Supernatural Season 8 Episode 1
Oct. 4th, 2012 02:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabid1stFirst, it doesn't matter if you go with Denny or Bean, it is going to be annoying and lame for those of us who hate that sort of thing. Here there be SPOILERS...
On the other hand, it was very refreshing for me to have a new and different relationship on the show. Yes, it will be slash. Yes, that will annoy me. Not because I dislike Slash, but only because why does it always, always, always take over and become this huge shipper war thing. I say this as someone who loves Cas and Sam and Dean and now Benny. SPN is the most dysfunctional fandom ever and I say that having come out of the Buffy fandom. So, I know my dysfunctions.
But, moving on from that. I haven't been this engaged in the show in two seasons and I like it. I will tell you something, while I stood up for Sera and was intrigued with some of her early ideas, she never put forward a solid episode like this one. This episode had that reek of a real plan behind it. What happened to Cas that can be summed up by "He didn't make it?" And just what did Dean compromise on to "make it" beyond the obvious thing that Previous Dean would never, ever do. Dean is not one for working with monsters, nevermind letting them ride him like a pony. But he and Benny have a few secrets. Also, I loved Jensen in this. He was so intense.
I also felt that Jared made a great case for Sam giving up on the life. I felt like he was genuine, that it wasn't manufactured angst. I know some people are ho-humming over it. We've seen them fight before. But I've never seen them both this articulate about it. Lots of times on SPN the fights are rather shallow and consist of glowering. Here, Dean seems hyped up on something and Sam seems like a reasonable person when he argues against the hunting. I know. I know. Sacriledge! But in WRITING this is the stuff. Conflict should be born out of legitimate choices and while fans want characters to stay the same, that is really what kills a show. I thought both Jared and Jensen have been phoning it in the last two years. Well, except for the brief shining light of "Soulless Sam." But tonight, both of them had a fire in their belly as actors. The show seemed to have purpose.
What is the hold/bond Benny has on the previously demon-loathing Dean. What happened to Cas? Was Cas not willing to compromise or did he fall apart in some way? Who was lurking outside of Sam's house? Was that Cas? How compromised by evil is Dean? And is Sam really sick of the fight? Also, can they close all of the Hellgates and purge demons from the world? I would imagine that IS a lofty quest to undertake that could give us a couple seasons of story. And it would put an end to Hunters if all the monsters were gone, too. Finally, since I didn't warm to the vet lady, at all, I had to wonder what happened between her and Sam. My feeling is Sam just was looking for direction. One of the truisms of Sam's character is that he's always been less motivated to Hunt than the rest of the family. He's always wanted out of the life. And he has been motivated to do things by other people. Sam has boundry issues and once he was on his own, I can totally believe that he might simply look for someone to tell him what to do. After all, isn't that Dean and Ruby used to do?
I know that as soulless Sam he did take to hunting with a vengence. But I don't feel that Sam is a natural hunter like Dean. And I like that the show is addressing this part of the Winchester boys. I don't feel that it will create horrible rifts between them. Rather it is only an obstacle to create conflict to move their charcters and their relationship forward. So, I like it.
On the other hand, it was very refreshing for me to have a new and different relationship on the show. Yes, it will be slash. Yes, that will annoy me. Not because I dislike Slash, but only because why does it always, always, always take over and become this huge shipper war thing. I say this as someone who loves Cas and Sam and Dean and now Benny. SPN is the most dysfunctional fandom ever and I say that having come out of the Buffy fandom. So, I know my dysfunctions.
But, moving on from that. I haven't been this engaged in the show in two seasons and I like it. I will tell you something, while I stood up for Sera and was intrigued with some of her early ideas, she never put forward a solid episode like this one. This episode had that reek of a real plan behind it. What happened to Cas that can be summed up by "He didn't make it?" And just what did Dean compromise on to "make it" beyond the obvious thing that Previous Dean would never, ever do. Dean is not one for working with monsters, nevermind letting them ride him like a pony. But he and Benny have a few secrets. Also, I loved Jensen in this. He was so intense.
I also felt that Jared made a great case for Sam giving up on the life. I felt like he was genuine, that it wasn't manufactured angst. I know some people are ho-humming over it. We've seen them fight before. But I've never seen them both this articulate about it. Lots of times on SPN the fights are rather shallow and consist of glowering. Here, Dean seems hyped up on something and Sam seems like a reasonable person when he argues against the hunting. I know. I know. Sacriledge! But in WRITING this is the stuff. Conflict should be born out of legitimate choices and while fans want characters to stay the same, that is really what kills a show. I thought both Jared and Jensen have been phoning it in the last two years. Well, except for the brief shining light of "Soulless Sam." But tonight, both of them had a fire in their belly as actors. The show seemed to have purpose.
What is the hold/bond Benny has on the previously demon-loathing Dean. What happened to Cas? Was Cas not willing to compromise or did he fall apart in some way? Who was lurking outside of Sam's house? Was that Cas? How compromised by evil is Dean? And is Sam really sick of the fight? Also, can they close all of the Hellgates and purge demons from the world? I would imagine that IS a lofty quest to undertake that could give us a couple seasons of story. And it would put an end to Hunters if all the monsters were gone, too. Finally, since I didn't warm to the vet lady, at all, I had to wonder what happened between her and Sam. My feeling is Sam just was looking for direction. One of the truisms of Sam's character is that he's always been less motivated to Hunt than the rest of the family. He's always wanted out of the life. And he has been motivated to do things by other people. Sam has boundry issues and once he was on his own, I can totally believe that he might simply look for someone to tell him what to do. After all, isn't that Dean and Ruby used to do?
I know that as soulless Sam he did take to hunting with a vengence. But I don't feel that Sam is a natural hunter like Dean. And I like that the show is addressing this part of the Winchester boys. I don't feel that it will create horrible rifts between them. Rather it is only an obstacle to create conflict to move their charcters and their relationship forward. So, I like it.