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hells_half_acreRewatch Tuesday!
Last one before I re-enter S13 on Thursday and start doing rewatches and new season reactions concurrently.
This is another one that's going to require extensive rewrites - yikes, let's see what I come up with...
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell
They've got a cot bed in their tent... I mean, I guess? I'm always so elitest when it comes to camping - like, it's not camping unless you're sleeping on the ground! Man, me, let people camp however they like - they're about to get eaten by hellhounds.
Also, I don't understand these people who are like "I want to break up with this dude, I guess I'll have one more romantic weekend with them before I do!" Like, come on...just break up with them immediately, if you want to break up with them, don't string them along. Now, noted, I once did have one more weekend with someone after I broke up with them, but it was AFTER I had broken up with him, and it was at his request. "Let me have sex with you one more time!" and I'm like. "yeah, sure, whatever," because it really was the one thing he was good at.
Anyway, Sam and Dean have been hunting back to back, ghouls, wraithes, and sirens.
Dean's disgusting. I actually don't buy him flicking guts in the bunker, because, he cleans that thing. I DO believe that Dean can simultaneous be a germaphobe AND be this disgusting - because I'm the same way, there's a threshold of getting dirty, and once I'm passed that, a switch flips and instead of being like "ugh gross!" my mind is like "I wonder how dirty I can get?" And then it's a challenge.
Dean: "Alright, I'm using that fancy shampoo you keep hidden from me."
- I want to believe that's a line that Jensen added.
Also, I should mention that I DO like the JDM+Walking Dead reference in this episode. It's cute.
Sam's on the phone to Mary when they show up at the crime scene - so, there we go, it's not always Dean that Mary calls. Though part of me is now worried that the reason that Sam joined up with the BMoL is because he saw it as a way to be close to Mary, when she chose to join up. I mean, last episode, I put it to him thinking they can help people more efficiently, because that's a Sam thing to be self-sacrificing about... but it's WAY more emotionally damaging if Sam's put aside the fact that they tortured him simply because he wants to have a relationship with his mother.... so, let's not think about that possibility and go with my first idea.
Dean was on the phone to Cas, who DOES nearly always call Dean, because they are BFFs, and Sam's used to that.
Cas finds a conspiracy theorist. Cas's mannerisms ARE Dean-like, in my opinion... at least when he hangs his head when he fails to escape the room, and then his indulgent looks.
And Cas sees Dagon for the first time.
Sam and Dean fail to comfort the witness, but succeed in saving her.
And then we get to Crowley, trying to taunt Lucifer... so, while this happens, let's brainstorm ways to include Crowley in this episode, but not have Lucifer there. THOUGH, I should say that percysowner came up with a great rewrite for if you wanted to keep Lucifer but have a believable/better storyline for both him and Crowley in the comments the Family Feud rewatch post. I'll include it in my final rewrite post as an option.
Anyway, what purpose does Lucifer serve in this episode? The demons discover that he's being kept, and so Lucifer starts to make his plan to turn the tables...
In this first scene though, Lucifer is just making Crowley suspiscious to the demons, who have to come and fetch him from his secret room in order to attend Kingly matters... SO, what do I want to do with this instead...
Rewrite - Option 1: Asmodeous and/or Dagon is threatening Crowley's power - after his experience with Abaddon, he does not want the low-demons to get wind that the remaining Princes of Hell are displeased with his reign. So, in this scene, Crowley could be in negotiations with one of their messengers, in secret, and has to be fetched.
Rewrite: Either Additionally OR Option 2: Crowley, as we learned a few episodes ago, was given the Kingship and didn't seek it out - is he growing tied of his reign? Is he exhausted from trying to hold the most powerful position, when it's just not where his talent lies - would he PREFER to be someone else's lieutenant, and go back to living in luxury far away from the day to day matters of Hell? Could it be that what he's trying to negotiate, in secret, is a PEACEFUL takeover by one of the Princes... perhaps Asmodeus HASN'T stirred yet, but Dagon is in touch simply to tell him to mind his manners and stay out of her way (and keep the Winchesters out of her way as well), and Crowley is either debating, or making an attempt into, wooing her to the throne.
Rewrite - Option 3: Where's Rowena in this? If we're having an exploration in motherhood this season, why don't we explore this relationship? IS Crowley tired of the throne - perhaps Dagon and Asmodeus are making threats, and Crowley thinks - maybe, just maybe, it's time to give up Kingship willingly - and Rowena was always interested in power before... so maybe he's meeting with her, to ask if she wants to be Queen... thus setting her up to die? Or be subordinate to one or both Princes while Crowley makes his escape. Only, Rowena has lost the taste for pure evil after the events of S11 - or perhaps she sees through his ploy, since their last interaction was Rowena encouraging the death of Crowley's son in revenge.
WHICH, is another thing to note - how has Gavin's re-death affected Crowley? Perhaps, no matter what this scene is, it's an exploration into a Crowley who is disenchanted with being the King of Hell, because he couldn't even save his own son with that much power, and all it brings him is grief.
Sam and Dean investigating the case...and come up to the point where they have to contact Crowley...
Crowley gets a call from Sam and Dean while his demons are trying to get work done, talking about how they killed his son while they are in earshot.
And he goes to help.
So, we get secrets, and we get helping the Winchesters... things to keep in mind.
Castiel continues to try to find Kelly Kline and runs into Kelvin - who I desperately wanted to be good, and now I can't even remember if he is or not - haha, I'm guessing not, and that he eventually dies.
We find out that the rogue Hell Hound is loyal only to Lucifer.
Crowley: "Pup like that out and about, it's not good for business - makes it look like I'm not in control."
- And there's the other hint that Crowley's reign is tenuous at best.
So, then we get to the demons discovering Lucifer... and they go LOOKING because Crowley is acting strange, and working with the Winchesters... and we find out that they released the hound on purpose to distract Crowley so that they could find out what he's been hiding.
Rewrite: Perhaps the hound was released on purpose, but it was released by Asmodeus (who we find out in S13 has a thing for hell-beasts anyway) or Dagon, in order to punish Crowley for Ramiel's death (as Crowley states, it DOES make him look bad, and his reign is tenuous at best.)
Rewrite: The escaped hell hound is INDEED enough for some demons to doubt Crowley, and perhaps they use his distraction to talk amongst themselves about it - or possibly, question who Crowley has been secretly meeting with, if not the Winchesters (like usual), and they go to investigate and find either the messenger from the Princes of Hell or one of the Princes of Hell, who further undermines Crowley's reign - or, tells them that soon the Nephilim will be born and will rule in Crowley's stead. Thus, Crowley loses the obedience of the demons, because why be obediant to someone who is about to be usurped? This could all be revealed to the demons over the same amount of scenes as we get demon+Lucifer scenes now.
Dean: "Take care of her."
Sam: "[...] you're talking about the car."
Dean: "You tend to ride the breaks."
Sam: "Dean, I know how to drive!"
- Haha... *whispered confession* I tend to ride the breaks.
- Though, in fairness, this is exactly how I felt when my sister and I drove across the country - we were supposed to split the driving, but instead I drove the ENTIRE 9 DAYS! Because I let her drive for 2 hours on the first day, and couldn't take it.
Cas finds out how things are in Heaven, which is apparently more united than usual.
Kelvin: "Come on, you've got more field experience than the next 1000 angels combined."
- I love that this is true. I think that we forget what a badass Castiel is. We start thinking that the other angels are stooges, but really, it's that Cas is super awesome.
And Kelvin offers Castiel a deal - help them track down Kelly Kline, and Joshua will welcome Castiel back into the fold of Heaven. Castiel is surprised that Joshua is involved, as he supposedly stepped aside.
Kelvin: "...part of your true family again."
- Ooo, you're not Castiel's true family anymore, buddy.
Boys in glasses!
Crowley imitating Dean is cute too.
Crowley: "All these years, you're so predictable."
Dean: "Well, guess, we've all changed - I got predictable, you got soft. You know, a couple years ago, who'd have thought you'd be helping us save the girl of the week."
Crowley: "I don't care about her."
Dean: "Maybe we rubbed off on you."
Crowley: "Don't flatter yourself."
Dean: "You saved Cas."
Crowley: "Just to spare myself the Winchester manpain, who wants you two moping around like a pair of school girls."
Dean: "Well, I just want to say thank you."
Crowley: "Or, a few years ago, who would have thought, you'd be working with the King of Hell - maybe you've rubbed off on me, maybe I've rubbed off all over you."
- This conversation is great, but would have way more impact if we went with the rewrite: Crowley HAS changed, and Crowley is having difficulty remaining King (and happy) because of this change. The Winchesters HAVE rubbed off on him, and much like Rowena (which we could be exploring), Crowley's outlook on life has changed after he helped the Winchesters and God defeat Amara last season. If we'd sown the seeds of Crowley being disenchanted/not-fitting with Hell anymore, that conversation would have a great undercurrent to it.
- Though, I will say that the line "to spare myself the Winchester manpain" is telling no matter which way you slice it - because what Crowley is admitting there is that their misery does not bring him joy, but rather the opposite. Now, whether it's annoyance or caring, the fact that it isn't his preference is an admission that Crowley is not as demonic when it comes to the Winchesters as he should be... because a real demon, as we've seen in the past, would delight in their misery. (Unless you're Ruby, and you're in love with Sam, I guess... that is not a case-study that supports Crowley in being un-compromised either.)
Sam almost has the same glasses as me!
Gwen's kind of a dummy for asking Sam to pull over. I mean, I know she's feeling nausated because of PTSD, but really as long as you're moving, the hell hound can't get you...this is why they invented barf bags.
Gwen and Sam have a heart to heart...
Actually, scratch what I said about Gwen and barf bags - it's Sam's fault for not starting up the car right away after she puked... or as soon as he saw hound.
And Sam officially has not looked after the car.
A lot of people got disporportionally mad about Gwen hitting the Hell Hound with the green cooler - like, she somehow took away their scaryness because "a civilian" "defeated a hell hound by hitting it on the head." But like, she's not defeating anything? She's literally just providing a distraction so that Sam can get unpinned and stab the thing - Sam still does the killing (which he's done before) and Gwen would still have gotten devoured if Sam hadn't been there.
ALSO, I like the fact that the Winchester's trusty green cooler helped them save the day.
I DO Think that they could have edited the fight a little differently, so that it didn't look like Sam was pinned for that long, because his arm was free enough that he should have been able to defeat the Hell Hound the same way that he did before - by slicing it up it's belly and having all the guts fall on him. My only thought is that he just REALLY didn't want to do that again and was trying to think of a different way to get unpinned before Gwen provided one.
And Crowley gets a hug... awww.
Sam: "Crowley, wait a second, um... thank you."
*Crowley disappears*
- See, how much would that have resonated even more if we already SAW Crowley's shifting alignment, if we already knew about his doubts and his tenuous reign in hell, or if we believed that not only his reign, but his life might be in danger because of the favour he's shown to the Winchesters?!
Lucifer: "So, what was that you were saying about always being two steps ahead."
Rewrite: Crowley gets back to Hell and his demons know his secrets - they can even use the "two steps ahead" line... and Crowley can STILL fire back with his "ten steps ahead" thing - he could have punishments WAITING, because he saw the doubts and disobedience creeping into his subordinates. And he could make a big speech about how he's going to kill the Nephilim and they won't have a new king, they're stuck with him, etc. And we could see it as Crowley being clever, of his doubts being a show, or we could see it as a direct reaction/rebellion against the fact that the Winchesters HAVE changed him.
Castiel breaks the news about Dagon... and then accompanies Kelvin to Heaven.
Dean: "He sound weird to you?"
- Dean really has a sixth sense.
And Sam comes clean about working with the BMoL... like, same style as Mary, really - did he learn nothing? :P
Sam: "They get results - I don't like them either, but if we can save people..."
- Oh good, Sam confirmed my original thought, not the super dark one.
Dean: "Well, okay."
Sam: "Okay?"
Dean: "What do you want me to say? Do I like them? No. Do I trust them? Hell no! But you're right...[...]We work with people we don't trust all the time. I mean, we just worked with Crowley!"
- And again, that would have more resonance if we know the BMoL were investigating them for being affiliated with demons, with the ultimate goal of measuring whether they deserved to live or die.
As usual, let me know what you thought in the comments! Next rewatch will be on the weekend. :)
Last one before I re-enter S13 on Thursday and start doing rewatches and new season reactions concurrently.
This is another one that's going to require extensive rewrites - yikes, let's see what I come up with...
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell
They've got a cot bed in their tent... I mean, I guess? I'm always so elitest when it comes to camping - like, it's not camping unless you're sleeping on the ground! Man, me, let people camp however they like - they're about to get eaten by hellhounds.
Also, I don't understand these people who are like "I want to break up with this dude, I guess I'll have one more romantic weekend with them before I do!" Like, come on...just break up with them immediately, if you want to break up with them, don't string them along. Now, noted, I once did have one more weekend with someone after I broke up with them, but it was AFTER I had broken up with him, and it was at his request. "Let me have sex with you one more time!" and I'm like. "yeah, sure, whatever," because it really was the one thing he was good at.
Anyway, Sam and Dean have been hunting back to back, ghouls, wraithes, and sirens.
Dean's disgusting. I actually don't buy him flicking guts in the bunker, because, he cleans that thing. I DO believe that Dean can simultaneous be a germaphobe AND be this disgusting - because I'm the same way, there's a threshold of getting dirty, and once I'm passed that, a switch flips and instead of being like "ugh gross!" my mind is like "I wonder how dirty I can get?" And then it's a challenge.
Dean: "Alright, I'm using that fancy shampoo you keep hidden from me."
- I want to believe that's a line that Jensen added.
Also, I should mention that I DO like the JDM+Walking Dead reference in this episode. It's cute.
Sam's on the phone to Mary when they show up at the crime scene - so, there we go, it's not always Dean that Mary calls. Though part of me is now worried that the reason that Sam joined up with the BMoL is because he saw it as a way to be close to Mary, when she chose to join up. I mean, last episode, I put it to him thinking they can help people more efficiently, because that's a Sam thing to be self-sacrificing about... but it's WAY more emotionally damaging if Sam's put aside the fact that they tortured him simply because he wants to have a relationship with his mother.... so, let's not think about that possibility and go with my first idea.
Dean was on the phone to Cas, who DOES nearly always call Dean, because they are BFFs, and Sam's used to that.
Cas finds a conspiracy theorist. Cas's mannerisms ARE Dean-like, in my opinion... at least when he hangs his head when he fails to escape the room, and then his indulgent looks.
And Cas sees Dagon for the first time.
Sam and Dean fail to comfort the witness, but succeed in saving her.
And then we get to Crowley, trying to taunt Lucifer... so, while this happens, let's brainstorm ways to include Crowley in this episode, but not have Lucifer there. THOUGH, I should say that percysowner came up with a great rewrite for if you wanted to keep Lucifer but have a believable/better storyline for both him and Crowley in the comments the Family Feud rewatch post. I'll include it in my final rewrite post as an option.
Anyway, what purpose does Lucifer serve in this episode? The demons discover that he's being kept, and so Lucifer starts to make his plan to turn the tables...
In this first scene though, Lucifer is just making Crowley suspiscious to the demons, who have to come and fetch him from his secret room in order to attend Kingly matters... SO, what do I want to do with this instead...
Rewrite - Option 1: Asmodeous and/or Dagon is threatening Crowley's power - after his experience with Abaddon, he does not want the low-demons to get wind that the remaining Princes of Hell are displeased with his reign. So, in this scene, Crowley could be in negotiations with one of their messengers, in secret, and has to be fetched.
Rewrite: Either Additionally OR Option 2: Crowley, as we learned a few episodes ago, was given the Kingship and didn't seek it out - is he growing tied of his reign? Is he exhausted from trying to hold the most powerful position, when it's just not where his talent lies - would he PREFER to be someone else's lieutenant, and go back to living in luxury far away from the day to day matters of Hell? Could it be that what he's trying to negotiate, in secret, is a PEACEFUL takeover by one of the Princes... perhaps Asmodeus HASN'T stirred yet, but Dagon is in touch simply to tell him to mind his manners and stay out of her way (and keep the Winchesters out of her way as well), and Crowley is either debating, or making an attempt into, wooing her to the throne.
Rewrite - Option 3: Where's Rowena in this? If we're having an exploration in motherhood this season, why don't we explore this relationship? IS Crowley tired of the throne - perhaps Dagon and Asmodeus are making threats, and Crowley thinks - maybe, just maybe, it's time to give up Kingship willingly - and Rowena was always interested in power before... so maybe he's meeting with her, to ask if she wants to be Queen... thus setting her up to die? Or be subordinate to one or both Princes while Crowley makes his escape. Only, Rowena has lost the taste for pure evil after the events of S11 - or perhaps she sees through his ploy, since their last interaction was Rowena encouraging the death of Crowley's son in revenge.
WHICH, is another thing to note - how has Gavin's re-death affected Crowley? Perhaps, no matter what this scene is, it's an exploration into a Crowley who is disenchanted with being the King of Hell, because he couldn't even save his own son with that much power, and all it brings him is grief.
Sam and Dean investigating the case...and come up to the point where they have to contact Crowley...
Crowley gets a call from Sam and Dean while his demons are trying to get work done, talking about how they killed his son while they are in earshot.
And he goes to help.
So, we get secrets, and we get helping the Winchesters... things to keep in mind.
Castiel continues to try to find Kelly Kline and runs into Kelvin - who I desperately wanted to be good, and now I can't even remember if he is or not - haha, I'm guessing not, and that he eventually dies.
We find out that the rogue Hell Hound is loyal only to Lucifer.
Crowley: "Pup like that out and about, it's not good for business - makes it look like I'm not in control."
- And there's the other hint that Crowley's reign is tenuous at best.
So, then we get to the demons discovering Lucifer... and they go LOOKING because Crowley is acting strange, and working with the Winchesters... and we find out that they released the hound on purpose to distract Crowley so that they could find out what he's been hiding.
Rewrite: Perhaps the hound was released on purpose, but it was released by Asmodeus (who we find out in S13 has a thing for hell-beasts anyway) or Dagon, in order to punish Crowley for Ramiel's death (as Crowley states, it DOES make him look bad, and his reign is tenuous at best.)
Rewrite: The escaped hell hound is INDEED enough for some demons to doubt Crowley, and perhaps they use his distraction to talk amongst themselves about it - or possibly, question who Crowley has been secretly meeting with, if not the Winchesters (like usual), and they go to investigate and find either the messenger from the Princes of Hell or one of the Princes of Hell, who further undermines Crowley's reign - or, tells them that soon the Nephilim will be born and will rule in Crowley's stead. Thus, Crowley loses the obedience of the demons, because why be obediant to someone who is about to be usurped? This could all be revealed to the demons over the same amount of scenes as we get demon+Lucifer scenes now.
Dean: "Take care of her."
Sam: "[...] you're talking about the car."
Dean: "You tend to ride the breaks."
Sam: "Dean, I know how to drive!"
- Haha... *whispered confession* I tend to ride the breaks.
- Though, in fairness, this is exactly how I felt when my sister and I drove across the country - we were supposed to split the driving, but instead I drove the ENTIRE 9 DAYS! Because I let her drive for 2 hours on the first day, and couldn't take it.
Cas finds out how things are in Heaven, which is apparently more united than usual.
Kelvin: "Come on, you've got more field experience than the next 1000 angels combined."
- I love that this is true. I think that we forget what a badass Castiel is. We start thinking that the other angels are stooges, but really, it's that Cas is super awesome.
And Kelvin offers Castiel a deal - help them track down Kelly Kline, and Joshua will welcome Castiel back into the fold of Heaven. Castiel is surprised that Joshua is involved, as he supposedly stepped aside.
Kelvin: "...part of your true family again."
- Ooo, you're not Castiel's true family anymore, buddy.
Boys in glasses!
Crowley imitating Dean is cute too.
Crowley: "All these years, you're so predictable."
Dean: "Well, guess, we've all changed - I got predictable, you got soft. You know, a couple years ago, who'd have thought you'd be helping us save the girl of the week."
Crowley: "I don't care about her."
Dean: "Maybe we rubbed off on you."
Crowley: "Don't flatter yourself."
Dean: "You saved Cas."
Crowley: "Just to spare myself the Winchester manpain, who wants you two moping around like a pair of school girls."
Dean: "Well, I just want to say thank you."
Crowley: "Or, a few years ago, who would have thought, you'd be working with the King of Hell - maybe you've rubbed off on me, maybe I've rubbed off all over you."
- This conversation is great, but would have way more impact if we went with the rewrite: Crowley HAS changed, and Crowley is having difficulty remaining King (and happy) because of this change. The Winchesters HAVE rubbed off on him, and much like Rowena (which we could be exploring), Crowley's outlook on life has changed after he helped the Winchesters and God defeat Amara last season. If we'd sown the seeds of Crowley being disenchanted/not-fitting with Hell anymore, that conversation would have a great undercurrent to it.
- Though, I will say that the line "to spare myself the Winchester manpain" is telling no matter which way you slice it - because what Crowley is admitting there is that their misery does not bring him joy, but rather the opposite. Now, whether it's annoyance or caring, the fact that it isn't his preference is an admission that Crowley is not as demonic when it comes to the Winchesters as he should be... because a real demon, as we've seen in the past, would delight in their misery. (Unless you're Ruby, and you're in love with Sam, I guess... that is not a case-study that supports Crowley in being un-compromised either.)
Sam almost has the same glasses as me!
Gwen's kind of a dummy for asking Sam to pull over. I mean, I know she's feeling nausated because of PTSD, but really as long as you're moving, the hell hound can't get you...this is why they invented barf bags.
Gwen and Sam have a heart to heart...
Actually, scratch what I said about Gwen and barf bags - it's Sam's fault for not starting up the car right away after she puked... or as soon as he saw hound.
And Sam officially has not looked after the car.
A lot of people got disporportionally mad about Gwen hitting the Hell Hound with the green cooler - like, she somehow took away their scaryness because "a civilian" "defeated a hell hound by hitting it on the head." But like, she's not defeating anything? She's literally just providing a distraction so that Sam can get unpinned and stab the thing - Sam still does the killing (which he's done before) and Gwen would still have gotten devoured if Sam hadn't been there.
ALSO, I like the fact that the Winchester's trusty green cooler helped them save the day.
I DO Think that they could have edited the fight a little differently, so that it didn't look like Sam was pinned for that long, because his arm was free enough that he should have been able to defeat the Hell Hound the same way that he did before - by slicing it up it's belly and having all the guts fall on him. My only thought is that he just REALLY didn't want to do that again and was trying to think of a different way to get unpinned before Gwen provided one.
And Crowley gets a hug... awww.
Sam: "Crowley, wait a second, um... thank you."
*Crowley disappears*
- See, how much would that have resonated even more if we already SAW Crowley's shifting alignment, if we already knew about his doubts and his tenuous reign in hell, or if we believed that not only his reign, but his life might be in danger because of the favour he's shown to the Winchesters?!
Lucifer: "So, what was that you were saying about always being two steps ahead."
Rewrite: Crowley gets back to Hell and his demons know his secrets - they can even use the "two steps ahead" line... and Crowley can STILL fire back with his "ten steps ahead" thing - he could have punishments WAITING, because he saw the doubts and disobedience creeping into his subordinates. And he could make a big speech about how he's going to kill the Nephilim and they won't have a new king, they're stuck with him, etc. And we could see it as Crowley being clever, of his doubts being a show, or we could see it as a direct reaction/rebellion against the fact that the Winchesters HAVE changed him.
Castiel breaks the news about Dagon... and then accompanies Kelvin to Heaven.
Dean: "He sound weird to you?"
- Dean really has a sixth sense.
And Sam comes clean about working with the BMoL... like, same style as Mary, really - did he learn nothing? :P
Sam: "They get results - I don't like them either, but if we can save people..."
- Oh good, Sam confirmed my original thought, not the super dark one.
Dean: "Well, okay."
Sam: "Okay?"
Dean: "What do you want me to say? Do I like them? No. Do I trust them? Hell no! But you're right...[...]We work with people we don't trust all the time. I mean, we just worked with Crowley!"
- And again, that would have more resonance if we know the BMoL were investigating them for being affiliated with demons, with the ultimate goal of measuring whether they deserved to live or die.
As usual, let me know what you thought in the comments! Next rewatch will be on the weekend. :)
