so, that show we all know of
Sep. 13th, 2009 09:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tea_and_inkI, as per usual, have mixed feelings about this season's premiere.
On the one hand, it was really cool. On the other, maybe it tried to be too cool.
I felt it was a lot of info-dump and had to watch it a second time just to make sure I got most of what was going on. I'm not sure what was I expecting, but this was way more than anything I could have hoped this episode would turned out to look like.
Other than that, it did do a fairly nice job out of handling all the information it gave us. Were it not such a load of info, it would really have hit IMTOD levels of epically awesome for me. Considering that I'm used to the whole time-skipping and hand-waving that goes on in this show, I love it nevertheless.
Mostly, I loved that I did feel sympathetic toward that devil. Seriously. I'm torn because I can't decide what would be more awesome, having the devil really be this heartbreakingly human, or having this moment be him displaying his/her famed powers of seduction. Mainly I loved how he he/she doesn't need to lie. We just go over there all by our lonesome, with "big, fat smiles on our faces", once again Spn questions human nature and human nature answers being not too pretty, but utterly honest.
What did bug me enormously was this whole The Michael Sword business, it feels too big, and after the major let down that Lilith turned out to be, I'm having difficulty with that In Kripke We Trust mantra. It does have the potential to be the uber plot line to put to shame all the other plot lines in the 'verse. It really, really does. But then again, Lilith. I hope this sword/vessel/angel condom thing is more metaphorical than actual physical possession, otherwise Dean's agency would be severely questioned and how is this gonna help rebuild his sense of self-worth, again? I mean, to be humanity's champion because you choose to be, because you believe in the cause and because you have the support system (Sam mostly, but also maybe Castiel as well?) to make it work is one thing, but become the destroyer of Lucifer simply because you got ridden into it is another thing entirely. It would amount to saying he's special because he was born being so, not because of something so patently Dean (hey, maybe he could snark the devil to death, I'd pay to see that) that no one else but him could pull it off.
Maybe it all ties down to the first Seal being broken when he broke in Hell, in which case Zachariah is full of it and maybe it wasn't even Michael who was going to possess Dean at all in the first place (because, how do you lose that sword/vessel at all), since it was dear ol' Zach asking for permission on behalf of someone else (or maybe Micheal can't communicate with Dean in the same way Castiel couldn't way back when. Huh. Still, Zach reeks of lies and deceit). I'm rather liking the idea of some sort of Civil War in Heaven and for some reason the possibility of Michael himself putting the Winchesters in that plane and stitching Castiel back together seems profoundly appealing to me. Which is probably the ultimate guarantee that this is NOT how things will play out. Except for the Civil War in Heaven. Please, please let that be a plot point. It would stir things a bit further away from the whole Judeo-Christian approach we've been seeing, and, more importantly, it would allow for the doubt over God's existence to remain, I don't want to see God. ::covers eyes::
Whatever.
That wasn't what made this season opener for me. The relationships did. Bobby being true and steady (while NOT possessed, that is, although I do believe Sam needed to hear that yes, he's screwed up and we know it, I think part of him was looking for punishment as much as he was looking for reassurance that he's not alone, and that people make mistakes and he come out of this one being stronger and better than ever before because LESSONS LEARNED, man), reminding us that there are three members in this family after all. No matter what.
Dean finally not giving in simply because Sam was threatened (and lungless for an incredibly, worrisomely, long time), I'd like to think that while Sam begins his journey to redemption (because apparently he made a mistake and soiled his soul or something), Dean begins his to self-realization, as in, he finally gives himself the chance to be defined by something other than Sam's protector, other that John's son, and please may that be Dean Winchester and not plainly Michael'sCondom Vessel.
I totally, fully and utterly approve of this rift between the bros because they're acknowledging it and dude, admitting you have a problem is totally the first step. Things are not to be the way they were before (before what, I wonder. Before Ruby? Before the YED version of Survivor? Before Stanford?) and this is good because, as I've stated before, these two men are not who they were way back then, they've changed and thus their relationship must change. But I'm not worried because this is a bond that repeated deaths have not managed to break, I don't see how the apocalypse will. This is healthy, conflict is necessary for progress, we all know that. Already Dean is showing some maturity in his handling of Sam's and his own feelings, already Sam is reminding us (or me, anyway) what is so likable about him, he's smart, he's self-aware (to a point), he has the ability to step beyond his pride and see he must apologize.
Though, interestingly, it wasn't so much his continued attempts at saying I'm sorry and being heard out what endeared him so to me, it was my perceived double request in that sorry. I feel like he was both looking for a reprimand for his moment of weakness as well as sympathy from the people reprimanding him (maybe we're supposed to feel sympathy for this devil too?). He needs both to be able to fully learn from this mistake, I think. He needs to know that he's being held accountable and that his own regret is validated by those around him, but he also needs to feel accompanied in this journey, he needs to feel supported and cared for. It's a tricky position to be in, so far we've (Sam) gotten both but from different sources, and these need to be unified. In Dean. Preferably. Because Dean is the one true constant in Sam's life, and I cannot see how things would turn out well in the end for Sam is this link in his life isn't repaired as fully as possible.
There.
Um, Chuck continues to be love, even if the Winchester Gospels continue to be crap. To me, anyway. Although, if Castiel decided he was gonna start playing it by ear and things have definitely gone left of The Plan, then maybe they will not be Gospels after all?
The fangirl was both too OTT and just the right amount of crazy to work. I do feel uncomfortable with the whole touching, though. That's skeevy. Sorry.
Meg. Well, Meg is back. This is good. She was way, way better a bad guy than Lilith and the YED combined. So there's that.
I did enjoy it. So, mostly love?
On the one hand, it was really cool. On the other, maybe it tried to be too cool.
I felt it was a lot of info-dump and had to watch it a second time just to make sure I got most of what was going on. I'm not sure what was I expecting, but this was way more than anything I could have hoped this episode would turned out to look like.
Other than that, it did do a fairly nice job out of handling all the information it gave us. Were it not such a load of info, it would really have hit IMTOD levels of epically awesome for me. Considering that I'm used to the whole time-skipping and hand-waving that goes on in this show, I love it nevertheless.
Mostly, I loved that I did feel sympathetic toward that devil. Seriously. I'm torn because I can't decide what would be more awesome, having the devil really be this heartbreakingly human, or having this moment be him displaying his/her famed powers of seduction. Mainly I loved how he he/she doesn't need to lie. We just go over there all by our lonesome, with "big, fat smiles on our faces", once again Spn questions human nature and human nature answers being not too pretty, but utterly honest.
What did bug me enormously was this whole The Michael Sword business, it feels too big, and after the major let down that Lilith turned out to be, I'm having difficulty with that In Kripke We Trust mantra. It does have the potential to be the uber plot line to put to shame all the other plot lines in the 'verse. It really, really does. But then again, Lilith. I hope this sword/vessel/angel condom thing is more metaphorical than actual physical possession, otherwise Dean's agency would be severely questioned and how is this gonna help rebuild his sense of self-worth, again? I mean, to be humanity's champion because you choose to be, because you believe in the cause and because you have the support system (Sam mostly, but also maybe Castiel as well?) to make it work is one thing, but become the destroyer of Lucifer simply because you got ridden into it is another thing entirely. It would amount to saying he's special because he was born being so, not because of something so patently Dean (hey, maybe he could snark the devil to death, I'd pay to see that) that no one else but him could pull it off.
Maybe it all ties down to the first Seal being broken when he broke in Hell, in which case Zachariah is full of it and maybe it wasn't even Michael who was going to possess Dean at all in the first place (because, how do you lose that sword/vessel at all), since it was dear ol' Zach asking for permission on behalf of someone else (or maybe Micheal can't communicate with Dean in the same way Castiel couldn't way back when. Huh. Still, Zach reeks of lies and deceit). I'm rather liking the idea of some sort of Civil War in Heaven and for some reason the possibility of Michael himself putting the Winchesters in that plane and stitching Castiel back together seems profoundly appealing to me. Which is probably the ultimate guarantee that this is NOT how things will play out. Except for the Civil War in Heaven. Please, please let that be a plot point. It would stir things a bit further away from the whole Judeo-Christian approach we've been seeing, and, more importantly, it would allow for the doubt over God's existence to remain, I don't want to see God. ::covers eyes::
Whatever.
That wasn't what made this season opener for me. The relationships did. Bobby being true and steady (while NOT possessed, that is, although I do believe Sam needed to hear that yes, he's screwed up and we know it, I think part of him was looking for punishment as much as he was looking for reassurance that he's not alone, and that people make mistakes and he come out of this one being stronger and better than ever before because LESSONS LEARNED, man), reminding us that there are three members in this family after all. No matter what.
Dean finally not giving in simply because Sam was threatened (and lungless for an incredibly, worrisomely, long time), I'd like to think that while Sam begins his journey to redemption (because apparently he made a mistake and soiled his soul or something), Dean begins his to self-realization, as in, he finally gives himself the chance to be defined by something other than Sam's protector, other that John's son, and please may that be Dean Winchester and not plainly Michael's
I totally, fully and utterly approve of this rift between the bros because they're acknowledging it and dude, admitting you have a problem is totally the first step. Things are not to be the way they were before (before what, I wonder. Before Ruby? Before the YED version of Survivor? Before Stanford?) and this is good because, as I've stated before, these two men are not who they were way back then, they've changed and thus their relationship must change. But I'm not worried because this is a bond that repeated deaths have not managed to break, I don't see how the apocalypse will. This is healthy, conflict is necessary for progress, we all know that. Already Dean is showing some maturity in his handling of Sam's and his own feelings, already Sam is reminding us (or me, anyway) what is so likable about him, he's smart, he's self-aware (to a point), he has the ability to step beyond his pride and see he must apologize.
Though, interestingly, it wasn't so much his continued attempts at saying I'm sorry and being heard out what endeared him so to me, it was my perceived double request in that sorry. I feel like he was both looking for a reprimand for his moment of weakness as well as sympathy from the people reprimanding him (maybe we're supposed to feel sympathy for this devil too?). He needs both to be able to fully learn from this mistake, I think. He needs to know that he's being held accountable and that his own regret is validated by those around him, but he also needs to feel accompanied in this journey, he needs to feel supported and cared for. It's a tricky position to be in, so far we've (Sam) gotten both but from different sources, and these need to be unified. In Dean. Preferably. Because Dean is the one true constant in Sam's life, and I cannot see how things would turn out well in the end for Sam is this link in his life isn't repaired as fully as possible.
There.
Um, Chuck continues to be love, even if the Winchester Gospels continue to be crap. To me, anyway. Although, if Castiel decided he was gonna start playing it by ear and things have definitely gone left of The Plan, then maybe they will not be Gospels after all?
The fangirl was both too OTT and just the right amount of crazy to work. I do feel uncomfortable with the whole touching, though. That's skeevy. Sorry.
Meg. Well, Meg is back. This is good. She was way, way better a bad guy than Lilith and the YED combined. So there's that.
I did enjoy it. So, mostly love?
no subject
Date: 2009-09-13 06:38 pm (UTC)As for the Michael thing... I would thing that an ARCHANGEL possessing a human would be a BAD thing and burn up the vessel with the awesome power, you know? I mean, look at Lucifer. He/She created a vessel.
I feel so completely terrible for Nick. His wife and baby have died and Lucifer started fucking with him. He's lonely and sad and probably very much thinks God has abandoned him.
Which leads me to some squee:
CASTIEL ALL BUT SAID GOD WAS IN THE HOUSE AND ZAC WAS ALL 'OMG SHIT I'M IN SUPER BAD TROUBLE' because he's COMPLETELY acting out of his jurisdiction, IMO.
God was playing skeeball and had some trouble.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-16 01:00 pm (UTC)I do wonder about Nick, though. Did his wife and child die because of random coincidence in a world where god doesn't give a flying pickle? Or did they die so that Lucifer would have this particular man in the right frame of mind to accept him/her taking over. It's interesting to ponder, I think.
Hmm. Like I said. I prefer god remain an unknown factor. Like, remember Anna said only three angels had seen his face and the rest of them had to take his existence on faith? maybe it's all very His Dark Materials and god never really existed, which I think would be an interesting turn in the entire mythology of the show and a bold move storytelling-wise, at least on this particular media. But I don't think they'd go there. Too bold, yanno? Thus my fondness for the civil war theory, it would mean that Zach is not entirely in command of things, there are others interested in the opposite of his goals. And they are on the Winchesters' side, which clearly spells trouble for Zach and his ilk.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-14 11:06 am (UTC)As much as I enjoy watching Kripke take the piss out of fandom, I thought it was a little too left feild. At least in TMATEOTB there was a reason for the crazies. I mean, people who are detached from all this - I know a few - would find the whole exchange really confusing.
Last night I was playing with the idea that there WAS no Castiel [you know, in the same way there was no spoon] and the relationship that was built in S4 was preamble to Dean agreeing to be the Sword. Except, yeah, your reasoning is way better.
The last thing I'd like to point out is, mmm, Jensen.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-16 01:27 pm (UTC)Huh, I hadn't thought of that. But yeah, it must be utterly puzzling for the uneducated. Maybe they've given up on trying to recruit more viewers to their lines, or something. With the working theory of season five being the very last and the cw being as much of an ass as usual, maybe they've resigned themselves to us and no one else. Or maybe they've realized that most new viewers come through fandom first anyway (the friend of someone, a fic reader stumbling upon Sam'n'Dean fanfictional hijinks, etc.), or maybe I like to theorize a wee bit much...
(hahaha, Castiel is totally the little spoon, dood... and I'm totally fourteen) That does sound interesting, and it would parallel the whole Ruby-Sam situation rather nicely, too. But then, poor, poor Dean, man. Like, his brother betrayed him, and his new (and probably only, ever) friend was never really his friend. It would be nice storytelling-wise, with the paralleling and the whole you can only trust family shtick, but Dean would never recover, I think. Still, I'd like to see it on some level. ::does not theorize on the possibilities::
Mmmmm indeed. I can't believe I finally made a Spn post where I didn't include some drooling. I'm not sure I'm proud of it. It feels like heresy, yanno?