In which fandom helps me express my myriad of emotions felt by SPN 5.10

[zimshan]

I’ve attempted to write out this post more times than I can count at this point. It’s kinda pathetic how this is now five days after the fact and I still feel like Bambi on ice about it all

Comments

[afrocurl]

I haven't rewatched this episode yet, but I think it warrants it to really understand anything about it.

However, all of this was insightful, and I'm thankful for those fic recs right now.

[zimshan]

Yea, rewatching it was almost a totally different experience. Knowing what happens only makes it that much more devastating and frustrating, IMO. On both the Jo and Ellen and episode construction levels.

Glad you got some worth out of this! Enjoy the fic recs! I think I'll just keep adding to this list for the rest of hiatus.

[sockkpuppett]

Thanks for this wonderful, coherent post. It was worth the wait. I watched the ep again, and I'm a little more forgiving of the Ellen and Jo sacrifice and a little angrier about the sheer awfulness of rest of it. Stupid plot tricks R us, as you so aptly described above, e.g., Dean shooting the hounds instead of Meg and/or going after Lucifer himself; Cas's only reason for being there was to beam up to Sam and Dean and go "shh!"; the Reapers(!??WTF?!). I too wondered how Sam and Dean live with themselves from day to day.

And now I'm of a mind to see how well (IF) the show can recover from such an awful execution of such an important episode.

[zimshan]

Ha! Well, I'm glad you could find coherency in this post after my several false starts! :D

But yes, a rewatch definitely makes the Ellen and Jo part shine out as the good part, in comparison to everything else that surrounds it. The nonsensical-ness of it all boggles my brain.

And now I'm of a mind to see how well (IF) the show can recover from such an awful execution of such an important episode. Idk. I do think the mess of this episode is actually pretty highly similar to the nonsensical mess of last year's winter hiatus episode. Only 'Heaven & Hell's mistakes were less about the boys' sheer stupidity, and it didn't erupt with such ghastly horrific consequences. (The 'Everybody Plays A Fool' lyrics were probably the most apt placement of the night, right

[harper47]

See now, this is exactly what I was expecting from you. A deep, angst-filled post that not only analzyes what happens but filled with deep, visceral reactions.

I don't know. I think that Kripke has gotten a little lost this season. I'm not sure why but I'll give him this. He gave Ellen and Jo fantastic sendoffs. They owned the episode that they died in.

[zimshan]

Aw, well, I'm glad this post ended up reaching your expectations. :)

I was just glad to finally sort it out in my mind, because it was driving me kinda nutty.

I don't know. I think that Kripke has gotten a little lost this season. I'm not sure why...
I'm starting to think it has a lot to do with the now possibility of a sixth season that he was dead-set against doing only a couple months ago. I said going into this year that the absolute worst thing I could envision for this season would be if this isn't the last. Yet it looks like now Kripke's saying it's not? If they're thinking now they've got to stretch one year into two suddenly, everything's gonna feel so much more watered down. :(

[bellanut]

Uuuuuuuuuuuuugh, it already IS too watered down. Dammit! I wish they would just TELL THIS STORY DURING THIS SEASON NO MATTER WHAT. I find the mytharc so confuzzeled right now I'd really like to see them end this story and start fresh with S6. I think the many seasons of Buffy showed that it isn't always about escalating up and up and up, that sometimes you've escalated to the point of cliche and the only way to keep going is to a step back and go back to your roots. Which is my dream of dreams for SPN right now even though I know it won't go down that way.

[zimshan]

Well, back when Kripke was saying 'this is the last season, I mean it, the show can go on, but I'm done after five', I figured he was simply front-loading the season with a bunch of watered down light episodes because the second half of the season was gonna be filled with all guns ablazing from Feb sweeps to the 100th ep and out to the finale. But now if he's suddenly readjusting for six years, I don't know what to think.

And still, Buffy fought the biggest source of evil, The First itself, for the last season. In this verse as they set it up, that's Lucifer, so I don't really understand how they can continue a season after they kill the Devil. What else could the final season be about?

[bellanut]

"Because all you were thinking about [these last three years] was your family, your revenge, and your demons, [and you used these women without a second thought and promptly forgot about them as soon as your own shit got to much to deal with]".

OH MY GOD.

I'm sobbing again now, by the way. Your description of that last Dean/Jo scene. THAT'S IT. The thing I was seeing in it that I wasn't even articulating. Thank you. BACK TO SOBBING. FUCKING CHRIST.

[zimshan]

HA! That's kinda hysterical, because you know what? It was scrolling through your picspam of that scene that totally made me hear that Meg line in the back of my head. Then all the rest of it snapped into place for me as to why this worked for me when it shouldn't have. So hey, how's that for the ever spinning wheel of fandom! ;)

JENSEN ACKLES: Fixing a whole three years of mess and sending you sobbing your guts out WITH ONE FREAKING LOOK. I really should not be surprised anymore and yet, I STILL AM.

[spadada]

JENSEN ACKLES: Fixing a whole three years of mess and sending you sobbing your guts out WITH ONE FREAKING LOOK.
If I could wear this on a T-shirt without appearing psychotic I would.

[smilla02]

Oh, so many links! Reading this, you really get the sense of how controversial and intense the reactions to this episode have been. Apart from any wankfest that the episode may have sparkled, though, I kind of like that they've been so strong. I think that it's a good thing. And thanks for pimping :)

Jensen Fucking Ackles took the scene of his goodbye to Jo and made it amazing and Alona was absolutely up to him all the way through. And yes, it's not about love, it's about history, about chances not taken and life interferring in what could have been a good thing for both of them. It's not the kind of feeling you see used often on TV.

Re: Dean not killing the Hellhounds. I asked myself the same and I thought that killing Meg at that point - after the exposition fest I mean - was useless. The hellhounds were already there and I don't think that killing Meg would have made them disappear. Also, they are faster than Meg, so I thought that Dean decided to spare the time for a shot at one of them and run.

I have no idea what kind of

[zimshan]

Yes, that's the thing. I'm of the opinion that a strong emotional reaction in tv has to count for something. It means someone's doing their job right. Even when it's surrounded by a bunch of fail elsewhere.

As for the Hellhounds, yea, I can see that. Idk, I guess we've gotten enough about Hellhounds to understand how they work, but my assumption was that Meg would have to call them, like Lilith did in 3.16. ['Sick 'im, boys'.] So shooting her straight in the eye would have stopped that. But who knows.

I have no idea what kind of help you may need with your vid, but if I can be of assistance, let me know.
Ooo! Well, I just kinda need someone to take a look at what I’ve got so far, because I‘m sorta stuck where to proceed in tightening up the narrative from here. I’m trying to work out some rendering problems now, but I should have the first draft copy sometime this week. So if you’d be willing to take a look, I'd be eternally grateful. XD

[smilla02]

Argh sorry I've been so late in replying - the last few days have been quite weird. But, yes, please, email or PM me whnever you are ready (email is in my userinfo). So excited!