SPN 4.03 episode review

[chase_acow]

Apologies, but my glee cannot be contained by the cut tag. I love this show! There will never be another character as amazing as Dean Winchester.



In the Beginning

A. Sam, I swear to God, I think your heart is in the right place, but how can you do this to Dean? You know how much you've hurt him before, why would you keep this shit from him? He freakin' went to hell! You should be sitting on him making sure he stays safe not gallivanting around with evil!

B. Castiel! I love where the characterization has taken him. At first, I liked the idea of him being gentle, but this badass angel mojo is just amazing. I am in love with Misha! Hello Dean. What were you dreaming about?"

C. Time travel FTW! I so called it!

D. John. I like this John so much than S1 John. I love him being everything that a Hunter isn't. I love how normal he is – safe. Then it makes me sad that Dean didn't get to have that.

E. The Impala! I love a good origin story! Dean loves his car, he flirts so pretty with it.

F. Re D. How sad was it, Dean trying to be Mr. Casual-Cattle-Mutilation and totally freaking John out? Dean just doesn't get ordinary people. Poor guy.

G. Mary is gorgeous. And amazing, I mean, she's feminine, strong, and independent. Why can't we have more women on television like her? She makes the hard decisions and I love that about her.

H. The Campbells were great too. How awesome is it that Dean is named after his grandma? I love that little bit extra of family business.

I. Priests call back! I love this show.

J. YED. Poor Dean. He's so desperate to make things right for his family. He didn't listen to Meg at all in the last ep when she blasted him about putting his family above everyone and everything else. Even himself.

K. Dean's little hand wave to Mary when he's saying goodbye just makes me grin like an idiot. He's such a little dork.

L. Okay, this is the part that made me cry big emo tears for the entire Winchester/Campbell clan. The writers nailed it, the actors nailed, the crew nailed it. This is the scene. The scene.

M. Mary wanting out just like Sam did has to stick straight to Dean's heart. Just like when she says that she would never want that life for her kids. The look on Dean's face just makes me ache for him.

N. Dean is so desperate. He knows what he's risking, and he does care. It hurts him, but he's been raised to give everything for family. Everything and more.

O. I loved the scene of him getting the gun. He gets it here, he convinces DE to let him take the gun. He pulls it off amazingly.

P. Yellow eyes had to get back into Samuel while he was still in the house with the girl, because otherwise Mary or Dean would have noticed. That means when Samuel complimented Dean it was really the YED again and a call back to S1. Good thing YED follows his own tricks because that's how Dean figured out his Dad's possessed. How sad is it that a demon understands normal human behavior enough to mimic it and that's what tips his hand in Hunter families?

Q. I loved this incarnation of YED. He mimics S2 so well, it's amazing. I love that he immediately knows that Dean has angels on his side. And the explanation about the special kids is awesome.

R. Endgame! So, we're all betting it's some kind of antichrist, war against heaven and earth, right? Awesome.

S. Dean's "I'm still gonna kill you." speech gave me shivers! How cool is it that he does get the last laugh over that bastard?

T. "I will always love you for exactly who you are." I would love to hear Dean or Sam say this to the other one. That's family. And incest-ridden brothers. And it's exactly what each of them need to hear!

U. I love that YED promises that no one would get hurt if he wasn't interrupted. That's a neat twist and makes the character so much more than just a random killing machine.

V. Oh God Dean! I'm so sorry! That whole business of sending him back knowing that he couldn't change anything was so callous – so needlessly painful. But I'm sure that Dean was thankful for the chance to meet his family.

W. Destiny. "All roads lead to the same destination." This has always been my view on destiny and time travel. You can make any choice you want; take the hard way or the easy way, but who are is what you do is where you'll go. You can't change the past because it's already happened, so anything you do is done and that's why the present is the way it is. So ->

X. Castiel (or God or whatever) sent Dean back. John got the car, Mary lost her family and found a yellow eyed demon. Castiel (or God or whatever) picked the Winchesters to make their final stand against YED. Sucks to be a cog in the machine, don't it?

Y. But, doesn't that conflict with this then? "Your brother is headed down a dangerous road, Dean. We're not sure were it leads. So stop it, or we will." If their side is all-knowing, wouldn't they see where Sam was heading and wouldn't the destination be inevitable? I mean, we all learned from Angel that it's the fight that counts - that good people keep fighting the forces of evil, but I just want to hug and squish the boys and duct-tape them with bubble wrap to keep them safe.

Z. JESUS CHRIST IS IT NEXT THURSDAY YET? <- I hate capslock and I couldn't help myself. This show!


This is going to be in my top three episodes ever, and that is as close as I will ever get to having a favorite. If this season keeps up this level of amazing, it will easily knock down all the competition.

Comments

[domtheknight.livejournal.com]

OMG this episode was kind of heartbreaking!! By making that deal, Mary doomed her husband and her children just when she thought she was saving them.

I think... re Y, I guess some things are fated but the exact details can change, like how I imagine might have happened this time. So the angels know there will be a fight, but maybe they don't know how it'll end, or who exactly will play the big roles in the end. Or perhaps God does know but hasn't told the angels... somehow I feel that's a thing that might happen. Reminds me of Good Omens and everything being ineffable.

[chase-acow.livejournal.com]

It was really heartbreaking for all of them! I could even feel a little sorry for thhe YED if I felt like it (though I don't). I feel so bad for the Hunters. They're saving the world and nothing ever works out for them.

That whole "no fate but what you make" thing is always what drew me to Terminator. I hope that's true for the boys, I don't know how (or if) they're going to get Sam to go darkside. He just wants to help people. I could see it if he were trying to save Dean, but now, not using his powers will save Dean.

[domtheknight.livejournal.com]

I saw some other people discussing that maybe it didn't matter what Castiel showed him about the past because it had already happened, but the future hadn't yet. Of course, from Stargate (and some other sources, books etc), I think time is probably cyclical, but maybe it's not like that in SPN, so that whatever Dean tried in the past wouldn't change where he was now, but things he does now could change the future.

I think Sam wants to help people but I also think he's really stubborn. He wanted to try this last season to save Dean, and Dean wouldn't let him, so it makes perfect sense to me that he'd go for it when he thought Dean was gone permanently. I think that the best thing they could do in terms of putting a divide between the boys is give the power more darkside properties... if that makes sense. I mean, we know it's from Azazel, or at least, the visions were (I'm assuming this is another offshoot) and maybe using the power for long periods of time eventually changes Sam, too, makes him darker? That's probably how I would write it if I were writing a fantasy novel. Eventually use of power like that could get so addictive he'd stop caring about saving Dean, in my mind.

[chase-acow.livejournal.com]

whatever Dean tried in the past wouldn't change where he was now, but things he does now could change the future.

And right there, I'm sure you've saved a dozen fandom headaches! I love the idea of time travel. I've enjoyed Back to the Future actually changing things, Terminator's offshoot parallel universes and grandfather paradox, and I enjoy the kind where they just can't change the past no matter what. I just don't like to think about it too much because then I get stuck like a hamster on an out-of-control wheel and I can't get off! : )

Eventually use of power like that could get so addictive he'd stop caring about saving Dean, in my mind.

I'm just a big romantic sap and want to believe that Dean could still get through to him. Maybe using that line from point T? I would cry and bawl and hug random people on the street if that ever happened.

[domtheknight.livejournal.com]

Yeah, secretly I really believe no one could do anything horrible enough to make Sam and Dean stop loving each other. But I think it would be cool if the show approached that and then veered away again. Because how much more powerful would it be if it was all tense and almost didn't work?

[creedcascade.livejournal.com]

I have already watched it twice.

Dean Winchester is love.

But my love for Castiel is growing waaaaaaaaay big, too.

[chase-acow.livejournal.com]

\0/

I know! I was so bummed after last season, but the premiere and this ep gives me bunches of hopes for the SPN universe. : )

If the actors keep up with that incredible intensity, I'm not going to have any choice but try to write Dean/Castiel again. They're amazing on screen together - it's like I can't look away for a second! I love where they're taking Castiel and the image of angels.

[kynikey.livejournal.com]

I need to rewatch to comment coherently, but despite really, really liking the ep, it left me with a lot more questions than I anticipated. Everybody's focusing on all the answers we got, but either I was too tired when I watched it, or there was a lot there that I'd like further explanations for.

[chase-acow.livejournal.com]

I'm insanely curious about YED's endgame. I mean, I think he's a fallen angel so probably it has something to do with storming the gates of heaven, but I want to know now! Also, Mary completely won me over. That conversation with Dean completely ripped me apart. I want to know what she did for the ten plus years before she died. And Castiel needs to stop threatening my boys but I need to know what he and Ruby are up to too.

Really, I'm just so happy that after three freakin' years we've finally got something.

What are you curious about?

[kynikey.livejournal.com]

Well they definitely did an insanely great job with casting for this episode, I agree. =)

What are you curious about?

I don't know...some of the things I was wondering about I've kinda found explanations for in some other reviews I read, but some stuff...are Lilith and Azazel working together or are we suddenly fighting a war at two fronts here? If the YED needs permission to enter a home he should've shown up between killing Mary and Salvation (cause Kripke said he was dormant for 23 years), otherwise he couldn't have gotten permission to enter the houses of the new generation of psychic kids in '06. So mostly stuff that's probably not gonna make a big difference in the grand scheme of things, but I still wonder. I'll try to write a review today or tomorrow and explain a little better what bugged me. ;) I still loved the ep, though, just to make that clear. ;)

[makishef.livejournal.com]

This episode was really just. Amazing. The writing was damn near perfect, the pacing, the visuals -- including the little BttF references, like the Tab ad on the bench -- the continuity with every other Mary-centric/YED-centric episode... just everything. I not only loved it, but I was really impressed with all parties involved. MAN, I LOVE THIS SHOW.

As for the good guys being all-knowing, I think the angels are actually not. I think in some ways, they're just as clueless. It calls back to stories of their jealousy of humans; they aren't in on the divine plan any more than we are, and what's more, they don't have the free will to try to deviate from it. It also reminds me of one of Jesus' lines: Only the Father knows.

It makes me like the religion angle more, makes me have more faith (see what I did there?) in the writers, really, that the good guys are neither omniscient or omnipotent. This is still a war where nobody knows the outcome, where Dean is still the underdog, because even with angels on his side, it's up to him to survive and do the right thing -- not to mention convince/help Sam to do the same -- against overwhelming odds.

Yay, show! You are so awesome (and so making up for season three)!

[chase-acow.livejournal.com]

I've seen one post that went off the handle but every other post has loved this ep too. I thought it was so clever, well put together, and relevant to the storyline. You're so right about the continuity too! The previously gave me chills both times I watched the episode yesterday. I loved it! Jensen kicked major ass.

You're clever too! : ) Holding information/knowledge hostage from people (and/or angels) you're working with has never made sense to me, so I seldom remember to think about that angle.

Entirely making up for season three!