from scarecrows to sirens - a bit o'meta
Sam is obsessed with a mission. To get revenge. Dean - he's just glad to be with Sam, hunting. The clash comes to a head and there are hurtful, angry words on both sides. Sam leaves, finding a friend in a demon girl.
Sound familiar? Well that's the plot of Scarecrow! As I continue to ponder and dissect Sex and Violence, I've been revisiting other episodes, especially those ones where the boys are at odds.
Sam: How the hell would you know how I feel?
Dean: You’re a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do whatever you want. Don’t care what anybody thinks.
I went back and read the meta I wrote on the episode, and hunted down some other metas and episode reactions on Scarecrow. Oh fandom, everything old is new again!!!
Of course the episode bought so much joy - Boys in bed together (sort of). Papa Winchester appearance! Pie! Dude you're fugly! Cigarette Smoking Man! The goblet o'blood! Dean tied up! Scary Scarecrow!
And of course that final scene:
Sam: You and me. We’re all that’s left. So, if we’re gonna see this through, we’re gonna do it together.
Dean: Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful.
Dean's hand on Sam. His thumb resting, stroking Sam's neck. They were just starting to be brothers again.
And I'll leave you with one line from the episode that struck me as having even particular resonance now:
Sweetheart, that’s what sacrifice means. Giving up something you love for the greater good.
Sound familiar? Well that's the plot of Scarecrow! As I continue to ponder and dissect Sex and Violence, I've been revisiting other episodes, especially those ones where the boys are at odds.
Sam: How the hell would you know how I feel?
Dean: You’re a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do whatever you want. Don’t care what anybody thinks.
I went back and read the meta I wrote on the episode, and hunted down some other metas and episode reactions on Scarecrow. Oh fandom, everything old is new again!!!
- Deangirls were outraged at Sam's dismal of Dean's feelings, and Sam leaving. Samgirls were outraged that Dean called Sam selfish. Deangirls countered that Sam really was selfish. He abandoned the family to do his own thing. Samgirls charged that Dean was emotionally stunted. And that the writers were mean to Sam.
- Meg was widely hated, especially for her hairdo and for 'coming between' the boys. And having a vagina.
- John Winchester (appearing via phone) was damned by some as a really sucky dad, while others defended him vigorously.
- Now remember this was the first episode where "the thing that killed our mother" (aka YED aka Azazel) puts in an appearance. Some people did not like the introduction of "the Big Bad" and bemoaned that this larger mytharc would detract from the heart of the show which was Sam and Dean driving around hunting things (and looking for John). Others called it "lame and cheesy."
- Another common criticism were the fact they we never found out whether it was Dean or Sam who called the other brother first. That drove people wild! It was called a "cop-out", on behalf of the writers.
- General consensus was that Jared's hair looked good in this episode, and that orchards really bought out Jensen's freckles.
Of course the episode bought so much joy - Boys in bed together (sort of). Papa Winchester appearance! Pie! Dude you're fugly! Cigarette Smoking Man! The goblet o'blood! Dean tied up! Scary Scarecrow!
And of course that final scene:
Sam: You and me. We’re all that’s left. So, if we’re gonna see this through, we’re gonna do it together.
Dean: Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful.
Dean's hand on Sam. His thumb resting, stroking Sam's neck. They were just starting to be brothers again.
And I'll leave you with one line from the episode that struck me as having even particular resonance now:
Sweetheart, that’s what sacrifice means. Giving up something you love for the greater good.