SPN-Rewatch #20
Sep. 25th, 2014 07:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
borgmama1of59.12 Sharp Teeth
I was very unhappy with this episode when it first aired because I was upset that they took such a wonderfully layered character that I loved and turned him into a monster.
When I watched it again now, knowing what was going to happen to Garth from the get-go, I was able to appreciate the story more.
Still not happy about Garth, though. He deserved better...
Boys meeting in hospital is awkward, just like in season 7 after Dean killed Amy behind Sam's back. Dean deliberately downplays the Mark, and Sam's concern about it is deflected when Dean mentions he got it working with Crowley, and Sam gets upset about Dean working with a demon. (Oh Sam, wait until season 10 starts...)
This time, however, Dean wants Sam to move on. There's a very subtle wall Dean has put up to defend himself from hurting and being hurt by Sam.
The werewolf story puts me in mind of some of the earlier season stand-alone episodes, where a complex plot revolves around whether or not to believe monsters can be redeemed. Dean was being particularly obnoxious flaunting his distrust of the werewolves--again, a harshness to Dean that he put up as an added layer of defense against false hope that anything can go right for him anymore.
Dean's swift realization that the deer was killed after Sam was called by the sheriff and the lightning accurate knife throw--well, that's our badass Dean no matter what emotional duress he's experiencing! Also props to the writer for giving us the explanation of the werewolf's jacket masking Dean's scent--one of the perfect touches that usually the fans have to supply, it made the universe more real in following its own rules!
Sam gets an equally impressive moment when he kicks the gun out of the stepmother werewolf's hand while chained on the ground!
Nice line:
Reverend Jim: It's no use, Dean, I can hear your heartbeat. You must have done this countless times yet you still get nervous.
So when it's all over, Garth thinks he should come back and hunt again, but Dean releases him from the hunting life and tells him to take family wherever it comes from.
Then Dean tells Garth to C'mere for a hug, because Garth doesn't feel he can do that to Dean now that he's a monster, but Dean absolves him...which leads directly into the boys trying to reconnect...sort of:
Dean watches Sam walk to Sam's car and gives in first, getting out of the Impala and trying to apologize. Conversation with my editorial comments:
Dean: Listen, that night that, uh, you know, we went our separate ways--
Sam: You mean the night you split? So Sam is pissed that Dean walked out. Guess Sam is the only one who is supposed to do the leaving.
Dean: Fair enough. I was messed up, man. Kevin was dead, and I...I don't know what I was.
Sam: Okay.
Dean: Hell, Maybe I still don't. But uh, I know I took a piece of you in the process, and for that...This is where you say 'I'm sorry!'...somebody changed the playbook, man, you know? It's like what's right is wrong and what's wrong is more wrong...I just know that when...when we rode together...
Sam: We split the crappiness. Sam acknowledges there is still something there.
Dean: Yeah...so...
Sam: Okay.
Dean: Okay.
Sam: But something's broken here, Dean.
Dean: I am not saying it's not. Acknowledging Sam is right...and then deflecting. I'm thinking we need to put a couple of "W"s on the board and we get past all this.
Sam: I don't think so. No, I wish but...we don't see things the same way anymore, our roles in this whole thing. You've outgrown the big brother/little brother roles. Back in that church, talking me out of boarding up Hell? Or tricking me into letting Gadreel possess me? Two separate things! One you agreed with, one was without your consent. Don't mix them together! I can't trust you. Not the way I thought I could. Not the way I should be able to.
Dean: Okay, look. Whatever happened, we are family. Own your mistake with Gadreel here! OK?
Sam: You say that like it's some sort of cure-all, like it can change the fact that everything that has ever gone wrong between us has been because we're family. And Sam, feeling like Dean hasn't heard him, goes on the attack where he knows it will hurt.
Dean: So what--we're not family now?
Sam: I'm saying, you want to work, let's work. If you want to be brothers...those are my terms.
And then Sam gets back in the Impala without ever getting anything out of the car he was driving? So much for those little touches that keep us in their universe...
9.13 The Purge
May I just say that the pishtaco is the best monster the show ever had? It was a crying shame that the spa ended up closing and the pishtaco going back to Peru--I would have gone there...
More non-conversation about the issues they don't want to talk about:
Sam: You sure you're okay, Dean?
Dean: Why wouldn't I be?
Sam: 'Cause -- I don't know you... This isn't about what I said the other day, is it?
Dean: Oh, about how we're not supposed to be brothers? No, don't flatter yourself. I don't break that easy.
Sam: Good, 'cause I was just being honest.
Dean: Oh, yeah. No, I got that loud and clear.
But Sam's reaction to Dean's out-of-it phone call--when it comes right down to it, Sam acts immediately. He can't not be concerned over his brother.
Of course Sam's the one who needs rescuing at the end...
And the final conversation that stabbed the Dean girls in the heart while the Sam girls cheered--again with my editorial--as in I wish I could smack them--comments:
Dean: About what you said the other day.
Sam: I thought it didn’t bother you.
Dean: You know Sam, I saved your hide back there. I saved your hide at that church — in the hospital. I may not think things all the way through but when I do, it’s because it’s the right thing. I’d do it again. Being defensive is not going to get anywhere.
Sam: And that is the problem. You think you’re my savior, my brother, the hero. You swoop in and even when you mess up you think what you’re doing is worth it because you’ve convinced yourself you’re doing more good than bad... but you’re not. Use "I" language! 'I feel devastated from having been possessed again and and watching my hands kill Kevin. I feel I let the world down by being too weak to finish the trials.' Kevin’s dead, Crowley’s in the wind, we’re no closer to beating this angel thing, please tell me, what is the upside to me being alive? You know that last question is kryptonite to Dean.
Dean: Are you kidding me? You and me, fighting the good fight together.
Sam: Just once be honest with me, you didn’t save me for me. You did it for you.
Dean: What are you talking about?
Sam: I was ready to die, I was ready. I should have died. Trying so hard to make your point that Dean is a selfish bastard to absolve yourself from letting yourself go along with him in the church. But you, you didn’t want to be alone. That’s what this boils down to, you can’t stand the thought of being alone. Dean did spend a year alone after he stood by and let you take down Lucifer. And it just about killed him. I’ll give you this much, you are certainly willing to do the sacrifice, as long as you’re not the one being hurt. That's totally ignoring Dean went to hell to save you. You're trying to get Dean to admit he was wrong--but he will never do it when you are attacking what he's done. He needs to hear your pain, not your anger.
Dean: Alright, you want to be honest, if the situation was reversed, and I was dying, you’d do the same thing. If only you had asked, 'wouldn't you do the same thing?' You just did exactly what Sam is mad about--you are telling him what he would do instead of listening! Would you want to be possessed by an angel unknowingly to safe your life?
Sam: No Dean, I wouldn’t. Same circumstances, I wouldn’t. I’m heading to bed.
My heart hurts.
9.14 Captives
Another episode that was mostly better upon rewatch than what I remembered. Actually, this time around I was much less impressed with Linda Tran and much more intrigued with Bartholemew and Cas.
The boys realizing the bunker is haunted--hollering for each other right away to underscore that regardless of how hurt/angry they are, they still go to each other first. Why don't they see that?
How in-sync they are tackling the problem...
Dean not being able to face the coffee-maker while confessing his failure...
And ghost!Kevin! With no sympathy...
Sam and Dean in the woods waiting for Candy--funny...
Meanwhile, Cas is being wooed by Bart who turns out to be an old war buddy. All the layers in the dialog between them...And I couldn't help but wonder a tiny bit how did Cas get so shrewd at analyzing human nature. But really he's analyzing angel nature, isn't he? It's just that desire for power is such a human failing...
And I admire Cas' pacifism here, in part because it is a human trait that humbles me to think about the danger inherent in standing for it.
Mrs. Tran's rescue--the thing that was weird about her whole captivity was the terror of the experience when it was stated that the demon guard couldn't kill them, and although Mrs. Tran was filthy she didn't have obvious torture marks. So when she screamed in terror at the opening of the locker door, was it because she was broken psychologically? Or was I supposed to interpret her reaction as acting to keep the demon thinking she was cowed?
When Sam tells her without words that Kevin is dead...his face and her reaction really were wrenching...then we get smart Mrs. Tran back...
Dean getting caught by the nerd demon is kind of poetic justice...and the kid is mean, once he's decided to let his inner demon out. Tied up Dean, knife drawing blood along his neck--gulp...
Cas meanwhile wins the fight with Bart...and refuses to kill him even though ever fiber of the viewer knows it's a very bad idea to let him live...but then Bart makes Cas kill him by coming after Cas, which is undeniably satisfying to watch. Cas has some badass moves too!
Sam's turn to rescue Dean...then Mrs. Tran gets her moment of satisfaction/revenge...except it still doesn't bring Kevin back or repair what she suffered over the last year. (BTW, what happened to the person in the 3rd storage locker? There was such a point made of there being 3 hostages...)
And we're back in the bunker...Very thoughtful of Dean to give Kevin a moment to brace himself. Linda walking up to Kevin, it was so wrong that she couldn't hug him, it was like an unfinished piece of music, the 'hanging there' moment...
Here's where, upon rewatch, I'm a little uneasy with Mrs. Tran's intensity. I have adult children. You have to let them grow up--get some bumps and bruises--support them, not control them or try to control what they experience. Let them make their own choices, live their own lives.
Kevin gives the boys one last bit of advice--get over it. Dean is ready to let bygones by bygones--he wasn't the one who felt abused, however, and it is easy for him to let go of things he doesn't want to remember. Sam, though, isn't ready to let go of his anger because he doesn't think Dean has heard Sam's hurt.
And the downward spiral continues...
I was very unhappy with this episode when it first aired because I was upset that they took such a wonderfully layered character that I loved and turned him into a monster.
When I watched it again now, knowing what was going to happen to Garth from the get-go, I was able to appreciate the story more.
Still not happy about Garth, though. He deserved better...
Boys meeting in hospital is awkward, just like in season 7 after Dean killed Amy behind Sam's back. Dean deliberately downplays the Mark, and Sam's concern about it is deflected when Dean mentions he got it working with Crowley, and Sam gets upset about Dean working with a demon. (Oh Sam, wait until season 10 starts...)
This time, however, Dean wants Sam to move on. There's a very subtle wall Dean has put up to defend himself from hurting and being hurt by Sam.
The werewolf story puts me in mind of some of the earlier season stand-alone episodes, where a complex plot revolves around whether or not to believe monsters can be redeemed. Dean was being particularly obnoxious flaunting his distrust of the werewolves--again, a harshness to Dean that he put up as an added layer of defense against false hope that anything can go right for him anymore.
Dean's swift realization that the deer was killed after Sam was called by the sheriff and the lightning accurate knife throw--well, that's our badass Dean no matter what emotional duress he's experiencing! Also props to the writer for giving us the explanation of the werewolf's jacket masking Dean's scent--one of the perfect touches that usually the fans have to supply, it made the universe more real in following its own rules!
Sam gets an equally impressive moment when he kicks the gun out of the stepmother werewolf's hand while chained on the ground!
Nice line:
Reverend Jim: It's no use, Dean, I can hear your heartbeat. You must have done this countless times yet you still get nervous.
So when it's all over, Garth thinks he should come back and hunt again, but Dean releases him from the hunting life and tells him to take family wherever it comes from.
Then Dean tells Garth to C'mere for a hug, because Garth doesn't feel he can do that to Dean now that he's a monster, but Dean absolves him...which leads directly into the boys trying to reconnect...sort of:
Dean watches Sam walk to Sam's car and gives in first, getting out of the Impala and trying to apologize. Conversation with my editorial comments:
Dean: Listen, that night that, uh, you know, we went our separate ways--
Sam: You mean the night you split? So Sam is pissed that Dean walked out. Guess Sam is the only one who is supposed to do the leaving.
Dean: Fair enough. I was messed up, man. Kevin was dead, and I...I don't know what I was.
Sam: Okay.
Dean: Hell, Maybe I still don't. But uh, I know I took a piece of you in the process, and for that...This is where you say 'I'm sorry!'...somebody changed the playbook, man, you know? It's like what's right is wrong and what's wrong is more wrong...I just know that when...when we rode together...
Sam: We split the crappiness. Sam acknowledges there is still something there.
Dean: Yeah...so...
Sam: Okay.
Dean: Okay.
Sam: But something's broken here, Dean.
Dean: I am not saying it's not. Acknowledging Sam is right...and then deflecting. I'm thinking we need to put a couple of "W"s on the board and we get past all this.
Sam: I don't think so. No, I wish but...we don't see things the same way anymore, our roles in this whole thing. You've outgrown the big brother/little brother roles. Back in that church, talking me out of boarding up Hell? Or tricking me into letting Gadreel possess me? Two separate things! One you agreed with, one was without your consent. Don't mix them together! I can't trust you. Not the way I thought I could. Not the way I should be able to.
Dean: Okay, look. Whatever happened, we are family. Own your mistake with Gadreel here! OK?
Sam: You say that like it's some sort of cure-all, like it can change the fact that everything that has ever gone wrong between us has been because we're family. And Sam, feeling like Dean hasn't heard him, goes on the attack where he knows it will hurt.
Dean: So what--we're not family now?
Sam: I'm saying, you want to work, let's work. If you want to be brothers...those are my terms.
And then Sam gets back in the Impala without ever getting anything out of the car he was driving? So much for those little touches that keep us in their universe...
9.13 The Purge
May I just say that the pishtaco is the best monster the show ever had? It was a crying shame that the spa ended up closing and the pishtaco going back to Peru--I would have gone there...
More non-conversation about the issues they don't want to talk about:
Sam: You sure you're okay, Dean?
Dean: Why wouldn't I be?
Sam: 'Cause -- I don't know you... This isn't about what I said the other day, is it?
Dean: Oh, about how we're not supposed to be brothers? No, don't flatter yourself. I don't break that easy.
Sam: Good, 'cause I was just being honest.
Dean: Oh, yeah. No, I got that loud and clear.
But Sam's reaction to Dean's out-of-it phone call--when it comes right down to it, Sam acts immediately. He can't not be concerned over his brother.
Of course Sam's the one who needs rescuing at the end...
And the final conversation that stabbed the Dean girls in the heart while the Sam girls cheered--again with my editorial--as in I wish I could smack them--comments:
Dean: About what you said the other day.
Sam: I thought it didn’t bother you.
Dean: You know Sam, I saved your hide back there. I saved your hide at that church — in the hospital. I may not think things all the way through but when I do, it’s because it’s the right thing. I’d do it again. Being defensive is not going to get anywhere.
Sam: And that is the problem. You think you’re my savior, my brother, the hero. You swoop in and even when you mess up you think what you’re doing is worth it because you’ve convinced yourself you’re doing more good than bad... but you’re not. Use "I" language! 'I feel devastated from having been possessed again and and watching my hands kill Kevin. I feel I let the world down by being too weak to finish the trials.' Kevin’s dead, Crowley’s in the wind, we’re no closer to beating this angel thing, please tell me, what is the upside to me being alive? You know that last question is kryptonite to Dean.
Dean: Are you kidding me? You and me, fighting the good fight together.
Sam: Just once be honest with me, you didn’t save me for me. You did it for you.
Dean: What are you talking about?
Sam: I was ready to die, I was ready. I should have died. Trying so hard to make your point that Dean is a selfish bastard to absolve yourself from letting yourself go along with him in the church. But you, you didn’t want to be alone. That’s what this boils down to, you can’t stand the thought of being alone. Dean did spend a year alone after he stood by and let you take down Lucifer. And it just about killed him. I’ll give you this much, you are certainly willing to do the sacrifice, as long as you’re not the one being hurt. That's totally ignoring Dean went to hell to save you. You're trying to get Dean to admit he was wrong--but he will never do it when you are attacking what he's done. He needs to hear your pain, not your anger.
Dean: Alright, you want to be honest, if the situation was reversed, and I was dying, you’d do the same thing. If only you had asked, 'wouldn't you do the same thing?' You just did exactly what Sam is mad about--you are telling him what he would do instead of listening! Would you want to be possessed by an angel unknowingly to safe your life?
Sam: No Dean, I wouldn’t. Same circumstances, I wouldn’t. I’m heading to bed.
My heart hurts.
9.14 Captives
Another episode that was mostly better upon rewatch than what I remembered. Actually, this time around I was much less impressed with Linda Tran and much more intrigued with Bartholemew and Cas.
The boys realizing the bunker is haunted--hollering for each other right away to underscore that regardless of how hurt/angry they are, they still go to each other first. Why don't they see that?
How in-sync they are tackling the problem...
Dean not being able to face the coffee-maker while confessing his failure...
And ghost!Kevin! With no sympathy...
Sam and Dean in the woods waiting for Candy--funny...
Meanwhile, Cas is being wooed by Bart who turns out to be an old war buddy. All the layers in the dialog between them...And I couldn't help but wonder a tiny bit how did Cas get so shrewd at analyzing human nature. But really he's analyzing angel nature, isn't he? It's just that desire for power is such a human failing...
And I admire Cas' pacifism here, in part because it is a human trait that humbles me to think about the danger inherent in standing for it.
Mrs. Tran's rescue--the thing that was weird about her whole captivity was the terror of the experience when it was stated that the demon guard couldn't kill them, and although Mrs. Tran was filthy she didn't have obvious torture marks. So when she screamed in terror at the opening of the locker door, was it because she was broken psychologically? Or was I supposed to interpret her reaction as acting to keep the demon thinking she was cowed?
When Sam tells her without words that Kevin is dead...his face and her reaction really were wrenching...then we get smart Mrs. Tran back...
Dean getting caught by the nerd demon is kind of poetic justice...and the kid is mean, once he's decided to let his inner demon out. Tied up Dean, knife drawing blood along his neck--gulp...
Cas meanwhile wins the fight with Bart...and refuses to kill him even though ever fiber of the viewer knows it's a very bad idea to let him live...but then Bart makes Cas kill him by coming after Cas, which is undeniably satisfying to watch. Cas has some badass moves too!
Sam's turn to rescue Dean...then Mrs. Tran gets her moment of satisfaction/revenge...except it still doesn't bring Kevin back or repair what she suffered over the last year. (BTW, what happened to the person in the 3rd storage locker? There was such a point made of there being 3 hostages...)
And we're back in the bunker...Very thoughtful of Dean to give Kevin a moment to brace himself. Linda walking up to Kevin, it was so wrong that she couldn't hug him, it was like an unfinished piece of music, the 'hanging there' moment...
Here's where, upon rewatch, I'm a little uneasy with Mrs. Tran's intensity. I have adult children. You have to let them grow up--get some bumps and bruises--support them, not control them or try to control what they experience. Let them make their own choices, live their own lives.
Kevin gives the boys one last bit of advice--get over it. Dean is ready to let bygones by bygones--he wasn't the one who felt abused, however, and it is easy for him to let go of things he doesn't want to remember. Sam, though, isn't ready to let go of his anger because he doesn't think Dean has heard Sam's hurt.
And the downward spiral continues...
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no subject
Date: 2014-09-26 12:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-26 03:45 am (UTC)I am doing this to wrap my head around where season 10 is going to start, but it's nice to know someone else is enjoying them!
no subject
Date: 2014-09-26 02:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-26 03:48 am (UTC)I really appreciate letting me know you're still reading!
PS You and firesign10 used the same icon! Kind of freaky!
no subject
Date: 2014-09-26 12:22 pm (UTC)It's my "getting ready for S10" icon...
no subject
Date: 2014-09-26 06:13 pm (UTC)I agree with about 90% of your editorializing! Our darling, broken boys...
no subject
Date: 2014-09-26 10:44 pm (UTC)And thanks for letting me know you're enjoying my commentary!