Supernatural Think Tank - Anna's Thinky Thoughts on 12x12 Stuck In The Middle (With You)

My brother made me watch all of Quentin Tarantino's movies.  I had never really heard of him or seen anything he's ever done.  The first one I think I watched was From Dusk Til Dawn.  That movie was sick and I kinda liked it.  I was introduced to True Romance, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. I've yet to see the Hateful Eight.  Tarantino certainly has a certain style of film making that's for sure and he's not short on his use of killing either.  For me, watching a Tarantino movie is never dull and I quite enjoyed this episode's homage to a couple of Tarantino's finest, the most prominent being Reservoir Dogs.

I loved the whole time jumping, going back and forth, seeing the events of what happened through different perspectives. I got a kick out of the slo mo walk and the planning at the diner scene.  I giggled at the prospect of trying to figure out which one of them at the table was supposed to be Mr. Pink.  The entire episode felt like I was watching a movie and it had my attention from beginning to end.  Intense would be the word I 'd use to describe this ep, intense and illuminating. 

I love when show explores it's history and answers questions that we wondered about, but never got an answer to, and all the while in doing so introduces new canon.  What a talented group that write for this show. Kudos Davey Perez for such an awesome, if at times infuriating, (Mary W) script.

What Did We  Learn at School Today?

First off we learnt that the reason Azazel was such a loyalist to Lucifer was because he, in fact, was a Prince of Hell, ordained by the Morning Star himself.  He was created by Lucifer to command demon armies.  When Lucifer was cast into the cage, it was Azazel that spent years trying to find a way to free him.  He was the one who sought that special child.  He was the one who killed Mary Winchester and went after Sam. Needless to say, Dean Winchester was the first Winchester to kill a Prince of Hell. Apparently though, he didn't kill the last of them as there were at least three more that we now know of.

Secondly, we learned that Ramiel was next in line to become the new King of Hell, a role he had no desire to fill. Crowley had come to Ramiel bearing gifts, most likely to get on the good side of the one who was technically supposed to be the next King.  Crowley brought Ramiel the Lance of Michael and I would so love to know how he got his hands on that.  He also brought Ramiel the Colt.  So now we know where it went after Dean tried to kill Lucifer with it in Abandon All Hope.  Seems that when Dean dropped the gun after Luci tossed him into a tree, and Sam was a bit preoccupied with his brother and the fact that Luci was summoning Death himself, everyone forgot about the Colt. Cas secretly took Sam and Dean away and Lucifer was busy with the summoning ritual and lo and behold there it lie, just for the taking.  Guess who did the taking.  Seems Crowley got hold of the gun...again and then offered it up to Ramiel.  That little offer Ramiel did take Crowley up on, I mean that's a mighty powerful weapon.  I can see why the BMOL want it....after all, whoever dies with the most powerful toys wins right?

We also learned that dear Mama Winchester is secretly working for the BMOL and is lying to her children.  She also stole the Colt and gave it to Mr. Ketch.  I can't tell you how wrong this feels on so many levels and how dangerous a game Mary is playing right now.

There's Something About Mary....

I find it unsettling that Rowena has been looking out for Sam and Dean more than their own mother has.  Hell Rowena has even been more affectionate to them than their own mother....it's like bizarro world.  I understood that Mary needed time and space.  I totally supported that idea.  The way Mary is with her sons, it's just not right. She hasn't been in contact with them other than what, a few texts and Words with Friends?  They were missing for months and she hasn't had the time to spend even an hour with them?  When she is with them, she treats them like she does any other hunter.  Did it bother anyone else that when Sam reached out to her and asked if she was ok, that he knew that this isn't the life she wanted, all she did in return was tell him "since when is life about getting what you want".  Here he is reaching out to her and she walks away from him.  I'm sorry but in that moment I kind of lost respect for Mary Winchester.   I'm trying really hard to figure out what her deal might be?  I mean she got an innocent hunter killed, she almost got her sons killed and she just stood by while the stopwatch was ticking away.  She had the weapon that could've disposed of Ramiel, but keeping her secret was more important than saving her sons.  Was she going to step up...like at all?

I keep trying to figure out if she's working with the BMOL or playing them? I really want to believe there's more to Mary than what we are seeing because what we are seeing isn't very flattering.  Is she working with the BMOL because she wants her children to live in a world without monsters and she thinks the BMOL have the wherewithal to make that a reality?  Does she trust them?  I'm not so sure she does, but how far is she willing to go to see that kind of life become a reality?  Is that even possible?  Do the ends justify the means to get to that world?  Her children almost died, what good is working with the BMOL to rid the world of monsters if her sons end up dead in process of getting there?

Or is there something else going on here?  Those Brits sure did want that Colt.  They do like weapons of power and the Colt is most certainly one of those.  Is her infiltrating the BMOL more to do with her "unfinished business".  What about these "old men" who seem to be pulling the strings.  Where is the power within the BMOL and who wants it?  Is Mary after someone or something else? 

I just really hope there's a reason, a legitimately good reason as to why Mary is treating her children, like......non children.   

 (Just a side note.... Did anyone notice that Ramiel seemed to know who Mary was?  He called her sweetheart and was acting like he'd known her for years...perhaps he has? Did he know about Mary/Sam and the whole Boy King stuff?  Do his other siblings?  Will it even be relevant? ) 

What the Hell Was With the Music?

I'm kind of missing the classic rock this season. The music for this episode was a bit  out of left field for me until of course I realised what was going on.  Though the episode was most definitely an homage to Reservoir Dogs, if we didn't know that , this episode was most reminiscent of those old cowboy movies, like the Magnificent 7 or something.  You have the villain in the town and the good guys coming together in a posse going after him.  There's always one or two of the heroes that get killed before the "black hat" gets it in the end.  The whole episode was kind of like a western.  The music also preluded the reintroduction of the Colt.  A gun designed by Samuel Colt back in 1842. 

Ramiel's tune he was whistling was basically a shout out to Kill Bill, right before the big showdown.

Best Quotes

Crowley:  What's up with Feathers?

Crowley:  I make deals with those I can use.

Crowley: Every Armageddon, every bloody this is the end of all things, a Winchester stopped it, like it or not, they're an asset we can't afford to lose.

Crowley: Ramiel, the Prince of Hell, it rhymes.

Crowley:  Shut up, Dog

Sam: We are fighting, we're fighting for you.

Dean: We don't leave family behind.

Dean's homage to Reservoir Dogs

Ok ramblers let's start rambling

Dean(re waitresses):  They always smell like food. 

The girl who smells like this  would certainly get Dean's full attention.

Dean(to Mandy): When do you get off?

Mandy:  Whenever I can. 

Lucifer:  I can't believe you work for the Dukes of Half Hazard

The Rest

So I'd like to start with some of the stuff I loved.  Sam.  Dean.  Crowley. Colt. Lucifer.

I loved that Dean stayed behind with his brother and killed that demon.

I liked Wally and was sorry to see him go. 

I loved that Sam got to kill the second Prince of Hell, with the freakin Lance of Michael no less. 

I loved watching the boys walking in sync...slo mo style.

I love that Sam never stops trying with his Mom.

I love Dean's askew priorities...like getting Cas laid in the middle of a strategy meeting.

I loved that the Colt was hidden behind the picture of Michael, the same picture used in Houses of the Holy.

I love that the Colt is back.

I love that Lucifer is Crowley's new pet. (How is it that Lucifer is in the visage of Nick?)

Some stuff that for me could've been a little less.....syrupy.

I just didn't care that much for the sticky syrupiness of the end scene with Cas.  I'm sorry.  I know a lot of people loved that.  I didn't hate it.  I just thought it was too much.  I don't think that Cas should've used the L word.  Hell the only one to have used that word to Dean's face, was Sam and one of those times Sam was totally medicated.  (not that he didn't mean it of course).  It just was a bit much for my taste.  I thought the scene should've just included Cas telling them that they were his family. The whole I love you, I love you all was just a bit overdone.  At least for me. 

I also wasn't too thrilled with Mary and her standoffish behaviour towards her children.  It makes no sense to me that the only contact she has with them is when a job is involved and she uses someone else to get them to work on it because she doesn't want them asking the "wrong questions".  She got a "green" hunter killed and she almost got Cas and her sons killed.  In some ways, Mary reminds me of Samuel.  Samuel was working with Crowley much the way Mary is working with the BMOL. Both lied to Sam and Dean and both nearly got them killed.  Look how it ended for Gramps. 

What's the deal with Ketch?  Was he really afraid of Mary's threat? Did he know that Ramiel was a Prince of Hell and just not care, or did the BMOL truly not know and were just after the gun.  I like Ketch.  I don't trust him as far as I could throw him. 

Crowley left the Lance of Michael.  Is it powerless now that it's in two pieces?  Could it be repaired?  Will it be a weapon that might come in handy when dealing with Luci's spawn?  The Colt couldn't kill Luci, could it kill a Nephilim, especially when this Nephilim is the offspring of one of the most powerful arch angels?

This was a fantastic episode and everyone did such an incredible job.  Twelve years in and this show still manages to keep me at the edge of my seat. 

That's it for this one.

Til next week.

-Anna