"The Girl Next Door" Recap and Review

First impressions: It was a good thing I kept my expectations low for this episode, knowing they can't all be as good as the first two. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot to love about "The Girl Next Door," but it didn't have the same grab-me-by-the-throat effect. I was disappointed that Jewel Staite's role was so small, but very pleased that the rude, selfish edge Dean had in Jensen's directing debut was gone here. He did a great job, especially given that his screen time was greater. I think he has a future behind the camera. I just hope he doesn't pull a Ron Howard and do it for good!

Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

Watching "THEN," I feel like we've had a lot more than two episodes so far. This is a rich, meaty start to season 7. Just like the last two episodes, we start right where we left off. Dean's in the hospital, foggy until they set his leg, which jerks him into the ER. He wants to get out, but Sam's been sent up for an MRI, and they dope Dean before he can try to leave on that broken leg. Fade out on morphine drip...

...and fade in on Dean forgetting why he's at Sioux Falls General. Love the way he rips out his IV, but whoops! Down on the floor.

Bobby comes in. Dean's shocked he's alive. "Course I am," he scoffs, but I'm suspicious that it's not really Bobby. He doesn't explain (ever!) where he was, but he turns out to be the real deal.

Dean: "Hey, look, a monster broke my leg."

Bobby has very little sympathy for Dean's plight. I don't get why he has a full-leg cast for a tibial fracture. I'm sure there are some circumstances that warrant it. I've just never encountered them in real life. Anyway, Dean says he's a gimp, Bobby just hands him crutches and an encouraging smile and heads off to find Sam.

I kind of love the Leviathans. The surgeon takes his "job" so seriously. I mean, they're going to remove and eat someone's internal organs, but he still maintains sterility and lets the "nurse" hold his phone for him. But geez, these guys are gonna be tough. Dropping a car on them doesn't kill them. There's no lore, since they came before humanity, and were put away before us, too. And despite their extreme age and lack of exposure to technology, they've learned it fast. They know when the Winchesters are brought in to the hospital, and...well, let's not jump ahead.

Bobby takes over Sam with an entirely plausible "no insurance, shipping him to County" excuse, and Dean barely makes it to the ambulance in time to get away. Okay, the Leviathans are not invincible. They can't run faster than a vehicle. Good to know.

Now we're in Whitefish, Montana, three weeks later, in what we soon learn is Rufus's cabin. Sam's reading, Dean's watching a telenovella, and he and Bobby are totally hooked. Bobby has retrieved the Impala and gathered info from hunters, who don't know what the Leviathans are but have worked out what they do pretty well.

Bobby's saying the doctor and nurse never showed back up (moving the Big Bad to the background to leave room for other kinds of episodes) while Sam zones out for a minute. He strokes a thumb over the nasty-looking, shiny, puckered scar on his hand, his touchstone.

All Bobby's resources are gone, but he says he's going to go round up his old library. He's stashed copies of his one-of-a-kind books all over the place. Love Bobby!

Dean sends Sam on a grocery run and demands pie, then wants to talk to Bobby about "Girl, Interrupted over there." Bobby swears Sam's healing, but Dean just won't believe that. He's waiting for the other shoe, because that's how things always go.

Bobby: "Look. You sittin' there wringing your hands ain't gonna do nothin'. Maybe, he'll surprise you.

Whoa. Culture shock. The convenience store is way too bright, and way too colorful. I think they're on the wrong show here.

Sam pays with a credit card for Lenny Kilmister (Lemmy Kilmister is from Motorhead), which rings us to a customer service rep for a credit card company, looking for suspicious charges for a customer. He asks about "Mistress Magda," who was Chuck's phone sex operator of choice. (Man, I miss Chuck!) An alert for Lenny Kilmister pops up, and the guy calls the Leviathan supervisor. See? They somehow learned all their aliases and fake credit cards and can track them that way. Pretty advanced for ancient beings!

At the store, Sam spots a newspaper story about an icepick killer. Just the kind of thing that would trip their initial triggers for a hunt.

Sam gets back to the cabin, Dean asks how he's doing, he says "fine." If, of course, seeing crap that's not real is fine. He doesn't know if it's getting better, but he knows what's real and not—and fondles that scar again. And again.

Sam brought Dean cake instead of pie. Passive aggressive? I mean, by now Sam knows that no, it's not close enough. Sheesh.

Dean is asleep on the couch in a really uncomfortable-looking position. Sam pulls out the paper, and flashes back to Colin Ford yay! Young Sam doing research for Dean and Dad, talking to them on an early mobile phone.

Sam sneaks out as a (fake, cheesy?) promo for My Bloody Valentine 3D plays on the TV.

A sleazy drug dealer is about to take advantage of a strung-out girl when sirens scare them off. He's ducking through a skate park when someone tackles him. Blood sprays, and he's dead.

Back in the cabin, Dean awakes with a wildlife program on TV. He reads Sam's note: "Back in a few days. I'm fine."

Dean (on the phone to Bobby): "Other shoe."

He's pissed Sam took off. Bobby tries to tell him to calm down, give Sam a couple of days, they'll keep trying to reach him. He tells Dean to give it until he gets the cast off, and then hunt him down. Dean's not waiting. He takes a circular saw to the cast himself. Yikes!

Sam's at the morgue, asking a cop about the new dead guy. He clearly knows more than was revealed about the news story. He ignores a third missed call from "Lars Ulrich" (Metallica!) and heads in to check out the body.

In the meantime, Dean is driving a woody wagon (reminiscent of the wood-sided minivan in "Everybody Loves a Clown" in season 2). He stops at the store and finds the paper Sam saw. He's on the hunt.

Sam learns the body's pituitary gland is gone, and flashes back again. We get grown-up Sam setting up his board on the hotel wall (reminiscent of the pilot, and many of their "normal" hunts) interspersed with Young Sam doing the same research years ago. He sees a girl he likes, and we get lots of the awkward adolescent glances.

Adult Sam figures out the next target spot and sits in wait, as Young Sam finalizes his research (yelling "I said you stab it in the heart!" in the library), asks Dean how to talk to girls, and is instantly shot down before he even finishes saying hi to her. Colin Ford is so good. His subtle facial expressions convey his utter devastation at her rejection.

Two boys stride by in the background. They're clearly up to no good. And hey, isn't that one Nico McEown, who played Lucas in "Dead in the Water"?

Outside, Young Sam watches the boys follow the girl and of course he follows, too. And of course they're hassling her, and YES, that's Nico McEown, playing a bully. Sam makes short work of them, though one gets a hit on his cheek before running off.

Adult Sam stalks a clearly adult Amy through the woods. She's about to approach a drunk fumbling with his keys when Sam grabs her. Her necklace confirms her identity. She recognizes him, despite them only spending a few hours together, max, over 10 years ago, and despite "You got tall, huh?" how different he looks.

Amy insists she lives normally, and Sam doesn't believe her. Flash back again to Amy nursing his boo boo and asking how he's such a good fighter. She gets him a soda from a brain-filled fridge. They exchange life stories in five minutes. Both travel a lot and are freaks, though Amy owns the label while Sam rejects it. They bond, and Sam kisses her. Wow, fast mover, Sammy! But okay, "all the coolest people are freaks" is a kiss-worthy line.

In the present, she's trying to get Sam to believe she's not a killer, that she did what she had to and it's over. He can't believe her and apologizes for it. She apologizes too, right before she knocks him into a tree. God! Sam will never be okay if he keeps getting hit in the head!

Dean's hot on the trail, figuring out what Sam's hunting. Sam follows Amy home and is ready to kill her even if he doesn't want to, because she obviously killed again. She tells him he knows her. What kind of person she is. Back in the past, Sam tells Amy that he's been around enough bad to know good when he sees it, even though Amy believes her mother to be bad, which must make her bad, too.

Grown-up Sam won't back off, so Amy shows him her son, which does the trick. She feeds on the dead, working as a mortician, and it's too risky for a kid. Her son got sick, was dying, and needed fresh meat. She swears now that he's better, she's done. She pulls the "after what I did for you" card, and we see her hide Young Sam, who hears Amy's mother say that "a couple of pros in a piece of crap Impala" have caught up to them. So now he knows what he's dealing with. He confronts young Amy, and she understands what he is, too. She talks Sam out of killing her and tells him to run.

Adult Sam unlocks his hotel room door, and we get a spectacular sucker punch from Dean. Holy CRAP, poor Sam! Nice backward swan dive, Padalecki. :) I'd say thanks for the flash of skin, but that would be superficial.

Dean: "New rule. You steal my baby, you get punched." (Shades of "Hunted" in season 2.)

Their confrontation has some nice openness, and Sam tells about the past, when Amy's capitulation made her mother suspicious, and she was about to tear Sam apart when Amy killed her own mother to save him. He explains why he let Amy go now, and Dean still says they have to kill her. It's that simple. Of course, Sam says nothing in their lives is ever simple. When Dean uses the word freak, Sam's ready to walk out. But instead, he finally accepts that trying to be normal his whole life has been stupid. He's a freak, and it's okay. He's managing it. He begs Dean to trust him, and WHOA. Dean says okay. Gotta start somewhere.

A sign things are actually going to change?

Uh, not so fast.

Yep, Dean lies to Sam, leaves him at a hotel while he goes to the "candy store." My first thought is uh, oh, not a painkiller addiction! But no, his next look at Sam is all about subterfuge. Dammit, Dean!

He's in Amy's hotel room. Tracked her license plates. He tells her, not without a hint of compassion, that she is what she is, and she will kill again. She swears she won't, but he says the other shoe always drops...and he stabs her in the heart. With an apology. And then he turns around, bloody knife in hand, to face her son.

And boy, Dean is cold. He asks the kid if he has someone he can go to, then if he ever killed anyone. Tells him not to, or Dean will come for him. The kid makes a vow to kill Dean, and Dean says to come look him up in a few years, assuming he lives that long.

We end with the Leviathan goon "grabbing a bite" after confirming that they will continue tracking every name they have for the Winchesters. We end with the guy pouring hot cheese on the clerk and his gaping, horror-movie mouth coming at the camera.

Yeah, Supernatural has definitely returned to its roots.

Next is a gum commercial that really confused me the first time I saw it. This tiger shows up randomly with a clamp on its foot and asks if he rally has to holler? This time, though, I actually pay attention to the "eenie meenie miney mo" and get the joke. Tiger by the toe! Ahahahaaha!

The promo for next week leaves me full of !!!!!!!!. Dean's final farewell kiss to Jo, and Alona Tal is back! Gosh, I love this show. You never know who's gonna pop up, from important recurring guest star who died spectacularly to random kid playing a new random kid.

I really don't know how I feel about Dean killing Amy. They keep giving us all these little growth moments, with honesty and trust, and the boys are really trying to improve the way they handle things and interact. And then this happens. Dean was convinced Lenore ("Bloodlust" season 2!) could control her hunger, and Amy has even bigger incentive to stay on the straight and narrow—her son. Dean's cold disregard for the shades of gray feels like a step back. On the other hand, could he really let her go?

Part of my ambivalence is because I felt there were details glossed over that could have aided the decision-making, even by making it harder. They implied she was trying to kill scumbags, but she never used that as a defense. And when she swore she wouldn't kill again, why didn't either Sam or Dean point out that she'd obviously do anything for her son, so she couldn't make that promise? But then, leaving Jacob without a mother, especially the way it happened, almost guarantees he's going to follow his grandmother's path rather than his mother's.

So what are your thoughts? Like the episode? What could they have done differently?

How does this episode affect your feelings on the season so far?

2010 Parsippany Salute to Supernatural

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may recall that in March 2009 I got to go to the Creation Entertainment Salute to Supernatural (link is to my post last year) in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Jared was supposed to go and canceled at the last minute, but in my report, I called it the best weekend of my life (amended to top five, because...you know).

Number One (my oldest daughter, turning 15 tomorrow) and I saved up the money for tickets, but we weren't going to go this year unless Jared and/or Jensen was going to be there. Except she really wanted to go anyway, and it was a week before her birthday, so I was prone to saying yes. When they announced ticket sales and the only guests were the Ghostfacers, we (me and Lori and Megan, my compatriots from last year) were on the fence. But we wanted the Gold Package, we wanted row C, so we caved and bought tickets.


Then they announced Misha. And slowly, over the next several months, Richard (Trickster), Alona (Jo), Samantha Smith (Mary), Aldis (Jake), Rob (Chuck), and Katherine (the last Lilith). So that was cool. Not thrilling, but cool. Then one of the Ghostfacers backed out—Ed, I think. No, Harry. No, Ed. Oh, who cares? It meant one Ghostfacer. We were hoping for Jason Manns again, but we got Steve Carlson. Who was fine! I don't want to offend Steve Carlson fans. :) But I like Jason better. Over the next seven months, we had several bitter conversations about how Jared and Jensen hate us, and then they started filming and would have canceled at the last minute anyway. I don't know which would be worse. It was a lot of money for no Js.

Then Richard and the other Ghostfacer backed out two days before the convention, and I was muy disappointed. They added Matt Cohen (Young John Winchester) and Fredric Lehne (Yellow Eyes), which was cool. But honestly, last week, I wasn't excited. I looked forward to a trip away, and time with my friends, and a unique experience with my daughter, but the rest...meh.

So guess what happened?

It was better than last year.

I'm going to do the same thing I did last year: post my personal experiences, instead of reiterating stuff that's been all over the web for a week already. I don't have a lot of pictures to post, because we were too far from the stage and they mostly came out dark or blurry or you can barely tell who they are. Kayleigh from last year (with her sister Mallory) was right up front and posted some great photos and notes.

The Highlights
In case some of our readers don't troll the web or have Google alerts set up, I have to tell you that Fred is going to be back on Supernatural! He teased it on Friday, and credited us (the fans) for making it possible, then said flat out on Saturday that he was filming this week. So he'll be showing up early in the season.

I suggest everyone over 18 Google "Fred Lehne hamster pile Twister."

And check out reports of Misha's first stage session, especially.

Matt Cohen gave free hugs for two days. He gives good hugs.

Observations from Stage Time
Everyone was great. Funny, sweet, engaging. They all seemed really happy to be there. You could tell who had done this a lot (Misha) and who was new (Katherine). The new people were a little more guarded, though not in a "hold back" kind of way, more in a "what are they going to do to me" kind of way.



I loved Matt Cohen as Young John (or Baby John, as Megan calls him), but wasn't that fussed about him. He's about a million times cuter and more charismatic in person. Even if you think he's adorable or hot or whatever...until you meet him, you have no idea. Hooooooo, boy!

I was surprised how many of the actors are from NJ originally. Fred, Mary Samantha, and Aldis, and maybe one other person, I'm not sure.

There were a lot more people there this year, right from the beginning, and more guys (probably due to there being more female guests). We saw tons of familiar faces. The most obnoxious people weren't there (we had a new one, but I won't talk about her...). I'm still bad at social interaction, but managed to muddle my way through a few conversations. *waves at Kayleigh and Mallory*

The One-on-Ones
We actually had a lot less one-on-one time with the stars this year. But somehow, that didn't make it less of an experience. The karaoke party was more official, and Alona and Matt emceed and sang with some of the brave souls. Number One took too long to pick a song, though, and she got called up on stage two songs after they left. :(

Lori's husband's club membership got us rooms on the top floor, which is of course where the celebrities stayed. I had three encounters with them:

Encounter One

Random Man Walking Down the Hall with Woman Who Dropped a Piece of Paper: Hey. How ya doin'?

Me: *polite smile* "Great, thanks. How are you?"

Man: *smiles back, friendly* "I'm awesome."

*beat*

Me: *OMGTHAT'SFRED* "You were great today!"

Fred (over his shoulder): "Thanks!"

Me: "No, thank you!"

Encounter Two

Steve Carlson Passing Me in the Hall: "Hey."

Me: "Hey."

Encounter Three

Saturday night, very late, Lori, Number One, and I caught a 1.345-second glimpse of Matt crossing the hall from one room to another. Megan had walked in the other direction and our whispered screams for her attention didn't reach that far. No dialogue on that one.

I reiterate my assertion from last year: The Gold Package is the only way to go! Dessert Party, Concert, Breakfast, AND a far shorter wait time for autographs.

So here were my one-on-one experiences:

Misha Collins
In his first Q&A session, he didn't give a single straight answer to anyone. It was all craziness. SO different from last year! At the autographing, I asked at what point (between last year's con and this one) he went insane. He said it was always there, but latent. We talked a little about how it's more fun, etc., and he agreed that it curbs the boredom of the same questions over and over again. He went a little straighter on the second day. It must have been the tie.



I hardly remember what Misha talked to us about at the dessert party, besides the awfulness of the pie. Oh, yeah, he commented on how the four of us seem to belong together. LOL Then he left his pie at our table.



We won't say any more about that.

Matt Cohen
Matt is one of those guys who is so good-looking, and who works so hard at maintaining his hotness, that he's very obviously aware of it and his effect on people. But he also managed to seem sincerely appreciative of our appreciation and was even slightly red a couple of the times he claimed to be blushing.

When someone at the mike said she was nervous, he got all up in her face, teasing her, then hugged her in consolation/comfort. So then the next person said she was nervous, so he hugged her, and then he said he thought we needed more hugs in the world, so he hugged every person who came up to ask a question, every person who got a photo op, and every person at the dessert party. When he came to our table, I asked if he regretted it yet, and he said no, his arms weren't tired, his chest didn't hurt. I said, "Yeah, but three or four conventions from now..." and he said "Maybe it will just be a New Jersey thing."

So you know what that means. Put July 8-10, 2011, on your calendars right now. :)

Matt charmed us so much we all pitched in for a second photo op and all got in the picture. We bought two ops, plus the jpegs, and Chris, the photographer I mentioned last year who's so freakin' cool, made extra prints for us on site. The second photo was a little more candid and a brilliant reminder of the awesome weekend.

Aldis Hodge
Poor Aldis. He finished filming in Portland at 3:00 a.m. Saturday and flew to Jersey to be on stage and then in the photo ops and autographing, then he was at the dessert party until 12:30. I asked him around 6 if he'd slept all day, and he hadn't. Number One started to tell him, as he signed her poster, that she hadn't been watching Leverage but was about to start, but she pronounced it LEE-verage out of habit, and he teased her. :)

I can't remember what he talked about at our table. Not having time for TV, I think, because I said "well what are you doing, cool stuff like inventing watches and building violins?"

Yes, I am lame.

Samantha and Katherine
They were at the breakfast on Sunday, and I was so intimidated by Samantha's beauty and grace and so taken by Katherine's sweetness that once again, I can't remember what we talked about with them! Megan will remember, as she carried the conversations, as she always does.

I have a very hard time not calling Samantha Mary.

We didn't get one on one with Alona, except for Number One, who got a photo op with her, then endured many comments that they could be sisters. She was told to dress like Jo for the costume contest next year. :)

I'm going to wrap it up there, leaving you with my favorite fan vid of the weekend. The creator won a prize with it, as well as with a pop-up book she created for the centerpiece contest. It had a winged Castiel, the Impala, and a column of light (really lit!) in the convent. She's very talented. :)



So you all must join us next year! Okay, I don't know if I'm going yet, it depends. I have absolutely no hope Jared or Jensen will decide the Northeast is worth their presence, but now I know Creation and the guests they do get will guarantee us a good time.

It's Not Depression, It's The Ordeal

I see a lot of comments about the last few episodes that have some form of "that's so depressing!" in them. They're not necessarily complaints, some are witty, most are wailing and lamenting Dean's pain, but they all talk about how heavy the despair of our show is.

Supernatural is currently in stage 8 of the hero's journey as analyzed by Joseph Campbell and applied to modern storytelling by Christopher Vogler: The Ordeal. This is when all seems lost, when the hero confronts death, his greatest fear, or his most difficult choices. Dean, of course, is facing all three.

Sera Gamble has said Dean will hit rock bottom, and judging by the preview for tomorrow's episode, this is it. This is the moment in the fight scene where the hero is getting pummeled and suddenly finds the strength to turn the tide and fight back. But first, he has to give in to the pressure, the weight, he has to see what it's like to give up.

A number of things combined to bring Dean to this point, and I don't think he would have arrived here if any of them had been missing. First, Bobby seemed to give up. He didn't say the words, but it was clear that killing his wife again had at least temporarily broken his spirit, what little was left after he wound up in the wheelchair.

Then they die and go to heaven, and it's pile-on time. Dean confronts his losses* (Mary, Ash, Pamela, Jo and Ellen [obviously, the latter two not literally]) and gets the hard sell from Pamela about how heaven isn't so bad for those who die, and why not just let it happen**? At the same time, Sam's heaven sticks knife after knife into Dean's heart*** and God is just another deadbeat dad****.

Dean lost a lot all at once. By the time they got to Blue Earth, Minnesota, he'd been chewing on what he had left for a while. Beset by demons, facing one of Hell's horrors, seeing what it can do and knowing that the longer he and Sam hold out without destroying Lucifer, the worse things will get, it makes sense that he'd decide to end it the other way. The logic is there. If it's inevitable, if people can suffer for years this way and they can't ever win, why not speed it up?

Dean needs something to hold on to. Some reason to dig in his heels and resist. Could it be Lisa and Ben? Someone asked why it was Lisa and not Cassie. That's a good question, because he and Cassie had a lot more history than he and Lisa did. But his feelings for Cassie were young and immature. What he had with Lisa (not the bendy weekend, afterward) was all potential, but it was mature. It was who Dean is today, how he's been shaped over the last four years, what he wants for his future and believes he can't have. He and Lisa may or may not be meant for each other, but that's not really the point. Potential is the point.

Now, using them in a bargain isn't smart. Dean will be giving the enemy more ammunition. He can hold out when Bobby's paralyzed and Sam's got no lungs because they signed up for this gig, but Lisa and Ben are innocents. I doubt Dean's thinking of that—he's only thinking that he's got something the angels want, and if they want it, he wants something in return. Somewhere along the line, he'd better realize he can't trust any kind of bargain the angels agree to.

*Interesting that Dean sees Mary, at a time when John was not around, but never sees or considers that he will see John. I'm sure part of this is JDM's availability (or their desire to save him for the end, maybe? please?), but the writing is solid—Dean doesn't have many happy memories of John.

**Because Dean is humanity's champion, and life is not about dying, it's about living. People die every day without the apocalypse, but at least most of them get a chance, and sometimes a choice. Sure, many will wind up in heaven, but not all, and some of them will be coerced into going the other way (ref. Jane's murder of Paul last week). And before they get there, they might endure all the horrors Dean and Sam have fought so hard to defeat. He might have temporarily lost sight of that, in the relief of giving in, but it will galvanize him. I'm sure of it!

***Sam didn't really get a chance to explain, but he never saw his escapes as rejection of Dean. It will take a lot to convince Dean of that, and we might not get to see it (chick flick moments, you know), but somehow Sam will have to convince Dean that he's just as important to Sam as Sam is to him.

****I know the religion connection bothers a lot of people, but as an exploration of relationships, I LOVE this. Who doesn't ask how God could let horrible things happen? If humans are made in his image, why can't he be fallible, too? Why can't he also give in to despair and the relief of washing his hands of the problem? Ooooh, how would Dean feel to be told he and God have a lot in common?

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The Rest of the Journey:

I have worked really hard...most of the time...to avoid spoilers. But today I couldn't resist and I clicked a link for promo photos of tomorrow night's episode, and saw...um...a spoiler. It made me mad! So of course, while I was writing this post, I went to IMDb to look at the summaries for past episodes, and read the writeup for next week. Which spoiled me again! I'm very excited, because it sounds like a super awesome episode and the specific spoiler makes me soooooo gleeful, but I wish I hadn't known.

Anyway, as sad as I am that we're down to 5 episodes remaining this season, I'm on the edge of my seat to see them:

Point of No Return

Hammer of the Gods

The Devil You Know

Two Minutes to Midnight

Swan Song

This Whole Destiny Thing

So it's my turn to do a recap/review, and I figured I'd write something about whatever episode was scheduled for last night. Ha! I already reviewed it. So forget that.

Therefore, I'm going to blather a bit about this whole destiny thing, which is increasingly shown to be the underlying point of season 5.

We've been told since season 2 or 3 that it had to be Sam, it just always had to be Sam. Then, once the angels got involved, it wasn't just Sam, it was Sam and Dean. They're apparently descended from Cain and Abel...hmmm, that must mean, since the bloodline is suited for hosting angels, that Cain and Abel were designed to be vessels. Maybe not, maybe it's just a robust line. :) Anyway, the angels keep saying stuff like they knew that Sam and Dean would host Michael and Lucifer for millennia. Um...I don't think so.

For one thing, if that was true, why didn't Lucifer just tell Azazel to find Sam? He had him test babies, lots of babies. Azazel said he'd been working on his plan for generations (that might be a timeline glitch, if I'm remembering the date in the convent right). If it was always Sam, why bother marking and empowering all those kids, and orchestrating the "big fight"? Why be surprised that it was Jake, but accepting of it?

Then, once Azazel was dead, Ruby had to go through that whole manipulation thing to make sure Sam killed Lilith and broke the final seal, which, by the way, wouldn't have happened if Dean hadn't broken the first seal, which he wasn't supposed to do, it was supposed to be John, but he wouldn't break.

Now, they didn't ever say that Dean being the seal-breaker is connected to being a vessel for Michael, so maybe it's not significant that it was Dean instead of John. And it could be said that only the angels (including Lucifer) had any idea of the goals behind the manipulation, so that Alistair really didn't know what his job was intended to for.

But that brings me to the increasing revelations about the angels. We've seen them manipulate, and how good they are at it. At first, we even thought it was a good thing, when Zachariah convinced Dean to keep hunting. But the angels are working so damned hard to convince Dean, almost as hard as they've been working to orchestrate events (like using cherubs to force Mary and John to fall in love).

We've had three episodes show us, via time travel, that upcoming events are inevitable. But there are discrepancies. In "The End," Zachariah wanted to show Dean why he had to say yes. But in the future he took him to, the angels lost. If there's inevitability, how can that be changed? Then, in "The Song Remains the Same," Anna goes back to try to kill Mary so Sam is never born. The summary of that episode says the angels send her back, but they WANT Sam to be Lucifer's vessel. If Lucifer doesn't take Sam and fight Michael-in-Dean, the angels can't have their paradise.

So if Anna was let out for a purpose, why wasn't she indoctrinated into the destiny propaganda? If it's all planned and unchangeable, why do the angels have to work so hard to make Dean say yes? So it seems pretty clear that "Free Will is a Myth" is just a ploy by the angels. Kudos to them, though, for pushing it with such sincerity.

There are a couple of ways I can see this playing out:

1. Team Free Will Prevails
Big final battle, Sam and Dean never say yes, and together with all the parties they've introduced this season (like the AntiChrist and Gabriel), they defeat Lucifer AND the angels in their own way.

2. Team Destiny is Right
But only to a point. Sam and Dean say yes, and get vesselized, but with their own agenda and to their own ends, and they defeat Lucifer and Michael from within.

3. All the Teams Break Up and Reform in New and Exciting Ways
AKA, the Big Twisty Plot concept, where the writers in the room are far smarter together than any of us are individually, and they come up with some big awesome alternate scenario.

This post is brought to you by my frustration and annoyance every time someone says "Because it had to be you, Sam. It always had to be you."

So where do YOU stand on the whole destiny thing?

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All photos copyright The CW

Review of "Sam, Interrupted"

I have a confession.  Maybe it was the super-long hiatus and my avoidance of spoilers.  Maybe it was the intensity of my work and family obligations over the holidays and through January.  But coming into this week, I was afraid I’d lost my obsessive love passion for this show.

Some of it might have been the promo for this episode, which focused so much on insanity and had the kind of horror movie vibe I avoid unless Jared or Jensen are involved.

So the show started in an insane asylum, an unsympathetic doctor trying to convince a paranoid schizophrenic that the monster she saw kill her roommate wasn’t real.  Then the boys are in the same office. Dean’s checking Sam in. Sam earnestly explains that he’s a little depressed because he started the apocalypse…and all the love came rushing back.

There are two ways to look at this episode: a masterful combination of the classic and the current, or a rehashing of old ideas.  To me, it felt more like the former, mainly because of a high level of humor, an exploration of the boys (both physical AND mental), and superb acting by everyone from the patients to the doctors.

“Sam, Interrupted” follows a pattern established by “Folsom Prison Blues” a couple of seasons ago.  An old friend of Dad’s* calls for their help, so they get themselves checked in to the asylum, in a hilarious sequence where Sam and Dean get to be uniquely honest.  Forget exposition—this may be the best incorporation of a post-hiatus recap ever.  Not that we needed to be reminded that Sam started the apocalypse but it was really Ruby’s fault.

After their…ahem…intimate intake physical, they find Martin, Dad’s old friend.  This requires a little tolerance, since the early seasons established that the boys were not aware of the extent of the hunter network.  The guy at the prison was okay, he was an old military buddy. But then there was Travis, and now Martin, and it’s always an old friend they owe everything to.

But that’s a small flaw.  Martin’s awesome.  Messed up because of whatever happened in Albuquerque, he still has the hunter instinct.  Sam and Dean get the info he’s gleaned, then break out of their cells and start searching.  They’re moments too late to save the next victim, but Sam does a brain autopsy and finds it sucked dry, so Martin figures out it’s a wraith.  It can appear as human, of course, so now they have to check reflections to see the being’s true form.

Dean first thinks it’s the main doctor, the guy in charge, and that doesn’t surprise because he was so harsh.  But when they go after him, he doesn’t react to the silver letter opener Sam slashes him with.  It’s early in the show, so again, we’re not surprised. Then they think it’s Wendy, a patient who kissed Dean, then switched to Sam, because “he’s larger.”  But they find Wendy under attack by the real wraith, who turns out to be the nurse who first checked them in.  Battles ensue, Dean finally defeats her, the boys escape.

The episode followed a common trajectory.  It frontloads the funny—I couldn’t stop giggling all through their intake interview.  Then there was Dean’s reaction to Wendy’s kiss (joining in enthusiastically) and Sam’s opposite reaction (full resistance, complete with bitchface), and Dean getting “thraped.”  And who of us will ever forget, when they get caught in the morgue, Dean pantsing himself, throwing up his arms, and yelling “Pudding!” 

Then things get more serious as the episode goes on.  Dean gives real answers to his shrink’s questions, and she takes note of the humongous weight of his burden, whether it’s real or not. When the wraith’s poison, designed to bring on the crazy (and the apparently very tasty surges of hormones and chemicals), starts to effect both the boys, things get painful.  None of it’s new stuff, but it’s nice that they’re alluding to it.  It’s realistic that Dean is struggling with the burden of having to save everybody, and Sam is full of rage, and they’re both trying to deal with those things in the same ways they always have.  Sam wants Dean to confront his feelings, Dean wants Sam to bury his.

One of the things I liked in this episode was snipping loose threads.  The nurse/wraith talks to Sam (mmmm, restrained Sam…) about knowing Martin’s a hunter, but he’s a mess, and they blabbed about hunting monsters, which made them easy targets.  Otherwise, I’d have been rolling my eyes that she went after them immediately, when Martin and other patients had been there a long time without being targeted.

One loose thread I kind of hope they get to revisit someday: Albuquerque.  Whatever happened there was bad, bad enough that Martin didn’t think he could overcome it, until he had to.  (I hope Kissing Wendy survives!)

Bottom line: Not an amazing episode, but a solidly done one that I’ll enjoy revisiting next time we have an unendurable hiatus!

A note about next week: How bummed am I? How can they have a body switching episode where Sam switches with some random teenager, and not with DEAN?!  I curse misleading teasers. *pouts*

So, what about you?  What did you think of this episode?  What did you like or dislike, especially about parts I missed or forgot to mention?  Hit the comments!

My Supernatural-related Christmas Wishes

I had lunch yesterday with the friends I’m attending the New Jersey Salute to Supernatural convention with in July.  I’d like to say we’re beyond excited, but at this point we’re just apprehensive.  I mean, I love AJ Buckley and Travis Wester, and look forward to seeing them, but I wouldn’t spend $369 plus travel and hotel to see them.  The con is a long way away, and at this point last year, for the con in March, they didn’t have many more guests booked.  But they did have Jared Padalecki.  So we’re kind of resigned to not having either of the two biggies at the con.  They’re booked for LA in March and Vancouver in August, so…our hopes aren’t high.  Which sucks.  But we made the decision to go for it anyway—there’s always hope, right?  So we were discussing who we’d want to attend.

The Big Obvious

The ones we agreed we want most are:

1. Jason Manns

2. Misha Collins

3. Jim Beaver

Forget Steve Carlson and Christian Kane.  Actually, I’m okay with Christian Kane, but only as a consolation prize.  It’s got to be Jason.  And I don’t like country music.  So.

Misha’s awesome on stage, and I imagine he’ll be even better, now that he has a couple of conventions under his belt.  And Jim Beaver knows exactly how to handle us fans.

Second Tier

These guys are almost as obvious:

1. Richard Speight Jr.

Besides being just a super-nice guy, very smart, and very funny, he has an expanded role this season.  I think both he and we would enjoy having new topics for questions.

2. Todd Stashwick

Again, stage genius.  We don’t need anything new that’s show-related.  He’s just fun.

3. Mark Pellegrino

No party is complete without Lucifer, right? (said firmly tongue in cheek—calm down, P. Diddy)

Any of the rest

I’d love Gabe Tigerman (Andy) and Chad Lindberg (Ash) again.  Besides the fact that redacted spoiler, which would make Chad even more interesting, Gabe is RSJ part B.  Sweet and fun and super-nice guy.

Any of the women of the show would be cool.  Other cons have put Tracy Dinwiddie (Pam), Alona Tal (Jo), and Julie McNiven (Anna) on stage, to good report.  Samantha Smith (Mary) and Samantha Ferris (Ellen) would be even better.

How about Jake Abel (Adam), Malik Whitfield (Henricksen), or Steven Williams (Rufus)?  Of the three, I’d ask for Williams.  He seems like he’s got lots of tales to tell. :)

So, to Recap…

My letter to Santa begs him to line up Jared and Jensen.  Barring that, I want as many actors as they can get, plus Jason Manns.  But what about you?  What’s your dream convention line-up? :)

Mostly Spoilery News!

Shooting hiatus apparently means increased promotional activities, because we’ve got a bunch of interviews this week.

First, though, some casting and contest news:

FlashForward viewers might have gasped, “Hey, it’s Kubrick!” during the so-called fall finale.  He plays the infamous D. Gibbons, someone with an apparent connection to the blackout.

According to this article, Alona Tal joins Daneel Harris in the voice cast of Night of the Living Dead: Origins.

Buddy TV is having a holiday trivia contest, with prizes including signed DVDs and photos.

The episode 11 promo (“Sam, Interrupted”) can be found here.

Okay, interviews galore. Spoilers are marked with **, and I didn’t read those! :)

Misha Collins (I read this one, no spoilers)

More Misha**

Eric Kripke** (referencing a Nov. 20 USA Weekend article)

Sera Gamble** and another Sera Gamble** (might be same stuff)

Upcoming Episode Titles** (5.14 makes me squee. :) )

Misha Collins and Julie McNiven**

Here is a short vid interview with Jensen Ackles.  It looks like it’s old, from nearly a year ago, but who cares?  It’s Jensen on film, and we can pretend it’s recent and he’s talking about season six. :)

Ask Ausiello on the 100th episode.

Scroll down in this article for Four Horsemen spoilers.

A "Supernatural Magazine" review for 100-page issue #12 (I might need to get my hands on that!).

This thread posts a casting call for episode 5.14 (SPOILERS) and also posts a recent TV Guide article about the episode.

There you go!  Hopefully that will tide you over for a while.  Or at least today.  Two weeks down, we won’t say how many to go…

Supernatural Sisters Presents...Richard Speight, Jr!

After his tremendous performance in "Changing Channels," I contacted Richard Speight, Jr.'s manager to ask for an interview. A fan favorite and definitely my favorite Supernatural guest star, Richard is gracious, intelligent and funny. So without further ado...

Richard, thank you for agreeing to do this interview for the Supernatural Sisters! First, let me join the cacophony of praise for your performance in "Changing Channels." The show keeps telling us angels don't feel emotion, but Gabriel's pretty torn up over his family's situation, and you portrayed it beautifully.

Thanks a lot. That’s nice of you to say.

So, what was it like going back to the show? What did you think when they asked you back, and when you saw the script? Did you have any inkling at the time of your past appearances that there would be a revelation of such magnitude about your character?

I was thrilled to be asked back. I had no idea I’d be a part of such a big revelation until I read the script. I was blown away. I thought the “Changing Channels” script was outstanding. And it gave me some fantastic turns to make as an actor – which is rare when you’re guesting on a show.

This revelation seems to open up greater possibilities for a return, maybe for the expected big showdown at the end of the season. Is there anything you can say about that, or any thoughts you might have?

Here is some fascinating inside information: I have no idea. Seems I’m always the last to know if/when I’m going to be on the show and what exactly I’ll be doing. Even some of the fans find out before I do. I need to get a better agent. (Just kidding, Sheree).

What have you been working on between your Supernatural appearances? What can we look forward to seeing you in? (Especially, do you have any pending TV appearances?)

I just completed shooting what should be a funny scene in an otherwise very dark film called “Crave.” And I am a recurring character in the upcoming Showtime series “Look” set to air in early 2010.

I had the great pleasure of meeting you at the Salute to Supernatural in New Jersey earlier this year. If my memory is correct, you said that of all the things you do (writing, acting, music), you like writing best. Does writing take a back seat because you've been so successful with acting? What are you writing now (if you don't mind telling us)?

I do write a lot and I love it. I have a few projects in development right now. I don’t like to discuss them in detail because so much can go wrong before a project goes into full production. I don’t want to jinx it, nor do I want to look like a goon by talking about something like it’s a sure thing only to have it collapse. As of now, acting is what pays the bills. Eventually, I hope acting and writing split that duty.

You've talked about how you got your start in show business as a dancer. Do you still do any tap or ballet? How about performing with the/a band?

Good news for the dancing community – I don’t dance anymore. I stopped tapping when I was around 13. Truth is I wish I’d stuck with it. I love to watch great dancers, especially tap. If I had stayed with it, I’d probably be pretty decent by now.

I don’t perform with a band regularly anymore. I don’t want my weekends taken up playing music and not playing with my kids. I still play guitar for them all the time, though. There are the rare occasions when I get to play with a band. For example, the TV show “Life” had a band made up of Damian Lewis (the lead actor and an old friend from “Band of Brothers”) and some crew folks. They were playing a few songs in a bar in Culver City and needed someone to sit in on lead guitar, so Damian asked me. That was a blast. I was hoping to play with them again, but “Life” got canceled and Damian moved back to England. So much for rock stardom.

Preference: Movies or TV? Why?

Movies – although TV has gotten significantly better over the last ten years. Why Movies? I like watching one story – from beginning to end – in one sitting. I don’t watch enough TV to be able to enjoy shows with long arcs. It means I miss out on some good stuff, but that kind of TV just doesn’t fit my lifestyle right now.

For your (arguably) three highest-profile roles (Trickster/Gabriel on Supernatural, Bill on Jericho, Skip on Band of Brothers), what is the biggest element each has brought to your life and career?

“Supernatural” has brought me a relationship with fans unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The cons, on line… even this interview – all things completely foreign to me until I worked on “Supernatural.” I love the reception my characters get. Actors work in a bubble. You shoot, you go home, you watch it or not, you go on to the next gig. The ongoing experience my role on this show is creating for me is amazing. I love it.

“Band of Brothers” brought me some of my closest friends in LA. More importantly, it instilled in me a greater appreciation of what it means to be free, to be an American, and to be a man. I hope I can impart a fraction of what I’ve learned from “Band of Brothers” to my sons.

“Jericho” made me realize that no matter how hard I try, I look like crap in a tan Deputy Sheriff’s uniform.

You do regular updates on your Facebook page, and get tons of comments on your Wall there. Social networking gives fans unprecedented access to our favorite celebrities--we see that as a good thing. What's it like from a celebrity/working actor perspective, and do you think it's good, bad, or a mix?

I think it is awesome. For years, I had a website where fans could check out my stuff and post comments. But it wasn’t like Facebook. On my Fan Page, I can chat with folks, comment on stuff – I feel like I am a part of the dialogue. And I’m able to answer fan questions in a timely fashion. I really enjoy being able to do that. The fact that I have “fans” trips me out. I feel like if someone takes the time to join my page and post something, then I need to read it/look at it/answer it. It is the least I can do.

By the way, anyone wishing to visit my Facebook Fan Page, it is listed as Richard Speight Jr.

Before last week's episode, your appearances on Supernatural were limited in terms of screen time. Yet the impact is pretty powerful, considering it's drawn you to live appearances all over the country well after the episodes originally aired. Is this insane, or gratifying?

Insanely gratifying.

Speaking of conventions...can we hope to see you at any over the next year? Like, say, oh, maybe Parsippany, New Jersey, in July?

I certainly hope so. I had great time in New Jersey last year. If I am invited and it works out with scheduling, etc., I’ll be there.

And for a touch of silliness:

Would you survive the Zombpocalypse? Why or why not?

Yes I would. I’m pretty pale, so they’d think I was already dead and leave me alone.

Soda or pop?

Neither. I’m from the South. We call everything “Coke.”

Typical conversation heard at a restaurant in the South:

Guy
You thirsty?

Gal
Yeah.

Guy
Wanna Coke?

Gal
Sure.

Guy
What kind?

Gal
Sprite.

Guy
Got it.

Y'all or you guys?

“You guys.” Not all Southerners say “Y’all.” But we do all say “Coke.”

Favorite NFL team? (In anticipation of your answer, this Patriots fan would like to offer an apology for 10/18. If I'm anticipating incorrectly...never mind.)

No apology necessary. I don’t really care about the NFL. If I had to answer, I’d say the New Orleans Saints because of Reggie Bush. Truth is, I only watch college ball. I’m a big fan of the USC Trojans – and a proud alumnus. Fight on!

Chips or fries?

Chips.

Broccoli or Brussels sprouts?

Both – diced up and crammed into a casserole.

Most recent book you read:

I’m just about done with Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey. Great book.

Most recent TV show that you got hooked on:

Ironically, “Supernatural.” I watched a bunch of recent episodes on DVD to prepare for “Changing Channels.” It’s a damn good show! Now I TiVo it. I’m a little behind, but I’ve got 'em saved.

Most fervent hope for the future (that you're willing to share with strangers):

A strong health care plan with a public option that covers all Americans and doesn’t add to the deficit.

Thank you so much, Richard, for doing this interview! I hope it wasn't torturous, and we look forward to seeing you on our screens for a long, long time to come.

Are you kidding? It was my pleasure!

November 1 News

I don't know if it's the time of year, or just me, but there's a dearth of good news that doesn't involve spoilers for upcoming episodes or recaps of past ones.

I've got an interview with Misha Collins that's been all over the Internet already.

Some episode stills including next week's, which WARNING are SPOILERY.

Oh, here's something! There's an announcement that Jensen Ackles will be attending the Jus in Bello convention next year. Shortly after that announcement, Creation announced he's attending the LA (in March) and Vancouver (August) cons. Jim Beaver was added to LA, too.

Buddy TV asks when SPN became a comedy, a question that boggles my mind since the show has never not had comedic lines and episodes, starting with the pilot!

So. That's all I got.

*looks around*

*whistles a little*

*sigh*

Okay, let me troll around a little. *trolls*

Fangirl Says got to see this week's episode early. Her post is only spoilery if you didn't see the preview at the end of last week's episode. She's definitely got me intrigued!

Let's see...

Nothing on TV Addict... (unless you count stills for an upcoming episode I won't even name or describe because the very idea fills me with enough squee to make me glow, but will probably disappoint and piss off so many people...)

The CW Source hasn't done their recap yet...

Let's look up some guest stars, see what else they're doing. Gattlin Griffith, aka The AntiChrist, has three movies in post-production: The River Why, The New Daughter, and Blood Done Sign My Name. Chad Everett, "Older Dean," has Death Keeps Coming on his IMDb page, listed as in pre-production. That looks like a Western. Hal Ozsan (the ambiguously moraled male witch) has Groupie coming out apparently this week, again according to IMDb. This looks like a thriller. Heee. I love seeing this obscure stuff "up in popularity 15% this week" and knowing it may be due to Supernatural. Silly rabid fans. :)


Well, okay, I think that fills us up for this week! Oh, wait, one more thing. Let me check Ask Ausiello, see if his column has anything on the show...

OMG OMG OMG

*thud*

(Please note, if you decide to find out what at Ask Ausiello threw Natalie into a tailspin, it is a very short, very mind-blowing spoiler for episode 12. You've been warned.)

Too Serious

The actual title of this post is "Are We Taking Supernatural Too Seriously, or Did the Show Just Get Too Serious?" but it was too long. :)

Before I launch into my topic, I want to clarify that "we" means all of fandom in a general sense, and doesn't mean anyone specifically. I'm amalgamating a lot of things I've read over the last several weeks, and I don't want any particular person to feel targeted.

For three seasons, I've loved Supernatural so much that watching one episode a week wasn't enough, and I've sought solidarity with fellow fans all over the Internet. The drawback is that when I adore an episode, then read several disappointed blogs about it. Man, do I deflate quickly.

This season is unique, and the complaints attack all aspects of the show. It's too dark--but it's always been billed as a weekly horror movie, and it started with the mother of an infant and a young child being burned alive on the ceiling. It's too light--how dare they match the AntiChrist with a fart joke? The mytharc is heavy, and difficult to get away from, which makes people complain that they want standalone episodes. Then we get standalone episodes, and they complain that it makes no sense to have one, don't they know there's an apocalypse going on?

What drove me to choose this topic this week was what I saw about the most recent episode, the name of which I will not type because I had the freakin' song stuck in my head for five days! My Internet trolling for Supernatural stuff is fairly limited nowadays, with about half a dozen sites and blogs on my list. I was kind of shocked to find universal displeasure with 5.06. The very same things people loved in "Mystery Spot," they hated in this episode. The combination of humor and pathos struck so many people wrong, and it baffles me.

So I wonder if we're taking the show too seriously. Have we lost touch with our overwhelming love because of that love? Most TV shows I watch are just surface enjoyment. I like them or I don't, and I don't spend a lot of time discussing them or even thinking about them afterward. Supernatural is, and always has been, different, but in sharing viewpoints, are we destroying our ability to just watch and enjoy? It seems we're always digging so deep we can't help but find dissatisfaction.

Perhaps the fault lies not with us, but with the show's writers. Maybe Kripke's taken a turn so serious it departs too far from the show's core and renders us unable to connect with the things we loved, even when they're present. But is it even possible to contemplate that? Because it's just as likely that if season 4 hadn't gone down the road it had, if they'd just continued with everything the way it was in seasons one and two, we'd have been unhappy with its lack of maturity and evolution. Few things that stay the same satisfy us for very long.

Another possibility is that our rabidity may have simply run its course. Passion, by its very nature, can only be sustained for so long.

I know there are individuals who have loved every minute of season 5, and some who have hated every minute, so my thoughts here aren't valid on that level--maybe not even on a global level. But I'm interested to hear what you all have to say. What is your temperature reading of the fandom as a whole, and how do you feel about it?

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

This Week's Supernatural News

Since news is light this week (and a lot of it is related to slipping ratings--but we won't talk about that), let's start with the pretty...

Remember that issue of Entertainment Weekly last spring that got the whole "final season" conversation started? All of the photos from the shoot have been released (or accessed/stolen/snuck out/whatever). Here are a couple of my favorites:



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Jensen Ackles is rumored to be attached to the 2010 movie Resident Evil: Afterlife with Milla Jovovich (confirmed) and Eva Mendes, Ali Larter, and Jason O'Mara (all rumored). I haven't been a huge fan of the RE movies, but I did go see Resident Evil: Apocalypse becuase Oded Fehr was in it. How can I do less for Jensen?

Jensen also gets a mention in this We Are Movie Geeks article about making a movie about The Flash. It's a brief mention, referencing Jensen losing the Green Lantern casting battle as a popular underdog, with a half-sentence speculation about his suitability for this role. I also saw some polls including him for the Captain America role, which of course is fan speculation rather than industry info, but it's fun to contemplate. I for one would love to see either J get a superhero gig. Or a romantic comedy, for pity's sake!

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Two Entertainment Weekly issues ago, the Must List contained a reader-supplied description of Supernatural. It would be nicer if they'd mention the show every week in the Must Watch section (which they did do in the latest issue), or even half as often as they talk about Gossip Girl, but every little mention helps!

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This isn't news, it's gossip, although it's at least confirmed gossip. :) Since so many of us Supernatural fans are also Joss Whedon fans, I thought it worth a mention:

Alan Tudyk (Wash from Firefly, Alpha from Dollhouse) and Adrianne Palicki (Jessica from Supernatural, Tyra on Friday Night Lights) are dating! Adrianne is also currently filming Red Dawn with Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

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2010 conventions are being announced all over the world! In the U.S. (+Vancouver), Creation Entertainment has the most events. They've got Chicago this November, then LA, New Jersey, and Vancouver scheduled for next year. (LA and Vancouver sold out their Gold Package tickets already!) There will also be Jus in Bello in Rome in April, Brazil in May, and Asylum in the UK, also in May. A source for lots of information on cons is the Supernatural Wiki.

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And finally, for those of you who aren't trying to keep completely spoiler free, this link has a clip and TV spot from this week's show.

He's Coming!

Our countdown clock takes us to the very start of September 10th, and of course we have that whole day to wait, too...but we are officially well under three weeks until the season premiere! Woo hoo!

I really want to stay spoiler free. It's nearly impossible, because if casting news or a Comic-Con report comes my way, I can't stop myself. But as I've watched the first three seasons over again, I remembered how much different that initial viewing of "Born Under a Bad Sign" would have been had I not seen the promo photos beforehand. You know, the ones with Sam's black eyes?

So I didn't look at these. Pictures from the premiere. I might happen across them between now and then, but I'm going to try really hard not to click any links. :)

(Aside: One thing I'm curious about--many of the promo photos they release before an episode airs seem to have been taken during rehearsals. Jensen wears that weird T-shirt/vest combo when on film he's wearing one of his jackets instead.)

What I'm Looking Forward To With the First Few Episodes: Non-Spoiler Edition

1. Summer in Canada




When the show starts filming, it's warm enough for them to shed a few layers. First episode (ref. seasons 2 and 4, above), we often get T-shirts! (MAN, Sam looks young in that shot!)

2. "Hello, this is Jared Padalecki."

Remember the ABC Sunday Night Movie bumper?



Seeing that (and hearing the music) always brought a sense of excitement and anticipation. Now I get that from hearing Jared or Jensen tell us they're coming up next. I have the entire 42 minutes of show ahead of me, and it could bring anything--laughter, tears, heartbreak, action...and BOBBY!

3. Taking up where we left off.

Some shows jump ahead every season, most frequently, I think, so the time frame matches the real-life time frame. Season 4 did that, though it also, of course, fit the storyline and not just convenience. But like season 2 began immediately after the semi crash, season 5 should begin in the room with Sam and Dean as Lucifer approaches. I get shivers just thinking about it.

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The CW has begun promoting the show, and it's looking good!

First, they released this two-and-a-half-minute "Up to Speed" video recapping season 4:



Next came eleven seconds of the premiere, "Sounds Like Hell." This one CAN be considered spoilery, as it is from the actual premiere, so if you're a spoiler purist, don't click play. :)



And finally, we got an actual promo. This is only 20 seconds long. It's kind of propaganda-style, with images NOT from the show interspersed with almost-too-quick-to-figure-out flashes from early episodes. Some of those are very creepy.



I'm adding a SPOILER WARNING to the comments because we might want to dissect some of this stuff in there.

In the meantime, I'm holding my breath until September 10th!

Rural Gas Stations, Convenience Store Food, and Crappy Motel Rooms

ETA: This is just too funny, I had to add it. Tanya posted Monday about the Trickster, and now guess what? Last night Richard Speight Jr. announced on his Facebook (if that doesn't take you right to the update, find his page, then click "updates" on the left side) that the Trickster will be back! I, for one, am very excited!

Now, on to our regularly scheduled post:

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I've been rewatching the early seasons again, and three things strike me every time I do this:

1. They never get gas at a commercial gas station--it's always back roads and rusty pumps.

2. I get queasy when they buy or eat convenience store food.

3. I have never in my life seen such motel/hotel rooms.

The latter has become a hallmark of the show, with even behind-the-scenes vids done on the topic.



I'd considered cataloging many of the rooms and listing favorites, with commentary, but a) I'm not that funny, and b) I'm too lazy. I figured someone else had done so, and guess what! :)

Suzanne at SciFi Chicks did one in June, and just yesterday I found Alice Jester at Winchester Family Business did this just last week. Honest, I claimed this topic weeks ago! I stumbled across her posts last night while reading her excellent Comic-Con reports. You should check those out, too.

It's funny how similar their lists are! They break down the details of the rooms, and are much more knowledgeable and observant than I am. You can find Alice's posts here, here, and here.


Provenance

Now, I always stay in chain hotels, and they all look pretty much the same. Ugly polyester comforters, bland art on bland walls, blocky laminate furniture. When I go to conferences, I get to stay in nicer hotels that still look exactly the same, just with nicer bedclothes and better carpeting. So I figure I just haven't had the right experience to be able to buy in to the imaginations of the set crew.

In the Supernatural world, we have two main kinds of overnight facilities:

The motels (outside access to the rooms) are almost always themed (hunting cabin, disco, beer homage) and always have those weird room dividers with starbursts or fish or silhouettes of women like on truck mudflaps--or beer bottles.

The hotels (inside access) are generally efficiency style, huge rooms that are almost like studio apartments, in old buildings with high ceilings and kitchenettes.

There is an occasional "typical" room that feels a little more on the generic side, but usually we have psychedelic wallpaper at the very least.


Hunted


The Usual Suspects
Obviously, the set builders and dressers have a blast creating these rooms, finding props for them, etc. But in the context of the show, how do Sam and Dean find such places? Do you think they look for the cheapest location near the hunt and it always winds up like this?

When the boys aren't staying in a hotel they paid for, they stay in one they snuck into:


Fresh Blood
Or they squat in an abandoned house. This didn't happen much until the season 3 premiere, "The Magnificent Seven," when they hooked up with Isaac and Tamara. I'm not sure Isaac and Tamara were squatting, because they had that house pretty well stocked with supplies, but in "Red Sky at Morning" Sam and Dean holed up in an abandoned house. Sam did, too, at least once in his flashbacks in season 4. (The finale of season 2, "All Hell Breaks Loose Part II," takes place in an old house, but I assume that's in the abandoned town, so it doesn't really count.)

So, what's your favorite Supernatural motel?

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Thanks to oxoniensis for the screencaps.