Half-time

[astri13]

Hiatus is over and my Thursday night insomnia has risen up again. :)

A good episode. Not great but good. Last year the comic book writers didn't exactly win favour with me - I LOATHED "Yellow Fever" and "ASS" with every fiber of my being - but they are doing okay this year. Unfortunately, Julie Siege took the opposite way but that is for another episode review. Probably next week.

I called the nurse but not the doc being imaginery. And btw, ouch, poor Dean, he even has his imaginery "friends" turn on him. Can't say I blame him exactly, especially after last year where he took a chance revealing something very painful and shameful for him or being honest and "selfish" about his feelings and the general response was "suck it up, whiny princess". I wouldn't tell anybody anything that could be used as "ammunition" against me in his place. Nor am I surprised that this is the code he works by now. No, it isn't good for him or anybody but why shouldn't he think that if it is good enough for him it is good enough for everybody else? I think so, too.

Some juvenile humour in there that I don't really dig but have come to expect from those particular writers especially. Eh.

The plot was right out of "Folsom Prison Blues" but heck "Playthings" was "Dead in the Water" and a bunch of episodes were basically a bunch of other episodes that came before, only with the characters somehow in reversed roles. Whatever.

The psychological issues explored were so-so but it gave the actors a chance to do something new-ish.

Dean feels a crushing responsibility and doesn't believe he can succeed. Shocking, I tell you.

Sam has anger issues. I'm still going more with control/power from episode 2. Anger is how he reacts to those issues. One is a cause, the other the response he often can't control.

Neither is equipped to help the other at this point, not to mention I don't see how they would. Giving in to despair? Not an option. Endlessly questioning everything and turning in circles? Not a good idea. Talking and talking it out? Won't help and after last year not in the cards anyway. So what really? The apocalypse is happening - presumably - they have to concentrate on that.

However, what is up with their Sam-coroner-kink. I'm sorry you occassionally need a Scully, show, but Scully was a trained professional, you simply can't hand off medical duties to any old character. That would be like an episode of Bones where for some reason Bones, the character isn't at the scene, so you suddenly have Angela perform a skeletal analysis because some character needs to. I went to uni and completed my studies of law. Doesn't mean I'm also a trained doctor or whatever the heck if need be.

Ass-kicking-Dean made me happy. He hasn't gotten "the save" in quite a while and I was seriously jonesing for it. Sorry, not much of a whump-girl for my fave. *g*

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

Comments

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Funny, you're one of the few people who actually talked about the episode. I haven't had a single OMG WE GET A SIXTH SEASON! squee on my flist. I was beginning to wonder if my entire flist had suddenly stopped watching SPN as well O.o

[xkatjafx.livejournal.com]

I haven't had a single OMG WE GET A SIXTH SEASON! squee on my flist.

That's probably because most people know it's not official. Whatever that announcement was, it could very well be fake.

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay. Still, I'd expected there to be more excitment.

[mareen.livejournal.com]

Honestly? I love the show, but I would have perfectly okay with it ending after season 5. Give them a glorious good-bye (maybe even kill them off during their fight with Lucifer) and it would have been a perfect ending. With a 6th Season... I'm not sure how they could top this.

[legoline.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how they could top this.
Well, for one they could have Sam be less whiny and less "WAH WAH WAH LIFE IS UNFAIR WAH"...?

I don't think SPN will get a seventh though. Feels like Jared's counting down the days until he gets to be a film actor, at least judging from his acting in the first few episodes of season five I saw. That aside, it's a shame the show will be now like B5 with four (five in this case) seasons that are connected by a story arc and a random additional season.

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Honestly? I love the show, but I would have perfectly okay with it ending after season 5. Give them a glorious good-bye (maybe even kill them off during their fight with Lucifer) and it would have been a perfect ending.

Me too. Especially because you can't really top Lucifer and the apocalypse as the "big arc". It doesn't get bigger than that.

Not that I would particularly mind a more intimate story or more of an anthology feel but then the show would just trickle out instead of end with a bang.

Eh, I guess I'll play my "is it worth it" game where I look upon Seasons of shows that IMO should have ended a LOT sooner but usually there is one or two eps in those years I love. Question then becomes if those are worth the whole Season of suck. Guess it'll depend on how much they'll frak up the characters in the process.

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I expect it to be happen, though. Maybe not an announcement right now but soonish. Ironic how if not for the lobbying of Warner the show would have likely been axed after Season 2 but recently Ostroff has been all positive and exicted for it to return.

It just depends on what they plan to do in a Season 6. I know Kripke has said any arc would be "more intimate" but how could that look like? Apart from the obvious thing that comes to mind? *g*

[xkatjafx.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I also think there will be S6.

And while I'm looking forward to the show taking a step back from "saving the world" (of which I was never really a fan of), I'm not THAT keen on S6 anymore. Because if any of the set gossip is true, neither the actors nor the crew seems to look forward to it. Which in the end will probably just lead to a season with unhappy undercurrents : /

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Because if any of the set gossip is true, neither the actors nor the crew seems to look forward to it. Which in the end will probably just lead to a season with unhappy undercurrents : /

Really? I didn't know that. I get the vibe that Jared really wants to break into movies now (though going by gossip the Conan audition didn't exactly go well) and Jensen would like something with a lighter schedule, either movies or TV, but I had no idea it extends to the crew as well. Doesn't bode well if so.

I mean, the crew can possibly leave, in which case they have to hire a lot of newbies which will show, but the Js are contractually bound anyway. I get it in a way, the longer you are with one show, the more difficult to break out into something new. At this point Tom Welling should just sign on for SV Seasons 10-20 because that's probably as good as it'll get.

[xkatjafx.livejournal.com]

gossip the Conan audition didn't exactly go well

I don't think I've heard that. Do tell?

but I had no idea it extends to the crew as well. Doesn't bode well if so.

I don't know. Last week most of the stuff sounded pretty bad. I'm not sure if it's real or not. Actually these days I'm not sure about anything I read. (Besides that Clif is obviously an idiot.)

[astri13.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've heard that. Do tell?

Can't account for validity of course but from what I heard Marcus Nispel brought him in since they worked well together on Friday but the first audition only went so-so. Then Nispel wanted Jason Momoa and the producers wanted Kellan Lutz but they wanted to give Jared another go yet that didn't really impress them either. Which kind of embarassed Nispel for vouching for him and weakened his pull to push for Momoa. Only because he shot test footage with JM and that blew everybody away, he got it.

Apparently this comes from someone who was involved in the casting process, some assisstant or something, and they described it as if Jared seemed distracted and not fully concentrated on both readings. And that Nispel wasn't happy how things turned out.

I don't know. Last week most of the stuff sounded pretty bad. I'm not sure if it's real or not. Actually these days I'm not sure about anything I read. (Besides that Clif is obviously an idiot.)

Maybe there is something to Clif having a hand in changing the mood on set and that's why things have deteriorated. Otherwise, I'd imagine at least some would be happy to keep a steady paycheck.
But lately the guy seems ever-presented and over-invested with all things fandom.

I heard there were threats to Danneel (no idea on Genevieve) and security has gotten tighter but it seems a bit much.

[xkatjafx.livejournal.com]

described it as if Jared seemed distracted and not fully concentrated on both readings.

: / Maybe something's up? He didn't exactly look good during the last episode, either.

But lately the guy seems ever-presented and over-invested with all things fandom.

According to some anon he might get fired. No clue if that's true, but I think he kind of slowed down on the crazy antics.

I heard there were threats to Danneel (no idea on Genevieve) and security has gotten tighter but it seems a bit much.

The strange twitter threats? I'm not even sure those were real (or invented by Clif). And anyway, watching the shit some people talk about her or say to her directly, she should be kind used to it. I mean by now, she should have seen enough of the darker side of fandom... She can only learn to ignore it or stop putting herself out there. (Which would be a smart move. Because whatever she does it will always backfire in some way. But then who knows what kind of agenda she has in all of this.)

[astri13.livejournal.com]

: / Maybe something's up? He didn't exactly look good during the last episode, either.

When was that episode shot, sometime in late November/December? Would have been around the time of the audition, I think, and maybe he did try to bulk up for it just because and kept the hair longer. Guess we'll see if something changes around episodes 16/17/18 or so, whatever they are shooting now.

Maybe it's wedding-related stress? If it's true that his folks still go and visit Sandy, things might be tense in the family. Wouldn't want to be in Genevieve's place either in that case.

Which would be a smart move. Because whatever she does it will always backfire in some way. But then who knows what kind of agenda she has in all of this.)

No idea. I only read a comment here or there from her but she seemed to be taking things with humour.

Eh, there is so many rumours right now about everything and nothing. Guess any huge "reveals" won't come until after the show finishes, if ever.

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Heh. At this point I'm very "we'll see" about Season 6. Not because I don't think it's gonna happen - it makes a lot of sense for the network that it does - but because I'm not sure how it'll be. I would have been totally okay with the show ending after five as planned.

The one thing I AM invested in is that they do finish this arc this Season - I hate it when they drag things out even more, they are terrible at pacing as is. But it depends on what they come up with next, if I'm happy about renewal or not. Another arc? Random MOTWs?

[legoline.livejournal.com]

I wish they would just give the show the coup de grâce. *sigh* Or finally kill Sam off. 'Cause I do kinda miss Dean and Castiel, but Sam? Sorry, life's too short to listen to the endless whinings of an utter narcissist.

Didn't Kripke say that he'd finish up the arc this season and do MOTW in a sixth? But then, you never know.

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Didn't Kripke say that he'd finish up the arc this season and do MOTW in a sixth? But then, you never know.

Not sure he made a definite statement, just kept everything very vague. I think he hasn't any idea himself. Often, he strikes me as having the attention span of a five year old, new toys catching his attention and being discarded: cool - boring - cool - boring - cool - boring.

I wanna survive this Season first. :)

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Haha, true. "We'll NEVER have angels on the show!" - Two seasons later: "But OH! THEY COULD HAVE BLACK WINGS!111!!!"

Good luck with that :-)

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Haha, true. "We'll NEVER have angels on the show!" - Two seasons later: "But OH! THEY COULD HAVE BLACK WINGS!111!!!"

Yup, like that. :-)

[nachekana.livejournal.com]

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

Me too. But seeing how my low expectations for this episode were based on a dream I had about watching this episode and it being shitty, I could only be pleasantly surprised!

The psychological issues explored were so-so but it gave the actors a chance to do something new-ish.

Yep. Wearing nothing but very thin layers of clothes. ;P

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Me too. But seeing how my low expectations for this episode were based on a dream I had about watching this episode and it being shitty, I could only be pleasantly surprised!

Haha, I had extremely low expectations myself. And some fleeting hopes. And while those were not met either, at least it wasn't offensive. Hooray for that. :)

Yep. Wearing nothing but very thin layers of clothes. ;P

You know if this was HBO, we would have seen the "Silkwood showers" too. :-p

[nachekana.livejournal.com]

LOL The Silkwood showers and the anal exams!

[leelust.livejournal.com]

Heh, it was pwp ep but at least they gave some psyche analysis and it was good to see. I was touched with Dean-Doc convos and i kinda want her back :) Martin was good too, btw. And the ep gave a lot to think about which is always a good thing. Plus Jensen was wonderful! Yeah, in the end i was pleasantly surprised with this ep. Dreading the next though. Siege, you know.

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in the end i was pleasantly surprised with this ep. Dreading the next though. Siege, you know.

Yes. And Yes.

I feared for this one - potential to be another FI but luckily it wasn't but who knows how bad next week is gonna be. Urgh.

[leelust.livejournal.com]

Yeah, with this show and the crazy way they handle the storyline i think i'll have grey hair a lot sooner than i expected.