Supernatural: Season 9, episode 6 – Review

This episode was the debut for new writer Robert Berens, and you know what? He did a really, really good job for his first episode. Were there some problems? Yeah, a few. But overall, it was great and he seems very promising.

The beginning of this episode was charming, yet somewhat bittersweet. Castiel trying to mimic the other men in the store was funny, and I’m still really glad that it wasn’t done to make fun of him. That’s something they’re doing really well this season: gently teasing Castiel for his not understanding human traditions, but not being mean about it. They’re really trying to showcase how this is affecting him, and it’s very realistic. The bittersweet part comes from him not being very good at it, but still trying his best, which is essentially what his character is all about, isn’t it?

Over at the bunker, we have Sam and Dean putting Kevin down for his weak translations of the angel tablet. This is another example of something to fuel Kevin’s anger and resentment. I’ve read some meta predicting that, at the mid-season finale, Kevin will break and either betray or turn against the Winchesters in some way, and I can definitely see that this is a strong possibility. Even though Dean says that he’s family, they still look down on him and treat him like a child.

Kevin is still clearly furious at Crowley for everything he’s done to his family – that was evident in the scene where he gave his blood. Speaking of which, Crowley injecting himself with the blood near the end of the episode was very interesting. I thought at first it was Sam’s blood (since it’s purified), but someone else pointed out to me that because Kevin’s a prophet, his blood will already be pure. But why would Crowley want to have the humanization? I’m guessing it has something to do with regaining control over Hell and taking down Abaddon; perhaps a sacrifice will come into play. Whatever the case, I seriously doubt it’s about Crowley getting in touch with his softer side. That may be the subtext, but it’s going to mainly involve the myth arc,

Also: his call to Abaddon was very humorous, while also being revealing. We now know that most of his followers have turned on him and gone to support her in his absence, and while he is still technically King, she’s really in control now. I also whole-heartedly agreed with Crowley; you can’t run Hell based on chaos and torture alone. There has to be some sort of structure, some politics and business involved. They need to come to a happy medium, because both strategies are good, but neither work on their own.

Okay, now on to the part all the fangirls REALLY care about: Dean and Cas.

I think their scenes this episode were PHENOMENAL, some of the best we’ve ever had. Berens writes a wonderful Castiel, giving him a dry humor that fits him to a tee. I really feel that, in terms of characterization and dialogue, he’s going to be the new Edlund. It was a nice touch having Dean sitting on the Impala and watching Cas through the window, as it paralleled season 6’s “The Man Who Would Be King” when Cas stood by, invisible, and watched Dean rake leaves. In both scenes, one of them gazed at the other, unnoticed, as the other did something very normal. For Dean, it was tending to his house; for Cas, it was selling something to a customer. The only difference is that Cas didn’t want to trouble Dean from the start when he watched him; he only wanted Dean to be happy. Dean went ahead and bothered Cas, not deciding to let Cas be normal until the end of the episode.

Their first encounter together is awesome; I love that, even though Dean ridicules Cas for working in the gas station, Cas continues to have pride in his job. And you know what? He really SHOULD. Here’s this being that has just lost his entire life; he’s undergone a species change, for Chuck’s sake. He’s lost, confused, and lonely, and his best friend has told him that he can’t come live with him. He’s completely on his own, with no money, food, or shelter.

But somehow, he manages to get a job, and he really is GOOD at it, and what’s awesome is he’s TRYING to be good at it. He’s really putting his best into everything that he does, and it completely shows. He’s doing pretty well for himself, considering the situation. It’s also a sort of psychological therapy for his character; last year, he told Dean that he felt so guilty over all the destruction he caused, he wanted to commit suicide. This is someone who feels that he can’t do anything right, that anytime he tries to be helpful, he just messes up. But now, he’s doing something right, he’s helping people, and they’re not ending up dead. Even if he’s just nuking their food, it’s a big step for him, and it will be very healing.

The scene in the car, where Dean is giving Cas advice, I didn’t like initially. Not because it wasn’t funny; it was hilarious. But for me, as a Destiel shipper, it felt too bromantic for me to really enjoy. The guy giving his best friend tips on how to woo a lady; that is the very definition of straight. However, after listening to what other people had to say and rewatching the episode, I came to the conclusion that there was literally no other way for that scene to play out. Dean doesn’t take relationships and one night stands seriously; to him, it’s just having fun. There’s no reason for him to not want his friend to have that sort of fun, and Cas really did need the help. It would have been wildly out of character for Dean to be jealous or angry that Cas was going on a date. Also, Cas really did look terrible in that vest. Plus, the punchline of the joke was that Dean couldn’t let Cas go on the date because he didn’t look good. Everyone, including casual viewers, thought (even for a millisecond) that Dean would say something ELSE in that moment directly after “I can’t let you do this.” There was this pause, with Cas staring expectantly, and everyone was thinking at the same time, “Does he mean what I think he means?” And after the next line started, we all, again, simultaneously said, “I thought…for a second…never mind.” Still; they did acknowledge it, even if it was only subtext. But it got the idea in people’s heads, which is what’s important.

Like most people, my favorite scene of the episode was when he was singing to the baby. It was so, so adorable! Here you have this gruff, muscular man, singing the theme song of an 80’s tv show to a little baby in a deep, off-key voice. If you look up the definition of cute in the dictionary, that scene will be there. It was awesome. Plus, the scene it lead into (his heart-to-heart with the little girl) was, again, bittersweet. He felt empathy towards her; being shoved into this human world without any knowledge of how things work there, and then having expectations thrust upon you to learn immediately how to act like a normal person. But Cas is trying to learn, which is what makes him so great.

What was very, very powerful in the episode was Cas not hesitating a second to plunge the blade into the angel. He could have; there was a possibility he would have paused, considered the option of a painless death, to lift all his guilt and hurt and troubles away – but he didn’t take it. Even though he’s in a tough situation, he still wants to live, and he still wants to help people, which I think is incredible.

Now, let’s talk about Nora. Personally? I thought she was brilliant. Her purpose was to tell him something he should have been told long ago: Too much heart is not a problem; it’s what makes him a good person. He’s always had the idea drilled into him that his compassion for others is what caused his downfall. It’s the reason all his problems have occurred. And while that may be true (somewhat), it’s NOT a bad thing. He’s finally beginning to understand that his love for humanity, and his drive to help people are what makes him so special. Also: Nora definitely thought he was gay. No straight, available female looks at a man like that, who is incredibly attractive and sweet and a hard worker, and thinks, “Wow, what a great friend!” She obviously was interested in him romantically at first, but after she said “Where have you been all my life?” and he responded with an uncomfortable look, she came to the conclusion that he didn’t play for her team. This is evident when she then says, “You’re not like the other sales associates; there’s something different about you.” She also saw him constantly talking quietly with Dean, who dropped him off at her house, and then came to pick him up. Now, in ordinary circumstances, having your babysitter say that his male friend, a stranger to you, gave your baby some medicine would ring alarm bells in your head, but if she thought Dean was Cas’ boyfriend, it would be completely fine. So, in my opinion, Nora thought Cas was gay, which is why she didn’t pursue a relationship with him.

Lastly, the final scene. This was very, very sad, as we finally saw Dean realizing that the only way to keep Cas safe was to have him stay out of all the stuff going on – which meant him living a normal life, away from Dean. This is, of course, not true, but it’s definitely in Dean’s nature to assume that everyone is better off without him, and he assumes that Cas will be happier living like a human and not being around Dean. His face at the end is heartbreaking, as is their little wave goodbye. Cas seems to have lost some of his spunk in doing his daily routine, as he now realizes that he should be out there, doing everything he can to help the angels.

In all, this was a very good episode. My only problem was the pacing. It felt a bit too…stretched. There wasn’t enough action; it was a bit too much talking, and the easy way they killed the villain didn’t do it for me. Slumber Party had this problem too. Still, the characterization and dialogue was spot-on, and overall, I really, really enjoyed it. Next week we seem to be getting back to Supernatural’s roots; it’s a scary episode! Hallelujah.

Supernatural: Season 9, episode 3 – Review

I know that there were many, greatly differentiating opinions about this episode. I also know that some took it to mean that their ship had sunk, or that their favorite character had lost all of their personality, or that the show was going to go in an awful direction.

I, however, feel differently.

I thought this episode was simply brilliant. Instead of having Castiel be a bumbling, idiotic fool (like I feared he would be), he was a slightly socially awkward yet strong but confused person who had his eyes peeled for danger. He knew how people needed to eat, to sleep, to go to the bathroom, to brush their teeth. His only problem was getting used to doing those things.

This episode portrayed Cas as being lost, but still having his wits about him. He is now prone to many new emotions, such as a stronger feeling of lust. It is canon on the show that angels are sexual beings; Cas’ deeply passionate kiss with Meg and subsequent affirmation to her invitation of sex solidified that fact. We have, so far, not been given any reason to believe Cas WOULDN’T be attracted to men; the only two women he’s been attracted to thus far each had individual traits that drew him. One had large breasts, which is, of course, a common attribute that arouses men, and the other was the first person to be truly kind to him. Not just nice, but warm and loving and caring. He has had no opportunity yet to experience sexual attraction to men, so we have no validation of whether it’s there or not. It could be, and I, personally, am believing it is.

Now, the sex scene between Cas and April was necessary for two reasons. The first was to blatantly show Cas losing his virginity; though it has been implied before that he understands sexual relations, this is canonizing that so that there is no further discussion. The second was for her to gain his trust. I’ve seen people arguing that she could have made him trust her in other ways, such as just being nice to him. However, this would not have been sufficient. He has already dealt with angels who wanted to kill him (or perform other sorts of bad things on him) pretending to be nice to him, and he would not have let the angel blade escape from his grasp, no matter how nice she was or where he was sleeping. Because he had taken his clothes off and trusted her completely, he let the angel blade escape his notice for some time; enough time for her to retrieve it. Also, her being displayed as a romantic interest and then being flipped around to reveal her true personality was more heartbreaking than her just being a nice friend. It was a splash of cold water to Cas’ face; he now knows to trust absolutely NO ONE, not even people kissing him. I’m also assuming that because he had feelings for her, he did not put up much of a struggle when she tied him to the chair; had she just been a friend, he would hav fought harder.

Onto the other aspects: I am greatly enjoying the prospect of Bartholomew as one of the new villains, along with Abaddon and others, of course. I am, however, quite curious about his intentions. Does he just wish to torture Cas? Or does he want more information? It’s all a bit unclear at the moment, but I’m sure it will all be revealed soon.

Sam and Dean were, as always, great. I very much enjoyed them visiting all the places Cas had gone, and slowly piecing together where he was at the moment. And, of course, Jared Padalecki’s acting in his transformations from Sam to Ezekiel and back should win him an award.

Jensen Ackles was incredibly moving in his acting when Dean realized that Cas was dead. I’ve noticed (and others have as well) that, every time Cas dies, Dean is getting gradually more and more upset. This is the second time he’s had to deal with Cas’ death up close and personal (rather than the first two times when Cas died quickly or off screen). Each time he gets more and more desperate and alarmed, and this one was the biggest reaction of all.

I’m very happy that Ezekiel went ahead and healed Cas without Dean saying anything, even though it probably drained much of his energy. In fact, I even understand why he wants Cas to leave the bunker. Cas IS a threat to Sam and Dean, and to himself, considering that Abaddon and the demons are after the Winchesters (though they don’t know the location of the bunker, it’s better safe than sorry). Dean was NOT choosing between Sam and Cas; he was choosing between safety and danger. All the angels and all the demons want to kill Team Free Will, so it’s better to stay split up at the moment – especially since it has been shown that Cas can now hold his own in a fight, and he is no longer naive when it comes to trust. Hopefully, they’ll soon devise a plan to be able to stick together, but for now, Dean will just have to send Cas on his way. I’m expecting him to set Cas up somewhere, though; tell him to go from point A to B and they will all meet up later. I’ll be upset if he just sends him out blindly.

I also would like to address the tweets that Chad Kennedy (a Warner Brothers executive, if I’m correct in my sources) sent out. He stated that it is not their intention for the main characters to be bi, and once people started getting upset, he then said that anything was possible on the show, and that if it fit the story, he’d support canon Destiel. I do NOT think that this states Destiel will never be canon. I believe that it may go there, or it may not; it depends on many things, and it is a valid option for the show that they are considering. It will probably help if Destiel fans win more polls, or show our support (KINDLY) for Destiel on social media websites, even more than we’ve already been doing. Also, Carver and Singer, so far, have not said a word on the topic in a long time. It still may be canon, or it may not be; the decision is up in the air at the moment. The show is going to continue for at least another year; things can change.

Supernatural: Season 9, episode 2 – Review

This episode was a fantastic follow-up to the very promising premiere! The beginning was great, with Sam and Dean finally just getting to talk for a little bit, and the reveal of Crowley in the trunk. Dean’s line was quite hilarious (“He’s the junk in my trunk”), and as always, Crowley was the best mixture of creepy and darkly humorous.

I especially loved when Sam and Dean locked him in the room and left him there to stew. Though he said later in the episode that that did nothing to him, it was quite obvious that it did, from his hallucinations and horrific memories of the purification that was almost completed in the church last season.

His scene with Kevin was marvelous. Osric Chau deserves major brownie points for convincingly playing the devastated teenager; a boy with nothing left to lose, being thrown into this whole thing and his mother and girlfriend having been killed. And, of course, Mark Sheppard beautifully portrayed the near-breaking-point Crowley, who used his abilities to torment and ridicule to try and make him feel stronger, like he had at least SOME power and control left.

And, finally, Abaddon: one of the best villains to ever grace this show, restored in all her Alaina Huffman glory. This was a smart move by them; too many times have great characters been extinguished once they’ve inhabited a new meatsuit (or, in the real world, a not-so-good new actor). Alaina is fiery and passionate as Abaddon, wishing to rule Hell with an iron fist. Her motivation is marvelous (and her hair is INCREDIBLE). Her scenes with Dean were especially electric.

The two hunters (especially Tracy) were really great; I loved how they brought in the plot twist of Tracy killing the vampire, after leaving the viewers to think she had died. I also liked how she actually LISTENED to the advice Dean gave her about Sam, and how she tried to be nice to him at the end. Adding on, Jared Padalecki’s acting was fantastic when Tracy told Sam of her family’s death; you could just SEE his face fall in despair. He was also brilliant as Ezekiel, once again – his presence and command as the angel are so extremely different from that of Sam, and you can tell  it’s a completely separate character. (By the way, those special effects were awesome! I loved Ezekiel’s wings.)

Finally, the scene between Kevin and Dean. Oh, this was my absolute favorite part of the episode. I’ve been waiting for Kevin to have a breakdown, and it came just at the perfect time. He finally just got fed up with everything, believing the Winchesters to only want him for his being a prophet. I mean, can you really blame him for thinking this? He was just supposed to be an honors student. He was going to go to college, marry his girl, and live a happy, successful life – and that was all taken away from him in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, he was thrown into this world of monsters and demons and angels, where anything and everything is out to kill him. And then, these two guys, who really doesn’t even know that much about, come and try to help him and tell him what he’s supposed to do. But how can he really trust them? They’re keeping him locked up in this old building, and he doesn’t feel like anyone loves him anymore.

But God, when Dean made that speech, I had tears in my eyes (as did Kevin). Dean made it clear that Kevin was like their little brother; that he was a part of this family, no matter what; that he and Sam would die for him in a heartbeat. That this is a family, even though it’s broken and makeshift and made up of a half angel, a fallen angel, a prophet of the lord, and the Righteous Man. They still LOVE each other (even though Dean “doesn’t do love”).

Anyway, it was a really, really friggin’ fantastic episode, and I have such high hopes for this season (that I pray will not be extinguished). Next week’s episode is all about Castiel, which I’m super excited for. Now, I would like to say a few words about the whole April thing (April is Cas’ new love interest, in case you didn’t know). Please, DO NOT judge her character yet. We have not seen any scenes with her; we know absolutely NOTHING about her, so DO NOT call her a slut, a whore, a bitch, or any other shaming words just because she is going to “get in the way of Destiel”. She WILL NOT be getting in the way of Destiel. If anything, she will propel the pairing forward, as this is a gateway for Cas to learn about relationships, love, sex, and sexuality, all he will need if he’s going to be with Dean at some point (and that is an IF). Also, Dean will probably be jealous. Just think of that.

Now, if you’re sad just because you hate seeing your ship torn apart and you just want Cas with Dean and Dean with Cas, that is TOTALLY okay and you can continue on with your anger; I will not stop you. As long as you are NOT hating on the new character for silly reasons, I am completely fine with whatever you’re feeling. It’s even okay if you don’t like her personality; just don’t be mad at her for being with Cas.

Okay! That’s it. I’m super psyched for next week!

Supernatural: Season 9, episode 1 – Review

I am actually really pleased with it. I was worried they’d make the Cas storyline really stupid, but it was, in fact, very poignant and heartbreakingly bittersweet. Even though he’s been through so much, Cas is still willing to help out anyone who needs it. However, his naivety of the fact that people want to kill him is shattered; he needs the Winchesters now more than ever. Also: shirtless Misha. Always a plus.

Every time Dean was in the hospital room with Sam I wanted to burst into tears. God, Jensen’s acting is just AMAZING. You could FEEL his pain at the thought of leaving his brother go, and it hurt like Hell. Plus, he and Jim Beaver did a wonderful job at that first car scene where they were arguing. Absolutely hysterical.

Jared’s acting was just brilliant. His conflicted feelings over dying, his resolution to stay alive only because his brother wanted him to (sobs) and his portrayal of Ezekiel were all perfect. Especially that last bit, as he really and truly did act like the warrior angel. Fantastic.

I am hoping that is not the last we see of Ezekiel’s vessel (even though I know it is), as he was awesome. His voice, the intensity in his eyes, everything about him practically screamed ‘angel of Heaven’. What a brilliant performer.

Other great things:

• Dean praying to Cas. That whole scene was incredible, and all due to Jensen Ackles and his beautiful acting skills.
• Hale. I know that most of the fandom really disliked her, but I just LOVED her and I am mourning her death. Yes, she wanted Cas to be her vessel, and she tricked him, but she could have LEARNED from her mistakes! She could have been like a daughter to him! He could have taught her; she could have had such great character development, and been a good female character! All she wanted was to see her greatest creation! *Sigh*. But alas, she was doomed from the start. Oh, well.
• Crowley in the trunk the entire episode with no explanation. I’ll just leave this here.
• The Dean/Cas phone call. I absolutely adored Dean playing the part of the worried (boy)friend, and Cas wishing to be by his side and downplaying his own injuries because of his concern for Sam. It was just awesome. (Plus, Dean prayed to him all night! Yay!)
• The nice trucker who gave Castiel a lift. You never see that. And he didn’t even question Cas’ insanity!

All in all, this was a really great episode, and I cannot wait for next week!