:42:56 UTC

I find hells_half_acre's reviews nearly always improve my viewing--she is very good at finding the psychology behind why the characters are doing what they're doing, especially when show doesn't...

Thread 10

amypond45 February 19 2017, 18:41:14 UTC

I'm probably being totally naive here, but I'm wondering if Mary thinks she can find and destroy Lucifer's love child as a way to make up for not being there for Sam & Dean when they needed her. Did she really give the colt to Mr. Ketch? I had to rewatch that scene to be sure, but it seems like they left that point deliberately vague. Maybe she read the Carver Edlund novels on-line (obviously she knew Dean was in Hell so she has to know all about everything that happened to them by now) and found out that the colt was real, then made the MoLUK find it for her. Maybe she's playing them, or at least using them, to redeem herself with her sons by "doing something useful ( ... )

amberdreams February 20 2017, 11:32:49 UTC

I'm hoping they aren't trying to make her more like her father than the woman she appeared to be becoming from the snippets of her life we'd seen up till now. Samuel Campbell was willing to sacrifice family as a means to an end, particularly when they were essentially family he didn't know. "What exactly are you to me?" he asked Dean at one point - these were his grandsons but he was dead before they were even conceived and never knew them like he knew Mary.

ash48 February 20 2017, 11:38:54 UTC

I'm keen to see them explain it also - and I really hope they do. We never got a great deal of information about her family (other than them being pretty awful) and we had no sympathy for them at all. I jut hope they don't chose this direction for Mary. It didn't start that way but she returned from the dead like they did - so many there is some continuity there.

All your ideas are possibilities and, as usual, I think we can come up with some great resolutions. :) Often though we (well, me anyway) are disappointed and our ideas turn out to be more interesting than theirs.

They must be aware that most of us find Mary's behavior despicable.

You'd hope so. I just hope it's not there to purely create drama with no real thought of her character. It will be disappointing if it's just so she can sacrifice herself for her sons in the finale...

We'll see!