Supernatural: Season 9, episode 7 – Review

(Note: This is a review for last week’s episode, not last night’s.)

This episode was quite good, I felt. The structure is beginning to get a bit better, the flashbacks were nicely placed and quite telling, and the villain’s backstory was sad and bittersweet. The only real problem was the look of the younger Dean. Though his acting was brilliant, his eyes didn’t match Jensen Ackles’, and just his general physical attributes did not match up well. That’s not to say they shouldn’t have cast him; he was wonderful. They should have hired a better makeup team (at least get him some COLORED CONTACT LENSES, for Christ’s sake).

The flashbacks really gave us some great insight on more of Dean’s character. We now see that, even though he really did love it there, and originally didn’t want a life on the road, he ended up taking on the family business. We’ve known this before, but the new information is that he’s okay with that. He’s not hunting for his father; he’s hunting for himself. He enjoys it, and he knows he’s the best damn hunter on the planet. He can save people, he can be their hero, and he can choose to do it without being forced.

This was mirrored in the character of Robin. She matched up to Dean perfectly; though she, too, originally did not want to follow in her father’s footsteps, she ended up taking on the restaurant, and she loved her job. It goes to show that children often don’t really know what they want when their young, and it takes going through all your different life experiences to find out who you truly are, and what you want your life to be.

The villain was great, because she wasn’t really a villain. She was just a corrupted spirit, a mother who only wanted the best for her son. It was incredibly beautiful and tear-inducing when her charred, burned appearance melted away to reveal her true self; the woman who loved more than anyone could possibly imagine (props to special effects for that great transition!). And the fact that her son realized that he didn’t need her anymore; that he could survive without her, and he told her that. It’s what set her free.

I’ve seen many people comparing Dean to the son, but I actually think his story was more like the mother’s. Both are willing to do anything for the people they love (in Dean’s case Sam), but the person in question doesn’t need their help anymore. Both Dean and the mother are willing to go to the extreme to save their loved ones, even though it ends up being a bad thing. Now, what Dean needs to learn is that he has to let Sammy go; he has to understand that Sam has grown up, and he doesn’t need Dean’s protection anymore. Now, I’m not saying that Dean shouldn’t help Sam out; he should always have his back, and try his best to keep him alive. He just shouldn’t be so obsessed with him; so codependent. The way Dean is like the child is through his need to sabotage himself for the benefit of others. Sometimes you have to do things for yourself, even if it hurts other people. This is the lesson Dean himself needs to learn.

I also really, really loved Sam’s thanks to Dean at the end of the episode. Not the “wow thank you so much always do that”, but also not “you shouldn’t have done that for me”. It was the perfect balance; it was Sam saying “I’m thankful to you for doing that, and I respect you for sacrificing your happiness for my well-being, but you don’t have to do it anymore.” And it was beautiful.

Overall, this was a good episode. They’re slowly getting more into the five act structure, and it’s beginning to get less jarring. Stay tuned for the next review.

Supernatural: Season 9, episode 5 – Review

So, let’s get something straight before we begin: This episode was pure, unadulterated crack. It was not meant to be taken seriously in any way, shape, or form. We were supposed to laugh our asses off while watching it. And we did.

Okay! First and foremost, I LOVED the villain and the overall plot of the episode. It was interesting and very different from what they’ve done in past MOTW eps, and I really, really enjoyed it. He had a great backstory and reason for his actions, while still being incredibly evil and insane. The mythology was spot on and very fascinating! I wanted to know more about the different animal combinations and what sort of powers each would lead to.

Also, the action scenes were AWESOME. They’re really starting to get into the new format (instead of T+5, it’s a straight 5 acts now), and the episode really flowed well. I especially enjoyed the way his tongue looked at the very beginning of the episode – props to the special effects team!

All right, now onto what everyone is talking about: Dean being a dog.

Personally? I thought it was so, amazingly stupid, it was FUNNY. I was laughing so hard at certain points that I couldn’t BREATHE. I mean, Dean fighting with a pigeon? WHAT?!?! It was so, so ridiculous that it was probably the hardest I’ve laughed in a really long time. And you know what? It was MEANT to be ridiculous. This show needs humor every once in a while, and this episode provided it perfectly. Now, was it a great, masterpiece episode? No, of course not. But it was lighthearted and VERY entertaining, as well as being memorable.

I know some people were wanking earlier about it being unfair that Dean was attracted to a female dog while not being allowed to be textually attracted to a male human, but I think this is a small-minded argument. Fans need to remember that Dean was NOT HIMSELF for the main duration of this episode. He was exhibiting the behaviors of the German Shepard who witnessed the crimes (due, of course, to the potion). Male dogs are attracted to female dogs, generally, and Dean was acting like a particular male dog, so yes, “he” (and I use the term ‘he’ in relation to Dean very loosely here) was attracted to the female dog. I mean, would you be mad at him playing fetch or barking at the mailman? No, of course not! This is no different.

As for next week’s episode, I’m very, very excited for this. We’re finally back to the overreaching plot of the season, and there’s sure to be some great emotional and character-driven moments for Dean and Cas. I’m looking forward to it!

Supernatural: Season 9, episode 4 – Review

Okay! So. This was a decent episode, in my opinion. There were definitely some flaws, but let’s focus on the positives first. The characterization was spot on, and Dorothy was great (she didn’t die!). I loved her interactions with Charlie – I hope we get to hear from them again later this season.

The flashbacks were also really well done. I greatly enjoyed the transitions; seeing Dorothy seated at the table in black and white, while simultaneously watching Dean enter the room in color. Good job, special effects team. I’d also like to praise them on their work for Oz. It looked very realistic, and not at all like a green screen, which should always be the goal.

Finally, it was very well-written. The dialogue was witty and had good pacing, without much unnecessary repetition. The fight scenes were really greatly choreographed, and I adored when Sam and Dean got possessed – for some reason, possession is very attractive on this show. Not sure why. And the scene with the “slumber party” was super funny.

As always, the acting was phenomenal. Jensen’s acting when Charlie died was, of course, awesome. You could FEEL the desperation leaking off of him, the pain that this will be the second person he cares about to die within the week. Jared was just as good, both as Sam and Ezekiel, though he didn’t have as many big scenes as he should have.

Now, the negatives. I didn’t feel that the ending was climactic enough. The Witch opened the portal, and Charlie stabbed her in the back of the head. If it was that easy, why didn’t Dorothy just do it before? And why did it feel like it was just tacked on? I think that scene should have been bigger, with Charlie actually fighting the Witch and dodging her zaps.

And I HATED what they did with the Witch. It was just plain stupid. She wasn’t scary, she wasn’t funny – she was literally just a nuisance. There was no motivation for her as a villain, which made her completely unlikable. She couldn’t even COMMUNICATE. They should have made her smart and intelligent. And scary. I wanted her to be terrifying.

Other than that, I liked it. It wasn’t as good as Devil May Care (nothing will ever be as good as Abaddon), but it was definitely entertaining and enjoyable to watch.

However, I’m nervous for next week. This could either go really, really awesome, or really, really stupid.

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 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!