9.20 episode review/reaction

[ash48]

(changed my cut tag....lost my sense of humour...)

I ain't got nothing guys. Reviewing this would be like me reviewing an episode of Charmed or The Vampire Diaries or The Young and The Restless (not that I've watched those, but I imagine they're a bit like this. Maybe?)

I have no idea if that was good or bad because it's just not my kind of thing. For those who like romancey drama with supernatural beings as the back drop then this might have been awesome. But, that's not me. Too many beautiful, unrealistic (and rather boring) characters for my liking.

I knew this episode was a pilot so I'm not at all surprised or even disappointed after watching it (only it means we've ended up with 22 episodes instead of 23. BOO!).

What I DON'T GET is did they actually think that would appeal to the Supernatural audience? I haven't checked many reactions but I have a feeling there might be some pissed off fans because that pilot could have been done separately to this show. It didn't even have the same feel so there's no reason why they couldn't have launched that as a "new" show - without any connections to SPN.

It makes me even more worried that Carver really has no understanding of the SPN audience (and probably explains why the first half of S8 was such soap opera). We are NOT that audience (ack! are we? I don't mean to speak on behalf of the spn fandom...)

Ok. So there was a smidgeon of Sam and Dean stuff. And did any one else just kinda melt a little when they appeared on the screen? It was almost like a relief to see them. I was instantly engaged and eager to know what was going on with them. Every "Sammy" warmed by heart just a wee bit. Even their weariness and heart aching experience was a welcome sight (and even though this season has been a trial, after watching I might actually be grateful for it). And I did like Dean's one liner when he chopped off the vamps head. :)

And I was grasping onto anything. Dean telling that guy (I know, I can't even remember names) that monsters don't exist was cruel and gave us a glimpse of MoC!Dean and Sam even managed to (almost) draw a tear with his declaration that once you're in you can never get out. Was it just me or did Sam actually seem really tired and weary? Whenever the boys encounter newbies entering the "business" there's always a level of sadness and deep knowing. Usually Dean has it too, but he's clearly not bothered (more evidence of him disconnecting and drawing away from humanity). I liked seeing it come from Sam though (we actually got some Sam moments! yay :D)

But we can't really read too much into what the boys were up to because they didn't do anything. Didn't have any part of the action or even the story. As I said - no idea why they had to create this as a spin off. I would have been happier to see this as a Castiel and Crowley spin off, or a Charlie and Dorothy, a Jody and Annie/Alex one or even a Garth and his new werewolf family one. I thought that was what spin offs were? A character from one show creating another show? Man, even a ghost!Kevin and Mama Tran spin off would have more exciting.

So yeah. Very unlikely I'll be following that. I feel particularly cheated and annoyed that a show like that would be connected to Supernatural. Sure, make a show like that - there will be people who will love it. Just don't try and tell me it's a spin off of Supernatural.

Comments

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

Interesting, thanks!. I do love that SPN is about relationships, and that those relationships are not (canonically/normatively) sexual or romantic.

jealousy [...] "love" triangles all over the place - conflict because of one's relationship to someone else. So - Dean's jealousy over Sam/Amelia, Sam's jealousy of Dean/Benny, Cas's jealously over Dean/Benny. The emotional drama relied on lack of communication (bit like this season) between the brothers.

Isn't that a lot like other plots, perhaps season 4?
Jealousy over Sam/Ruby and perhaps Dean/Cas (come on show, switch genders for us if you're gonna recycle, huh? It's even the same genders as season 1 Jess and John!) ?
(I'm not disagreeing, kind of trying to figure out what you're saying, this is interesting, and I hadn't connected any of that to soaps)


But for me it was mostly the badly handled Sam and Amelia relationship. The half season hiatus cliff hanger was Amelia walking back into Sam's life. I mean...that was it! We were supposed to be all "OMG! Amelia is back! Who will Sam choose between Dean or Amelia?" (as if that was even a question). And then there was Don walking back into Amelia's life - and this was supposed to create conflict for Sam


Oh, that was horrible, horrible. Such a ridiculously unsympathetic character, relationship, plotline... and it could have been better but it really really was not.


And then there was Don walking back into Amelia's life - and this was supposed to create conflict for Sam. The "mysterious" man in the bushes in ep one created speculation that something supernatural was going on. Instead he was just part of the love story


Ha! You know I just now realized that was who it was? I vaguely wondered why they never picked up that loose end, but there were so many other loose ends flying around unattended...


I accept that the relationship issues are an important part of the show, but in S8 they were manufactured to the point of being nauseous (for me anyway).

Interesting, yeah. I agree that they were manufactured. I care about the show mostly for the relationships and characters, but even from that standpoint - that was just badly done! (so very badly done...)


I certainly felt like I was being used as a SPN fan to get insta!audience. It could have been interesting, but they played it too safe. Oh, and it didn't really make a lot of sense.

I agree, I mean - WHY did they do it so badly...?
There are so many fantastic writers available, who actually care about the show... why.