Letter from Dean Winchester

Dear... (damn it, I feel like a moron) Santa,

Look, I gotta be honest. I don't know if I believe in you. These days, I don't know what I believe in. God? The greater good? I for damn sure don't plan to listen to any angels on high. No offense, but they pretty much suck. Except for Cass. And I guess I have a few decent memories of Anna. But, hell, even if you do exist, for all I know, you're some Anti-Claus who's up at the North Pole sacrificing Comet and Blitzen and Sneezy and Sleepy in dark rituals.

That said, when Sam was a kid, he believed that Christmas was a time of miracles and all that feel-good "It's a Wonderful Life" crap. Truth is, we could use a miracle. Now, I realize there's no way I made the nice list. I'm violent and I swear too much (although, technically, does douchebag really count as profanity?) But I figure sucking up my pride and asking you for help beats the hell out of trying to make deals with demons--that never ends well.

Since we're on the road too much to hang stockings, you can just toss the presents in the back of the Impala. This Christmas, please bring us some kind of weapon that actually freaking works on Lucifer, since the Colt was a bust. We'd like to kill the son of a bitch once and for--er, we'd like to help with that whole peace on earth thing. Also, a twelve pack for me and Sam, some new shocks for my baby and the collector's holiday edition of Busty Asian Beautys would be appreciated.

Happy New Year--assuming any of us live that long,
Dean

Natalie's Recap-That's-Not-Really-a-Recap of "Fallen Idols"

Many fans of Supernatural had issues with the first four episodes of this season. They felt it was too dark, too depressing, that everything they'd loved about the first four seasons was gone. I never felt that way, so I can't speak for those who did. But I hope this week's show was at least a few steps toward bringing back that love.

For me, after the intensity and suspense of the last several episodes, I felt like something was missing. I'm not sure the simple plots of these stand-alone episodes can satisfy me anymore. On the other hand, it had a classic feel and self-contained story, with lots of humor and brotherly back-and-forth. They even had the Impala-road shot from "Monster Movie," the road (maybe even the actual shot, with some trees added and the sign removed) from "Phantom Traveler," and the parking lot from "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" (and maybe that was also the hotel from "Something Wicked," but I'm not positive about that one). And any remaining tensions and push-pull between our boys seems to have been taken care of by the end.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

My apologies to Kripke and all other car geeks for not knowing what "Little Bastard" was. I knew, however, that Dean would explain it, and guess what! He does!

We had an obligatory discussion setting up how they can get away with a traditional hunt in the midst of the apocalypse. Can't find the Colt, timeline established (three weeks of searching), get back into it slow, Dean still doesn't trust Sam but relents and says they both need a fresh start, so Sam can give in rather than keep butting heads. Okey-dokey.

So this monster-of-the-week-style ep mixes it up a bit. The pre-show hype re: Paris Hilton always referred to her as a demon. Deliberate misdirection? Apparently, because first they think it's ghosts. Celebrity ghosts, to be specific, and they're killing fans of those celebrities. Why here? A local wax museum (with really good wax figures, BTW, I wonder if they made them or borrowed them?) has actual effects of the actual celebrities. Remains!

Dean was pretty clumsy in his interrogation, and it wasn't the first time. Would you believe I'm not sure if that's an aberration or not? I mean, yeah, it's a given that Sam has always been better at drawing people out and Dean's not known for his subtlety. But the museum curator's looks at him were quite amusing. As was his wearing of the Fonzie jacket. :)

Eventually they figure out that it's not a ghost, and they didn't kill it when they evaporated Ghandi. Quite telling, beyond Dean's brotherly ribbing, that Sam is a fan of Ghandi. And very in keeping with who we all thought Sam was, back when we were saying stuff like "No way! Sam's too good! You can never convince me that he'd go bad!" Maybe that was just me.

Anyway. They learn Paris Hilton has taken a teenage fan, which helps them figure out--as, "as far as we know," Paris isn't dead--what they're actually dealing with. I'm not sure why Sam decided to cut open a body. I was too distracted by his scrubs. Yummmmmm.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Why did Sam go digging in the body cavity? Who knows, but he found The Clue, the one that leads them to a pagan god (they used that screenshot on his laptop in "A Very Supernatural Christmas," too) who drank his victim's blood, and cue the annoyed fans for the pagan-god-bashing. *sigh*

That reminds me. In the beginning, when the blood poured down over the car name, I thought, "Nice effect, but not realistic. That's too much blood." But it was a clue! I felt both smug for noticing and chagrined for criticizing. :)


Some random comments:

Jared was totally making his Blue Steel face when he was doing stuff in the trunk. I wish they'd used a different shot--it's too jarring, takes us out of the show, and makes him look silly. I'm very tired of seeing it, after the overuse in the outtakes. I think, if I were a crew member, I'd have threatened him with face-slapping every time he did it. If I weren't too scared/star-struck to speak to him, that is.

I loved the Spanish conversation, and how I could follow it without knowing any Spanish at all, and therefore believe Sam could do it with his "freshman Spanish" despite how many years have passed since he took the class. :)

Research squared! Yes, Dean ditches Sam to go bar-hopping, but I love the little detail of them both having laptops now, obviously related to the rift because Dean didn't have his geek research brother with him anymore and had to do his own (which we know he's capable of doing, ref. "Wishful Thinking"). I also loved that, apparently, Sam is a Mac and Dean is a PC.

Okay, now, show of hands: When Dean tells Paris he's not her BFF, so she can't drink his blood, she says she can read his mind and knows Daddy's his hero. How many of you held your breath, hoping for the best kept secret surprise in the history of fandom? *raises hand* Alas, Jeffrey Dean Morgan did not magically appear for a 30-second showdown. *sigh*

I laughed a lot in this ep, but danged if I can remember any of the funny lines, except Dean's crack about not seeing House of Wax, and Sam's reaction to that.

The show ended with "Superstition," which meant it left me bubbling with happiness.

Okay, so let's talk about the most important thing. No, second most. Where Dean Stops Being a Dick, Sammy is the Mature One, and The Boys Are Really Back Together.

First, Dean levels a truly dark look at Sam when he mentions the apocalypse. Then Sam overhears Dean saying something about "we know who's fault that is, I'm sorry, but it's true." Sam of course thinks Dean's referring to him, but he could just as easily be talking about himself. Or both of them, as they are equally to blame. Then Sam says look, this isn't working, it wasn't working before, we need to be partners, not boss and baby brother. *cheers* It didn't even break my heart when he said he went with Ruby to get away from Dean--his frustration has been evident since the last few episodes of season 3, when he kept trying to assert his plans and ideas and Dean just kept cutting him off.

Finally, at the end, we get Dean admitting they were both at fault but neither knew it. He's sincere when he says "who would have ever thought killing Lilith would be a bad thing?" I'm pretty sure we saw Sam driving the Impala already this season (though I could be wrong), so the handing over of the keys didn't have the impact for me that it had for many other people. Still, it feels like we're finally where we were meant to be. I'm sure the boys will still have some struggles. Dean's not going to get over the habit of being "in charge" that easily, and Sam may have grown up, but his own habits are just as ingrained. It will be great fun to see how they manage this.

Which brings me to the most important point of discussion: SOON.

SPOILERS BASED ON PROMO SNIPPETS AND EPISODE TITLES



I won't list all the awesome things we saw in the extended promo, like Sam getting hit in the balls *pauses to wait for inevitable offers to nurse his injuries* on a Japanese game show, Dean's perfect 50s sitcom smile, the oh-so-sexy CSI sunglasses, the shock and horror of the half-demon baby and Castiel's intentions toward the child, the awesomeness of the upcoming guest stars (the demon-baby mom is from Eureka, the guy who wins years of his life from Dean in poker is most recently from Kyle XY)...and all that stuff.

The question is, WHY did we get a SOON? Number One (my oldest daughter) and I both cried "No!" when we saw it, and all the people I chat with after the show thought it meant hiatus. I mean, historically, that's when we get it. But also historically, they usually go 10 or 11 episodes before they start breaking it up with reruns.

Luckily, my DVR lists "I Believe the Children Are Our Future" as next Thursday's episode, as does IMDb. The other two eps on IMDb are "The Curious Case of Dean Winchester" and "Changing Channels," which certainly looked like the scenes we got in SOON, right? The Buddy TV recapper said it must have been a short episode, and it definitely was, so that explanation rests much easier with me than my friend's comment that we started earlier in the season than we normally do.

No matter what, "SOON" definitely got me excited for what's coming!

Okay, your turn! What important bits did I miss? Did you like or dislike this ep? Meh or yeah! ? Good break from the hard stuff, or a let-down? Comment away!

~~~~
Images all courtesy The CW

The Many Faces of Cass

Ever since the first season of the show, some of the fans have been leery about characters (especially female characters) being added that might take away any of the Sam and Dean focus. Sometimes the mere mention of a casting call for a recurring character creates a hue and cry, a veritable hubbub of preliminary protest. And, really, don't we all watch the show for Sam and Dean? (The one universal caveat, IMO, is that we all love to see Bobby in as many eps as possible. Who doesn't love Bobby?)

Anyway, while I agree that it would be great if Sam and Dean's relationship returned to one of fun-to-watch brotherly camaraderie--and look forward to that day--I have been totally enjoying the addition of Misha Collins' Castiel more than I ever thought possible.

We first met Castiel at the end of last season's "Lazarus Rising" opener; he was impassive and intimidating and those of us who'd avoided spoilers were more than a little shocked to learn he was an angel. He was an interesting character but because angels are not supposed to feel (although I think we've seen plenty of evidence to the contrary) his scenes were not as engrossing as other characters'; plus, after we met the destetable Uriel, Cass was a lot less intimidating in comparison. I think Misha's breakout episode was when we saw the human who first agreed to let Cass inhabit him-he definitely got to use all the emotion he'd been saving up in his more impassive scenes! Then by the end of last season we'd seen him rebel from his good solider role, be punished for that, yet ultimately decide to rebel again, breaking Dean out of his angel-created prison--moments too late to help Sam but just in time for a doozy of a cliff-hanger.

In this season's premiere, we learn early on that Cass has been "smote" (I will never eat chunky soup again. Not that I really ever did before, but anyway...) Now I had already heard that Misha had been picked up for more episodes, so I wasn't all that concerned that he was going to stay dead. (Who does on this show?) But I wasn't prepared for how much I would thoroghly enjoy his presence this season.

Gone is the once-impassive mysterious angel with vague objectives. Cass came back with a single-minded, almost boyish optimism in finding God (which led to a very nice Dean and Cass conversation in the Impala). We got to see Cass as an inept undercover sidekick (LOVED IT!) and as an even more inept seducer of women. Then they turned the tables on us and showed us a futuristic, fallen class who eases his celestial pain by getting high, seducing LOTS of women yet trying to find ways to stay in the fight for the side of good.



I'm glad that Sam and Dean have agreed to start hunting together again and am hopeful that this is the beginning of a reconciliation and less of the awful tension between them. But I also hope that we see Cass regularly and that he continues to surprise us then and again with portrayals we weren't expeciting.

So, what do you guys think? Love Castiel, find his presence on the show distracting? What's your favorite flavor Cass so far? (It's a figure of speech, people. Keep it clean.)

Summer Vacation ala Winchester

The kids here go back to school in a week and a half and as I look back over the summer, it feels like one long road trip. And since my favorite show is also one long road trip (and because the Winchester boys are never far from my mind) I couldn't help but draw parallels. My husband pointed out that in the span of two weeks, we had traveled the entire highway of Interestate 85, from where it ends up north in Virginia to where it dead-ends into 65 south of us. We've been through Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Tennesee, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and DC--but how did our travels stack up against Sam and Dean's? I've broken down a few of our road trip moments and rated them accordingly (points on a 1-6 scale).

Clearly, we could have earned more Winchester points if we'd been driving in my husband's very cool Mustang convertible, but alas, trippin' with the kids required the big blue, scuffed up (but paid off) minivan. Then again, who else understands making sacrifice for the family better than Sam and Dean?!

On our first big road trip day, we pulled into a diner for "brunch" (we like to start driving around 3 am so the kids sleep...by 10 am we've generally been on the road for what it feels like a full day.) AC/DC was on the radio! ("Back in Black" and Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" are two of my six year old's favorite requests.) And the diner could have totally been a setting for an SPN show! Even the waitress looked familiar. I gave the place 4 Winchester points. We would've got 5 if the waitress had dropped the hot sauce (6, if my husband had then caught it).

Later that same day we sat in traffic on I-10, listening to Collective Soul's "Tremble My Beloved." Followed by the Jonas Brothers. And eventually a Pokemon movie on the DVD player. Have you ever noticed that the boys, for all the time they spend in the Impala, never seem stuck in construction or traffic? Winchester Points: 0 (Although, speaking of traffic? This summer was my first ever experience with driving in DC. The traffic there is worse than anything Allistair can dish up! Seriously, you want to see a good man go Dark Side, put him on Dupont Circle. The change in my husband was not unlike Sam's growing rages throughout the show's arc.)

Around Lafayette, we couldn't take being in the car anymore. Ended up spending night in semi-crappy hotel (Winchester-like, but no magic fingers bed). Filled up for gas and later learned of the "blue phantom" with multiple sightings and internet mentions (google Lafayette gas station phantom). Winchester points: 5 out of 6

Next day, crossed over to TX border, where we--former Texas residents--made way to nearest Whataburger with all possible haste! (Jared and Jensen would be so proud. And while I realize Jared and Jensen are real and Sam and Dean are...slightly less real, I still give us 5 Winchester points. Jared mentioned Whataburger by name in an interview.)


We made many stops in Texas, including to Victoria where the actual city newspaper, I kid you not, has devoted multiple articles to possible El Chupacabra sightings in the past year. Of course, local scientists and zookeepers keep insisting it's coyotes with mange, so...Winchester points: 2.

After our Texas trip, we were home less than a week before setting out again. At 4 am. During a storm, on dark deserted streets, while I (the only person awake) listened to Kansas. Definite 6 out of 6!

As we crossed into South Carolina, the sun not quite rising behind the drizzle, I spotted more and more fireworks signs. One had a vaguely creepy clown on it, but the next one was for Phantom Fireworks and had a genuinely disquieting logo. As I passed it (listening to Bon Jovi's "Bad Medicine"), my son sat bolt upright in the very back of the van. Now, apparently it was just to say he had to pee, which in and of itself isn't that chilling, but I had glanced out the windshield at the creepy phantom board and then back to my mirror--where suddenly a face loomed! Come on, you know how many times evil entities have popped up in the reflection behind the hero, or in the backseat of a previously uninhabited car? Winchester Points, 6+.

In North Carolina, we passed near the county that boasts the Brown Mtn. Lights phenomenon. Very well documented with numerous theories discussed and discredited...but at the end of the day, it's basically some flickering lights that aren't hurting anyone. Not what you would call bloody Mary scary. Winchester Points: 2.

Passed through a town called: Spotsylvania. Hee. It's like they merged Mystery Spot with Transylvania. I'm envisioning a town where vampires listen to a lot of Asia...


In Virgina, we were 20 miles outside of Clifton where there are ghost stories about a local murderer and other phenomena that all seem connected to a haunted, long-ago asylum. Shudder. Winchester points: 5

And I have to say, I have new respect for Sam and Dean, driving cross-country with each other for 4 seasons! I was sad this season that they were at each other's throats so often, but now I'm amazed that they've made it this far. Nothing like roadtripping with my entire family all summer to make me feel like I'm destined for an asylum!

Hopefully, not a haunted one.

What's in your trunk?

You know those Capital One commercials that ask, "What's in your wallet?" Well, today's question is, "What's in your trunk?" For most of us, the answer is probably pretty boring. You can't say the same for those Winchesters.

Here's a list compiled from sites, video, pics and memory of what you can find in Sam and Dean's weapons cache aka the Metallicar's trunk. It in know way covers everything. Feel free to add others in the comments. One thing's for sure, I imagine there are things in there that would scare us.

* spear heads

* machetes

* knives

* arrows

* throwing stars

* camcorder

* infrared thermo scanner

* EMF detector

* brass knuckles

* grenades & launcher

* wooden cross

* blacklight

* lockpick

* shovel

* duffle bags

* bandoliers

* gas

* salt tin

* wooden stakes

* holy water flasks

* salt rounds

* flare guns

* tasers

* mallet

And then of course there's the fire power. If you want the goods on the guns check out this page on the Internet Movie Firearms Database. From Colts to Glocks and Winchesters to Remingtons, these boys are packing.

Of course, elsewhere in the car we also know they've got Dean's cassettes, toothbrushes, Sam's laptop, Dad's journal, paper and pens, alias identifications, cell phones, maps, clothes and the occasional rotten tuna fish sandwich. If you think about it, the Impala is like Mary Poppin's carpet bag, it always has what they need when they need it. However, I don't think I've ever seen a spare tire!

As for me, I have two jackets, a beach towel and two canvas grocery sacks, which I forget to use. So, what's in your trunk?

Pop Quiz!

I am a writer (with a lifelong love of stories) who holds a degree in history, so I have a geeky love for the tales that get passed down over the years and retold in different cultures worldwide. The varied urban legends and folklore that formed the backbone of season 1--and, to a lesser degree, later seasons--fascinate me (and, also, scare the hell out of me). And, on St. Patrick's Day, with its association with leprechauns and faerie folk, it seemed like a fitting time to offer this short quiz to see what you know about the mythological!

SPN's pilot jumped right in with something eerily familiar to me, the ghostly hitchiker, frequently known as the Woman in White. (As I've mentioned before, I grew up with the Ghost of White Rock Lake down the road, to speak.) Witch of the following (okay, I swear that was a totally Freduian typo) is also a well known regional tale of a paranormal passenger?

a) the Pasadena woman in white who, according to reports, predicted a major earthquake
b) the Georgia woman in white who warns of evil in the red clay
c) the Washington woman in white who warned her drivers of a Mt. Saint Helen's eruption


C
Tales of encountering her began after the major eruption in 1980 and were eventually reported in numerous media, such as the Tacoma Washington News Tribune. According to legend, she warned that MSH would erupt again on October 12. Which it did. In 2004. I prefer these "helpful" (or at least innocuous) sightings to the traditionally Hispanic and emotionally disquieting stories of La Lorona (the weeping woman who killed her children), which is the version in the SPN pilot. (Great ep, but that scene where her kids confronted her at the end? CHILLS. I am now officially sleeping with the light on. Oh, and speaking of me being a wuss, I understand that if you Google you Tube ghost hitchhiker, someone aparently posted an eerie little vid that, even if it turns out to have been doctored up by some high school kids who are good with a camcorder, I am still too chicken to check out. You feel free, though!)

When it comes to warding off evil, by now, we should have all learned the nifty properties of the all important salt circle (I briefly considered sleeping with a big ring of Morton around the king sized bed, but figure J is only willing to indulge my neuroses so far.) What else is suggested for keeping evil out of the house?

a) bamboo wind chimes outside the front door, sprinkled with Holy water the day they are first hung
b) burying an iron knife beneath your doorstep
c) cooking with lots of garlic


B
Iron has long been reputed one of the stronger wards against evil, helpful for barring entrance to demons, witches, spirits and even malicious fairies. (Then again, some superstitious might claim that you need the garlic to hedge your bets with vampires. But garlic apparently has a high sulfur content, which SPN generally associates with demons dropping by the neighborhood, so season at your own risk...)


Which of the following is a real medical syndrome based on a mythological creature depicted in Supernatural?

a) Wendigo psychosis
b) Vanaheimr
c) Djinn dementia


A
The second episode of Supernatural (Wendigo) is not among my favorite (although I cackled at "I'm Agent Ford, this is Agent Hamill.") But the legend stuck with me because, unlike Hook Man or Bloody Mary, it wasn't one I was familiar with. So I did a little research until it creeped me out too much. Variations of Wendigo legend were part of tribal lore for some Native American and Canadian peoples who believed that a person could be transformed if they resorted to cannabilism for any reason. The rare psychosis leads to an actual craving for human flesh (usually after having ingested it in life-threatening famine) which, yikes. And ew.

So, to change the subject, Vanaheimr was the mythological home to Vanir (Norse deities). Do you know what episode featured a Vanir without looking it up? (I'll give the answer in comments.)

And finally, I think we can agree that the Impala is nearly a supernatural being herself--preternaturally strong and sexy and full of life. So when did Chevy introduce the first Imapala? (Come on, Dean would want you to know.)

a) 1955
b) 1960
c) 1958


C
That's when the earliest version was introduced, but it didn't become its own model until 1959.

So, how'd you do? Ready to ride shotgun and rock out to Bon Jovi, or are you probably better off safely at home? Always assuming, of course, that "home" has no malevolent poltergeists...

Check back in April for my quiz on Which Hunter Type Are You? (Less educational trivia, more pictures of Dean and Sam.)

Why MJ Wants an Impala

Some people reward themselves with computers or furniture if they get a good advance on their book. This is what I’d get:



I heart the Impala, to the point that I actually shopped around for one. Let me tell you, shopping for 40 year old cars can be scary. Apparently they’re everywhere, because at least four people I know, including my dad and my best friend, tell me they had a late 60s model Impala.

We found one, in the Valley, in working order, for $3000. We thought about it, but that was when gas was over $3 a gallon and it would have cost another fortune to drive her back. They were built, after all, before fuel economy was an issue.

I have her on my wallpaper at school (can’t have the boys, too hard to explain to 4th graders.)

I loved her triumphant return in Bloodlust.




I love her sleek lines, I love her powerful engine.



I love that the trunk is “big enough to hide a body,” which is why Kripke chose an Impala. He was going to go with a Mustang, you know. Can you imagine these two big guys driving around in a little Mustang?

I love that she can do this….not that I’d ever do any such thing, of course.



I love what she means to Dean, a connection to his dad, the only home he knows, his legacy.



I loved how Dean bequeathed her to Sam, ensuring Sam would be able to take care of her, passing onto Sam the responsibility that his father had passed onto him, but doing it lovingly.



I know my longing for a 67 Impala isn’t rational, but my obsessions usually aren't.

What do you love about the Impala?