7.16 Episode reaction and thinky...
Mar. 17th, 2012 09:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ash48WELCOME BACK SHOW! \0/ (Stop going away and making us addicts suffer so.... )
I'm always a little nervous going into anticipated eps for fear of being disappointed. My biggest concern was that Sam would not tell Dean that Lucifer was front and center. That he would suffer in silence......but..... WOOT!!! It was the first thing out of his mouth! \o/ It was such a relief. Out with the old Sam....;)
The next time someone is at a SPN Convention can you please ask if they have a blood splatter gun. There's barely an episode go by where there isn't an explosion of blood (and I'm seriously curious has they produce it). As soon as those mirrors came into view we knew they would end up covered in blood yeah? Oh show....*hugs it*
Counting the ways...
1. Such a gory, awesome beginning and I would have been sorely disappointed if the movie Black Swan hadn't been mentioned. And Dean calling the tutu on tutu action = perfect. :)
2. Nice to see a call back to Bad Day at Black Rock and the cursed objects. But JEEEEEZEEEE... boiling water over the face!! Really?! Ack! I actually turned away (and squeeed at the same time...) Loved the build up of the meat grinder and knife shots.
3. SAMMMY!!!!! Oh man....The torture of sleep depravation. :(( Sam is hanging on by a thread. (I'm sure we've all experienced that a little bit..) The fact that he IS hanging on is testament to how strong he is. I still don't get how Lucifer-in-sam's-brain actually works. I'm wondering if we're not really supposed to really have a grasp on that yet. From recent discussions (in past entries) it seems there are a few different theories about how he works. I look forward to seeing how they actually deal with this. I will say I am LOVING the Sam-being-tortured-by-Lucifer story line and not just because it gives us some Sammy pain, but because it adds weight to the sacrifice Sam made when he returned Lucifer to the cage. The wall was a BIG DEAL in S6, so it makes sense that it's still a big deal in S7.
4. DEAN!!! \o/ I will admit I do love Dean like this. In control, confident, clear thinking... (I have more to say about Dean, which I'll go into below as it's more meta than just a "point").
5. LEVIATHANS!! Ok. So. I know some of you aren't fond of the Leviathan arc but I have to say really am. I loved Joyce. The actress was great fun to watch and I enjoyed the "Devil Wears Prada" dynamic going on there. I actually had a boss like that once. The psychopathic boss. Scary and awful. It's great how consistent they have been with the "style" of the Leviathans. As soon as those two appeared on screen they oozed Leviathan. They have slippery, slick, charming, smarmy personalities and a certain cold look. The hierarchy between them amuses me. The corporate observations are fabulous. (I have more to say on this below).
6. SAM vs TRUCK! HOLY FUCK!!! (um.. was there anyone else hoping that Sam would veer off the road, hit his poor head and Dean would have to come looking for him. Wrap him in a blanket, give him lots of cuddles and....um... yeah. ok. I think I read that in a story once....)
7. FRANK!! Because Show is Show the chances that Frank is dead is pretty high. The blood spatter gun had been put to good use in those final shots, that's for sure. BUT! Show being Show (and we know how they love to kill EVERYBODY!) Frank is very likely not dead (just to screw with us). We didn't see a body, so I'm going to speculate that he's NOT dead. JUST TO SCREW WITH US! I really don't know, but I think his death would be a bit premature at this point. Sure, they want the boys left WITHOUT ANYONE (damn you Show!), but it just doesn't feel right at this point in the story... *shrugs* we'll see.
8. My bro!love craving wanted to see Dean show more concern with Sam's reveal about Lucifer being on board 24/7 but I know it was there and I think it's more realistic to simply have him ask about his condition and tell him to get some sleep. As much as I would like to see an ep with some h/c in it, I know we aren't going to get it. I suppose there's only so much angst they can give Dean over Sam. We are still 7 eps away from the finale so they can't pile it on just yet. FIC REQUIRED!
At the end of this episode I was left feeling WE NEED FIC!! So many opportunities...
1 - Dean crack!fic where he actually put on those shoes!
2 - Wee!Dean fic where he first discovered his love for ballet (the shoes went for Dean because Dean has a secret love for ballet.. TRUE FAX! )
3 - Sam ends up in a ditch after narrowly missing the truck - injured and needing his big!bro
4 - Dean decides Sam needs sleep, so curls up with him to sooth his nightmares. I actually see this as gen. *nod*.... really....
5 - Dean decides Sam needs sleep, so curls up with him to sooth his nightmares... and um....::koff::: not gen....
And no, this isn't actually a request for fic (really..) but didn't you feel that it left the door open for SO much writing!?! Wheeee....
And now some thinky thoughts.... (THINKY EP!! \o/)
1. The title. "Out With The Old". When the name of the shop appeared it seemed we had the title right there. But I'm thinking this was also comment on where the boys are now. Both of them seemed to have shed something "old" and started to be something "new". Sam came clean straight away to Dean about Lu. Sam has certainly been more honest this season, but he's also wanted to protect Dean from his true state of mind. Until now. He's actually telling Dean what's going on. (yay!).
In many ways I think the title is more appropriate for Dean. He really seemed to shed some of the "old" Dean. The guilt for starters. His line: Feeling guilty ain't gonna bring 'em back. Best you can do is live your life the way that you think would make her proud. seems like such a huge step forward for Dean. Shedding some of the guilt he's been carrying around since John died. How much lighter did he look in this episode? He was researching and investigating and getting answers. He seemed better. Clearer. No drinking and less angst.
I thought we might have been heading for a major Dean breakdown (and we still might) but I think he hit his lowest point just after Bobby died. It was Frank that suggested the tools to survive (get through the week) and it is testament to Dean's strength that he's done that. I'm sure Dean will have his ups and downs (with more downs to come I'm sure), but to see him so much stronger and wiser in this episode was fabulous. I know I wear my heart on my sleeve for Sam but I ADORE Dean TO LITTLE PIECES. To have him of the brink of breaking only to bring him back stronger and more focused makes me SQUEEEE :))
2. The Big Bad. I want to take an enormous leap and say that the (targeted) big bad this season is pharmaceutical companies. Yes, yes.. I know they aren't actually the big bad but when the writers sat down this season and said "what real evil can we investigate this season?" ... the answer "corporations and pharmaceutical companies" seems like a damn good answer to me.
The reason I went there? The Leviathans will have a cure for cancer. I loved this reveal. They actually want to give humans a cure for (quite possibly) the worse disease we have. Why? I see two reasons. 1). It would mean healthy food source and 2). It would earn them billions. Imagine being able to offer the human race a cure for something we have been trying to find the answer for ages.
And here lies the rub. Would we accept the cure for cancer from "monsters" whose aim is to infiltrate us? - keep us healthy as a food source, and become incredibly powerful by providing us with something we desperately need? (And yep... money is power, corporate money pays for government campaigns and thus buys favors etc). What better way to take over the world. I've always imagined the end of the world to come from greedy, power hungry corporations. It's not a far stretch from where we are today. I rather love that show is exploring this. It might be cliched but if they are going to explore evil then it makes sense that corporate greed becomes a monster. I'm really hoping there's a satisfactory twist and conclusion to this story arc. (realistically it would be Leviathans taking over the world has money hungry, psychopathic, greedy... leviathans and the boys saying..."yeah, the world deserves this"... and driving over a cliff...).
3. Show is awesome. No thinky required.
I wanted to make mention of the motel in the ep but I've run out of steam (and I've already said enough!). I posted a S4 motel picspam recently and hope to crack into S5 motels soon. I do hope to cover all the seasons eventually. Mostly because I have this rather compulsive desire to see all the motels categorised.
I'm always a little nervous going into anticipated eps for fear of being disappointed. My biggest concern was that Sam would not tell Dean that Lucifer was front and center. That he would suffer in silence......but..... WOOT!!! It was the first thing out of his mouth! \o/ It was such a relief. Out with the old Sam....;)
The next time someone is at a SPN Convention can you please ask if they have a blood splatter gun. There's barely an episode go by where there isn't an explosion of blood (and I'm seriously curious has they produce it). As soon as those mirrors came into view we knew they would end up covered in blood yeah? Oh show....*hugs it*
Counting the ways...
1. Such a gory, awesome beginning and I would have been sorely disappointed if the movie Black Swan hadn't been mentioned. And Dean calling the tutu on tutu action = perfect. :)
2. Nice to see a call back to Bad Day at Black Rock and the cursed objects. But JEEEEEZEEEE... boiling water over the face!! Really?! Ack! I actually turned away (and squeeed at the same time...) Loved the build up of the meat grinder and knife shots.
3. SAMMMY!!!!! Oh man....The torture of sleep depravation. :(( Sam is hanging on by a thread. (I'm sure we've all experienced that a little bit..) The fact that he IS hanging on is testament to how strong he is. I still don't get how Lucifer-in-sam's-brain actually works. I'm wondering if we're not really supposed to really have a grasp on that yet. From recent discussions (in past entries) it seems there are a few different theories about how he works. I look forward to seeing how they actually deal with this. I will say I am LOVING the Sam-being-tortured-by-Lucifer story line and not just because it gives us some Sammy pain, but because it adds weight to the sacrifice Sam made when he returned Lucifer to the cage. The wall was a BIG DEAL in S6, so it makes sense that it's still a big deal in S7.
4. DEAN!!! \o/ I will admit I do love Dean like this. In control, confident, clear thinking... (I have more to say about Dean, which I'll go into below as it's more meta than just a "point").
5. LEVIATHANS!! Ok. So. I know some of you aren't fond of the Leviathan arc but I have to say really am. I loved Joyce. The actress was great fun to watch and I enjoyed the "Devil Wears Prada" dynamic going on there. I actually had a boss like that once. The psychopathic boss. Scary and awful. It's great how consistent they have been with the "style" of the Leviathans. As soon as those two appeared on screen they oozed Leviathan. They have slippery, slick, charming, smarmy personalities and a certain cold look. The hierarchy between them amuses me. The corporate observations are fabulous. (I have more to say on this below).
6. SAM vs TRUCK! HOLY FUCK!!! (um.. was there anyone else hoping that Sam would veer off the road, hit his poor head and Dean would have to come looking for him. Wrap him in a blanket, give him lots of cuddles and....um... yeah. ok. I think I read that in a story once....)
7. FRANK!! Because Show is Show the chances that Frank is dead is pretty high. The blood spatter gun had been put to good use in those final shots, that's for sure. BUT! Show being Show (and we know how they love to kill EVERYBODY!) Frank is very likely not dead (just to screw with us). We didn't see a body, so I'm going to speculate that he's NOT dead. JUST TO SCREW WITH US! I really don't know, but I think his death would be a bit premature at this point. Sure, they want the boys left WITHOUT ANYONE (damn you Show!), but it just doesn't feel right at this point in the story... *shrugs* we'll see.
8. My bro!love craving wanted to see Dean show more concern with Sam's reveal about Lucifer being on board 24/7 but I know it was there and I think it's more realistic to simply have him ask about his condition and tell him to get some sleep. As much as I would like to see an ep with some h/c in it, I know we aren't going to get it. I suppose there's only so much angst they can give Dean over Sam. We are still 7 eps away from the finale so they can't pile it on just yet. FIC REQUIRED!
At the end of this episode I was left feeling WE NEED FIC!! So many opportunities...
1 - Dean crack!fic where he actually put on those shoes!
2 - Wee!Dean fic where he first discovered his love for ballet (the shoes went for Dean because Dean has a secret love for ballet.. TRUE FAX! )
3 - Sam ends up in a ditch after narrowly missing the truck - injured and needing his big!bro
4 - Dean decides Sam needs sleep, so curls up with him to sooth his nightmares. I actually see this as gen. *nod*.... really....
5 - Dean decides Sam needs sleep, so curls up with him to sooth his nightmares... and um....::koff::: not gen....
And no, this isn't actually a request for fic (really..) but didn't you feel that it left the door open for SO much writing!?! Wheeee....
And now some thinky thoughts.... (THINKY EP!! \o/)
1. The title. "Out With The Old". When the name of the shop appeared it seemed we had the title right there. But I'm thinking this was also comment on where the boys are now. Both of them seemed to have shed something "old" and started to be something "new". Sam came clean straight away to Dean about Lu. Sam has certainly been more honest this season, but he's also wanted to protect Dean from his true state of mind. Until now. He's actually telling Dean what's going on. (yay!).
In many ways I think the title is more appropriate for Dean. He really seemed to shed some of the "old" Dean. The guilt for starters. His line: Feeling guilty ain't gonna bring 'em back. Best you can do is live your life the way that you think would make her proud. seems like such a huge step forward for Dean. Shedding some of the guilt he's been carrying around since John died. How much lighter did he look in this episode? He was researching and investigating and getting answers. He seemed better. Clearer. No drinking and less angst.
I thought we might have been heading for a major Dean breakdown (and we still might) but I think he hit his lowest point just after Bobby died. It was Frank that suggested the tools to survive (get through the week) and it is testament to Dean's strength that he's done that. I'm sure Dean will have his ups and downs (with more downs to come I'm sure), but to see him so much stronger and wiser in this episode was fabulous. I know I wear my heart on my sleeve for Sam but I ADORE Dean TO LITTLE PIECES. To have him of the brink of breaking only to bring him back stronger and more focused makes me SQUEEEE :))
2. The Big Bad. I want to take an enormous leap and say that the (targeted) big bad this season is pharmaceutical companies. Yes, yes.. I know they aren't actually the big bad but when the writers sat down this season and said "what real evil can we investigate this season?" ... the answer "corporations and pharmaceutical companies" seems like a damn good answer to me.
The reason I went there? The Leviathans will have a cure for cancer. I loved this reveal. They actually want to give humans a cure for (quite possibly) the worse disease we have. Why? I see two reasons. 1). It would mean healthy food source and 2). It would earn them billions. Imagine being able to offer the human race a cure for something we have been trying to find the answer for ages.
And here lies the rub. Would we accept the cure for cancer from "monsters" whose aim is to infiltrate us? - keep us healthy as a food source, and become incredibly powerful by providing us with something we desperately need? (And yep... money is power, corporate money pays for government campaigns and thus buys favors etc). What better way to take over the world. I've always imagined the end of the world to come from greedy, power hungry corporations. It's not a far stretch from where we are today. I rather love that show is exploring this. It might be cliched but if they are going to explore evil then it makes sense that corporate greed becomes a monster. I'm really hoping there's a satisfactory twist and conclusion to this story arc. (realistically it would be Leviathans taking over the world has money hungry, psychopathic, greedy... leviathans and the boys saying..."yeah, the world deserves this"... and driving over a cliff...).
3. Show is awesome. No thinky required.
I wanted to make mention of the motel in the ep but I've run out of steam (and I've already said enough!). I posted a S4 motel picspam recently and hope to crack into S5 motels soon. I do hope to cover all the seasons eventually. Mostly because I have this rather compulsive desire to see all the motels categorised.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-03-18 03:17 am (UTC)Yes, I really adore this. There was such finality to Swan Song, and I love the sense that this really is an ongoing sacrifice. They got him out of hell, but he's still suffering; even if they fix the hallucinations, he'll still be stuck with the memory. I think it makes an interesting contrast to Dean's experience in seasons four and five, too - there was a lot of pressure on him, mostly from the angels, to just move on and cope, because they had no interest in him as a person at all. But obviously things like that don't just go away, so it all kept leaking out the sides. Here it's mostly Sam putting pressure on himself to be okay. It's understandable - he's paid his price and their problems don't have much to do with Lucifer these days. But he can't make it go away either. It's tragic because he's not even lying about it - he says exactly what's happening, but his tone, his body language, his attitude all put forward the idea that this is minor and manageable, but it's not.
My bro!love craving wanted to see Dean show more concern with Sam's reveal about Lucifer being on board 24/7 but I know it was there and I think it's more realistic to simply have him ask about his condition and tell him to get some sleep.
Agreed - and I think that's part of the horror of the situation, too. If Dean could see what we have seen, he would probably be more frightened. But he never does. Back when it was visions, we saw those; now it's Lucifer, we've watched what he does. All Dean ever sees are the physical symptoms - so that's what he tries to deal with. He's displaying an appropriate level of concern for 'my brother didn't get any sleep last night'. It's just that we know that it's worse than that. I think the truck scene is all about that - Dean has no idea how close he is to losing Sam, because Sam's putting up a really good front. The trouble is, there's not a whole lot of difference between the pe-Repo Man situation and now. Before, Sam could take occasional breaks from Lucifer. Now he can't. That's it. So there's no big change in his behaviour, and the sleep problem is going to take time to build up.
I want to take an enormous leap and say that the (targeted) big bad this season is pharmaceutical companies. Yes, yes.. I know they aren't actually the big bad but when the writers sat down this season and said "what real evil can we investigate this season?"
Assuming they're telling the truth, I think the leviathans' cynical manipulation of the pharmaceutical industry is brilliant, and it's such a logical step up from their games with the food. That was a straightforward attempt to control human behaviour - but even when it mostly works it's a problem, because if just half a dozen people die from your cheeseburgers you'll make the news and they won't let you make cheeseburgers anymore. Medical research is a whole different matter. You can perform experiments right out in public, and once you get past a certain point you can call for human trials - and while people will take note if your drug is dangerous, a small percentage of adverse reactions would be expected. Of course in the real world there are regulations and safeguards - but they've infiltrated everything; they can get around whatever they need to. If this is just a means of manoeuvring themselves into positions of power, it'll work; if it's an effort to introduce a drug of some kind into human systems, it'll work. I look forward to seeing where this goes. :)
no subject
Date: 2012-03-20 10:31 am (UTC)I love the observation that Sam is trying SO HARD to not let on to Dean how bad it all is. He wants to manage it. Not only for his sake, but for Dean's as well. He's totally acting like it's really no big deal. Even in the opening recap we got the clip about him saying at least all his crazy is in one basket. As though that makes it so much easier to manage.
And yeah... Dean really doesn't know the extent of how there Lucifer is now. Up until now Sam has been dealing with it all so well. Dean probably thinks Sam can continue dealing like he has done. I'm sure if he saw the near miss with the truck he'd be freaking out so much more. I rather like that he's not (well, aside from wanting to see the h/c). It adds to the tension. We still have that to come I imagine - Dean really seeing the effect that this really has on Sam.
And it's all your reason here that make me love the Leviathan story line so much. It has such great potential to explore all those ethical and moral issues with drugs and money. The world doesn't know or see these monsters because they are no different to some of the human "monsters" we have around today. I find the hierarchy interesting - there seems to be little loyalty amongst them. Only fear - which might mean potential allies for the Winchesters. Hmmm... not sure yet. I'm excited that there are a number of ways this could go.
xx