5.21 episode review part 3
Dear Cas,
They DO tend to exceed expectations, huh. They're kind of awesome like that. Just for keeping score, what everyone has seemed to expect all these years is for them to kill each other. That already seems very unlikely, so why not this? Jump on the bandwagon, I say!
Helpfully,
~T
Dear Cas,
THAT IS WHAT THE DEMON BLOOD IS FOR AND YOU NEVER TOLD ANYONE?!?
Totally shocked and a little appalled,
~T
Ok, so now Famine's words in 5.14 make sense. Sam is the exception that proves the rule, and he can never die from drinking too much, which means that unlike Nick, if Lucifer gets Sam, he can keep him as a vessel ... FOREVER. (EEP)
Question: If Sam's powers are tied to his body (Death takes a Holiday, Swap Meat), lending credence to the fact that Lucifer isn't after his SOUL (Swap Meat), does that mean that if Sam wasn't in the body when it said yes, this monster-demon-blood guzzling capability will stay with the body? So theoretically if Sam's soul ended up in a different body Lucifer would still be able to use Sam's physical body ... forever? (more eep)
Eh. Fun plot bunny.
This reveal has got to be scaring Sam to death. Not only was it EXTREMELY hard to kick the addiction, but the very fact that he's been ABLE to is one of the only things giving him the confidence right now that he might even have a GHOST of a chance of taking on Lucifer and winning.
So to know that in order to even try his idea he'd have to backslide on it? SUCKS.
And not like that.
I love how A-Team this whole part is.
ROTFLMAO BOBBY JUST YELLED "BALLS!!!"
He's been spending waaaaaaaaaaaay too much time with Crowley. Maybe they ARE an ~item~ after all.
HI, SAM'S TAURUS MODEL 92 9 MM WITH STANDARD 10 ROUND MAGAZINE!!! I'VE BEEN MISSING YOU!
Not that I don't love knife!wielding Sam, but you'll always have a special place in my weapons trunk.
Seriously, where have you been. I haven't seen you get to play this much since we wrote Blood Ties.
The one where you took out all those croats in that warehouse and what's that ok I'll shutup now.
The noises I'm hearing as they are rounding the corner are positively disturbing. *shudders alot*
I love this sequence. LOVE. Why? Because it embodies how I see Sam as a Hunter. He is focused, calm, steady - somebody you'd want for backup any day of the week. Also? He is good. This is the knife fight scene from 99 Problems all over again, and EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
*flails a lot*
These croats even have the crazy eyes. As much as I like the parallel that they are like vampires, feeding on humans - I still cringe at the Twilight homage. Not that that's what it is, but that's what it reminds me of.
*pulls more caps b/c nnnnnngh*
HE TURNED IT SIDEWAYS. THAT'S A KILL SHOT!
River!Sam: No power in the 'verse can stop me.
Quick poll:
Is that a legit fandom phrase? Like, "Sam just Tammed the crap outta those crotes!" It'd be similar to Dean's exuberant "I full-on Swayzied that mother!"
If it's not a phrase, it should be. Make it so.
One more thing: No cap, but Sam hands Bobby the knife and goes off and Bobby turns around and shanks a demon. It is a GOOD THING that happened to be a demon and not a croat, or Bobby would have been lunch. Just saying.
~*~
Crowley: Hey - let's stop for pizza.
Dean: What, are you kiddiing?
Crowley: Just heard it was good, that's all.
Me on the rewatch: LOL YOU SNEAKY BASTARD.
Now, did Crowley already know Death would be at the most logical place (With PIES, of course), or was it just a feeling he had that he wouldn't recognize as information until later? Idk. But either way, it's awesome.
I love it when they give glimpses of the unseen and then emphasize that we can't see them. The reapers and the ravens crows all flocking to meet Death is chilling. Approved.
Yep. Even knowledge they exist doesn't make it so that you can see. You're still just a human at the end of the day. Frustrating, right? Except how much would your calm be damaged if you could see everything?
A lot, man. A lot.
Dear Dean,
YER FACE.
Hair rufflingly yours,
~T
I wasn't sure where to start mentioning this, so I'll put it here. All through recent seasons, outsiders have been telling Dean things about Sam. Castiel told him Sam needed to be stopped. Uriel said he was an abomination. Zach said it wasn't his job to kill Lilith. Michael said that killing him was the right thing to do. Lucifer said he was full of useful anger. EVERYONE was trying to get Dean on their side, which meant pulling him away from Sam's side. Everyone has been trying to chip away at Dean's faith in Sam, giving Dean their interpretations of Sam's actions and personality instead of letting Dean see for himself by actually watching Sam evolve for himself.
Bobby has been getting all of Dean's doubts and Dean's fears and Dean's parroted not!opinions from these creatures second hand for two years now. All of the times Bobby has thrown out lines like he did in 5.20 that clearly showed his ignorance as to Sam's true character, that belief has stemmed from a place of misinformation.
Dean can't help doubting and being afraid. Sam's his brother, and he's too close to the situation, day in and day out, to step back and look at Sam objectively. (He's going to have to be able to do that if he wants Sam to be able to beat the devil.) This is Bobby's chance to see all the good sides of Sam in action and witness him as a powerful force of good, not evil.
I don't know about you guys, but Bobby looks a little shocked.
I totally laughed in his face and said I told you so.
All the shots in this episode are so pretty.
I love the One Way sign pointed at the pizza shop. ICWYDT, Show.
LOL @ Crowley, and even MORE LOL @ Dean not being able to read his lips, b/c I thought it was pretty obvious.
'What? I can't hear you!'
Poor Deanbaby. He's SO ANNOYED. I'd love it if he wasn't so far at the end of his rope.
*pets him*
And LOLFOREVER that this never stops making him jump. *facepalm*
Dear Dean,
There is only ONE WAY, can you not see the signs? *resists singing the song* Crowley ain't goin' in there, buddy. Death wants YOU. He's like the British Uncle Sam. *resists the song some more, dangit*
~T
Sam: *calls the all-clear*
Bobby: *OMGICANSEEFOREVER!face*
Me: *punches the air and screams I TOLD YOU SO*
VERY cool! Season 5 title card callback/insert FTW!!!!!!
Also, for Sam, this must feel like looking back in time at the hallucination of himself. Except that in the panic room, the red veins were moving across his skin, as well. It's still powerful imagery - something inside you taking you over from the inside out.
DNW.
These croats are faster, stronger, better than the first test group. They also seem to be a lot more feral. In Croatoan they were still intelligent enough to speak and try to trick people into coming closer and they were very busy making roadblocks and shooting guns and things.
HA! Cap of win. I needed caps like this for the Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid review.
\o/ Better late than never! \o/
I don't think I'll ever get tired of Castiel's flat observations.
Or of everyone else's bzuhh expressions when he makes them.
He looks so young here.
This shot needs to be a promo poster, SERIOUSLY.
Ever stop to wonder how these dudes are even real?
O.o
LOL @ the plaid-shirted Jared lookalike dead on the table.
*blinkblink*
Jared? Is that you?
In all seriousness, I've watched this scene about a trillion times to try to tell, and you can't tell. It COULD be, but the one shot where you can tell if his hair is long or not is really blurry, so you can't tell. Point in favor? He's got Jared lookalike sideburns, and how many dudes have those? In my head, this was an epic prank and I'm going to happily envision that until someone tells me otherwise. Plus that is one of Sam's shirts.
\o/ \o/ DEATH!!! \o/ \o/
IT BURNS US, PRECIOUS.
Dean looks like a little kid that got caught in the candy jar. Of doom.
PIE! Death. Is. Literally. Eating. Pie. Pizza pie, yes, but. PIE. DEATH AND PIE.
I think I might die now from sheer overwhelming love of Show.
This scene is played so impressively. When you watch it, you can tell without a shadow of a doubt that Dean is absolutely pee-his-pants terrified, but in the caps? Mostly smooth customer. that's talent, folks.
Nice that the only person qualified to talk to Death is a guy that they have drilled into our heads is already dead.
I do NOT know where they found this guy, but he is AMAZING.
"It took you long enough to find me. I've been wanting to talk to you."
I love how matter-of-fact the creepiness of Death is. We get the creepy vibe because he's DEATH, and by definition, he's the ultimate thing that humans are afraid of. But if you look at the character, there's nothing creepy about him at all. He just IS. He's a cut and dry, unavoidable, clinically observant FACT OF LIFE. The people around him are dead - why? Because he was eeeevil and tortured and killed them for pleasure? No. Because they dropped dead because he is Death and that's what happens when he touches you. Cold hard, stiff-with-rigor mortis facts. All the 'creepiness' we are feeling in this scene is b/c of our own perceptions and fears of Death, and not from Death himself. Show trusts our fears to creep us out without trying to do it itself.
Isn't that brilliant?
Which is why, when Dean eats the pizza, I kept waiting for the catch, like Dean choking, or the pizza turning to maggots. But that's not Death - that's me having watched too many horror movies talking.
"Life, death, chicken, egg - regardless, at the end I'll reap Him, too."
'God? You'll reap God?'
"Oh yes. God will die too, Dean."
And THERE it is. Lucifer's endgame. We've been saying all along that while Michael's ultimate goal is just to fight Lucifer, Lucifer's ultimate goal is much larger than that. Lucifer doesn't NEED Death to play a rousing game of Destroy all Humans. Show has made it abundantly clear that, given a small nudge, humans are more than capable of doing that themselves. Lucifer needs Death to kill Daddy so he can take over the kingdom.
I'm not sure there is a way to describe the shocked silence in the room when we heard that. All of our eyes were like,
O.O
"I understand you've been looking for this."
'Uh. Yeah?'
I love Dean for saving Chicago with a randomly thrown out question. I love Death for being exasperated with Dean being so slow on the uptake. I love this whole scene. Boomdeyadda boomdeyadda ....
"You have to do whatever it takes to put Lucifer in his cell."
'Of course.'
"Whatever it takes."
'That's the plan.'
"No. No plan, not yet. Your brother? He's the one who can stop Lucifer - the only one."
'Wait - you think -'
"I know. So I need a promise. You're going to let your brother jump right into that firey pit. Well, do I have your word?"
'Ok, yeah. Yes.'
"That'd better be yes, Dean. You know you can't cheat Death."
Chills, you guys. Chills.
It seems interesting for Death to tell Dean he can't cheat Death since Dean has cheated Death more times than anyone. I suppose it's a figure of speech when you're, you know - Death. I like that in the same phrase that he warns Dean not to lie to him he's also letting Dean know that he knows about Dean's spotty record with sticking to his yeses.
When it was, you have to do whatever it takes, there was no hesitation. When it became you have to let your brother, time stopped. No matter what Dean has been through or how much he's changed over the years, he still defines himself by Sam's well-being. He still sees himself in the Mirror Gate as Sam's reflection. He's still Sam's big brother.
Don't worry. That will never change.
I REALLY want the scene where Death teaches Dean the incantation and everything. I'm picturing it going down like this.
Click to viewLol.
Instructions
Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before.
Say 'please' before you open the latch, go through, walk down the path.
Dean's been playing with these things for hours.
TRIQUETRA!
Yay, Bobby is walking. Lol, boobs need work.
The reveal that yes, Dean was maybe-mostly-sortof-totally thinking about being a liar to Death's face. Not really a shocker. The shocker here is, Bobby thinks Death might be on to something. Dean's argument that he's DEATH and he works for Lucifer doesn't feel very spirited. Dean already knows that Death was telling the truth. But if he's going to let Sam go through with the plan, he has to get his arguments out on Bobby - because he doesn't want to break Sam's resolve with his doubt.
Bobby tells Dean things we've always known, but it's the first time in a long time Dean has heard anything positive about his brother from anyone he trusts.
As Bobby talks, it's like you can see the wall come down for good. Dean admits to himself that he's always known it, too. It's easier to pretend that he doesn't think Sam can beat the devil - because then he doesn't have to let Sam try. Because then he doesn't have to let Sam GO. Denial, it ain't just a river in Egypt.
109
Sam was never destined to be evil, even by Hell's standards. Show has made a point to throw his destiny into question plenty of times, but it always tells you afterward that at the end of the day Sam is still Sam.
It's been a while since I brought up the number 109. If you've tracked my reviews through s4, you will see that I became obsessed with figuring out what it meant back around Sex and Violence. This will be the last time I bring it up.
Every time the number 109 shows up (on a hotel door), it is in an episode designed to make us question Sam's ability to withstand his destiny. First is Croatoan, where we see that Sam is immune to the demonic blood virus. Second is Born Under a Bad Sign, on the door of the room where Dean finds Sam sitting alone and covered in blood. Third is Sex and Violence, where Sam is keeping a secret about blood. Blood is the connector, the common theme.
Sam's life path was forged in blood the day he was born. He came from a very specific bloodline. He was infected with the blood of a very specific demon. He's designed to intake large quantities of blood and not die from it. His family history is drenched in blood.
What the number tells us is the answer. The answer to why Sam is never going to be evil.
Episode 109? Is Home.
The answer is family.
Sam has something that sets him apart from the other kids; even Azazel said so. He said he was smart, well trained. That's true, but he learned more than just mad crossbow skills and kung fu along the way. He learned loyalty, and sacrifice, and the depth of how much a person can love, and that revenge is not more important than protecting those you care about. THOSE are the noble traits that Sam has. Someone that truly knows those things and lives them with their every breath can never really be evil.
And Dean knows, because he's the one that taught him.
It's the same Tulpa phenomenon from Hell House all over again. What people believe influences what IS. If Bobby and Dean keep believing Sam isn't strong enough, then he won't be, because he NEEDS their belief to BE that strong.
*makes circling gesture*
Axis Mundi, yeah?
Again: Can't, or Won't? What about Can? Will? HAS to?
Our boys are in for the fight of their lives; but it's not against the Devil. It's against their raising and their codependency, and their perceived life roles. Is letting your brother go a cost worth paying if it sets right the wrongs created by not letting him go the first time? If it saves the world?
I honestly don't know. And this Show ... they make you think that no, it might not be worth it. No world is worth trading Sam's life for - it never will be. That's why it can't be Dean's decision. That's why he has to trust Sam to decide.
That's where the real battle begins.