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Feb. 13th, 2010 08:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
astri13Last one before the hiatus, huh?
I had high hopes for this last SPN episode because Ben Edlund is my fave writer on staff and um, well, that worked out better for me on his other eps this Season. Not that I hated it but I definitely liked last one's better for example. Still,
Not really a gore girl, here. I could bear it but I'm not getting off on it either. The guy grabbing the fries from boiling oil - that was the creepiest for me.
The Cupid bits were very amusing. All actors seemed to have great fun with it.
Was not fond of the return of the soooper-powers because I never liked the concept in the first place. Anyway, I would want show to make up its mind about it: either human heroes triumph by human means is gonna be the message or it will be a heroes with superpowers show. In any case, you gotta bring BOTH protagonists in, either WITH powers or WITHOUT.
Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if Dean hadn't stood there like a slack-jawed yokel while Sam saved the day with powers. He had the knife, Famine was distracted yet he didn't even make a move. Why? No reason but it wasn't in the script. So, the way they staged it the scene brought home how he CAN'T do anything while super-powered beings duke it out. Splendid. That is not what I want from a vital protagonist during the big battles. I don't mind if they lose n occassion, I don't mind if they have to be saved on occassion, I don't mind if they are not always on top - that is called suspense after all but I have to feel they have something to contribute in an action sense.
At least the powers seem to be connected to the demon blood which gives them a much necessary boon. However, I'm not really understanding what Lucifer's point was if Famine could be believed. Sam can drink epic amounts of demon blood without ever getting too full, just like "Satan wanted." And, that was terribly important for the Lucifer vessel because...? Lucifer is an angel, he doesn't care much for his demonic children and has apparently the power to smoke them out on masse. He also has all the powers of an archangel. Which are far greater than powers we have seen come from the blood. Not to mention his vessel won't get a voting voice on matters once Lucy is in. So, why the hell does he care if his vessel can stomach drinking demon blood?
It's already the right bloodline (and destiny) if you can believe all the angels. I mean Michael supposedly didn't take any steps to "upgrade" his vessel for anything. What Heaven did was kick-start a breeding program, mix up the right bloodlines - John and Mary - and get them to have the two necessary vessels. Is more really required? Apart from literally their human bodies the brothers can't offer archangels anything they don't already have.
I thought the depiction of Famine was pretty cool. I seriously don't want to see Pestilence now. Probably a giant swarm of locust riding around in a what-the-hell-colour (yellow?) car.
Nice that Cas got a bit of real screentime here. Annnnd we're already at our next nitpick. Jimmy is still in there? Did you think about that in the brothel-visit episode? Nope? I didn't think so. Besides, they had the perfect excuse to say Jimmy has gone on since he was blown up.
But good to see Dean and Castiel share a few funny bits again. I missed those fiercely.
Loved Dean getting in the line about the "remarkably patronizing concern" over the dog remark because that is pretty dealing with a central issue I would want to see adressed since pretty much forever but Season 4 brought it to a forefront. You know, show, actual people would get frakked up when someone close told them basically they thought of them as dumb or weak. People with low-selfesteem would get frakked up ten times as hard. And at some point, actual people would let that show. They'd simply ASK about it at some point. If someone told me something really unflattering about me when they're drunk, I would seriously not get through my whole life wondering if they just didn't say it sober because they didn't wanna hurt my feelings. I would wanna know.
That is not to say I think Sam meant the dog remark as a put-down here, I think he was truly concerned, just phrased it badly, but if you have a history with shit like the above and something says something in a way that indicates to me, hey maybe this IS still an issue, I would clear the air. To me, it's like a Freudian slip.
I did like Sam being honest about the blood addiction and asking for help. Definitely growth from last Season.
Whereas the way they are going with Dean now confuzzles me. First he comes back from hell, then PTSD are on-off-on-off-on to the point of getting him totally broken (Head on a Pin) and then he gets a quick fix, consisting of "stop whining already" (you tell that to a lot of torture victims?) and snap of a finger, he seems over it. For episodes we never see it again.
This Season there is nothing about it up to maybe episode 9 where Dean says his life sucks - to be shot down by people with pretty cozy lifes as to how great he has it. Apparently, from the way the scene looked, I was supposed to agree with them? Then in episode 11 the PTSD are miraculously back again. Michael makes a devastating entry (devastating for Dean and free will, that is) and drops the clue that he won't damage Dean by vesseling him up. Case in point, a giant neon arrow that Dean will say "yes". Otherwise, why put that in, right?
Now this episode served the same purpose as OTHOAP, breaking the character to the point of no return. Um, did we not have that storyline last Season? Ending on an unsatisfying note? I get that this time they want to show him breaking down to saying "yes" but I swear if it ends up in another round of "you are so weak" again, I will become violent. Ditto for "stop whining".
There are good reasons to say "yes" as it is. It doesn't need to have a great psychological mindfuck as a motive. Simply play it as a choice. It doesn't have to be about being weak, or broken or anything, it can be a fucking simple tactical choice.
Because I'm not buying the "dead inside". Because to me that means having no feelings anymore. Not just not getting excited for anything. Anguish or hurt or despair ARE feelings. If you still feel them, you WSIH you were dead inside. The problem is that you aren't.
I liked that Dean wasn't affected but IMO they could have easily explained it in that he usually likes to indulge in simple pleasures, Famine worked opposite on people like him. Would have made sense to me. Much more than dead-inside-guy who just last week still enjoyed the stipper dream. That was real nihilistic right there.
Eh, it wasn't a bad episode but I do expect more from Ben.
If this had come from the comic writers or Siege, I'd have probably been more lenient.
I had high hopes for this last SPN episode because Ben Edlund is my fave writer on staff and um, well, that worked out better for me on his other eps this Season. Not that I hated it but I definitely liked last one's better for example. Still,
Not really a gore girl, here. I could bear it but I'm not getting off on it either. The guy grabbing the fries from boiling oil - that was the creepiest for me.
The Cupid bits were very amusing. All actors seemed to have great fun with it.
Was not fond of the return of the soooper-powers because I never liked the concept in the first place. Anyway, I would want show to make up its mind about it: either human heroes triumph by human means is gonna be the message or it will be a heroes with superpowers show. In any case, you gotta bring BOTH protagonists in, either WITH powers or WITHOUT.
Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if Dean hadn't stood there like a slack-jawed yokel while Sam saved the day with powers. He had the knife, Famine was distracted yet he didn't even make a move. Why? No reason but it wasn't in the script. So, the way they staged it the scene brought home how he CAN'T do anything while super-powered beings duke it out. Splendid. That is not what I want from a vital protagonist during the big battles. I don't mind if they lose n occassion, I don't mind if they have to be saved on occassion, I don't mind if they are not always on top - that is called suspense after all but I have to feel they have something to contribute in an action sense.
At least the powers seem to be connected to the demon blood which gives them a much necessary boon. However, I'm not really understanding what Lucifer's point was if Famine could be believed. Sam can drink epic amounts of demon blood without ever getting too full, just like "Satan wanted." And, that was terribly important for the Lucifer vessel because...? Lucifer is an angel, he doesn't care much for his demonic children and has apparently the power to smoke them out on masse. He also has all the powers of an archangel. Which are far greater than powers we have seen come from the blood. Not to mention his vessel won't get a voting voice on matters once Lucy is in. So, why the hell does he care if his vessel can stomach drinking demon blood?
It's already the right bloodline (and destiny) if you can believe all the angels. I mean Michael supposedly didn't take any steps to "upgrade" his vessel for anything. What Heaven did was kick-start a breeding program, mix up the right bloodlines - John and Mary - and get them to have the two necessary vessels. Is more really required? Apart from literally their human bodies the brothers can't offer archangels anything they don't already have.
I thought the depiction of Famine was pretty cool. I seriously don't want to see Pestilence now. Probably a giant swarm of locust riding around in a what-the-hell-colour (yellow?) car.
Nice that Cas got a bit of real screentime here. Annnnd we're already at our next nitpick. Jimmy is still in there? Did you think about that in the brothel-visit episode? Nope? I didn't think so. Besides, they had the perfect excuse to say Jimmy has gone on since he was blown up.
But good to see Dean and Castiel share a few funny bits again. I missed those fiercely.
Loved Dean getting in the line about the "remarkably patronizing concern" over the dog remark because that is pretty dealing with a central issue I would want to see adressed since pretty much forever but Season 4 brought it to a forefront. You know, show, actual people would get frakked up when someone close told them basically they thought of them as dumb or weak. People with low-selfesteem would get frakked up ten times as hard. And at some point, actual people would let that show. They'd simply ASK about it at some point. If someone told me something really unflattering about me when they're drunk, I would seriously not get through my whole life wondering if they just didn't say it sober because they didn't wanna hurt my feelings. I would wanna know.
That is not to say I think Sam meant the dog remark as a put-down here, I think he was truly concerned, just phrased it badly, but if you have a history with shit like the above and something says something in a way that indicates to me, hey maybe this IS still an issue, I would clear the air. To me, it's like a Freudian slip.
I did like Sam being honest about the blood addiction and asking for help. Definitely growth from last Season.
Whereas the way they are going with Dean now confuzzles me. First he comes back from hell, then PTSD are on-off-on-off-on to the point of getting him totally broken (Head on a Pin) and then he gets a quick fix, consisting of "stop whining already" (you tell that to a lot of torture victims?) and snap of a finger, he seems over it. For episodes we never see it again.
This Season there is nothing about it up to maybe episode 9 where Dean says his life sucks - to be shot down by people with pretty cozy lifes as to how great he has it. Apparently, from the way the scene looked, I was supposed to agree with them? Then in episode 11 the PTSD are miraculously back again. Michael makes a devastating entry (devastating for Dean and free will, that is) and drops the clue that he won't damage Dean by vesseling him up. Case in point, a giant neon arrow that Dean will say "yes". Otherwise, why put that in, right?
Now this episode served the same purpose as OTHOAP, breaking the character to the point of no return. Um, did we not have that storyline last Season? Ending on an unsatisfying note? I get that this time they want to show him breaking down to saying "yes" but I swear if it ends up in another round of "you are so weak" again, I will become violent. Ditto for "stop whining".
There are good reasons to say "yes" as it is. It doesn't need to have a great psychological mindfuck as a motive. Simply play it as a choice. It doesn't have to be about being weak, or broken or anything, it can be a fucking simple tactical choice.
Because I'm not buying the "dead inside". Because to me that means having no feelings anymore. Not just not getting excited for anything. Anguish or hurt or despair ARE feelings. If you still feel them, you WSIH you were dead inside. The problem is that you aren't.
I liked that Dean wasn't affected but IMO they could have easily explained it in that he usually likes to indulge in simple pleasures, Famine worked opposite on people like him. Would have made sense to me. Much more than dead-inside-guy who just last week still enjoyed the stipper dream. That was real nihilistic right there.
Eh, it wasn't a bad episode but I do expect more from Ben.
If this had come from the comic writers or Siege, I'd have probably been more lenient.
