10.08 ep reaction/review

[ash48]

Dear Supernatural,

You're weirding me out. ANOTHER episode where the boys aren't fighting or being mean to each other? I can see what you are doing here. You're not fooling me!

Yours with my happy but suspicious face on.
xx

PS: AND you're giving us awesome secondary characters and not killing them off. Stop that! (or actually, please don't).


I haven't much more to say that hasn't already been said about this one. As I'm later in writing this up, I've had a chance to read a few reviews and I pretty much agree with a lot I've read. That being:

- Jody and Donna are awesome

- Flesh eating vampires are stupid and WTF is with that?

- Unconscious boys AGAIN! Amateurs and their brains must be mush by now

- Jody and Sam talking together = yay! And Dean and Jody having a little moment = yay!

- Sam and Dean being great together = yay!

- Monologuing monster at the end = *boo*


I enjoyed this episode a lot. The MoTW was pretty lame and kind of ridiculous but the heart of the episode was Jody and Donna and I love that combination SO VERY MUCH that I don't really care that the way they set up the monster mystery was stoopid. I also loved Sam and Dean just being partners and brothers and hunters (amateur hunters still though because *doh* look out behind you!).

Dean's revelation at the end also seems really weird to me. WE know the Mark will ultimately have an effect on Dean, so him claiming that it's the first time he's killed that he felt like himself (and not Mark driven) is kind of strange. Unless we have to know that because something is going to trigger the Mark for it to become "active" again? Perhaps it's a set up for episodes to come.

The thing is, I totally believed Dean was telling the truth. Also, the show seemed to want us to believe Dean was telling the truth. They didn't linger on the way he killed those vamps and Jensen was selling it as Dean telling the truth. Sam is wary (of course!), but it seems to me that either it was a mishandled scene (in that we're supposed to think that Dean is lying) or it's a signal that the Mark really is diminishing and Dean really is feeling like himself again (which YES! I feel like we have been seeing the "real" Dean for a couple of episodes now). But then we get the shot of Dean holding his arm so….argh! No idea what they were trying to do there, other than give us a BM moment for the sake of it.

The underlying theme this week seemed to be fighting the monster inside you (the way the sheriff vamp tried to do) much the same as the Shapeshifter one. So I'd say paralleling Dean trying to fight his inner demon and Sam (hopefully) helping him fight it.

And, weirdly, even though I've been really enjoying these "lighter" eps, I'm now looking forward to something a bit darker and edgier.

I haven't watched next week's promo. I've seen some images but I'm trying to stay unspoiled so I can enjoy it that bit more.

(oh, and I still hate Sam's hair. The fact that I get distracted by how bad it looks during an episode makes me want to weep slightly. But, I brush it off because that would be far too shallow for me to be worried about such a trivial thing. Whaaaaa).




[Poll #1991150]

Comments

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

I think I had my expectations set waaaay too high for this one, because of how much I adore Jody. I wasn't super-impressed by it. HOWEVER!

Kim Rhodes and Briana clearly had a blast working together. They were a treat to watch. I think the characters were played a teensy bit too broadly, though. (No pun intended, seriously!) Kinda...stereotyped. Same with the vampires. Jaysus, the monsters were just plain stupid. Whatever happened to monsters being intimidating? Gimme Jack the Rugaru any day.

Loved the bit about the Kinko's badge. Loved Jody's issues with Alex, and how she handled her. Yeah, I hate Sam's hair too, and I totally think Dean is a lying liar who lies. Sam ain't buying it, but he doesn't know what else to do yet, so...he's in a holding pattern.

Which is kinda what's starting to make me feel a little grumpy. We're getting reactive, wait-and-see Sam again. Or maybe the thin writing is starting to show again. I dunno, but I've been watching reruns of S1 in the mornings as I work, and boy, I miss the old days.

Still in it for the long haul, because I still care about these characters like mad, fear not! And I dig that the boys are getting along (keeping secrets notwithstanding) but come on, Show. DO BETTER. I KNOW YOU CAN! I HAVE FAITH IN YOU.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hey honey!

My expectations were pretty high too - though all I knew was Jody and Donna were in it and they matched my expectations. I thought we might have been given some weighty stuff re the mark, but it seems they are really dragging out the "good times". I suspect that's all going to change going into the hiatus.

They were a treat to watch. I think the characters were played a teensy bit too broadly, though.

Yeah, I think in Beren's hands they would have been richer, but I was still pretty happy with the extra layers (even though they were a bit thickly laid on). I liked Jody dealing with her teenager. I'm thrilled that wasn't brushed aside.

Loved the bit about the Kinko's badge.

I'm going to quietly confess that I have no clue what that reference means. What's Kinko?

and I totally think Dean is a lying liar who lies. Sam ain't buying it, but he doesn't know what else to do yet, so...he's in a holding pattern.

I seem to be going against the flow on this one. I probably read the scene wrong - or maybe just believed Dean this time (over all the other times). He confessed to lying in the past so it seems weird to be that he'd admit that just to say he wasn't acting from the mark this time. I'm confused about the purpose of that scene if it was just to lie once again.

We're getting reactive, wait-and-see Sam again. Or maybe the thin writing is starting to show again.

Oh gosh, I just don't know with Sam anymore. As usual we don't get a chance to see inside his head so we don't know if he's just so happy to have Dean back that he's happy to hear anything and will just go with it because at least Dean is next to him. It seems to me that Sam IS trying to help Dean by keeping a close eye - but he really doesn't stand a chance. No matter what happens Dean will have his way because he will be driven. He will talk over anything Sam suggests because he has that kind of strength. I can't see there be anything Sam can do (save researching the Mark - which looks to be a dead end). I think they're at a loss as to what to do with Sam so it's just easier to have him, um…hang around (and to think there could have been all that juicy post possession and failed trail angst to explore that never happened).

but come on, Show. DO BETTER. I KNOW YOU CAN! I HAVE FAITH IN YOU.

I'm glad you do! I feel like I've completely run out of faith that it will ever be as good as it used to be. I still enjoy it though. I've enjoyed S10 so far. :D

[cuddyclothes.livejournal.com]

Kinko's is a national chain of copying stores.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Ah that's another reason I'm even avoiding watching the previews now - I find if I have any info in advance I am either spoiled for things that should be surprising/shocking or just disappointed because I was expecting better than we get. So far it's working for me reasonably well (though I had been spoiled via Twitter that Jody and Donna were going to appear).

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Twitter and Tumblr are the worst for spoilers! I gave up being spoiler free once I joined those places because there's just no avoiding them. I see the pics now but I don't watch the previews. Too much info!

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

I was heavily spoiled for 10.01 and consequently I found the ep a real let down. Ever since then, I've tried to stay as spoiler free as I can and it's worked so far (but the eps have been quite strong since 10.01 so I guess it could be a weird coincidence. Or not!?!)