{"id":147176,"date":"2019-07-02T12:14:23","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T16:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=147176"},"modified":"2025-09-23T11:25:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T15:25:56","slug":"june-2019-viewing-diary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=147176","title":{"rendered":"June 2019 Viewing Diary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once again: if you’re not a Supernatural<\/i> fan, this might be a tough read. I’m so busy with work, this is how I unwind. <\/p>\n

\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 4 “Mint Condition” (2018; d. Amyn Kaderali)
\nI loved this episode. Perfectly in proportion. There was humor, clever-ness, a whole “world” erected – not a dumb AU world, but the real world of this comic book store and its enmeshed employees. I also really liked the “movie within a movie” – which actually did approximate 70s-era slasher flicks. Plus, opening with this spectacle: <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 5 “Nightmare Logic” (2018; d. Darren Grant)
\nLong scene between AU Bobby and Mary at the end and I just don’t care about either one of them and it’s upsetting that I don’t care. This episode had some good elements, except for the fact that Maggie was sent on a hunt by herself. Which makes me question Sam’s competence. As well as the competence of the writers to WRITE SAM RIGHT. Sam and Dean hug goodbye with Mom and it’s all so … empty. Which is then made WORSE by the elegiac little strains of the Winchester Theme beneath the scene. You bring Mary back and have her … hook up with Bobby? And … leave again? Why do you hate what Kripke set up? You think the “feminists” out here will balk at a woman being “just a mother”? This shit drives me bonkers. I’m a feminist. Give me Mother Mary again. You know who I loved, though? Who I thought had real potential, and I liked how she was written? Sasha, the daughter. But there’s a missed opportunity here. Instead of Dean giving a pep talk to this bitter woman – yet another one of his doppelgangers, with the booze and the pills and the daddy issues – how about commiserating? Or at least undercutting his pep talk with “I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m a fuckup. But what’s the alternative?” Remember him with Melanie? With Jamie? With all the other women he comes into contact with, before they forgot how to write the show? Let him be fucked up. He’s still a hero. You don’t need to remind us of that every other line, and he CERTAINLY can’t “buy his own press.” Sure, he does the right thing, but his life SUCKS. And he didn’t get to CHOOSE it, this life was chosen FOR him. Let him have some feelings about that. Let him have an EDGE. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 6 “Optimism” (2018; d. Richard Speight Jr.)
\nThis has a lot of charm, I like a lot of this, but the big problem is: how they keep splitting Sam and Dean up. So Dean works a case with Jack and Sam works a case with Charlie. When my God just put those people in the background and let the guys work together, put them front and center FOR GOD’S SAKE. Sam and Charlie on a hunt … and she keeps getting annoyed that Sam relates to her as the other Charlie. When … duh … that’s how WE relate to her too. Why did they DO this? It really shows the cluelessness behind many of the decisions, as well as how much they don’t respect us. They think we just want to see familiar faces, they don’t think context matters. Stupid. Related: Felicia Day KILLS it with her monologue about the Angel War in the AU (even though I don’t care about the AU or AU Charlie, I’m so impressed with her acting in that monologue). But let’s get real: when Sam says “I have read all the books” I want to cheer. Enough with making everyone AROUND Sam smart. Enough with propping up the awesome-ness of peripheral characters AT THE EXPENSE of Sam and Dean. What is this? Charlie’s the one who figures out what the monster is, Charlie is the one who wants to rush the guy in the beekeeper suit and Sam holds back … There’s such concern with downplaying the LEADS. Why? Because they’re men? I’m sorry, but if you’re looking for a show about female empowerment … maybe Supernatural<\/em> isn’t your show? Charlie – as she was – non-AU Charlie – was awesome. She brought her own skills to the table. She was great as support staff, and she also needed Sam and Dean to protect her. Think about “Pac-Man Fever”, one of my favorite episodes. She’s in over her head. This doesn’t make her a damsel-in-distress, or something retro and insulting. It just makes her a real person, who’s not been raised in the hunter life. I’m frustrated. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 7 “Unhuman Nature” (2018; d. John F. Showalter)
\nONCE AGAIN Castiel makes a poor choice by trusting the hookah-smoking Russian shaman. “He seems trustworthy,” says Castiel. He does? In what universe? Why is Castiel still on this show? I mean, I know why, but it’s so annoying. Also, the amount of space given to Nick … NICK? REALLY? Now look, Mark Pellegrino’s work in Season 14 is magnificent. He has access to very very deep emotions and he’s amazing. But I don’t care about Nick, and NICK is getting all the heavy-lifting-acting scenes, while Sam and Dean just stand around. It’s infuriating, JA and JP are so good and they aren’t given anything to DO. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 8 “Byzantium” (2018; d. Eduardo S\u00e1nchez)
\nSam, Dean and Castiel getting drunk is way way off. Castiel laughing uproariously? When has he ever laughed? What the hell show am I watching? This isn’t the show, it’s … fanfic. Written by Castiel fans. Featuring the ACTORS, not the CHARACTERS. Who’s running things over there? The loudest fans are Castiel fans so I guess it must seem to the writers like Cas is the main draw. Which is why Sam has barely had a freakin’ storyline of his own since … when. Gadreel possessed him? There was hope when he started getting visions in Season 11 … that Sam might rise to dominate his own storyline. But … it fizzled out. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 9 “The Spear” (2018; d. Amyn Kaderali)
\nThe casting is bad. Michael, her minion, Duma the angel – identical types. You can’t tell one from the other. Cas says to Dean, “You seem good, lately. Happy even.” He DOES? Where? Oh my God, STOP IT. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 10 “Nihilism” (2018; d. Amanda Tapping)
\nMaggie is in charge of fighting the Monster Army. Because she “proved herself” by … being captured by the djinn in that other episode? Again, Dabb et al think “we” will “relate” to her, like she is “us”, she’s supposed to be adorable and plucky and brave-even-though-she’s scared. No. She’s a dumbass and she shouldn’t be in charge of the neighborhood book club, let alone a monster war. Her being in charge calls into question – YET AGAIN – Sam’s intelligence. Member when Jo came along on the hunt in Season 2? And how gung-ho she was? As well as reckless? But also smart. She was human. She was a young woman trying to prove herself. She felt real. Also “monsters” have lost their specificity and it’s crept into the language. “There are so many monsters.” “The monsters are coming.” Last note: I am angry that Castiel is the one who “hears” Dean’s pain, and not Sam. Sam has been support staff for years now. And this important moment, of getting a glimpse inside Dean’s head, is given to Castiel, not Sam. Honestly, it’s amazing Jensen and Jared haven’t jumped ship earlier, considering bullshit like this. Nice mirror moment at the end, though. Too bad it was all squandered – because it’s a really great metaphor for mental illness (similar to Sam trying to “ignore” Lucifer, as Lucifer blasted the Everly Brothers and threw firecrackers around). <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 11 “Damaged Goods” (2019; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nNow this is what I’m talking about. This is the weirdness, the ambivalence, the ambiguity, the intensity and magnetic pull of the Winchester bond … what some people call “toxic codependency” (there aren’t enough eyerolls in the world) I call “dramatically compelling.” Plus, there’s Dean as Magic Mike XXL and that is also NEVER a bad thing. Even Mary suddenly worked, because she was looped back into the Winchester World, and there was all this weirdness. (Although I am unreasonably annoyed at Dean’s whole “I’m a terrible cook” thing. It’s been established … many many many times … that Dean can cook. He was in charge of making meals for Sam since he was 7, 8 years old. He’s made egg-white omelettes, he made a burger that was so good Sam took it with him when they dashed out the door. He is NOT a terrible cook. Ugh. Watch the damn show, writers.) <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 12 “Prophet and Loss” (2019; d. Thomas J. Wright)
\nHigh watermark Jared Padalecki. See what happens when you give Sam something to PLAY? He KILLS it. He can ACT. He can CARRY the show. So can Jensen. Castiel can’t CARRY the show. Claire Novak can’t CARRY the show. Ketch can’t CARRY the show. Or whatever other “fan favorite” you want to list. This is the Sam and Dean show. If you don’t give these actors stuff to PLAY, you’ve got nothing. And we’ve been going on two years now without these two guys being given anything substantial to play. This is why the Destiel-fan narrative of “Oh it’s so nice to see the boys let go of their toxic codependency” is so dishonest. They try to make it seem like they’re “concerned” for the relationship: it’s so much “healthier” that they aren’t so wrapped up in each other anymore … blah blah … when all it means is: Now that that bond has been broken, there’s more room for … Dean and Castiel to shack up? If you’re not watching the show through that lens, it literally is not there at all. Now listen: if that’s what floats your boat, HAVE AT IT. I ship all kinds of crazy shit. But I do not expect it to show up on the show. My interest is dramaturgical. If you do not have conflict binding together the lead characters – either in opposition or side by side, then you got nothing. If you think I’m wrong, take it up with the ancient Greeks. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 13 “Lebanon” (2019; d. Robert Singer)
\nSo there’s a lot of this I liked. Sam’s TED talk. Jared’s acting was off-the-charts in his big scene with John. He literally looked like he was being blasted by pain, as from an outer source, like winds buffeting his face. But here’s my thing: I wish that there was still some ambiguity left, some things unsaid … I wish John had still been … John, in other words. Like, his “habit” of how he treats Sam and Dean … I wish that hadn’t been so easily broken. I wish the show was willing to swim around in torment, PTSD and unmanaged trauma. That’s what I wish. Dabb is not up to the task. People like Sera Gamble, Ben Edlund, Jeremy Carver … they got that, they knew that it’s the oil that makes the engine run. Again, if you want a happy family dinner, go write some fanfic. Have a blast. I’m basically bitter because of how the Mary storyline has been botched, and what a bad actress she is, so I am not softened up at all for this “reunion.” However, all of that being said, it was great to have it be just the Winchester Show, with both JA and JP having HUGE things to play, and all these mixed feelings. This is why I watch. I mean, look at him. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 14 “Ouroboros” (2019; d. Amyn Kaderali)
\nIf I have to see one more Jack-Cas pep talk … <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 15 “Peace of Mind” (2019; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\n“What would the Winchesters do?” This comes just after comparing them – indirectly – to Mr. Rogers. MR. ROGERS?? The show used to have a darker view of these guys. They’re killers. They’re fucked up. They’re heroic and self-sacrificing, yes, but they are filled with self-loathing and – crucially – they don’t buy their own press. They’re humble. Think about how Dean interrogated the fan convention Sam and Dean … going on and on about how awful his life was. That’s real. Once you start having characters compare them to Mr. Rogers – without irony … Listen, I love Fred Rogers. He has nothing to do with Sam and Dean Winchester. I liked a lot of this. But, yet again, the case separated Sam and Dean … denying us the opportunity of seeing Dean deal with Sam who is … like this. Instead, we have Castiel. I’m going hard on Castiel now. I know he has his fans and I know some of you read me. We’re just going to have to really disagree on this one. I now actively resent what he has done to the show. It’s not as catastrophic as what Rowena has done – or what the bunker has done – but I’m just like “Get out of the damn WAY, angel, so I can see the BROTHERS, which is why I’m watching this thing in the first place.” <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 16 “Don’t Go in the Woods” (2019; d. John Fitzpatrick)
\nThere was some good stuff here. Sam and Dean working a case. I mean, I have simple needs. I wouldn’t be complaining so much about all this other stuff if the show hadn’t abandoned its premise, which is Sam and Dean working cases. I liked the sheriff father, and I liked his son: the complexity in the relationship, the conflict. I loved the production design of that terrible bathroom at the camp site. It had real depth, you could SMELL it. I thought the “flashback” was embarrassing. Shockingly bad. You know. It’s always a mixed bag now.<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 17 “Game Night” (2019; d. John F. Showalter)
\nIt seems like a gravitational pull … how much this writing team wants to write a show about teenagers. It’s like they’re pissed they have to write about two adult white men. It’s so retro, so sexist, so problematic, to be writing for a show featuring two adult white men. Fine. Go write for another show, and leave me to my problematic fave. Side note: Calvert’s line reading of “22” … and how long he drew it out … was hilarious. Worthy to be compared with Jensen Ackles’ awareness of how to milk a line into infinity. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 18 “Absence” (2019; d. Nina Lopez-Corrado)
\nWhy did they name the character “Sister Jo”? Do they not remember that there was a major character named “Jo” back in the beginning? A REAL “fan fave” not this fake “let’s get them on the convention circuit to milk money out of the fanbase” fan fave? Ah well. I don’t understand anything anymore. This was a nice scene … but again, Sam getting out of the car to talk on the phone … merely so Nick can get loose and attack him … calls into question Sam’s competence. Nobody over there seems to know how smart Sam is. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 19 “Jack in the Box” (2019; d. Robert Singer)
\nI hated the hunter’s funeral. Mom was Dean’s “hero”? Since fucking when? You aren’t “futzing with the mythology” – you’re ruining the mythology. You’ve destroyed the engine on which the show has run. And the hunter’s funeral, featuring a bunch of random extras drinking beer and chuckling about how stubborn Mary was … was nauseating. This is the Dean I know. Crying alone. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 14, episode 20 “Moriah” (2019; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nSigh. Okay. Let’s just destroy the rest of the show by making it all … Chuck’s whim? And there are many other Sam and Deans out there? You mean, the characters we have invested almost 15 years in aren’t unique? There are others? When did this show become stupid? Member when it was a HORROR show? And, sorry: but re-creating some of the earlier cases in that final sequence just shows – in stark clarity – the drop-off in quality and artistry. I mean, what the hell, I know this has been one long bitch-fest, but I’ll keep watching. This is my blog, I’ll bitch if I want to. <\/p>\n

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Deadwood: The Movie<\/strong><\/em> (2019; d. Daniel Minahan)
\nIt was just exactly what I wanted and needed. I could barely SPEAK when we finished watching. <\/p>\n

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No Direction Home<\/em><\/strong> (2005; d. Martin Scorsese)
\nA re-watch as I prepared for my article on Scorsese’s Rolling Thunder Revue<\/i>, which I wrote about in my column for Film Comment<\/a>. No Direction Home<\/em> is an embarrassment of riches. <\/p>\n

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Being Frank<\/em><\/strong> (2019; d. Miranda Bailey)
\nThis was okay. I reviewed for Ebert<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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Love Crazy<\/em><\/strong> (1941; d. Jack Conway)
\nIt’s to die for. One of my favorite William Powell-Myrna Loy movies. With great supporting cast of Gail Patrick, Jack Carson, Florence Bates, Elijah Cook Jr. <\/p>\n

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The More the Merrier<\/em><\/strong> (1943; d. George Stevens)
\nOne of the sexiest most romantic romantic comedies ever made. <\/p>\n

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\nWanda<\/em><\/strong> (1971; d. Barbara Loden)
\nWhat a movie. Written and directed by Barbara Loden (actress, wife to Elia Kazan – she had played “Maggie” in the one and only production of Arthur Miller’s After the Fall<\/i>, put on by the fledgling Lincoln Center acting company). Wanda<\/i> was her only film. She died young. Watching Wanda<\/i> now (out on Criterion – how I wish she had lived to see this happen) just makes you YEARN for the other films she might have made. Not an ingratiating film or character. In an interview, Loden said that Wanda was “ill-equipped” for life. Baffled by the choices, the responsibilities, the woman just … floats. Wanda<\/i>‘s final scene and final shot is devastating … but perfect. In today’s era of “self-empowerment narratives” – which I find increasingly alienating – I hunger even more for tough-minded tough-cookie hard-scrabble films like Wanda<\/i>. <\/p>\n

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The Quiet One<\/em><\/strong> (2019; d. Oliver Murray)
\nDocumentary about the Rolling Stones, using Bill Wyman’s personal archive of material. I reviewed for Ebert<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 1 “We Need to Talk About Kevin” (2012; d. Robert Singer)
\nA couple thoughts: I did not start watching the show through a certain lens. I was hooked by the acting and cinematography as well as the twisted fucked-up Winchester story. My only awareness of a fanbase were the “Destiel” people, whose eruption of outrage in re: Season 9, episode 3 is what made me start watching, out of curiosity. But all the other stuff – Wincest, etc. – wasn’t on my radar. I think that because I didn’t write my re-caps through a particular lens – defensive\/offensive in re: my particular “ship” – because I was open to possibilities (in the story onscreen) – since the show ITSELF encourages that kind of ambiguity – the people who gravitated here were those who also liked to “swim in possibilities.” Who were interested in story and how stories are told. There have been a couple of “either\/or” people who showed up here, Sam Girls, Dean Girls, who “hated” Sam, or “hated” Dean, but they didn’t last long. (Member “You’re all a bunch of annoying cunts,” anyone?) In general, you fine people who read my SPN stuff are “both\/and” people. We like the show and how it’s told. We like trying to parse it out, figure it out, we like to look at all the possibilities. This is why the discussions here have been so epic. We all have our takes, and strong takes, but we aren’t positional about our SHIPS. Because we aren’t interested only in our ships. We’re interested in the SHOW. The way I look at it is: I don’t “ship” the brothers. I’m a fan of the SHOW. As I became more aware of the fan battles – most of which I stay out of – I became aware of what I call the “consensus thinking” in the different factions. If you ship THIS one thing, then you also like\/hate this other character. And it all seems agreed upon. If you ship THAT, you hate THAT arc. Etc. I am so glad I watched the show completely free of all that white noise. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to “like” Amelia. I was open to the possibilities of that arc, and very curious about it. I like learning new things about Sam and Dean. People who are like “I hated Amelia, she was so rude” … that’s fine, it’s just that that’s not how I interact with stories. What does Amelia bring to the table as a STORY? Why did they write her that way? Back then, I trusted the writers. It was fascinating to me that Sam found comfort with a woman who was such a mess. It told me where HE was at. What a fascinating and complex choice. These secondary characters need to reveal something about our leads. Amelia – like Bela – was HUGELY revealing about our leads. I also didn’t know I was supposed to “hate” that Sam didn’t look for Dean, and see it as – dreaded word – “ooc.” So any time something bad happens, or your “fave” does something you don’t approve of – it’s “ooc.” Convenient! I find Lady Macbeth sinister, but I love her as a character. I don’t want to meet Raskolnikov in a dark alley, but he’s one of the greatest characters ever written. I didn’t know I was supposed to run out of town on a rail any woman who DARED to “come between the boys.” Nope. I don’t watch the show that way. People who aren’t on this wavelength are really turned off by me. Lol. I’ve seen your subtweets. I prefer Sam and Dean fucked up. Not ENEMIES, or at loggerheads, but fucked up. Human, making mistakes, screwing up, hiding things from each other (thinking they’re protecting the other), always making the same mistakes because they can’t help it. This feels very true to me. This whole “relatable” thing – a character deemed good\/bad based on whether or not you “relate” to them … this is fine for fans (I guess? I’ve never rolled that way, but never mind) … but for a critic, which I am, and how I’ve approached writing about this show – relatability doesn’t matter. When Tommy Lee Jones came and spoke at my school, he was talking about Executioner’s Song<\/i>, where he played serial killer Gary Gilmore. Someone asked if you needed to “like” the character you played. TLJ said, “No. You don’t need to like the character. You need to want to WATCH the character.” This is so well said. No matter what either of those guys did in early seasons, I wanted to watch what happened. Even when they betrayed each other, did awful things, etc. I’m not running around “defending” this or that choice. That’s not how I engage with stories. So all of this “I hated when Sam wouldn’t forgive Dean in Season 9” noise … is really foreign to me. Okay, yes, it was upsetting, but my God, it was great dramatically. It was supposed to be stressful and uncomfortable to watch. It showed character growth, and development. Wanting everyone to be nice and supportive to each other all the time is fine for fanfic and boring as hell onscreen (which we have now seen for the past 3 seasons, which are basically crowd-sourced from the fandom). I sound like I’m down on fanfic. Please. One of the first things I ever wrote was at the age of 12, and it was a screenplay about Han Solo’s scrappy 12-year-old sister. But I don’t think George Lucas needed to listen to my fanfic. I never showed it to a soul. It has nothing to do with the movie itself, it was a FANTASY. So anyway, back to the point. What is the point? <\/p>\n

Season 8 has grown on me. I love that there really isn’t a Big Bad! That’s not the conflict. The conflict is between Sam and Dean, both of whom are “cheating” on each other … exacerbated by Dean’s PTSD – brilliantly played – but there isn’t a villain to focus on. There is just a shared QUEST. It’s also, get ready for it, one of the last times where Sam has anything to DO in this damn show. The whole “Sam didn’t look for Dean” thing is fascinating to me. As I’ve said repeatedly, this show lives or dies on the relationship between the brothers. “Relationship” doesn’t mean “harmony” or “good”. Relationship means relationship: DEALING with each other, REACTING to each other. Seeing the show only through one lens – a Dean lens, a Sam lens, a Castiel lens – OR through the lens of “this show is all about how the brothers will sacrifice everything for each other” … it’s too limiting for me. Maybe this comes from my acting background. Actors GRIP onto conflict, actors CREATE conflict if the script lacks it, actors LIVE on conflict, it is their oxygen. You can’t do ANYthing if you don’t have conflict. You learn this in your very first acting exercises. So if anything Sam does goes against “these brothers are soulmates,” if anything Dean does contradicts “he will do anything for Sam” … it’s criticized as “ooc”. But conflict between the characters is the good stuff, and what happens in Season 8 sets up the glory that is Season 9 – when Sam has had it with how their relationship is set up (and rightly so) and Dean is so crushed by all of this that his only recourse is to grow a beard. THIS is relationship. Sam has “changed the dance step.” Doing the trials made him change the dance step of the relationship. If Dean can’t adjust, then the relationship will end. This is REAL. This is how real people have to deal with each other, and grow and change … if you can’t let the other person grow and change, then the relationship will end. This is what is going on in Season 8 and Season 9. Some people call much of this “ooc.” You know what I call it? STAKES. Stakes are the building blocks of drama. If you don’t have high stakes, you have NOTHING. Sam and Dean – throughout Season 8 – cheating on each other with someone else – Sam going places Dean can’t follow – the entire relationship threatened … that’s HIGH STAKES. If you find it stressful? Mission accomplished. It should be stressful. All of this is just to say that I have eaten the plums, and I love the first episode of Season 8. I totally get why Dean is pissed AND I totally get why Sam was so grief-struck he took up with a lime-soaked veterinarian. That’s not “ooc.” That’s character GROWTH. And THAT’S what we’ve been missing since Season 11. If the main relationship isn’t somehow at stake … we’ve got nothing. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 2 “What’s Up, Tiger Mommy?” (2012; d. John F. Showalter)
\nOne word: years ago, I remember being so struck by the actress who played the babysitter in When a Man Loves a Woman<\/i>. She makes a HUGE impression. She’s caring for the kids in a home overtaken by alcoholism, and so she’s being looped into that dysfunction, expected to pick up the slack … when she’s a babysitter with her own life going on. I loved how the part was written, but mostly I loved how it was played. I didn’t even put it together until I looked it up on IMDB – that babysitter was played by Lauren Tom. Then, too, we’ve got the flashbacks: to Dean in Purgatory and Sam hitting a dog. Sam’s flashbacks are the ugliest this show has ever been … what’s with the yellow haze and white fuzzy light? But Dean in Purgatory? And that color scheme? THRILLING. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 3 “Heartache” (2012; d. Jensen Ackles)
\nI love that he directed himself in this scene. He understands what we want. He understands Dean. Bottom Dean. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 4 “Bitten” (2012; d. Thomas J. Wright)
\nI rejected this on first viewing as “Oh great they’re doing a found-footage episode.” I said this on here once and a couple of you wrote about how you loved the episode and why, forcing me (thank you) to take a second look. Once I opened myself up to what the episode was DOING, I saw it in a whole new way. First of all, those three young actors are just incredible in what they accomplished: not only filming the majority of the episode, but creating this twisty love triangle. And you know me with POV shifts and how sexy I find them (“Usual Suspects”! “Roadkill!”) and this POV shift – only seeing Sam and Dean through the eyes of the kids – and their theorizing about a “workplace romance” and how the whole thing in the house reflects what Sam and Dean are going through in Season 8 – tied to each other but cheating on each other – the love that dares not speak its name – the whole nine yards … I think “Bitten” works gloriously well. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 5 “Blood Brother” (2012; d. Guy Norman Bee)
\nBENNY. I LOVE BENNY. BARREL-CHESTED BENNY. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 6 “Southern Comfort” (2012; d. Tim Andrew)
\nOh hell yes now we’re talking. Conflict. The relationship threatened. Garth trying to help. Garth the only one who doesn’t have unspoken issues. “That’s not how you say Balls.” Dean’s rage at Garth trying to “be Bobby” when … why haven’t YOU tried to “be Bobby” Dean? Garth’s filling a vacuum that needs to be filled. Again: conflict. The show allowing the lead characters to act badly. Not listening to the fan base who hates it when their heroes don’t act perfectly. We’ve lost a lot, people. We’ve lost so much. The writing team is basically afraid of the audience now. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 7 “A Little Slice of Kevin” (2012; d. Charles Robert Carner)
\nMirror moment!<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 8 “Hunteri Heroici” (2012; d. Paul A. Edwards)
\nFirst of all: I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear Jensen Ackles say “What’s up, doc?” until I heard it. What an innovative episode, what a great way to propel the arc along, of Sam living in his own head … of holing himself up in the past, in whatever, in his Lysol-haze-lime-soaked flashbacks? They “buried the lede” here. It’s such an entertaining episode, so creative, that when Sam is “in” Fred’s head … and he realizes how much he’s been checking out … there was a real payoff. (Criticism: This was pre-Castiel knowing about “pop culture.” UGH. Someone wipe his brain clean. The “Scanners” line in Season 14 was so annoying I almost stopped watching. So … he doesn’t know about “pop culture” but he DOES know about “Ode to Joy”? So Castiel just doesn’t like socalled LOW culture? He picks and chooses?)<\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 9 “Citizen Fang” (2012; d. Nick Copus)
\nBenny Dean Benny Dean I love so much Benny and Dean. I also love that Dean’s sex drive was still in operation. He’s lost without it. The writers are afraid of it. I think they think he’s a “user.” They don’t understand him. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 10 “Torn and Frayed” (2013; d. Robert Singer)
\nThat final scene. Hoo boy. Those who “don’t like Amelia” because “she’s rude” and “she’s not nice to Sam” … clearly that’s your prerogative. But the payoff we get in that final scene here would not be possible without her being who she is. Sam’s different now. He is just now coming out of a year’s worth of grieving insanity. He’ll probably barely remember it in years to come. I barely remember 2009. And I had a whole relationship with a sociopath that year, because my radar was shot to shit by my dad’s death, and this predator sensed it. I barely remember this guy and he pursued me HARD. I honestly don’t know if I could pick him out of a lineup, that’s how much I don’t remember him (or anything else that year. There’s a reason Victorian-era people used to wear black armbands for a YEAR after a death in the family.) I was making poor choices because I was wounded. I totally get why Sam did what he did during his year with Amelia, and I totally get why it was awful to let her go (when this sociopath guy ghosted me, I went so crazy I should have been hospitalized, in retrospect. Meanwhile, now – with a clearer head – I can see that I dodged a MAJOR bullet.) So I don’t know, maybe I’m just not as well-adjusted as all the people giving Sam (and the writers) shit for him shacking up with Amelia. I totally get why he did it. I basically did the same thing. And lastly: Dean Eye Rub Behavior is one of my favorite things.<\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 11 “LARP and the Real Girl” (2013; d. Jeannot Szwarc)
\nSee above comments in re: secondary characters. Different characters reveal different things about our leads. Garth is incredibly useful in that regard. So was Bela. So was Gordon. GORDON. And so is Charlie. Charlie arrives and brings with her humor, and a lack of ceremony. There are many moments here I treasure, mainly:<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 12 “As Time Goes By” (2013; d. Serge Ladouceur)
\nI look back with wonder on how exciting it was when they first discovered the bunker. Now I want to torch the thing to the ground. But it was very exciting at first. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 13 “Everybody Hates Hitler” (2013; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nThis is one of my favorite moments in the entire series. Talk about POV shift. But I can’t stand Dean’s red checked shirt. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 14 “Trial and Error” (2013; d. Kevin Parks)
\nThis is almost a dress rehearsal for the GLORY that was “Ask Jeeves.” But the ensemble here is pretty funny too. I also liked how the conflict was starting to develop: Dean determined to do the trials, which is then short-circuited by Sam pulling it off. Which then sets an entire wheel into motion which will carry us through Season 9. THAT’S how you write an Arc. I also loved the character of Ellie: she was written with depth, she had a life, she had a backstory, she had complexity. She was competent, but she had made a bad judgment call. And when faced with the end, what does she do? Proposition Dean. If you WOULDN’T do that in the same situation, you are a stronger woman than I am. The whole thing made her very human. I liked her a lot. I also liked seeing both of the guys in glasses. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 16 “Remember the Titans” (2013; d. Steve Boyum)
\nBecause I am a completionist, I tried to watch “Man’s Best Friends with Benefits” but couldn’t do it. There are all kinds of interesting metaphors here, particularly in a character who can’t\/won’t die and how tormenting that could be. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 17 “Goodbye Stranger” (2013; d. Thomas J. Wright)
\nIf I ever start doing re-caps again, I would like to make it to Rachel Miner, because I have a lot to say about her, and her acting style. Her line-readings. Nobody else puts a spin on lines like she does. Meg is different from Ruby, from Crowley, from blah blah. Member when the writers used to be able to write in different voices? I wrote about this in the re-caps dealing with Ruby. Demons have DIFFICULT language. It’s not realistic, it’s taunting, it’s sexual, it’s verbose. I feel for those actresses! They all do a great job. And Rachel Miner’s “take” on Meg’s verbal style is really really really good. That language is tough, people. She makes it work. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 18 “Freaks and Geeks” (2013; d. John F. Showalter)
\nThis one episode is now the show that everybody “over there” WANTS to be writing now. They keep trying to turn the whole SHOW into “Freaks and Geeks.” With one crucial difference: now they want to write a show where the adults are lovely and responsible (Jody and Donna), as opposed to a creepy creepazoid like this dude – which is FAR more interesting a choice, with FAR more interesting possibilities. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 19 “Taxi Driver” (2013; d. Guy Norman Bee)
\nThis scene. These two actors are so so so so GOOD. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 20 “Pac-Man Fever” (2013; d. Robert Singer)
\nVery good episode and it makes me cry every time. But why I love it is how it – again, almost by stealth – lets us deeper into Dean’s world, through this experience with a secondary character. When she says to him, “You see? You can’t stop playing either” I want to cheer. What an incredible way to address – without directly addressing – Dean’s PTSD. His whole WORLD is inside that video game. He can’t turn it off in Season 8. Tell the story by stealth. Don’t tell us everything. Create good metaphors. Then get out of the damn way. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 21 “The Great Escapist” (2013; d. Robert Duncan McNeill)
\nWelcome, Metatron. Who could predict from this episode that you would so outstay your welcome? <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 22 “Clip Show” (2013; d. Thomas J. Wright)
\nYou keep saying that, Castiel. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 8, episode 23 “Sacrifice” (2013; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nThis is, all told, an incredible hour of television. Mark Sheppard’s work … the scenes between him and Sam … the sense you get of increasing danger, Jared Padalecki showing how much this trial is killing him … and then that final moment … gorgeous. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 9 “The Real Ghostbusters” (2009; d. James L. Conway)
\nI basically have to ignore what has been done to Chuck in order to enjoy earlier seasons, which, yeah, kinda defeats the STUPID purpose in recent seasons. They haven’t done their job artfully enough. They’re superimposing stuff for their own mysterious reasons. It doesn’t work. I just put it out of my head to enjoy the show. Like: <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 10 “Abandon All Hope” (2009; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nEven after so many times watching it, it still devastates. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 11 “Sam, Interrupted” (2010; d. James L. Conway)
\nThis is the Supernatural<\/i> I know and love where a wraith basically infects them via a prostate exam. I mean, you can interpret it any way you want, but the possibility is there and it’s so freakin’ sick and hilarious. Both guys are great in this episode. “Dude. You canNOT hit that.” Love the emphasis in that line reading. Followed by “… so torn …” These actors are OUT there. Exhibit B: look at this moment. This is Schtick, pure and simple. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 12 “Swap Meat” (2010; d. Robert Singer)
\nI love this episode but I still think the whole thing should have been Sam acting like the 15-year-old kid, and not the other way around. It’s just funnier to see Padalecki being that kid. Picturing Padalecki chowing down on a burger, and being all weird on the hunt for the bones … and having it be HIM, as opposed to that kid … just seems like a stronger choice to me. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 13 “The Slice Girls” (2012; d. Jerry Wanek)
\nHot sex aside, one of the most entertaining parts of this episode is Sam dealing with Dean. I never get sick of it. “You know George Foreman named all his sons George.” But then Sam’s slow realization that … uh-oh. Sam scolding Dean for not using a condom. The whole nine yards. It’s some good Winchester shit. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 1 “Meet the New Boss” (2011; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nAt one point, do you say “Hey, Castiel. STOP ‘HELPING.'” <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 2 “Hello, Cruel World” (2011; d. Guy Norman Bee)
\nI love this scene so much. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 3 “The Girl Next Door” (2011; d. Jensen Ackles)
\nHow wonderful it is, that the show once upon a time focused on Sam, and episodes in Sam’s life we haven’t seen before. This is a good one. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 4 “Defending Your Life” (2011; d. Robert Singer)
\nIf you want to “bring people back,” this is how you do it. Also: just to say: Dean kills Amy, right? And then doesn’t tell Sam about it. His lying causes Dean to go through some shit, which will play out over the next 4, 5 episodes. If this were in Season 13, 14, it would have been wrapped up in one episode. They don’t seem to know how to MILK stuff anymore. Dean lying to Sam messed him UP. What a great insight into the character. Great opportunities for story-telling, alongside the main plot – which, let’s be honest, doesn’t matter as much as this central relationship. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 5 “Shut Up, Dr. Phil” (2011; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nJensen Ackles and the bees. It’s so absurd and I love it. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 6 “Slash Fiction” (2011; d. John F. Showalter)
\nI loved seeing JA and JP as Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 7 “The Mentalists” (2011; d. Mike Rohl)
\nI have made my thoughts on this episode very clear. One of my favorites. It’s just a dumb MOTW but it works so well. PLUS it has a great fight – which just highlights how pissed off I was in Season 14 when Sam starts to say “bitch” and stops himself and Dean says “rhymes with itch”. “Bitch” is woven into the show. It’s a joke between the brothers dating from the pilot. Okay, fine, we shouldn’t run around calling each other “bitch” but Supernatural is not a PSA for proper behavior. RHYMES WITH ITCH? RHYMES WITH ITCH?? Dean’s “quit being a BITCH” to Sam in this episode is thrilling. So even though it’s a run of the mill MOTW, it’s got all this great stuff surging underneath: Sam’s fury at Dean, Dean’s fury right back, Dean’s desire to get the relationship back on track, and etc. And then of course there’s Melanie. Great episode. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 8 “Season Seven, Time for a Wedding!” (2011; d. Tim Andrew)
\nIn which Becky roofies Sam with the help of … Aaron Burr. The opening scene is amazing. Dean pouring out his soul to a waitress in a strip joint, or a stripper off the pole, whatever she is, and he’s talking like he’s been broken up with, and it’s just because Sam went camping. Like, some things never change. Sam’s whole comment, “Now that I’m okay, you can finally focus on yourself” and Dean’s totally lost look of response. This is why I watch. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 9 “How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters” (2011; d. Guy Norman Bee)
\nI love this episode. It has this feeling of dread over it because you know how it’s going to end and where we are going … but Dean being stoned and over it … also, side note: when Sam and Dean are interviewing Ranger Rick for the first time, they sit on the same side of the booth, and the way they are shot and lit is like a freakin’ Caravaggio, practically. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 10 “Death’s Door” (2011; d. Robert Singer)
\nThis is a brilliant episode of television. If Supernatural<\/i> was on the Emmy’s radar, this is a pure contender. Just how you keep getting glimpses of where Bobby DOESN’T want to go … and how, in the final moment, you get the full picture – you know why Bobby is the way he is (this is similar to Bela’s final episode, too). Plus Bobby and Rufus. Plus AMAZING commentary track with these two brilliant character actors. I loved how, at a recent con, JA and JP were asked what their favorite episodes were. And JA said one of them was this one, and not just because he was barely in it. This is why he is who he is. He cares about quality. He’s not just in it for himself. He watched “Death’s Door,” an episode focusing on Bobby, not him, and felt proud he was part of such a show. It’s an incredible episode. Beaver is phenomenal. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 11 “Adventures in Babysitting” (2012; d. Jeannot Szwarc)
\nInteresting that the next episode, post Bobby’s death, involves a troubled teenager, whose hunter father has gone missing. Sam and Dean both having to deal with this teenager was pleasing, giving us some interesting new possibilities. Not that Wayward nonsense (Claire saying “Hello, boys, I’m here to save you” or whatever is everything that is wrong with the show now) … but a real and complicated situation. It had some depth, some nuance. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 12 “Time After Time” (2012; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nSo much goodness here. “What are you, some kind of farmer clown” makes me laugh every time. As does “how does that fill you with awe?” Plus Elliot Ness scoffing at Dean’s “soft” introspection, when in OUR world Dean is the toughest guy around. And Dean’s reaction to all this. Plus: Sam and Jody together: I like it. It was there in the dragon episode too. There’s good chemistry there. Not romantic chemistry. Actor chemistry. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 14 “Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie” (2012; d. Mike Rohl)
\nPure entertainment. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 15 “Repo Man” (2012; d. Thomas J. Wright)
\nI was extremely touched by the whole Lucifer arc. Similar to Michael being locked in the freezer inside Dean’s head (although that wasn’t really explored because, duh, Season 14) … it was a really good metaphor for mental illness. And how Sam lets Lucifer in … and once he lets him in, he can’t shut him out again. Really good. “Repo Man” features so many explanatory monologues. So many!<\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 16 “Out with the Old” (2012; d. John F. Showalter)
\nPoor Sam. JP does insomnia brilliantly well. What other show could get away with a scene where two adult men wrestle violently with a tiny girl, trying to get the ballet shoes off her feet? <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 17 “The Born-Again Identity” (2012; d. Robert Singer)
\nSam looks ROUGH. It’s just devastating to me, this whole arc. <\/p>\n

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Rolling Thunder Revue<\/em><\/strong> (2019; d. Martin Scorsese)
\nI’ve now watched it 4 times. I’m obsessed. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 18 “Party On, Garth” (2012; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nI love this episode. This is how a secondary character can ADD to the show, not just take over in their own spinoff. I love tracking Garth’s journey here: the moment he becomes convinced Bobby is haunting the brothers, tied to the flask. It’s not said outright, but Garth is working his own Arc throughout and it’s very well done. Plus, all of them getting drunk. The comedy in all of that. “The thing in the thingie!” “Yes. YES. That’s smart.” <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 19 “Of Grave Importance” (2012; d. Tim Andrew)
\nSide note: I love the casting of Annie. That’s not an “obvious” choice. It’s counter-intuitive. She’s clearly older than both the brothers. She’s got some miles on her. She’s a tough chick. I also love how she slept with all three of them (Sam’s face!), AND that neither Sam or Dean judge her for that. They’re slightly squicked out – this doesn’t normally happen to them … but they don’t give it a second thought. Also: “hooker”\/”fancy lady”. All of these subtleties are completely beyond the team there now. Oh well. At least we have a good 11 seasons. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 20 “The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo” (2012; d. John MacCarthy)
\nI also wasn’t aware that I wasn’t supposed to like Charlie. Thank goodness! Because I love her and what she brings to the show, who she is and how that reveals Sam and Dean in different ways. She’s set up as a kind of Dean-surrogate-doppelganger – similar to Bela was – although here, Dean seems to recognize it. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 21 “Reading is Fundamental” (2012; d. Ben Edlund)
\nBlissed-out useless Cas was a relief. Funny, too. It gave the brothers something to react off of. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 22 “There Will Be Blood” (2012; d. Guy Norman Bee)
\nI’ve seen this episode many times and I am still tricked by that vampire-slave-girl. Vampires have always brought out the queasy-sexual-sick underbelly in Supernatural<\/i> and I am HERE for that. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 7, episode 23 “Survival of the Fittest” (2012; d. Robert Singer)
\nWelcome back to the show, Impala. <\/p>\n

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Yesterday<\/em><\/strong> (2019; d. Danny Boyle)
\nI reviewed for Ebert<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 5 “Fallen Idols” (2009; d. James L. Conway)
\nI’ve been skipping about a bit. While I am thrilled that James Dean’s cursed car (and it’s all true) finally made it to the show … and thrilled that Dean would know all about it … it just makes me wonder why the Impala herself has never been haunted. Seems like that would be a slam-dunk, a no-brainer. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 6 “I Believe the Children Are Our Future” (2009; d. Charles Beeson)
\nThis child actor is amazing. He “carries” the episode. He’s beyond his years. He “goes up against” these two highly experienced actors, and he has to play some VERY difficult things, and … I’m haunted by him. I think about Jessie sometimes and wonder what happened to him. I have also wondered if he would ever “show up” again. Now I don’t want him to because I don’t trust the writers to do right by him. This is a beautiful episode. Plus, we get Dean growing hair on his palms. AND one of my favorite Jensen line readings in the whole damn series: “We don’t have a fridge.” <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 7 “The Curious Case of Dean Winchester” (2009; d. Robert Singer)
\n“Sam, when you get to be our age …” Ba-dum-ching.<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 8 “Changing Channels” (2009; d. Charles Beeson)
\nWith all of the funny things in this very very VERY funny episode, this may be the most purely funny moment. It’s all in the line-read, the eyebrow-raise, the head-tilt …<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 13 “The Song Remains the Same” (2010; d. Steve Boyum)
\nThey should have brought THIS actress back, not … the other. In Season 14, Mary has a line where she says to Dean, “I know I can be closed-off and hard …” What the HELL. Really? What show have YOU been watching? They don’t know how to write Sam and Dean over there but they REALLY don’t know how to write women, if the women aren’t performatively “bad-ass.” Ugh. Why I resent these later seasons so much is it has impacted my enjoyment of the earlier ones. I am envious of those of you who stopped watching. Yeah, because Mary is known for being “closed-off” and “hard.” I’m disgusted. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 14 “My Bloody Valentine” (2010; d. Mike Rohl)
\nThis is high watermark Supernatural for me. How they “interpreted” Famine, how they went at it, making it not about food, but about everything – love, sex, alcohol, drugs, whatever – and how Dean is unaffected. Isn’t that fantastic? It says it all. It says so much. It’s deeply disturbing and gives us an understanding – a deeper one – of this man. Plus, how frightening Sam is when he leaps on that demon’s neck … The whole thing is so perfectly constructed. <\/p>\n

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The Mindy Project<\/em><\/strong>, Season 1, episode 1 “Pilot” (2012; d. Charles McDougall)
\nWatched four episodes of this with my sister, and the only reason we stopped was because I had to go to bed. I love it. I am always about 5 years behind the times. <\/p>\n

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The Mindy Project<\/em><\/strong>, Season 1, episode 2 “Hiring and Firing” (2012; d. Michael Spiller)
\nThese actors are KILLING ME. <\/p>\n

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The Mindy Project<\/em><\/strong>, Season 1, episode 3 “In the Club” (2012; d. Michael Spiller)
\nI love this cast so much. Siobhan and I were howling. <\/p>\n

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The Mindy Project<\/em><\/strong>, Season 1, episode 4 “Halloween” (2012; d. Jesse Peretz)
\nI’m so psyched that there is still so much more of this to watch. I’ve always loved Mindy Kaling – and I love her book! – so to live in her world, her sensibility – is a lot of fun. <\/p>\n

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Once again: if you’re not a Supernatural fan, this might be a tough read. I’m so busy with work, this is how I unwind. Supernatural, Season 14, episode 4 “Mint Condition” (2018; d. Amyn Kaderali) I loved this episode. Perfectly … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2627,4,31],"tags":[2297,2534,2303,2544,2493,2546,2208,2757,306,2262,2164,1508,2299,377,2274,2283,2543,2263,1570,2454,2447,2547,275,2637],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147176"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=147176"}],"version-history":[{"count":78,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147176\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147760,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147176\/revisions\/147760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=147176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=147176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=147176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}