"Season 7, Time for a Wedding!"

I love when the writers get all cheeky and poke fun at industry conventions! I wonder what else they'll decide is supposed to be included in season 7.

We start with "Then" and with so much focus on Becky, I'm guessing she's the one who will marry Sam. Yeah, despite my attempts to remain unspoiled, I knew Sam was the one getting married. :(

We're in Las Vegas, with Dean talking up a hot waitress. He's actually pretty relaxed and into the flirtation, which is nice to see. But this opening talk confuses the heck out of me. Since when do they have a sacred annual pilgrimage to Vegas? It took me a long time to get into the flow of the story after that.

Dean's main problem, coaxed out of him by the waitress (stripper?), is actually pretty great. His brother is batshit nuts, but the shit's not hitting the fan. He's all reasonable and stuff, though he's worried about Sam being out camping by himself. She says "we all need to face ourselves sometime," not referring to Sam, and when we get to the end of the episode, that idea is revisited. Nice circle there. But I'll come back to that.

So Sam texts Dean to come down the street, and wear his Fed suit. Hey, I recognize this church! It was the one where Sam defeated Samhain in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester." Pretty sure it was also the entry to the tombs in "Houses of the Holy," too. You know you're obsessed when you recognize repurposed locations. :)

So Dean comes in packing, but Sam assures him he doesn't need the pistol. Dean asks what their pretext is (I love when they use the lingo, though I'm not sure we've heard this one since "Tall Tales"). What are they hunting, a siren?

No. Sam's in love, and he's getting married.

Enter the creepy bride, with the thickest veil this side of the Boar's Head (<---Harry Potter reference). Dean's reaction, to both Sam's announcement and to his bride, is priceless. I LOVE when Jensen gets to do comedy! Beautiful black-and-white wedding cake that explodes into the title shot. That was AWESOME. Dean's still trying to figure this out. Sam's explanation? "We met, we ate..." Ah-HA. She had to do something to him, right? A spell or potion, maybe? But despite Sam being a bit mild and oddly unquestioning, he seems fine. Very natural with Becky, who of course is thrilled beyond belief. She doesn't care about the average life span of his hookups—eyes wide open—and is even paying for the wedding. "Really?! SuperFan99?!"

Sam and Becky leave for her home in Delaware. Dean calls Bobby but has to leave a message, as Bobby's got his hands full with a nest in Oregon. I love that Bobby's presence is so strong, even when he's not on screen.

Sam and Becky pull into a restaurant parking lot. Sam says they just ate, and for a moment I think Becky must be a monster of some sort who needs lots of calories, but no, it all becomes clear when she walks in to the site of her high school reunion, with the requisite mean girl handling the planning. Becky shows off Sam, then introduces him to her friend Guy, who has an interesting reaction to Sam. I assumed on first watch that he was part of Becky's plan, and he is, but his surprise is not just that it worked, as we later find out.

"Guy's a really good friend. We met in the erotic horror section at the Novel Hovel..."

Guy's an event planner, and reunion season is very busy for him, but Becky runs after him to get some silver-clad glass bottle and makes reference to him being Wiccan. Dean drives up as they drive away. He doesn't follow, but goes inside and pulls out Dad's journal, presumably to do research (though I'd think he has that thing memorized by now) or take notes (maybe it's his own journal now). He's immediately distracted by a newspaper story about some guy's good fortune and immediate tragedy.

Sam's sitting at a lovely dinner (rotisserie chicken from the grocery store) and Becky comes out in sexy lingerie. Anyone else reminded of "Wishful Thinking" at this point? Or, like, for the full 11 minutes up to this point? But Sam gets vision-like headaches and comes painfully to reality, with no clue how he got there, and I can't help wondering why I thought he seemed so normal. Now he's really Sam, for a few crucial seconds. Becky gives him the potion, and he's back to being in "love" with her. Poor Sam.

Cut to a guy hitting balls on a baseball field, and another guy using mojo of some sort (his hand movements remind me of Castiel, but I'm thinking more like demon or witch). Baseball to the face, requisite blood splatter, ewwwww.

Dean, being supportive, brings Sam a waffle iron. Sam's a little standoffish but displays no animosity. He's just...I don't know, kind of empty? Dean brings up the job in town. Baseball guy just got called up to the majors. Becky says their first thought was crossroads demon, but there's the 10-year time frame. Dean's totally flummoxed that Sam and Becky are working the case together. He's pissed at Becky, but even when Sam says "that's my wife you're talking about," there's no heat. He's talking the talk, but there's no real emotion behind it.

Dean says people who get their dreams come true bite it pretty quick. Sam says maybe what's bothering Dean is that Sam doesn't need him anymore. Ouch. Dean leaves, and tells Bobby he doesn't want another hunter, but since Bobby's all the way across the country (sorry, Dean, he's not close to his magic South Dakota wormhole), he's going to hook Dean up with someone local.

Sam catches Becky writing in her journal (swirly "Sam loves Becky" crap) and sniffing the presumably scented ink. When he licks his thumb and rubs the ink off her nose, there is nothing romantic about it. Except to her. He's found another dream-achiever...and Becky's journal. But despite her hilarious panic, he thinks it's beautiful and hugs the book. He's so adorable!

Dean goes back to the restaurant to meet the hunter, but the burly guy he approaches first isn't who he's looking for. It's the scrawny guy in the corner (DJ Qualls!), who says, "I thought you'd be taller." Bobby told him Dean would be all surly and premenstrual working with him, but he's cool with it. So do you think he'll go the way of Tamara, a hunter never seen again, or Rufus, recurring until he dies?

Dean (in a sweater vest?!) and his new partner cross paths with Sam and Becky at the CEO's office. Dean plays hard-hitting journalist very well, while Garth cuts right to the chase and hits the guy with "nefarious means" questions about black magic and hoodoo. Between the two of them, they get that the guy didn't want the job. But his bitchy wife obviously did want it. Dean tries to get the story from her, but she blows them off.

"Why do people keep thinking I'm threatening them?"
"Because it sounded exactly like a threat, dude."

Sam's trying to work the case while Becky tweets about going on a romantic getaway. The elixir wears off again, but it leaked in Becky's purse, and she can't stop Sam from reverting.

Dean saves the CEO's wife, whose story makes it sound like a demon deal. But the timeline is whack. Garth shows his hunter chops and lays out the plan. They'll stow the wife with his cousin, a tri-racial paraplegic sniper, while they go after the demon.

Becky makes a desperation call to Guy, Sam is in pain and asks Becky what's going on, and when he says he's calling Dean, she knocks him out with a waffle iron.

Sam wakes up tied to a bed in a nice cabin.

Tied. To a bed.

...

...

Okay, I'm back. Sam's fully himself, and what a friggin' relief! Becky tests him for concussion symptoms, says he's pantsless because they're very constricting, but don't worry, she didn't do anything weird. Guy calls her back on her computer, and she wants the elixir. She says the stuff is wearing off faster and faster and whines that they haven't even consummated their marriage. Guy says to meet him in an hour, and Sam heard everything. He's pissed, while Becky is full of justification. Sam knows right away that Guy is the one killing everyone, and says Becky is on his list. Crazy woman. She refuses to untie him, stuffs a rag in his mouth, and calls "love you too!" as she runs off for more love potion.

I know she's pathetic and doing something awful here, but I really like Becky!

But it turns out Sam was right. Guy wants payment now, and reveals his red eyes. Reunions give him tons of clients, and he admits (kind of) that he's responsible for the deaths. He says he wasn't thrilled to see her new hubby was Sam Freakin' Winchester, but he'll give her a special deal. Twenty-five years—unprecedented—with Sam for her soul and her promise not to tell the Winchesters any of it.

The timeline gets a little murky for me from this point. She wants a drink, but Guy hands over the potion, then she goes back to the house and talks to Sam, then she's drinking at the end of the reunion. I think the editing could have been tidied up a little.

Dean and Garth go to Becky's apartment and find enough clues to send them to the lake house (Loon Lake, nice pun :) ). Becky is there lamenting that her plan to show off Sam—he's tall and nice, and they'd think she was happy—isn't going according to plan. She does a short rundown of her life and fondles the bottle of elixir. Sam tells her she's better than this, she says she's not so sure, and now we're back at the restaurant after the reunion. She tells Guy she's in.

Wow. I can't believe we still have 20 minutes to go. This episode was actually shorter than normal, but seemed to go on for a long time.

Becky gets close enough to the demon to seal the deal, but instead drops a lighter on a devil's trap made from blueberry vodka. Sam, Dean, and Garth show up, so apparently they made it to the lake house. Guy asks for Dean's autograph, Dean pulls out the demon-killing knife. Guy claims to be an innovator instead of a cheater, using an "intern" to arrange accidents and collect early on the souls. Intern flings all three hunters across the room. He's pretty powerful. Fights ensue, Garth gets knocked out, Sam and Dean are getting throttled, season 1 style. Becky saves Sam with a knife through the intern's torso (that knife isn't that long!) and Sam tosses it to Dean, who turns it on Guy.

Guy says "oh crap" and Dean thinks it's because of him, but then Crowley appears. Oh, crap. But Crowley isn't too happy with Guy's stupidity. The "intern" ratted him out. Crowley's pissed at the damage to their credibility.

"There's a reason we don't call our chits in early. Consumer confidence. This isn't Wall Street, this is Hell! We have a little something called integrity."

Crowley makes a deal to cancel all Guy's deals (15 of them) and take Guy from Dean. Sam's suspicious, and Crowley points out that demons have left Sam and Dean alone while they're dealing with the Leviathans.

"You met that dick, yeah? Smuggest tub of goo since Mussolini. I hate the bastards. Squash them all. Please. I'll stay clear."

His "done. and done." when he cancels the deals reminds me of Ash. *sniff*

Man, I love Crowley.

Sam, with absolutely no sympathy for Becky, gets an annulment and says she'll probably never see him again. But he does take pity and tells her she's not a loser, to just do her thing, whatever that is, and the right guy will find her. Then Garth gets all crushy on her, but Dean squashes that pretty quick.

We have the goodbye scene, when Dean tells Garth he doesn't suck. "Thank you, man. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." I like Garth. I hope we see him again.

Sam says he does need Dean watching his back, but Dean admits Sam's a grown up and doesn't need him any more.

"It's still a Denver scramble up here, I just know my way around the plate now."

Sam says it's about time Dean gets to just look out for himself, but Dean doesn't look too thrilled about that. This is where we're supposed to reflect back on the waitress (stripper?) saying he needed to face himself. Come on, Dean, you can do it. You're a helluva guy, you know.

Final verdict: This wasn't my favorite episode, but I really liked the tone and the characters, and I have a feeling this will be one of my favorites to rewatch. It's always nice to have a light episode among all the heavy, dark ones.

What did you think?

Missing Misha?

If you've been missing seeing Misha Collins on your screen, consider watching some upcoming episodes of Ringer (the Sarah Michelle Gellar twisty noir drama on CW). According to TVguide.com, Misha will play someone from her past! It'll be strange to see him in something other than the trench coat :-)

SPN inspired book

Yay! I got the cover for my May YA release, HOLLYWEIRD. This book came about one day while I daydreamed about doing a set visit to SUPERNATURAL. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has fantasized about that or, for those of us who haven't been lucky enough to actually meet and take photos with the cast, meeting Jared and Jensen. I had so much fun writing this romantic paranormal and there are plenty of nods to SPN that fans will catch. You might also recognize a few Supernatural Sisters names in the book. ;)

As grand prize winner of EnterTEENment Magazine’s “Win a Date with Dakota” contest, Aly King, her best friend Desi, and Aly’s prima donna sister Missy are flown to Hollywood to meet teen heartthrob, Dakota Danvers (inspired by Sam).

Their dream-come-true vacation takes a turn for the weird when Aly discovers that Dakota is actually the son of Satan, sent to earth to prey on the souls of the vain and needy. When Dakota sets his sights on Missy, who will do anything to become a star, Aly joins forces with Jameson Dagon, a (hottie) fallen angel (inspired by Dean) sent to spy on Dakota as his personal assistant, to stop the errant demon.

HOLLYWEIRD is available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

J&J panel photos from ChiCon

So here are my photos from Jensen and Jared's Sunday panel at ChiCon. You'll notice there is only one from the breakfast. I actually had an awesome seat for the breakfast. I was dead centre!  Strangely, I also got to sit next to Andrea and Chris from Perth! What are the chances! But in my limited experience, I find Supernatural conventions full of such weird synergy! I know Andrea via twitter and facebook and it was awesome to meet her and her, very patient with our gushing, husband! Actually, he was busy looking up VanCon seats on his phone before the breakfast panel started!

Anyway.....no breakfast photos, I don't know why, but some of the panel photos turned out ok, if you don't zoom in too close!

I think I am going to invest in a better camera for LACon...

Enjoy the show!

Review: Supernatural 7.07 "The Mentalists"

Warning: Contains episode spoilers and just a little gushing

Never ended well for the siblings

I’m not going to lie, I loved The Mentalists. And you know what? I’ve loved the last two episodes too. I thought Shut Up, Dr. Phil and Slash Fiction were rippers….excuse me for not reviewing them, but with ChiCon and just getting back to stupid real life, they fell through the cracks…but I’m here now and like I said, I loved The Mentalists. So can everyone stop trashing the show for a moment and appreciate how damn good it is? I've read some really disturbing commentary over the last few days and I'm baffled at some of the 'insights'. This is my personal blog space, so this is my personal opinion, but I think those of you who know me and have been reading my reviews for the last 2 and a half seasons, know that I try to remain balanced at all times. I try to put forward an honest opinion and I will call the show out on its failings when I see them. But I don't believe we always have to try to find something to fault. Sometimes it should be enough to just sit back and enjoy the ride. I really dug every second of this episode, so I'm just going to write it up like that. In fact, this might well be my favourite episode of the season. 

Didn’t it feel good to have the brother’s working together again? Even if they were cranky with each other. Figuring it all out on their own without Bobby or any Heavenly help. Salting and burning. Didn’t that feel good? YOU BET YOUR ASS IT DID! It felt real good. It felt real good to see them relying on each other, on their skills and on their smarts. It’s been a while. You know it felt so good, I kinda don’t want to go into the nitty gritty too much! In fact….let’s just end this right here....

I KID! But seriously, this was too much fun for me to want to go too deep. Like I said, sometimes it should be enough just to sit back and enjoy the ride.

So we finally get the script from the Bens Blacker and Acker. I’ve been waiting for this one. I’m a huge fan of The Thrilling Adventure Hour, if you haven’t listened to their podcast, you really should. Ben Blacker also hosts The Nerdist Writer’s Panel podcast, once again, a must listen as far as I’m concerned and I’m sure we’ve all enjoyed them toying with us on twitter. I loved their script and I told them. Ben Acker said, “thank you all the way!” I think he’s been very busy getting back to everyone’s very positive tweets! What I loved about their script was, even though they’re the new kids on the block, new to the writer’s room this season, it felt like they really did their research. There were quite a few shout outs to early seasons, like Pamela and Missouri and even the MOTW was old school, an old school nasty ass ghost. Good on you boys and welcome aboard! That’s two weeks in a row new writers have knocked it out of the park and knocked the more established writers on their asses. Mmmmm fresh blood.

So Sammy went awol and Dean was looking at his phone hoping for a message. Nawwww. Yeah we’ve seen this before, but you know what, so what. I had an interesting rant on Facebook the other day about this very thing. Someone was bitching and moaning about how there’s no character development any more and that the boys keep doing the same thing, making the same mistakes and I said….well, these boys are actually men in their 30’s….well Sam’s nearly 30 and let’s face it, you get to a certain age and really, you don’t change that much, you’re kind of who you are. Sure you learn a little something here and there, but essentially, we all keep making the same dumb mistakes because you get to a point where that is just who you are and how you react. This is not repetition, this is being true to the characterisation of Sam and Dean that has been meticulously created over the past seven years. Yes, they’ve matured and grown. After everything they've seen and been through how could that not change them on a cellular level. I mean, every now and then they even seem to be able to talk a little bit about their feelings…God forbid….but at their essence they are who they are and who they've always been. Dean has always flown off the handle and Sam has always run away. Dean would rather not talk, Sam wants to talk about everything. They’ve always got on each other’s nerves from the first moment we met them. They’ve been living in each other’s back pockets for pretty much their entire life, they're gonna bug each other. They're very different people. They're going to do things the other one doesn't like and they're going to have their secrets occasionally. That's family after all. To be any different would be out of character for them. This is who they are, who they've become, who they've grown in to for good and for bad. But at the basis of everything is love. They are siblings, siblings fight, but they usually find a way to get past their differences and find common ground. This is what Sam and Dean do. This is what they always do. People don't continually change, that's a fact of life, for them to be in a constant state of growth and transition is unrealistic. And don't forget, sibling acts always have it hard!

I loved Dean in this episode (redundant statement is redundant). He seemed to have some form of verbal diarrhea! I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him talk so much. He just babbled when he ran into Sam. Obviously his ploy was just keep talking and Sam won’t be able to get away! I loved how at the end of his diatribe about the case he just goes “Anyway, this is good. And, uh, how you been?” Haven’t we all been in that situation, where someone’s had the shits with us and we just kind of talk in the hope that we can just talk them in to submission? I was laughing my ass off. Also the fact he just kept throwing out the jokes and one-liners and Sam’s bitchface never moved. Never moved! 

Sam’s bitchface was EPIC! I want a sequence of all his bitchfaces from this episode, they were brilliant. I'm quite sure Sam thought Dean had tracked him down and his annoyance was palatable. I like that they'd just ended up in the same place because, this is what they do and who they are. They can't keep away from each other even when one of them is trying to keep away from the other. I wonder how long Sam would have stayed away from Dean had Dean not stumbled upon him? Another thing I liked about this diner scene was how the crazy pregnant yoga woman thought they were Leviathan Sam and Dean. Nice. Really, their faces were everywhere and you know, those are faces you take notice of, so it was awesome to see that recognised, dare I say, for a change. It was also awesome to recognise that Dean IS a virile manifestation of the Divine. Yes indeedy he is, actually he literally is if you think about the whole Michael’s vessel thing.

So the case involved a nice girl who made woo woo eyes at Dean. Yay! Once again, so old school. The girls of the week always go for one of the brothers and I was glad to see, this time around, it was Dean getting a bit of female attention. Lord knows he sorely needs some. I think it’d do him the world of good…………………………………………..I’m sorry what? Oh right, where was I, oh yes, Dean needs to get a bit. Wait, no, Melanie. I liked her, did you like her? I know someone who will complain she was a brunette (you know who you are >:D) but I really liked her. I thought her scene with Dean at the end of the episode was just too gosh darn adorable. He was all leg twitchy and awkward and he literally threw his hands up when Sam went outside to “do something.” Nawwww Sam! Oh, just, bless! I liked Melanie a lot and I liked their flirtation a lot. More please.

There were so many moments in The Mentalists that pointed at the Winchester’s relationship. Apart from the ‘psychics’ all accidentally reading them, “You’re pissed and you’re stressed” and “A loss weighs on you, your angry, it’s complicated,” there was Camille with “Family is a pain in the ass” and the whole  “Never ended well for the siblings the strain of working together or maybe being around each other all their lives.” But it was the Fox sisters analogy that I really dug. One sister was psychically gifted and the other was not. The one without the apparent psychic gift took care of the other sister, “Sometimes one’s true gift is taking care of others.” I loved this whole thing. Dean has always been the caretaker in his family but for some reason, he doesn’t seem to recognise the importance of this and yet without him, I hate to think where John or Sam would have ended up. Taking care of people is his true gift….*sigh*.  I also wondered if this was a little bit of a thumb on the nose to the fans who don't think the writer's give Dean a purpose. I've never thought that, Dean is essential to the balance of, well everything as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, grist for the mill, thank you museum man.

Then out of the blue, Ellen! I adore Ellen and I adore her even more now that I know she’s still looking out for the boys from the other side. She always called Dean on his bullshit; hey, doesn't everyone. I loved what she said to him, but it also made me worried, because he really must be in one hell of a dark place to have her reach out like that. I think hearing this from 'Ellen' shook Dean into action. Brought the Dean out in him, if you will. I hope Dean continues to to think about what she said, because if anyone could kick his ass from the beyond, it's Ellen! Maybe this spiritual ass kicking will start him on a more healthy path…emotionally speaking…wait…was that another pig flying past my window? That always seems to happen when I’m writing reviews!

The argument out of the footpath reminded me of when Sam took Dean to task for being a dick in Fallen Idol. Though he thought Sam deserved it, Dean really was being a bit of a dick to Sam in that episode and he got called on it and in the end, after some pondering, he saw Sam's point and took it on board admitting that maybe Sam was right. This time the shoe was on the other foot. I like. I think Sam had every right to be pissed with Dean for lying to him, he felt betrayed and I think Dean had every right to tell Sam to stop being a bitch, it'd gone on long enough. I’m pretty balanced on this one; I think they both had a pretty good case in this argument. But Dean simply had an 'I'm over this' moment and called Sam on the silent treatment. What I liked about this though, was Dean knows Sam well enough to say his piece and just walk away. You could see straight up, as Sam glared daggers at Dean’s exiting back, that Sam was already thinking. These boys sure do like to brood and over-think and they always seem to find some way to punish each other, but eventually, they see the light, because as I said earlier, at the basis of everything in their relationship is love. There get’s a point when you’re dealing with someone you care about, who’s angry with you, where you just go, "I get it, now get over it!" That’s what Dean did and it worked. I thought the exchange on the footpath felt good and honest and very 'them'. Maybe the fact that Sam had to kill someone, a human, in The Mentalist also helped him better understand Dean and question his own anger over Dean's motivation for killing Amy. That Sam didn't get all fretty about it was a little mind-blowing. Still, the last thing we need now is Sam to get the guilts on top of everything else he's dealing with. Really, I can do without that. I've had my Wincherstery angst quota for a while.

Look, I never had a problem with Dean killing Amy, I got why he did it from day one and I never thought Amy was actually the issue for Sam or Dean, it was the lying plain and simple and anyone who thought this was all about Amy really has to question their understanding of these characters. It's always going to be about Sam and Dean and how they effect each other, everything is always about them on some level, that is how they effect each other and it was good to see that recognised. Sam finally said he got why Dean killed Amy and that if he was honest with himself, if it was any other monster he’d have a hard time letting it walk away. Amy wasn't just an innocent single mother, she was a killer, who had killed at least 4 people that we know of. There could never, ever be any guarantee she wouldn't kill again if the same circumstance arose, regardless of her good intentions. Hopefully this is the last time I'll have to say anything on the Amy issue. Then Sam challenged Dean on his gloomy, boozy behaviour of late, mistakenly reading it as guilt over the killing. This time, Dean answered Sam honestly and said, killing Amy felt right in his gut, but lying to Sam didn’t, he didn’t like lying to his brother and Sam said, “I know how that is.” Yeah he does, because he’s kept a couple of pearlers from Dean in his time. When it comes to laying guilt, you can’t point the finger at one brother and not at the other, to do that is incredibly one-eyed. I saw their coming together at the end of this episode as very mature and you know what that is? Character development.

Dean also mentioned Cas. Losing Cas and Cas betraying him with Crowley weighs heavily on Dean. We’ve seen him dreaming about Cas, he says he’s having a hard time trusting anyone since Cas. He's  not going to go around talking about it or openly mourning his friend because that's not who Dean is, he has and always will swallow down his sadness, but that doesn't mean it's not weighing on him. It's obvious and I don't need that spoon fed to me by the writers, I understand Dean enough to know how this is effecting him. Saying that lying to Sam was making him “climb walls” is just the tip of Dean's iceberg. I think Ellen was saying a lot more. There's a lot more to Dean's current dark mood. But hey, it’s a start right? Opening up to each other even just a little, (over a car other than the Impala - SACRELIDGE!) that’s got to be a step in the right direction (except for the car). Here’s to the end of this Amy nonsense, I only ever saw that as a plot point that would eventually bring the brother's closer together and re-establish their relationship, which I know I've been sorely missing and here's to a little bit more open dialogue between the Winchester boys….HA! Yeah right! Did you see how Dean could barely look at Sam most of the way through that little opening up session. Really uncomfortable with sharing there Dean! Nawww but at least he's trying. Jensen rocked that scene. Both Jensen and Jared were fabulous in this episode.

So is that it? Is that all I have to say? Yeah pretty much. Like I said, you don't have to always find something to fault. I would like to add….I really liked all the gore of the last few episodes. The spoon bending death, the Leviathan chowing down on someone, the decapitations and the beating heart cupcakes. They made me gag…quite literally…and the only other time that’s happened was when zombie guts were rubbed over everyone in The Walking Dead! Ewwww! I loved that we found out a little more about Bobby. I always enjoy a bit of Bobby back story. I also thoroughly enjoyed Bobby and Sheriff Mills' little flirtation. Nice. I loved a bunch of lines in The Mentalists, particularly “Probably should’ve bent those with the power of his mind.” Dean! How Sam kept his bitchface in place with that one beats me. I love how perfect the graves the boys dig always are. If ever this monster-hunting business doesn’t work out for them I think they’d have a nice career ahead as symmetrical gravediggers! I also loved how Dean couldn’t get his lighter going. That whole scene was reminiscent of The Real Ghostbusters right down to the ghost warning them and then the boys going and accidentally salting and burning her! I loved that the nasty ass ghost called Dean handsome, I always enjoy it when their looks are referenced because, well....really! I loved that it was a pretty tense episode, which I think I’ll put down to Mike Rohl, a very experience director who’s been with the show since season 2 and directed On The Head Of A Pin, Appointment In Samara and And Then There Were None to name but a few, which may be three of the tensest episodes of the series.

I loved how we knew Sam and Dean were going to be ok when Sam moaned “Dean” in exasperation at Dean’s terrible boning her joke and then had to look away when Dean threatened to punch out the affirming waiter. I love that I feel like, finally, they are on the right track, that makes me incredibly happy and I really, really loved the nod to Chinatown, the only thing that would’ve made that more perfect would be if Sam had a plaster over his nose. “Forget it Sam, it’s Lilydale”. 

Thanks for reading this rather shapeless rambling review! Sorry about 7.05 and 7.06….you never know, I may get inspired to write them up….one day.

Let me know what you thought of the episode!

See you next week for THE WEDDING!

Sunday at Chicago Con....it's all about Jensen.

Well, I’ve been promising to do this all week, so finally, here it is.…Jensen and the Q&A....

As many of you know, I went to Chicago Con. It was my second US Supernatural convention. I live in Australia…so yeah; it’s a ways to go, but so totally worth it! LACon in February was my first experience with Jensen and I was blessed enough to attend his inaugural jam session with Jason Manns, which is an experience I will forever hold and treasure in my heart as one of the most amazing moments of my life.

This time around I was determined to do the Q&A with Jensen. That’s twenty people in a room with him for ½ an hour. Hazel and I, my buddy and convention cohort, who I joyously experienced the jam session with, had decided come Hell or high water that Q&A would be ours. So we bid together and to our upmost pleasure, won two spots! There were texts flying between New Zealand and Australia at 4am that morning let me tell you!

Now the Sunday at the convention is all about the boys. The Friday and Saturday had been a blast. Karaoke was something else. Really, really something else! I nearly peed myself when Mark Pellegrino showed up! I have this thing for his Lucifer….awkwardly….and there he was on stage, beer in hand, jumping up and down. The guests were all amazing. Misha was his usual wicked self. My friend Bianca and I beat him up in our photo…it’s hilarious. Matt told me he was “fuckin’ awesome” I’d have to agree. Chad and I compared black nail polish, and I managed to get a couple of really good hugs from Mark Pellegrino. Lucifer is a hugger and he also has a potty mouth! I’m totally smitten with that man. So the Friday and Saturday were amazing, utterly amazing, but for me, the con is all about the Sunday.

I thought, as I’d done this Jensen and Jared thing once before, I’d be cool. Wrong. I actually think I was more nervous this time. Maybe it’s because I’m even more in love with Jensen now, damn it, so I got up ridiculously early and meticulously got ready. Everything looked ok, outfit.…check….hair….check....stomach….flip-flopping….oh well, two out of three ain’t bad! With Hazel by my side, I headed on down to the Js breakfast panel. Whoa! I had the most awesome seat, right in the middle, dead centre and strangely, sitting with my friends Andrea and Chris from Perth…3 Aussies on the one table! What are the odds!

The breakfast panel was great. Lots of yucks. When the boys came out I think I gasped a little, I know Andrea did! Jensen looked AMAZING. Jared was wearing a tie on Gen’s instructions that Jensen had to do up for him….bless them both. I’m always totally baffled at how beautiful they are and how at ease and totally sweet they are with everyone.  As usual it was over way too quick and we were off to the auditorium to await our photos with the Js.

I was with a bunch of friends and we were all sharing photos, so it was quite strategic how we’d sorted it out to ensure we took the least amount time and caused the least amount of fuss. We had a running order for the Jensen op! I was involved in 7 photos! I actually said to him at one point, “I promise I’m going soon.” He laughed….he’s so polite. He was in a great mood. There were all the hugs we could ever want and I managed to get the mystical ‘hug from behind’ shot….see my twitter profile pic. It’s all so quick and discombobulating though! I find the photo ops incredibly challenging! For one of my J2s I asked Clif if I could get the Sam & Dean Mr Potato Heads, the Spudchesters in a shot and he organised it for me with the Creation people, bless him, he’s an absolute doll. Then last but in no way least it was Jared. Now, because Hazel and I were both doing the Jensen Q&A we got to go first for our Jared pics. I was going to ask him to get behind me and do a muscle flex, but when I started to say can you go behind me….he just went “Oh sure” and got me in a big hug from behind….I ain’t complaining. My Jensen and Jared ‘hug from behind’ shots were my favourite from the convention.

So in a flurry of awkwardness and nerves the photos ops were done and Hazel and I ran down the hall to the room where the Q&A was to take place. There had been much discussion as to how we would be seated. Would it be first in best dressed? Would they pull numbers from a hat? Apparently both of these scenarios have happened before. But the Creation dude at the door just asked our names and said, “You’re in seats 9 & 10.” I looked down and saw that the first row started with 1 and the second row started with 11……bloody hell….we were in the front row! I have to say Hazel and I have been incredibly blessed with our con experiences. We had the perfect seats for the jam, Jensen wiggled his chair so he was looking directly at us….poor bugger….we were teary nearly all the way through it….and now, here we were front row of his Q&A! Our best guess is the seats were allocated on the winning bidding order. Anyway, regardless, my heart was racing. I was so damn excited. ½ an hour with Jensen? BLISS! I’m such a nitwit in the photo ops, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to ask a question….but I was wrong!

The Creation dude gave us a run down of how things would happen. Jensen would arrive in a few minutes. He was there for us to talk to him. This was our chance to ask him a question without an auditorium full of people watching and judging us. They’d give him a two minute warning before the end and he’d take one last question, but we had his undivided attention for ½ an hour. Like I said, BLISS. The Creation dude left the room and we all sat there with baited breaths, or at least I did. A couple of minutes later the door behind and to the left of Hazel and I opened and we heard him walk in.

To be honest, I can’t remember all the questions in detail, though I’ll give it a bash. There are quite a few reports around that can give you that blow by blow. I more remember and treasure the moment and how it made me feel.

Jensen strode into the room…there’s really no other word for it….saying hello to everyone as he walked. He took his seat in front of us. It was a nice high one so everyone could see him. He was only like a metre away, so really, really close! Straight off the bat I was just amazed by him. He said “Hi” to everyone and looked around the room and said, “Do I know you all, yeah I think I know you all.” Then he kind of mentally ticked us all off, except one girl in the second row. He called her out as a newbie and she said it was her first con. He asked where she was from and she said about 10 minutes away and he said “Nice of you to schlep your way down here!”

The whole thing was really casual and relaxed and I was shocked at how relaxed I was! He gives off the most amazing, calming energy. Really, I wish I had enough superlatives.

For some reason neither Hazel nor I can remember what the first question was! But it was asked by the girl 2^nd along in the front row. The next question came from Hazel! We’d pondered few times as to whether Jensen would have someone famous he’d love to meet or have his photo taken with. So Hazel said to him that we’d both been wondering “Does he ever fan-girl over anyone?” He looked at us both and said “No.”  We said “Really?” And then he thought about it and launched into a story about meeting Luke Perry, yes Luke Perry, at LAX after flying back from Vancouver on the same plane as him. I think he meant to use the story as an example of how Danneel fan-girled over Luke “It’s Dylan!” Perry, but it kinda came across like he fan-girled! He really loves the movie 8 Seconds and wanted to tell Luke what a fan he was. Luke was super polite and asked his name and then said he recognised him from Supernatural and congratulated him on all his success (I’m a Luke Perry fan so I was all nawwwww over this). They ended up walking out together where Jensen introduced Luke to Danneel and this is when Danneel had her little moment! Jensen said the blood left her face. He thought it was pretty funny because to him, she’s always just so cool. It was a very cute story ending in Jensen being a little over excited that Luke said if ever he got another cowboy script he’d give Jensen a call. So, maybe Jensen does fan-girl!

Now the thing is, it’s not so much the beautiful, articulate and highly entertaining answers Jensen gives; it’s the way he gives them. He locks on to you. Complete eye contact. He looked between Hazel and I as he explained his answer. He thinks about it. He makes you feel important. He makes you feel like he really is interested in talking to you. I know I’ve said this before, but he is an incredibly gracious human being. My heart was equal parts racing and exploding at being this close to him and having him speak to me like, well like a person he’s interested in speaking to and not this crazed nitwit in his photo op! Like I said, not enough superlatives.

We had a fantastic moment when a girl asked about the J’s weapons training for the show. She was on leave from Afghanistan and said the guys in her battalion really wanted to know about how they train because of the way they are able to handle and clean the guns etc. Jensen, very proudly, told us how he can take apart and put back together both Dean’s Colt 1911 and Sam’s Barretta without looking and while delivering dialogue, but though he looks great at the gun stuff he’s really just TV great. He’s good enough for what he needs to do for the show. I have a sneaking suspicion he was being modest. He then got all excited telling us about how they go over the border to Washington to this friend’s place to practice on his private firing range. Then he pulls out his iPhone. Just a couple of weeks ago they’d been there practicing and Clif had taken a video. He hopped of his chair and told us to gather around so he could show us. So that’s what we did. There we all were huddled around Jensen as he showed us this…really rather hot….video of him firing weapons and being a complete boy! I was so close that I could see every single damn freckle and though I was watching the video, honest I was, I took a moment to take in every inch of the beautiful man standing in front of me, from his shoes to the top of his head, surreptitiously of course. Call me a perve if you want, but when do you get that kind of opportunity, to really check out Jensen Ackles! I can’t even with the perfection.

The first video, I think he was firing Dean’s 1911, ended with him turning to the camera and giving this huge cheesy grin! Idjit! We all fell about laughing, as did he and we all went to sit down and he said “Wait, come back I’ve got another one.” He then showed us a second video, this time of him firing some kind of automatic something or other, that looked kind of like the guns Leviathan Sam and Dean used. He said, “First I take a couple of practice shots” pop pop pop “Then I fire it” blammmmmm! Oh my God! Ok, I really am not a gun fan at all, but it was SMOKIN’ hot! Like seriously SMOKIN’ HOT! But the best bit about the whole thing was how pleased with himself Jensen looked! He was absolutely beaming as he showed us that video! It was just such a lovely moment, to allow us to get that close to him and to share his personal video with us. Special, that’s what it was.

There was a woman there who was a midwife who shared a story about how the baby she’d just helped deliver was named after him. She had pictures. Jensen hopped down and took them off her to have a really good look. He then told us about how he was born with a full black ‘fro and his dad thought “Hmmmmm” but then he went platinum blonde until he was about 12. He seemed genuinely astonished that the baby was named Jensen, not just because they liked the name but because they like him.

We had the, what is your favourite season question. Season 1 right? I think I could pretty much answer that for him, but it was nice to hear him speak about how he loved the format of the MOTW closed end episodes of season 1. Then he spoke about how he really didn’t enjoy season 6. He says it’s because of the workload and not having his relationship with Jared to play off, but you get the distinct feeling that he didn’t much care for how Dean was playing out in 6. I really don’t think he was into the domestication of Dean Winchester.

Then the last episode he directed was brought up and this gave me a chance to ask a question! Off the back of whatever the answer to that question was (sorry I can’t remember), I put up my hand and he nodded at me and I said “Off that, there was a scene where Dean is lying on the couch and there was some audio on the TV, one bit was a My Bloodiest Valentine gag ad and the other, my favourite, was about the Wildebeest lazing on the savannah. Was that your creative or was that in script?” And guess what! I actually sounded like an intelligent human being! He then went on to tell me about how something’s are in script and others are added in post. As he’s not as actively involved in the post due to shooting, I asked, “So were these your suggestions?” and he said “Yes they were.” He gave them his ideas but that didn’t necessarily mean they would get in, though in this case they did and it turns out the voiceover on the Wildebeest video was done by none other than Bob Singer! So that was a nice little tidbit he shared! Then Hazel nudged me and mumbled to ask about the Goo Goo Dolls track that was in the scene with young Sam & Amy, because she’s a fan. Jensen explained that song was not originally chosen, but sometimes you can’t get the rights or the song you want is too expensive so they work their way through until they find one that works and fits the budget etc. I have to say, I used a Goo Goo Dolls track for a promo I produced and it was incredibly good value!

The whole time he answered my question, he looked right into my eyes. I found myself leaning so far forward in my chair I was at risk of falling off! He’s so compelling in how he speaks and specifically how he speaks to you. I know I’m crazy-town in love with him, but seriously, I can say enough nice things.

One of the last questions was one about Dean. He was asked if he ever gets a script and thinks “Dean what are you doing?” Now, I would quite like to ask this question again, but phrase it differently, because I took it to mean action, as in Dean’s actions or story arc, but Jensen took it to mean dialogue. Anyway, he then went into a brilliant story about how sometimes Jared and him have to change the script to Sam and Deanify the words. He used the break-up scene at the end of “Slash Fiction” as an example. Of course, we were yet to see this episode so he tried not to spoil us and just said Dean and Sam “Have a falling out.” He then did a magnificent rendition of how the scene was originally written and how it sounded like a bad break-up from a rom-com! He did it complete with the ‘speak to the hand’ hand and the pouty head turn. It was brilliant! He said this was the second time this season he’d had to tweak Dean’s dialogue but that everyone trusts him because they know he’s just about protecting the character. He speaks with such love for Dean and respect for everyone involved in the production. He’s very open in telling us this stuff, but incredibly professional in how he relates it.

Actually that’s what I’d say, in these small groups, like the jam and the Q&A he’s very open. People always call him reserved, I’ve even heard standoffish, but that is so not my experience at all. I find him incredibly warm and giving and a very open and honest man. Gracious and generous. Again, like I said, not enough superlatives.

Before I knew what was happening, it was over. Though I have to say it felt like a good long ½ hour. He thanked us all for coming said his goodbyes, walked past me, smiled down and said “bye”….and then left.

Hazel and I sat there for a moment, silently squeeing and ever so slightly clinging to each other.

I can’t even express to you how blessed I feel to have had these experiences with Jensen. He impresses me so much and not just because he’s so damn gorgeous it makes my eyeballs ache but because he's just such a lovely man. A really, really lovely man. He's a beautiful soul. Damn, I wish you could have all just heard me sigh as I typed that.

Anyway, of course we had the Js panel next, which was fantastic and ended in Jensen sharing the very touching and moving story about his youngest nephew Levi. It was the way he shared it that made it especially moving, he told us the story like we were his friends. You know how Jared and him always say we’re family? In that moment I believed 100% that is how he feels, that we’re family. This man….

Then I had my autos. I bought one of the banners so I got to go up first. This gave me the chance to thank him for the day, to which he said “You are most welcome and thank you” and then I said “See you in LA” and he said “Ok!” and then I walked away feeling elated and crushed. Elated because I’d just had another totally amazing experience with this man that I respect so much and crushed because, well, it was over, and now I have to wait until LA to do it all again.

Of course Jared was a complete doll too, he really is beyond adorable. He called me a tease! I nearly died from the hotness. It was all about the Spudchesters and butts and I don’t know what I said, but he looked at me and said….”Oooo you’re a tease.” DEAD.

So that was the Jensen Q&A and Jensen and Jared Sunday. Through the Supernatural conventions I’ve met the most amazing people, some of which I now consider my closest friends. This time around I got to meet my good friend Nicole, whom I’ve known through twitter for ages. I’ve spent time with the cast of a show that means so much to me on a daily basis, that it’s difficult for me to put into words. And I’ve spent time with Jensen, listening to him sing, listening to him speak, coming eye to eye with him in conversation….. I’m not sure how everyone else feels who has met him, but it seems to me, the more time you spend with Jensen, the harder it is to walk away…..

Bring on LACon. Supernatural conventions are my happy place…..

The Mentalists Recap

So the question of the week is whether the boys will kiss and make up in this episode enough to work together. The previews make it seem impossible.

(I admit, I was halfway through the episode before I got the title, "The Mentalists." Duh.)

Now cuts to a medium holding a séance. Hey, I have a necklace like the medium’s! The woman in couple is eager to ask questions of the spirits, but the man is skeptical. He wants to know about paperwork, and when he puts his hands on the planchette, lights start flickering, the fire flares and the planchette moves on its own, lifting to jam into the throat of the medium.

Cut to Dean, stealing a POS with primer. (Wahhh! My Impala!) When he hotwires it, he hears about mediums dying in Lily Dale, the most psychic town in America. So Dean heads to the crime scene. You ever wonder if he thinks, “Screw it, not this time?”

At the crime scene, he finds the table rigged with tricks of a medium’s trade, switches to activate billowing curtains and such. (Okay, it amuses me up that this episode is written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker. Just caught my eye.) Dean walks into a local restaurant and is puzzled by the greeting, deciding to eat elsewhere, when he hears Sam. Dean is trying to act normal, but Sam’s expression is absolutely stony. Dean places his order, gets his free affirmation, which amuses Sam. Dean takes that opening to ask if they just shouldn’t work together. Before Sam agrees, a woman stops by their table and stares, then pulls out her phone. Sam assures her they’re not the evil Winchesters from last week’s episode. She puts her phone away, declaring that she can see by their auras that they’re truly gentle. Riiiighhhht. She’s joined by a Russian named Nicholas who claims to be intuitive, if they need help. He picks up Sam’s spoon, “focuses energy on it,” and sets it down, seemingly unchanged. The two walk away and Sam shows Dean what he has on the murders of the mediums—the first was brained with her own crystal ball. Sam goes to stir sugar into his coffee, and his spoon bends backwards.

“He broke my spoon!”

The next scene shows the brothers approaching a green house (I notice because I recently had my house painted green). It belongs to the psychic whose murder opened the show. Her granddaughter is there, who also works as a psychic, but declares her way as less “woo-woo” and more body language. She reads the boys well enough. The boys are looking for the necklace like mine, but it went to the Emporium. The grandmother had an arrangement with the owner.

The owner Jimmy looks like he’s wearing a ratty bathrobe, or an old Jedi costume. He offers to read Sam, and also nails the body language. Jimmy calls it the Orb of Thesa-something, and very powerful and rare. Also expensive. Dean declares that they’ll take the “states’ evidence discount.” Jimmy wants Sam to come for a reading and hands him a card that says, “No Future Too Grim.”

Sam notices that the necklace was made in Taiwan (I bet mine is, too!) A fake. Big shock.

Cut to Russian Nicholas spreading silverware on the coffee table. He bends a fork and it bends back, then all the utensils stand upright and Nicholas is lifted and---this won’t be pretty!

The local cop tells the boys he has leads coming out of his ass—40-something tips on the tip line, all from clairvoyants. They think it’s either a ghost or an ogre that only kills Russians. Dean declares that policing Lily Dale must be fun. The cop says it was here or LA. Then he tells them the clairvoyants told him Nicholas had a vision of his own death. The granddaughter, Natalie calls Dean and asks if he meant it when he said he had an open mind. The brothers go to her house, where Natalie is clearly upset and clutching a cordless phone. Apparently her grandmother had a vision of her own death. Her grandmother said it got cold—Dean stops her and says it must be a ghost. They confess they aren’t FBI agents. Not sure why they told her.

They walk out of the house speculating how a ghost could be bouncing all over the place. Sam asks how many crystal balls might be in Lily Dale. Dean says, “Somewhere between 50 and all of them.” Sam speculates quartz can act as a conduit for spirits, and Dean says, “So every storefront in town has a ghost satellite dish.” Sam points out that people are summoning spirits all over the place, but Dean replies most can’t even call a taxi. Sam says, “All it takes is one.”

So starts the needle in the haystack.

I miss Bobby.

Sam wants to split up and canvass. So they do.

Cut to a woman casting bones, giving a woman a reading about her brother going to prison. The psychic, Sister Thibodeaux, locks up her money, and her eyes go white. She has a vision that something’s coming for her, and she calls Natalie, who brings Dean. Dean notices a camera in one of her masks, and pulls the footage. They see a woman in black move behind Sister T as she has her vision. Natalie remembers having seen her photo in the museum.

Sam and Dean go to check it out. The curator sees the brothers looking at a picture of two brother psychics. He mentions it never worked out well for the siblings, the pressure of working together degraded their relationships. The brothers let that sink in before asking about the two women psychics, the Fox sisters, among the founders of Lily Dale. Kate Fox was able to levitate objects and foretell death. Her sister didn’t have the gift, but looked after Kate. “Sometimes one’s true gift is taking care of others.” The women are buried in the cemetery. Before Dean can leave, the curator grabs Dean’s arm and asks if he knows an Eleanor or an Ellen. The message she has for Dean is to tell someone how bad it is, that he has to trust someone again eventually.

Sam is all business, but Dean is fed up. Dean thinks he’s right, Sam thinks he is. “If something feels wrong, it probably is.” Dean reminds Sam about waving the gun at Satan and not being sure Sam’s off the high-dive. That was why he didn’t tell Sam right away. Dean says, “You can be pissed all you want but quit being a bitch.”

They’re digging up Kate. We’re half an hour in and there has to be more. Sam wonders why she’s warning the psychics before she kills them. Kate appears, all yellow-teethed and gross and demands to know why no one is listening. Sam ignites the bones before she can explain.

Dean calls Natalie and she assures Sister T that she’s safe. Natalie is with Sister T and they see the ghost of Kate’s sister. Natalie calls Dean. Sam takes the phone and tells her to get salt. They run out. Sam tells her to find iron, but Natalie is knocked away and Sister T is toast.

Hey, if this was a NaNoWriMo exercise, I’d almost be at my word count goal.

Natalie tells the brothers that the ghost ignored her, and enjoyed killing. The brothers go back to the cemetery and find an empty grave. Is someone hauling the bones around, a “ghost on a leash?”

Dean pulls an ad for the psychic fair out of the trunk, and he realized all the headliners for the fair are dead. Dean asks Natalie who would be next to replace them, and Natalie said probably herself. Sam goes back to Jimmy and asks for a name of someone who’d bought supplies. Jimmy gives it, while Dean makes a protective salt circle for Natalie. She asks if burning the bones hurts the ghosts, but of course he’s never thought about it.

Sam pulls up in front of a house and bursts in on the woman who’d thought he was evil-serial-killer-Sam. She’s running a Lamaze class, and is completely freaked. Sam realizes Jimmy’s the bad guy and calls Dean to let him know. Dean tells him to hurry up to find the bones, because Ghost Fox is at the window (and creepy as hell!)

I love this monster of the week story—I love vengeful spirit stories.

Sam breaks into Jimmy’s store, sees a lit candle next to a skull, and hears the click of a weapon. Jimmy, the sneaky bastard. Sam disarms Jimmy and tosses the altar, but Jimmy claims Margaret wants to help him. Jimmy and Margaret are the real thing, but they aren’t pretty enough to make a living. While Sam tries to find out the location of the bones, Dean fights off Margaret with salt rounds and iron. Sam has to shoot Jimmy dead before he can get past him to burn the bones, hidden in Jimmy’s bed, just in time to save Natalie.

Dean can’t believe the bones were in the bed. “I can’t believe he was boning her.” Sam is disgusted. Natalie shows up at the restaurant to thank Dean and Sam makes himself scarce. She notes he and Sam seem better. Dean seems encouraged. Natalie says she wishes they’d met on a better week. Dean says, “I wish I had better weeks.” She looks at his palm when he says something about no one knowing the future, and says, “The answer’s hazy. Try again later.”

When Dean walks out, Sam’s putting his gear in the back of Dean’s POS. He says he figures they can take one car. Dean says, “You don’t want to break my face?” Sam says, “Not at the moment.” Sam says he gets why Dean did it, but wants Dean to be honest. Dean’s drinking too much and not sleeping, but he says it isn’t guilt about Amy, but about not telling Sam, and having trouble trusting since Cass.

Dean said they’re poster kids of functional family life compared to the psychic sister act, and Sam said, “That’s a low bar.” “Grading on the curve has gotten me through everything since kindergarten,” Dean said.

Once in the car, Sam said, “I want to know how that guy bent my spoon.”

“Forget it, Sam. It’s Lily Dale.” I’m thinking that line has to be from something, but not sure what.

Overall I liked the episode, in my top five for the season, I think. I would have liked a touch more romance, of course. I’m glad the estrangement was short-lived. The boys are maturing. And next week looks intriguing!

How did you like it?

(Wow, totally would've met my word count goal for NaNoWriMo, with words to spare!)