Tuesday 16 October 2012

Review of "Supernatural" 8.02 "What's Up, Tiger Mommy?"




I’ve got to say, I Ioved this episode. I really loved it.

I can’t remember the last time “Supernatural” got me so over emotional. I mean, outside of the overtly emotional episodes of course, where I cry like a baby! “What’s Up, Tiger Mommy?” probably was not meant to affect me the way it did. I’m not sure if it was that final scene, the tension leading up to that scene, or all the reveals in Purgatory that gave me so many feels, but I was so emotional at the end of this episode, I felt like I could burst in to tears. I think maybe part of it was, that I feel like some of the work done in this episode is some of the best I’ve seen in the series, or at least that I’ve seen for some time. I’m specifically talking about the Purgatory scenes and how they look and feel. I’m talking about the performances, John Showalter’s direction and the overall tone of those scenes, both visual and dramatic. I felt strangely overwhelmed at the end of this episode. It made me all teary!

I’m not saying it was perfect, but what’s perfect anyway, except maybe Sam’s hair :). It was written by Dabb and Loflin and these guys are hit and miss. When they nail it, they nail it, when they don’t; the result is alarmingly out of whack with where the tone of the show and the characters should be. But, I have to say this was one of their better outings. I don’t trust them to write mythology or big character episodes, but they did a solid job on this one. There were a couple of early moments representative of the wobbliness of their work, little patches of awkwardness as they tried to juggle the drama and humour, but as a whole and specifically the back end, this episode blew my socks right off and was the best work they’ve done for a while and certainly the best work they’ve done while expanding the myth-arc of a season. By the end, I was electrified with anticipation and a good amount of dread, as to how these parallel stories are going to play out and how this season will unfold.


In revealing the boy’s stories of their year apart, “What’s Up, Tiger Mommy?” focused on Dean’s flashbacks, but for me, I found I was struck by Sam’s mysterious behaviour. I feel like I get Dean, kind of get where Dean is coming from. We know he fell in with Benny, we know he hunted, we know he embraced the darkness within him that was unleashed by Alastair in Hell, which in the past, he’s admitted to not entirely disliking and we know he found Cass. The big mystery is how Benny and Dean’s relationship developed, what impact that had on Dean, what happened with Cass and why Dean left Purgatory without his wingman….now known as Hot Wings! I’m also intrigued to see if this house of cards will at some point collapse around Dean’s ears and what the fallout will be. You’ve got to assume it will and I’m nervously waiting for that to happen. But Sam?  He’s so mysterioso to me!


First off, he seems strangely accepting of this reinvigorated, yet hard-edged Dean. There were a couple of times I expected him to have a bit of a go at Dean, be Dean’s moral compass, but he didn’t and he wasn’t. He seems to be rolling with the punches a little more than usual. I’m not sure if this is detachment because of his year out and he wants to be somewhere else and is only doing the job out of loyalty to his brother, or whether his experience with Lucifer and his wall break have changed him. Either way, there’s something about it I like. These are two grown men, who are remarkably different and I feel like they should give each other a bit of space sometimes to be whoever they are and not be at each other constantly to meet the other’s personal expectations. It feels to me like a mature step forward to allow each other to breathe and learn, without the bitching at each other, which has gone on in the past, in particular over the last few years. I feel like Sam’s watching and thinking, “Let’s just let Dean find his feet.” Giving his brother the space he needs to reintegrate into the world. In particular I saw this in the interrogation scene. Sam did call out to Dean a couple of times and I’m sure if it looked like the guy was actually about to have his throat slit, he would have been up in a flash, but I think he was letting it go to see where it went and trusting Dean to rein himself in. I thought that was kind of cool. I liked that at the end of the scene he just said, “Come on” with a little gruff in the voice, but he didn’t go “What the hell Dean?” There was no calling Dean out on his behaviour (which was scary), no chastising. I really liked that. I liked it a lot actually. Weird music cue out of that scene though...kind of popped the mood…just sayin’.

I also thought part of his reason for giving Dean a bit of a breathing space might be that he recognises that Dean’s current modus operandi is born out of trauma, sort of like his own detachment and he’s hoping that time back in the land of humanity and time with his brother will start to soften Dean’s razor sharp edges. We’ve seen them both go through similar journeys, as they try and cope with their experiences in Hell. I would think this would give them both a bit of patience with each other. I’m also wondering if Sam sees a little of his soulless self in Dean and is sympathetic and understanding because of it. It looks to me like he’s watching, maybe waiting, to see where this new Dean leads. Actually, it’s probably a blessed relief for Sam to have his brother not miserable and drinking the whole time! He was worried about Dean’s alcohol consumption last season, maybe Sam sees this Dean as the lesser of two evils, so to speak. I’d prefer to hang out with this Dean that’s for sure.


I was interested in the reverse exorcism. Sam’s a smart dude, super smart (really good at maths apparently), but somewhere in me, I’m flummoxed by him suddenly pulling this one out of his tight little butt. Saying stuff backwards is hard! When Dean questioned him, obviously also wondering where on earth that came from, Sam just blew it off and said, he simply said the exorcism backwards. Now, this could be that he’d, just never thought of it before or rather that the writers never thought of it before, but my overly suspicious brain instantly equated it to my feelings that there’s a lot more to Sam’s year than he’s currently letting on and that his year is going to be a bigger surprise than whatever happened with Dean and Cass. I mean, why else would it have been brought up in the script? He could have just said it and we could have all moved on, but it was specifically referred to and questioned by Dean, which made me all the more suss. Surely Sam didn’t spend a year, just sitting on the couch watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with his girlfriend! I’m really interested in Sam’s year and what he’s not saying. I’m digging the rebirth of smart Sam too, with the computer jargon last week, the snappy mathematical calculation and reverse exorcism this week. Very cool. I love it when these guys show their smarts. I also loved the scene where Dean pointed out the Demons surrounding Mrs Tran’s house. So old school.


The other thing I thought was interesting about Sam was that when Kevin was trying to talk Dean into going and checking on his mum, Sam wasn’t saying, “Dean we should”, in fact he was barely saying anything at all. He said “He’s got a point, Dean” and when Dean flashed him a look he smirked and went back to his newspaper. He just let that conversation go and only came on board once Dean had succumbed to Kevin’s insistence. I guess these guys are used to the life and death situations by now and these days, look to the bigger picture…what with them stoping the world from jumping off a cliff every year! Let’s face it, they’ve lost a lot of people and this could definitely leave them hardened. I wasn’t surprised on Dean’s stance, because where Dean is now, his empathy level is pretty low and he’s been forced into becoming more of a big picture guy over the last couple of seasons. Also, he was making sense, everything Dean said made perfect sense, but I was surprised Sam didn’t pipe up. Which once again, makes me wonder what happened to him during his year off that left him so detached. Is it simply the trauma of losing Dean? Is it simply, he just doesn’t want to be there, so he’s letting his brother drive the bus? Or is it something else?


Dean in Purgatory is absolutely terrifying, but I love it. Man, I’m loving Purgatory Dean…and not just for the reasons you think! If I remove myself from my passion for the character and all the feels I get when he’s hurting, I’m thrilled by this characterisation and how Jensen is playing him. Like I said earlier, I think the scenes in Purgatory may be some of the best work the show has ever done, both visually and in context to the story being slowly revealed.


The scene where Dean found Cass was breathtaking and may become one of my favourite scenes ever. I loved every aspect of it. How it was shot. Every frame looked like art, like a painting. The opening with Castiel by the river, the terrain and how Dean came in from the side. The wide shot, then the great close-ups of the actors, which gave the scene and the dialogue a more compelling and personal feeling. The camera movements, everything just a little swimmy and off kilter. The swoop from across the river showing how the three were standing. Dean on one side, Cass on the other and Benny in the middle. Benny in between Dean and Cass. Then of course there were the performances. We all know Jensen and Misha are good at what they do, but that scene, that interaction between Dean and Cass was one of their finest moments. Jensen’s Dean literally went through a myriad of emotions in those couple of minutes. Joyous, confident, confused, angry, hurt, accepting, focused, determined. I swear to God, I stopped breathing. If they weren’t taking about Leviathan and monsters and were talking about criminals and murderers, these two would be getting awards up the wazoo for this kind of work. But alas… I went back and watched this scene over and over and over to capture all the nuances.


Misha’s Castiel looked haunted, terrified and trapped and when Dean said he wasn’t leaving without him and Cass simply said, “I understand” I got the distinct impression Cass was sad about that. The look on his face to me, looked like he thought, “I know you won’t leave me, so for your own good, I’m going to have to leave you.” It was a look of sad resignation. That he knew and understood, that he’d have to make that tough decision because his friend was too loyal to. That Cass would take the sacrifice on himself. Go back and look at that expression and the sadness there. It made me instantly feel like the reason Cass didn’t get out with Dean is that he somehow forced Dean to leave without him, took it on himself to stay or die in order for Dean to leave, because he knew Dean wouldn’t leave if Cass wasn’t with him. But then we had the final scene….


I couldn’t help but think of Dean’s words, “He, just let go.” Of course, we have no idea of the context of that scene. We have no idea whether that’s when Dean escaped Purgatory, or whether Angels can’t travel through the portal, or whether Cass’ hand simply slipped Dean’s grasp, or whether this is something to do with Dean’s “Something happened to him down there” line, or whether that scene is totally unrelated to Dean’s exit altogether. We have no clue. But of course, we’re supposed to think, this is the moment Castiel was left behind and it may well be. If this is the case, I pray that Dean did not leave Cass behind on purpose. I’m not sure I could cope and I’m not sure, when the dust settles, Dean could cope. I would really hate that, like, a lot! It would make me too sad. I need the reason to not be directly Dean’s fault, though he obviously feels guilty about it, which makes me go, eeep! But ugh, if he chose Benny over Cass and ugh, if he purposely left Castiel behind… I should also probably tell you, I trimmed that scene out of the episode and went through it frame by frame watching their hands…it made my tummy hurt a little… just sayin’.


Benny. Benny, Benny, Benny. Who got bad vibes when Benny confronted Cass? I sure did. I wondered how long Dean and Benny had been together before they found the Angel, because they already seemed close and Benny seemed downright protective. I didn’t like him questioning Cass and I’m glad Dean jumped to the Angel’s defence. I’m also happy that when Benny suggested they leave, Dean didn’t even hesitate to disregard him. Dean’s affection for Cass is clear. The hug was warm and full of relief and happiness. I’d say their present situation has definitely allowed Dean to let bygones be bygones. Benny was suspicious and wary of Cass from the jump and I’m suspicious and wary of Benny. I’m worried that whatever happened between Castiel and Dean in Purgatory is a direct result of Benny’s interference/manipulation and that Dean, for some reason, rolled with it. I can’t picture that right now, but time will tell. Stupid time always making us wait…

The other Purgatory scene that was breathtaking I touched on earlier. The intercutting between the interrogation scene in the present and Dean’s interrogation of the monster in Purgatory was masterfully done. I loved the shots of Dean speaking directly to the camera from the monster’s point of view. I loved the brutality of this scene and it’s mirroring in the present day. I loved how Dean seemed to lose himself to the moment and the memory. There was a feeling that he actually lost his anchor in our world for a minute. That he may no longer have a handle on his anger. He’s always been explosive, but he’s always been able to manage that. Then again, he didn’t lose control, he just used what he thought was the best tactic to get the information they needed. Dean seems to have taken the path of least resistance when it comes to his feelings towards torture. We know he owned up to enjoying some aspects of it in Hell and to me it looks like he’s embraced those in Purgatory, or rather, gave over to them out of need, accepted them and this part of himself as a necessity. He certainly didn’t look like it was bothering him none. I’m wondering how long it will before these feelings come back and bite him in the ass again. The scene was beautifully crafted both technically and in performance. Jensen is doing some of the best work I’ve ever seen from him.

I’ll be honest. Purgatory Dean makes me uncomfortable and this isn’t from an, I love Dean place, this is just, this character, no matter who he is, makes me uncomfortable. He’s uncomfortable to watch. He’s not what I’m used to. He puts me on edge. But I’m in love with it. He’s so damn interesting.

I liked that Dean was willing to kill Mrs Tran in order to kill Crowley. I’m sorry Mrs Tran, no offense, but that would’ve been fine with me. Crowley is a danger to the whole world. I didn’t see Dean as being unsympathetic. He warned Kevin that his mum was bait and Crowley was just waiting for Kevin to show up. He warned Mrs Tran that coming with them was dangerous. He even tried to ensure they were both protected, by insisting, with a little bit too much glee, that they get the tattoo. He asked Mrs Tran if she was sure when she offered her soul, saying it was a big call. He told both of them all the dangers that they faced if they tagged along and then allowed them to make their own choices. I might also note, Sam seemed to be onboard as well, even though he questioned whether Dean would actually kill Mrs Tran. Personally, if that would have stopped Crowley trying to get her son, I think Mrs Tran would have been onboard with that plan too.


From the outside, or first watch, it may appear ruthless, but I think, in hindsight, it’s more about focus. There’s a big picture at play here and it’s important. The brother’s put their lives on the line every single day. If the people around them are aware of the risks and yet still make the choice to stay and fight, they can’t blame the Winchesters for the outcome. I like that Dean has got to this place and Sam, either through complacency or agreement, seems not very far behind. Of course, it just took one snide, manipulative and well placed comment from Crowley to get Dean thinking that he does indeed toss people aside, bloodied. I liked that Sam tried to support his brother there. It’s not true, I don’t believe Dean does toss people aside, but it is true that many perish in his presence. Nature of the gig though…and I don’t see that as entirely his fault.

For me, this interplay with Dean and Purgatory and the mystery surrounding Sam, as well as the interesting dynamic between the brothers as they hold back the truth and each relearn what it’s like to live this life and live it together, was the meat and potatoes of this episode. It’s what held my interest; it’s what I’ve been tossing around in my head ever since I watched it. The rest of the plot, the characters, no matter how awesome, seemed like the padding to the real story. The brothers.


I like Mrs Tran, she was ballsy and I loved the foreshadowing used in relation to her soul. I thought the scene where she talked to the brothers about what it would be like to lose her soul was great. I really appreciated them sitting and staying with her. I really appreciated their honesty.

Kevin was ok. I like the character, but I have a feeling he’s going to be an, in small doses kind of guy for me. He was an idiot to listen to the master manipulator, Crowley and bug out on the boys, but I also get why he did it. He was scared and he was protecting his mum. He acted out of emotion. It was dumbass, but I understand. I’m assuming he still has an Archangel tethered to him right? I mean they can’t all be dead. We never met them all.

Crowley was fun to watch as usual. I wonder why he doesn’t just kill the brothers though, other than for the obvious reason that we wouldn’t have a show if he did! But really, they are so in his face and so in his way and so annoying, wouldn’t he just snap their necks? I’m starting to get a bit confused by this! I loved that we finally saw his eyes. Red. Seems the King of Hell is just a Crossroads Demon after all huh? He can big-up himself all he likes, but he’s still got those telltale red eyes. I totally dug the red smoke too. I checked with Adam Williams, the “Supernatural” VFX co-ordinator as to where the idea for the red smoke came from and he said it was in the script. Nice touch.

I liked the new Angel, Samandiriel. His dominion is imagination and visualisation. Helping us to transform our own lives, thereby transforming the world around us as a result. Interesting! Of course, it was the kid from “Bugs”, which was neat. I love seeing the kids from early episodes all grow’d up! I would be very happy to see Samandiriel again. I always feel like we should hang on to the Angels that aren’t complete dicks, because they are few and far between! I really liked what he said about Cass…having too much heart, it mirrored what Dean said in “Reading Is Fundamental” when talking about the Angels and their inability to care, “Seems like when they try, it just... breaks them apart”.

Ok, I’m going to stop, because this has got crazy long. I could go on and on about this episode and about where Sam and Dean are. I feel like I really only scratched the surface!

Oh one last thing, I think my favourite moment of all was when Dean went through the metal detector, not because he had all those weapons, but because of how he put his hands over the Winchester family jewels! Something tells me Dean would need more than a measly metal detector to have any impact in that department ;). Bless his cotton socks.


I’m loving the feeling I’m getting from the first two episodes of “Supernatural” season 8. I love the classic rock, that Baby is back, that the drama is balanced with plenty of humour, that we have demons and the blood phone and exorcisms and all these throwbacks to the earlier seasons and that the brothers feel front and centre, at least to me. The show is looking damn fine. I think the first two episodes were super strong and I’m totally jazzed, if somewhat terrified, for what lies ahead.

What did you think of the episode? Let me know your favourite bits and what you think went down with Cass in Purgatory.

Thanks for reading!
-Amy

sweetondean is a writer and Chief Editor for The Winchester Family Business

9 comments:

  1. Great review as always Amy. Did they film all the Purgatory scenes first? Because the lighting and everything is very consistence, and I love every aspect of it -- including the editing of the present time and flashback. Really love it!

    I particular love the Dean and Cas scene. I love that hug! I love that Dean just won't give up on Cas!!

    I think Dean is very much like Jack Bauer in 24. The kinda of guy who does everything to get intel and get the job done to save people and save the country. I think Dean cares about people more than Jack, of course. Dean is adjusting to reality and he doesn't want to slow down because he is so used to be on the go killing monsters 24/7 in Purgaotory.

    You really got me thinking about Sam's year off. Apart from the soul searching, I am really hoping there is more to the girl and the dog. I really hope Sam did encounter something supernatural.

    Season eight is off to a great start!! So is your review

    Tiny xox

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  2. Firts of all this a great review. Liked it. But as someone who has been a big fan of ur writing and love the enthusiasm u bring reg Dean, I must say I'm just a little disappointed this time. Dean has never really had a strong supernatural sl in a long time. Even when he had one it was always overshadowed (by sam's demon blood addiction or adam becoming the vessel etc.). Most seasons have been about 'what is up with Sam'. Season 6 & 7 had very few promos that even showed Dean/Jensen. People pissed with how Sam's sl was handled last year dont realise the only sl Dean had was being drunk & depressed.
    So after a long time when there is someting abt Dean, u seem to have glossed over it and even went on to say u were more intrigued by Sam's year. I love Sam and want a very strong sl for both brothers. I definitely do. But for once JUST ONCE I want to be intrigued by Dean. U often wrote abt Dean in such detail even when he didnt have much of a story. So now that he has one I was hoping to read ur really articulte posts abt it. Felt disappointed that ur last few posts have more abt Sam & e'one else than Dean. It feels like ur overcompensating for Sam's lack of supernatural sl by writing more abt him. A non-spn sl does not mean a bad one. Dean has lived with that for many seasons.
    Anyway I apologize if I misunderstood ur post (when u said Sam's year is more interesting to u). I love both brothers and want good arcs for both. But at the same I wanted to read ur take on such a strong arc for Dean and Jensen's performance in that role. In this post there are 6 paras dedictaed to Sam (in an episode that was Sam-lite) and 8 for Dean, Cas & Benny put together.
    I'm really sorry for ranting abt this in an otherwise excellent review. Ur writings are probably the only ones I enjoy reading. Maybe that is why I feel this way. Sorry if I have said anything wrong. Its not personal. There are so few sites that talk abt Dean without him being linked to Sam or anyone else. So I hope u understand how I feel. Ok rant over :)

    Btw... is there anyway I could write directly to u (without posting in public) to get clarifications. Cos I dont want to make some crazy assumption and rant over it like I've done above.

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    Replies
    1. I agree with that. I felt the same way (not entirely but a little bit). I read your posts on WFB. The last 3 were more on Sam (defending his decisions, his maturity, his hair, his smarts and e'thing else regarding him). No problem with that but sweetondean needs to be sweetondean :) that's what makes your posts so enjoyable and fun to read. I know you have written a lot about feral, purgatory, PTSD Dean. But its less in comparison to what you write about Sam in what are seemingly Sam-lite episodes (as someone before put it). Even if I dont compare, it seems less than you normally write about how excited you are to seen Dean in action. I get it that you need a balance in your post for Sam & Dean yes, but I can't deny that I get a high when I read the way you explain and relive Dean scenes. I miss that.

      Delete
    2. If you think for one second someone who writes specifically about Dean and goes by the name sweetondean, would care about or be more intrigued by anyone more than Dean you obviously haven't been paying attention.

      But I wouldn't be a very good writer, nor would I be a balanced commentator if I solely focused on one brother, even if I have a preference. That would make me as one-eyed as the rest of the fans who constantly bitch at each other in the character wars.

      I don't the play the brother versus brother bullshit. I don't pit one brother against the other. I don't believe one has a better story than the other. That is complete and utter rubbish.

      I am not one of those fans. I have never been one of those fans. I will never be one of those fans.

      I believe and I always write, that this is the story of Sam and Dean. It is the story of two brothers. Not one brother over the other, no matter which is my preference. One brother's story affects the other. That's the way it is and the way it has always been. It is their story. Their journey. Anyone who thinks otherwise does not have a grasp of this show.

      I think it is complete and utter crap that one brother has had a better arc than the other brother. It is THEIR arc. You can't have one without the other.

      Do not think for a moment that because I have a preference towards Dean, that I agree with those who feel that one brother is favoured over the other. I think this is the most base and simplistic assessment of this show.

      I'm not here to pander, I'm here to give honest dialogue.

      I understand Dean. I understand him better than I understand the majority of the people in my life, but I am a fan of Supernatural and that means I am a fan of Sam too.

      If you expect me to only write about Dean, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. He may be my focus, but I am a writer and to ignore the other primary character would be very poor writing indeed.

      There are two brothers in this show. This show is about the Winchester brothers.

      Thanks for your feedback.

      Delete
    3. Hi Sweetondeam, am the 1st Anon who posted not the 2nd one. Just wanted to clarify that cos I think u may not have read my comments in full. I have and will never, ever pit one brother against the other and have specifically mentioned it in my comments. I love both and like you think that its the Sam & Dean show. What I said earlier was that I missed the enthusiasm and excitement in your writing for Dean. Maybe I shd not have compared it to what u wrote abt Sam. I guess I did that to explain to u that I'm able to feel ur excitement for Sam and not so much for Dean. Again I also apologized to u if I misunderstood ur post or read too much into that one line u wrote abt saying that Dean's sl is clear and there's no mystery to it. So the easiest response would have been to tell me I misunderstood what u wrote and that u accept my apology :(
      Btw... I dont recall saying one has a better arc or something like that. It was only with regards to a supernatural storyline. I also explicitly mentioned that a non-spn sl is not a bad one and has equal significance to the show.

      I feel u have judged me too harshly (maybe based on what the 2nd person has written). Am far diff than what u think. I have always vehemently opposed sam vs dean and feel its utter crap too. I thought I mentioned 2-3 times in my comments that I support them both equally and want strong sls for both.
      Btw... I pre-emptively apologized becos I thought I might have not got fully what u intended to write. But for that I get a scathing response.
      All I said in my post was that I felt your review was not propotional to the screen time got by each actor. Thats all. I would never read an article that just focussed on Dean and ignored Sam. I would never ask someone to do that. All I said was that I would have liked u to write a bit more abt Dean & Jensens performance in those intense scenes. Its becos I felt u have a beautiful and articulate way of putting that across. I'm sorry for asking u this. I regret it now.
      This will be my last comment on this blog. Thanks for taking the time to reply (not sarcastic). Genuinely sorry again cos it looks like I have upset u, though that was not my intention at all. In fact I used to think I was ur fan too. This was the 1st time I commented on a site. Normally I'm scared that I would be misunderstood but felt u might not judge me so much and wrote. But it has happened the way I thought it would. Again just want to reiterate am not the Sam vs Dean type of fan. I really am not :(
      good bye.

      Delete
  3. I don't believe I misunderstood you. You are saying because I am a Dean fan I am only supposed to write with enthusiasm about that character. That as a Dean fan, I can't get excited about other aspects of the story. Dean's story was what was being laid out in this episode, and as I said, I understand it, I get it because I get Dean. I don't understand what is going on with Sam, not at all. I don't understand his lack of interest in finding Dean, his apparent detachment, or zen like involvement IS interesting. I don't understand why he's stepping back and letting Dean carry the work forward, why he's not contributing in his normal manner or giving a hard time to Dean for behaviour he would normally chastise. It's interesting to the whole story, Dean's story and to why Sam chose the route he did.

    As to whether this is or isn't a "non-spn sl" how on earth do you know that or can comment on that after 2 episodes and when we haven't had an episode examining Sam's motivation.

    You said: "Dean has never really had a strong supernatural sl in a long time. Even when he had one it was always overshadowed (by sam's demon blood addiction or adam becoming the vessel etc.). Most seasons have been about 'what is up with Sam'. Season 6 & 7 had very few promos that even showed Dean/Jensen. People pissed with how Sam's sl was handled last year dont realise the only sl Dean had was being drunk & depressed.
    So after a long time when there is someting abt Dean, u seem to have glossed over it and even went on to say u were more intrigued by Sam's year."

    And I disagree with this. Dean has always had a storyline. I did not gloss over Dean, I went into detail about his mindset and the scenes in Purgatory. But I gave equal time to the confusing nature of Sam's response to him because that is part of the arc of the season and his reaction to Dean and the work affects Dean.

    As I said, I am not here to purely gush about Dean, most things I write slants Dean, but if there is another aspect to the story that is interesting, I will discuss that, because I look at the show as a whole.

    You are free to comment here, as I post here and therefore have an expectation that people will comment, but as this is my personal blog, I will defend my position if I feel I am being incorrectly judged.

    Also, I put my name to my opinion Anon,

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  4. I know I said it would be my last comment but felt compelled to reply cos u definitely did not understand what I wrote. When did I say u should write with enthusiasm only about dean??? I said I felt ur excitement for sam but didnt feel it for dean. Not sure if am missing something here becos this does not imply that u shd not write abt Sam but that I would have liked it if u wrote the same way abt dean. If u say that u have... I'll accept it and move on. In fact i already have. No need for u to get all nasty & judgemental.
    Also I'm not sure where u got the idea that i think u are here to purely gush abt Dean. Its sad that u interpret things this way even after I've explicitly stated it is not so (i've mentioned this maybe 8 times already). Anyway to each his own. Pls dont bother replying to this cos I wont be returning here ever. Not after ur bitter response. U dont seem to get me anyway.
    Btw why give an option of Anon if u want people to put their name there? Hypocritical much.
    Anyway.. am Jessie. I'm an 18 year old who joined the online SPN world this year. I thought most writers were older & wiser :) Expected a more patient and mature response. Guess i thought wrong.

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    1. You know Jess, basically, I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.

      I get critised for focusing too much on Dean when I don't include Sam enough to the fans liking and I get critised for focusing too much on Sam when I decide to take a closer look at him. Seriously, when you write about this show, you can not win.

      I'm not specifically talking about you, this is on-going and always has been. But let me tell you, when you put hours and hours into trying to create intelligent and balance dialogue about a show, it is hard not to take offense to this kind of comment, when I am being critised for not being as enthusiastic about Dean as readers expect me to be.

      I reread this review with your feedback in mind and just didn't see the problem. To me, I have given a balanced view of the episode, discussing both brothers. I can't help it if Sam., currently, is confusing to me. Dean rarely confuses me. Like I said, I get Dean.

      I'm sorry you took offence, but how your feedback read to me was that you and the other Anon expected me to only discuss Dean.

      I write about this show because I love this show and everything about it. There have been times when I have felt the need to focus on Castiel, there have been times when I have felt the need to focus on Bobby. I really don't understand being critised for giving all the characters time and energy in understanding.


      As I said, I'm here to write about the show, not about one character and that's what I do and that's what I did here.


      -Amy

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  5. Ok, so watching the season all in one go and I've just watched episode 2.
    I liked it more than episode 1 and can't believe how I can KEEP falling deeper in love with Dean.
    Sam and Dean are such a comfort in my life, but that comfort borders on fear - fear of their past and how it's all going to come out and explode all over my TV set.
    Your review really does add to the show - I read the above posts and can only say I'm a huge Amy fan xx

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