SPN 7x17; Mad Men 5x1-2
I like Garth so much. Are we supposed to like Garth? I do. He's a breath of fresh air. He's clear that he's hunting because he wants to, which is a nice contrast with the Winchester's fate-weary unhappiness. He has to build normal human interactions, rather than taking all-consuming familial dysfunction of the definitive relationship of his life. I don't know how much his awkwardness is supposed to be straightforward narration and how much of it is how strange someone someone who's not as miserable as they are but can't be dismissed as a civilian looks through the warped Winchester-POV, but it doesn't really matter because he's adorkable regardless. Also he's a hugger which kind of makes me want to give him a giant hug, just for not being hung up on the loner tough guy show. Dean lets him drive, too, didn't miss that.
I'm still pretty apathetic on Bobby himself. It's hard, though, not to be resentful on behalf of the characters I love whose arcs got cut off short, whereas Bobby keeps going on and on and on. It could be a really interesting worldbuilding thing, if we learn about how ghosts become ghosts and how evil spirits become warped and dangerous. They and we have been assuming all this time that there was some degree of choice in the matter, but maybe the spirits become violent and frustrated because they become isolated and warped. Bobby's frustration reminds me of the spirit of the psychic earlier in the season - why isn't anybody listening to me? Maybe there's just no other way to make anyone hear.
I would've actually really liked it if Sam was right and they were just dealing with loss in the way human beings do. But, yet again, Dean is right just 'cause, and everyone should shut up and listen to, just 'cause. If there was some in-text recognition of his good instincts as a discrete trait, and if he would at least make some effort to learn how to reason and communicate about them, I really don't think I'd be bothered by it? But as it is, it feels like it's just leaning on the presumption that we won't question this conventional macho male supremacy narrative trope, yawn.
Obligatory Sammy thoughts! Castiel's quick fix probably hasn't undone everything, but he does seem to be doing a lot better, and the lighter episode was a nice break for him. I don't think we've ever seen Sammy drunk when he's not flinging himself into the deep end of a bottle to deal with some acute misery. Awwww, he is presh. Also, I really like when people use "crazy" as a noun. Well, people with The Crazy, anyway, which Sam definitely is.
And I finally saw the Mad Men premiere.
- I liked Megan and Peggy's interactions, especially Megan legitimately wanting to be taken seriously and Peggy being awkward and consciously having to try to make room for someone new. And I love the little touch that Peggy doesn't want to hold the baby.
- ALLOW ME? Joan. <3 She's really sympathetic around her undermine-y mother, where we see exactly where she learned the treatment she dished out to Peggy way back in the pilot. I felt so worried for her wanting to come back and being afraid she'd been pushed out.
- Maybe it's been long enough since the parts where he was awful, or maybe you all have just converted me, but I really like Pete Campbell here. I also really love his marriage with Trudy. They're a partnership in a way that makes a lot of sense for the characters and the era, and she's a generally good influence on him without being overbearing. I like that he's ambitious and she supports that. They're a little hung up on lifestyle as a symbol of success, which seems to be the wedge coming between them, not really the job or the marriage. Aww, Pete. Also, WHAT'S THAT? IT'S DARLING.
- Nobody loves Dick Whitman. I love you. Ouch. The first hour of this episode actually did make me feel for Don, WHAT IS THIS. I really don't know what to make of that last scene - because it's role-playing, right? It has to be. But at the same time, it's painfully evocative of the scene where Joan's husband raped her. So I really, really don't know.