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Mentalist Review: Episode 5×10 Panama Red

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Review of Episode 5×10: Panama Red
by castiello

Overall: A nice, light episode. Cho has a storyline, Rigsby got baked, there were some cute moments with Jane and Lisbon, and the case was fairly interesting. We even got something that I asked for last time (yay!), so overall, I can’t complain.

Cho: Now that he’s finally got a storyline of his own, it seems to be taking off. Hey, better late than never! I enjoyed seeing him in his new role as a member of the Rapid Response Team, but what I liked even more was his reunion with Summer! Last year, I was running hot and cold on his volatile relationship with this woman – sometimes I could really appreciate what Summer did for him, how she brought a little chaos and fun into his quiet, orderly life. Other times, I felt annoyed by her babyishness and her blatant disrespect for his job. In this episode, though, I was all smiles when they were onscreen together – I’m glad Cho decided to help her, and I’m glad she was telling the truth about being innocent. The goodbye scene between them was very touching – have we ever seen Cho smile like that before? I think part of my TV screen melted…

It was a little bittersweet – I felt like Cho was letting Summer go in the best possible way. He was genuinely happy for her, and that is the greatest form of love. I do wonder whether we’ll see her again, and what kind of trouble she’ll be in if we do. She doesn’t strike me as someone who could stay calm and danger-free for very long, but like Cho, I found myself wishing her the best. I also found myself wondering whether Cho will ever have feelings like that for his new love interest, Tamsin. Her jealousy over Summer in this episode was obvious and a little bit unprofessional. I did like how everyone – even Ardilles – knew that Cho’s main goal was to help Summer. I also love that Rigsby had more of a reaction to Cho’s new job in this ep. That’s what I wanted to see from him before – some possessiveness, maybe a little jealousy. His dig about the new team was funny, too: “If you’re supposed to be a rapid response team, then why are you sitting around for thirty minutes?” LOL. Looks like both Rigsby and Tamsin want to keep Cho to themselves. And really, who wouldn’t?

Rigsby: Man, I couldn’t believe he actually sampled the product! That was great. Horrible, but great. I was yelling at him not to do it, but I guess he thought he had to do it to keep from blowing his cover. Still, in terms of looking suspicious, his reaction to the marijuana was probably just as bad as if he’d refused to smoke it. It was hilariously obvious that he had little-to-no tolerance for pot. Owain is an awesome comedic actor, and he had me in stitches when he pointed his “gun” at the suspects. Also loved his case of the munchies – like Rigsby really needed something to make him eat more.

Jane: Good continuity with Jane and his little book. No, Lisbon he’s not obsessing – he’s just “following a lead.” And of course it’s the boss lady, once again, who gets him out of his attic and interacting on the current case. I was LOLing when Jane snatched up that puzzle box and wouldn’t relinquish it. He was clutching it like the One Ring. He even called it his puzzle. My preciousssssss.

Naturally, Jane on a pot farm provided a lot of humor, as did his breaking into the tobacco lab: “Is it hands in the air, or down on the ground?” Also, who knew that pot seeds could have such weird names? Turbo Wolf???? As always, Jane’s brilliant scheme worked, making up a fake drug dealer to lure in the thief. Having the double-switch of the pot seeds was a neat twist. For some reason, I also really loved the scene between Jane and Lisbon and the dying professor. It was strangely touching. The professor spoke of the victim, Jeremy, with such fondness. His intelligence and kindness and love of puzzles. Maybe their relationship was a little bit Jane/Lisbonish?

Actually, the only thing more I would have wanted from the case part of the story was a stronger motive for Jeremy to switch the seeds. Like maybe he thought they would be a big breakthrough in helping his professor with her pain management. Something a little less selfish than just wanting them because he created the product. I wanted him to be a better person than he turned out to be.

Lisbon: Dang, woman! Little Miss Fierce with a hammer in her desk. It was actually brilliant and very in character for her to have a hammer handy and use it to smash open the box. Jane had been frustrating her for pretty much the whole episode with that box. And yet, I have to admit – even though it was funny – part of my heart broke when Lisbon wrecked that beautiful little container. Good craftsmanship is so rare these days, and the person who’d made the box was dead, so it was probably one of a kind. It hurt to see something so special get smashed like that. True, Jane shouldn’t have put her keys in it, but I don’t think he – or anyone else – predicted that her reaction would be so violent! I guess she can still surprise him, even after all these years.

Van Pelt: The show gets a pass for under-using Van Pelt due to Amanda’s circumstances, but I’d sure love to see a big storyline coming up for the Serious Crimes Unit’s youngest agent, just as soon as she’s ready to tackle it.

Final thoughts: Lots of laughs. A little bit of pain. A nice, solid episode. Keep up the good work, Show!

Supernatural Review: Episode 8×09 Citizen Fang

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Review of Episode 8×09: Citizen Fang
by castiello

Overall: Holy $#!$%^. That was intense. I was very nervous watching the whole thing. I never knew what was going to happen…and lots of bad stuff did. It was a powerful episode in many ways, but not an enjoyable one.

Dean: I second his opinion of Martin’s return to hunting: How was that a good idea in any way, shape or form? The dude was a total basket case, but more on that when I get to his section. For Dean’s part, he continued to give Benny the benefit of the doubt – so far, Benny has not betrayed his trust. We haven’t seen anything but glimpses of their time in Purgatory, so it’s hard to know everything these two went through together, but it must have been some serious crap for Dean to take Benny’s word that there was another vamp in town. And yet, it was true – Benny was innocent. His only crime, it seems, was not slaying the other vamp at first meeting.

Dean’s only crime, in this episode, was using Amelia to lure Sam away from the hunt. It was a low, sneaky blow. The only reason I can forgive it is that Sam and Martin left Dean bloody, knocked out cold and chained to a radiator. If someone was about to kill my friend, I’d probably resort to sneaky, less-than-honest means, too. And, as horrible of a thing as it was to do to Sam, I did hear a touch of brotherly affection in Dean’s voice when he asked Sam, “Did you see her?” I think in some slightly twisted way, Dean thought it would be good for Sam to see Amelia again. Almost like doing him a favor.

As far as the end of the ep, I assumed Dean allowed Benny to leave after Benny killed Martin, but I’m not sure. Sam asked, “Is it done?” Dean said, “Yes.” If “it” meant killing Benny, then why would Dean be trying to justify Benny’s behavior to Sam? Wouldn’t Dean just say, “Benny ended up killing Martin, so I took him out.” And Sam would say, “I know that must have hurt like hell, but you did the right thing.” Thus, I assume Benny is still alive and Dean is still protecting him, hence Sam’s furious reaction. But we never did see exactly what happened, did we?

Sam: I’m sorry, but it does feel like a personal grudge, sending a hunter specifically to keep tabs on Benny. Sam is jealous of Dean and Benny’s relationship, and looking for an excuse to take Benny out. Sam wanted Benny to screw up. Otherwise, why not send a hunter to track down that werewolf girl they let go? She could just as easily have a “slip-up,” too. But whatever Sam’s true motives for keeping tabs on Benny, at least both boys seemed to handle it rationally at first. Dean was a little upset, but agreed to go investigate. Sam, in return, gave Dean a few hours to get Benny’s side of the story. So far, so good. Only one problem in the equation: Martin.

The choice to put a tail on Benny was questionable, but to put Martin of all people on Benny was a recipe for epic disaster…My thoughts on this matter perfectly mirrored Dean’s: Sammy, what were you thinking? However, Sam had talked to Martin since Martin’s release. Maybe Sam had good reasons to believe that Martin was okay and up to the task of hunting. I can get on board with that. But as soon as Martin knocked Dean senseless, that should have been a clue that all was not well in Funky Town (aka, Martin’s brain). Understandably, Sam decided to take the lead at that point. Unfortunately, we’ll never know whether Sam would have fully investigated and found the other vamp, or simply killed Benny and left it at that. Because “Amelia” texted and Sam dropped everything – including Martin (?????) – to run to her side.

That is the one thing I thought Sam really wouldn’t do: just leave Martin out in the woods by himself with one, possibly two, bloodthirsty vampires on the loose. Just left him in the lurch, no explanation, no car, no backup. That, I felt, was writer manipulation to get the characters separated, in order for the final events of the episode to occur. Realistically speaking, Sam would have shouted to Martin, “Hey, my friend’s in trouble – get in the car, quick!” Sam would not leave this fragile, just-released-from-a-mental ward guy alone in vampire territory (it looked like Benny had left the area, but that doesn’t mean he actually had).

So, leaving Dean chained up “for his own good”? Sam might do this, especially considering Dean’s done it to Sam before. Going after Benny despite Dean’s assurances that Benny deserved to live? Yeah, Sam might do this, too – in his eyes, it’s the situation with Amy, just reversed. But leaving Martin alone out there? No way. That just isn’t Sam, and I can’t blame him for something he would never do.

Martin: Hmmmm. It’s hard to know what to say, here. I loved him in “Sam, Interrupted” – this gentle, shaky man who had been on one hunt too many. I could only imagine what horrors had landed him in an institution. He was sweet with Sam and Dean, and I hoped we would see him again. Only, when he came back to the show in this episode, he was like a different person. He seemed crazier than he was in the mental hospital. He bashed Dean in the head, and talked about taking the boys “out back” and physically punishing them, like when they were kids. Yikes. And then, at the end – pushing the situation with Benny to that point…It was hard to watch. So unnecessary. So very much like “Metamorphosis.” My heart broke a little, just like it did back then. I don’t blame Benny. He did what he had to do. I just wish he’d never been put in that position in the first place.

Benny: In this episode, they showed him fighting against his instincts: he was hungry at the sight of Dean’s blood, and Lizzie’s, but pushed down the impulse to feed both times. I believe he would have continued to do this, had Martin not forced his hand. Taking an innocent girl hostage? Cutting her open? That is something not even Gordon would have done – not back when he was human, anyway. I forgive Benny for killing Martin, because I see it as self defense – not to mention defense of another person. I forgive Dean for letting Benny go (if that is, in fact, what happened). And I can completely understand Sam not forgiving either of them. Sad situation, all around.

Don/Amelia: I had just gotten aboard the “Amelia and Don aren’t real” train over at SFO, so it was kind of disappointing to have that derailed so fast. However, it was nice to finally meet Don. I liked him. He was straightforward. Sort of Dean-ish, in a way. Don wanted Amelia to make the decision for herself. Sam seemed to agree…but then he made the decision for her by choosing to leave. We still don’t know the whole story, though – because Sam didn’t leave that day. He left at night. Did something else happen in between there? Also should mention: it was cool to see Amelia in real time for once. Finally, her story – and Sam’s – is pushing forward into the future. Could not be happier about that. 🙂

Final Thoughts: A strong episode that really twisted the emotions. It reminded me of “Metamorphosis” a lot, but didn’t quite have the full power of that episode, because in that ep, the situation – Is it in this guy’s nature to go bad? – was so closely tied to Sam’s own demonic power storyline. Nonetheless, “Citizen Fang” was a heartbreaker, and definitely one worth watching. I came out of this episode with no real blame for any of the characters involved – except Martin – and hoping, as always, for reconciliation between my two favorite brothers.

 

Supernatural Review: Episode 8×08 Hunteri Heroici

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Review of Episode 8×08: Hunteri Heroici
by castiello

Overall: A nice, light episode. Lots of laughs, which is usually the case when Cass tries to do anything requiring normal human interaction. We also got to see some closure on Sam’s storyline, plus some forward momentum on Cass’ new arc. All three leading men got plenty of screen time (making for a well-balanced episode), plus the case felt fresh and original, so all in all I was a happy fan.

Sam: So, we finally have the answer to why he and Amelia broke up. Her husband, Don, who had reportedly been killed in action in Afghanistan, was apparently not as dead as everyone thought. How awkward. Now I look back on the scene of Sam leaving in the night and feel pity for Sam. What a way for things to end. Then again, the door’s not completely slammed and locked when it comes to Sam and Amelia’s relationship – she could always choose to leave her husband. He could leave her. Don enlisted without even telling his wife beforehand, so you can’t tell me there weren’t marital problems.

Anyway, I’m just glad Dean – and his earthly arrival – weren’t the reason for the split. When Sam was talking about how the thing you’re running from will one day catch up with you and destroy your life, I was horrified. I was like, “No! Don’t say that! You weren’t running from Dean!” But I guess Don was the thing that “caught up” with Sam and Amelia and took away the life they had together. Not exactly a nice way of looking at it – usually someone not being dead is a good thing. But Sam’s the one who got left out in the cold, so it was (understandably) a negative thing for him.

I felt bad for Sam, having to deal with Amelia’s dad. The guy was uncomfortably rude to Sam for most of their interactions. I guess the dude was supposed to be a “protective dad” type, but I don’t know. The way I see it, you can be that way without being openly insulting to someone you’ve just met. I did like when the guy finally made an effort with Sam. And seeing Sam laugh like that was a beautiful thing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him laugh like that before. So in the end, Amelia’s dad turned out to be okay (he even has good taste in cars.) 🙂

The one thing I’d like from Sam’s storyline now is some tie-in to the mythology. As it stands, it’s almost too domestic, too normal, to even belong on the show. There hasn’t been a hint of anything supernaturalish in any of those scenes, aside from Don’s mysterious reappearance. So, I’m hoping that there will be something soon that brings Sam’s story into the present and into the realm of the paranormal. Amelia could call and say her husband is back but he doesn’t seem quite right. He is starting to scare her and she’s decided to leave him – can Sam come pick her up? And then we dive into a new story that (ideally) relates to the season-long arc of locking up the demons forever!

Cass: This guy sucks…

…In all the most wonderful ways.

Those fabulous, deadpan deliveries are back! Dean: Let’s go hunt some wabbits. Cass: I don’t think you pronounced that correctly… ROFL. In this ep, Cass did everything from sniffing out a urinary tract infection, to imitating Columbo, to finding divine meaning in a Roadrunner cartoon. As a Cass fan, you really can’t ask for more.

He also had some serious moments with Dean and Fred. It broke my heart to hear Cass say he might kill himself if he saw what he’d done to heaven. However, I’m assuming –  based on his later conversation with Naomi – that he’s been ordered not to come back to heaven. But because he doesn’t remember his conversations with her (right???) he’s simply left with a strong urge not to go to heaven, and his brain interprets the feeling as not being able to face what he’s done. If he does remember the meetings with Naomi, then that’s an entirely different situation (and one I do not like at all). That means Cass lied to Dean and actually is voluntarily spying on the boys for Naomi, which I don’t think he would do. Cass as the bad guy doesn’t work. We already made that mistake back in season six, and I feel confident (?) the writers aren’t going to repeat it. So, it’s gotta be option A. Definitely.

I loved Castiel’s moment of peace, sitting there listening to the music with Fred (I love to see Cass happy). Lifting that anvil was pretty impressive, too. Also, note the awesome power Cass used to actually transport himself (and Sam) into someone’s mind. I did wonder what happened to Fred’s power, though – how did Cass remove it? He shifted Sam’s madness into his own mind, and I kind of wondered if he took Fred’s power out the same way. Would that mean that Cass now has major TK powers? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Dean: Wow, he was actually pretty sweet and sensitive to Cass in this one. I liked this, especially since it is not always the case. In season six, I felt like Dean was particularly callous when it came to listening to Cass’ problems and what he was going through with the angel war. Made Dean seem kind of prick-ish, which sucked because I am a Dean fan. In this episode, though, Dean sat down with Cass and tried to talk to him. It’s nice to see Dean being a good friend.

Also nice to see Dean enjoying himself – that black hole scene was fun. In fact, all of the cartoon stuff was a blast (sometimes literally). I never thought I’d see the impression of Dean’s face smashed into a frying pan, Han Solo-in-carbonite style. I bet they could auction that prop off for a lot of money. I would bid on it!

Dean got some great lines in this one, too: “What’s up, doc?” and “Best wife ever!” and let’s not forget “You were being bad everything.” Have to back him up on not letting Cass ride in the front right off the bat – you gotta earn that spot. And by the end, Cass did.

Final thoughts: I had fun. I laughed – a lot – and that’s always a good thing. Many kudos to the special effects team for knowing their limits – everything looked great, and I loved the “cartoony” feeling of it all. Having Cass present seems to take the focus off any supposed tension between the brothers, which is nice because that storyline sucks like a Hoover isn’t very good. I’m actually sad that Cass didn’t go with Sam and Dean at the end of the episode. I do wonder what Cass is going to do now, though, since he doesn’t seem to want to hunt with Sam and Dean anymore. Naomi asked Cass what he wanted to do, and he was listening to sirens in the distance, so I thought maybe healing people? It’s what he did when he had amnesia, so maybe it’s like his calling. Whatever he and Sam and Dean are doing, I’ll always show up to watch – especially if the episodes are as much fun as this one was. So until next time, in the words of Dean Winchester,

“That’s all folks!”

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×09 Black Cherry

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Review of Episode 5×09: Black Cherry (AKA The One Where Cho Actually Gets Something to Do – Woo Hoo!)
by castiello

Overall: Cho was actually on my screen for more than fifty seconds. That right there is a miracle. I still wouldn’t exactly call this a “Cho episode,” at least not in the way that 5×04 was a Rigsby ep, but I’m grateful Cho finally got some screen time, plus a story arc for this season. The case was also pretty good (one of the more interesting ones they’ve had this year), there were several cute Jane/Lisbon scenes, Jane got to interact with a kid (which is always gold), Van Pelt was stunning (or should I say glowing?), and we got to see Sarah. So, overall, a very enjoyable ep.

Cho: Man, when he was handling that shoot-around-the-corner gun…**swoon**. Apparently, Lisbon’s second-in-command has a new love interest – and a new job. I’m glad it turned out to be something he could do without leaving Lisbon’s team, because for a little while there, I really thought they were setting him up for a longer arc where he would leave the team (and, by extension, the series). I think I might boycott the show if this happened. But so far it looks like they’re just giving him something extra/interesting to do. Plus a new girl to flirt with. She’s very pretty and I like that she is a Marine – it’s cool that they both have military backgrounds. The only complaint I have is that her name is Tamsen (at least according to the closed captioning) and they had a character named Tamzin back in season one (the witch, if I’m recalling correctly). I don’t feel like Tamzin/sen is that common of a name, and I’m not sure why the writers would use this more than once (name of someone related to the show, maybe?).

Anyway, we got to see Cho do an awesome suspect take-down, have fun playing with nifty gadgets, and meet a kick-@$$ girl. I am a happy person right now.

Jane: Loved him making a list of everyone in his life that he’s ever shaken hands with – and Lisbon was helping him. His reasoning why she is not on the list (their friendship) echoes the logic tromana used last week on the Paint It Red forums to rule out the team as suspects. I definitely hope Jane sees all of them as his friends. If a member of the team is ever revealed as Red John, I might have another reason to boycott.

Jane with kids is always wonderful – I loved them talking about the car, and how it actually ended up being important to the solution of the case. And, although I can understand Jane not wanting the boy to go to foster care, I do resent Jane a little for guilt-tripping Lisbon like that. It reminded me of the case back in season three (???) when a young girl remembered she had killed her own father in self-defense. Lisbon wanted to take her into custody, Jane wanted Lisbon to let the girl go. In the end, Lisbon let the girl go, but in that case, Jane’s reasoning was a little more sound – the girl really did act in self-defense, so why put her through the trauma of a juvenile detention facility and a trial (which she might lose, resulting in a prison sentence).

Here, though, a young woman who was supposed to be watching over her little brother chose instead to grab a loaded gun and go seek revenge. If the police had not intervened, she might have found “Shade” and possibly even killed him. This would have landed her little brother in foster care for the remainder of his childhood. I don’t really feel like she grasped the consequences of her actions and how they could have impacted her brother – and she needs to understand these things in order to be a proper guardian. The little boy did not deserve to go to foster care, but a few days wouldn’t have killed him (at least, I hope) and I think his sister did need to spend a few days in jail to realize the cost of her actions. I would have had an easier time with this storyline if Jane had simply urged Lisbon to plead for a lighter sentence (community service, maybe?) rather than have the charges dropped and everybody gets to go home without consequences. You go around firing an illegal gun on the streets, you need to have consequences.

Plus, Jane doesn’t always need to get his way. Most of the time, but not always. 🙂

He was wonderfully funny taking in the “aura” of the house, hiding with Lisbon, and pretending to be the boss at the crime scene (poor Rigsby’s confused face, LOL). This episode had a lot of playful, energetic Jane scenes and those always make the show sparkle.

Lisbon: Loved her emotion and her humor (“Put me on the list. I want to be on there!”). I thought she did a great (Jane-like) job guilt-tripping Sarah into dropping the charges, I just wish Lisbon hadn’t given in to Jane’s sad puppy face to begin with. She shouldn’t let him manipulate her like that. Jane’s got the easy job – he gets to say “Don’t let the kid go to foster care” and then he just leaves it up to Lisbon to figure out how to accomplish that. I wish she would say to him, “Okay, then you take care of all the legalities. If you want these kids to go home, you figure out a way to get that done.” Also, she shouldn’t let him boss her – at the end, he tells her to arrest the suspects. Jane’s said that to her (and other team members) in the past, too – arrest that guy, or let that guy go. That’s not Jane’s call! He’s not even a police officer. I love his friendship with Lisbon – it’s the main reason I watch – but she does need to stand up to him sometimes, and not give in to blatant manipulation. He’s not always right, and she doesn’t always have to do what he says.

Rigs/Van Pelt: I don’t feel like we saw that much of Rigsby. I kinda wanted to see more of his reaction to Cho’s new job. Rigsby was right there when Tamsen made the offer – Was he intrigued? Did he feel a little left out? I did like that Cho introduced Rigs as his partner. That was sweet. As for Van Pelt, obviously she needs to be doing a lot of computer work right now, but she does look lovely doing it. She had a lot of case-related lines, plus even got to do one of the interrogation/interview thingies, which was nice. I hope the show continues to use her as much as they can!

Sarah: Nice to see her, and to hear about Ben. I like that she fell victim to Lisbon’s manipulation just as easily as Lisbon fell victim to Jane’s. I didn’t get any vibes about Sarah’s current feelings for Rigsby (any hope for reconciliation?), but she seemed very warm with Lisbon, and Lisbon was a contributor to the breakup (via helping Rigsby fake his own death), so maybe there’s hope. I do think Rigs and Van Pelt kind of have to be together in the end (how can they not?) but I’d hate to see Rigsby and Sarah permanently separate due to one of Jane’s schemes.

Kirkland: Mysteriously absent. Hmmmmm.

Final Thoughts: Cho, please continue having a storyline (especially one where you get to handle cool guns). Jane, lay off the guilt trips – but do keep figuring out the names of everyone you ever shook hands with – let’s see that Memory Palace in action (Btw, did anyone catch the full list of names on the page he had open at the end? I only saw “Walter Mashburn,” and my mom thought she saw “Cooper.”) Rigsby, don’t get left behind by your partner. Van Pelt, keep shining. Lisbon – stand up for yourself, woman! Sarah, stick around, I need closure. Kirkland – don’t stay gone too long, I still need to figure out if you’re Red John.

Looking ahead: Can’t wait to see how Jane begins to investigate all the names in his little book. 🙂

 

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×08 Red Sails in the Sunset

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Review of Episode 5×08: Red Sails in the Sunset
by castiello

Overall: Wow. Very intense episode. Very different. I was definitely on the edge of my couch cushion the whole time, particularly whenever Lorelei and Jane were together. I love how much Lisbon contributed to the investigation, and how she and Jane worked together long-distance. I love that Jane got some actual, useful info on Red John. I hate that Lisbon was unapologetically put through the wringer yet again, but I like that she at least was smart enough to figure out Jane’s play.

Jane: When it comes to catching Red John, Jane is one crazy dude. Seeing him smash out the window of his beloved car, and later drive himself into a tree at high-speed, made me realize once again (in a very shocking fashion) something that’s easy to forget when Jane is working regular cases: that almost nothing truly matters to him. Not his car, not his health and safety. He will happily risk it all for the chance to get only an inch closer to the man who killed his family.

For the most part, I love how Jane worked with Lorelei – aside from trying to “mentalize” her about her mother (which she quickly called him on), Jane did a lot of little subtle things to gain her trust and build a relationship between them. He deliberately broke the car radio and got a room with a busted TV, just so they’d be more likely to make conversation. He repeatedly left Lorelei alone with the car and the keys, showing her that she was not his prisoner. I was so nervous that she would take off and leave him (and I’m sure he was, too) but it was the only way he had a chance of getting her to open up.

I like how Jane handled her assault – just staying down and speaking calmly, never making an aggressive move toward her or trying to physically restrain her. He played it very smart. The look on his face when Lorelei was walking up behind him on the beach was perfect – you could really sense his unease and the potential danger of the situation: was this lady going to snuggle with him or try to smother him in his sleep? (I’m so glad she chose snuggle!)

At the end, Jane’s decision to let Lorelei go off on her own was also very wise, allowing her find the truth for herself and come back to him when she’s ready. It fit with the way he handled her throughout the episode, and I hope it pays off for him in the end.

When Jane said he was going to “make them believe” he’d been a hostage, I just knew he was going to hurt himself pretty severely. Still, it was shocking to watch him drive himself into a tree at that speed. Very scary, the lengths he will go to. My only question: wouldn’t the investigating officers find the stick in the car and figure out what he’d done?

The ending scene with Lisbon had a very creepy tone. Jane looked like a lunatic, smiling over his latest “victory” with his face all banged up like that. He was practically in traction, but he didn’t care because he’d learned that Red John was a known acquaintance. This wipes a HUGE number of people off the suspect list, and Jane was high on the idea of being so much closer to his goal. He seemed to be almost taunting Lisbon that she’d never have proof that he set the whole escape/kidnapping thing up. I didn’t like that at all, and didn’t know what to make of it, other than he guessed that’s what she wanted to talk about and decided to head her off. Lisbon’s angry response (that she would be putting him in handcuffs if she had proof of what he’d done) was justified, but I’m still confused about the Lorelei chain of custody issues. Why should Jane be in such extreme, life-in-prison trouble for breaking her out of a prison where she was never supposed to be in the first place? (The FBI moved her there secretly, against a judge’s orders, right?)

Lisbon: She was actually very Jane-like, dealing with Lorelei’s mother. “Your daughter is the servant and accomplice of a notorious serial killer and you have no idea how she got that way?” LOL. I think Lisbon’s tough, unforgiving attitude toward the mother was the thing that made the woman want to confess. Lisbon’s disgust at the woman selling a two-year-old girl: palpable. She looked physically ill. No wonder Lorelei’s a head case. It was nice to learn that the sisters were reunited in adulthood. Even though it ended tragically, at least they got to be together for a while.

Lisbon’s reaction to Miranda’s murder scene photo was perfect – you just knew, without even seeing it, that it was Red John. Super creepy. And, as always, Lisbon helped Jane by sending the fax, and later comforted him after the car crash, all the while knowing that this was one of his plays, and she’d just been another chess piece on the board. At least this time, unlike with his fake breakdown last season, Lisbon suspected Jane’s involvement early enough to save herself some unneeded anguish and worry.

Lorelei: She made me so nervous in this one! I never knew what she was going to do – drive away, call Red John, start cutting Jane’s fingers off in his sleep? That was the major tension in this episode – her unpredictable nature. I think her assault on Jane, the first time we’ve really seen her lose her cool, showcased just how damaged and fragile (and easily manipulated) she is. It was like a child’s tantrum – a perfectly believable reaction for someone who’s never had a proper parent.

Lorelei professed that she is stronger and clearer since her sister’s murder – she can’t be hurt by anything, now. How quickly Jane proved her wrong, though, by suggesting that Red John was Miranda’s killer. The person who “saved” Lorelei was the one who made her a victim in the first place – you could tell by her denial, her refusal to believe it, that this possibility did hurt.

This is the second time we’re seeing the idea of Red John as a sculptor, a re-inventor of people. He already credits himself with shattering Jane’s illusions and showing Jane the world as it truly is. And although I don’t believe that was Red John’s intent when killing Jane’s family, it did seem to be a deliberate plan with Lorelei and her sister. I wonder how many other minions he’s gathered through similar means. I wonder how many of them would turn on him if they knew the truth.

I was actually afraid when Jane told Lorelei who killed her sister, that Lorelei was just going to say, “I know.” I’m glad she’s not so batnuts crazy that she would willingly fall in with her sister’s killer. I even have hope that she’ll turn against her master, once the truth sinks in.

Kirkland: Hmmmmmm. Now that they’re making it so obvious, I’m starting to doubt that it’s him. Lorelei mentioned a handshake, and Kirkland’s handshake with Jane was emphasized as a significant/foreboding moment in the previous ep. I do think Lorelei was telling the truth about the handshake, because she was speaking in anger and that’s when little things tend to slip out. However, the way she said it sounded to me like Red John was someone Jane had met a while ago: “I’m surprised you guys weren’t life-long friends from the moment you first shook hands” or something like that. It would be a weird way to reference someone Jane had just met a week or two ago.

So, I’m thinking an older acquaintance. If they want to shock (and horrify us), it’ll be someone we love like Minelli or a team member (nonono). Then again, didn’t Heller say a while back that Red John wasn’t anyone we’d met on the show so far? I think he lies sometimes, though, just to throw people off the scent. In any case, I’m doubting Kirkland is Red John. If he is Red John, then he needs to creep it up a little. He wasn’t giving me any vibes in this ep like he did in the last one. If I’m looking at Red John on my screen, I want to be feeling chills and double meanings with every single line he says. I want to be scared every time he is alone with Lisbon.

Final thoughts: For me, this ep was fascinating to watch on a psychological level, exploring the reasons Lorelei turned out so damaged, what led her to Red John, and how Jane is slowly gaining her trust. I also like that Lisbon played a vital role in the episode, that we had some continuity with the Brett Stiles storyline (I’ve been waiting for Jane to call in that favor!), and that we got forward progress on the Red John case. I do wish the rest of the team had more than a few lines, but it was an atypical episode, and hopefully Cho/VP/Rigs(<-I love it when Lisbon calls him that!) will have more to do next week.

Looking forward to it, and to the rest of the season.

 

 

Supernatural Review: Episode 8×07 A Little Slice of Kevin

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Review of Episode 8×07: A Little Slice of Kevin
by castiello

Overall: Top Ten Signs That You Just Watched a Kick-@$$ Episode of Supernatural:

10.) Exploding Prophet

9.) Sam speaks Latin

8.) Dean opens up about what’s bothering him

7.) Cass busts out his wings

6.) A sign in the background reads: “Caution: Sharp Edges. Keep Fingers Clear.”

5.) Kevin checks out a witch’s butt

4.) Tiger Mommy is back

3.) Cass is back, too!

2.) The brothers act like brothers who actually care about each other

And the number one Sign You Just Watched a Kick-@$$ Episode of Supernatural:

Holy Water Super-Soaker.

‘Nuff said.

Dean: He was actually honest about seeing Cass on the road and in the window. Dean opened up to Sam and told him what was going on. How impressive is that? We finally got to see how Cass got left behind – in Dean’s version of events, Cass gave up and let go, and Dean was already inside the closing portal, unable to go back for his friend. Seems Dean’s been torturing himself over whether there was any opportunity to reach back through and grab Cass a second time before the portal closed for good. Dean thought he failed Cass by not holding on tighter or finding a way to reach back through. Dean also felt like Cass gave up without a fight.

The moment when Cass revealed the true sequence of events was the absolute highlight of the episode for me. The conversation between Cass and Dean, seeing that weight of guilt and self-doubt floating up off of Dean’s shoulders, almost moved me to tears. It was that beautiful. I could easily believe how differently Dean had interpreted things – it was probably roaring-loud inside the portal, difficult to see, and Dean is already pre-programmed to blame himself for basically everything, so it made sense how he could see not being able to hold onto Cass as a personal failure. I’m so glad this was not the case.

Frankly, I’m also ridiculously glad to have some scenes that make me remember why I fell so hard for this show in the first place. Having that moment between Dean and Cass, and some earlier “brother moments” between Sam and Dean, it just reminded me how rare these scenes have become. We used to get something like this virtually every episode.

Sam: Very little evidence of the previous episode’s fight, which is a good thing – the sooner they drop that “You didn’t look for me!”/“I met a girl!” storyline, the better. Here, Sam and Dean seemed a bit subdued in the beginning, like the calm after the storm, quietly saying “hey” to one another and getting on with business. But there was no coldness between them, no evidence of lingering hostile feelings. Sam, in fact, was remarkably attentive to and compassionate towards Dean. In other words, Sam was Sam. He noticed something was bothering Dean and asked about it. He listened kindly to what Dean was going through, and offered words of support, plus a brotherly shoulder-pat. When Dean spoke about Purgatory, you could see in Sam’s face the beginnings of true understanding – and possibly a little bit of guilt at knowing what his brother went through.

Seeing Sam in his natural, compassionate state only emphasizes how out-of-character it would be for him not to look for Dean. Sam is a loving, sensitive, devoted brother, and his fans deserve a moment like the one we got for Dean in this episode: a moment when all is revealed, and nothing is as bad as we were led to believe. Dean really did do everything possible to get Cass out, and Sam really did do everything possible to find his bro.

Other Sammy goodness: Cute trick with the phone, muttering an exorcism to see if the demon reacted. First the reverse exorcism, and now this. Sam always has the coolest ideas. His delight at Cass’ return was also wonderful to see – these two have had some really nice moments, particularly in the past two seasons, and I think their bond has grown tremendously. At times Sam has had faith in Cass when even Dean didn’t.

Cass: HE’S BACK! He showed his wings! He helped Dean let go of some guilt and kicked demon butt (Crowley butt, no less!) and did an entire body (clothing included) shave/cleanse in about five seconds. To say that I love Cass is a drastic understatement.

He seems to be re-marbled, too. Right before Purgatory, he was kind of crazy – an utterly adorable kind of crazy, but still crazy. Now his screws seem tighter (not too tight) and he seems more like who he was before taking on Sam’s madness. I guess all the constant killing in Purgatory wiped away his notions of a peaceful, bee-keeping existence. Wanting to stay in Purgatory to atone for his sins was so very Cass-like. His line: “I wasn’t weak – I was stronger than you” gave me a big old throat-lump. He called Dean his friend, and all the history just flooded between them. This fan was happily swept away.

Crowley: A pleasure, as always. His reactions to the batch of future prophets were priceless. Just the expression on his face when that lady started “reading” the tablet: “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” ROFL!

Also, we learned some interesting things about prophets – how there is only one at a time, and how all angels know the names of those who’ve been born – and the fact that there are numerous tablets, possibly one for locking away all dark creatures, and possibly one for angels as well. Oh no, suddenly I just got real worried for Cass… **shakes thought away**

And speaking of angels:

Naomi: Who the heck is she? What does she want? It’s obviously not anything good if she’s using Cass against his will and wiping his memory afterwards. She is spying on Sam and Dean, which means she’s probably keen on getting insight into the tablets. For what purpose I don’t know, but Cass is the only member of his “species” that I trust. I liked the moment when Naomi took him – it was so jarring, I thought something was wrong with my TV. A great bit of writing/editing that put me right in Castiel’s shoes, how he felt when she just yanked him away from Sam and Dean.

So, we now know how Cass got out of Purgatory (a bunch of angels busted him out on Naomi’s orders) and why he doesn’t remember it. We just don’t know what the agenda is.

I have to say, I’m glad the angels have a part in the storyline this season. Ever since they were introduced in season four, they’ve given the show a certain weight – a certain power – that it never quite had before they came aboard. Angels elevated the mythology. And when they’re not involved, or only minimally involved, the show feels weaker. So, bring on those winged warriors and their sneaky, dirty, sometimes-as-bad-as-the-devil-himself plans. I’ll be loving every minute of it.

Kevin: At least he was smart enough to know the witch was a bad idea. Still too much of a teenager not to ogle the girl, though. 🙂 I don’t blame the poor kid for spilling info after having his own finger sliced off (hope Cass really can fix it) and watching Crowley pop another prophet like a water balloon. I actually don’t think Kevin told the King anything too damaging – just piqued his interest, which is never a good thing. I’m glad Cass and Dean and Sam got there in time, and we only lost a little slice of Kevin.

Tiger Mommy: After the initial trauma of being possessed, she’s back to her old ferocious self and I could not be happier. She douses her own son with holy water every time he walks in the door. She blasted a demon with a Holy Water Super-Soaker and took him hostage in the trunk of her car. And she explained her decision to contact the witch by stating the obvious: “To make demon bombs!” Duh! Factor in her reactions to Kevin’s witch-ogling and an uncomfortable misunderstanding about some of Craigslist’s “services,” and this Momma was in top form. Love her.

Final thoughts: This was one of the best episodes of Supernatural in a long time. This is the kind of episode that makes me want to plant a big, wet smooch on the show’s cheek. This is the kind of episode that makes me want to bust out my old DVDs and watch them again (something I haven’t done in so long). This is what I want to see every week – not just once in a cerulean blue moon. This is Supernatural.

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×07 If It Bleeds, It Leads

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Review of Episode 5×07: If It Bleeds, It Leads
by castiello

Overall: What a strange episode! And a way more important one than I would have guessed from the previews. Maybe it was just the fact that I was really sleep-deprived when I watched it, but there were a couple of things that didn’t make sense. Generally speaking, though, I was intrigued, and definitely enjoyed that Lisbon had such a prominent role in the story.

Lisbon: Looking lovely with her hair wavy and bangs pushed off to the side (yay!), our favorite boss lady took on the dual tasks of getting Jane to stop obsessing (good luck with that…) and trying to build a case against a well-connected billionaire. Neither effort was successful, but I gotta give her credit for trying. I love that she is doing her best to look after Jane, even when he makes it impossible. I like that she was able to pick up on the secretary/assistant’s distress, but why the heck didn’t Lisbon get that girl some protection after the girl agreed to cooperate? The poor thing was obviously scared. Lisbon promised her she would be safe, and then didn’t post any guards on her or move her to a different location or anything…I mean, Volker arranged for the mass murder of an entire tribe of people. Lisbon knew how dangerous he was. I’m sure he still could have gotten to the girl anyway, even despite protective measures, and the ending of the ep would’ve been the same, but at least it would look like Lisbon did everything possible to prevent the murder. I could certainly feel her heartbreak at the end, but at the same time, I was like “What did you expect? You didn’t protect her!” Maybe there were guards and I just zoned out for that part (I told you I was sleep-deprived), but I don’t remember anything about that.

Another strange thing – the ending itself. They didn’t catch the bad guy! It just sort of ended on this sad, defeated note. Lisbon vowed to get Volker (and I’m sure she will), but it will have to be in another episode. In a way this is cool, because it means Lisbon’s got multiple arcs this year: she’s got the poker games with “really important CBI/FBI people,” she’s got a relationship with Kirkland (who may or may not be Red John), and now she’s got a vendetta against a super-creepy psychopath billionaire. I’m so excited to see where all this goes.

Jane: He seemed to be preparing Lisbon to “go on” without him, which makes sense, because he was also working on ways to bust Lorelei out of prison. If successful, he would be off somewhere trying to get her to give up Red John, and not around to help the CBI investigate cases. Why Lorelei is in a maximum security prison in the first place is completely baffling to me, but that whole arc has been baffling since early in the season. I guess Red John and his FBI mole did not bust Lorelei out, after all. They just moved her to another prison. Why? And why does Jane have to break in to get to her? A judge already ruled that CBI should have custody of Lorelei. The FBI was acting illegally when they stole her. So, now that Jane has found her, shouldn’t there be a legal course of action he can take to get her back into CBI custody? Maybe he’s afraid the FBI would just take her away again as soon as they got wind of what he was trying to do? Just the fact that she is still in any kind of government custody is completely perplexing to me. Does the official FBI have her in custody because they’re trying to get the glory for bringing down Red John, or does just a small, Red John-controlled “section” of the FBI have Lorelei in custody to keep her away from Jane? Somebody else is going to have to figure this out, because my brain just imploded.

Moving on, I don’t like when Jane acts as though Lisbon needs lessons from him on how to do an investigation. I mean, it’s definitely in character – he’s always thought the team was kind of helpless without him – but I guess I just wish the show wouldn’t continue to back him up on that point. When Jane was away for six months last season, the team’s case resolution rate dropped into the toilet. Here, again, when Jane was less involved in the case and Lisbon was working it mostly on her own, the bad guy got away. It’s like the show is saying the team really can’t do it without him, and I disagree. Jane may close cases fast, but he also does it dirty – half the tricks he uses would get the evidence/confession thrown out in court.

Jane trying to get into the prison (and asking Cho about it!) was pretty darn funny. Jane was also funny with the weather girl (*smack* Lisbon: I hope that hurt), and on the news show: “We’ll be right back after a short commercial break.” LOL.

Cho/Rigsby/Van Pelt: If I have to group them together, then they didn’t get enough to do! Still, I did ask for a Lisbon episode, and this one gave her lots of opportunities to shine, so I guess I can’t complain. I did love Cho’s reaction to Jane’s maximum security prison question. Cho even told Lisbon about it, which is interesting. Are Cho’s loyalties shifting away from Jane a bit? Maybe a sign of the betrayal the team felt when Jane left them last season? Or maybe Cho just doesn’t want Jane to do something monumentally stupid. Again.

Kirkland: What’s up with this guy? They are certainly making a huge deal out of him – particularly his very brief interaction with Jane. I couldn’t help but think, OMG, Jane is shaking hands with Red John right now and doesn’t even know it! And he works for Homeland Security – yikes. Then again, this show does tend to throw out red herrings a lot – remember Bertram quoting that Blake poem? Would the show really let us meet the REAL Red John this way? Or is Kirkland just another minion? Either way, it seems that he’s trying to protect Volker, and Volker is just the type of person who’d be a member of Red John’s “club.” Did you see him sitting there, just watching that girl get strangled? Creepy as all heck.

All in all: I did really enjoy the episode, even though it ended on a strange sort of “To Be Continued” note that is usually reserved for hardcore Red John episodes. Maybe this was a hardcore Red John ep. Whatever it was, it took me by surprise. I had no idea until about two-thirds of the way through that we were diving into such deep waters. I wish the Lorelei/FBI thing was a little bit more understandable, but I love that Lisbon’s got a villain of her own to go after and the fact that we may have gotten some very important info about the Big Bad himself. Definitely and very eagerly looking forward to next week and the rest of the season. Let the mind-blowing conspiracies continue!

Supernatural Review: Episode 8×06 Southern Comfort

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Review of Episode 8×06: Southern Comfort
by castiello

Overall: Honestly, it’s hard to know what to say about this one. There was so much in it that I loved: the main storyline, the performances, heck, even the dead soldier (he looked great!). I loved how this episode dealt with Bobby’s memory, and I loved the flashback showing how the old penny changed (<-unintentional pun) hands. There was just one piece that didn’t fit – one element that ruined an otherwise excellent episode, and it’s the same thing I (and numerous other fans) have been complaining about all along:

After weeks of holding out hope that there was something more to the story, that the writers wouldn’t treat a beloved character so badly, that surely, any episode now, we would see the one flashback we’ve all been waiting for: Sam, scouring the Internet for clues to Dean’s whereabouts, calling up random people in Bobby’s journal who might be able to supply a lead…after all that, it looks like the show is going with the version it gave way back in 8×01. AKA, the ludicrous, completely unbelievable version: Sam really, truly did not look for Dean.

My response: ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?

**sigh**

Dean: I thought he was pretty straightforward in answering Sam’s questions about Benny. I could understand Dean being annoyed when Garth kept saying all those Bobby quotes (and even wore one of Bobby’s hats!), but Garth did not deserve Dean’s too-harsh, emotionally-charged reactions. I felt for poor Garth when Dean finally pushed him to tears. He was absolutely right that Bobby belonged not just to Sam and Dean, but to an entire community of hunters, who relied on him for everything from Wendigo advice to FBI credentials. That was something Dean needed to hear, and Garth (in all his Bobby-ishness) was the perfect person to knock Dean back into line. The ending, with Garth saying “idjit” and “balls” in proper Bobby fashion, and Dean placing the hat on Garth’s head, was a perfect conclusion to this little storyline between the two of them.

As far as the “main” storyline, it made perfect sense that the spectre was attracted to Dean: the soldier’s feud was with his own brother, and Dean has brother issues to the moon and back. I didn’t really have too much of a problem with what possessed!Dean said, except for the parts where he blamed Sam for soulless-Sam’s actions. I don’t know why he’d still be holding a grudge after he found out it wasn’t really Sam who did those things. I guess grudges don’t necessarily have to make logical sense all of the time. Dean spent a year thinking Sam was dead (and yes, Dean did try to bring Sam back during that time), settled into a life with Lisa, and then had everything ripped away when Sam popped back in to say “hey,” so I guess that would be a hard series of events to get over. Still, not Sam’s fault.

Of course, it was difficult to hear Dean say, “Benny’s been more of a brother to me than you’ve ever been” – a line no doubt designed to provoke outcry from the fans – but knowing all that these brothers have been through together, the sentiment just doesn’t ring true. This whole storyline of “Sam didn’t look for Dean. Now, Dean is back and he’s pissed. Cue: Brother VS. Brother” – has the same contrived feeling that much of season four did. Back then, I felt like the writers were forcing the characters in an unnatural direction, rather than letting Sam and Dean lead the way, and that was the first time I ever distanced myself from the show. The performances in that season were excellent. Even the episodes, on an individual basis, were pretty darn awesome. But the growing rift between the brothers, leading to an eventual knock-down-drag-out-Sam-half-choking-Dean fight, just didn’t quite have the level of emotional believability that had made the show one of my favorites. I remember watching the fallout between the bros and thinking, “I don’t completely buy it.” At least I was close to buying it, though. It was almost purchasable. What the writers seem to be selling now, with regards to Sam’s character, isn’t something I would pick up out of a “FREE” bin at a garage sale – but more on that when we get to Sam.

As for Dean, I think we were all wishing that he would overpower the spectre and save Sam himself, without Garth having to intervene, but it wasn’t to be. The spectre was too strong, or Dean has too many issues. Assuming all of those things he mentioned are things he still holds grudges about, then Dean does, indeed, need to “own up to his crap” and sort things out, just to avoid another dangerous incident like this in the future.

Sam: His anger over Benny – understandable. Comparing Benny to Amy – also understandable. Saying he might just be the hunter to chop Benny’s head off – a little on the cold side, but he was mad. The very notion that he would do jack squat to find his missing brother – not remotely plausible.

The writers have done this character (and his fans) such a disservice with this storyline. In 8×06, Sam said to Dean, “I told you why I didn’t look for you.” Actually, Sam, you didn’t: you said you panicked after Dean disappeared (okay), drove away (okay), hit a dog (not okay, but it happens), and then…settled in at a motel with the dog, eventually accepted that Dean was truly and forever gone (based on no evidence that we’ve heard so far), and proceeded to enter into a relationship with a girl named Amelia (?????). I’ve already repeatedly stated that this in no way fits Sam’s character, so I’m not going to say it again. Instead, for the very first time ever, I will be rewriting canon:

From now on, in my head, Sam spent his time at the motel doing research while he watched over the recovering dog. He called Joshua and a bunch of other people, and they did their own research. Eventually, one by one, all of the contacts called him back with the same conclusion – the powerful God weapon that destroyed Dick, also destroyed Dean and Cass. Their earthly bodies had been incinerated away to nothing by the blast, and there would be no bringing them back. Ever. Sam cried as the overwhelming evidence began to sink in. The dog limped over and licked his hand. Sam made the decision to give up hunting, and tried to figure out what to do next. He got a job as a repair man, and crossed paths with Amelia again. Their losses gave them a common bond, and they hooked up.

This way, when Sam tells her that his whole world shattered at the loss of Dean, I can believe him. He tried, he failed, he had to move on. It’s the only thing that makes sense.

Garth: This actor did such a great job in the episode. I wasn’t a huge Garth fan before this, but I am now. His emotion when talking about Bobby, his sensitivity when speaking to possessed!Dean (“You don’t want to hurt Sam…You’ve been protecting him your whole life – don’t stop now.”) were just so right on the mark. He was far and away the best thing about the episode, and I look forward to seeing him (and hearing him say “Balls!”) again in future episodes. The decision to give this actor some serious, emotional material to chew on was excellent. Five stars and a round of applause.

Amelia: I still like her – she was fine in this one. (It’s not her fault Sam got a stupid storyline). I even thought she was pretty funny, with the line “Now I pity you.” I’d still like to know about whatever break-up/parting-of-ways thing happened between her and Sam. I’m sure they’ll show it eventually, unlike the Sam-looking-for-Dean flashback, which now seems like a long-shot. My only issue with Amelia’s story in this ep was her husband enlisting out of the blue without telling her. Who does that? Is there something more to that story, something possibly related to the current story? I’d like to think so, but I don’t have a ton of confidence right now.

Looking ahead: I hope the writers surprise me and make me eat my words with regards to Sam’s storyline. I would grin like a fool. I’m still excited about Benny, and the possibility for future run-ins with the brothers. After the last ep, Benny was awfully sympathetic. Methinks he has probably either done something bad that Dean doesn’t know about, or is about to. I’m looking forward to learning more about what happened to Cass, and I’m eager to have the Sam storyline either corrected, or left in the dust. Amelia is welcome to come join the current timeline and stir things up a bit (the actress is probably sick of shooting flashbacks by now) and Garth is MORE than welcome to come back anytime, every time, and talk some sense into our two favorite idjits.

Mentalist Review: Episode 5×06 Cherry Picked

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Review of Episode 5×06: Cherry Picked
by castiello

Overall: When the episode starts more than a half-hour late (thanks a lot, CBS), and I’m still not getting sleepy by the end of it, then I know it’s a good one. I’m happy to say that 5×06 fell into that category. The episodes that involve kidnapping always have an intensity about them that the regular murder investigations usually lack. Add Jane’s questionable negotiation tactics into the mix, and we’ve got a real nail-gnawing situation on our hands. But the case wasn’t the only thing that grabbed me. I know some people don’t like it when the show works two different storylines in the same ep, but here I thought it was the right move. Having Jane investigate Lorelei’s disappearance while helping the team with the kidnapping gave the episode great continuity with the rest of the season. If three eps went by without a mention of Lorelei, then that would just be weird. The Red John case will always be front and center where Jane is concerned, and it’s good that the show is giving us some forward momentum on that storyline.

Jane: Okay, seeing him negotiate with kidnappers is just plain scary. I know he knows what he’s doing, but still. He’s not always right, and sometimes he just seems so reckless. Plus, in this ep, he was distracted by the Lorelei investigation, which made it even more likely that he might goof up. I was relieved at the end when everyone came back whole and alive. I couldn’t relax until I knew everything would turn out okay.

Jane’s intensity when interviewing the drivers was right on the money. His breaking and entering into the guilty driver’s home was not unexpected, nor was his decision to use blackmail. I really thought Jane was going to let this man off the hook for rape, just to get the info on Lorelei. I hated the thought, but Jane seems willing to let almost anything slide, if it means getting closer to Red John. It surprised me – in a very good way – to see that Jane had police waiting outside to arrest the driver. I don’t know what evidence they could have on the guy that isn’t fruit of the poisonous tree (Jane’s illegal search), but I don’t care. I figure: Jane’s smart, he came up with something. Maybe found the inmate who was victimized and convinced her to come forward.

Interestingly enough, it seems that the FBI are the ones who stole Lorelei. I had assumed this was an act of Red John himself, but I’m guessing he just orchestrated the whole thing through his mole in the FBI.

Other Jane thoughts: Jane plus dog always equals a win, no matter how brief the scene is. I actually thought the dog/open gate situation was going to play a bigger role in solving the case. It seemed to indicate that the kidnapper was unfamiliar with the property (which is true of the guy who actually carried out the plan), but other than that it didn’t seem to go anywhere. Maybe I just missed something. Also missed how Jane got the homeowner’s phone number so quickly after arriving on the scene. I guess you could say he had the brother’s last name, and was able to use that to quickly search for the number on his cell phone, but it’s a stretch. It was a funny scene, though – cruel, but funny. “Are you alone? What are you wearing?” LOL.

Jane refusing Lisbon’s help in handling the driver was sad. It’s like he was saying “thank you” and “I’m sorry” at the same time. Sorry that he didn’t trust a legitimate, official investigation to get him what he needed. Sorry that he was letting her down by going outside the law (once again), but unwilling to take the chance of another lead slipping away. At least when Jane goes illegal, he does (usually) try to keep Lisbon and the others out of it, for their own protection.

Lisbon: Poor Lisbon, having to deal with bureaucratic public relations crap once again. Not only did she have to deal with a double-kidnapping, a murder, and a difficult victim-family-member, but she had to do it all with Brenda and Bertram breathing down her neck. Nice. I loved her standing outside the locked door, trying to mend fences with the guy who’d shut himself inside. “I feel bad that you’re in there…” Such great, long-suffering line-delivery.

I liked that Lisbon was sensitive to Jane’s other case (the driver interviews) and their importance. She did not hesitate to let him leave when he said he needed to. I also love that she offered to help Jane once he figured out who the guilty driver was. She is sweet and good-hearted, even if she isn’t the best “actress.” You could just see the hurt on her face when Jane implied she didn’t do a great job pretending to be shot, and when Brenda gently declined to have Lisbon make an on-camera appearance. I think Lisbon tries so hard not to suck on camera, that she just ends up being totally awkward. The fact that she gets flustered and screws up makes me love her ten times more. She is awesome at her job. She stinks at interviews. She is a believably-flawed, utterly endearing human being. 🙂

Cho/Rigs/Van Pelt: Not a huge amount of screen time for these three, which is okay – just as long as it doesn’t become a regular thing. I did love the little scene with Rigsby tossing popcorn (?), acting like a seal, and Cho actually laughing a little at Rigsby’s antics. I felt like Cho was happy to see his partner back in good spirits after what he’d just been through. Another thing I liked about this episode – although we only found out about it after the fact – is that it sounded like the team solved the case together. Jane might have started the ball rolling, but after that, everyone participated in figuring out who the kidnapper’s accomplice was and what the next move should be. They worked together to trick the female “victim” (I like that actress, btw – she did a great job) into fleeing with the money. It’s nice when Jane’s not the man with the plan, while everyone else is just sitting around clueless. Go team! 🙂

Brenda: Was it just me, or did she seem nastier in this ep? Always before, I felt like she was sympathetic to Lisbon, even when they had to work at cross-purposes. In this one, Ms. Public Relations just seemed like a b***h, threatening to call Bertram if Lisbon didn’t “behave.” I dunno, I usually kinda like her, but not in this episode.

Final thoughts: Progress on the Lorelei front – yay! Team working together – yay! Jane not letting a rapist get away for the sake of his obsession – double yay! Holiday Wish List: A Lisbon-centric ep in the near future. A Cho-centric ep in the near future. Another Minelli return. And a partridge in a pear tree (because Jane needs another animal to play with). Looking forward to 5×07!

Supernatural Review: Episode 8×05 Blood Brother

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Review of Episode 8×05: “Blood Brother”
by castiello

Overall: Very solid, I liked it a lot. I know last week’s ep wasn’t great, and that almost anything would’ve been an improvement, but I think I would have enjoyed this one even without that comparison. It was evenly split between the two brothers (always a smart move), we got more info about both Benny and Amelia, a bunch of monsters got decapitated, and Dean said the word “vampirates.” How can you complain about an episode like that?

Dean: Annoyed at Kevin continually outsmarting them (understandable), and taking it out a bit on Sammy (not nice, but realistic – we all know brothers get that way with each other). Dean defends his attack on Tiger Mommy, which is disheartening – it would be better to see him admit that it was a mistake. I got the feeling he maybe knows that it was, and is just too proud to admit it. If not, then he’s got some soul-searching to do. Dean, remember when you begged Sam not to kill old Yellow Eyes, when the demon was in John’s body? That’s how Kevin felt when you were about to kill his mom…

Where friends are concerned, Dean is still every bit as loyal as he ever was, leaving immediately to go to Benny’s aid. Flashbacks to Purgatory reveal Dean’s continued insistence that Cass come with them through the portal. The “friend thing,” as Benny calls it, seems to define Dean’s actions in Purgatory, as well as on Earth, so what went wrong? Why did Cass get left behind? The not knowing is torturing me…

Nice to see that Dean and comedy are still on great terms: Vampire…Pirates… Vampirates! (“Seriously? It’s like the third thing you say.” LOL). Also thought it was quite funny when he was trying to shush Sammy on the phone, and the off-screen decapitations were a riot—thud, pause, head goes flying.

The little non-verbal communication at the end there with Sammy was probably my favorite scene. The intensity as Sam realizes (I assume via Benny’s body temperature) that Benny is a vamp and begins to reach for a blade, only to have Dean give that tiny little head-shake. Powerful stuff.

Sam: Glad he stuck up for Kevin (and Tiger Mommy)! Hope he continues to try to pound some sense into Dean on that front. I actually thought, when we first heard that knocking sound, that Kevin was going to be there, just waiting for a moment alone with Sam. I can see why Kevin doesn’t want anything to do with Dean anymore, but Sam hasn’t really done anything wrong – if Dean were out of the picture, maybe Kevin would approach Sam for help?

But, alas, the knocking was a defective fan, which segued into Sam’s series of flashbacks. Turns out he was a maintenance man while Dean was gone! Interesting. I see that as more like something Dean would do – fixing things, tinkering with nuts and bolts. I’m sure Sam has a lot of experience at this, though  – he may not know his way around cars, but his family has been staying in crappy motels since before he can remember. He and Dean probably had to repair all kinds of appliances while John was out hunting. I do like that both Sam and Dean, during their “time off,” chose to do constructive things – Dean was a construction worker, building new houses, etc, and Sam was fixing broken appliances so they would work again. It’s like both boys had had enough of killing, so they both selected jobs that would involve creation, rather than destruction.

I liked Sam’s conversation with Amelia – how they were both kind of drifting and alone. Love that he was calling the dog “dog,” and how he said, “No, Dog – don’t bother the angry lady!” That was cute. Also liked his surprise that Amelia didn’t know the name of the manager’s son – to Sam, it is just natural to make this connection with other people, whether he is staying in town for one night, or a month. My main hang-up with his flashbacks and his storyline is that I still don’t buy him not looking for Dean. The more time that goes by without any form of explanation for this, the crazier I get. But, I think that is the writers’ goal this season – to really draw it out and make us wait for the answers we’re craving. As long as it is addressed in the end–in a satisfying, believable way–then I’m cool. But if it’s not addressed…cue rioting fans, complete with torch and pitchfork accessories.

Sam’s reaction to Dean alone in the vamp nest was great – clearly, Sam never stopped loving his brother. Coupled with the flashback about being alone in the world, Sam racing to Dean’s side seemed like Sam was very much afraid of losing Dean yet again…A stark contrast to the indifferent, independent Sam that Dean returned to in season four. And yet, season four Sam had tried desperately to bring Dean back before finally giving up and going after payback. This season’s Sam, as far as we know, did no such thing. Hmmm.

Sam’s reaction to Benny was fascinating – Sam was ready to kill, but stood down at Dean’s head-shake. Dean had already told Sam he was with a friend, and Dean and Benny arrived together on the boat, which would imply that Benny was “the friend.” So, did Sam think Dean didn’t know this guy was a vamp?

Lastly: Sam says all their friends are dead. So, then, what does that make Sheriff Mills – chopped liver with a sprinkling of onions? And what about the lady who helped them in Lawrence back in season one? Has Missouri been erased from the boys’ minds? Yes, most of their friends are dead, but there are still a few people on Earth who would come running to help the Winchester Boys at the first phone call. Let’s not forget about them.

Benny: We learned so much about him in this ep! I actually like him a lot more, now. I see him as different than Ruby because her agenda was so ultra-secret. Benny made his agenda pretty clear from the first meeting with Dean: “I want to ride you out of this place.” Benny’s unhappiness about partnering with Cass was also very clear, yet Benny respected Dean’s wishes, and even helped save Castiel’s life when he had every motive not to.

Turns out Benny lived a lot like Lenore and her nest – he made the switch to donated blood (her vamps lived off of animals), which meant he lived in peace with his girl, Andrea. This is the type of vampire Sam (and maybe even Dean) would have let live, even back in the old days. That makes Dean bringing him back to Earth more reasonable. Dean did not believe Benny would hurt anyone (though there were clearly a few lingering doubts–when Benny said “I messed up” you could tell from Dean’s reaction that he thought Benny just ate someone…). Benny’s plan for vengeance against the vamps that killed him (and killed/turned his girl) was completely justified, and I was glad Dean chose to support him. I could feel Benny’s heartbreak about what had happened to Andrea, and how there was no way to change her from the monster she’d become. Rough stuff.

We got some interesting new factoids on vampires – apparently they can be injured by other vamps, to the point of needing assistance. I thought only dead man’s blood was capable of weakening a vampire that way. We also found out that vampires feel a certain reverence for the one who turned them. I don’t think we saw this when Dean got turned in season six, though maybe it only takes effect after the first feeding. I still expected Dean to mention his own experience as a vampire. Interesting that he didn’t – maybe this is something they already spoke of in Purgatory? Whether Benny knows it or not, I think one tiny part of the reason Dean was able to accept his friendship is because Dean knows what being a vampire is like. He’s been there, and he hasn’t forgotten.

Benny’s best moment in this ep, by far, was the flashback where he saved Cass. Though he had every reason to let the angel die, and could’ve easily made it look like he just couldn’t get there in time to help, Benny chose to kill the Leviathan (awesome special effects on those black, gooey fellas, btw) that was attacking Castiel. This earns Benny some major points with me (even though, as we saw with Ruby, actions are not always what they seem).

Castiel: How great is it to see this guy? Even if it’s only in brief flashbacks, I’ll take what I can get. In this ep he seemed resigned, depressed even – but he was still remaining with Dean and Benny, and there was no indication of them splitting up any time soon. By the end, even Benny seemed on board with the plan. So, how did Dean get from “All three of us are going through the portal, or we’ll die trying” to leaving his winged buddy behind? Inquiring minds want to know.

Amelia: I liked her better in this one. She seemed softer, more relatable. I’m curious to know how she ended up all alone. Her lines about Sam being creepy and army surplus-y were funny, and I thought she and Sam had good chemistry together. I can get behind Sam’s relationship with her, as long as we learn that he did try to find Dean first. That’s a must. I’d also like to know, whenever the show gets around to it, why Sam and Amelia are no longer together – some fans think Dean called Sam after re-entering the world from Purgatory, and that’s what made Sam leave her. Definitely a possibility, but there’s also a chance that it had nothing to do with Dean’s arrival. What else would prompt Sam to leave the life (and the girl) he loved so much?

Overall: Heads flew, the dog continued to be adorable, Sam found out about Benny, we found out more about Amelia and Benny, and the brothers shared some intense, emotional moments. Supernatural, it looks like you’re back on track. (Just keep the flashbacks coming, okay?)