9.23 reaction

[ash48]

I had a huge reaction post written out but decided it was far too negative and started to make me cry so I decided not to post it.

I will say that I didn't mind watching the episode (made all the better because I had zebra363 with me) but in all honesty it left me feeling pretty much nothing. Empty. Blank. Perhaps a bit annoyed, frustrated and sad.

I love these characters too much to see them wasted like this. To have them at odds all season just so we can have "near" apology scenes and confessions of "I lied". :(

For a whole season to mean absolutely nothing. To have gone absolutely no where. *sobs* (and not the good *sobs* - only S8 and S9 have reduced me to tears over loss of the show I fell in love with).

I need more time to process. I'm sure I will shake these blues away and find something salvageable here.

Though I'm thinking until Carver leaves I'll never see the Sam and Dean I grew to love.

I'd say they've already created their spin off. We watched it this season.

(PS: please, if you loved it and want to squee please feel free. I need to know it's worth hanging on to. I need to know that this is just all part of a plan to build this show back to something we recognise. I need to know that they didn't make Sam say important stuff only to have it completely and utterly ignored for a reason. I need to know that this hasn't just become the worst, predictable, most boring, fan servicing pile of... )

Comments

[runedgirl.livejournal.com]

I actually liked alot of it. Yes, the pacing sucked all season and I'm frustrated as hell that we keep having to watch stupid angel war bullshit that I don't care about and we should have had weeks and weeks of Dean's addiction and Sam's growing concern in order to really sell this episode properly - but even with all that, this episode largely worked for me. I tune out sometimes when it's not Sam and Dean and I wish I didn't have to, but when Jared and Jensen were onscreen, I was right there with them. I didn't feel at all like they were phoning it in, I thought they both sold it absolutely.

As for the Winchesters not being the heroes of their own story, I can understand that frustration, because their story kept getting muddled while the show tried to tell too many disconnected stories. But in this episode, I did feel like they were the heroes. Tragic heroes. I am dumbfounded by these two characters who have been through so much and just WILL NOT GIVE UP. And who still manage to love through it all, especially each other. That's the emotional heart of the story for me, and I still see it there and feel it (here).

I love the potential for S10 with Dean being a demon. I've written demon!Dean in fic so much that I have a soft spot for the very idea (not that I think they'll take the story where I took it in Fade to Black, haha...too bad...) but I think it has potential. Yes, they could squander it completely, but I'm crossing my fingers they won't. Silly me perhaps :)

[maaldas.livejournal.com]

[i]As for the Winchesters not being the heroes of their own story, I can understand that frustration, because their story kept getting muddled while the show tried to tell too many disconnected stories. But in this episode, I did feel like they were the heroes. Tragic heroes. I am dumbfounded by these two characters who have been through so much and just WILL NOT GIVE UP. And who still manage to love through it all, especially each other. That's the emotional heart of the story for me, and I still see it there and feel it (here). [i/]

Agree to everything you said. They are always the unsung heroes. Despite everything, despite all that has been said, they still love each other.

[i]I love the potential for S10 with Dean being a demon. I've written demon!Dean in fic so much that I have a soft spot for the very idea [i/]

I've read DeamonDean fic a lot and I'm happy to get to read a lot more. Will you write more of them? :D

[runedgirl.livejournal.com]

Undoubtedly. I'm already thinking of revisiting the 'Fade to Black' verse since I saw it making the rounds on Tumblr yesterday, randomly. lol

[locknkey.livejournal.com]

I am dumbfounded by these two characters who have been through so much and just WILL NOT GIVE UP. And who still manage to love through it all, especially each other. That's the emotional heart of the story for me, and I still see it there and feel it (here). I did see that, even through the terrible pacing and poor writing. And that will keep me watching.

All I could think at the end when Dean's eyes went black was they stole your idea and no way can they do it better. *grins*

[runedgirl.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I might have yelled "Fade to Black" at the end there. Hehehe. I don't suppose Sam and Dean will end up in quite the same sort of relationship in canon tho... Alas :)

[soserendipity.livejournal.com]

Yes to all of your first paragraph. I loved Jared and Jensen through the whole episode, not just in those heart-shattering last few minutes. A bit more build up might have gotten more people emotionally invested, but that'll definitely make it into my headcanon so there's that.

But in this episode, I did feel like they were the heroes. Tragic heroes. I am dumbfounded by these two characters who have been through so much and just WILL NOT GIVE UP. And who still manage to love through it all, especially each other. That's the emotional heart of the story for me, and I still see it there and feel it (here). - Yes, yes, yes. Tragic! And so raw and open and suffering for all the wrong (and the right) reasons and just. Ugh. Poor, poor boys. *sob*

Oh. Demon!Dean fic? That does sound intriguing but I'm actually not sure I'm ready for that yet.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hey!

Tragic heroes. I am dumbfounded by these two characters who have been through so much and just WILL NOT GIVE UP. And who still manage to love through it all, especially each other. That's the emotional heart of the story for me, and I still see it there and feel it (here).

Yes. It's an aspect of the story that makes it so compelling. And it's probably important that they look at how they could be doing this job for so long and not be affected by it. They stick together, even when they are hurting each other, and that's how they survive.

I just get frustrated by the continual cycle of sacrifice without an acknowledgement of that though. I thought that's where they were heading this season with Sam's seeming clarity in the matter when he said he wouldn't continue that kind of cycle, but here we are seeing that he's very prepared to do that. Which is wonderful and is the core of this relationship (which I don't want to see changed), but maybe if one day they actually acknowledge that this love they have ends up hurting each other and even others, it would be some sort of growth. I don't want it to change to the point that they'd sit back and let each other die. Just to let death the peace that they are finally needing (end of series maybe...)

demon!Dean will be fascinating and I am excited the Jensen will have the opportunity to play that. Oh and I better check that story out. I am curious to see what the possibilities are for demon!Dean. I seriously can't imagine where they can take the story other than have Dean as a demon in the first couple of episodes and then he's "fixed" some how. Unless a whole season as Dean as a demon? Yikes!

I generally feel better about the finale than I did when I first watched it. But S9 will always have a cloud hanging over me. The Sam bashing that happened after he spoke up for himself after what Dean did will forever sting. I was desperate for some closure on that. This episode gave me a bit (I think some people have "forgiven Sam" (arghh) which at least means they're not bashing him. I'm hoping that the notion of what lines they are prepared to cross for their crazy, co-dependent love is still on the table to be addressed. Or perhaps it might be best if I just stop hoping and just go along for the rise. :)

xx