I like everything about this episode except Tessa. And you summed up why I don't--though I'm more annoyed by the characterization issues than the mythology.
I still wish that S9 had done more about the consequences of the Fall--like, how many people went missing? Is anyone looking for that girl? Was her whole family possessed, since vessels=bloodlines? We get some of that in S10 with Hannah, but...IDK.
Sleepy!Sam is adorable yes.
I still wonder if Dean's habit of "belittling" Cas (baby in a trenchcoat, dorky little guy, little nerdy guy with wings) is also a psychological coping mechanism for Dean - where Dean has to fool himself into forgetting that Cas is a non-human who is superior to Dean in both size and power.
That makes a lot of sense.
Agreed on p. much everything about Dean and Cas interacting, especially in the early parts of the episode.
And Sam and Cas yes.
Gadreel's judgy faces are AMAZING.
And Cas has a blacklight in his hand. It kind of annoys me. In S5, they could do shots where you knew you were looking at a building through Cas' eyes, and you could see the invisibile writing that only he could see - and that made more sense then having a blacklight in your hand.
I didn't really think about this until you pointed it out, but yeah, that was cool. On the other hand, the blacklight does sort of make sense? Like it's a way to show non-angels if the angel chooses? 'Cause I don't think we're seeing this from Cas' POV, so he's showing Sam (and us) what he sees, as opposed to just narrating it without the visual. Still, for the audience, the angel-view would've been cooler.
Cas: "Why is six afraid of seven? I assume it's because seven is a prime number and prime numbers can be intimidating." Sam: "It's because seven, eight, nine." - I like Cas' answer better.
Me too!
- This line is cool and I do wonder what it means for Castiel. Castiel is riding around with someone elses grace - and it makes me wonder exactly what he is. Is he truly an angel again or is he a human who is suped up on angel powers?
Yeah especially since, when he was fully human earlier in the season, wasn't it a surprise to an angel trying to ice him? I vaguely remember that...so, what's changed? Or, more accurately, how has taking Theo's grace changed him from something basically human that looks like an angel until cut open to...whatever it is Josiah sees?
I think it's 'veil.'
I agree on the 'did what I had to do' theme. And about Sam knowing better now and being at least internally frustrated that no one seems to have learned from his example...
Totally agreed on Metatron's strategy being genius.
I think you raise good points about romantic love--though I don't think that platonic love/friendship is 'less' than romantic love (even if that does seem to be the societal bias), but...yeah, definitely agreed on the rest of what you said. Traditional/formulaic romantic love is not the be-all-end-all of romantic love, let alone all love.
Ugh the last few minutes...the thing is, yes, Dean stabbing him makes sense, but I still read it mostly as a sign of the Mark, instead of a logical/completely natural follow-through on his vendetta. And there's two reasons for that--first, Sam (who should get to make this call) indicates he wants to hear Gadreel out. Second (with the caveat that it was a much longer time between enemy and ally), how is working with Gadreel different from working with Meg? Pretty much every horrible thing Gadreel did, Meg did too, if not more. And they worked with her on reasonably civil terms for like three seasons before she died...IDK. Dean, despite being a champion grudge-holder, is able to bury the hatchet when there's bigger fish to fry...so, yeah. It both makes sense and it doesn't, in regard to Dean's 'natural' headspace, so I tend to put it down to the Mark more than anything else.
The sad thing here though is that what Gadreel is asking for here - forgiveness and understanding - if he had just asked for, or been offered, that sooner, before Metatron offered the same, then this whole season could have panned out better.
Yes if only. :(
Anyway, like I said at the start--barring everything with Tessa, I like this episode. It's just...everything with Tessa, you know?
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2015-03-10 12:03 am (UTC)I still wish that S9 had done more about the consequences of the Fall--like, how many people went missing? Is anyone looking for that girl? Was her whole family possessed, since vessels=bloodlines? We get some of that in S10 with Hannah, but...IDK.
Sleepy!Sam is adorable yes.
I still wonder if Dean's habit of "belittling" Cas (baby in a trenchcoat, dorky little guy, little nerdy guy with wings) is also a psychological coping mechanism for Dean - where Dean has to fool himself into forgetting that Cas is a non-human who is superior to Dean in both size and power.
That makes a lot of sense.
Agreed on p. much everything about Dean and Cas interacting, especially in the early parts of the episode.
And Sam and Cas yes.
Gadreel's judgy faces are AMAZING.
And Cas has a blacklight in his hand. It kind of annoys me. In S5, they could do shots where you knew you were looking at a building through Cas' eyes, and you could see the invisibile writing that only he could see - and that made more sense then having a blacklight in your hand.
I didn't really think about this until you pointed it out, but yeah, that was cool. On the other hand, the blacklight does sort of make sense? Like it's a way to show non-angels if the angel chooses? 'Cause I don't think we're seeing this from Cas' POV, so he's showing Sam (and us) what he sees, as opposed to just narrating it without the visual. Still, for the audience, the angel-view would've been cooler.
Cas: "Why is six afraid of seven? I assume it's because seven is a prime number and prime numbers can be intimidating."
Sam: "It's because seven, eight, nine."
- I like Cas' answer better.
Me too!
- This line is cool and I do wonder what it means for Castiel. Castiel is riding around with someone elses grace - and it makes me wonder exactly what he is. Is he truly an angel again or is he a human who is suped up on angel powers?
Yeah especially since, when he was fully human earlier in the season, wasn't it a surprise to an angel trying to ice him? I vaguely remember that...so, what's changed? Or, more accurately, how has taking Theo's grace changed him from something basically human that looks like an angel until cut open to...whatever it is Josiah sees?
I think it's 'veil.'
I agree on the 'did what I had to do' theme. And about Sam knowing better now and being at least internally frustrated that no one seems to have learned from his example...
Totally agreed on Metatron's strategy being genius.
I think you raise good points about romantic love--though I don't think that platonic love/friendship is 'less' than romantic love (even if that does seem to be the societal bias), but...yeah, definitely agreed on the rest of what you said. Traditional/formulaic romantic love is not the be-all-end-all of romantic love, let alone all love.
Ugh the last few minutes...the thing is, yes, Dean stabbing him makes sense, but I still read it mostly as a sign of the Mark, instead of a logical/completely natural follow-through on his vendetta. And there's two reasons for that--first, Sam (who should get to make this call) indicates he wants to hear Gadreel out. Second (with the caveat that it was a much longer time between enemy and ally), how is working with Gadreel different from working with Meg? Pretty much every horrible thing Gadreel did, Meg did too, if not more. And they worked with her on reasonably civil terms for like three seasons before she died...IDK. Dean, despite being a champion grudge-holder, is able to bury the hatchet when there's bigger fish to fry...so, yeah. It both makes sense and it doesn't, in regard to Dean's 'natural' headspace, so I tend to put it down to the Mark more than anything else.
The sad thing here though is that what Gadreel is asking for here - forgiveness and understanding - if he had just asked for, or been offered, that sooner, before Metatron offered the same, then this whole season could have panned out better.
Yes if only. :(
Anyway, like I said at the start--barring everything with Tessa, I like this episode. It's just...everything with Tessa, you know?