Monday, April 14, 2014

The Light on Spoilers, Heavy on Squee Preview of Supernatural 9.18 "Meta Fiction"



Well that's it folks! We got through it! The last hellatus of the season and the toughest one, because this was SHOWERHELLATUS! Yes...we were made to wait and wait after a preview featuring Dean in the shower! I mean...how cruel! But before I get to THAT, let's look at where we've been.

When we last saw Sam and Dean, they were on the same page...well at least about Abaddon, everything else is anyone's guess! (It hurts, it hurts!)

It turns out, Abaddon is stealing souls to create her own demon army and take control of Hell and probably everything else in the bargain. So stopping Abaddon just became priority mission number 1 for the Winchesters.

Dean is feeling a lot of feels and some of them are because of the Mark of Cain and the First Blade. Having had his hands on the Blade, he's been jonesing for it ever since...and one person knows this for sure, Crowley. Of course, Dean is also just damn well down and out about everything. Having his brother distance himself like he has is never going to not make Dean hurt all over. Add to that guilt and fear and everything in between and Dean's back sneaky drinking the hard stuff and getting darker and darker and this is not going anywhere good! Gah! Thankfully, Sam is noticing and even if Dean trying to cover how he's really feeling, Sam is seeing that something is decidedly not right in Deanland.

Crowley most obviously knows a lot more about the Mark and the Blade than he's let on. He has a plan for Dean and he's playing Dean beautifully. He's appealing to all of Dean's insecurities, trying to bond over addiction and conveniently being the only person that will listen him. When Dean needs someone at the moment, he's reaching out to Crowley because he doesn't feel there's anyone else who would understand. He doesn't feel like he has anyone else full stop. For obvious reasons, he doesn't feel like he can reach out to Sam...even though I am quite sure Sam would be wide open to Dean in his time of need. Damn it, boys! Dean is sliding down a dark and slippery slope. This isn't going anywhere good at all!

As for the angel war. When last we saw Castiel, he was becoming the new leader of the angel revolution and Metatron was off doing whatever with his God complex and his lapdog, Gadreel (the dumbest angel in the garrison).

And that, ladies and germs, brings us to...

“Meta Fiction” 

METATRON OFFERS CASTIEL A DEAL — Metatron (Curtis Armstrong) attempts to get Castiel (Misha Collins) to join forces with him. Still furious with Metatron, Castiel (Misha Collins) refuses, which sets a surprising plan in motion.  Meanwhile, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) capture Gadreel (Tahmoh Penikett).  Thomas J. Wright directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson (#918).   


Oh boy howdy! It's a party! 

Robbie Thompson always delivers lovely episodes. He writes with equal amounts of humour and pathos and large dollops of perfectly positioned pop culture references. I love his stuff, so I'm wrapped that we have another episode from Robbie. The last episode Thomas J. Wright directed was "Holy Terror", which it really was!



So we finally get to see the brothers confront and beat the snot out of Gadreel. Weeee! I wonder how that's going to end. Does Metatron burst in and save Gadreel? Or will this be the end of him? What the hell is this surprising plan that Castiel sets in motion? 

It sounds like a lot is going on in this episode and all these characters are at some point together. Look!




So that's all exciting! 


Okay, shall we look at the promo?


It looks so goooooood, doesn't it? So much happening! I love that Metatron is writing the story here. How very meta of Metatron. It reminds me of Chuck! (Only in that he's writing about the characters in Supernatural....and maybe that he's little and a bit scruffy.)

Looking at the text on the page being typed, the Horn of Gabriel is mentioned, huh and Metatron has Cas saying "What if I fail again". Sooo interesting.

I also love seeing the bros work together to nab Gadreel in the Holy fire. That looks expertly played. I love me some smart Winchesters! Team Winchester activate!

I am wondering, with the showerhellatus and all, if this is just one episode in this promo. You know how sometimes they pop in stuff from a couple of eps after a haitus? But here's hoping it's all in this one, because it looks epic!

And then there's Dean showering and shirtlessly looking in the mirror...flashing his tatt *sigh* I have a feeling this scene is going to happen at the top of the episode and give us a bit more of an insight into how the MoC is making him feel, possibly with quick cuts to flashbacks, all whilst he's having a private, wet and drippy moment. But then I could be totally wrong! Happens all the time!

By the way, this will be the 4th time we've seen Dean showering, the others being "Bugs", "Mystery Spot" and "Of Grave Importance." He also looked at himself in the mirror in the bathroom in a simiar way as in this promo in "Lazarus Rising" when he was remembering Hell...even though he'd just said he didn't. We saw Sam coming out of the shower in "Hell House". These things are important. 

Okay, so what about the preview clip.


It's a bit of a short one! Only 10 seconds longer than the promo! Geesh. 

What's going on with the Mark? Wouldn't it be cool if it was like Harry Potter's scar and started to twitch when Abaddon was nearby! Yeah, probably not, but I do wonder if it's causing Dean pain or if it's just that he's so aware of it because everything in him is now screaming out for the Blade.

I wonder how long it's going to be before Sammy calls bullshit on Dean's "Yeah, I'm fine" nonsense. The way he's looking at his brother, he knows craps going down. I just hope he decides to put their bad blood aside and try to reach out to Dean. Remember when Jared said it's going to take something big to bring Sam and Dean back together emotionally? Is that where we're heading towards with Dean? Is Sam going to have to stop him giving into the First Blade entirely. 

Be interesting if Dean's faced with killing Abaddon. but that it means he'll be lost forever. What will the brothers do? It'll be kind of like Sam and the trials and closing the gates of Hell, huh? Is that where we're going? A reverse of Sacrifice? Where they have to decide again whether their lives and love and the future lives they could save outweigh the greater good of this one act? Is it going to be Sam who tells Dean to step away from the plan this time? Gosh, do you think that's where we're going? Dean being the one taken over by something supernatural and Sam having to talk Dean out of dying for the cause? Would Sam talk him out of it do you think? Will Sam have to come face to face his words from earlier in the season and decide whether he can hold true to them? OMG! I hope this is where we're going, because it's so intriguing and smart.

Like I said in the latest Women of Letters podcast, where Jules and I discussed "Blade Runners" and "Mother's Little Helper" (sorry about the lack of written reviews btw), where we're going with the bros seems to me to be all about understanding and maybe, hopefully, acceptance. The brothers continually go through similar experiences in a mirroring of each other's paths. Whether trying for a 'normal' life, trips to Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, the brothers share these experiences and it really should help them to be more understanding and accepting of each other. It should. But Dean has never had something supernatural coursing through his veins and Sam has never been on the other side of that. This is very much a flip of season 4 in that regard. Hmmmm. Eeeee! I'm clapping my hands with glee at the possibilities!

Alos, I'M SO SCARED AND EXCITED!

We only have 6 episodes until the end of the season. I'm terrified, quite frankly and I can't wait to see what happens and where all of this has been going. I CAN'T WAIT (and then I'll be sad because the season will be over. THANK CHUCK FOR SEASON 10!)

Enjoy the episode everyone! *whispers* Enjoy Dean showering....

-sweetondean

HOLD THE PRESSES! Here's the CHCH promo!

 

Oh gosh, so it looks like the boys go to rescue Cas. Try to do a deal with Metatron. I guess they offer up Gadreel as a trade.  

"We can't trust Metatron" Too right Dean! Gahhhh!

"It's going to be a hell of a show" HELLZ YEAH IT IS!

Enjoy everyone!
-sweetondean(again)