SUPERNATURAL 6x02 REVIEW...w/Spoilers
Oct. 1st, 2010 11:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabid1stBefore we delve into tonight's review, I would like you all to recall that, in the past, I've had cause to rail against writers who refuse to accept the realities of life as we now know it.
RTD and his ilk with their, "Oh, life is so sad. Let's work against all logic and make our hero a whiny sod about it all." The West Wing doing their "People sometimes die senselessly" storyline on the first anniversary of September 11th. Really? Do we need you to reflect THAT particular point? And all of the folks who announce boldly that "Happy endings just aren't realistic." PSHAW! You know what else isn't very realistic? Having your hero jump onto the wings of a jet in mid-flight. Or having the TARDIS tow Earth home. Real people are ten times as creative as the sheltered, clueless types writing some of this stuff. Real people work things out.
Which brings me to tonight's SPN episode...and a word or two of praise for the new head writer...
...I had predicted that Lisa would be asking Dean to leave once she fully understood what a nut case he was and how much danger he was likely to attract to her son. It wasn't very realistic, I admit. But I thought it was the device the show would use to return to Sam and Dean without Dean being too much of a dirt bag to Lisa. However, it was weak for anyone in a REAL RELATIONSHIP to bail because they think their loved ones would be better off without them...that's not how people work. RTD take note. PEOPLE who really care about other people don't just go, "This guy will make you happier. I'll leave only to mope about until a new love interest turns up for me, then I'll get dysfunctional over THAT person, too." NO, people (well, at least people we ADMIRE...like our heroes) try to do their best for their loved ones and work things out before they bail. And they seldom are allowed to be so self-sacrificing by anyone who truly cares for them. At least Rose did run after Ten to show that SHE wasn't completely dysfunctional.
So, Dean and Lisa, much to my surprise, are doing something real. They are trying to make things work out for both of them. That is actual real life there. And beyond that, it is a real life that many people are currently facing in this country. Many women and not a few men are forced to live alone while the person they love is fighting a way, serving overseas. How out of touch would it be for some television show to preach to those people about ending a relationship because you must fight for good and truth?
And yet...RTD would do that...Ron Moore would do that...Joss Whedon would do that...in a heartbeat. All of them have had previously respectable characters turn their backs on their values and their relationships so the show could go on in some fashion. SPN didn't do that. And my respect for the whole writing team went up a smidgen more.
Also on the list of things I liked about this episode, was the continued Deliverance vibe I'm getting from the Campbell family. Dean's paranoia and the way that they shot that scene? Priceless. I didn't want him to give up the baby, myself. I know that the Dean girls and the Sam girls will be bickering endlessly about which brother is more dysfunctional in that scene. And even when the canon tells them clearly who was RIGHT about the Campbell family, they will all continue to point fingers. If there is one thing this brotherly love series does is it creates amazing amounts of online bitterness.
I love the Sam/Dean tension, however. Because, like all of the best Supernatural, it isn't about who is right and who is wrong. This show really does give you sympathy for the wicked. So many people were upset about that phenomenal finale last season, simply because it didn't give us a clear winner in the good vs. evil sweepstakes. This show is, to its credit, about more than winning. It is literally what so many other shows aspire to be...the hero's journey. There's a road and an epic rock song and a car and everything.
And OMG! BLACK BETTY! Out from under the tarp at long last. I squealed. <<---If I may fangirl for a minute! Yes, if they ever get into an argument with the car...which they have, actually, now that I think back...I will side with the Impala every time.
Also, of note, Sam and Dean and a baby. I think ovaries were exploding on both sides of the family divide on that one. I did think that the writers should have remembered that Dean was handed baby Sam at the tender age of four...so probably he knows something about changing a kid. Maybe they DID remember that...since Dean was the one doing the honors...and only had Dean forget. He would, I think, given how young he was at the time.
I admired the straight line of "like Dad" that they drew to Dean...because that was their Dad...sneaking away for weeks on end to hunt. I had it wrong way round in my head and thought that Dean might involve Ben in the hunting. But then, I saw my mistake. And again, I must praise this show, for seeing that clearly, for remembering that John left them over and over again and that's what hurt the most.
As for the mystery developing, I must say it crossed my mind during the very scary "give me the baby" scene that Sam and Dean were still fighting the Apocalypse. Some sort of hell on Earth. But I am prone to think that, so I won't put money down on that solution. I am currently willing to believe we have simply set another type of supernatural emergency off with the demonic shenanigans the last few seasons. Maybe the monsters were a bit repressed by the larger predators but now, like deer without wolves or puma in the area, they are repopulating. I don't know. But, I'm still a bit suspicious of all of these people back from Heaven, especially given Cas back next week and his dire news.
All in all a pretty good episode. Nice work from Jensen and Jared and the new regulars. The only thing I found a bit confusing was the showdown between the Campbells and the Alpha. It wasn't filmed as clearly as I would like, but it seemed to me that the Alpha had infiltrated the Campbell family. I saw the real Samuel burst in with one of the other Campbells and start firing on the one that was in the boy's camp. But, assuming that was the case, who did the real Samuel bring with him? Or did one of the boys immediately change sides? It's times like these that I wish my tivo was working, because I can't go back and watch that scene again...and it did lose me a little.
RTD and his ilk with their, "Oh, life is so sad. Let's work against all logic and make our hero a whiny sod about it all." The West Wing doing their "People sometimes die senselessly" storyline on the first anniversary of September 11th. Really? Do we need you to reflect THAT particular point? And all of the folks who announce boldly that "Happy endings just aren't realistic." PSHAW! You know what else isn't very realistic? Having your hero jump onto the wings of a jet in mid-flight. Or having the TARDIS tow Earth home. Real people are ten times as creative as the sheltered, clueless types writing some of this stuff. Real people work things out.
Which brings me to tonight's SPN episode...and a word or two of praise for the new head writer...
...I had predicted that Lisa would be asking Dean to leave once she fully understood what a nut case he was and how much danger he was likely to attract to her son. It wasn't very realistic, I admit. But I thought it was the device the show would use to return to Sam and Dean without Dean being too much of a dirt bag to Lisa. However, it was weak for anyone in a REAL RELATIONSHIP to bail because they think their loved ones would be better off without them...that's not how people work. RTD take note. PEOPLE who really care about other people don't just go, "This guy will make you happier. I'll leave only to mope about until a new love interest turns up for me, then I'll get dysfunctional over THAT person, too." NO, people (well, at least people we ADMIRE...like our heroes) try to do their best for their loved ones and work things out before they bail. And they seldom are allowed to be so self-sacrificing by anyone who truly cares for them. At least Rose did run after Ten to show that SHE wasn't completely dysfunctional.
So, Dean and Lisa, much to my surprise, are doing something real. They are trying to make things work out for both of them. That is actual real life there. And beyond that, it is a real life that many people are currently facing in this country. Many women and not a few men are forced to live alone while the person they love is fighting a way, serving overseas. How out of touch would it be for some television show to preach to those people about ending a relationship because you must fight for good and truth?
And yet...RTD would do that...Ron Moore would do that...Joss Whedon would do that...in a heartbeat. All of them have had previously respectable characters turn their backs on their values and their relationships so the show could go on in some fashion. SPN didn't do that. And my respect for the whole writing team went up a smidgen more.
Also on the list of things I liked about this episode, was the continued Deliverance vibe I'm getting from the Campbell family. Dean's paranoia and the way that they shot that scene? Priceless. I didn't want him to give up the baby, myself. I know that the Dean girls and the Sam girls will be bickering endlessly about which brother is more dysfunctional in that scene. And even when the canon tells them clearly who was RIGHT about the Campbell family, they will all continue to point fingers. If there is one thing this brotherly love series does is it creates amazing amounts of online bitterness.
I love the Sam/Dean tension, however. Because, like all of the best Supernatural, it isn't about who is right and who is wrong. This show really does give you sympathy for the wicked. So many people were upset about that phenomenal finale last season, simply because it didn't give us a clear winner in the good vs. evil sweepstakes. This show is, to its credit, about more than winning. It is literally what so many other shows aspire to be...the hero's journey. There's a road and an epic rock song and a car and everything.
And OMG! BLACK BETTY! Out from under the tarp at long last. I squealed. <<---If I may fangirl for a minute! Yes, if they ever get into an argument with the car...which they have, actually, now that I think back...I will side with the Impala every time.
Also, of note, Sam and Dean and a baby. I think ovaries were exploding on both sides of the family divide on that one. I did think that the writers should have remembered that Dean was handed baby Sam at the tender age of four...so probably he knows something about changing a kid. Maybe they DID remember that...since Dean was the one doing the honors...and only had Dean forget. He would, I think, given how young he was at the time.
I admired the straight line of "like Dad" that they drew to Dean...because that was their Dad...sneaking away for weeks on end to hunt. I had it wrong way round in my head and thought that Dean might involve Ben in the hunting. But then, I saw my mistake. And again, I must praise this show, for seeing that clearly, for remembering that John left them over and over again and that's what hurt the most.
As for the mystery developing, I must say it crossed my mind during the very scary "give me the baby" scene that Sam and Dean were still fighting the Apocalypse. Some sort of hell on Earth. But I am prone to think that, so I won't put money down on that solution. I am currently willing to believe we have simply set another type of supernatural emergency off with the demonic shenanigans the last few seasons. Maybe the monsters were a bit repressed by the larger predators but now, like deer without wolves or puma in the area, they are repopulating. I don't know. But, I'm still a bit suspicious of all of these people back from Heaven, especially given Cas back next week and his dire news.
All in all a pretty good episode. Nice work from Jensen and Jared and the new regulars. The only thing I found a bit confusing was the showdown between the Campbells and the Alpha. It wasn't filmed as clearly as I would like, but it seemed to me that the Alpha had infiltrated the Campbell family. I saw the real Samuel burst in with one of the other Campbells and start firing on the one that was in the boy's camp. But, assuming that was the case, who did the real Samuel bring with him? Or did one of the boys immediately change sides? It's times like these that I wish my tivo was working, because I can't go back and watch that scene again...and it did lose me a little.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-02 02:50 pm (UTC)And there is SO something off with the Campbells. Who was Samuel talking to at the end of the episode? I suspect that has some significance, it wasn't just some random hunter call. Working for the angels? The devil? Someone else? Who knows, but *something* is going on there.
They made mention last week about creatures they'd never seen or even heard of crawling out of the woodwork, so obviously this Alpha is a part of that. Wondering what that means, too. Is it a leftover from the Apocalypse? The result of bringing back Samuel and Dean? Loads of possibilities there.
I love the Sam/Dean tension here. They do still have the most bizarre relationship, but I like that they've kind of moved away from being quite as co-dependent. Dean has every right to be paranoid about WTF is going on, and that's certainly going to inform his relationship with his brother. Is it really Sam? And if it is, how do we know he isn't just a ticking time bomb waiting to go off? Or that his resurrection is perfectly innocent in some way? Who knows.
The baby! I'm still worried about the baby. I know that the Alpha will take care of him, but... *wibble* Poor little guy. I suspect that the Alpha is trying to replenish the troops. Maybe the shifters and other monsters are actually sorta going "extinct", what with all the hunting and such, and they're trying to build their numbers back up. That would be an interesting turn of events.
As for the Alpha scene - I think that the Alpha just strolled on into the compound (please, think a little chainlink fence is gonna keep that thing out) and since Samuel was the first person it saw, that's who it imitated. Obviously, it works a little differently with the Alpha than with the shifters. Does it shift into whomever it's fighting automatically? Or is that a deliberate choice to disorient or better match the opponent? Not sure, but it didn't need to shed its skin to change, it just...changed in the more traditional shapeshifter sense (vs. a skinwalker).
Lots of interesting possibilities for this season. I admit, I was worried about what we would get from the new crew, but this episode has definitely earned them a lot of points in my book.
Metallicar! \o/ And Cass next week! Woo hoo!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-02 03:22 pm (UTC)I'm really not sure what to make of Samuel and who the higher up was he's talking to, or why. I suggested to another fan last week, that maybe this is Sam still as Lucifer's meat suit and it's the only way he can remain sane when someone else has taken over his body. We'ver never seen what it's like for the possessed person. Maybe he's creating scenarios. I have my doubts as the show goes on, but should be interesting.
And I'm missing next week's episode, thank you very much!! It's on Saturday night here according to the tv, and I'll be landing in Hawaii!!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-02 04:09 pm (UTC)You should imagine yourself gently mocking Jensen Ackles. I'm not sure if you are a big enough SPN fan to follow his convention clips on YouTube...but he is always green with envy if anyone goes to Hawaii. Jared has jetted off there a few times and left poor Jensen filming alone in the bitter cold of Vancouver. Also, he knew some of the people on Lost and they teased him about how lovely it is there. I was sorry he didn't get a shot at playing Dano in the new Hawaii-Five Oh. He would have been good at it...and HAWAII!!!
Enjoy your trip. Remember to set your TIVO and catch up when you get back home. Just think, you won't have to wait as long as we do to watch the NEXT episode.
Rae
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-02 04:14 pm (UTC)Don't have TIVO, but there's several different channels here that play SPN at different times, so I might be able to catch the episode
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-02 04:18 pm (UTC)Rae
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-03 03:58 am (UTC)Most of the SPN people on my f-list are talking about how much they hated this episode (rather the Lisa, Ben aspect of it) and I hate starting arguments so I kept my mouth shut. I'm a bit of an OTP shipper and I love Dean/Castiel to death, but if the writers are going to give me a storyline that I have to watch I'd rather they did it well and that I could believe it, you know?
I started this season with trepidation, but actually really like Lisa and Ben and the life that Dean's built with them. Of course, if you start from the beginning it's sort of befuddling /why/ Lisa would let Dean in, BUT that can't be changed and I'm glad the writers are giving me a woman who calls Dean on his bullshit as well as deferring to his hunter experience. She didn't give out ultimatum's from on high, she compromised, which is what relationships are, right? The Impala with weapons in the trunk, the salt and shotgun under the bed, the devil's traps in doorways, Dean can't have done that without her knowledge and okay.
People complained about the danger that Lisa brought to her son, and how as a single Mom she shouldn't have taken that risk. What risk? Of letting a guy that /knows/ what's out there be a part of and protect her family? Kicking Dean out isn't going to change anything except making all three of them (Lisa, Dean, Ben) miserable and more in danger. No one is safe in SPN world. Dean was right, staying is the best decision for everyone involved. And I loved the scene where it's obvious that Dean's been teaching Lisa about firearms.
And now that you've made the connection, I can see what you mean. If a police officer's partner, or a military spouse, or someone who had someone they loved in a high risk job that could potentially spill over into their home life, no one would tell this person that they should tell that loved one to take a hike. They'd be outraged that someone could so callously abandon a "hero" when they needed their support. It isn't like these people aren't aware that one day that person might be killed in the line of duty, or of the possibility that they could be targeted by association.
So, in my book, Lisa's pretty awesome. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-03 05:27 am (UTC)Like you, I sort of went WTH when Lisa showed up there at the last hour of S5. And I can't say I love the pairing. But I also can't say that Dean has too many viable options...given his love choices are an angel and his brother...or possibly Bobby or the crossroads demon. I had a bit of a crush on Jo, don't hate me for it. :grin: But I think I only had a crush on Jo because we didn't have any other options. The show is seriously not about romance...except in a openly gay flirtatious way. They definitely do rock up the shipper heat for Dean and Castiel. And I say that as a Sam/Dean fan...though not a proud one. Cause I can't be proud of that, can I? :grin: No, if you've read my SPN stuff you will be aware that I seriously did NOT want to go there...but those danged flirtatious writers made me. Oh, how I wish I could be a Castiel/Dean fan, but alas...you just can't force these things. I wish I could be a House/Cuddy fan, too, but no! Though, I like both Cas and Cuddy just fine. As I said above I don't get the hate about pretty much well meaning characters. It never seems to me as if Sam and Dean don't or shouldn't care about one another. They are both deeply dysfunctional people, but they try to do better...and that should count for a lot.
Lisa is pretty darn cool about the whole hunter scene. Maybe her earlier experiences with kids in the neighborhood convinced her to be more open to it. I'm not a huge fan of hers. I won't weep if we lose her. But she fits in with the show, nicely. And I think her relationship with Dean works. I can understand the hardcore shippers being against any female...but...the writers are giving her sensible dialog and it seems like she does understand where Dean is coming from...which is good. Smart writing never hurt anyone...that's my stand.
Rae
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-03 05:28 am (UTC)Abandon them to save them.
It is late here, sorry!