season 8

Supernatural Review: Episode 8×14 Trial and Error

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Review of Episode 8×14: “Trial and Error”
by castiello

There used to be these two guys. Their names were Sam and Dean. They were brothers, and their childhood was pretty messed up. Their dad, John, was always off hunting werewolves and demons and stuff, so the boys basically raised themselves. As a result of this, they grew very close. So close, in fact, that they came to care more about each other than about themselves. Dean would’ve happily given his life for Sam. Sam would’ve gladly given his life for Dean. Each man wanted the best life and future for his brother, even if it meant the greatest sacrifice of all.

Four nights ago, for the first time in a really friggin’ long time, we got to see those guys.

Welcome back, Sam and Dean.

Dean: “Awwww” moments abounded as Dean set up his new room, complete with weapons on the walls, a Memory Foam mattress (“It remembers me!”) and a faded picture of Mary. If my heart wasn’t already a puddle at that point, the last bit of melting occurred when Dean made some exquisite sandwiches (burgers?) for himself and Sam as a final part of the nesting process. Three cheers for all the fanfic authors who wrote Dean as an artist in the kitchen – your stories are now backed up by canon! It makes sense, too, that Dean knows his way around the stove – growing up, he would’ve been the one cooking dinner for Sam while John was out hunting. ‘Course, back then, he didn’t have much to work with ingredient-wise, so it was nice to see him strutting his culinary stuff in this ep. Sam was so impressed he even took the meal with him!

As touched as I was by Dean’s homemaking, though, his disregard for Kevin’s well-being brought out my grumpy face. 😦 Once again, we have Dean treating a non-family member as expendable. Dean did at least tell Kevin to shower and eat a salad – that was good. But giving Kevin possibly-dangerous, almost-certainly-addictive drugs to mask the pain and keep himself awake? So not cool. If it was Sam running himself into the ground like this, you can bet Dean would be saying, “Slow down, take it easy.” Whether Dean knows it or not, he’s treating Kevin like a pawn, and that sucks.

Considering that Dean’s most notable previous experience with a hellhound was getting ripped to pieces, I thought he’d have more of a fear/anxiety issue with facing these creatures. I almost thought that’s why he wanted Sam to stay behind – because Dean couldn’t bear the idea of Sam getting shredded by one of these things. But then Dean gave the real reason he wanted Sam to stay safe: Dean wants Sam to have a life after the quest. Dean feels that whoever does the challenges is bound to get killed in the process. Now that the role has fallen to Sam, I have only one thing to say to Dean: Keep your brother alive!

Honestly, those scenes between the two of them – the one before killing hellhound and the one afterwards – were just magic. Those were the best performances we’ve seen from Jared and Jensen all season. Our guys are talented enough actors to elevate any material they’re given, even if the writing isn’t fantastic. But when the writers give these guys something really powerful to work with – dialogue and storylines that are epic and emotional and true to the characters – that’s when the show really takes my breath away.

Sam: That little nod he gave after inspecting Dean’s room? Perfect. Just a tiny moment that conveyed so much: approval at Dean’s decorating skills, emotion at seeing the picture of Mary, and a sense of righted wrongs. Sam understands that this is how it should be. Dean should’ve had a room his whole life. Sam’s little nod, to me, said, “’Bout time.”

Nice to know Sam appreciates his brother’s cooking. Having an orgasm over eating a cheeseburger is usually Dean’s thing, so to see Sam love the sandwich that much, to see Sam actually come back for the plate – you know it had to be good. 🙂

Sam, at least, did have some proper concern for Kevin. He advised Kevin to slow down and take better care of himself. I like that Sam objected to the drugs, but I wish he had been more forceful, maybe even found a way to take the pills away – he can see Kevin is headed down a dangerous path, even if Kevin and Dean can’t. In the old days, Sam was always in a rush to find Dad and avenge Mom so that the Winchesters could be done with hunting and move on to normal lives. Of course, by now Sam has realized that every time these guys finish one task, they end up with a whole new crisis to deal with. Sam has learned from his experiences – it’s a marathon, not a sprint. I only hope Kevin takes Sam’s advice before it’s too late…

Just like Dean, Sam has his own reasons for taking on this latest quest: he doesn’t just want Dean to live – he wants them both to live. Sam earned buckets of my love for his speech about how Dean is a smart person with a promising future (“What about your room?”). Neither one of them is expendable, and they both have a chance to live past the final task. I love you, Sam! I just hope the show’s writers agree with you, because killing off a Winchester is not the way I want to see this series end…(Though, from what I just read over at SFO, we now have at least one more season before that end comes!!! 🙂 )

Kevin: Poor baby. He is treating his body like crap right now. I had a hard time even watching him ingest all that coffee – not to mention the nauseating quantities of hotdogs. Blech! Actually, I’m a vegetarian, so double-blech! I was disappointed to see Kevin turn to the pills in the end, rather than taking Sam’s advice on slowing down. You’d think with all of Kevin’s obsession about test-taking and proper study habits, he would know that taking better care of his body would result in a better performance from his brain. He’s already had nosebleeds and “possibly a small stroke,” so who knows what grim fate awaits him if he keeps pushing himself? 😦

Ellie: A tough, sympathetic and beautiful girl. She sparked with Dean like that blonde in the tech tent sparked with Sam. Also, she made a demon deal to save a family member’s life. Seems like a good match for Dean, if there ever was one. 🙂 I hope Sam and Dean do manage to close up hell for good, so this girl won’t end up down there. It was interesting, the question she asked Dean: “What would you do for your mother?” Interesting, because most often, the battle has been about saving Sam, saving Dad, saving Bobby, saving the world…Mary isn’t actually mentioned that often. However, she was front and center in this episode, from her photo at the beginning, to Ellie’s words near the end, and I think that was to remind us that it does all come back to Mary: John and the boys became hunters to avenge Mary, and now Sam and Dean are driven to lock away all demons, in no small part because of the one that took their mother.

SFX: Good special effects on the hellhounds. I like how they were ghostly/vague/see-through-ish. Less is always more – especially on a television budget – and the current show-runner seems to understand that. Last year’s Leviathan effects were a bit too over-the-top for my tastes. The best CGI is stuff that just blends with reality, not stuff that stands up and screams, “COMPUTER-GENERATED IMAGE!!!” Back in Season Two, after I watched “Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things,” I read that the tips of the scissors used to stab the zombie – complete with congealed bloody goop hanging off – were computer-generated. I had no idea, because it was so well-integrated. If I don’t know it’s fake, then it’s a great effect.

Random Notes: Loved the holy-fire-scorched specs. That was brilliance. Also: Sam and Dean, in glasses? I think it’s getting hot in here…Also (x2): Does it bother anyone else that these guys are risking their lives based on info obtained from HALF of a tablet? I mean, would you make a casserole for your family if you only had half of the recipe? What if some of the ingredients are left out? What if there’s a necessary step on the missing part of the page, like you have to brown the meat before dumping it in there? This is my main fear right now – Kevin, Sam and Dean are acting like the information is complete, when there is almost certainly something vital left out. Something that would be way more disastrous than some under-cooked ground chuck.

Final Thoughts: A thrilling, emotional ride. Best episode of the season so far. Looking forward to the next one with equal parts eagerness and dread. But not the dread of “Oh, what are the writers going to put me through now?” More like the dread of “Are my guys going to make it out of this thing alive?” I’m invested. And that’s exactly as it should be.

Supernatural Review: Episode 8×13 Everybody Hates Hitler

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Review of Episode 8×13: “Everybody Hates Hitler”
by castiello

Overall: Seems we are on a streak – four strong, entertaining episodes in a row. This ep told an interesting story that felt fresh, despite the fact that we took a look back in time. I liked the use of the Golem (this creature was also used on The X-Files, back in the day, so I had fun comparing and contrasting the two versions). We found out more about the Men of Letters, met some scary Nazi Necromancers, discovered a secret organization of Rabbis – which was really freakin’ cool, btw – and added several more actors to the series of talented guest performers we’ve seen recently. So, all in all, I guess you could say I liked the episode. 🙂

Oh, and the title? Hilariously awesome. Not really something I take into account when judging an episode, but still, it had to be said. 🙂

Dean: Gotta love Dean, grooving on those vintage digs! The Men of Letters’ “Bat Cave” is a perfect match for this guy who loves all things old – from his car, to cassette tapes, to that beat-up leather jacket he used to wear all the time. Dean was born about fifty years after his time, and his appreciation for the décor and even the music in the Bat Cave was totally in sync with mine. What can I say, the man has style. 🙂

As for the Cave itself – I pictured the key as something that could actually be used in various spells. A magical object in and of itself. I didn’t realize it was just the key to opening the archive where the knowledge is kept. So, why did that old dude want Sam to just throw the key in and shut the door, then? If only Men of Letters can cross the threshold, why shouldn’t Sam and Dean use the archives to their advantage, as they did in this episode? Hopefully, my understanding will grow in the coming episodes. In the meantime, though, Dean seemed happy at finding such a wonderful place. He certainly wasted no time in making himself at home, even using the shower facilities and putting on, as Sam put it, a “dead guy’s robe.” I can definitely see them establishing a base here, and to be honest, I think that’s something they desperately need.

As for what I need – I need Baby to stop getting smashed up every time she’s on screen! It’s traumatic! And in this ep, Dean’s body was the actual weapon used against her. Talk about adding insult to injury…His response to the Golem was funny, though (was that a girly scream I heard, Dean?) as was his reaction to being thrown across the parking lot (“Ow, my spleen!”).

I actually thought it was pretty cool that Dean knew enough about those poisoned darts to realize that killing the spell-caster would stop the spell. This is not the first time we’ve seen Dean reference/use magic this season, either. He also squished a soul inside his own arm, released the soul later on, and then reanimated Benny’s lifeless (not to mention skin and internal organ-less) body. Where did Dean learn all this advanced magic? Purgatory, maybe? And, more importantly, will this knowledge come in handy in the future? I hope so, because Sorcerer!Dean is pretty darn awesome.

I also like that Dean is hesitant to allow untrained soldiers into the battle. He and Sam have lost more people in their lives than anyone ever should, and they realize just how quickly even the most experienced warriors can fall. So, I get Dean’s trepidation about Aaron taking control of the Golem and joining the fight. That said, both Sam and Dean respected Aaron’s right to make the decision, and I think Aaron – and his pet Golem – may prove to be powerful allies in the future.

Sam: Oh, Sammy, you are my hero – you get hit in the neck with a black-magic dart, and still manage to carry the red ledger to safety. You rock! Next time, though, maybe pull the dart out right away? That would be my first instinct. Maybe he knew Dean needed to actually see what type of dart it was to know what they were dealing with. I could buy that.

In any case, I love that Sam was the one who figured out the book-switch – that kind of clue is right up his alley. I also love how, while Dean was busy soaking up the Bat Cave’s comfort and style, Sam instantly gravitated to the files. All that information, all that history…As I watched both brothers settle into the Men of Letters’ hideout, I couldn’t help but wonder if they had, in some way, finally found their home. It has beautiful old things for Dean to enjoy, it has tons of info for Sammy to organize and update, and it has a wealth of knowledge that both of them could use as hunters. I can see this as their “place.” I can see Sam embracing being a Man of Letters, I can see Dean continuing to be a hunter, and I can see this as the place that unites them. Maybe Sam’s dreams of college are going away for good, replaced by a destiny he was meant for all along – to be a scholar in the world of the supernatural.

As far as Golems go, Sam’s bafflement matched mine – I, too, thought they weren’t supposed to be able to talk. I also thought erasing a letter on the creature’s body was a way to stop him (the scroll thing was even cooler, though). I definitely felt for Aaron, how upset he was that they were trying to find a way to kill his Golem, but I really couldn’t blame Sam and Dean – I mean, something that powerful, in the wrong hands? Bad. Very bad.

Baby: Despite the repeated window-smashings, I can’t deny how nice it is to see her gleaming, silver-black skin on my screen every week. Last year, it made sense with the plotline to put her in storage, but it hurt the show a little. The Metallicar is – and always has been – the third star of Supernatural. Taking away that element was like stripping out the rock music, or not having the witty, pop-culture-reference episode titles. It wasn’t right, and I didn’t realize how much I missed Baby until she finally came back. Hopefully, the show won’t make the same mistake twice – I need the Impala, and so does Dean.

The Golem: Soft-spoken, enormous, and scary-powerful – this guy (along with his wimpy, I-can’t-believe-this-is-all-real human handler) had my attention all episode long. I love that he could talk, I love that he left clay behind after smashing the bookshelf, and I love most of all the emotion he displayed in quieter moments: talking about what the Nazis had done, coming to trust Sam and Dean, expressing gratitude that his master had finally stepped up and taken charge. Wonderful, A+ acting. Wonderful, A+ storyline.

Other Notes: Why didn’t the Nazis use that fire spell against Sam, Dean and Co.? It seemed pretty powerful. I get not using it when Sam was holding the book – the ledger might’ve burned, too – but why not use it later? Speaking of fire, how hilarious was it that Sam and Dean were actually warming their hands over a burning corpse? And poor Aaron’s reaction: “These guys are insane!” Another funny moment: Aaron’s “I thought we had a connection” scene with Dean. So well-played on both sides. Not many people could trick Dean, but that really threw him off the scent!

Final thoughts: Great emotion, great characters, great story. I really like both Aaron and the Golem, and would love to see them back as allies in the future. Would also love to see a lot more of the Bat Cave. Dean can use it at a place to shower in style and pick up new cases – he’s a hunter, born and bred, and he always will be. Sam, OTOH, has always searched for something more. He has felt out of step with the hunting life, and maybe this legacy will give him what he’s been yearning for. This can be a place for both of them: a true home, and a long overdue one, at that.

Supernatural Review: Episode 8×12 As Time Goes By

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Review of Episode 8×12: As Time Goes By
by castiello

Overall: I feel like I’ve gone back in time to a previous season – and that ain’t a bad thing. This was an “old school” ep, full of Winchester family history, bonds, and oh yes, dysfunction. The boys talked about how they were raised, a cool demon made snarky remarks, and Baby filled up my screen in all her gleaming glory. That, my friends, is an episode of Supernatural.

Dean: Here we got to see Dean as we know and love him – sticking up for John, protecting Sammy at all costs (Dean even called him “Sammy” – how great was that?), and reading Henry the riot act for not realizing that family comes first. These are the qualities that made me fall in love with Dean way back in Season One. I wish the writers hadn’t strayed from this version of Dean in the first place, but I am very glad to have him back.

Seems after everything that’s happened, including finding out about Adam, Dean’s love for John has never truly wavered. Dean still defends John’s child-rearing choices, and holds a hard grudge against Henry for making John feel abandoned as a young boy. The main thing that’s changed about Dean? After all the demon-deals, the time travel, and the short time he spent as Death, Dean has finally learned that you don’t screw around with the timeline. You don’t bring people back from the dead, you don’t try to rewrite history, and you sure as heck don’t take a chance on restarting the apocalypse. Dean, you make me proud :).

Sam: Just like with Dean, we have the return of “old Sam” – the guy who says, “Hey, let’s hear him out,” or “Hey, maybe there’s a good reason for this,” or “Hey, let’s not shoot him until we have all the facts.” In contrast to Dean’s “You hurt my Daddy – prepare to meet my fist” attitude, Sam seeks to understand why things happened the way they did. He gives Henry the benefit of the doubt. He even gives John the benefit of the doubt, wondering whether Henry’s abandonment caused some of John’s failings as a parent. And, in the end, Sam finds some solace in knowing more of his family history and the “whys” of it all – a bookish, philosophical quality that apparently comes from John’s side of the family. Who would have thought?

Henry: “A man of letters,” eh? Interesting. Very interesting. When they first showed him, I thought he was a wizard of some kind. This idea was strengthened by the fact that he did a spell. However, as it turned out, he is more about chronicling magic than actually using it. His derogatory attitude toward hunters was funny. Apparently, his son and grandsons wound up in a lower “class” of the supernatural community, and this guy was not pleased. Henry’s supernatural snobbery didn’t lower my opinion of him, though – in fact, he became more and more endearing to me as the episode went on. He seemed to develop genuine fondness for both Sam and Dean – a sharp contrast to Grandpa Campbell, who left the boys to die in hopes of resurrecting Mary.

In fact, I saw Henry as a kind of redemption for the writers, after screwing up Samuel’s character so badly in Season Six. Mitch Pileggi – and the fans – deserved better. So did Sam and Dean. I’m glad they finally got to experience what real love from a grandparent is supposed to feel like.

Another reason to love Henry’s character: Great taste in cars! Obviously, he couldn’t have recognized the Impala, since it was made after his time. Nonetheless he was drawn to it – probably partly because it was the most similar-looking vehicle to the ones he was used to, but I also like to think that all Winchester men have a special connection to the Metallicar. 🙂

Henry’s shock and heartbreak when he learned of John’s death rang very true, as did Henry’s anguish at Dean’s words. I really felt for Grandpa Winchester as he tried to go back and change things – to be there for John instead of leaving on that fateful night. Henry desperately wanted to fix what he’d broken, even though we all knew it wasn’t possible. I wish Henry didn’t have to die, but anyone who is willing to lay down his life for our boys wins a permanent spot in this gal’s heart. My only complaint about his death is that it seemed like there wasn’t much effort to prevent it. Henry walked in knowing he was going to die, and I feel like Dean would have tried to plan a way where everyone would at least have a chance of making it out alive, even if the odds weren’t good.

Other Notes: We got an official name for the demon-killing knife. I’ve already forgotten it, but still, it was cool to learn what the knife is actually called. We also learned that: there is a special class of demons that the knife doesn’t work on, there exists a physical key to all magical knowledge, a bullet with a devil’s trap can keep a demon in her body, Sam and Dean keep angel feathers in the Impala (Cass: “Here you go – I plucked a few. Use ’em if you need ’em.”), and humans can tap their own souls and time travel on their own – no angels required. Regarding that last item, I might’ve been annoyed if time-travel was just some spell that any random dabbler could do, but the inclusion of angel feathers and the mention of using the human soul to power the journey made it fit with the previous mythology. I like it when things fit :).

Final thoughts: This ep was a throwback in all the best ways. The humor was flying fast and furious – I think I laughed out loud at least five times, especially at Dean’s “mouth-breathing hunters” comment. Family connections were at the heart and soul of the story, and the end of the episode had that melancholy ache to it that used to be Supernatural‘s standard tone for closing an ep. So, by my count, we’ve had three awesome, wonderfully redemptive episodes in a row. Shall we try for four? 😉

Supernatural Review: Episode 8×11 LARP and the Real Girl

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Review of Episode 8×11: “LARP and the Real Girl”
by castiello

Overall: Okay, I’ll admit it – in general, I’m not a huge fan of the humor episodes. Yes, they’re funny and they’re enjoyable to watch, but I typically don’t wear out my DVD player re-watching eps like “Hellhounds” and “Tall Tales.” “LARP and the Real Girl,” however, is an exception to the rule. Despite being a laugh-fest, there was a note of true friendship that has been sorely lacking this season. This episode had a healing quality that I – and many other fans – desperately needed.

Dean: In this episode, Dean was quietly sensitive, doing whatever he could to try to help Sam let go of Amelia. We finally had some recognition that Sam choosing normal with Amelia wasn’t so different from Dean choosing normal with Ben and Lisa. Dean empathized with Sam. Dean was supportive. Color me a happy fan.

Dean also got to heart-to-heart with Charlie a bit, which was nice. When we lost Bobby, the boys lost their best confidant. So, it was cool to see Dean open up to Charlie and let her know what-all’s been going on. There was a definite nod to Dean and Lisa’s relationship in this conversation, and it made me wonder whether the show is aiming for a reunion between them. If we’re in the last season (and I still have no idea if we are), then I can see that as a possible series-ender: Sam with Amelia, Dean with Lisa. However, I think the majority of fans would rather see the series end with the brothers sitting side-by-side in the Impala, riding off to the next hunt.

My only complaint about the conversation with Charlie is that she said it’s Dean’s fault Sam had to give up Amelia. Huh? Last time I checked, Sam made his own decision to leave Amelia behind. Both times. Another minor quibble: Dean sent Charlie back to camp on her own? What the crap? They were in the middle of the woods, and there was a magical killer on the loose. Not something Dean would do, just like Sam wouldn’t have ditched Martin in the woods with a hungry vamp on the prowl. Writing OOC actions just to progress the plot is not cool.

Sam: What a sweetie he was in this episode – most especially the ending, when he said they both needed some fun. He seemed to finally recognize what Dean had been through in Purgatory, and that things hadn’t been any easier for Dean this past year-and-a-half than they were for Sam. This is what I like to see – the brothers looking out for each other and supporting each other. This is what hooked me on the show in the first place. You can have all the awesome, magical, demonic stories you want, but only two things keep me from changing the channel: Sam and Dean.

Back to Sam, though – I’m still not sure what he’s given up: A normal life with Amelia, or a normal life, period? He said in this ep that while there’s nothing to do yet in regards to the demon tablet, he and Dean might as well hunt. It looks like Sam still views hunting as a filler activity – not something he wants to do forever. Does this mean Sam is planning to go to college as soon as the demons are locked up? I feel like I need to know. I feel like Dean does, too.

Sam’s little interaction with the girl in the tech tent was pretty adorable. I like how he and Dean got the same info via different channels. I also like how Sam was the one urging restraint in the woods, when Dean took out his gun to threaten the orcs. Good characterization for both of them – level-headed Sam, and shoot-first Dean. 🙂 Both of whom, by the way, looked ridiculous with their faces painted.

Oh, and how great was it when Dean was delivering the Braveheart speech? Or when Sam said, “It’s the only one he knows”? Sam’s gentle tone, the affection in his voice, just made my heart melt. With one stupid, silly, throwaway line, I felt for the first time in a long time that Sam still loves his brother.

Charlie: The first ep she appeared in suffered from some bad writing/editing, so I’m glad she got to come back and really shine in this one. She was a great, sympathetic-but-unbiased sounding board for Dean, and she was an awesome Moon Queen. Her fear at facing the creepy stag-skull creature in the forest was palpable. Her excitement over the hot fairy was too funny. She did an all-around great job, and I’d love to see her back again, as a friend and partner to our boys.

Minor Characters: The cop in this ep was flat-out hilarious. I loved every second he was on screen. It’s rare that someone with such a minor role manages to steal scenes, but this guy did it. “I’m gonna go dip myself in hand sanitizer.” ROFL! Also, the orc in the stockades deserves a mention, as well, for his humorous performances both in- and out-of- character.

Random Notes: I guessed who the bad guy was pretty quickly, but it didn’t detract at all from my enjoyment of the episode. As soon as fairies were mentioned, though, I expected some reference to Dean’s previous encounter with these creatures back in Season Six. That was a missed opportunity if I ever saw one. Also, after the battle inside the magical tent, the camera did not pan onto Sam. Until the book was destroyed, Sam was being strangled by a suit of armor – I needed a quick shot of him to make sure he was okay!

Final Thoughts: Like an ice-cold Coke on a beastly-hot day, this episode hit the spot. Not only did it taste great, but it also filled me up in a very satisfying way. I probably won’t re-watch “Ghostfacers” for another few years, but I think “LARP and the Real Girl” might get a viewing or two in the meantime. 🙂