Supernatural Season 7 Awards - Part 2

The Supernatural Season 7 Awards continue!

Here's part 2 of mine and Tiny's hits and misses for the season that was!

FAVOURITE VILLAIN

AMY: Dick Roman. I like Dick. Yes I went there. I’d kind of forgotten how fabulous he was until I started rewatching the season when my DVD arrived. His humour. His delivery. His smarmy grin. Oh he’s wonderful. How he tore Crowley down with a withering look and a smart retort totally awesome. He was a pretty cool baddie!

TINY: I love the return of Mark Pellegrino. I confess, I have a huge crush on Pellegrino. I have loved him more since Lost where he plays Jacobs, and I love Jacobs. I love him. Only if I could hug him at a convention, my life will be complete. I really love how Lucifer is written in season seven. This is the devil he should have been playing all this time. I think he really plays the devil who toys with Sam’s damaged soul, it is really torturing for Sam. His ‘personality’ really shines through as the devil on Sam’s shoulder. Season seven’s Lucifer is different from season’s five because the writing team really have fun writing the different side of Lucifer, he is always meant to be the devil who tricks you to do wrongs and give in to him. Lucifer loves to win, and he always wins.

Honorable mention: Death! Pickle chips anyone? And Oh Crowley!!

FAVOURITE GOOD GUY (OR LADY)

AMY: Outside of Dean? Eliot Ness. Now this is probably because of a mix of reasons. 1. Alex Krycek – yes I was a fan of Nicholas Lea in The X Files. 2. The Untouchables – yes I really love that movie. But beyond that, I liked Eliot’s style. I liked his take on hunting. I liked what he said to Dean. And he looked great in a suit!

TINY: Supernatural has always been great when bringing in great guest stars. Charlie (played by Felicia Day) is awesome as Charlie. I love the way she is introduced as the IT nerd who loves her life. Charlie is the Merry and Pippin in The Lord of the Rings, their lives are so fun and they love their lives, simple things in live make them happy. But when evil strikes, like Merry and Pippin, Charlie steps up, be a hero and fight evil alongside with Dean and Sam in the epic quest. Good woman!!! I hope Felicia Day will have time and make a return to season eight!

MOST UNDER-USED CHARACTER

AMY: The Impala! Ha!  That is all.

TINY: The Impala! BABY doesn’t get enough credit for being the love of Dean’s life and one of the most awesome cars in popular culture. I am not sure if I like the fact that BABY is locked down for most part of the season. I get why the decision is made to do so because season seven is about taking everything and everyone away from Dean and Sam. I love how BABY is introduced back to the season in the season finale, and BABY deserves to be treated like the way it is written and shot. I wish I get to see Dean’s face while he drives BABY. While I am ok with the fact that Meg is seen to be the first one to step out of BABY, it should have been Dean, but I can live with it J I want to see more BABY in season eight!!

BEST CONFRONTATION

AMY: I really loved the confrontation between Sam and Dean in The Mentalists. It was the confrontation that needed to happen. What was said needed to be said and I was glad Dean did it. I also thought he was right. He did do what had to be done and he did it because Sam couldn’t. If Amy had gone on another murdering spree, Sam would never have forgiven himself. She was a monster, she’d killed to protect her son, if put in the same situation, she would have done it again. Sam needed to hear that. He thought he was angry with Dean because Dean had killed Sam’s friend, but I think this helped Sam realise, he was angry with Dean, because Dean had lied. I thought this was a fantastic scene. It’s one of my favourites of the season.

TINY: The Sam and Lucifer confrontations through out season seven have been intense and the writing of it has been very consistent. The storyarc/ unfinished business/ and the whole messing with Sam’s mind have been very well executed. And through the storytelling, I think Lucifer’s true personality really comes through – the devil on Sam’s shoulder, and see how far he can push Sam before he gives up. I think it is the best way to address Sam’s damaged soul. Stuff like this doesn’t just go away. Sam does everything he can to confront Lucifer, he really tries and struggles. But human souls are fragile. Poor Sammy.

FAVOURITE GUEST STAR

AMY: Nicholas Lea. Yeah, I was pretty damn excited that Nic Lea was going to be on the show. Supernaturalgets great guest stars and I totally love it when they’re genre guest stars too. I really hope they find a way to bring Ness into the present so we get to see Nic again!

TINY: Is it redundant to name Misha my Favourite Guest Star? Seeing Misha is a ‘guest star’ in season seven, I have to go with Misha!!! But apart from Misha, this season invited many of iconic names in the business The X Files, Buffy, Dr Horrible and Pirates of the Caribbean. And if I have to pick another one, it would have to be Felicia Day (aka Charlie).

Honorable mention: DJ Qualls (aka Garth).

BIGGEST ‘I KNEW IT’ MOMENT

AMY: Probably Cass being alive, or maybe Bobby being a ghost. I loved how they revealed both of these. The Bobby ghost reveal was particularly great. I think we all figured it was Bobby and we all assumed Cass was still kicking, but you still yell out I KNEW IT when the big secret is popped!

TINY: Cas is not dead! HE IS ALIVE! HE IS ALIVE!! I can’t say I am surprised, but I am just glad he isn’t dead! He is a friggin angel and he is alive!!!

BEST CHARACTER MOMENT

AMY: It’s almost like the entirety of Death’s Door. The character moments for Bobby were stunning. My favourite being when he said, “Well, as fate would have it, I adopted two boys, and they grew up great. They grew up heroes.” It said so much about Bobby and it sort of made me sad. It made me feel a little lonely for him. But it also made it crystal clear how much he loved those boys. They were HIS boys. The fact that he chose them bickering and making fun of each other as his final memory. Oh yeah, the whole episode, but in particular, these two moments were my favourite. They really gave us insight into who Bobby was, not as a hunter, but as a man.

TINY: The Dean and Castiel garage scene in Survival of the Fittest illustrates forgiveness and maturity. I don’t know about you, but I am relieved after watching that scene. I feel the weight on my shoulder as a viewer has been lifted off, imagine how Dean and Cas feel! Dean has a big heart and he will never walk away from his family and friends, including Cas. Dean may not be able to forgive Cas completely, but this is Dean’s version of forgiveness, and that’s big! There is a great dialogue exchange between Dean and Cas in Survival of the Fittest. Cas has been trying to understand humans and their emotions/ behaviors ever since his arrival in season four. Some of the events he has experienced really have brought out emotions he doesn’t know they exist before.

FAVOURITE SAM AND DEAN MOMENT

AMY: Oh the end of Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie. It’s such a wonderful scene. To see Dean laugh and to see Sam enjoy Dean’s laughter. Dean’s apology for psychologically scarring Sam, Sam’s smart-assed “Which time”, the giant slinky. THE GIANT SLINKY! The whole scene makes my face hurt from the grinning! I love moments like these between the boys. Here’s to a few in season 8!

TINY: My favourite Sam and Dean moment is actually from the end of Plucky. That’s just good times! That scene reminds me of the end of season one’s Hell House when Dean and Sam prank Ed and Harry. We haven’t seen Dean and Sam having fun for a long time and it is such a great way to see the brothers having fun and a good laugh. Good times. I love that brotherly moment.

BIGGEST WTF MOMENT

AMY: I think it was when Dean and Cass disappeared and left Sam standing alone and then we cut to Purgatory and I was all “WTF??! WHAT’S HAPPENING? I HAVE TO WAIT HOW LONG TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENING?!” Yeah, it kind of took me by surprise.

TINY: Dean having a daughter and Sam marrying Becky…! Like WTF?!

FAVOURITE COMEDIC MOMENT IN AN EPISODE

AMY: It’s from Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie:

DEAN:  Cops have a theory?

SAM: Yeah, they think the ball washer did it.

DEAN: The what?

SAM: The... ball washer.

DEAN: *Smirks* The what?

SAM: The ball – *throws hands in the air*

Heeeee! Dean is so annoying! (Bless)

TINY: I am greedy. I am going to name two comedic moments, one for Sam and one for Dean. I love seeing Sam so scared of clowns in Plucky. LOVE IT! And the more he hides it, the funnier it gets. It’s been awhile since I find Sam funny! For Dean, I love his comedic side in Time After Time. I love how Dean just gets so into being an Untouchable. Who is that sexy dude in the fedora – Winchester. Dean Winchester!

BEST EPISODE

AMY: This is by far the trickiest of categories. When Supernatural shines, it dazzles. There were several episodes this season that were particularly strong. Strong in creative, structure, story and performance. But the best?

Death’s Door. This is a beautifully made hour of television. The script was perfection. It was complex, the way it shifted through realities, yet it never felt convoluted or cumbersome. It covered a lot of ground, in the waking world and the world inside Bobby’s head. We got a glimpse into who Bobby really was and what had happened to him in the past that affected everything for him in his future and we discovered the two things most important to him, Sam and Dean. The performances were spectacular. Jim, Steven, Jensen, Jared. The lighting was beautiful, the different worlds having different tones and the glow to Bobby’s favourite memory as all else faded around him. It was smart and heart wrenching, but didn’t rely on sacrine moments to tug at the emotions, because that wouldn’t be the Winchesters and that wouldn’t be Bobby. It felt true to all of them, while completely destroying all of us. Sera’s words, Bob Singer’s direction, Serge’s lighting and the cast’s powerful yet understated performances all mix together to create one of finest moments in Supernatural.

TINY: What constitutes the Best Episode of Supernatural? It should be an episode with a great written script, great character-driven story, great plot, great twist, great direction, great pace and great performance. Everything has to be flawless executed. And seeing this is Supernatural, it should also have the class brotherly moments, Dean’s one-liners, Sam’s puppy eyes, the Impala, the gore, the suspense and the classic rock. While the show proves us over the years that a single episode of Supernatural can contain all the above elements without overwhelming the audience, Supernatural is very very good with the way their characters are constructed and written, Dean and Sam are given, but when it comes to other characters such as Bobby and Cas, the writing team does not do lazy. It is episode such as Death’s Door reminds me how integral Bobby is to the overall story and how important Bobby is as a father figure to the boys. It is characters such as Bobby give Dean and Sam the meaning of ‘family don’t end with blood.’

Death's Door gets my vote for being the Best Episode for season seven. This episode is written by Sera Gamble and directed by Robert Singer. What I love about this episode is that the way Bobby is written – he is the son, the hunter and a father figure. The episode is packed with backstory about Bobby’s childhood, his fear, angst, darkness, frustration.. everything that makes Bobby who he is as a person and as a hunter. Despite having a very dark childhood and loosing his wife Karen over a demonic possession, Bobby turns out to be a great hunter who helps people and he is a father figure to Dean and Sam. Perhaps it is the ‘family don’t end with blood’ mentality that keeps Bobby going because, subconsciously, he does have someone to ‘come home’ to – his two adopted sons -- so to speak. He truly loves the boys, he truly cares about the boys. Death’s Door shows us the Bobby we haven’t seen before. We’ve known Bobby since season one but only until season seven we get to know Bobby’s past in depth. Death’s Door treats Bobby with respect and this is no doubt in my mind the best episode of season seven of Supernatural.  

So there it was, the Supernatural Season 7 Awards! I hope you enjoyed it. 
Now....ROLL ON SEASON 8!
-Amy

You can read part 1 of the Supernatural Season 7 Awards here

Sam and Dean's Day Off - A Supernatural Fan-fiction by sweetondean

Dean woke up, stretched and groaned. Every muscled ached. He didn't hit a wall with quite the same bounce back as he once did. He wiggled his shoulders and grimaced, stretched his knuckles and winced. Yeah, everything hurt.

Running a hand down his face, he swung his legs out of bed, bare feet hitting the cold linoleum floor of this week's crappy motel room. A shiver ran up his spine. He shook his head internally, "I'm getting too old for this" he thought, as he stood up and bent backwards releasing a loud crack of protest from his spine.

"Good morning. Coffee's still hot" Sam said, looking up from his laptop and nodding towards the pot on the stove.

Dean grunted and reached into his duffle to grab a pair of sweat pants. "It's cold," he said, as a matter of fact.

"It's snowing." Sam responded.

Dean glanced towards the window as he wiggled into the warmth of his sweat pants and pulled on a pair of socks. "Huh. Well that'd explain the cold." He padded over to the stove, grabbed the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. "Top up?" he said, as he held the pot out.

"Sure" Sam said, not looking up, as he lifted his cup towards Dean.

Dean dropped into a chair at the table with his brother. "Find anything?"

"Nope." Sam said. He slapped the cover of his laptop closed, picked up his cup and leaned back. "It's quiet out there."

"Huh. I'm hungry. Wanna get some breakfast?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I could eat."

"Great I'll just finish this, grab a quick shower and we'll head into town."

"Ok"

They sat opposite each other, enjoying the silence as they drank their coffee.

---

Dean pushed the last piece of pancake around his plate with his fork. "So, no case? Nothing?"

"Not today at least." Sam said as he stretched his long legs under the table, inadvertently kicking his brother. "Sorry. Ah, I'll keep looking, there must be something. What you going to do?"

"Dunno. Clean our guns. Wash the car. Oh, can't really do that in the snow. Um, clean our guns."

"You said that."

Dean frowned. "Hey, aren't the Chiefs playing today?" He looked up at Sam.

"I don't know. Are they?"

"Yeah I think they are, think they're playing the Cowboys."

"Cowboys suck."

"You said it."

"So what? You wanna watch the game?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, we got a day off Sammy. Let's do what normal folks do on a Sunday, grab some snacks and brews, watch a bit of football."

Sam shrugged. "Yeah ok. Sounds good. We could probably get some washing done before hand. That blood from last night's job should be set nicely by now."

"So domesticated Sammy." Dean smirked.

"Shut-up." Sam responded with a smile.

---

They walked into the Laundromat. It was empty except for a pretty woman reading a magazine, while she waited for her load to finish.

Dean elbowed Sam and nodded towards the woman, eyebrows wagging.

Sam looked to the skies. "Here." He handed Dean the bag of washing. "I'll go get some change."

Dean walked over to a machine two down from the woman and dumped the bag on the floor with as much noise as he could make. The woman glanced up and Dean smiled at her. He saw that look he sees flash across most women's faces before they compose themselves. That, holy shit look.

"Not the best way to spend a Sunday." He said, as he emptied the bag onto the bench behind him.

"Gotta be done," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I usually leave it to my brother here" Dean said, as Sam walked over "He's the woman in the relationship. He can get out stains that…"

Sam thumped him.

"Ow!" Dean said rubbing his arm.

The woman laughed.

"Couple of comedians I see." She said shaking her head. "Maybe you should stick to washing and give up the routine." She turned back to her magazine chuckling.

Dean shoved Sam and frowned. "Dude!" He said under his breath, indicating the woman.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dean, let's just get this done so we can relax."

"I was making an attempt at getting in a bit of….relaxation." Dean whispered.

"Thought we were watching the game Dean?"

Dean sighed, "Yeah, we're watching the game."

He grabbed a handful of clothes and tossed them in the washing machine.

"Throw over last night's shirts, I'll go give them a scrub." Sam said.

"No need to scrub them, just throw them in with the rest" Dean grabbed the shirt he was wearing the night before and held it up. "Aw the shoulder's ripped. Have to stitch that later" he mused, as he balled the shirt up and tossed it into the machine.

"That blood isn't going to come out just in the machine Dean. They need to be scrubbed first". Sam reached in and grabbed Dean's shirt back out.

"The blood will come out fine Sam. Just throw them in with everything else."

"It won't Dean, it's dried now, we should have rinsed them out last night."

"It doesn't matter, throw them in, I'm telling you, they'll be fine."

"Dean, I've been getting blood out of your clothes for years."

"And I've been getting blood out of your clothes for longer!"

They stood staring at each other, each holding a bloodied shirt.

"Fine" Sam said tossing Dean's shirt back at him, "But don't blame me if they come out stained."

They suddenly became aware that the woman sitting next to them was listening to their argument and looking worried.

"Oh um, don't worry, we ah, we hit a dog last night with the car, had to pick him up and take him to the vet. We wrapped him in Dean's shirt." Sam indicated his brother.

"Yeah and Sammy here carried him. So ah, that's how come he got blood on his shirt too."

Sam nodded, looking between Dean and the woman. "Right."

"Dog was ok." Dean quickly added. "He's gonna be fine."

Sam nodded again. "Right."

The woman smiled at them wanly, looking less than convinced.

Dean turned and started stuffing clothes in the machine. "Let's just get this finished before she decides to call the cops on us." He mumbled to Sam as he smiled and nodded at the woman. She quickly looked away. Dean puffed out a sigh.

---

They stopped by the supermarket on the way back to the motel from the Laundromat.

"You grab the beer and chips, I'll get the pie and liquorice."

"Dude, with the liquorice. Gross. Get some good snacks."

"Liquorice is a good snack!"

"Whatever. Get me some nuts or something."

"Nuts? Gotta have healthy snacks Sam? What's wrong with you?"

"Liquorice Dean? What's wrong with you?"

"Whatever, just go get the beer."

They headed up different aisles of the Supermarket both shaking their heads.

---

"What time is it?" Dean asked, kicking the motel door closed behind him.

"5 minutes 'til kick off."

"Perfect, flick on the TV and find the channel. I'll get the drinks and snacks sorted."

Dean unpacked the shopping and opened a couple of beers, grabbed two forks and the pie and picked up a bag of chips with his teeth.

He walked over to Sam, dropped the chips and the pie onto the coffee table, handed his brother a fork and a beer and threw himself down on the couch.

"How long's it been since we've watched a game together?" Dean asked, as he took a mouth full of beer.

"Been a while. I'd say a couple of years at least." Sam said thoughtfully.

"Too long." Dean said.

"Yeah, too long" Sam agreed.

"Well, cheers Sammy boy!" Dean said, clinking Sam's bottle. He sighed a contented sign, took another swig of beer, put his feet up and stretched out.

His phone rang.

Dean pulled his phone from his front pocket, looked at the number and turned to Sam and shrugged.

"Hello?"

"Dean? It's Jody, Jody Mills."

"Oh, hi Sheriff, what can we do for you?" He looked at Sam, frowning.

Sam reached for the remote and muted the TV.

"I just had a weird one come over the radio. A whole family's just up and vanished. Not the first time either, 3 families in as many weeks apparently."

"Police have any clues?"

"None that I can see. Everyone's scratching their heads. Thought it sounded like your kind of thing."

"Yeah, it sounds like our kind of thing alright. Ok, well give me the details"

Sam handed a pen to Dean and Dean scrawled an address on a piece of paper.

"Ok, got it. Thanks Sheriff. We're on our way."

He flipped his phone closed. "So much for a day off."

Sam sighed and turned off the TV. "You clear all this" he said, indicating the booze and snacks, "I'll start packing the car."

"Yep. Guess its pie to go." Dean said, as they both stood up.

"Story of our lives Dean."

"Story of our lives Sam."

For more of my Supernatural fan fictions, please visit my fan fiction page here

Supernatural Season 7 Awards - Part 1

Tiny and I have been at it again! We've put together our awards for the best and worst, favourite and least favourite elements of season 7.

So without further adieu....here's part 1 of Amy and Tiny's Supernatural Season 7 Awards!

FAVORITE FILLER

AMY: I always get squirrely about what constitutes a ‘filler’. Does the episode have to be completely void of mythology? Or does it have to in no way progress the story? Whatever, I’m saying Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie. I like this episode a lot. I like the brother’s dynamic in this one. I love that Sam’s phobia throws Dean right into teasing big brother mode. It was nice to see a bit of lightness in his mood…even if it was at Sam’s expense. I also loved Sam dropping into little brother mode as he chanted what Dean told him, “If it bleeds you can kill it”. It had fantastic throwbacks to season 2 with the rainbow farting Unicorn and Sam’s fear of clowns and then that wonderful scene between the brothers at the end, complete with laughter, apologies and giant slinkies. Yeah, it was a super fun episode.

Very Honourable Mention: Time After Time.

TINY: Time After Time is no doubt my favorite filler of season seven. Written by Robbie Thompson and directed by Philip Sgriccia, Time After Time is hands down one of the coolest Supernatural episodes of all time.

Personally, I love time travel and alternate reality stories in pop culture – Back to the Future, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Somewhere in Time (that’s right!), Lost, Stargate SG1, you name it. And I love it when Supernatural does time travel/ alternative reality episodes such as What Is And What Should Never Be, In The Beginning, The Song Remains The Same, Frontierland, The French Mistake, Changing Channels, and in season seven, we have Time After Time – they are all bloody brilliant! Not only that, I love it whenever Supernatural reveals a different side of Dean – the fanboy Dean. It’s wonderful to see him gets to play doctor, cowboy and the Untouchable. I also love the fact that the writing team of Supernatural is so in tune with the pop culture and create their own version of a mash-up of Eliot Ness, Untouchable and supernatural hunting. Just like Elizabeth Bennett as the zombie hunter and Lincoln as the vampire hunter, it’s just so much fun! Brilliant stuff! All I want now is Ben Edlund writing a ninja episode with Ben as the ninja. Just saying...

LEAST FAVOURITE FILLER

AMY: This is kind of an easy one for me, Season 7, Time For A Wedding. I really didn’t care for this episode. I didn’t find it funny. I’d liked Becky the couple of times we’d met her previously and this episode tore all that down. It made me actively dislike Becky and I didn’t like that at all! I thought it was hideous what she did to Sam and then hideous how she allowed Sam to pretty much crush Dean’s heart. He’d never, ever be so cruel to his brother, ever. I didn’t see it as a poke at the fans initially and but after a pretty good conversation with one of my fellow Supernaturalbloggers, I saw that maybe they were having a bit of a go at a certain section of the fandom. As my friend said, you open that gate you can’t expect the fans not to flood through. You can’t do episodes where you’re playful with the fans by ripping down that fourth wall and then slap their hands away. But that’s not why it’s my least favourite filler, I wasn’t offended or anything...it was just disappointing. Strangely my favourite and least favourite fillers were written by Dabb and Loflin. They had a very patchy season.

TINY: My least favorite filler is definitely Defending Your Life. I get why Dean is put on trial, and I understand a hero sometimes needs to show self-doubt, it is part of the hero’s journey, but the story is poorly executed and the writing isn’t at its best. Perhaps it’s the fact that I hate it when people-killing monsters judge Dean like he is crap. He is a hero! We should all know by now, monsters are just monsters, even when they are posted as ‘gods’. That’s the way Dean should see this case rather than going along with the whole trial. May be it is just the way it’s written? Dean doesn’t feel guilty at all, but it is written as if he feels guilty. Dean does not feel guilty for killing Amy Pond, not once. It is the secret he is keeping from Sam that drives him into destruction. The only thing I love about this episode, apart from the boys’ good look, is the return of Jo. I miss her!

FAVOURITE EPISODE

AMY: Tricky one. I have a few favourites in Season 7, but the one I’ve watched the most is probably Slash Fiction. It’s an episode I randomly pop on. I think one of the things I like about it is seeing Jensen and Jared do different versions of Sam and Dean.  It’s good to see them stretch like that. I also really like Chet, the Leviathan in Bobby’s basement and the introduction of Frank Devereaux. This is the episode we lost Baby for the remainder of the season, which was a bummer but as compensation, we had Dean singing All Out Of Love. We also got a little romance with Bobby and Sheriff Mills. I like the story, the script, the guest stars, the use of recurring characters and Leviathan Sam and Dean. It’s a goodie.

TINY: This is a super hard one to pick! But my winner is The Born-Again Identity for a few reasons. It is one of the most anticipated episodes of the season. Cas’ death and return are one of the most debated topics this season. Cas’ disappearance and re-appearance have almost defined a certain timeline in season seven. Cas’ disappearance marks the beginning of the Leviathans’ domination over Dean and Sam. Never before have the boys been so stripped down, no thanks to the Leviathans. Cas reappears just in time for the battle against the Leviathans. His reappearance also marks the beginning of forgiveness – not only forgiveness from Dean but Cas also learns how to deal with his guilt despite the fact that he can never forgive himself for what he does. Cas as a character has been very symbolic and philosophical this season. Sera Gamble skillfully writes a remarkable episode to mark the beginning of the born-again Cas.

LEAST FAVOURITE EPISODE

AMY: It’s Season 7, Time For A Wedding, for all of the reasons I said earlier. It just doesn’t do it for me at all.

If I had to pick another, it would be Defending Your Life– which was written by Adam Glass, another patchy writer on the show. This was simply a weak story that had great potential to go deep into Dean Winchester’s damaged psyche, but took so long to set up the Monster Of The Week, that we glossed over the elements of the episode that threatened to have any substance. It also misconstrued Dean’s guilt as being about killing Amy behind Sam’s back, when it was the fact that he was lying to Sam that was eating him up alive. Add to it another pussy of a God who was not even remotely threatening or interesting and yeah, just ordinary on every level. Maybe this is my least favourite episode actually. Seriously, it’s a toss-up.

TINY: Defending Your Life…NEXT…

FAVOURITE WRITER

AMY: Ben Edlund is my favourite writer forever and he did some very nice work in Season 7.  Hello, Cruel Word, How To Win Friends And Influence Monsters (HTWFAIM), Repo Man, which I think is overlooked but has some really fantastic elements and Reading Is Fundamental, which is a bit of a masterpiece of the obtuse reference and layered script. I watched HTWFAIMjust yesterday and marvelled at the wonderful dialogue. Ben has a skill at balancing the humour and pathos of the story that only the very senior writers on Supernatural seem to be able to do. I love Ben. I think he’s a fabulously creative writer, director and human being. He’s one of my heroes and an inspiration.

My second favourite writer of the season is a newbie to the show, Robbie Thomas. Robbie wrote, Slash Fiction, Time After Time and The Girl With The Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo. What a stellar start to his tenure at Supernatural. When the show was signed for Season 8, he was one of the writers that I was hoping and praying would be back and apparently he will be. I’m looking forward to seeing some lovely work from him soon.

TINY: Once again, Ben Edlund is my favorite writer this season. I kind of miss the Ghostfacers Ben, but I am really digging his profound and complex writing. Ben’s ideas are getting deeper and more philosophical. As an aspiring writer, I really learn a lot from Ben’s episodes. On paper, it may not seem a lot, but if you deconstruct the story and the characters into layers, there are actually a lot of juicy stuff there. I think Supernatural needs Ben’s voice and I am glad he is back for season eight.

FAVOURITE DIRECTOR

AMY: In a couple more seasons I might say Jensen Ackles, because he’s showing great skill and he’s my favourite everything…but until I’ve seen a bit more of his directing prowess, I will say Phil Sgriccia. Phil’s done some lovely work this season, including the season opener Meet The New Boss and the fantastic time travel piece Time After Time. The thing I find with Phil’s episodes is that he tries different shots and angles and sometimes shot transitions. I think this probably comes from being an editor in his previous life, so it gives him that dual eye. But really, the quality of direction on Supernaturalis so high, it’s very difficult to pin point the best of the best! But if I must, I’m saying Phil.

TINY: Philip Sgriccia for directing Time After Time! I think the way the story depicts Dean and Sam investigating the case in a different time and space, is exceptionally well executed, kudos not only to the writing but also to Phil’s direction in storytelling and editing. The episode is also shot as a period film -- the sceneries, the costumes and the big band jazz really give the episode a sense of time. Time After Time is definitely done the Chicago way!

BEST USE OF SONG

AMY: All Out Of Love. I really can’t go past that. It’s a fantastic scene. It reveals, once again, that Dean is nowhere near as cool as he likes to think he is. It showcases Jensen’s goofiness. I love that he really goes for it when it comes to the comedy. He’s lovely at comedy. I’m baffled how Jared kept a straight face. It’s a wonderful scene.

Special mention goes to Walking On The Sunshine with Charlie having an alone moment and dancing up a storm in the glass elevator and Starry, Starry Night, which was perfect for the scene between Cass and Dean.

Oh hang on…I think my favourite music cue might be…Black Water when the boys and Bobby were walking away from the reservoir after Levi!Cass disappeared under the surface and the Leviathan were seeping out into the water supply. That was pretty cool.

So can I have four?

TINY: Supernatural is known for the use of classic rock. But I love the fact that the show thinks outside the square and doesn’t use classic rock just for the sake of it. It is about choosing the most appropriate song to tell a story or reflect the emotional state of a character. So to me, the best use of song is Don McLean’s Vincent (Starry Starry Night) for Cas. This is very close to becoming the WTF moment of the season, but this is the best song to illustrate Cas’ ‘off the rocket’ state of mind. I can’t think of a better song than Vincent to reflect ‘Cas-gone-nuts’. If you listen to the lyrics, perhaps Cas can be associated with Van Gogh’s state of mind when he took his own life. A very sad song indeed.

Honourable mention: Dean/ Jensen singing Air Supply’s All Out of Love; and Katrina and the Waves’s Walking on Sunshine.

BEST QUOTE

AMY: I loved Dean’s “…Is the Chicago Way” in Time After Time followed by his pouty “Never watch that movie again.” Poor Dean. I also loved his “Nobody puts Baby in a corner”. Oh Dean, you are such a nerd.

Honourable mentions:

Dick Roman: “Don’t roofie me and call it romance.”

Dude in café: “You’re a virile manifestation of the divine.”

TINY: Best quote has got to be something Dean says. It is just how my mind works!! Sorry Sam, you are good but Dean is the King of Quotes: “The Chicago Way.”

MOST HEART BREAKING MOMENT

AMY: Bobby. Bobby. Bobby. Bobby. Death’s Door had me bawling. Still does. That moment when Bobby says “Idjits” and dies and leaves the boys just standing there. Then we pull back to replicate the closing scene of In My Time Of Dying when the brothers watched John die. Losing 2 dads…so sad. Then we go into Bobby’s melon and see what was the memory he decided was his best, the one he saved to last, his boys, goofing off calling each other jerk-face and ass-hat and then fading away…A-Wahhhhhh! The whole thing is so damn heart wrenching. Probably the saddest episode ever.

TINY: I feel like we have created this category for Bobby. This category is previously known as Best Death. Bobby’s death is a much-debated topic for the season. We have always sensed death is near. Every time when spoilers say ‘there will be a death of a much loved character’, we go ‘please, not Bobby’. But his time has come! Bobby is taken away from us. Death’s Door is the perfect send-off for a character like Bobby. But after his first death, he returns to the show as Ghost!Bobby, which is another much debated topic. Ghost!Bobby works for awhile but when the idea of Bobby becoming an angry spirit, that’s pretty heart breaking too. And then he is gone, again. Triple the sadness! Whatever happens, both occasions have very emotional scenes and we really experience the sadness of Dean, Sam and Cas for losing the same friend twice.

Jim appeared at Comic Con back in July, surely he didn’t invite himself!! So…will Bobby be back in season eight? Just because your character is dead, it doesn’t mean we won’t see you again. It is Supernatural afterall.

COOLEST MONSTER DEATH

AMY: How To Win Friends And Influence Monsters when Dr. Gaines got “bibbed”. Okay, we didn’t see it…but the concept of “bibbing” is just brilliant! Every time I watch this episode my mind goes crazy with how you can eat your whole body! How, how did he eat his own head? Did his mouth just kind of bend all the way back around on itself and then he disappeared into nothing…leaving just a black oil slick? What?! I want to see! I want to see “bibbing” real bad. Conceptually, this might be the coolest monster death ever!

TINY: Dick Roman! His death scene isn’t as dramatic as the death of YED, Lucifer or Michael. But the build up of his death is really good, the way he dies doesn’t disappoint. Dick is a good villain, he somehow reminds me of the Luthors in Smallville. While Dick doesn’t go down as one of the best villains ever on the show, he is good at screwing the boys, causing disruption. James Patrick Stuart has done a fantastic job as Dick. Thanks for sticking around.

BEST FIGHT

AMY: I’m taking this to mean a fistfight, or physical fight, so I’m going to say the Clowns vs. Sam. It was pretty funny and pretty full on. I remember Jared saying he ached for days after it. I love that it ended in a shower of glitter! Only on Supernatural!

TINY: OK so, I am not going to pick a physical fight. But I will pick a emotional ‘fight’ between Sam and Dean. At the end of The Mentalists when Dean flips and tells Sam to quit being a bitch for Amy Pond’s death. Dean isn’t feeling guilty about killing Amy Pond, he has to kill a monster who kills people. That’s what they do as hunters. That’s what family does, do each other’s dirty work! It is a dialogue the brothers have to have. I am glad it happens as I don’t want see this to drag on any longer. And I think this fight is important. I feel that after this fight, the dark cloud is gone…no more secret. And I think the brothers are somehow bonded over this incident and trust is rebuild.  

Read Part 2 here!
-Amy