Oh show...

[ash48]

For some reason a question dreamrequiem asked me in my 5.16 reaction post has still got me pondering.. and that is:

can someone explain exactly what made them flail about this latest episode? Everyone on my flist is spazzing out over it and I feel like I missed something.

And it's true. Everyone seems to have gone nuts over it (me included). I tried to explain why that might be so:


I can only speak for myself but I suspect a lot of it comes down to the fact that they explored the boys past. Their childhood. As you would know fans spend a lot of time speculating and writing about what their childhood would have been like, so to see it on the screen it something to squee about.

And to have such powerful scenes. Seeing what Dean remembers (mostly moments with Sam) and seeing what Sam remembers (mostly moments when he's escaped from his family) is heart wrenching.

But it's more than that. This was an emotional journey episode. It was about Sam and Dean. Not just them hunting a supernatural being. It was an episode that gave us more insight into who they are and what's (probably) going to be important as we head to the finale. And the return to the amulet was very potent. The emotional connection we (as fans) have to it is something else that could have everybody squeeing...

Personally I loved the surreal quality of it.

I don't know. What exactly was it about that episode?! Other than just <3333333333333333

I been doing a lot of meta and ep reaction reading and this episode has certainly generated some very thinky thoughts. Personally I'm still in 2 minds about whether the whole thing was manipulated by Zac to once again try and persuade Dean that he has nothing to lose if he says yes. I've read pros and cons for this and I can't make my mind up. But I think that's the point. It possibly doesn't matter if it was or wasn't. It had the desired effect either way of tearing at Dean's (ever decreasing) emotional stability.

I have also been hearten that a lot of people have been sympathetic toward Sam and his memories. Sam can't be blamed for the way Dean's been hurt by some of his choices. Dean once said to Sam "I'm proud of you Sammy" in relation to him being able to do his own thing. I pretty sure this still holds true.

Oh show. Oh episode. Oh hurty brain. (Shame that wasn't the 100th episode, considering the impact it left).



ETA Since posting this (and finding some more to read) I have discovered some real hatred for this episode. I mean like... Whoa. I suppose though for it to elicit such a strong response it really hit some nerves. (good and bad)

Comments

[meg-tdj.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with what you said here. I've seen a lot of people who are angry about the amulet, about the way John was characterized, about the way Sam was characterized, and all I can say is... it was all perfectly REAL.

The amulet thing was a plot point. I very much doubt we've seen the last of it considering how much importance it's been given all this time, but with the way Dean's been feeling lately, it kind of made sense for him to ditch it. The way was left perfectly clear for Sam to fish it out of the garbage, though. He hasn't lost his faith yet, but Dean has. Things like this come up in every story - you need to make the audience panic every now and then about losing something meaningful. It doesn't mean it's gone forever, it's just supposed to suck you into the story even more... get you emotionally invested. I think it worked for people who realize that's what's happening, but for others it's becoming an excuse to be angry and stop watching, which... boggles my mind, frankly.

And the memory thing... both Sam and Dean's best memories were someone else's worst memories, so I really don't understand why people are latching onto Sam's and saying he's a selfish jerk. This has always been Sam's character - as a kid, he felt smothered by a life he didn't want, and he felt free and happy when he got away from it. We've known this since the pilot, so why are people so surprised about it now? He doesn't feel that way anymore, but those are still treasured memories for him. Why shouldn't they be? You don't just start hating a memory because you find out that someone else was sad at the time.

Dean had a kneejerk reaction to seeing Sam's memories, but only because he was THERE to see them. The owner of that field the boys burned down wasn't there to see Dean's memory of the fireworks, but if he was, he would have been pretty upset by it. John probably would have been upset to see the memory of that phone call in Dean's heaven. It's all a matter of perspective, and nobody's perspective is wrong or selfish. I think that's what I loved most about this episode - every character was 100% in character and behaving in a believable way, and it wasn't played for the heartwarming factor. Parts of it were just plain hard to take, and I LOVE stuff like that.

So, in a way, I do get why some people hated it - not everyone enjoys things that are hard to watch. I'm sure a lot of people would have wanted the boys' heaven to be beautiful and blissful for both of them, rather than bittersweet for one and painful for the other. But the point of season 5 is that the angels are trying to break Sam and Dean's will. It's just a season storyarc, and it'll soon end, and then the storyarc will change again... but I think some folks think this is the way the show is going to be from now on - heartbreaking and hard to watch. But it won't. Because this show has never just stood still - it's always growing and evolving and moving the story along, and IMO it's just getting better and better all the time.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hey Meg,

Very nicely put and I agree with everything you've said here. Everybody was indeed in character. I saw no attempt by the makers to "bash" Sam - just show us moments that were important to him. In fact, I think the way Dean reacted to them showed us just how insecure he is... that boy is still suffering from his time in hell (and who wouldn't!) and a lifetime feeling worthless...

And yes. I certainly see it as manipulative from the producers of the show to get an emotional reaction from its audience. I can appreciate that people are tiring of all the angst and pain the boys are suffering. But that's always been part of the show (though definitely more so now..).

I will always hold out hope that we will see them rebuild. Dean will regain his trust and faith in Sam, and Sam will find redemption and (hopefully) stop feeling so guilty and maybe demonstrate just how much he really does love Dean. (More for Dean's sake than his own). We'll have to see I suppose. (and I can't wait!)

Thanks for popping in and sharing your thoughts here. :D :D

[meg-tdj.livejournal.com]

I will always hold out hope that we will see them rebuild. Dean will regain his trust and faith in Sam, and Sam will find redemption and (hopefully) stop feeling so guilty and maybe demonstrate just how much he really does love Dean. (More for Dean's sake than his own).

That's exactly what I'm hoping the storyarc for season 6 will be. If it is, the show will have come full circle from the way they rebuilt their brotherness post-Stanford in season 1, and that would be a perfect note for the show to go out on, IMO. :)