7.21 Reaction

[ash48]

Perhaps CONFUSED?! UNDERWHELMED, ANNOYED! What the hell was that?!

Yeah.. so, um... TURN BACK NOW because I am seriously struggling to find anything good to say about this one. Sorry. :(

I can't pinpoint whether it was bad direction, bad writing, bad acting or the fact that the writer was also the director (writer/director is a tricky combo to get right). It was Ben Edlund so I'm surprised it was so awful. He's written some pretty good episodes (Bad Day at Black Rock probably my favourite of his) but his directing is yet to impress me. This is his second directing gig for SPN (other one being The Man Who Would be King) and to be honest I'd think like to see it stay that way.

It was both too much and not enough. Too much new information (most of which made little sense) and not enough... well, everything else. It lacked energy and the pacing was woeful. It lacked the crucial element of tension. The was no build up - no urgency what so ever (compared to say last week that had us on the edge of our seats). It's not really fair to mention the bad acting because I think a director is mostly to blame for that but wow... there were some seriously medicore performances in there. I'm sorry but Hester never convinced me. Meg was better than last time I thought but there were still some issues.

I suppose I enjoyed Misha's performance. There were some nice laugh out loud moments but because the whole episode had that feeling of "what the hell is going on" he was kinda lost in there. There were some lovely little moments but they were surrounded with some truly awful ones. Something I did like was the feeling that he really was seeing "everything". I actually think that an opportunity was missed here to appreciate Castiel's plight. Or to connected with him in any way.

I suppose the thing that annoyed me the most was ALL THAT was going on in the hospital and NO ONE WAS AROUND! Ever! Hospitals are busy places... or did I miss something? Was there an explanation for why they could be going in and out like it was their home, chase and knock people out on the grounds etc.? Did I zone out and miss that? I just. IT MADE NO SENSE!

I did like Kevin Tran, but again because there was so much going on his character drew little interest or sympathy.

Our boys were sidelined and became observers. They seemed so out of their depth, (which might have been the whole point), but by doing that I felt we lost the connection to what was going on. We were left as damn confused as they were.

Some of the jokes seemed to be there just for us. Which, ok, sometimes that's fun but in an episode like this it felt try-hard. I'm not sure it ever made up it's mind what kind of episode it was going to be. It started of a little quirky, got quite serious, then there was that strange moment with action music, moments where Cas was "connecting" with first Sam and then Dean. Throw in suggested Cas/Meg romance and... yeah. A COMPLETE MESS!

So the boys now know how to kill the Leviathans. I probably should be more excited about that but I think because the way it came about seems so contrived I have little excitement for it. I suppose it might depend how they use that information now.

There's a lot more but I think I'm just depressing myself the more I write.

ACK!!! I DON'T KNOW?!! Is it just me? Am I being too harsh? Does it need a second viewing to appreciate it? (please no!) Other than some funny one liners was there actually anything good about that ep that I missed?

Sorry to be so negative. It's not usually like me. I always try to look for the positive but I'm struggling with this one. Thank God there are 2 more episodes. Please Show be building up to something interesting - something that actually involves the boys rather than having them watch other characters. Something that makes some sense would be good...*sigh*

Comments

[el1ie.livejournal.com]

I've watched it twice now and it's still getting the - WTF did I just watch - vote.

Two episodes from the finale and it's like watching a bad comedy routine interspersed with bad dialogue, bad characterisation and stupendously lacklustre performances.

Just why is Meg there at all? I just don't understand any of her motives here and hardly any of her dialogue again. Yes, it did lift it back into a horror show when she attacked those demons, but I'm still not sure why, I have to presume Crowley is yet to make another appearance or is he still benched for this year and they're keeping him in play for next year? Some weird reason I suppose.

The 'only an angel can kill an angel' is a total lie then? The weapon is the answer. - *ho hum*

Sam, Dean and the transformer conversation was weird the first time, second watch through it was absurdly jarring, as was that ridiculous running around after Kevin.

The hospital was, I expect, the one that only ever exists in TV land, where all the old metal beds have flaking paint and horse hair mattresses and patients get experimented on by borderline insane doctors who bore holes in their skulls on a whim - in other words this was Asylum up and running. No hospitals exist like that, just look at the staff they take on - Nurse Masters? Yeah, ok, hand wave that too.

It must be catching though, the stupid I mean,. One of my main problems with the Leviathans has been their increasingly stupid henchmen, I find Dick an oily creepy and vicious little shit, but I've never found him worthy of a SPN villain of the season, he's no where near terrifying enough. Season started off well, the Leviathan inside Castiel really got me excited for the season, but they've been getting really over the top stupid, with the eating themselves shit. Once all the menacing horror gets lost in the stupid then somehow our boys end up acting like chumps too and that really, really annoys me.

SPN used to be really chilling, maybe that's me, maybe I've always found the unknown, the spirits, the Latin, the exorcisms - freaky as shit and scary - hmmm, maybe that's my personal bias from the convent? But all that used to have an air of intensity, of the macabre - nowadays it's more like the goon show has been splattered with gore. The more human they made the demons the stupider they became, the more human they made the angels the more like dicks they became, now they have Dick running the shop and it's kind of not frightening or mysterious any more, shit, it's not really that funny any longer either.

Just two episodes to go, they're going to have to pull out all the stops to find some kind of cliff hanger for this year, and yes, I agree with you, if the boys aren't in peril, if the cliff hanger doesn't affect them personally, then you lose your connection with the audience, I think that's been a big problem this year, it's not been personal enough for us, yes they've lost everyone, they're on their own, but saving the world? Been there done that already, there's no tension in doing it all over again. It's been wonderful watching them heal and work together, but to what end? It's been ages since Dean threatened Dick outside the hospital when Bobby died and I'd like to see more of that please, side-lining them in filler episodes is all well and good, but these last episodes should be building up a head of steam and ramping up the battle and the tension around the Winchester boys and I'm not feeling it AT ALL.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Oh wow... some great thoughts here.

Two episodes from the finale and it's like watching a bad comedy routine interspersed with bad dialogue, bad characterisation and stupendously lacklustre performances.

That's it in a nutshell. And it makes me sad to think this has happened so close to the end of the season. I just hope this isn't and indication of where it's heading.

Just why is Meg there at all?

I'm wondering that also. I figure there has to be a reason - perhaps something to with how they will finally defeat the Levis. Or maybe bring Crowley back into it. I will be surprised if we don't see him again. I think he will play a role in the finale - but I'm only guessing.

The 'only an angel can kill an angel' is a total lie then? The weapon is the answer. - *ho hum*

Exactly. Things keep changing. Though Dean killed Zac so anyone with the angel sword AND black goo can kill an angel it would seem.

It was at the point where they were chasing Kevin around the grounds to action music that I started to eye roll. Up until then the episode was creating a certain "feel" and then it abruptly changed to almost slap stick. And the irritation with the empty hospital was really getting to me. No sense.

The Leviathan issue is interesting. I totally get what you are saying and I am concerned I might be beginning to feel the same way. The thing for me is that I've enjoyed this new take on "evil". I like that they are aligning corporations with "evil" because to me it's very believable and not a far stretch from the truth. Probably very cliched but to pit Sam and Dean (blue collar guys) against Dick and major corporations - (white collar evil), interests me.

I have enjoyed the infighting and the "each out for their own" mentality of them. I don't even mind them being somewhat stupid as long as Sam and Dean don't become stupid along with them.

I found Dick particularly chilling in the last episode - but more in the menacing kind of way rather then a creepy supernatural way.

But yeah... I can see all those problems you mentioned. And now that we are near the end I am concerned that they are just not going to have a satisfying enough conclusion. I just...I don't know. I am going to reserve my overall opinion of them until I can see what they do with the last two episode. I am worried that I won't look back with as much fondness that I have had for them.

Last paragraph is spot on. We were promised Sam and Dean against the world but we really didn't get that. I think the first half of the season was very strong - especially the way the lost Bobby, but because the boys have been side lined recently it feels like they aren't really part of what's going on. Or.. there's no real urgency on their part. Dean is still pretty feed up. Sam seems to have no real purpose so we have lost the "drive" that they had.

They are working well together, which is great, but I agree. It has to mean something.

Nothing became of Dean's drinking (they may be leaving that for next season maybe?) and now it seems Sam's head is all well and fine and all of that angst is now gone. They've even made peace with Cas and Meg it looks like. So yeah.... I have no idea what they could do now that would create the kind of cliff hanger or edge of your seat drama we are used to at the end.

I hope they prove us wrong.
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[el1ie.livejournal.com]

I hope they prove us wrong.

Oh honey, so do I. I know I was probably a bit harsh here, I still love our show otherwise I wouldn't bother being harsh, but I had such hight hopes and it started off so well, I loved Dean smashing into the tablet and I loved all the lightning and even the new prophet, it seemed to be heading in the right direction and then I got so disappointed...

[no-ones-sleep.livejournal.com]

I began to worry as soon as I read what Kevin translated. They need the bone of a righteous mortal. Dean has been called the Righteous One, I seem to remember, and they obviously need a still living person- not the bones of a dead hunter (and they burned Bobby's bones anyway, if we even could go so far as to call him righteous). So maybe there are some angsty scenes in store for us, but I agree that they aren't building up to it very well. (And maybe I am completely mistaken and the cliffhanger is about someone else. Two weeks and we know more!)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I can only imagine the other two requirements will be asked of Sam and Dean. Maybe Dean is the "righteous mortal", and Sam is "as light and good as the Leviathan are hungry and dark". Not sure Sam qualifies as light and good mind you with everything he's done. It makes sense that it would take Team Free Will to slay the Leviathans. We'll see I suppose.

I am sure we must be up for some angst ahead. I'm looking forward to it (hee... I think!)

[el1ie.livejournal.com]

I thought the very same thing, there were a couple of significant drops of info here, that about the bone and all the pregnant women giving birth - that were kind of left open.

I thought the same as you - righteous man could equal Dean - (although I'm not so sure he's that any longer...) but do you think it does mean a living person? Hmmm - I suppose Dean could manage without a rib? Adam and all that...

Next couple of episode will have to be crammed if they're going to suddenly switch streams and find a bloody good cliff-hanger and as I just said to ash - god I hope they do, please let them find something that really captures some angst and peril.