Quick Reaction: 6x17 My Heart Will Go On

[hells_half_acre]

Hello! Back after another long hiatus, yay! I have a friend visiting this week, so no ipod music for cut-text, instead I'm going to use a song from the show...and no, not that one...

So, show starts off with a drinking Bobby....

 

No, wait, that's not right...it starts off with a very elaborate death, wherein as soon as I see that guy prop his garage door open with a steel pipe, I knew that thing was going to come down on his neck SOMEHOW...it was comical and cringe-worthy. 

 

Then, we get Bobby drinking...I love the boys argument about who should say something :) And then they rock paper scissors and Sam chooses PAPER?! My reaction: "Sam forgot?!" I immediately started worrying that something was wrong with Sam! Of course, what this actually is our first clue that something is rotten in the state of Denmark South Dakota well, the state of everything.

The first time it REALLY hits though, is after Bobby kicks the boys out of the house and they head out to the scrap yard and climb into their '65 Ford Mustang!?!?!  THAT'S when I realized that we were in another AU...It's a Terrible Life on a global scale.(Trivia point: The '65 Mustang was what Kripke originally thought Sam and Dean would drive, until he ran it by his car-enthusiast neighbour and they recommended the Impala instead.)

 

The boys head off to investigate headless garage guy. Sam finds a GOLD THREAD! Which he can tell is cold by rubbing it on a clay pot? I did not know you could do this with gold....
 

They split up to go to the library and talk to another cousin of the dudes that had been killed. Dean sort of botches that interview...comically so. Also, it's kind of funny to see a short guy try to be intimating when Dean is towering over him....who was the director on this? Phil? I've never seen Jensen look so tall....besides when I saw him in RL.

 

In the meantime, death #2 happens. This time, we see time stop, as our "villain" shows up and plants that which will kill our victim. Choked by a copier. I love the signs in her office: "Cuba: America's #1 Holiday Destination" and "Win a Trip to Visit Detroit! Voted America's Top City!" Cuba might be Canada's #1 Holiday Destination...we like the novelty of going someplace where there aren't any Americans. (Sadly, all that happens is that we realize that Canadians have just as much capacity to be completely obnoxious...I don't know why Cubans put up with us...oh right, money.)

That's when Ellen...oh, did I not mention Ellen?! Because guys, ELLEN IS ALIVE! So is Jo! Ellen is looking after Bobby, because...dun dun dun...she's his WIFE! She also has brown hair. Anyway, Ellen puts it together that all these people's families came over to the states on the same boat...some boat called THE TITANIC! In no time, Sam has magically tracked down the history of the titanic, including the first-mate I.P. Freely...who looks remarkably like Balthazar. 

 

Dean summons Balthazar and we find out that Balthazar and I have something in common. We both hated that movie - and the Celine Dion song that went with it. 

 

(Also, nicer hotels in AU!)

 

"Who's Celine Dion?" "Some destitute lounge singer somewhere in Quebec, and let's keep it that way." -> Awesome.

 

The boys also find out that if Balthazar goes back to sink the boat, Ellen and Jo die....again. :( So, instead they go try to find and stop fate....who Bobby figures is trying to clean up the mess.

 

Oh, also, I love Balthazar saying "I think you're confusing me with the angel that wears a trench coat and is in love with you"...and I don't even like shipping in this fandom.

 

The boys start stalking the dude that Dean unsuccessfully interviewed, but he ends up getting hit by a bus in front of them...I love Sam's face when it happens.

 

Sam then sees Fate through a dirty window. "What'd she look like?" "She kinda looked like a librarian." "You're kind of librarian or my kind of librarian?" "Well, she was wearing clothes, if that's what you mean." 

 

She turns on all the gas and tries to kill them! (Gas must not smell like rotten eggs in the AU). Luckily, Cas transports them to "White Russia" - which, I believe is SUPPOSED to go by the name of Belarus in reality.  He tells them that Fate hates them because they stopped the apocalypse, and that they need to kill her.

So, the boys go back to "tempt fate" - which is an hilarious sequence of them coming across many potentially deadly situations and trying to remain calm. I love Sam running through the juggling with his eyes closed.

 

Finally, as an air conditioner starts to fall on their heads, time stops and Fate and Castiel talk...and here's where the truth comes out. Balthazar didn't hate the movie - he was acting on Castiel's orders. Castiel needs more human souls for some reason...there's been hints all season that human souls are very important in what is going on...(remember Death's hint to Dean that it was "about the souls"). I'm really interested to see how this all comes together.

 

But anyway, this is where I really started to like Fate. She's not a villain. She's like Death. She's part of the natural order, and the natural orde has gotten disturbed...and not so much because of the apocalypse being thwarted, but also because of the chaos in Heaven. More than that though, Fate is correct - you can't just mint more money when your country is going bankrupts (because it will lead to hyperinflation). I love the fact that we have another non-evil entity, and not only that, but someone who obviously knows more about what Castiel is doing, and what kinds of "regrettable things" he's been up to. I have a feeling Castiel is messing up majorly. He won't tell the boys what's happening, because he knows THEY'LL take him to task...but Balthazar has loose morals to begin with. I have a feeling that Dean telling Castiel that he needs better friends might be right on the money.

 

So, Castiel sees the error of his ways and sinks the boat. Dean and Sam wake up in the Impala...and awww...Sam is sleeping. So cute. I love it when they sleep....uh, *ah hem* sorry...

 

I love Dean's line of "what are you doing dreaming my dreams?" or whatever he says...basically, they both had "this crazy dream"...Castiel shows up and tells them that it was all real...and that he wanted them to remember. I'm not sure what his end-game is here. Does he want them to think that he did it for them? Does he subconsciously want them to take him to task and is hoping to have his shenanigans called out?

 

It's also interesting that they kept repeating the sentiment that it "dying is different than never being born." - this was first introduced in The Song Remains the Sam, and I wonder if it has any significance beyond the obvious....

 

The boys head into Bobby's to find him sleeping on the couch. They decide never to tell him about the AU. Dean then goes and does the cute "cover your loved one with a blanket when they fall asleep on the couch" thing.

 

Then I think the episode ends.

 

So, yeah, they're definitely leading up to some major angel-storyline for the final episodes, I think. And something about the souls...here, they were related to currency, and before they've been related to power....money and power? money IS power....the plot thickens.

 

 

Until next week (for which I am already a little spoiled...but don't spoil anything in the comments, in case someone else out there isn't...)

 
 

Comments

[missyjack.livejournal.com]

So much love for this episode - very clever script, and i too adored Fate (can we have a scene where she and Death and Tessa compare their jobs?) Cas seemed very keen to emphasis that what dodgy things he's doing is about Freedom. Now we know noone ever does anything bad under that banner...

I love that they have a sound economic basis for why Cas wants souls!!! But it makes me wonder about those souls in purgatory (and Hell for that matter) and what other back room deals Cas might be doing.

Also the Bobby and Ellen scenes were v. moving, as was Dean tucking in Bobby at the end. Great ep. i think these last five are gonna be one helluva ride!

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Oh Fate and Tessa could have such an epic bitching session about the crap they have to put up with :P Personally, I just love true neutral characters - Death and Fate are two great examples.

I'm really curious as to the soul-economy! Because we still don't know why Crowley wanted Purgatory...but I'm thinking that it might be like an untapped goldmine in the angel/demon economy. But HOW souls fuel the economy/war is the question...

I definitely think we're in for a ride until the May finale! I can't wait (even though I know I'll be super sad when it's over).

I always love Jim Beaver's serious scenes...he always knows how to break my heart. Sam Ferris too! I love how they can be so quietly effective in their acting.

[akadougal.livejournal.com]

Your brain in my brain. This is everything I pretty much thought.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Great minds think alike and fools seldom differ!

:)

[franztastisch]

I loved that Ellen came back, if only for a bit. :D And I think Cas wants to be called on his bullshit. I get the impression that Balthazar is stringing him on somewhat.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I'm wary of putting too much of the blame on Balthazar...yeah, I don't think it helps to have an amorall angel as his second in command, but at the same time, I think Castiel knows full well what he's doing and is just making horrible decisions.

I think he definitely wants to be called on his bullshit.

It's always great to see Ellen. I'm lucky because Sam Ferris is a DJ on a radio station in town, so occasionally I can still at least hear her voice!

[franztastisch]

Yeah, I don't mean that its all Balthazar's fault, cos Cas now knows enough to be aware that what he's doing is wrong, but I don't think he has a particularly good influence.

Sam Ferris is clearly awesome then. :D

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Definitely not a good influence. He's probably fully supportive of Castiel's more morally ambiguous decisions. I think Dean is right and Castiel needs better friends.

[franztastisch]

But then again, I reckon Cas is a little strapped for good friends. Cos he was the first to rebel, and he had the Winchesters to get a moral compass off. If you don't have that influence, never had that influence, and then are free to do whatever you want, you're more likely to turn out like Balthazar than Cas. Cos if you've always had to do what you're told, and then get total freedom, you'd want to piss around a lot. I know I would.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I'd actually argue that the Winchesters WERE a moral influence. Cas KNOWS what he is doing is wrong. He knows that Dean and Sam wouldn't agree with his decisions, which is why he's not telling them anything. They're the ones that pointed out the amorality of the orders he was following.

I do think that going from being dependent on orders, to the one giving the orders, without any sort of transition, is probably not sitting well with Cas. But I don't think it's out of a frivolous attitude that you usually get with people who suddenly find themselves free to do what they want. I think Castiel's bad decisions are weighing very heavily on him, and that they're all made out of a desperation to end the war.

I think if Cas's version of pissing around is hanging out with the Winchesters and ignoring heaven. He's making mistakes yeah, but he's definitely not making his decisions or taking his position lightly.

[franztastisch]

Sorry, I think you misunderstood me. I'm saying that Cas is the exception BECAUSE he had Sam and Dean. Cos non of the other angles had a moral compass like that, they end up doing what they like, like Balthazar. Cas knows whatever he's doing is wrong BECAUSE he had the Winchesters as a moral compass and he know's they'd disapprove. So the other rebelled angels, without any moral compass, are more likely to turn out like Balthazar and therefore Cas is stuck for better friends. Make sense? Or is this a load of b/s?

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Ooooo....ok, that DOES make sense. Sorry I misunderstood. I was kinda rushed reading and responding and whatnot. It's been a stressful week. :P

Sounds like you and I are in agreement after all! :)

[franztastisch]

Hey no worries. Despite English being my first (and only) language, I'm quite bad at communicating. :P

[trystan830.livejournal.com]

awesome review!

i can has next week now?

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And yes, next week now please!

[trystan830.livejournal.com]

welcome!

and as i told someone in my LJ, i wanted next week last week! =)

[dairygirl.livejournal.com]

I love how badly Castiel lies about why Balthazar unsinks the Titanic and the boys don't call him on it. Castiel's people skills are quite rusty after all but yeah, definitely morally ambigious with his actions. And I wonder, is Balthazar taking orders from Castiel just because it sows more chaos or is there something more to it?

And don't forget with the line it is "I think you're confusing me with the angel that wears a dirty trench coat and is in love with you". I wonder if he's had words with Castiel about his choice of attire?

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think Castiel has definitely gotten himself into trouble...but then, who can blame him. War is shit and morals and principals are always the first to go it seems...especially when you're losing.

I often wonder what Castiel smells like...I mean...he NEVER CHANGES. :P

[ashmeadows.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode so much, and reading your review brought it all back to the front of my mind again. Great one-liners -- loved the librarian quip! -- and the boys were awesome. I squealed when they did the rock-paper-scissors thing.

I cannot wait to see how the angel war plays out...it's really starting to ramp up and get intriguing now.

Also wanted to let you know...I'm officially going to VanCon this year! I got my tickets the other day. :)

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

AWESOME! Closer to VanCon, I'll do a post and maybe arrange a little meet-up for anyone who is interested. Maybe just at the fountain outside the Wall centre for a quick hello before the whole thing starts up - for people who are interested anyway. I know there are a couple people on my flist going, and I think it'd be cool to have faces to go with the usernames in my comments section!

I'm VERY intrigued with the plot this season...they've got so many threads being woven at once!

I always love when they play rock-paper-scissors...but yeah, my jaw hit the floor when Sam choose Paper. Maybe in the AU Sam always chooses paper? That'd be hilarious.

[mattheal.livejournal.com]

OOoooh! I didn't really connect the whole rock-paper-scissors as a sign of AU! Good catch! It briefly occurred to me that this was a funny thing to finally pull out his trump card on.

Fate was great! I really enjoyed her as well and loved that we didn't see her sisters but that they 'are bigger and badder than me in ever way imaginable.'

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Well, Dean still threw scissors...so it would have been Sam purposefully losing :P It just occurred to me that it's possible in the AU that maybe Sam always throws Paper...that thought makes me laugh.

I loved Fate. I'd say that I'd love to see her again (or her sisters), but of course, I wouldn't want her current awesomeness to be spoiled either.

[cappy712.livejournal.com]

Have to say makes me wonder if the idea of Balthazar sending the boys into the other AU The French Mistake.... Could Castiel have been the one who ordered Balthazar to send the boys into the other realm????

[katsheswims.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we find that out in the episode. Balthazar was working for Cas and went to the boys to create a distraction so he could gather the weapons for Cas. I'm assuming Cas told him to go to the brothers so they could distract Raphael and his men.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we don't know who first tabled the idea - but Castiel approved it and admitted as much.

I definitely think that the problem with Castiel having Balthazar as his wingman, is that Balthazar will only ENCOURAGE bad decisions. Castiel should team up with someone willing to call him on his bullshit...like Dean and Sam.

[khek.livejournal.com]

I wonder if Castiel isn't as in charge as he thinks. Or if there's someone else working with him. He obviously has some secrets he's not sharing with the boys.

The mustang made me laugh so much...especially those big orange stripes, and watching Sam fold himself into it. Balthazar's glee at announcing something like "there's no such thing as an impala" made me wonder if he had some kind of hand in that! I did wonder if Sam and Dean had had an easier life in that world...between the car and their obvious comfort with Sam and Ellen (and Jo, by extension). Poor guyss!

I can't wait until next week!

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

After the Impala, that Mustang really did look a bit puny and...well...not nearly manly enough for the boys. (My apologies to manly mustang enthusiasts).

I think Castiel might be up shit creek without a paddle.

I can't wait for next week either!

[cordelia-gray.livejournal.com]

This episode turned out way better than I was expecting! The rock-paper-scissors thing was my first clue too, but the car clinched it. I hadn't heard that story about Kripke originally wanting a Mustang-SO GLAD they went with the Impala instead. Sam's AU green shirt was very nice, though :)

So happy that we're finding out more about the "regrettable things" Cas said he had to do back in the beginning of the season. I can't help but wonder if the whole issue of Sam's soul is connected somehow. Did Cas have ulterior motives for not wanting Dean to put his soul back?

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that green shirt was AU...further analysis is needed. Sam DID have a lovely brown coat that I'm not sure I've ever seen before.

Ooo...yeah...maybe there was another reason Castiel was mad about the resouling...because I always thought that it was better for the soul to be in a comatose Sam than still being tortured in hell. Do you think maybe the soul wasn't in hell? I mean, what if Castiel had gotten it out somehow and had been using it for something? Nah...that's a bit farfetched, and Death would have mentioned it, I think...still, the plot thickens! I definitely think Sam's soul is connected with all of this.

[katsheswims.livejournal.com]

Well, I know gold is soft, so maybe rubbing that thin a piece of it against something will be like a pastel or something?

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I guess so! Obviously Sam knows more about precious metals than I do!

[lusciniate.livejournal.com]

Totally not important but
(Gas must not smell like rotten eggs in the AU)
didn't they open the door to that room? I understood that the gas was collecting in a adjacent room so they could have not smelled it, especially if the doors were closed? No? The lighter ignited in the moment they opened the door, so they wouldn't have had the time to stop the action even if they noticed the smell in that time.

Anyway I love your reviews :) A great beginning for sorting everything out after an episode :)

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Oh! You're right. It was hard to tell because it was so dark in there, but I remember them opening the door now. They probably smelled it just as it ignited.

I'm glad you like the reviews! :)

[focaccina.livejournal.com]

Actually, the thing with the gold thread is this:
It's a test to find out if a material is gold or not, by rubbing it on unglazed ceramic. If the residue is gold, then you have yourself some real gold. If the residue is black, that means you have yourself some fake stuff.
Since gold is softer than the ceramic, the gold should break down instead of leaving a scratch on the ceramic.
There's actually a lot of ways to test for gold, but I guess Sam just used whatever he had on hand.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'm just impressed that he knew that. I don't know any ways to test for gold off the top of my head - besides "if it turns your finger green, it is not a gold ring."

I guess Hunters have to know their metals though, seeing as how Sam and Dean can also spot real silver from a mile away too.

[focaccina.livejournal.com]

The thing he did is actually high school chemistry stuff. I remember studying about the Mohs Scale of hardness back then (albeit not in detail)

Hunters have got to have a really good eye for spotting silver then, seeing as there is no surefire test for it except by using acid! :P

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

And here is where I have to admit that chemistry was my worst subject in high school. :P

[focaccina.livejournal.com]

Ahaha, chemistry wasn't one of my best subjects either, but I really do like it, so I remember a thing or two about it ;D

[marlowe78.livejournal.com]

But anyway, this is where I really started to like Fate. She's not a villain. She's like Death. She's part of the natural order, and the natural orde has gotten disturbed...and not so much because of the apocalypse being thwarted, but also because of the chaos in Heaven. More than that though, Fate is correct - you can't just mint more money when your country is going bankrupts
I loved her too. She was a great choice as Fate (the actress) and her reasoning was correct. Also, I felt for her. She's been one of three who ALWAYS knew what was gonna happen, and now, all of a sudden, everything's a mess and she DOESN'T know anymore. Only thing she knows is that the Titanic has to be sunk or the souls taken away that don't belong.

I loved the mystery around Castiel. He's reminding me of 2014Dean, in a way.
Dean turned into the closed-hearted leader, doing what he'd NEVER wanted: sacrificing people. And Cas is doing something in Heaven that we don't know yet, but he hates it, and he'd rather have peace.

War kills souls, and ain't that the truth.

I'd have liked Dean and Sam to call Cas on the very bad pokerface he had in the end. Didn't seem right to let him get away with that...

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Ooo...very good comparison between 2014!Dean and current!Castiel. Poor Castiel.

Yeah, I really think that the boys missed an opportunity there to call Cas out - it really was a very bad pokerface. You could argue that the boys are still too concerned about Bobby to think about Castiel - but, really, Cas needs to be called out on obvious lies like that.