Quick Reaction: 6x21 Let It Bleed and 6x22 The Man Who Knew Too Much

[hells_half_acre]

Alright boys and girls....here we go...

Two episodes, two different cut texts, two sets of lyrics that I pulled from the songs my iPod shuffled to on the walk home...


6x21 LET IT BLEED

I don't know what the title reference is, but I love it. 

So, we open with HP Lovecraft - I must admit, I've never READ HP Lovecraft, but I've read ABOUT HP Lovecraft so much that I feel I have - (this is the same with Animal Farm, 1984, and Catch 22.) 

 

Then we find out that Castiel didn't just stop in for a visit, he stopped in to steal a journal - Moisha(sp?) Campbell's journal...I'm guessing the first name comes from the maternal side. Luckily Bobby had copies! Bobby ALSO has a great line about how he's a paranoid bastard - ILU BOBBY!

 

And then demons attack Lisa and Ben! OH NOES!

 

Ben's call to Dean is heartbreakingly perfect. I love how Sam reacts without even hearing the other side of the conversation. And it's Crowley! Who has Dean's "ex-lady-friend and not-kid" - awww, Dean's family is so precious and f*cked up.

 

Crowley's really wanting Dean and Sam to sit out, isn't he. Man...

You know what's odd - the boys always pray to Cas, but they SUMMON Balthazar. I guess they figure Cas cares about them so he'll come, but maybe there's some rule that no one can ignore a direct summons. I was a little concerned about them using the hood of the car for the summing ritual, but then I realized that it wasn't the Impala, so no worries! 

 

Which reminds me - I like how the majority of this episode took place in Bobby's scrapeyard. I mean...I liked that Dean and Sam actually stayed stationary while Bobby went out hunting for a change. Though, I do wonder where they got their demon-supply. Remember back in the day when demons were thin on the ground?

 

So, Bobby is off trying to find the information that Castiel is following. I liked his line about hot the huge Lovecraft dude must be "catnip for the ladies" and then his explosion when he says "NOTHING IS EVERY FRIENDLY!" Oh Bobby...you're wrong, one thing was VERY friendly.

 

So, cut back to Dean torturing - which, I mean, there was so much torturing this season, I really thought it was going to be a "thing"...but I suppose it's just a coincidence. Anyway, with their weird spontaneous supply of demons, Dean is going to town while fueled on coffee, whiskey, and "whatever else you've been taking." - I like this oblique reference to the pills Dean always seems to have on hand. I'm kind of proud of Sam for abstaining from that particular vice, but geez, it's kind of scary to think of someone as trained as Dean basically fueled by a drug cocktail (both over and under the counter).

Balthazar confronts Cas, and yeah...apparently taking in that many souls makes Cas a giant bomb that is either going to become all powerful or blow up and take out half the planet. Yikes.

 

Then Bobby sees the old dude from the 1930s and discovers that whatever came through the door that Lovecraft opened, entered his mother...and he has a picture! Yay! Only BOBBY KNOWS! And believe it or not, I had already forgotten about the "Then" and though "Oh man, it better not be Lisa, because that would make NO sense." All we see is "Eleanor 1935" on the back of the photograph.

 

Back at the ranch, Dean's manly boot smudges the devils trap and a demon gets loose and goes into choke-mode. Then Castiel shows up and saves the day! And it's like OLD TIMES!

 

Only...only it's not. And here we get into one of those delicious, but sticky, grey areas...because, guys, Castiel has a point. He has ALWAYS been there for Dean, and all he's asking for is a bit of faith...that Dean trust that Cas is doing this so that he can beat Raphael and save the day. And, yeah, I see his point. I mean, he's kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. What the heck else is he supposed to do?

 

But he IS in the wrong here, no matter how you shake it, opening Purgatory is always a bad idea....and it flies right in the face of Dean's morals. So, of course Dean has to stand against him, even though it pains him terribly.

 

Bobby goes to a cabin in the woods and meets Prof. Visyak. Eleanor. Oh man, I'm was so excited to have her back - and have them have a scene together...and it was awesome. I love the whole thing, Bobby's lines about "You think you could have mentioned you were a monster when you were sleeping with me?" and "Not that I'm complaining, but you did lie about your age..." So awesome. I wanted her to survive and for them to live happily ever after hunting monsters together....but yeah, as soon as she said that he was "just a man" and that she could take care of herself, I knew it was over for her...and I don't mean that misogynistically people!

 

Meanwhile, Balthazar shows back up at the Winchesters and tells them that he's going to be their double agent, and that Crowley doesn't trust Castiel...and some funny line about marriage that I unfortunately can't read my own writting on (yes, so sue me, I took notes - I didn't trust myself to remember two full episodes...sadly, between being absorbed in the show and drinking, I took very poor notes.)

 

Anyway, they find out where Lisa and Ben are and Dean and Sam go in to kick ass and take names. Sam, unfortunately, gets knocked out and dragged into a room. I wish they had thrown him in with Lisa and Ben, because that would have been hilarious. I mean, personally, if I were an ex-girlfriend of Dean's that had been kidnapped by demons and then they threw Dean's unconscious brother into the room, I'd be like "Score! Only a matter of time now..."  Plus, you know, it would have been nice for Ben to bond with Unconscious!UncleSam. Awww, family bonding, Winchester-style.

 

Of course, the way Dean DID make his entrance was awesome. I love how they hear the punches and someone hitting the floor - and then one demons goes out, and they hear more punches and a body hitting the floor...and then two demons go out, and then one demon comes flying back in while the last life flashes out of him. Awesome. 

 

It's not awesome though, because Lisa is secretly a demon. Now...personally, if I was a crazy hunter and I decided to shack up with some woman and her kid, one of the first family excursions would be "Family Tattoos!" YAY! But apparently Dean did not think that far ahead...or behind...or whatever...

 

I did like how they teased us with the uncertainty of Ben's linage. Demon!Lisa saying that Ben was Dean's son, and you can see on Dean's face that he actually might want to believe her - or be terrified that she's telling the truth - and then her saying that Lisa doesn't actually know because she's a slut....I mean, yes, horribly insulting to Lisa, but also pretty cool.

 

It's a hell of an introduction to hunting for Ben though. Hey Ben, your mum is dying, grab this knife and this shotgun and cover your dad while he carries her out of the building - no time for you to go into shock SLAP IN THE FACE! FIRE THE GUN! DON'T MOURN THE DEAD OR THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE! 

 

But they make it to the hospital and get Lisa all hooked up to machines...and Dean gives an apology worthy of the Tenth Doctor...but it's not enough to make it better. Cas shows up and Dean says that Lisa will be dead by midnight - and Cas apologizes too, but Dean's already made that decision. Still, Cas heals Lisa anyway, and then Dean asks for one last favour....

 

And yeah, MEMORY WIPE! Well, that's one way to "kill off" characters. It's heartbreakingly sad, and probably amoral - as Sam tries to point out - but DEAN WILL BREAK YOUR NOSE GODDAMMIT!

 

My friend Kathleen pointed out that if Dean REALLY wanted to protect them, he'd wipe them from his OWN memory - because if he doesn't care about them, they can't be used as leverage against him. She also pointed out that Dean really shouldn't be driving when he's an emotional crying mess...that's how accidents happen!

 

So, we leave Lisa and Ben with no memory of Dean....does this mean that Lisa can't remember the weekend that they spent together back in the 90s? Does this mean that Castiel also went to their house, got rid of her boyfriend's body, and stole all the pictures of Dean that had been taken during his year there? Does this mean that they're going to sit around and wonder "Why is that we moved to Michigan? Why is there spray paint on the underside of my welcome mat?" 

 

Sigh, oh Dean...of all the shady things you've done...DON'T BREAK MY NOSE!

 

 

 

6x22 The Man Who Knew Too Much

 

CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON.... or how to pick out a Supernatural fan in a room: play this song, watch for crying.

 

This episode starts off jarringly, with Sam on the run from the cops and no memory. My first thought was that something had gone wrong with the wall but instead of crumbling it had enveloped his ENTIRE MIND. My next thought was that this was suspiciously like the Bourne Identity.

Mainly, I thought of the Bourne Identity when Sam tells the bartender chick that he took out two cops on instinct. Then, while he's in the bar, he remembers coming across Doctor Visyak in an alley with Dean and Bobby...oh Doctor Visyak...I  loved you. Also, I loved how Bobby loved you. 

 

Sam's line about Dean being a "male model" was hilarious...also kind of funny that he remembered Bobby before he remembered Dean. But hey, when you are messed up by an angel, you're messed up by an angel. 

 

So, I thought, ok, Castiel wiped Sam's memory and then left him on a park bench somewhere...but no, because as Sam and the bartender make their way to the Impala (and I love how Sam walks over to the passenger side), someone starts shooting at them...and when Sam looks to see who it is, it's SOULLESS!SAM....WHAT?!

 

But wait! IT'S ALL IN HIS HEAD!

I can only conclude that Sam is a fan of the Bourne Identity...and also Highlander.

 

Castiel destroyed Death's wall, and Sam is trapped inside his own noggin'....and they've got him in the panic room, this time warded to keep everything out and Sam safe, not to keep everything safe from Sam...and he's very well lit, and Dean's all concerned and won't leave him...and awww....

 

Bobby and Dean have a drink (and seriously, their poor livers).....and Sam smells whiskey in his dream. Dean shines a flashlight in his eyes, and suddenly Sam's night becomes day. So well done. I love Sam pulling over and saying "It was night and now it's day!" It reminded me of Mystery Spot, where he's like "Yesterday was Tuesday, and today is Tuesday too!!"....I wanted the bartender chick to say "That's how it normally works, Sam" rather than "It's been day this whole time." I think that would have been funnier - but hey, small writing critique in the grand scheme of things.

 

Also the bartender's hair changes subtly...did anyone else notice that? It suddenly had streaks of blond in it, and was more wavy...I think this makes sense when we find out what/who she is.

 

First though, Sam runs off into the woods with guns, and encounters Soulless!Sam and has his very own Superman 3 moment...you can really see the difference between the two characters in this one. Even just in the way they inflect their words. Man, as my friend pointed out, the last two season finales have really called on Jared to act his ass off....and this is just the first such scene.

 

After a running shoot-out in the woods, where is't corduroy soul!Sam vs. green-jacket soulless!Sam, soul!Sam wins! I should also say that I loved the black-gun vs. the white-gun thing. Very subtly done, show....you ARE a modern western after all.

 

Anyway, Sam's cute when he seizes.

 

So, bartender chick was someone that Soulless!Sam killed...which is why I like the fact that her appearance wasn't static. Have you ever tried remembering someone you only met briefly? Was her hair wavy, or straight, streaked, or not? Some of my own freckles still surprise me - has that always been there or is it melted chocolate?

 

Then we get to Castiel and Crowley, and Castiel has decided to cancel the deal - FLEE OR DIE...and all I could think of was "CAKE OR DEATH!" because I'm a crazy Eddie Izzard fan.

 

Balthazar shows up to betray Cas to Dean...and calls humans mud-fish while he does it. Nicely done, Balthazar. 

 

Dean leaves a note for Sam, and reluctantly leaves his bedside. I couldn't help but think that maybe putting a loaded gun next to a possibly-mentally-ill dude might be a bad idea, but then, it was a very Winchester way to leave a not. I used to tape notes to my mum's tea-kettle, it makes sense that Winchesters would pin notes down with firearms next to sleeping people.

 

Finally, soul!Sam meets up with Hell!Sam...and guys, Hell!Sam is kind of pathetically cute....I mean, yeah, I know he is all burned and broken, but he's CUTE and burned and broken. He's also once again, very different from the Sam we know and love. He's VERY broken...but, at the same time, he's very understanding of soul!Sam. 

 

Meanwhile, in beautifully creepy tiled room - AWWW BALTHAZAR! Why are you such a bad liar? You've gone and gotten yourself killed by Castiel. And also, AWWW...Castiel, I know you are between a rock and a hard place, but STOP KILLING YOUR FRIENDS!

 

Dean and Bobby creep up outside, and Dean doesn't know how to get passed that many angels... and Bobby says, "we'll ninja our way in" - and I LOVE HIM FOR THIS, because that was one of my favourite lines from Sam back in 3x16 No Rest For The Wicked. YAY! Also, I loved Dean's line of "until they hear your knee squeek" - because THAT WOULD BE ME! I have the worst knees, and you can actually hear them as I walk around and use them. I even once jokingly referred to myself as "the noisy knee ninja" for my inability to go anywhere silently no matter how hard I tried.

 

And then T-REX! No...DEMON CLOUD! AND THE IMPALA FLIPS!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo.............

 

Then Raphael shows up! And I'm not sure if my theory of ungendered angels was supported or not - probably not, because I can never be so lucky...but whatever.

 

Crowley's made a new deal with Raphael and they're going to open purgatory and Castiel has a choice - CAKE OR DEATH, ur, I mean FLEE OR DIE! So Castiel flees! And personally, I couldn't help but think "ok, Castiel gave up way too easily, that definitely was not the right blood mixture."

 

Raphael and Crowley try to open the door to Purgatory but it does not work - unsurprisingly...oh, and while they do that, Dean and Bobby ACTUALLY HAVE managed to ninja their way in! YAY! Only, Raphael is too much of a badass and catches the sword, and then Crowley throws them down the stairs...

 

But SAM IS ON THE WAY....with one HELL OF A HEADACHE!

 

Castiel shows up and guys, guys...HE ALREADY DID THE RITUAL AND SWALLOWED  ALL THE MONSTER SOULS!

 

Crowley quickly exits Crowley-left. (another line I loved) and lives to fight another day...yay! But guys, Castiel has PLANS FOR  HIM...and then...

 

CASTIEL EXPLODES RAPHAEL!

Oh man...well, I mean, turnabout is fair play, I suppose....but Castiel, you have proven that death-by-explosion is not always permanent.

 

Dean tries to placate Castiel - thank you, you were right, we were wrong...now please disarm the impossibly powerful yet possibly unstable device that you have become...and Castiel is like NO! I HAVE THE POWER!

 

But Sam arrives and STABS HIM....to NO EFFECT! Geez.....Cas, have a little consideration, Sam just did all that with one hell of a hangover, you could at least wince...but no....because......because...

 

CASTIEL HAS MADE HIMSELF A GOD!
 

Oh man...now, I'm an atheist who was born without the ability to believe in God, but umm...doesn't God hate it when people declare themselves the new Lord and ask people to ask for forgiveness or die? I mean, surely....Shirley....SOMEONE will have something to say about this? I really don't know if THIS is why God brought Castiel back in Swan Song.

 

So, one final critique: the ending two seconds were a LITTLE over-the-top and cheesy just in the way they were shot. It's my firm belief that finales should always end on a wide-shot, not a close up...and certainly not an EXTREME close up.

 

Finally, so...is Cas the new big bad for next season? It kind of makes sense if you think of it in terms of leveling-up (D&D nerds FTW) - the Winchesters went from fighting ghosts, to demons, to angels, and now "God"? Do we want them to kill Castiel? Do we want the real God to come and set things right? Do we want Castiel to die, or do we want him to repent? Do we want him to remain an angel, or be cast down?

 

Furthermore, what of Sam? He no longer has a wall and remembers everything. He's moving around, but is he functional? What are the psychological and physical repercussions of his memory-recovery? Will he be as tormented as Dean was in S4? Will the relationship with Dean suffer or will it continue to grow strong? Or will Cas still heal his mind as he promised?

 

How stable is Castiel's new power? Is he safe or is he indeed a "Chernobyl" waiting to happen? 

 

Will the Winchester want to return Castiel to normal? How do you plot against "God"? Is Castiel omnipresent and omniscient like the Judeo-Christian God is supposed to be?

 

 

 

Oh man, whatever happens, I am nervous and excited....

 

 

Comments

[msninacat.livejournal.com]

I mean, personally, if I were an ex-girlfriend of Dean's that had been kidnapped by demons and then they threw Dean's unconscious brother into the room, I'd be like "Score! Only a matter of time now..."

ILU for that! It's gold and so true. This is why you write good Winchesters. ;D

Finally, so...is Cas the new big bad for next season? It kind of makes sense if you think of it in terms of leveling-up (D&D nerds FTW) - the Winchesters went from fighting ghosts, to demons, to angels, and now "God"? Do we want them to kill Castiel? Do we want the real God to come and set things right? Do we want Castiel to die, or do we want him to repent? Do we want him to remain an angel, or be cast down?

All this is why it's so brilliant. He's not really a bad guy but he kinda is and what the hell are the boys gonna have to do about it? BRILLIANT.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Why thank you! ;)

And yes, it IS brilliant! I feel for Castiel, I really do...I'm not sure if I'm the only one or not, but I honestly do believe we've entered this weird world of blurry grey lines and I'm not sure how I want it to be resolved. (Besides, of course, I don't really want Dean to lose his friend/brother-from-another-mother, so if he can't be God, than I probably want him to either become human-in-Jimmy-form, or repent and remain an angel.)

[msninacat.livejournal.com]

Same here. But I live for the grey areas and loopholes, so bring it on show! ♥

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Definitely, it's the grey that makes this show so interesting! ♥

[raloria.livejournal.com]

It was one hell of a 2 hours. :)
Enjoyed reading this, as always. I said on Twitter that in the first hour I wanted to hug Dean and in the second hour, hug Sam. Great acting from each of them. Jensen had me crying when he said goodbye to Lisa and Ben and Jared had me going "Wow" in that scene where Sam confronted his soulless self.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Totally agree about the hugs and the acting! In my effort to make sure I was remembering the first episode, I forgot to comment on what a fine job Jensen did - but he too had me misty-eyed (which is a lot for me). Especially, that completely broken look he gives Sam at the end...heart wrenching.

I kind of want to hug Castiel too, just because I can't help but think that if he had gotten more hugs this might not have happened...but, I suppose that's what everyone says about children who go off the deep end. :P

[franztastisch]

I really don't know what to think about any of those episodes.

Lie, I really enjoyed Let it Bleed. And dispite the amorality of what Dean asked Cas to do to Lisa and Ben, I kinda loved him for it. Though you're right, for it to work properly Dean should ahve his memories erased too. Bt if he loved them, why would he ever willingly do that? Also I never really likes Lisa. Not cos she was a bad character, just cos I didn't like her relationship with Dean - or maybe what they were implyng about her relationship with Dean (not because I think Dean shouldn't have someone just... It's complicated. I can hardly explain it to myself most days). So I was actally pretty happy that she wasn't killed and that she's OK, but not really part of the story any more. Because she's a strong and sensible woman, I just didn't like her inclusion in the story. (Yeah, I don't know either. Ignore me.)

And I really liked the 2nd one right up until Cas declared himself the new God. Then I thought it was a bit stupid. I especially like the whole running around in Sam's head (and the girl was awesome :D). Though I have a question; where did Sam get his memories of everything he did with his soul from? Because he met soulless!Sam and Hell!Sam and through them got his memories of himself without a soul and in Hell, but the memories of himself with a soul were distant to soulless!Sam and he couldn't remember being souless once he'd got his soul back. I was waiting for a soul!Sam to turn up and no-memory!Sam having to kill him too. Cos putting soulless!Sam into no-memory!Sam shouldn't lead you to fulling-functioning!Sam minus his memories of Hell. It should just lead you to a more-empathetic-but-still-no-memory-of-everything-he-did-before-loosing-his-soul!Sam. Right? Or... maybe not. Soulless!Sam's memories and no-memory!Sam's soul fused and filled in the blanks. Right.

Apologies for the ramble... as you were... haha "exit stage Crowley".

[franztastisch]

Holy shit I didn't realise that comment was so long. Sorry!

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

No worries!

[franztastisch]

OH MY GOD I JUST REMEMBERED. Cas did that to Sam. CAS DID IT.

I have got to stop spamming you. Apologies. I'm going now.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I KNOW! That's why I think regardless of anything, Sam was TOTALLY JUSTIFIED for stabbing Castiel in the back - because that's basically what Cas did to him.

[franztastisch]

I think that for a long time now, anything that the Winchesters do to Cas now is justified. Cos not only did he do that to Sam, but he also did that to Dean. He was continuously asking Dean to trust him, and then when he said he couldn't (and in a way, fair enough - what Cas was asking went against almost everything Dean stands for) he did the only thing that would basically ensure that they won't trust him for A VERY LONG TIME.

But I was really not impressed with Cas then. Not. At. All.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Bt if he loved them, why would he ever willingly do that?

Very true, but at the same time, they loved him, so it was pretty cruel of him to take those memories from them.

So I was actally pretty happy that she wasn't killed and that she's OK, but not really part of the story any more.

Yes, I think it was a clever way of forcing Dean to move on without relying on the whole "all your loved ones are brutally murdered" routine. I mean, they're still ripped from him, but it's his decision and it's done to keep them safe - whether or not that makes it more heartbreaking or less isn't really the issue. I'm just interested in the fact that they did something different.

Personally though, I liked Lisa and Ben, maybe just because I like people who love Dean - but I'd like to believe that no memory wipe is 100% and they'll still perhaps dream of him.

And I really liked the 2nd one right up until Cas declared himself the new God. Then I thought it was a bit stupid.

I'm usually not very critical, but I DO think that Kripke messed up the directing for that final scene. I don't mind the concept of Cas getting drunk with power - I think it drives the story nicely and has me worried about next season adequately, I just think that Kripke accidentally turned the dial to "cheese" there at the end and it kind of made it seem stupid instead of compelling.

I was waiting for a soul!Sam to turn up and no-memory!Sam having to kill him too. Cos putting soulless!Sam into no-memory!Sam shouldn't lead you to fulling-functioning!Sam minus his memories of Hell. It should just lead you to a more-empathetic-but-still-no-memory-of-everything-he-did-before-loosing-his-soul!Sam. Right? Or... maybe not. Soulless!Sam's memories and no-memory!Sam's soul fused and filled in the blanks. Right.

I think you are confused...you've got 4 Sam's when there are only 3. You have soul!Sam with a temporary memory wipe - his memories are slowly filtering back in though. Then Soulless!Sam and Hell!Sam are the parts of him that Death shoved behind a wall so that Sam wouldn't be overcome with pain and guilt and two conflicting sets of memories from the same time period. So, yeah, throughout the whole dream we follow soul!Sam. There's no fourth Sam that has neither soul nor memory...there's only two pieces of Sam's soul (healthy!soul and hell!soul), plus the memories formed by his soulless body.

[franztastisch]

I can't really explain what it was about Lisa that I didn't like. Cos actually, as a character, she was good. But there was jst something about Lisa and Dean's relationship that I didn't like. And it wasn't the fact that they had a relationship. I can't really explain. Ben I have no opinion on one way or the other.

No I realise that there was no 4th Sam, part of me was just waiting for a 4th Sam to appear with his memories of everything that happened to him when he had his soul. But then I realised that those memories were with soulless!Sam and it was no-memories!Sam's soul that enabled those memories to sort of... re-establish themselves. Hence "Soulless!Sam's memories and no-memory!Sam's soul fused and filled in the blanks". I know there was no 4th Sam. I'm just bad at explaining.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Oh ok...sorry to explain something you already knew!

I guess I was kind of indifferent on Lisa and Ben...I didn't hate them, but I'm not upset that they've been removed from the storyline. I wasn't overly in love with them or anything, but I didn't dislike them at all. *shrug*

[franztastisch]

Hey no worries. I'm epically bad at explaining things so its no wonder you got confused. :)

Sometimes something would happen and I'd think I really didn't like her and sometimes something would happen and I would think "you have more sense than a lot of characters in this show".

[lusciniate.livejournal.com]

Remember back in the day when demons were thin on the ground?
Yes, and then they went and opened the Devil’s Gate :)
But of course that doesn’t explain how they got that much in that time and place..

I wish they had thrown him in with Lisa and Ben, because that would have been hilarious. When they threw Sam in that room I was thinking that there would follow a wider shot with Ben and Lisa already there.. It’s always fun, when some one who has arrived to rescue someone else – gets also captured.

Those last questions of E21 – I think that yes.. Because Lisa didn’t remember Dean when he walked in the room. Although now that I am thinking – it has been so long ago, that she might have just not recognized him at that moment. But for the space around them (house, body everything else) – the hospital also was changed. A mystically vanished stab wound. And in that place – a car crash victim. So that would point out to a logical and all connected wipe-out.

CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON.... or how to pick out a Supernatural fan in a room: play this song, watch for crying.
So true.. So, so true! Strangely this was the most wet moment in finale..
[BTW May I steal that as a quote? I have no idea yet for what. But I love how that sounds! ]


[..]also kind of funny that he remembered Bobby before he remembered Dean.
I think that no one said Dean’s name in that moment. So – Dean was some “male model”guy standing there, and Bobby was having his name repeated by the dying lady..

And those last questions.. Not sure I know which way I would love it to go. I know I wished for Castiel choosing differently in the end. But the way the cards are dealt on table now - I have no idea.

I think I finally realized how good was soulless Sam. I never had anything against him (just missing the soulful Sam). But when they were facing each other off. Another thing that will get better while rewatching the whole S6. And the HellSam with that knife on the table. Candles, toying with suicide, but not really doing it. That was kind of powerful.

But those were so great 2 episodes. And thank you for once again writing it all down :)
P.S. Sorry. Previously failed at formatting.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

But for the space around them (house, body everything else) – the hospital also was changed. A mystically vanished stab wound. And in that place – a car crash victim. So that would point out to a logical and all connected wipe-out.

Wow, good point...that was some final favour that Dean asked Castiel for.

[BTW May I steal that as a quote? I have no idea yet for what. But I love how that sounds! ]
Sure!

I think that no one said Dean’s name in that moment. So – Dean was some “male model”guy standing there, and Bobby was having his name repeated by the dying lady..

Oh good point. It also occurred to me that Sam technically remembered his aliases before he remembered his real name -there's something kind of sad about that.

And the HellSam with that knife on the table. Candles, toying with suicide, but not really doing it. That was kind of powerful.

Oh man, you know, I didn't even catch that...I mean, I didn't put it together that he was considering offing himself. Now I'm REALLY worried about Sam. :S

[lusciniate.livejournal.com]

It also occurred to me that Sam technically remembered his aliases before he remembered his real name -there's something kind of sad about that.
Wow, didn't think of that.
But that also tells that those are among their favourite ones. All of them had been used previously, right? The favourite ones or just the ones who look most real at first glance?

I didn't put it together that he was considering offing himself. Maybe he wasn't going to do that. It's just that this image makes me think of that (probably because many times on movies in similar poses there is a gun on the table with the same intention).

Just rewatched that scene and noticed cobwebs above his head! And the fact that they choose knife as the means for killing. Knife which is one really intimate weapon, because you have to get so close (and usually get blood on your hands, touch the other one). I suppose with a gun, it would be too much like putting down an animal. With the soulless Sam it was sort of "okay" to kill him, because that was in fight. But in this case. This was the best option. I think am falling more and more in love with this scene.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

All of them had been used previously, right? The favourite ones or just the ones who look most real at first glance?

Personally, I thought they were the most famous alias - Zeppelin, Rush, and AC/DC. The funny thing is that I'm pretty sure that Jimmy Page was used by DEAN before, not Sam...in The Children Are Our Future. I remember it from the gag reel because Jensen remembered his own alias but not Jared's.

aybe he wasn't going to do that. It's just that this image makes me think of that (probably because many times on movies in similar poses there is a gun on the table with the same intention).

No, I think you're right and I just didn't put it together.

And yes, very good points about the use of weapon. It's a very well thought out and put together scene and Jared did wonderfully in it. I'm looking forward to watching it again, when I do the timelining.

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

"Does this mean that Castiel also went to their house, got rid of her boyfriend's body, and stole all the pictures of Dean that had been taken during his year there? Does this mean that they're going to sit around and wonder "Why is that we moved to Michigan? Why is there spray paint on the underside of my welcome mat?"

Love you for this--I wondered the exact same thing!

Gah, those were incredibly intense two hours--still processing. But main reactions--poor, broken Dean and broken-yet-motivated-to-function-for-Dean Sammy!

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I know! HUGS FOR EVERYONE!

I'm very worried about poor Sam.

[trystan830.livejournal.com]

love your review! much more coherent than my HPL flailing... heh.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I like your HPL flailing! ;)

[trystan830.livejournal.com]

LOL! XD

...thanks.

[gryphenn.livejournal.com]

Does anyone remember at the end of Swan Song where Dean asked Cas if he was God? I can't help wondering if that was deliberate or accidental forshadowing?

That didn't stop me from hunting around for my jaw last night from where I didn't just DROP it, I flat out LOST it at the ending when Cas proclaimed himself God!

As always, enjoyed your review\recap.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Ooo, nice catch. I don't think it was deliberate foreshadowing so much as a happy coincidence. Dean didn't seem to mind the idea then - but hey, that was different circumstances obviously.

And yeah, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I don't think I was expecting Cas to become drunk with power...though, who can blame him, now no one is ALLOWED to doubt him.

[marlowe78.livejournal.com]

I mean, there was so much torturing this season, I really thought it was going to be a "thing"...but I suppose it's just a coincidence.

Me too. And I'm really sad that they didn't use this awesome setting for some line about Dean again torturing. The only thing Sam was worried about (or said he was, at least) was the drinking and coffee and not-sleeping. But how about some line (maybe when he was praying to Cas?) about how that must fuck up Dean's mind? Or are we all pretending he never learned to torture in Hell and is just happy and dandy now that he did it again topside? I mean, it seemed to be a big deal to Dean when he confronted 2014Dean. So I'm really pissed that they drop all that.

BUT maybe they'll use it later? I hope so. But *sigh* I fear they really wanna erase that part of him. (so hoping not! *clings to trust in authors*)

"Then" and thought "Oh man, it better not be Lisa, because that would make NO sense." All we see is "Eleanor 1935" on the back of the photograph.

Hee, me too. I thought when they spoke about the kid that was at the ceremony, they would use Ben. I didn't think the thing WAS Lisa, but maybe so alike that the demons would use HER as a vessel.
Good trail of Red Herrings there.

Back at the ranch, Dean's manly boot smudges the devils trap and a demon gets loose and goes into choke-mode. Then Castiel shows up and saves the day! And it's like OLD TIMES!

Aw man! I'm really kinda pissed at that scene. Fine, they needed some pow-wow between Dean and Cas, ok. But WHY should we believe that the Winchesters AND Bobby are too stupid to make a permanent devil's trap! Sure, i could go with Dean being too tired to remember to step over the signs, but I cannot believe that the US is lacking in paint that would freaking STAY ON THE FLOOR.

Really, I can't. And that's why I don't enjoy that scene. If they wanted Cas to come and be all talking, they could've done that later, but why did they have to make it "oh, I save you always, just trust me" *pouts*

which brings me to the freaking absurd refusal to TALK with each other. I mean, come on. I get they are reluctant (aka: male) to talk, but in this case, a little clarification for Dean's reasons would've been rather useful. Why not tell Cas that humanity has its fair share of overconfident screw-ups, and they always end badly. Why be cryptic with "oh, I'm your friend, I know better"... I'm starting to believe this borders on lazy writing.

Anyway.

My friend Kathleen pointed out that if Dean REALLY wanted to protect them, he'd wipe them from his OWN memory - because if he doesn't care about them, they can't be used as leverage against him.

Smart one. I agree with her on that, and I take it as my basis for this theory:
Dean was once again a selfish bastard. He couldn't deal with the idea that Ben (maybe Lisa too, but if I read her right, she'd've been able to get over it) might live out there hating him, losing the faith and hero-worship he in him.
Dean'd rather have them both never know him than living with the idea that his chosen (as opposed to the born-with) family doesn't like him one little bit.
And then there is the little fact that he made Ben shoot a gun at some dude (more than once) and he hasn't got the time to help him deal with it.
He should do that, he should be able to help him cope with everything, but it's just not possible without endangering them even more.

Please don't mistake the "selfish bastard" for my disapproval for this decision or Dean's character.
As you once said, the thing that makes Dean so interesting is his humanity, and I'll add: his faults. He makes decisions based on his heart and they very often are wrong in many ways - yet are right too.

I also kinda like the way they got rid of Ben and Lisa (if they had to, which I think wasn't that necessary). It leaves the possibility of them remembering, or somehow turning up again.

[marlowe78.livejournal.com]

6:22

CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON.... or how to pick out a Supernatural fan in a room: play this song, watch for crying.

Heeehee! I'll try that one day!

But wait! IT'S ALL IN HIS HEAD!

Ha! I knew something was fishy with "reality" when they once again chose the "Nite Owl Motel".
I was kinda hoping that they would make a reference to "Live free or Twihard", but *sigh* not so much. (I realized while confirming my believe that the Nite Owl was used in that episode that it HAD been used before, in s5 (the one with Paris Hilton), so... I guess the Winchesters kinda like that chain?)
Other than that, I really enjoyed the part about Sam finding his missing pieces.

And then T-REX! No...DEMON CLOUD! AND THE IMPALA FLIPS!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo.............

seriously, one of the worst parts of the cliffy! They have to fix her again! (I'd really love to get one more Dean-banging-the-hell-out-of-his-car-scene, please! He's got reasons enough, I'd say)

Dean tries to placate Castiel - thank you, you were right, we were wrong...now please disarm the impossibly powerful yet possibly unstable device that you have become...and Castiel is like NO! I HAVE THE POWER!

I couldn't help but be reminded of so many shows or movies where the cops try to talk the dangerous and unhinged maniac into giving up. Just saying...

Furthermore, what of Sam? He no longer has a wall and remembers everything. He's moving around, but is he functional? What are the psychological and physical repercussions of his memory-recovery? Will he be as tormented as Dean was in S4?

*sigh*

There are so many awesome options with how they ended this season. I mean... it could be finally some possibility to let Dean cope with his Hell-issues (for me, it was hinted enough that he HAS issues) now that Sam has to deal with his own. Maybe like Sam having to cope and making Dean face some truths, or something. I sure hope they're not going the "shove it all down and take a happy-pill"-way that Dean's going until now.

I wish they would deal with those bad, BAD PTSD-problems in an appropriate way (how about a hunt in a veteran's hospital? I'm sure there'd be material to the whazoo in that setting!) but I have to say, I'm losing faith for this particular thing. The "deal with torture"-thing, I mean.

*sigh*


It were two good episodes, and one evil cliffy. I didn't like the last shot either, but I never put too much thought in it.
What I did think about was Sebastian Roche's awesome laugh-lines, and how Misha Collins (who is a funny guy, if he's not acting his ass of everytime there's a camera) hasn't got that many. Weird, I know.

Other than that, I was well entertained with these.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Ha! I knew something was fishy with "reality" when they once again chose the "Nite Owl Motel".

Yes, I was getting confused because I pay attention to locations for timelining reasons - and I saw "Castle Storage" and "The Nite Owl" and I was like, ok, Castle Storage was in 5x01, and the Nite Owl was in S6, but where they in the same town? I don't remember that...

seriously, one of the worst parts of the cliffy! They have to fix her again!

I know! Please more greasy t-shirted Winchesters in the scrapyard scenes... that'd be nice.

I couldn't help but be reminded of so many shows or movies where the cops try to talk the dangerous and unhinged maniac into giving up. Just saying...

Haha, same here.

I sure hope they're not going the "shove it all down and take a happy-pill"-way that Dean's going until now.

See the thing is, I don't think they're ignoring this storyline. I think the fact that they keep bringing up how much Dean drinks - how Sam refuses to take the pills that Dean keeps offering him - how Sam disapproves of the pills. If they were ignoring the PTSD altogether, they wouldn't keep bringing it up...similarly to having Cas turn out to be a stoner in 2014!verse...there are consequences to repression and I'm not sure that they're ignoring that.

I'm also hoping, now that Sam is messed up too, that it will come to a head somehow. Because, I think up until now, Dean has really been trying to put on a brave face and repress for Sam's benefit - but if Sam is even more f*cked up than Dean is, then there's no reason for Dean to do that anymore...at the very least, if Sam DOES start self-medicating, it's going to be a storyline, and it's going to be something that the writers condemn somehow rather than condone.

What I did think about was Sebastian Roche's awesome laugh-lines, and how Misha Collins (who is a funny guy, if he's not acting his ass of everytime there's a camera) hasn't got that many. Weird, I know.

That's what smoking will do to you.

Is it bad of me that I never really connected with Balthazar? I mean, it sucks that he died and whatnot, but I'm really not that devastated by it. I'm more upset on Cas's behalf because he's killing his friends...not so much for the actual loss of Balthazar. Sigh, ah well. I guess we all have our character preferences. I'm also one of the select few who didn't like Katie's Ruby.

Other than that, I was well entertained with these.

Yay!

[marlowe78.livejournal.com]

See the thing is, I don't think they're ignoring this storyline. I think the fact that they keep bringing up how much Dean drinks - how Sam refuses to take the pills that Dean keeps offering him - how Sam disapproves of the pills. If they were ignoring the PTSD altogether, they wouldn't keep bringing it up...similarly to having Cas turn out to be a stoner in 2014!verse...there are consequences to repression and I'm not sure that they're ignoring that.

Yeah, that's my impression too. The hints are there, but it wouldn't be the only time they'd just let them drop for the sake of some other story. But if you're still believing in them, I'll keep my faith a bit longer.

I have no problems with Balty dying. So no, it's not bad that you didn't mourn him - I think his role was a bit too WANTED. It's like: "Hey, how about a new angel who is kinda bad - No, make him Cas' friend - No, make him rogue - No, make him still help Cas - NO! Make him suddenly fall in with the Winchesters"

His role was too wild-card for my taste. I like to look at the man, (really? Does smoking produce laugh-lines???? Shit.) and listen to his cute accent, but other than that.. good riddance (I swear I feared it'd be Bobby who dies in the finale ! So glad it was just Balty)

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

really? Does smoking produce laugh-lines???? Shit.

Smoking makes your skin loose elasticity faster - so (and I don't know their actual ages) if Misha and Seb are the same age, and Seb has way more wrinkles (which he does), then I would put it to smoking (because he looks like a smoker too). They're laugh lines because Seb laughs a lot - but if he were Frowny McFrownerton, he'd have frown lines. :P

But if you're still believing in them, I'll keep my faith a bit longer.

I always keep my faith until the very end really...so, you can take my faith with a grain of salt. But yeah, I'll wait and see how they deal with post-Hell Sam before I make any judgments about them dropping storylines.

It's like: "Hey, how about a new angel who is kinda bad - No, make him Cas' friend - No, make him rogue - No, make him still help Cas - NO! Make him suddenly fall in with the Winchesters"

YES! This is exactly my problem with him too, and why I never connected. He was too wild-card. He had a good sense of humour, but other than that I felt very little for him.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

The only thing Sam was worried about (or said he was, at least) was the drinking and coffee and not-sleeping. But how about some line (maybe when he was praying to Cas?) about how that must fuck up Dean's mind? Or are we all pretending he never learned to torture in Hell and is just happy and dandy now that he did it again topside?

See, I think Sam commenting on the booze, coffee, and pills IS Sam commenting about the torture - because he's commenting on how Dean's slowly coming unhinged and that Dean isn't dealing with his issues well. It's Sam tiptoeing around the actual words, because he doesn't want to upset Dean further but he wants to get him out of that situation and he wants him healthier mentally - but, yeah, he can't actually bring it up directly, because he knows Dean, and Dean will just get defensive and more belligerent.

But yeah, I'll talk about this more in your second comment...

Sure, i could go with Dean being too tired to remember to step over the signs, but I cannot believe that the US is lacking in paint that would freaking STAY ON THE FLOOR.

Take it from someone who paints a lot - a hastily painted thing on the floor of a garage is going to give you a LOT of problems. I really wasn't that shocked by it or in disbelief. I mean, yes, I will concede that it was a convenient plot-device and they could have done things differently to the same effect - but I don't think it was THAT unbelievable.

Why not tell Cas that humanity has its fair share of overconfident screw-ups, and they always end badly. Why be cryptic with "oh, I'm your friend, I know better"... I'm starting to believe this borders on lazy writing.

I don't. I think it's Dean falling into the same mistakes he made with Sam. He's treating Castiel like a wayward little brother - we get enough references to it this season. "Baby in a trench coat" "you're a child"...I'm not saying that Dean's WRONG about Cas being like a child, but it's not good to treat Cas as such - it's the same mistake he made with Sam in S4 that led Sam to defy Dean almost just to spite him.

Similar to your point about Dean's final decision in 6x21, I don't mean this as a slight against Dean's character - it's just part of his humanity and the faults that make him, and the story, compelling.

Dean'd rather have them both never know him than living with the idea that his chosen (as opposed to the born-with) family doesn't like him one little bit.

I think you have a very good point here. Dean doesn't deal well with rejection, and that seemed to be the path that they were heading down...I think he was possibly trying to selfishly save himself some heartbreak by causing himself a different kind of heartbreak.

It leaves the possibility of them remembering, or somehow turning up again.

I agree! I kind of like the idea of them remembering eventually...I mean, we all know Castiel's work isn't always perfect *cough*Sam's Resurrection*cough*.

[marlowe78.livejournal.com]

See, I think Sam commenting on the booze, coffee, and pills IS Sam commenting about the torture - because he's commenting on how Dean's slowly coming unhinged and that Dean isn't dealing with his issues well. It's Sam tiptoeing around the actual words, because he doesn't want to upset Dean further but he wants to get him out of that situation and he wants him healthier mentally - but, yeah, he can't actually bring it up directly, because he knows Dean, and Dean will just get defensive and more belligerent.

Yes to that. I wouldn't comment on that face to face with the crazy guy with the knife! I was more thinking about later, when he prayed to Cas - but forget about that, it's nit-picky Dean-person-stuff that comes up. I usually moderate with that but sometimes, it breaks through.

I really wasn't that shocked by it or in disbelief. I mean, yes, I will concede that it was a convenient plot-device and they could have done things differently to the same effect - but I don't think it was THAT unbelievable.

Maybe not for Dean or Sam. But how can Bobby NOT have a permanent Devil's Trap in his storage-hall? Maybe one cut into the floor... Just sayin' (they were at Bobby's, weren't they?)

I don't. I think it's Dean falling into the same mistakes he made with Sam. He's treating Castiel like a wayward little brother - we get enough references to it this season.

Maybe. But come on... He should know that mistakes by now. It's STILL lazy writing if they let Dean keep this stupid John Winchester-trait even after he's seen more than once how much it fucks things up.

Aw damn. Maybe it's really impossible for him to talk about stuff? Like, brain-washed to only talk to Sam, and only on his car's trunk? Next to a road?

THAT is so ridiculous I might buy it *g*

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Maybe. But come on... He should know that mistakes by now. It's STILL lazy writing if they let Dean keep this stupid John Winchester-trait even after he's seen more than once how much it fucks things up.

Haha, dude, have YOU ever tried to get rid of a f*cked-up personality trait?! It's not easy.

So, I think we're just going to have to disagree on this one...or, well, agree that Dean is a bit messed up and doesn't know how to talk about things properly - but disagree that it's lazy writing. ;)

Maybe not for Dean or Sam. But how can Bobby NOT have a permanent Devil's Trap in his storage-hall? Maybe one cut into the floor... Just sayin' (they were at Bobby's, weren't they?)

They were at Bobby's yeah - but I think Bobby keeps the more businessy side of his business free from occult references. I mean, he DOES actually RUN a scrapyard. It's not just for show.

it's nit-picky Dean-person-stuff that comes up. I usually moderate with that but sometimes, it breaks through.

No worries! I did unfollow someone on twitter last night who was harshing my squee because they were over-the-top Dean!Girl though. I couldn't actually associate the name with anyone on LJ, but yeah...your complaints are not as crazy as hers were! Your's actually make sense and you may have a point - but I'm too faithful to the writers to concede anything right now. ;)

[marlowe78.livejournal.com]

I did unfollow someone on twitter last night who was harshing my squee because they were over-the-top Dean!Girl though.

*squeaks*

Wasn't me, don't hit me, I don't even have twitter! I swear!

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Haha, no worries, I'm not sure who it was. Hopefully they don't get too upset about having one less follower, but they were being ridiculous and quite frankly it was either unfollow them or slowly let the rage build up until I exploded and was mean or something.

I mean, your arguments are logical and valid. Whereas they wouldn't have been happy unless the show was renamed The Dean Show and every single scene had Dean and explored Dean's feelings and everything hinged on Dean's every action.

Uh, yeah...anyway, my point is that you are nothing like that. :P

[akadougal.livejournal.com]

All this. I just watched and then came and read. I'm always surprised how close to my own ideas yours are.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Great minds think alike.... ;)

[dairygirl.livejournal.com]

My only thought was at the end of the last episode: This is where they wanted to leave it? That is if Season 7 had not been on the books. Completely did not expect it but should have. Castiel is sneaky, Crowley will be back and I have no clue what kind of leverage Dean and Sam will need for the upcoming season. Now I'm going to have to watch it all again to to see what I missed.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I think we can't really say "this is where they wanted to leave it if S7 had not been on the books" - because I really believe that it was just a matter of an official announcement. Everyone was very confident that they'd be renewed and I think they planned for S7 the whole time. Jensen and Jared had lengthened their contracts - the show was getting very good press (thanks to us) - and yeah, basically the whole thing was in the bag. I doubt anyone was nervous.

I think Supernatural has enough of a following that it'll just keep going until J2 or the writers decide "Ok, that's enough" and end it.

But that's besides the point....

This season is definitely a contender for multiple rewatches! There is so much going on. I have no idea how they're going to tackle the "problem of Castiel" - on the one hand, him defeating Raphael is a good thing, and there could be worse Gods, on the other hand Castiel being drunk with power makes me uneasy. :P

But what do you do against a God? How do you convince a God to return to being a lowly angel who is open to doubt, "betrayal", and abandonment from his friends?

Is it September yet?