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I really enjoyed this episode — it was funny, suspenseful and fast paced. All of these new characters were interesting and the story kept me interested. Jensen was delightful doing his usual comic, heroic burlesque. Jared carried the rest of the show as smart and capable Sam. I hope the rest of the season runs like this, with minimal Lucifer filler.
One of my favorite things was Dean driving the Impala backwards, then swinging it (her) around so Sam could shoot from the passenger window and take out the truck’s tire.
Yes, the whole Baby Driver vibe – pun probably very much intended, maybe what might have given them the idea? – was pleasing to me. Although the Impala has limitations when it comes to car stunts, that was still a very nice moment.
I have not seen Baby Driver, but my daughter’s favorite movie is Drive with Ryan Gosling. Throughout the episode she kept saying, “Wow, that’s just like Drive” even before she realized the title of the episode was “The Scorpion and the Frog”. Parallels: title, being forced to participate in a heist, forced to work with the bad guy’s bag(wo)man, driving backwards (yes, that was beautiful), double cross, etc. Anybody know of other connections to that movie or why?
I really loved the character of Alice/Smash. As always Dean interacting with teen (or maybe 20ish) girls is always a joy to watch. “Winona, the 90’s called. They want their shoes back.” I’m still laughing. The bus thing, however, was too Charlie-esque and still hurts 3 seasons later. I will not forget or forgive!
// One of my favorite things was Dean driving the Impala backwards, then swinging it (her) around so Sam could shoot from the passenger window and take out the truck’s tire. //
That was so hot.
I was so afraid Barthamus would become another super boring evilish fiend à la Ketch et al that I enjoyed watching him burn very, very much. “After Crowley, no more demons”: you’re right, Dean. One must make choices when it comes to dating.
I’m a little sad about Grab, though. He was fun.
He was so much fun!
I agree about Barthamus! He was a wonderfully sleazy pimp-demon.
and ha, in re: your comment about dating.
I’ll always love protective, dangerous Dean: Grab – “If your brother’s too stupid . . . that’s on him.” Dean – [deadly] “What’d you say?”
Oh my God, yes.
Did anyone else catch the Game of Thrones comment? Fun fact: the actor who played Shrike also played the Night King on GoT
No shit — what a cool throwaway line to tie him to that show.
Nice catch!
That was awesome.
The heist feel of the episode and blood device to open the lock on the outside of the vault combined with Dean’s face was great. Again, some solid one-off characters in Smash and Grab and Bart (at least we got a demon who seemed threatening and not some bumbling brown-nosing fool). And they gave us a nice twist on Shrike who looked and acted like a classic SPn villain (c’mon the Night King was perfect for this show) but then had a backstory of grief and revenge.
So, Sam and Dean are just going to walk away from Shrike’s collection (I thought the same for Magnus’s house too)? All those artifacts and spells like around? How are they not loading up the Impala and hauling it back to the Bunker. Or is it like John’s old storage lockers? Are there all these sites and houses they visit when needed?
//How are they not loading up the Impala and hauling it back to the Bunker//
I had the same thought. I’m hoping it happened offscreen.
Actually, my first question was why Sam didn’t grab that stack of cash?!
I had a blast with this episode, which was super reassuring. Smash/Alice gave me Charlie-esque vibes, which was fabulous. Dean’s big-brother-protective moments were also fabulous. His dark “what’d you say?” sent me right back to Red Meat, which is a great episode to mimic. I also genuinely enjoyed Bart and was sad over his demise. I’d rather see a villainous arc with him at the center than more BMOL.
I think the main moment that snagged my attention, however, was Bart’s comment about Sam being the “smart one.” We know the Winchester brothers are preceded by their reputation, but Bart went out of his way to comment on Dean being so roughly Dean-like and Sam being the cooler head. It was a moment that amused me, to see the brothers have their personal reputations commented upon, but also made me want to roll my eyes a bit. Were the writers projecting their own boring straightforward perceptions of the brothers onto the screen?
//Were the writers projecting their own boring straightforward perceptions of the brothers onto the screen?// Initially I cringed at the “smart one” comment and wondered this as well, but thinking more about it, perhaps Bart’s statements might have been a flag to us of his character’s obvious manipulations rather than reflections of how the writer viewed the brothers. The intention was to make us cringe and dislike him – just a thought.
Yes, that’s how I see it as manipulation. I liked Bart as a baddy, not just run-of-the-mill bad, but wormy, manipulative, bastard badguy. I kept trying to figure out what was so important to him. All I could conjure up was Davey Jones’s heart. When I saw the size of the chest I should have immediately figured his bones.
I also like that he wasn’t just falling in line with Ass-mode-ayus. I’m ready to see more anarchy in Hell – you know, demons wreaking whatever havoc they damn well please, because what are ya gonna do to me if I don’t do what you say? Send me to Hell for eternal torment? Got the t-shirt. Or kill me again and put me out of my misery? It’s pretty much a win-win for disobedience if you’re a demon.
It was not just the “smart one” comment, but also the pie bit. My first thought with the pie was “yawn,” but I could see the gears in Bart’s head turning as Dean said, “When a demon says jump…” He was thinking, ” yeah, but I bet you eat that pie. ” And then Sam looks at him like, “seriously? You’re eating the demon pie?” All of that was was non verbal to include Dean’s silent, defiant answer of, ” Damn right I’m eating the pie, watch me! ” It was a symphony of the unsaid.
I thought Bart offering pie to Dean was a little like Dean offering food to Death when he summoned him.
I was amused that Sam glared at Dean for eating the demon pie, but later he drank the gin Shrike offered him!
//I think the main moment that snagged my attention, however, was Bart’s comment about Sam being the “smart one.”//
Like you and Paula, that one pulled me a bit out of the episode. I lean toward laziness on the part of the writers, since also I found Smash/Alice’s farewell on the bus a bit too Charlie-esque with the finger gestures. She might as well have added “peace out, bitches.” So, there were too many easy callbacks for me to lean toward the more benign explanation.
But still a good episode. Shooting out the tires was cool.
I fear for every female character now that Ketch is back. I worry that they’ll get murdered like Magda or Eileen. Or manipulated and used like Mary. I don’t like the gunplay that his presence introduces, but I do like a villain who honestly makes me fear for the characters.
//Shooting out the tires was cool.// so very cool. What a great shot. Jensen Ackles has a second career as a stunt driver.
Do you think Sam’s choice of an alias was an acknowledgement that the plan was doomed to fail? “Dortmunder” nearly made me do a spit take! Also, did they really start calling the collector Shrek instead of Shrike?
I love it that Luther was played by one of the Night King actors, too! Had no clue until I read this thread, though I remember mentioning to my husband that he looked familiar somehow. He thought that the actor looked like an old rocker —
I definitely heard Shrek. I was confused: I didn’t see comparisons with an ogre. But now that you mention it, it probably was just a play on his last name.
I was expecting the nickname to be a comment on his behavior or appearance, not just something that sorta sounded like his last name.
Bless you, Sheila! I should have known I could count on you for the Roman Holiday reference! Jensen was definitely channelling Cary Grant’s physical humor with that bit.
My bad – Gregory Peck!