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I’m curious to see what you guys thought of this one! The Sam storyline did not work for me. I do not like Eileen’s makeover or how bland she’s become or Sergei with his crystals and whatever. I do not understand why Jared stammers every line these days, I am so confused by it as a choice! It’s hard to discuss the Sam-Eileen thing without speculating about where it might be going — it might be feeding into a few ending options I dread deeply, or it might change or peter out, which still feels the more likely path (I hope). But I did like the look on Sam’s face when he decided to make a move. The story at least gives us something new like seeing that on Sam, like seeing Dean weirded out by having her there.
In the Dean story, I hated the Buffyish monster and that Eye of the Tiger reference (yet another instance of what Sheila (?) called them constantly playing to us instead of just writing a gd story) and even worse, that song — I am sooooooo embarrassed by Rockstar Dean, I had to turn my head away and close my eyes haha. I really wish they hadn’t played it straight. I guess it’s another nod to us and an indulgence for Jensen (and the backing crew band)? I found it excruciating but perhaps I am just humourless these days.
howwwwwever. Song aside, I thought Dean’s story was solid and engaging and thoughtful and I thought Kane found some beautiful layers of emotion and moments to play, particularly because the twist was obvious; that just made the performances and the chemistry more interesting. I loved how Dean was so unnerved by being a third wheel in the bunker that he just hightailed it and ended up finding himself a substitute he could have fun with — much in the same way, it seems, that the same character served John and Dean as a “good son/good brother” substitute for some unspecified period of time while Sam was off being the family pariah at Stanford. The scene with Dean in the basement was gorgeous. I don’t really buy all the John anecdotes and Dean in present day and reminiscence felt a tad cartoony now and then, like the writer learned about him from someone who got twenty seconds into a ten minute description of the character and then cut them off and said “got it.” And the set and lighting and extras were all basic but on the whole, I was absorbed and interested in their conversations. It was obviously about getting Dean to a point where he wanted back in it and flowed well.
The bizarre sheriff with his perfect white hat was entertaining and the party girl who was so sure about her friend being Raptured actually had some reality and pathos to her. Also I feel like that cold open bar — and maybe even Swayze’s but that looked like concrete — was in the same “big square of gravel on which we build exteriors” location that they used to use allll the time, from the diner in AHBL and the Harvelle Roadhouse and that random s9 episode where the choir angels kill a bunch of biker angels in a bar. Even if it wasn’t it was nice to see that look again!
Jessie – I kinda went into some of my issues with the Sam storyline below – I think I’m babbling. But I’m with you. I feel obnoxious saying this but I do feel like each “problem” I sense here has a relatively simple fix. This depends on where they want to go with the story – and honestly, I’m not sure they know, and besides I don’t trust their taste anymore. For me, the fix would be:
— Castiel comes, “probes” Sam, nearly kills him. Castiel dashes off to try and get help – because he’s an angel and he’s useless.
— Eileen, left alone, tries whatever she can to bring Sam back. She rifles through the bunker, she tears through books, she tries spells, she summons demons- whatever. It’s all Eileen. We get to see her competence. We get to see her at work. But also: we get to see how she feels about Sam.
— Maybe she makes a horrible deal to bring him back – looping her in with Dean – when you love a Winchester, you make horrible deals, and etc.
— However it ends up – I want it to be EILEEN bringing Sam back. Otherwise: she’s just there wearing red lipstick and making waffles and I do not understand. I feel like they want to be congratulated just for having her onscreen and it is DEEPLY condescending. Let her DO something.
Oh and Jessie? What is going on over there with the food schtick. Every. Damn. Episode. we need Sam and Dean bickering about food? This is an example of them not knowing what they’re doing, being tone-deaf – a little of that goes a long way – Dean with the Elvis sandwich – it was a whole BIT and it was funny – It would have become distinctly less funny if it was done every episode.
I’m sick of the food schtick.
By the way – my “Eileen fix” is assuming that they want to build out her character – and the Sam-Eileen bond – judging from last night’s episode, they have no idea how to do that. They just take it for granted – they were “whooping it up” last night over margaritas, they’re bonding! Oh yeah? SHOW it to me.
If they’re NOT going to take the time to build out her character or their bond – then my God, just leave her out of it and let Sam have his own damn Arc, PLEASE GOD.
But as long as she’s there, give her something to DO. They used to know how to do this. Ellen and Jo were established in one scene. And they remained consistent awesome characters any time they showed up. Do they not know how to watch this show? They’re listening to the fans way WAY too much. Oh! They love Eileen! Let’s bring Eileen back! But let’s not discover why Eileen struck a chord. Let’s not even watch the episode where she first appeared. I mean …
I wonder if her uselessness and red lipstick and waffle-cooking is somehow punishing us for rejecting Wayward. lol I am so paranoid. But God, one of the plusses of this show – Wayward advertising to the contrary – is its awesome women side characters. I mean, ELLEN. JO.
What is Eileen doing tiptoeing delicately out of a tub wrapped in a towel? You need to lead UP to that. Maybe if they hadn’t just killed her off – and DEVELOPED that arc after Into the Mystic – the way they did with Lisa and Dean – maybe THEN her making waffles and being wrapped in a towel would be to DIE for.
They can’t just throw us bones like this. It’s so OBVIOUS.
ALL. OF. THIS.
I loved Eileen’s introduction and her story. She was tracking the banshee that killed her parents and took her hearing from her. She was both a proud legacy (back when the MOL were still intriguing and had potential) AND a hunter just like Sam and Dean. She wasn’t Jo and Ellen (no one will ever be), but she held her own and didn’t need anyone’s help or approval. I didn’t necessarily need or want a romance to develop between her and Sam, but back in S11 or even S12..? Sure, it could’ve worked. THEN.
I truly hated her ending, too. It really served no purpose in the story to kill her off in that way, but I wasn’t part of the outrage brigade that were offended and took to SM because diversity, when in reality there was another motivating factor for those fans. I accepted the ending of her story and moved on.
But now..? It is really feeling very hollow, anemic and a waste of time in a (final) season with an already reduced amount of episodes. They seem to still be playing around with the “what if’s”, and I can’t deny that I’ve enjoyed seeing demon blood Sam, Samifer, MOC and Demon Dean in the few scenes we’ve been gifted with. Who am I kidding – I’ve LOVED them. But this Sam and Eileen “what if” has nothing to do with season long arc’s that served as the foundation of the series. This is pure fan fic service. Dabb has stated in interviews that shacking up with other people isn’t the endgame for Sam and Dean, but it’s Dabb, so who knows.
I didn’t hate the Sam witch episode as a whole. Just some of the inconsistencies and choices that were made. But now? None of it made any sense because of the reasons you stated. SHOW US MARGARITA DRUNK SAM, FFS. Imagine how captivating it would have been to see Sam enjoying himself with someone he just saved with an incredibly powerful spell. Cutting loose with someone that didn’t carry the same (fascinating and delicious) baggage he and his brother share. I feel robbed.
All of my complaints aside:
I thought Jensen did some really REALLY good work this episode. Not that he’s not always good, but, you know, he got to actually PLAY a lot of stuff this episode – he was on his OWN journey. I appreciated this. He was the LEAD, not just a sidekick in his own series.
JA is so sensitive to subtleties – the way he dealt with Sam and Eileen in the first scene – it was beautiful. He just plays that subtext, and it reads so clear. I also liked his dynamic with the waitress – it’s a Dean we haven’t seen in a while. I think JA really made the dynamic with his old friend seem real (as real as it could be). It reminded me of “Bad Boys” when suddenly this whole other character was introduced – this whole other chapter of Dean’s life – and it was fine, the character could “take” it – and it deepened our understanding of Dean. That wasn’t QUITE the case here – and looping in John Winchester didn’t feel right to me. John Winchester playing a TV theme song for Dean and his teenage-age friend before a hunt? While Sam was in college? Oh hell no. John was a thundercloud. Probably even worse then. And so was Dean. No way would an “outsider” be a part of that. Unless they needed backup? It just doesn’t seem like it was anything John Winchester would do.
// that the same character served John and Dean as a “good son/good brother” substitute for some unspecified period of time while Sam was off being the family pariah at Stanford. //
I like this idea. I wish this had been made explicit. Just to show they understand that we need to know, that it’s important that THEY know the timeline, and how closed-up John W was to outsiders.
That being said, I liked the amount of time that was given to just establishing this relationship with Lee – lots of conversations. Not a lot of plot. Just reminiscing. I appreciated that – the episode felt very ROOMY and I have missed that sense of roominess. Now that we don’t have to incorporate Ketch and Rowena and Jack into every dern episode, there’s more room.
I didn’t mind the singing. I liked the frozen look on Dean’s face right before he started. it made no sense – except if you knew that JA had just put out an album. So I think it was definitely just a meta-moment of “let’s let our star sing” – kind of like Ricky Nelson suddenly bursting into song in the middle of Rio Bravo. lol. Howard Hawks was like, “He sings. I love his voice.” That was good enough reason, so I didn’t mind it. (But I’m with you: I HATED THE EYE OF THE TIGER REFERENCE. HAAAAAAAAATED IT.)
What I DID mind was Dean killing his friend. Again, he says “I kill monsters” – but Lee is NOT a monster. He’s just a bad man. Dean used to be very firm on his rules about that.
That being said, JA played the hell out of it. He looked devastated during that scene.
// I don’t really buy all the John anecdotes and Dean in present day and reminiscence felt a tad cartoony now and then, like the writer learned about him from someone who got twenty seconds into a ten minute description of the character and then cut them off and said “got it.” //
This is so exactly what it feels like.
Finally: lovely LEGS moment in the junk yard.
// The bizarre sheriff with his perfect white hat was entertaining //
I absolutely loved that scene. It was so weird.
And filled with that thing I used to write about – random people responding to Dean’s sexual energy and glamour, even if he’s not putting it out there.
// “big square of gravel on which we build exteriors” location that they used to use allll the time, from the diner in AHBL and the Harvelle Roadhouse and that random s9 episode where the choir angels kill a bunch of biker angels in a bar. Even if it wasn’t it was nice to see that look again! //
I so agree. I loved the opening scene.
//I absolutely loved that scene. It was so weird.
And filled with that thing I used to write about – random people responding to Dean’s sexual energy and glamour, even if he’s not putting it out there.//
YES! I shouted, “HA! They are flirting with Sheila” at my tv. Either that, or someone has been reading your blog! If so, I am grateful for that.
That entire scene was so blatant and hokey, but that’s what made Sheriff Dillon, with his 10 gallon hat and 10 thousand megawatt smile so charming. I remember him and that conversation better than anything else that happened in the episode. It really stood out to me..lol.
This one gave me a lot to think about, which I count as a win. And then reading through everyone’s comments got even more wheels turning.
I’m intrigued by Lee as the temporary substitute for Sam during the Stanford era. That’s the kind of thing they would have dropped an entire anvil of exposition on, if this had aired a few seasons back, so maybe I should be commending them for leaving things unspoken, but I do wish we had circled back to it a couple more times. That was the first thing I noticed once Dean and Lee started catching up – you’re going to ask about Dad and not SAM? So…then you don’t actually know Dean all that well, do you?
I was getting some Bloodlust vibes, remembering Dean’s susceptibility to Gordon in the middle of that void of grief after Dad’s death. Dean’s not exactly grieving right now, but he’s certainly experiencing that sense of purposelessness. Escaping the claustrophobia of the bunker; the inscrutability of his excuses to Sam; Sam’s earnestness and surprise (“Alone?”)…I liked all of those things. Lee as the voice of despair…and simultaneously the voice of retiring from hunting (something that was not always painted in such a poor light)…that’s interesting to me, too.
I don’t think I can comment on the Eileen plot line until it has unfolded a little further, but I worry about them falling into the same traps that they did with Mom…ie. “Look, she’s choking that Russian guy because she’s a kickass girl!” and mistaking that for agency or character development in any form.
When Sam threw out the term “PTSD” a couple episodes back, that made some things fall into place for me as far as the stammering goes. I completely understand how you (and many others that I’ve seen discussing it as well) could find it a maddening choice. I think there’s something that appeals to me about this towering monster of a man who could turn over a table effortlessly, but may stutter a little while he’s speaking to you one-on-one in a quiet moment.
The impromptu concert reminded me of the oooooooold old days, like pre-hell, seasons 1-3, when Dean saw himself as the Rockstar Hero of his own story. I do NOT appreciate any of the “we save the world, that’s what we do” (WE GRIND, hahaha) self-worshiping nonsense. But I like and believe that Dean longs for simpler days, and maybe for a few hours he got to return to that Rockstar Hero fantasy, only to be brought back to shattering reality where life is bloody and brutal.
Bethany, yes to everything here — it’s where a lot of the value of the episode lies, for me. What do the anecdotes about hardass-but-swell-guy-John indicate about just how John behaved around a young-gun hunter? What does it mean that Lee doesn’t ask about Sam — did he never come up back then? Was it still too raw? When exactly in that four-year period was it? You mention Bloodlust and yes, it is fascinating how Dean manages fall in with these men when he’s absent a father (dead) or a brother (yukking it up with a girl). I wonder what Sam would have thought of Lee if he’d come too, if he would have sensed something wrong. Dean goes zero-to-a-hundred with Lee, in an almost desperate way — like you say, longing for some relief, maybe — and yet it’s been n years and maybe they didn’t know each other that well originally — maybe they just had a couple of weeks and hunts and that was it. So I really like all that and I really like that it all fell apart so brutally. I get Sheila’s complaint about Dean killing him, but I also felt like only one of them was walking out of there, and the death scene was something new and I was absorbed by it.
A lot of this is all very fanficcy pondering but the fact that there is enough there to prompt it has me quite pleased. And it is certainly a reminder of just how potent these relationships and histories are at their core — there is so much running under this show that a few ambiguous references to the past can throw up all these fascinating images and thoughts.
this towering monster of a man who could turn over a table effortlessly, but may stutter a little while he’s speaking to you one-on-one in a quiet moment.
This is a lovely way of putting it. I’ll try to keep it in mind. I really did find a couple of his reactions touching, when Eileen raised the prospect of intimacy. As much as I was also screaming NO, haha.
Initial thought:
Castiel, making poor choices AGAIN. God, just GO AWAY. First, you probe Sam’s wound without considering the consequences (I did enjoy Eileen’s “Ew” – and then Inviting the Russian oligarch into the bunker??
but besides that, here’s my real issue: the return of that horrible Russian character is just more evidence of how reliant the series had become on Rowena and her deus ex machina bullshit. Look at how Castiel and Eileen – an angel and a brilliant hunter – were denied the possibility of working together, finding a way out themselves. The writers don’t know how to do that anymore – they always have to put in a call to some supernatural being with a bag of crystals. Rowena has been a CATASTROPHE.
Ugh, ugh, ugh. YES, make Castiel DISAPPEAR, for the love of all that is drama! I couldn’t believe they would have him return, only to nearly KILL Sam, then wrap it up with this Russian whom I barely remembered. I did catch the Russian joke, delivered to Misha Collins (real name Dmitri Krushnic and Russian as borscht) by the fake Russian character.
I loved Dean singing WELL, unlike the show’s previous conceit that Dean-can’t-sing. The fact that JA and Christian Kane are close friends IRL really made the whole thing work. Seeing Dean so HAPPY made ME happy, and so did the little nod to Kane’s old Leverage character, Elliott, when Lee dumped all the bullets out of the gun he was holding on Dean, followed by the raised eyebrow of, “You wanna fight?” Elliott on that show HATED guns, and every time he forcibly took one out of a villain’s hand (in every episode,) he’d empty the bullets from it while staring at said bad guy, letting him know a BEATING was coming. Loved it.
I don’t understand Jared’s stammering any more than you do, Sheila. Also, he pronounces “this” like “thees,” which he’s been doing since he played Gadreel. And he whistles a bit saying his “s” sounds now. Once you hear it, you can’t UN-hear it.
I’d give this episode a C… pretty meh and all other the place. Dean’s story line was OK, but I didn’t pay enough attention to pick on the name of that caged up monster and what the bar owner was gaining from feeding it. I don’t remember that Russian dude at all, nor how he and Cas got hooked up together. How did the girl and her car disappear w/o her puking friend hearing anything? Was that explained? I didn’t get that either. Still not feeling the Sam/Eileen thing the show is pushing, but whatever. I can FF through any more lovey-dovey scenes with them. I’m also not feeling pouty!Dean, who says he wants to clear his head, but we’ve seen him get jealous before when Sam hooks up with females (Ruby, Amelia, etc.). That plotline with Sam and Chuck being connected… just makes me sigh and want it over with.
I’m with Jessie – I’m also am exasperated with Jared’s stammering line readings. It seems to have ramped up since the season began – it became so noticeable and I’m wondering why he’s chose this. Back in his younger days, it felt natural for his character, but at this stage of the show, I’m finding it off-putting and annoying.
I know Christian Kane from seeing his face on TV here and there over the last 10 years or so, but I’ve never watched any of the 3-4 TV shows he’s appeared on, so whatever charm or acting chops he has aren’t on my radar. I thought he was fine as Dean’s friend and I wish he could have stayed around a little longer, to give Dean someone to play off besides Sam (or Cas).
I didn’t mind Dean singing but the song choice was sort of cringey to me – the Dukes of Hazzard? I was looking to see if any actors from past episodes were given roles, but I didn’t pick on anyone, though that very helpful waitress looked familiar but maybe I’ve seen her on some other show.
The waitress looked familiar to me too!
I’ve been thinking about the stammering thing too – here’s my thought: as we have discussed here, Sam the character has been a casualty since this new team took over. The writing for him over the past 3 years has been very repetitive and the same thing over and over again – the voice of reason, the concerned dude, the impassioned logical voice, etc. (His humor has also vanished. Ugh. And JP is so funny. It’s awful) . I think JP may be trying to keep it real for himself – trying to deal with the boring dialogue he has been given – – so he’s trying to “fill it in” – make it sound real, and – the pausing, stop-starting is a way to do that (at least one way ) and so it’s become a habit. I think he’s trying to survive the poor writing he’s been given.
The dialogue is SO boring! I remembering thinking at the beginning of season 14 almost your exact comments about SHOWING us what was going on instead of just having every character have a bucket load of exposition every other scene! I thought the same thing during the witchy/Eileen ghost episode. Did they actually have Eileen TELL Dean Winchester how to get rid of a ghost???!!?
I liked when Dean admitted to feeling confused because he doesn’t know “what’s God and what’s not” but I’m still really struggling with where all of this is going, and how they are going to wrap it all up without seriously damaging everything that came before.
Oh and the caged-up monster (who looked like the reaper in Faith, didn’t he?) somehow magically gave you whatever you wanted – but only if you fed it. As long as Lee (is that his name?) kept the monster caged up, he was happy, he had the life he wanted.
// I thought he was fine as Dean’s friend and I wish he could have stayed around a little longer, to give Dean someone to play off besides Sam (or Cas). //
Yes, that would have been good – then we would have again the nice tension when the brothers are “hanging out” with someone else, or when their loyalties get torn, or spread out a bit.
Dean/Gordon. Dean/Lisa. Sam/Jess. Dean/Benny. Sam/Amelia. Any time you throw other people into the mix, shit gets interesting.
Okay, other thoughts:
I was seeing a lot of upset people on Twitter and I don’t mean any of this to dismiss their experiences. But here goes:
— I loved the teaser. I thought it was short, sweet, and gorgeous – really glamorous blue-collar horror vibe – this is the vibe of SPN I have missed. The biker byways and hardhat pathways of America. So hanging out at a dive bar in the middle of nowhere for half an episode – I liked that.
— Yes it was dumb to have Dean suddenly have a friend we never heard of – but it did come from the so-called “missing years” – when Sam was at college – so I kind of wish more was made of that.
— The Sam-Eileen thing – oy vey. The problem is – that there was true chemistry in Into the Mystic – this is why Eileen became a popular character. There really seemed to be something there. I don’t want/need SPN to be a romance – although I always like it when women are “thrown into the mix” – mainly because of what it does to the primary relationship (Sam/Dean). it’s always interesting. Instead of capitalizing on that after Into the Mystic – they instead killed her off. And now she’s back – but in the meantime, they’ve squandered so much good will and it’s a whole new team writing now – and women have REALLY taken a back seat. This is not to say I want Wayward Sisters. I do NOT. But I think about Eileen in Into the Mystic – and compare her to what I just saw in this past episode – and I’m filled with sorrow. It was incompetent. How about giving Eileen some OOMPH. Depending on where they want to go with this story – how about having her save Sam’s life? Then there’d be an actual bond – something deep – and then they would get more mileage from it down the road. They don’t know how to build up mileage. I mean … Lisa, for example. They set up Lisa EARLY. Season 2. Then we saw her a couple of times more over the next season – and each encounter drove the point home, you got the sense they knew what they were doing over there. They were playing out a long arc. So when Lisa entered the story for real – the ground had been paved for us, and they got so much MILEAGE out of what could have been a one off. This is what they have nOT done with Eileen because they do not know how to do stuff like this anymore. She’s basically just there to please the fans who love her. and listen: I love INto the Mystic – and I love what she brought – but … they just don’t know how to build up emotional mileage anymore – and only through accumulating mileage do you get the payoff.
And so then you’re in the situation where it is literally impossible to imagine Sam and Eileen yukking it up with margaritas – like, I can’t picture it at all. I don’t buy it. I don’t think THEY buy it.
What’s (potentially) interesting in the way this episode was set up (and I liked the set up, actually – it reminded me of the “siren” episode) – is that there’s supposedly supposed to be all this sexual tension with Sam and Eileen (even though there isn’t – although never mind that for now) – so Sam and Eileen may hook up – and then in the OTHER half of the episode, is this OTHER romance going on, between Dean and his friend – who really ARE yukking it up with alcohol – and we get to see it – and we get to understand the relationship and invest in it to some degree. So in that sense it’s interesting to NOT see Sam and Eileen and TO see Dean and whatever his name was. In other words: deprive us of what we WANT to see (Sam and Eileen) and give us something ELSE (Dean and whosisface).
But the Sam and Eileen stuff was so awkward and unconvincing that instead of getting a nice polarized effect – the brothers both having “dates” at the same time – you instead feel like “What the hell has happened to that awesome hunter I met in Into the Mystic? Now she’s cooking and telling Dean to eat and hovering by Sam’s bedside, useless. WHAT. THE. FUCK.”
I have no idea if what I wrote makes sense.
This is yet another example I think of the writers over there dismissing Sam, not knowing what to do with Sam. Like: okay, so you want Sam and Eileen to be hung over from a crazy night out? When does Sam ever have a crazy night out? I WANT TO SEE THAT. SHOW it to me. So then I can invest (again) in this romance thing that you want me to invest in, ever since she had a spa-day in the bunker basement. You know? DON’T leave ALL of Sam’s complexities up to the imagination – let me see him get drunk and suddenly be REALLY INTO Eileen. I’m not saying this is how I want the show to end – with a white picket fence – but they are assuming TOO MUCH. You can’t just have Jared wrinkle up his eyebrow, and reach to hold her hand (YUK) – let me see the BOND between them, even if they never make it into the bedroom. If you let me see the bond – that means you’re accumulating mileage – it’s mileage that will help you with the PAY OFF – whatever that pay off is, whenever it comes. Instead: you leave all of it up to the imagination, expect us to buy it, and expect us not to notice that there is no longer any chemistry between them. (There was in Into the Mystic. But it’s not there now). Well, sorry, you have to SHOW me what you want me to see so that I can then invest the way you want me to invest.
leave out the Russian oligarch with his crystal – let it be Eileen who saves Sam – desperate – maybe even in love – I don’t know, just spitballing here – based on the episode it seems like that’s what they’re trying to establish – so LET the stakes be HIGH – let Eileen be the one racing around making terrible deals to save Sam – this will bond her to Sam, and bond US in the audience to HER – as of now, that has not happened.
I’m babbling but I really liked the dual structure of the episode – both “boys” on “dates” with other people – but there was something missing – and – as ALWAYS – what was missing was SAM.
Am I wrong?
Jessie – I’ve seen you commented, haven’t read it yet – just wanted to get all this down. Will read what you wrote and respond.
Sheila, I’ve already left several comments, yet still have thoughts I want to share. So I also feel like I’m babbling. Ha! Clearly, Mercury isn’t in retrograde at the moment. I’m amused by the sudden urge, no…need to expand on this latest episode, and appreciate that I am not alone in this. I promise that you have made perfect sense and aren’t wrong in any of your observations and opinions.
The episode as a whole had a different vibe that left me somewhat disoriented until I was able to figure out why I was feeling that way. It hit me right around the scene with Sergei telling everyone about the mAgIcAl KeY somewhere in the bunker that opens Death’s library, followed by “I like this new Castiel. You’re so….RUSSIAN” It felt like I was watching Scooby Doo at times and Riverdale at others. The writer, Jeremy Adams, does quite a bit of teen superhero animation and also worked on Scoobynatural. I didn’t know that when I watched the episode…but it makes perfect sense. I’m keeping my fingers crossed we don’t end up with another SuperDrewDale episode before it’s done.
Dean’s day out felt reminiscent of both pulp and bizarro through it’s entirety – but the CW teen version of these genres. From the one liners, the references that bordered on meta most of the time, the extras playing their characters…well, extra extra (“Her car was raptured too..it was a good car!”, the almost aggressive waitress who would casually drop into the conversation with the answers to every question she didn’t hear you asking and of course, the sheriff) not to mention all the neon noir lighting and the swamp thing creature. Jensen and Christian were very subtle in contrast to all of the “loud” going on around them. And that’s where it threw me because it felt like they took these 2 seasoned actors that know their craft and inserted them into Riverdale or Nancy Drew. At the same time, I didn’t hate everything about it. Had there been a conversation about Sam and less AU John Winchester stories, it might have worked a little more for me during those scenes.
//but there was something missing – and – as ALWAYS – what was missing was SAM.//
There was so little effort put into the other half of the episode. I really didn’t mind the actual story or the plot development, except that the resurrected side character became the literal embodiment of that title. The behind the scenes photos and videos Shoshanna is sharing on twitter have three times the amount of action and importance in 30 seconds than she did in the entire episode.
It was also a poor choice to have Sergei know all about the bunker’s contents, and OF COURSE! He just so happens to want the one specific item that changes everything for them. It felt very rushed and thin, as if it were an afterthought. I’ll admit that I kind of like Sergei, because he reminds me of Otho from Beetlejuice (I love that movie!). But I also understand why people don’t.
Another poor choice was not doing a retake of the moment Sam woke up. Or using that take instead of another one. It was bad…really bad. I’m not sure if that’s an editing fail or if the director just didn’t care enough. I was shocked they allowed it to stay.
There have been several comments regarding the stuttering and facial expressions Jared has been using lately. I agree with all of the sentiments expressed, including your take, Sheila. I remember someone sharing info from one of his meet & greets where he was complimented on his expressions and physical gestures that conveyed the discomfort Sam was feeling during the episodes where Chuck and Lucifer were hanging out at the bunker trying to work out their issues. The person asked if it was scripted, and he said it wasn’t. The trauma he went through with Lucifer was never really addressed, so he had to take matters into his own hands and study the effects of ptsd so he could be the most authentic version of his character, and at least show us that Sam hadn’t forgotten since the writers obviously had. The person also said Jared was moved by the fact that someone noticed it. I wasn’t there, so I can’t confirm this 100%, but I will vouch for the person who was and shared the info. Knowing this makes me incredibly sad, and perhaps can shed some light on why he continues to do this. During those brief demon blood and Samifer scenes, though..? WOW. I had almost forgotten how well Jared does evil, or just in general when he’s not playing Sam. I feel dirty even saying that because I’m still not ready to give Sam and Dean up, even though the show needs to end.
// It hit me right around the scene with Sergei telling everyone about the mAgIcAl KeY somewhere in the bunker that opens Death’s library, followed by “I like this new Castiel. You’re so….RUSSIAN”//
THAT’S the line I was thinking of when I wrote my original comment! An in-joke for those of us who know Misha’s the son of a Russian immigrant father.
And also: I absolutely ADORE evil!Sam! Jared does wicked so well! GIVE ME EVIL!SAM any day over stammering, tentative Sam! You’re definitely not alone!
Sheila, I always feel compelled to leave a comment if only to wholeheartedly agree with everything you’ve already said! It’s not interesting, but it’s so reassuring to see other people having these reactions so I know I’m not crazy!!!
I have gotten a very strong “senior year of high school” vibe from this whole season. I get the feeling everyone just wants to see their friends, do one or two things they’ve really been wanting to but couldn’t and just generally have a good time. I’m happy for them, I know a lot of the crew has been there for years so everyone is really good friends and this final season must be nuts for them, but I feel like some of it is really “showing” and not in a good way. Does any of that make sense?
Eileen’s return has been nauseating for all the reasons you have pointed out. They did not prepare us for it at all. Even when she was killed, her death did nothing. Her death was not even a motivator for Sam to DO anything. When they killed Charlie at least we got an episode of Dean ruthlessly killing an entire family of monsters. Charlie’s death made something happen. NOTHING happened after they saw Eileen in the morgue, Sam looked sad and then they were done. Then the following season they made friends with her murderer (Ketch) who was completely “woobified” and redeemed before being killed at the beginning of this season. Did Sam and Dean not inquire about WHY a Hell Hound would be hunting her? Does she not even know Ketch killed her? Are the writers really planning to not say anything about his involvement in her death???!!!
Here is the same problem, that you Sheila, and many, many other people have pointed out, there are no stakes any more. There are no sacrifices that mean anything because everyone can be brought back, and even if they can’t at least we know they are happy in heaven. (Remember in season 2 when Tessa the reaper couldn’t even tell Dean where he was going?)
//I have gotten a very strong “senior year of high school” vibe from this whole season. I get the feeling everyone just wants to see their friends, do one or two things they’ve really been wanting to but couldn’t and just generally have a good time. I’m happy for them, I know a lot of the crew has been there for years so everyone is really good friends and this final season must be nuts for them, but I feel like some of it is really “showing” and not in a good way. Does any of that make sense//
This is exactly what it feels like in the macro sense. I’m not even bitter about that, because I can understand needing that and even deserving it to an extent. That shouldn’t take precedence (in every episode) or have an effect on the quality of the storytelling, though. It should be worked in and implemented in addition to the story. They’re professionals who have been working on this show for a long time, and knew the end was coming. That’s what I’m having the biggest problem with.
Thank you for pointing out the difference between Eileen and Charlie’s deaths. I had forgotten a few of those details! I didn’t even remember why Eileen was killed or who was responsible for it. I just remember her mostly from Into The Mystic, as it’s one of my favorites from S11. How sad is that?
Sheila —
Totally agree on your and everyone else’s assessment of how this Eileen story feels so disconnected from how she used to be and how shamefully ill-fit and unsupported it is. And yes — why not SHOW us the margarita night? Like you say, it’s just not….obsessed with him. Which sounds like a dumb thing to say but this disinterest didn’t used to be the case. So no, you’re not wrong! It reminds me of 11.22 when there was a throwaway line of dialogue that revealed that Sam had talked to Chuck about taking on the Mark of Cain offscreen.
I mean, this episode was constructed this way because because that’s how they have to schedule J2 these days (handy to have a bunch of characters talking over a sickbed that doesn’t have to be included in shot), but it also means that they are shoving in the beats of a story without longform planning and setup (after wasting three episodes on Ghost Town USA). So if/when she leaves/dies we’ll have to believe Sam’s loss response without ever caring about what he’s losing, and if it is, god forbid, some kind of romance grand or small to finish off his story then, well, that’s a whole other kettle of no thank you.
So I think it was definitely just a meta-moment of “let’s let our star sing” – kind of like Ricky Nelson suddenly bursting into song in the middle of Rio Bravo. lol. Howard Hawks was like, “He sings. I love his voice.” That was good enough reason, so I didn’t mind it.
hahaha, I thought of that tradition as well, and even more so Paul Gross singing in Due South. A less kind point of comparison because Fraser was a ridiculously perfect character, so it’s part of the fun that of course he’s a songbird. I just wish this had been funny, or characterful, or interrupted, instead of a lengthy time-out to let our star and crew have some fun. But for some reason my second-hand embarrassment issues go wild with Jensen singing, so playing this straight — Dean’s nervous, but he’s an amazing singer! And isn’t it hilarious that John used to play the Dukes of Hazzard theme song before a hunt or something????? — was always gonna turn me off. My cross to bear!
BUT — yes. A lot of lovely acting from him and Kane in this one. Conversations circling around key choices and life paths. Lots to work with and they did well.
What IS going on with the food shtick? Dean has had a “funny food sequence” four episodes running now and it has rapidly become tedious and forced. Could it possibly be that God/Chuck is writing it like this? ……Maybe even that God/Chuck is also smooshing Eileen and Sam together in the most artificial and unbelievable of ways? If that is the long game, well. I’ve complained about that in past episodes. There are ways to show that things are wrong (Soulless!Sam) or badly/artificially written (It’s A Terrible Life, Changing Channels) without alienating and baffling us so completely and grossly cheapening the show.
If there’s no such long game at work, then……that’s even more unfortunate.
Pat et al —
The waitress played Dick Roman’s interviewer at the end of s7. But she looked a lot like Morena Baccarin to me! That’s what my brain kept yelling anyway.
Jenna & Eileen —
Senior year is such a perfect way to describe this vibe. I’m a little less forgiving than you Eileen, I just want them to shape up. They still have exams! Get your bloody house in order!
//If there’s no such long game at work, then……that’s even more unfortunate//
I have zero faith that there even is a long game. There hasn’t been a solid one (at least that I can recall) in several years. In fact, there hasn’t even been much that surprises us, either – especially since the Dabb era. Every time they had the opportunity, it was spoiled on SM or so obvious to everyone that it warranted an eye roll when it was revealed.
Just as Jenna and others, myself included have suggested, it seems as though the majority of the season is being devoted to padding resumes with one off, bucket list or fan service episodes. I’ve even noticed more attention being put into costumes, makeup, set design and music. And to be honest, we all complained about most of it because it didn’t work for the story (ghost town usa), or it was too much (Amara’s hotel room, costumes and the intense musical score out of nowhere)…but we did notice it! Then we have writers that are clearly looking for their next job on the CW, and destroying our show in the process. But if we look at the pattern for the last few seasons, specifically, the first few episodes resolve the finale painfully slow and the last few episodes create one seemingly out of nowhere. The rest of the season has very little structure and relies too much on letting the story unfold on it’s own…literally. There might be a theme thrown around as a talking point used in interviews, but even those fizzle out by midseason. Granted, I’m not part of the industry and only have a general understanding of what goes on during the writing process (I was in makeup and effects in the fashion industry for a short time during my younger years, but that’s about it). I just know what I see, and how it has affected our show, the characters and the fans.
Personally, I think the meta aspects of Chuck and this unraveling of everything could have really worked well. Conceptually, I can dig it. I just don’t think Dabb, Singer or anyone in the writers room is capable of handling it with enough care. At this point, I’m just hoping they will put the effort into the last few episodes. That’s what I really care about. But there’s a part of me that thinks we’ll get a French Mistake 2.0 where Sam and Dean get transported to our world, become Jared and Jensen, and walk off set together to their waiting families while the lights fade. The end.
Lol Elaine, I’m just trying to give them an out! I agree, impossible to have positive expectations about long term planning from the team that brought us s12&14. But it’s just so hard for me still to believe that this is the best work of ostensible professionals. Surely there’s a good reason for it being like this….
Not able to watch in real time, or even the next day. The weaknesses of the recent episodes have been pretty well described above – I don’t think I have anything to add. Like Sheila, I enjoyed Eileen’s “Ew” response to “maybe Sam left something in Chuck.” More yuck in SPN! A nod to past nonconsensual penetration motifs. I also liked Lorena the waitress. She reminded me of Pamela, that “I can take care of myself, and have all the fun I want” vibe. With some ass-grabbing. It would have been more fun if Dean had hooked up with her rather than Lee.
I did like the Dean and Lee conversations, though I would have thought John giving pride of place to Lee’s fighting ability would have reminded Dean of all the dismissals and disapproval he had to eat from his dad while growing up in the Bell Jar. I was expecting more teeth-gritting from Dean at that.
Does anyone think it was purposeful that Cas showed up just as Sam was of the verge of needing to put a sock on the door, and then he nearly kills Sam? In the sense that, are the writers having fun with how epic a fuckup Cas is, a cock-blocking angel? Is there a fanbase that enjoys Lame Loser Cas? In the old days, one might have faith that Cas was on a long arc (like soulless Sam or Doomed Dean). I don’t understand keeping him around and making him so unpleasant and useless – especially when there’s so much fan service at present. I like Jenna’s senior year of high school analogy – the WTF in the show is coming from laziness.
But all the fan service going on gives me the faint hope that the Key of Death will lead to Death’s Library – and in there will be some way of resurrecting the OG Death. And he will reap God, just as he promised so long ago.
Service me that!