First allow me to apologize for not posting a review last week. I was out of town for work and didn’t get to watch the episode until later in the weekend.
This week I had a different problem, anxiety over the subject matter of the new episode. The title and the promos made it sound like another misogyny fare along the same lines of 9.08. Imagine my surprise when I finally sat down to watch and got a mythology episode instead.
This episode was leaps and bounds better than the last three. The writing was stronger (heads up Robert Berens) and it concluded two of the dangling storylines, thus moving the so far stagnant plot marginally forward. It also revealed the reason I so far have been underwhelmed with season 10, something I like to call "The Story of Others.” I'll get to it in Gripe #2.
Gripe #1 - The Title
As I said, the title of this episode threw me off and made me reluctant to watch it. Supernatural has had a long history of mishandling its female characters and since Carver has come along - with the exception of Sheriff Jody Mills - the show has constantly marginalized them to either villains or sex objects. The success of Sheriff Mill's character should have been a clue to the writers that people like female characters who are treated like humans, not vehicles to remind us the boys still have libidos.
But back to the title, that's another plague that has struck our beloved show in recent years. When in the past the titles of episodes used to be adaptations of classic rock songs, or classic movies, recently they resemble punchlines to jokes. I fail to understand why this episode was called something that fits better as a neon sign above a strip joint. The "girls" part of the episode was mostly fluff, perhaps a ruse to draw more male viewers to a show that is inarguably devoid of women. To call it after that was either to throw us off - running the risk of also alienating us - or a tired attempt to remind us there are indeed females in the Supernatural universe (if for no other reason than sex) and that the boys' manly urges aren't on sabbatical.
Gripe #2 - Sam and Dean and the stories of others
Here is the big one, and where the season has failed me. While season 8 made me angry for misrepresenting Sam, and season 9 did the same with Dean, this season has just been…there. Even the mythology episodes produce no emotional response in me, except perhaps boredom. After this episode I at least know why.
The main characters for whom I watch the show are not players in their own stories, they play supporting roles in other people's stories.
Since the Demon Dean storyline was resolved Sam, Dean and Castiel have been chasing various plots. While those plots keep them tied up, if one pays close attention they would realize that in none of them the stakes are actually stacked against them. Since the beginning of the season Castiel has been a support character in Hannah's story (a fact that became evident in this episode, then promptly changed thanks to all the TV gods,) while Sam and Dean have been touring random story land.
Even in season 1, a season mostly comprised of one-off stories, the central storyline of the show - the spine that the entire season was attached to - was a Winchester story. Their missing father had to be found and the Yellow Eyed Demon had to be stopped. This main plot underscored every fluff story they stuffed into that season.
What about this season? Let's look at what the boys have been doing since Dean was freed of his demon curse. They helped Kate with her sharp toothed sibling problem, watched a high school musical, went to a party of Bobby's relatives, grappled with a witch and had a throw down with Cole. The only storyline that remotely resembled mythology was the witch one, and based on what we saw in the last bit of this episode, that isn’t a Winchester story either, it’s Crowley’s.
Will the Winchesters get tangled with it in some way in the future? Considering Rowena got away I'd say it’s a possibility. But also considering how quick this season has been wrapping up its plots, and how unlikely it seems to make Rowena's story emotionally connected to the brothers, and more than a witch hunt, I don't see a Sam and Dean suffused future for this season any time soon.
Of course there is always the possibility to lightswitch things by dousing Sam with another bucket of Hellhound juice, or giving Dean another mark on top of the dormant one he already has, to create a newly minted Winchester mythology without much buildup. But would that really resonate with viewers as much as a season long storyline would? Or would it feel like the showrunners are continually pulling the emotional foothold out from under the viewers' feet and replacing it with another one, then demanding that we care?
Gripe #3 - Rowena's dialogue
Allow me to get my minor gripe with Rowena’s character out of the way before I get to the next major gripe of this season. When Rowena first appeared in this episode I instantly liked her. She gave off a Crowley-esque vibe which the accent accentuated. The actress had a certain pizzazz about her and she played the character with the right mix of quirkiness and evil.
Sadly it got spoiled when her dialogue sloped toward bad exposition. It started when she bemoaned the fact that others had ostracized her as punishment for turning toward dark arts (giving me Harry Potter visions.) This of course was information intended for us, the viewers, not those girls sitting across from her whom I can't find a reason for Rowena to care about.
The other time was when Rowena fled with the brunette to the back alley and, when confronted about leaving the other girl behind, admitted that she didn't give a fig about the blonde and had sacrificed her to get away. What smart villain would say that, except one who aimed to communicate to the viewers just how evil she was? Whenever a character says something that is meant for us instead of the character who's in the scene, we've entered bad exposition territory.
Gripe #4 -The Angel Mythology Snafu
This episode saw the end of Hannah's story, to which I said 'good riddance' because that's one less boot stomping the already ground to goop angel mythology. I don't even know what purpose her character served before this episode. Certainly, for me, her shenanigans to either get into Castiel's pants, or marry him and have his babies, or experience humanity through him, or just add more awkward, unneeded, sexual undertone to a concept that, for all intents and purposes, was completely allergic to it, were becoming irritating.
The show's utter failing of the angel mythology goes beyond Hannah. They addressed the vessel issue this episode and that reminded me how I had pushed it to the back of my mind closet in order to not get ruffled by the latest seasons. However, since this episode brought the subject up, I'm obligated to pull those issues out of the closet and place them on the counter for debate.
First, the mechanics of angel possession. In The Rapture we saw how Castiel had to search for a human vessel that was right for him and who had, due to his pre-emptive devotion to God, the appropriate workings to be coerced. Even then he had to court that vessel for what seemed like a long time in order to get his full consent. Consent has been a key element in angels possessing humans to appear on screen in their skin, an issue that has been largely ignored since Carver took over the show and upended Heaven.
Another issue is the excess of sexual intimation involving angels. When Castiel and his brethren first appeared on the show, they seemed mostly celibate, a trait that seems relevant because most of them looked very uncomfortable in their human suits. There were exceptions like Gabriel and Balthazar, but the fact that they went overboard in their exhibition of sexual prowess hinted it was more performance than anything truly carnal. Personally I prefer to think of angels as asexual because I have a problem with good creatures inhabiting bodies and using them to get jollies. I believe it's obvious why there is no consent in these cases. The initial agreement, as shown in The Rapture, was for the angel to employ the body toward furthering God's cause, not to tumble in hay with each other or another human.
Because of Carver's neglect of most of this I had hand-waved the idea of vessel taking and almost convinced myself that angels came part and parcel with their bodies, or perhaps the humans they possessed died on contact. By addressing it this episode those questions came to surface and now we have no choice but to wonder if all these angels who fell from Heaven deviated from God’s approved possession process and simply took the bodies of those humans by force. Worse, were they using them toward their own sexual pursuits and satisfaction without the human’s consent? If that's true, and if Jimmy Novak is somehow still alive, then Castiel’s misadventures with Meg, April and Hannah suddenly take on a newer, much uglier meaning.
Gripe #5 – “I’m past saving”
Dean says this while guest starring in Cole’s story. Sam hears it and confronts him about it later. I assume this was added so we get emotional and think this episode touched the boys' storyline in some way. There’s just one problem: Dean says this while guest starring in Cole’s story.
This loops back to gripe #2. It’s an emotional declaration from Dean, and even though it is accompanied by Jensen Ackle’s heartbreaking performance, it still lacks the proper effect, because it isn’t connected to or supported by any current storylines. Dean was saved in 10.03. His demon affliction was cured because of the love he shared with his brother and his best friend. Right now, his brother is all right and at his side, and he hasn’t asked about that best friend since. What reason does he have to think he is past saving other than the writers pulling old strings to feed us angst? Yet they seem to have forgotten that to achieve that emotional punchline you first need to lay the ground work and give your characters something to angst about. You can’t both have your cake and eat it: Spend your time telling stories of secondary and minor characters, then use old dog tricks to make your audience swoon over the main cast.
Kudos: The story of two vessels
It may sound strange that the vessel storyline is both the subject of gripe #4 and that of the kudos. Why did I like it despite all the plot holes it reopened? Because it was a nice piece of continuity to end Hannah’s story and begin Castiel’s new quest. So, ignoring all the plot holes, I am glad the writers chose this path for the two of them, reaching back to old Supernatural mythology instead of pulling something new out of the hat that ran the risk of damaging canon.
Hannah put me through a roller coaster this episode. First I despised her because of the full frontal she subjected Castiel to, then I hated her for putting on a show in front of Caroline’s husband, using the poor woman’s body without her consent to emotionally scar her husband. Until then I’d only considered Hannah a comedic nuisance, but after that I was torn between wanting her to die a gruesome death, and fearing that death because it would most likely result in Castiel moping over her for the rest of the season.
Thankfully none happened. For once the writers chose the actions-have-consequences route. Hannah, as it appeared, did have a shred of humanity in her and felt bad about what she had done. This was good storytelling because it involved an internal struggle and meaningful character growth. It was much better than her primary story of falling in love/lust with Castiel for no discernible reason. At least here we could connect her actions to something tangible that had happened: She went against her righteous core and it tormented her so much she decided to make it right at the cost of losing her physical body. Moreover she triggered an internal conflict in Castiel that propelled him toward a quest of his own, causing more continuity to roll out.
I’m excited to find out what happened to Jimmy’s family. It, along with the mystery of his disappearance, is something the show has brushed under the carpet for five seasons. It is time they dug it up and I sincerely hope they don’t ruin it by making short work of it like everything else this season. It will be a good story for Castiel now he's seemingly stuck in his own story lane till the end of the series, or end of Carver’s reign, whichever comes first.
Now if Sam and Dean could also get their own story before the end of the series.
Don’t forget to comment. Thank you as always for reading my review and sharing your thoughts and ideas with me.
Tessa
tessa-marlene.tumblr.com/
twitter.com/tessa_marlene
After this weeks episode there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Cole was a plant for the new spin off. Otherwise what was the point of his character? I especially believe this after the whole "don't know what the monster was, never seen one like it again" line. That's spin off plot if I ever did see one. Otherwise it could have been any old monster, it wouldn't have mattered. Yup, the stupidly aged Cole is going to be heading up the spinoff (the dude should be in his early 20's if he was a kid when dean killed him, not a man in his mid-late 30's).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. It makes sense that Cole might have been a plant. I would have wondered about his shoed-in story if we didn't just have another one of those wrapping up (Hannah.) So I assumed that was the style of the season. Instead of telling a Winchester story and sticking with it, let's just tell a bunch of side stories, wrap them up and send them off quickly like FedEx boxes.
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily, Carver has said he plans to have the characters be confronted by their past this season. Dean had Cole, Hannah had Joe, Crowley has Rowena, Cas will have Claire, Sam is currently unknown.
ReplyDeleteOh, so that's what he said. Still it shouldn't mean everyone has to be trapped in a reactive role instead of a proactive one this season.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the episode. I’m actually enjoying angst-free season 10, but it’s becoming sadly apparent that it's no longer the ‘Sam & Dean Show’. Hope this changes soon.
ReplyDeleteYou make some good gripes, but one that resonates with me is the ‘bad exposition gripe’. Early in the series we were introduced to characters such as Bobby, Ellen, Cas, Jodi, etc., and slowly over the course of episodes or seasons we learned their backgrounds, personalities and aspirations.
Not so nowadays. Metatron drones on, Rowena sums herself up within minutes, Cole’s background is so in-your-face they get it all wrong. Why do we need to know ALL about a new guest character right there and then? Why not let it naturally unfold? – just as it does in real life. Better to tease with hints to get juices going – is she bad, is she good? What’s her agenda?
It has to be boring writing exposition anyway. Still, this writer is better than most.
I mostly liked this episode. My biggest complaint is Hannah. The last time they met, Hannah was embarrassed (and turned on) by Cas in his robe. Now she strips down and feigns innocence. She abandons a mission that was worth killing over, and she was fickle with Castiel. I'm glad she's gone.
ReplyDeleteThe Winchester angst was held down to a minimum. Yay!
It's still less clunky then some of the exposition that appears on Constantine.
ReplyDeleteHaven't we already dealt with Dean's storyline about how he thinks his life is not going to end well way back in season 8 and resolved it? Why milk that story line again?
ReplyDeleteAnd What's with this new Cas? He spends 4 seasons as champion of free will and now he's suddenly going full on zealot about capturing all the loose angels with no clearly defined reason?More so after going through what Naomi did to him in that Manchurian candidate plotline,,,
Not to mention him being uncomfortable with Hannah's advances 3 episodes back, but now he's kissing her back, for something so contrived as, to shake the vessel's family off their trail? I would think simply taking away his memory would be easier...
and what's with this new premise that angels never felt emotions before? I thought S4-5 banked on the premise that they COULD feel strongly. Or we wouldn't have had those story lines with Anna, Michael, Lucifer, Rafael, Gabriel, or even Cas?
Not to mention Hannah going through that growth, from disregarding her vessel to suddenly remembering that humans are everything, in the span of 15 minutes, while Cas reverts his growth and journey by a thousand paces.
Why don't these writers understand the show's history at all?
I feel like Dean's thing about "I'm past saving" wasn't so much about literally being saved, but more spiritually/emotionally - like, even though he's not a demon anymore, there's still so much darkness in his soul that it's a matter of time before the mark starts acting up again. This would be an interesting storyline, the only problem is they haven't really hinted at it enough, save for Dean killing monsters brutally at the ends of episodes and Sam looking at him weird.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that the angel mythology is so screwed up it makes me want to puke (the mythology is my favorite part of the show, more than the relationships or characters, so the fact that it's been destroyed in recent years makes me want to cry), and I know it will be angsty for Cas to see Claire again, I'm really NOT looking forward to this plot. I feel like nothing good could come out of it; the cast and crew have said that Jimmy died at the end of season 4, and Cas is the only one in that body now, so even if Cas feels guilty about ruining Jimmy's life, there's not much he can do about it now. Unless Claire may have a bit of his old grace left in her from that one time he possessed her, and he wants it back. But unless they retcon everything (which they've done before), I can't see how this story will really LEAD anywhere.Honestly, I just want Cas back with the Winchesters, I don't understand why they keep him away from them. What do you think?
I feel like Dean's thing about "I'm past saving" wasn't so much about
ReplyDeleteliterally being saved, but more spiritually/emotionally - like, even
though he's not a demon anymore, there's still so much darkness in his
soul that it's a matter of time before the mark starts acting up again.
This would be an interesting storyline, the only problem is they haven't
really hinted at it enough, save for Dean killing monsters brutally at
the ends of episodes and Sam looking at him weird.
You kidding me? I think this is one thing they've been hinting at since season 1 - that hunting is a dead end job. They've been saying it for long time - the life of a hunter doesn't have any happily ever-afters. Either you die hunting or you turn into the thing you hunt or you lose everyone you love and die miserable and alone. Even if you escape from it, your past will find you - so there is no getting out.
I feel like nothing good could come out of it; the cast and crew have
said that Jimmy died at the end of season 4, and Cas is the only one in
that body now, so even if Cas feels guilty about ruining Jimmy's life,
there's not much he can do about it now. Unless Claire may have a bit of
his old grace left in her from that one time he possessed her, and he
wants it back. But unless they retcon everything (which they've done
before), I can't see how this story will really LEAD anywhere.
Claire having Cas' grace could be a weirdly effective solution to his predicament. But I'm more interested in the promise Cas made to Jimmy - that he'd take care of his family and make sure they stay safe. He has since forgotten all about them with bigger concerns taking his time.
What are you talking about? The episode title is a Motley Crue album/song title.
ReplyDeleteDean not knowing what kind of monster Cole's dad isn't indicative of anything. Hell Dean didn't even know vampires existed before the end of season 1. Even if they weren't a threat, don't you think that would have been something John told him about?
There has always been a "network of hunters."
Jimmy couldn't have been killed at the end of season 4, as in season 5 Famine tells Dean that hunger comes from the soul. Plus Cas references that Jimmy's desire for red meat is making him want to eat burgers. So evidence says he was still around, same goes for his death at the end of season 5. It was the same manner as the first time, so one would wager that Jimmy was resurrected again as well.
ReplyDeleteI considered it, but didn't regard it as conclusive proof. It can be explained as the hunger being provided by Castiel and the target for hunger - the red meat - being provided by specific traits of Jimmy's body.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember where but I read somewhere that writers stated that Jimmy has not been in the body since season 4 - so, I'll take their word over this evidence. If its any consolation, I assumed that Jimmy did return upon first resurrection but was gone in the second before I read that comment.
Carver did say the leads would be meeting their past, so Cas is set up to meet Claire, Dean has met Cole (and that's over), Crowley has met Rowena, and I don't know who Sam is supposed to encounter along the way. (The only one I know of who is still out there is Amelia; but, Dear Chuck, I hope that one isn't coming back!).
ReplyDeleteNone of it sounds riveting, but I guess those encounters are supposed to have something to do with the 'personal journeys' each character is taking in some way.
But shouldn't the 'personal journeys' hold some significance?
ReplyDeleteIf Cole had been after Dean for some mistake he made as an amateur hunter, it'd have been different. If it had been Ben, who is now a teenage hunter because Lisa was killed by a monster after all, it'd be different. If Cole had refused Dean's explanation and continued to try and kill him it'd be different.
In the end, Cole was wrong, Dean did the right thing and his decade old vendetta was ultimately pointless. Meeting the past is significant if your character changes because of it or if he learns from it - a meeting forgotten by next week is pointless.
It was also the title of an Elvis Presley movie.
ReplyDeleteDean didn't know about vampires until John told him; i.e., John knew about them and knew how to kill them and told the brothers. Never has it been left open with "I killed something I didn't know what it was, but I used a knife (maybe silver, maybe not), and that worked, so good for me.
Of course, the way Charlie became an insta-hunter (and now Jodi Mills) and Garth became Bobby 2.0, thinking that hunters are professionals that know what they are doing is just silly of me. The show has, for a long time now, shown hunting to be nothing honorable.
Oh, sorry about my post above. I posted the same thing before reading yours.
ReplyDeleteThey weren't Bobby relatives but other the that I totally agree. Another stinker of an ep. Other then the scene where Dean cut Sam to the bone about needing to man up, etc and the scene where he tells Cole he's lost the show has been a yawn. 1-7 has multiple eps I liked and I'll rewatch. Season 8 has 1 ep and season 9 has 3 eps. Season 10 has yet to give ne a full ep I'd rewatch 7 eps in. I gave Carver 2 seasons because I gave 2 to Gamble. Gamble wasn't Kripke but she was good regardless. I was going to stop watching after season 9 until the Dean demon bit. I watched season 10 due to the 'year of Deanmon. Waste of time. I'll watch the Jody ep 12/2 and Cas ep 12/9 and if it's still bad I'm turning NCIS NOLA.
ReplyDeleteCarver also said season 10 was the season of Deanmon yet Dean isn't a demon anymore.
ReplyDeletePretty sure he never did. That was the promos, and marketing has nothing to do with production end.
ReplyDeleteAlso, everyone was saying demon Dean would only be around a few episodes.
The thing with Hanna showed me for the first time WHY the rogue angels were being snatched back to Heaven: I don't know if the angels release their vessels when they go to heaven (they didn't need them before the fall so they shouldn't need them now). It's about freeing the vessels. Because I thought Adina and Daniel (?) should've been left in peace. but THEIR peace came somebody else's loss. Thank you, show (if indeed that IS why the rogue angels have to leave).
ReplyDeleteIt's not so much Rowena was the only person who could use the spell to kill demons, but was the only witch that used that spell.
ReplyDeleteI "think" the Grand Coven threw Rowena out because her methods were unsound. She appears to be somebody who wants only material things (like in the first shot of her in the nice hotel with people dying on the ceiling) and has no grand plan. She ALSO makes a lot of mess wherever she goes and that would cause Hunters AND Demons to come after her (note that as soon as the demons knew what they were dealing with they overpowered her apparently easily). She also has a high kill ratio with her supplicants (last brunette hooker might've been FRIENDS with blond hooker; she also appeared much more skeptical than blond hooker); Rowena might be "powerful" or "really really adept" but so what if she brings down a world of hurt and kills everybody including student tangential to her operations?
ReplyDeletePer the show, we have never heard of the Grand Coven of Witches. BECAUSE they keep themselves undercover. i wonder if they will be a "big bad" or "side bad" this season, because Rowena's behavior may drag them out of hiding.
A/ You are right IMO because THAT is exactly the reading I took from Dean's declaration to Cole (and to Sam in Trial and Error): that Dean feels his time is running out, sometime soon somebody will just pop up and take him out.
ReplyDeleteB/ Excellent solution to the Novak story; I would be glad if Castiel took care of Claire in order to fulfill his last promise to Jimmy. And I am glad the show brought up the "vessel issue" in this regard again. Bart and his boys were 'WAY to cavalier about the vessels.
" You're being ridiculous."
ReplyDeleteChildish and inappropriate. We are done.
Totally agree. Every character that is introduced, especially recurring ones, should exist to further a plot, to illuminate behavior, or be a catalyst for change in the leads. Cole did none of that. As Tessa said, the Winchesters served his story, as he was the one that went away, giving up his decades long revenge thing.
ReplyDeleteDean could have said his big speech in a million different ways without the need for Cole, and in the end, all we got from Dean was his low-esteem issue repeated. We got a close-up shot of Sam being worried, but Sam has been worried in several episodes now.
even though he's not a demon anymore, there's still so much darkness in his soul that it's a matter of time before the mark starts acting up again.But, as you said, they didn't show anything related to the mark since they cured him of his demon. For all we know it's now just a scar on his arm. If we're to believe the mark is still pouring darkness into him shouldn't they give us some kind of evidence, a nightmare maybe, or the scar lighting up and making him extra violent during a kill?
ReplyDeleteI'm really NOT looking forward to this plot. I feel like nothing good could come out of it; Maybe I'm too naive. I'm hoping the focus would be more on Castiel's true form and inner conflict about possessing an innocent human than Jimmy's family.
Unless Claire may have a bit of his old grace left in her from that one time he possessed her, and he wants it back.That, and its obstacles, are an excellent storyline IMO to make a quest out of. But I doubt the writers are that smart.
Honestly, I just want Cas back with the Winchesters, I don't understand why they keep him away from them. What do you think?I have several theories. It could be because the cast want to take turns having breaks and thought this would be a great way to spread the workload. Or Carver just loves the multiple storyline idea and actively creates seasons with several branching stories that never meet. There's also the more sinister suspicion of wanting to curb shippers from getting their hopes ever up again by making sure Dean and Cas will never be in the same scene again. That way no one would doubt that they absolutely, in no capacity at all, give a rat's ass about each other.
Gamble wasn't Kripke but she was good regardlessI never foresaw the day I would agree with this, but that day has come because I agree with this. True she had trouble with creating a solid mythology and seeing it all the way through, but at least she did create them and didn't just make a season out of random, haphazard episodes so we knew why we were watching.
ReplyDeleteChildish and inappropriate, sure. Or are you just annoyed that your ridiculous claims were so easily refuted by simply facts and understanding about how, you know, when people do thing more and more they get better at them. I'm sure that childish in the sense that it's something you learn as a child.
ReplyDelete"I think it has more to do with them not holding the conflict ball anymore." (How do you guys get those little blue lines on your replies?)
ReplyDeleteI think it does too, but what confuses me is that the brothers aren't talking about anything. Either Dean is still processing and stalling, or he is lying to Sam. Before, I thought he was processing, but in this episode, I think JA conveyed that Dean was lying to Sam. If nothing else, Dean is point blank brushing Sam's concerns aside.
Regarding the Mark. it was my understanding that the Mark taps into the raw energy of the soul to make the bearer powerful and strong, but with each kill the soul is further corrupted until the bearer loses all sense of humanity and turns into a demon, while the First Blade is the 'addiction' that gives a eurphoric feeling and drives the Mark bearer to want to kill more. In other words, it is the Mark that gives the power and strength and the Blade that is the addiction to want to keep on killing.
We did see Dean more powerful last season when he killed the vamp in Alexie Annie (I think it was), and for sure when he was able to overcome Abaddon's TK powers to call the First Blade back to him. We also saw Cain take out a house full of demons without have had the First Blade for centuries.
The Mark must mean something, since it is such a unique gift/burden and is the only way its bearer is granted the power to use the First Blade. It is there for a reason, and we have seen that it grants immortality through self-healing, which was not in this episode. It could be a visual metaphor for the self-doubt and darkness in Dean, and when he uses it, all that goes away. He is confident and calm, no longer doubting himself. Right now, I don't think any viewer knows why Dean has it and what it's there for. What I want to see is some consistency in Dean's character since this MoC is a pending story and not having him heal and not showing him with anything other than human strength does not fit in with what we saw last season.
"Nephilim are offspring of angel and human - not angels." Yes, which means there had to be angels on Earth to have a conceived a nephilim child the age of the one we saw; but, more so, Cas is here and chose not to leave. What makes him more special than any other angel that wanted to stay and is causing no harm?
The witch thing doesn't really bother me, except that I would have preferred a reason for her to show up that concerned the Winchesters, rather than them just running across her. The only thing I care about as far as Rowena is concerned is if the Crowley/Rowena thing gets connected to the Winchesters in some way and she isn't in the season just to have Crowley explore his 'feelings.' I don't want Crowley off over there like Cas with a story all his own.
As far as the Jimmy/Claire/Cas, I could care less. From what I can tell, Cas will continue to have his own story apart from the Winchesters (or the Winchesters will show up as support characters in Cas' personal journey occasionally) and I don't like that. I hated The Rapture -- it's probably my least favorite episode of all time and I've only watched it when it aired.
And about the phantom hunter network. The point is that I would like to see some hunters on-screen once in a while -- hunters that actually are depicted as competent hunters -- rather than a phone call reference here and there. I have been hoping since the beginning of S6 that the hunter community would be expanded. I certainly did not want it expanded with Charlie, Garth, Krissy, or Daisy Dukes. That's never going to happen, of course, unless they show up to be killed off, like Tara and that other guy. I want Rufus Turner back.
*spoiler* Cas finds Claire in a group home, which makes me wonder what happened to Jimmy's wife
ReplyDeleteThe same reason why Sam kept hunting even without as soul.
ReplyDeleteBut, as you said, they didn't show anything related to the mark since
ReplyDeletethey cured him of his demon. For all we know it's now just a scar on
his arm. If we're to believe the mark is still pouring darkness into him
shouldn't they give us some kind of evidence, a nightmare maybe, or the
scar lighting up and making him extra violent during a kill?
We did get the evidence in the last episode - Dean shot the shifter to kill and then emptied the gun in her. That counts as being extra violent during a kill.
Dean not knowing what kind of monster Cole's dad isn't indicative of anything.
ReplyDeleteIts indicative of Dean's recklessness and sloppy work ethic. Dean hears of people dying and livers being taken, rolls into town, tracks the culprit down and kills him. How did he know it was a monster and not a psycho human cannibal? The personmay have been possessed or affected by some other supernatural entity, in which case Dean might've missed the real culprit. Was the monster born or made - that would affect his decision to spare the son, who may or may not have inherited the monster gene. What if the monster was poisonous? What are his special powers and how would he counter them? A lot of monster require a special method to kill them - so how would Dean kill it? What would he do if shooting it or decapitating it doesn't work - which would be the case if its a possession.
All these questions are answered through research and identifying what they are hunting - which is an integral part of any hunt. Dean may not have known that vampires existed, but I doubt that he'd have taken them on without appropriate research into their M.O., weaknesses, strengths and the way of dying.
I'm expecting the Grand Coven - if they show up - to be more like the Witch Coven from American Horror Story. They want to stay secret because they know that flashy magic will bring the hunters to them. And from what we saw in this episode, Rowena was pretty reckless with her magic - boiling brains left and right. They might have some sort of deal with demons - you stay out of our way and we'll stay out of yours - and Rowena's demon killing spell might've threatened the fragile peace - so yes, that spell might be one of the reasons as well. They might even make deals on occasion.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't see them being in cahoots. The reason is simple - demonic witches, the "borrowers" who obtain power through demons, sell their souls in exchange. And that is something the demons are actually interested in. Other forms of magical power - the natural and the learned - would be in competition with that and I can't see demons actively cooperating with the competition.
First I don't think Carver has any problem damaging canon since his first ep as "showrunner" did it. I am so glad that Hannah is gone, better late than never. Never liked her, she killed an Angel because he wanted to stay on earth, now she is doing the same..ugh.
ReplyDeleteNow I just want Carver gone...soon please.
Again your review was spot on. thanks
The only reason why they got rid of Hannah is because of the Destiel fans, every time there's a female gets between Dean and Cas they get axes. Even though that will never happen on the show but they still see it as a threat, I like the episode and I have a feeling we won't see the last of Cole. I love Carver he's doing a better job then Sera has done, love the brothers they will always be the main focus on the show.
ReplyDeleteIf that is the case I would like to see Amy Pond's son hunting Dean.
ReplyDeleteCarver as showrunner is SUPPOSED to keep things running smoothly, but I have not seen that..History? Canon? Carver does not know those words.
ReplyDeleteIf this is the kind of feedback the writers get from some fans then no wonder they are screwing with our show. How on earth does Hannah's departure help Destiel? Did Cas run off to meet Dean and fall into his arms and I somehow missed it? How did you presume she got "between them" when they aren't even in the same script this season? And what did you expect would happen with her other than either dying or going away? You thought she and Castiel would exchange rings and walk off into the sunset?
ReplyDeleteAnd if you think Carver has done the brothers any favors by simply putting them together, without doing anything to repair the damage he did to their relationship since he came on - except of course a magical high school song and dance - then you're lucky and should continue to enjoy the show.
You're welcome, and good riddance really that Hannah is gone. They did nothing to make her likable especially since her zealot goal ran directly counter to what the show promoted since season 6 as free will for angels. If Raphael had been alive I wonder if she would have joined his purist ranks and hunted down Castiel.
ReplyDeleteactually I think that was CW marketing
ReplyDeletecorrect, Carver said that Demon Dean wouldnt be around long but he said the whole season would be about MOC Dean. So far he hasnt lied. The only thing we havent see is Sam's past coming back for him to confront. They didnt promise a Sam storyline beyond Sam saving Dean from being a demon which happened in episode 3.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. Carver said the MoC was a season-long story, and I think now that I might have read too much into that. It could be as little as it is now all season long, with the MoC being a reason for Sam to show concern for Dean. It could be that Sam is being rehabilitated for the last two years.
ReplyDeleteThere has also been no mention or indication of what Sam may have done besides use Lester for bait and torture a demon. I was thinking that the 'something else' may be the past that Sam is supposed to confront this year.
The point being, from what has been shown, I don't know what, if anything, is planned for the Winchesters this year. As near as I can tell, the plan is to make them nothing more than regulars in their own show, and Carver is succeeding in that so far.
"There's also Andrew Dabb."
ReplyDeleteOh, I forgot about him. I agree, he is my favorite writer right now, too. I was surprised he did no badly with Bloodlines.
I didn't get into the Dean dating profile thing, but did you know that Lebanon, Kansas is a farm community in the middle of nowhere with about a two hundred population (probably more cows than people) and the median age is 51. A simply Goggle search would now call up Dean's profile, his hot picture, and his exact location, and that pretty much blows the idea of hunters living in the shadows. That may seem like a small thing, but it violates one of the basic tenants the show was established on, and I find it inexcusable for the sake of a two-minute conversation just to show the brothers teasing each other.
Carver said he was a demon then no he was a demon adjacent. Carver changes his story to fit his latest clusterfuck. The advertising for the show is Carver not CW. Carver creates the ads and hands it over to the CW ad department. Unless it makes CW look bad or could get them into trouble they don't care about the ads.
ReplyDeleteYou have got it backwards - in the previous cases, the showrunners hadn't indicated where the story was going and the fans were picking up the clues (drinking, PTSD) to figure out where it might be headed. Those things just didn't pan out. Here, we know where the story is headed - having to do with the MoC - because the showrunners have said so in many interviews. And they took a step in that direction in the last episode when Dean made an overkill.
ReplyDeleteYeah he did in interviews and he aired it at comic con. Why do that if he was playing it that way? Carver does the ads as CW airs the show but they don't have people who sit around watching shows to get an idea of how to advertise the shows. Unless it gets CW into trouble or makes them look bad CW doesn't care about the show other then it brings in ad money and helps CW's new shows get viewers.
ReplyDeleteI didn't make the dating profile a gripe because it was such a throwaway piece it wasn't worth my time. But wow, that information just makes it even more ridiculous. The writers seem to have forgotten Sam and Dean are supposed to live under the radar, both because of their pasts and because they are hunters. Do we even know how many Most Wanted lists they're on? And here's Dean casually putting his picture and information on how to find him on an open dating site.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile they could have easily had him meet the girl at a bar and chat her up like, you know, he used to do in the olden days of the show.
We do know that in 10.02 Dean's picture was put out by the police and some phantom person sent it to Cole (and that someone had to be a policeman). That's pretty darn current.
ReplyDeleteThat has fuck all to do with it. If the writers listened to fan feedback and did what they wanted, you would think with all the accusations of homophobia and queerbaiting would have made them make Destiel canon. It did not, writers might take feedback into account after the fact, but not while they are writing. This episode was being written during Comic-Con, before any real news about season 10, or that Hannah would have a part in it came about. They got rid of Hannah because they felt that her story was done for the time being.
ReplyDeleteBut you aren't wrong, the shippers get in a tizzy if Dean or Cas even check out a woman, let alone do anything with them. But again, the writers really don't give a shit what a small group of shippers think.
To be honest, after Lisa, Amelia and Hannah, I get in a tizzy when any of the boys checks out a woman, because it would mean we're headed for another time-wasting, disastrous romance that would make our favorite characters look like tools, jerks or morons. I think it has been proven more than enough times that SPN writers can't write believable romantic plots and are better off staying away from it.
ReplyDeleteHaha! I couldn't agree more w/you. These writers are horrible at romance of any kind so it is best if they don't try, IMO.
ReplyDeleteThere are four S8 episodes I would rewatch: EHH, ATGB, T&E, and RTT. There is only 1 episode from S9 I'd rewatch - the one where Sam kicked Gadreel out of his body. That was a good episode.
ReplyDeleteLike you, there hasn't been one episode I've loved this season so far. This one was better than the others, but i have no great desire to watch it again.
Sam and Dean should be known serial killers thanks to S7 so I'm not sure why they aren't more recognized.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I have felt that way about Cole since the premiere. His whole arc seemed like a setup for a spin off. I will NOT be watching b/c I cannot stand Cole. I don't care about him or his father or his adventures as a hunter.
ReplyDeleteThat's b/c there is NO storyline for Sam. There is barely a storyline for Dean. This MOC story is playing out just as badly - IMO - this year as it did last year.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it counts as "classic rock", but Girls, Girls, Girls is a Mötley Crüe song (and album). I thought it was going to be another comedy episode.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think those were meant to be "romantic," the brothers were in relationships, but romance wasn't the focal point of them. With Dean and Lisa it was about the normal apple pie life not being possible, and with Sam and Amelia it was really more about two damaged people finding comfort in one another, and trying heal and move on with their lives.
ReplyDeleteThat Motley Crue song is definitely NOT classic rock!
ReplyDeleteYeah I know. But you'd be surprised at what they count as 'classic rock' these days. It's kind of lost its meaning.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's sad!
ReplyDeleteWhat are you talking about? If they actually wanted to keep Hannah there were any number of ways they could have done so. They didn't because the plan was for her to jumpstart Cas's big storyline this season.
ReplyDelete