SPN 2x03 - Bloodlust
*flails*
This is the same show I wrote off after the pilot, and only ending up watching for the pretty boys, right? Because damn, that was good. So very good. Oh, what the hell, good doesn't do it - it was fantastic!
This hunt was an important lesson for both of them, but Dean in particular. I'm not sure that he's telling the truth when he says he enjoyed killing that vampire - the look on his face when he's standing there, splattered with blood, says otherwise. And for the first drink or two afterwards, he seems to be faking the jollity. But I rather think he believes he did enjoy it, at least when he's looking back on it, and he was certainly genuinely celebrating with Gordon by the end.
Thing is, Dean hates the evil out there, hates it passionately, and it's a shock to him to have such a strong display that sometimes the hunters can be more vicious than the hunted, that sometimes hunting demons is the wrong thing to do. It's taken what he knows, what he thinks he knows, and turned it on its head. Even, maybe, made him doubt his father to a certain extent, and that has to be hard for him. He has been largely a black and white kind of person, and while Gordon was giving him the speech about the world being black and white, he was agreeing, although even at that stage you could see his mind working, see him thinking about it, and not necessarily entirely comfortable with the idea. And the moment Gordon brought Sam into it, saying that Dean is more like Gordon than Sam, you could see him wanting to rush to Sam's defence, even if he wasn't really sure what he was defending Sam against at that point. A very typical sibling reaction.
Then, the ending - oh god, I loved the ending so much. Sam lets Dean lead the conversation, just answering Dean's points, reassuring him, even being the one to say that "Dad did the best he could." But he volunteers that he's going to stick around to "be a pain in the ass," and when Dean says "thanks," Sam's response is reassuring too - he just says "don't mention it," he as good as lets Dean know that he doesn't have to say anything difficult, Sam understands, and he's there. God, the brother love in that scene is so wonderful. And that pan in on Dean's face just before he gets in the car, with the light streaking across him, wow, gorgeous.
I also thought it was fascinating that Dean opened up to Gordon so quickly. It took Gordon opening up first, dredging up his most painful memories (though of course he hid the worst part of them from Dean), but once he did that, it was as though Dean had to take the opportunity to let stuff out. I think Sam's suggestion that he was using Gordon as a father substitute was painfully close to the mark (hence Dean's strong reaction to it), particularly when we saw how unable Dean was to open up to Ellen or Jo, or even Ash, last week. But Gordon is different from them, he's out there, a hunter himself, and though it might seem odd that Dean's able to seem weak in front of him, I don't think it is at all. Gordon's not likely to be relying on Dean to be strong, he's strong enough himself, so Dean doesn't have to feel protective towards him, doesn't have to appear stronger than he really is. Interestingly though, he still feels he has to keep his "game face on" in front of Sam - Sam's always going to be his little brother, and I don't think it'll matter if Sam saves Dean a million times, he'll always want to protect Sam.
I see Dean's begging Sam to punch him at the end as a twofold thing. First, he felt bad at punching Sam earlier, because he knows Sam was right about Gordon, and right about Dean's reaction to Gordon. And secondly, I think he needed it, maybe as some kind of punishment - he felt he deserved it, and probably hoped he'd feel better after it. He wouldn't, and Sam knew that. In fact, Sam mostly handled Dean well - I know some fans have criticised Sam for the way he's pushing Dean, proding at open wounds, but I think he's doing his best, and that mostly it's working, even when he gets Dean really pissed off.
Now for the little stuff that made me squee with joy.
The homage to the Impala at the start, all those loving shots, Sam offering Dean some alone time with her! Dean calling her "baby"!
Sam in his tweedy suit! And then both of them in labcoats - eeeeeeee, if they turned up at work like that... *takes a moment*
Sam wanting to puke while he's fishing around in the girl's mouth and Dean calling him a wuss. Them both trying to pass the job over to the other. Hee!
"He's the only one who gets to call me that." *loves so much* Sam might bitch to Dean about being called Sammy, but obviously he thinks of it as an affectionate term, something that's just theirs. Which makes me flail with happiness for the brother-loving.
"I'm sixteen years old, kids my age are worried about pimples, prom dates. I'm seeing things they'll never even know, never even dream of." I love these little flashes of what life was like for them as they were growing up.
I couldn't watch much of the fight between Dean and Gordon, but damn, Gordon was not very perceptive taking Dean on after having held a knife against Sam's throat.
Amber Bensen!! Eeeeeee!! I liked Lenore, liked that she lived in shades of grey - she didn't avoid killing for love of humans, but to save her own kind. They didn't glamorise her character, but they made her, well, human! And I loved the gentle way Sam picks her up to take her to safety, his whispered "I've got you."
Now I've rambled on so long, it's picture time.
See the concern on Sam's face after Dean has killed the vampire - he knows all's not right with Dean.
This isn't the face of someone who's just enjoyed their kill.
And now we get the fake smiles.
Gordon Walker
Dean's starting to break down a bit, just a bit.
I love that Sam phoned Ellen.
Lenore
Dean does this movement several times, that tired sweep of his hands across his eyes. I'm wondering if it's tiredness, or headaches. We know the demon healed his internal injuries, but he didn't heal the cut on his forehead - maybe Dean's getting bad headaches?
See this smile - even I could tell he was about to punch Sam. He might as well have told Sam he was about to do it. No way did Sam not see it coming - I think he just let it happen.
Interesting, the way Dean just puts his hand out to stay Sam, and Sam obeys him.
This is Dean realising that, while Lenore is a demon, she's not a monster.
[ 798 caps, 24 MB zip file ] The first few are numbered oddly, because I lost the caps of the first two scenes and had to recap them.
BTW, does anyone know what the closing music was?
This is the same show I wrote off after the pilot, and only ending up watching for the pretty boys, right? Because damn, that was good. So very good. Oh, what the hell, good doesn't do it - it was fantastic!
This hunt was an important lesson for both of them, but Dean in particular. I'm not sure that he's telling the truth when he says he enjoyed killing that vampire - the look on his face when he's standing there, splattered with blood, says otherwise. And for the first drink or two afterwards, he seems to be faking the jollity. But I rather think he believes he did enjoy it, at least when he's looking back on it, and he was certainly genuinely celebrating with Gordon by the end.
Thing is, Dean hates the evil out there, hates it passionately, and it's a shock to him to have such a strong display that sometimes the hunters can be more vicious than the hunted, that sometimes hunting demons is the wrong thing to do. It's taken what he knows, what he thinks he knows, and turned it on its head. Even, maybe, made him doubt his father to a certain extent, and that has to be hard for him. He has been largely a black and white kind of person, and while Gordon was giving him the speech about the world being black and white, he was agreeing, although even at that stage you could see his mind working, see him thinking about it, and not necessarily entirely comfortable with the idea. And the moment Gordon brought Sam into it, saying that Dean is more like Gordon than Sam, you could see him wanting to rush to Sam's defence, even if he wasn't really sure what he was defending Sam against at that point. A very typical sibling reaction.
Then, the ending - oh god, I loved the ending so much. Sam lets Dean lead the conversation, just answering Dean's points, reassuring him, even being the one to say that "Dad did the best he could." But he volunteers that he's going to stick around to "be a pain in the ass," and when Dean says "thanks," Sam's response is reassuring too - he just says "don't mention it," he as good as lets Dean know that he doesn't have to say anything difficult, Sam understands, and he's there. God, the brother love in that scene is so wonderful. And that pan in on Dean's face just before he gets in the car, with the light streaking across him, wow, gorgeous.
I also thought it was fascinating that Dean opened up to Gordon so quickly. It took Gordon opening up first, dredging up his most painful memories (though of course he hid the worst part of them from Dean), but once he did that, it was as though Dean had to take the opportunity to let stuff out. I think Sam's suggestion that he was using Gordon as a father substitute was painfully close to the mark (hence Dean's strong reaction to it), particularly when we saw how unable Dean was to open up to Ellen or Jo, or even Ash, last week. But Gordon is different from them, he's out there, a hunter himself, and though it might seem odd that Dean's able to seem weak in front of him, I don't think it is at all. Gordon's not likely to be relying on Dean to be strong, he's strong enough himself, so Dean doesn't have to feel protective towards him, doesn't have to appear stronger than he really is. Interestingly though, he still feels he has to keep his "game face on" in front of Sam - Sam's always going to be his little brother, and I don't think it'll matter if Sam saves Dean a million times, he'll always want to protect Sam.
I see Dean's begging Sam to punch him at the end as a twofold thing. First, he felt bad at punching Sam earlier, because he knows Sam was right about Gordon, and right about Dean's reaction to Gordon. And secondly, I think he needed it, maybe as some kind of punishment - he felt he deserved it, and probably hoped he'd feel better after it. He wouldn't, and Sam knew that. In fact, Sam mostly handled Dean well - I know some fans have criticised Sam for the way he's pushing Dean, proding at open wounds, but I think he's doing his best, and that mostly it's working, even when he gets Dean really pissed off.
Now for the little stuff that made me squee with joy.
The homage to the Impala at the start, all those loving shots, Sam offering Dean some alone time with her! Dean calling her "baby"!
Sam in his tweedy suit! And then both of them in labcoats - eeeeeeee, if they turned up at work like that... *takes a moment*
Sam wanting to puke while he's fishing around in the girl's mouth and Dean calling him a wuss. Them both trying to pass the job over to the other. Hee!
"He's the only one who gets to call me that." *loves so much* Sam might bitch to Dean about being called Sammy, but obviously he thinks of it as an affectionate term, something that's just theirs. Which makes me flail with happiness for the brother-loving.
"I'm sixteen years old, kids my age are worried about pimples, prom dates. I'm seeing things they'll never even know, never even dream of." I love these little flashes of what life was like for them as they were growing up.
I couldn't watch much of the fight between Dean and Gordon, but damn, Gordon was not very perceptive taking Dean on after having held a knife against Sam's throat.
Amber Bensen!! Eeeeeee!! I liked Lenore, liked that she lived in shades of grey - she didn't avoid killing for love of humans, but to save her own kind. They didn't glamorise her character, but they made her, well, human! And I loved the gentle way Sam picks her up to take her to safety, his whispered "I've got you."
Now I've rambled on so long, it's picture time.
See the concern on Sam's face after Dean has killed the vampire - he knows all's not right with Dean.
This isn't the face of someone who's just enjoyed their kill.
And now we get the fake smiles.
Gordon Walker
Dean's starting to break down a bit, just a bit.
I love that Sam phoned Ellen.
Lenore
Dean does this movement several times, that tired sweep of his hands across his eyes. I'm wondering if it's tiredness, or headaches. We know the demon healed his internal injuries, but he didn't heal the cut on his forehead - maybe Dean's getting bad headaches?
See this smile - even I could tell he was about to punch Sam. He might as well have told Sam he was about to do it. No way did Sam not see it coming - I think he just let it happen.
Interesting, the way Dean just puts his hand out to stay Sam, and Sam obeys him.
This is Dean realising that, while Lenore is a demon, she's not a monster.
[ 798 caps, 24 MB zip file ] The first few are numbered oddly, because I lost the caps of the first two scenes and had to recap them.
BTW, does anyone know what the closing music was?