11.13 reaction/review

[ash48]

Dear Show, more like this one please *g*.

The best thing about this season is seeing Sam and Dean as recognisable characters again - they are the Sam and Dean I remember falling in love with. I have missed these brothers (so much it hurts!). The ones who fall into easy banter, have each others backs, care for the victims, are vulnerable (but kick-ass) and trust each other.

I am absolutely loving having this Dean back. Man, I have missed him. I know there are issues still wide open (and may never be addressed), but at least I'm seeing the characteristics that endeared me to him in the first place - smart, smooth-talking, caring, vulnerable, strong. Him finally opening up to Sam about Amara was such a relief - not only because it removed that secret between them, but because Sam already knew and had been waiting for Dean to be ready to share it. Sam not judging or blaming him came as no surprise to me. That's the Sam I feel in love with too. <3

I'd say there was some character development for the characters here, but I won't. I actually don't believe that actually exists any more - and not in a negative way, just in a factual way. They will go where the story takes them and if that means that next week a new secret develops between then that's where they'll go. I won't like it, but it's just the way it is.

As I've said before (probably many times!) MoTW eps with a splash of myth arc are my fave kind of episodes. Add in some great bro moments (yay rock, paper, scissors *g*), some scary bits, remove the heavy angels and demons SL and I'm there!

I like the way this episode continued the mystery about Amara's hold over Dean, without making it an excuse to have the brothers hate on each other. The non-consensual element of this is intriguing and I would love to think this might be a vehicle to examine this whole issue in the show, but I'm not holding my breath on that.

I seem to be much more invested in Amara's hold over Dean than I was the MoC's. I know the MoC is still in play, but at least this isn't make Dean unrecognisable (and, ya know, a bit of a dick). I love his vulnerability and confusion about what's happening to him (rather than stoic ignorance we saw last season).

I'm not sure how I feel about Amara yet. At the moment she doesn't make much sense. Apparently she's the most scariest thing EVER IN THE WHOLE WORLD, and yet we've not really seen that. Sure, she smited (smote??) some dick angels and perhaps killed a couple of innocents but so far she's no more threatening than anything else we have seen. Also - she's God's sister. That's kind of huge and yet seems rather meh so far. But I'm happy to wait and see where that goes.

I really enjoyed the mystery of the MotW - and how clever the boys were in solving it. Sure, there were a couple of annoying moments (like why didn't Sam stab that heart as soon as he found it and why did he put his gun down etc), but I can easily overlook those.

I know some of fandom were hoping Dean may, once again, ask Sam to be his Valentine (as he did in the last two Valentine episodes), but at the end of the episode Dean opened his heart to Sam and Sam gave his heart to Dean. That's seems very Valentines to me. :))

Comments

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

I am particularly enjoying how we are getting glimpses into the boys' past casually tossed into the episodes (crushing on the Golden Girls, Daisy Duke)and the rock-paper-scissors bit was pure delight! Did you notice that Sam said he'd search upstairs and Dean challenged him, but Dean was so taken with winning the game that he didn't react when Sam said he'd just go upstairs then. That made me laugh out loud.

I enjoyed that the case was a little twisty and the boys were smart in figuring it out.

I had a momentary crazy thought when Sam yelled at Dean for taking on the curse that Sam should kiss Dean to take it from him. It could have been done platonically, though a lot of fandom would have gone crazy...

Also it was pretty obvious that Dean was going to see Amara as his heart's desire. If it had not been necessary to connect with the season mytharc, though, I wonder who he would have seen? I'm sure fandom could come up with some interesting ideas...

Dean telling Sam about Amara at the end was everything I could have asked for--vulnerable Dean, calm and understanding 'got-your-back' Sam...Sam said exactly the right words, that he understands Dean feels ashamed but it's not Dean's fault...not that Dean will completely believe it, but I loved that connection!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I'm convinced the show teased us for a second with that shadow morph thing because I'd swear just before it formed into Amara's skinny slinkiness it looked like Sam.... ;)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I love the glimpses into their past also. I think Dean's crush on Daisy Duke has been mentioned in another episode (hmmm, I'll have to check that).

Did you notice that Sam said he'd search upstairs and Dean challenged him, but Dean was so taken with winning the game that he didn't react when Sam said he'd just go upstairs then. That made me laugh out loud.

Haha! No. I was too distracted with Dean winning. I ADORE that! Dean is so consumed by winning that sneaky little bro went ahead and "won" the prize anyway (though, not why searching upstairs was better than searching downstairs I'm not sure….I'll have to watch this ep again!).

I had a momentary crazy thought when Sam yelled at Dean for taking on the curse that Sam should kiss Dean to take it from him.

Oh lordy! That would have been amazing! Can you imagine it?! :DD
It would she the most gif'd scene in the history of the show!

And yes, I knew that Amara was going to show up as his desire. I like the way that it confirmed that Dean is carrying the "curse" inside of him.

I loved the final scene. How I have longed for that simple honesty between them - Dean opening up and Sam being allowed to simply support his brother without judgement. *happy sigh*