Supernatural - Review: 7.21 “Reading Is Fundamental”

Warning: Contains episode spoilers

The Angels, they don’t care. I think maybe they just don’t have the equipment to care. Seems like when they try, it just breaks them apart.

Supernatural is a complex show. It sounds pretty simple on paper, 2 brothers travelling the back roads of America, hunting monsters and saving the world, but any one who watches it knows that there is soooooooo much more to it than that. It’s a deeply layered story, rife with multi-faceted relationships, profoundly damaged characters and rich mythology. “Reading Is Fundamental” is a perfect example of the kind of show Supernatural can be. Layered, multifaceted and rich. One that sometimes leaves you not knowing how to feel, or feeling all the feelings, or flip-flopping between the two. This was an episode screaming to be dissected, if that’s your bag, and for the first time in a long time, I actually made notes….on my 3rd rewatch….because there was so much happening, I found it hard to keep track of it all. I will, of course, miss stuff. I always do. I never read anything before I write an episode up, but after that I go and read everything and half the time I wind up going, “Awww. Nuts!” because I’ve totally misread a situation or didn’t pick up on a nuance in a certain scene. I have a feeling “Reading Is Fundamental” is going to be one that makes me go, “Awww. Nuts!” a lot and probably loudly.

Ben Edlund wrote and directed “Reading Is Fundamental” and if you know anything about me, you know that I’m a massive fan of this man, his crazy brain and his brilliant writing. Edlund knows how to tell a story. This was the 21st episode of Supernatural he’s written and the 2nd one he’s directed. Looking back at Ben’s work, one thing jumps out, there’s always more to his episodes than initially meets the eye. Even with the funny ones there are layers upon layers and he manages to bring all those elements together without it feeling disjointed. Other writers on the Supernatural team don’t quite have the same level of skill. When they attempt this layering they somehow just miss the mark in making the whole thing feel cohesive and their episodes wind up feeling tonally disjointed. It’s one of the things I love most about Edlund’s work, that he can deliver complex narrative and still maintain cohesiveness in concept and tone. On some level “Reading Is Fundamental” was baffling, because it confronted us with changes in characters and relationships that we may not have been prepared for, but tonally it never waivered. The comedy, though still there, took a back seat to the guts of the story, which built momentum as the hour progressed. It’s an episode that’s in desperate need of a rewatch. If you got everything going down on the first pass through, you’re way brighter than I am!

So Castiel is awake and he’s somewhat, errrrr, changed. Cass made me feel uncomfortable in this episode. I teetered between feeling sorry for him and wanting to hug him, to feeling frustrated by his strange behaviour, to feeling bemused by his new persona, to feeling distrustful of who he’s become. What an ever-morphing character Castiel is. There was a lot of chat about how this Cass persona was very much like Future!Cass and at first I was all, oh yeah! But on 2nd watch, I realised they’re diversely different. The only similarity to me seemed to be their ability to smile. Future!Cass was cynical, jaded, broken in spirit, human. Crazy!Cass is almost optimistic, or is it naïve, or is it self-accepting, or is it enlightened, or is it simply insane….see….I’m not at all sure what to make of this new Cass. Part of me thinks that in making that sacrifice and taking on Sam’s Hell torture, he’s managed to come through the other side with a new perspective on things, like he said to Sam, now he sees everything. He see's how everything's connected. It's like he's transcended to a new plain. When Dean asked him what he was going to do, his answer seemed to indicate a lightness, like the weight of all he’d done and all he was had been lifted, “I don’t know. Isn’t that amazing.” Here is a Being that has followed orders his whole existence, has always been duty bound. Now he finds himself free of those binds, which in itself is highly disturbing because there was nothing in him that seemed like he wanted to stay and help, not just the Winchesters, but also, mankind. He’d rather watch the bees. Apart from handing over a small vial of blood, he was flying out of the whole shebang. Unprotected I might add. Do we all remember what Cass said about giving someone enough rope? Even his line about the blood, I couldn’t quite read if he was just being new weird Cass or plain sarcastic, “You know me, always happy to bleed for the Winchesters.” What? I don’t know, I really don’t.

Then there was the game of Sorry. I don’t know, what was being said here, but I know one thing for sure, this weren’t no game of Sorry. Is it that this was the only way, in his current state, Cass could actually try to communicate amends to Dean? Get his message across? Was he trying to get Dean to apologise, or break bread first? Did he mean something more when he said, “I’m sorry, I think you have to go back to the start”? Or was he literally only talking about the game piece. “Why should I prosper from your misfortune. But these are the rules, I don’t make them.” Ok, what? I feel like there was a whole other conversation going on here that I wasn’t privy to and it’s going to keep me up at night! The other line that baffled me was before the game started when Cass said “It took everything to get me here.” I’m with Dean, “What are you talking about?” What did that mean? Is he being purposely obtuse or is he in fact, simply addled. I can’t tell. This was one loaded conversation and if I were Dean, I’d be running it over and over in my mind. All this makes me believe there’s something going on with Cass and we don’t know about it yet. I think everything Castiel said here was of some import, it just needs deciphering. I don’t know, I might be reading too deep, this episode kind of threw me into that end of the pool, but if Supernatural has taught me one thing, it’s to never expect anything to be what it seems.

The only point where I felt Cass was not speaking in circles was in his conversation with Sam. I absolutely loved this scene. Cass was lucid and sounded sane to me. He was accepting of what he’d done and I would say, accepting of this outcome being his penance for past transgressions. Taking on Sam’s pain almost gave him a new sense of purpose, a sense of doing right, like his burden had been lifted. He couldn’t see how he could improve. When Sam said they’d find a way to make him better, he was confused, because to Cass, he is better. This conversation, which was so heartfelt, made me feel like the other Cass was not being honest. Like he was hiding behind his craziness. Like he was wearing a mask. Because if in this quiet moment with Sam he can make this much sense, what was with the pull my finger routine, or the horribly awkward meeting with the other Angels. It’s almost like it was a show. Like I said, I don’t know, I really don’t. Castiel completely did my head in. I’m literally champing at the bit to see where they go with him next, because I really can’t imagine. 

Where as Sam seems to have forgiven Cass by way of understanding a shared experience, Dean of course, is still struggling with it. As well he should be. It would be out of character for Dean to forgive so easily. He will forgive, he always does, but when people this close to him disappoint him; it takes time for him to trust and move forward with the relationship. Look at how he struggled with forgiveness of Sam in season 5 and that’s Sam. Castiel is in a worse position. He did the one thing that Dean says do not ever do. He hurt Sam. You don’t hurt Sam. Sam’s Dean’s life. In fact, Cass came very close to killing Sam. I think Dean could easily overcome the issues around the betrayal with Crowley, but not what Cass did to Sam. That was the ultimate betrayal. Even though, in the end, Cass took on Sam’s pain, let’s not forget, he’s the one that inflicted that pain in the first place. But, we can see forgiveness starting, with baby steps. It’s not like Dean’s not speaking to the guy, he is and you can see how desperately sad the whole situation makes him. But anyone hoping for that relationship to find its heart again may have a long and possibly disappointing wait ahead. If in fact it ever gets back to where it once was. They’ve both changed since Cass went darkside. I hope at some point they talk it out though. Dean always gets to a point where he needs to talk, usually over the Impala. Once he’s talked, well then, he seems a lot better. I expect that will come...eventually…because Dean’s great capacity for forgiving those he loves is part of his beauty. 

“Reading Is Fundamental” also reintroduced the Angels to the show. I like the biblical mythology in Supernatural and as we’re dealing with Leviathan, it seems appropriate we deal with Angels again too. The thing is, they’re out there, we know that now, so not to integrate them in the Winchester’s Universe from time to time seems a little ridiculous. I was ready to say goodbye to the big Angel storyline, mainly because I was tired of the focus being taken away from the brother’s journey and I wanted the Winchesters to learn to lean on each other again and work through a case with out Heavenly intervention, which they’re now doing very nicely thank you, but I’m ok with the Angels popping up here and there, especially when there’s something at stake as important as the Word Of God and the Leviathan eating the earth. However, I don't want to go back to the big Angel arc. One of the things I've really enjoyed in season 7 is that we've been spending more time with Sam and Dean, the heart of the show and though I enjoy the supporting characters, to me they are just that, supporting and I don't think their stories should ever drive the main arc, as per season 6.

Both the Angels featured in this episode were great. I’d be pretty happy if Inias was an Angel that the guys crossed paths with again. I liked him. He seemed more Angelic than most of the Angels we’ve met. Hester, on the other hand fell into to the typical Angel barrel of dicks! That whole “The very touch of you corrupts. When Castiel first laid a hand on you in Hell, he was lost.” Wow. Cranky much? Like Dean doesn’t shoulder enough guilt. We know he already blames himself for, well, everything. Guilt is an essential part of his makeup and you can be sure what Hester said to him is something that's already crossed his mind and probably nestled itself into his gut. But hey, it wasn’t his idea to send an Angel down to Hell to haul him out. It wasn’t his fault that Castiel realised that humanity was something worth fighting for, when all the other Angels were conspiring against us. Great line though Mr Edlund, a real pearler! I was glad Meg stabbed Hester. Even though that confused me because I thought only an Angel can kill another Angel. Though I guess as long as you have the blade. Dean killed Zach. I always assumed that was because he was rockin’ the Michael thing but I guess as long as you have the Angel killing blade, you're golden.

And what about Meg? What’s she up to? More than she’s letting on that’s for sure. Her relationship with Cass is rather amusing. At first it squicked me out, but now I’m starting to think she has a bit of a soft spot for the Angel, which could be interesting, if it played out that way. Not romantically, obviously, but if she was forced into a situation with Cass which goes against her demon nature? Maybe there’s more to Meg than her snarky, self-serving demony ways? Probably not. I really want to dislike her, but I just can’t. I never have. I think she’s an awesome villain and I’m happy she’s managed to survive this long and I hope she continues to be a thorn in the brother’s sides for seasons to come. Plus, I really love that she reads gossip magazines! How funny was it when the other demons rocked up in that truck? They’re not sharpest tools in the shed those demons. It must have been the largest, loudest form of transport they could find! As their boss would say… Morons! I’m assuming Meg led them there to see if they’d told anyone else about seeing her. Make sure they’re stupid and alone and then do them in. Or is she really planning on handing Castiel over to Crowley in order to get back in with the King. She's such a crafty one. I liked her position, “Find a cause and serve it. Give yourself over and it orders your life. Obviously these things shift over time. We learn, we grow.” But what is really Meg’s cause? Do I believe the line she slinging the Winchesters? Nup. But I can’t wait to find out what she’s planning and where she’s gone. Where did she go?!

In a season full of great new characters, we got another one in this episode. Kevin Tran, The Keeper of The Word. The Word of God! Crikey. Just when you think Supernatural can’t reach more lofty heights, they bring in the Word of God. Poor old Kevin, being dragged into this whole Leviathan mess. At least as a prophet he doesn’t share the same crippling headaches that Chuck had. But Kevin does have a very big Leviathan problem, with Edgar now having hold of him and the God rock. But where was Kevin’s Archangel? A prophet has an Archangel tethered to him right? There should be a few more kicking around unless they all died in the war in Heaven without us knowing. I must admit to loving the way Edgar took out the Angels, driving his fist into them with black goo oozing out everywhere. I guess the Leviathan can kill Angels too? Maybe as they were God’s first creation. That’s what I’m assuming. But fuzzy Angel mythology is fuzzy…

Apart from the awesome Metatron/Megatron conversation, in an episode full of sharp and textured dialogue, my favourite line came from Dean. “The Angles, they don’t care. I think maybe they just don’t have the equipment to care. Seems like when they try, it just breaks them apart.” Oh man. That’s such a sad line. That really hurts. You can see on Dean’s face how much that really hurt, both to say and to realise. I also thought it might have been prophetic and maybe a nugget pointing towards his future relationship with Castiel. Because caring so much did indeed break Cass apart. He wasn’t built to care like he wound up caring and everything he did and become was because of that. He was corrupted, not by the evil of humanity, but by our heart and soul and the goodness that lives within us, as amplified in the Winchesters. In order to prevent this happening to Castiel again, should Dean keep him at arms length? Is that what he’s thinking? Because you know he feels guilt over Castiel's fall. You know he partly blames himself. Oh, and did you notice that Meg called Sam Bullwinkle! I also thought her “wingnuts” description of the Angels was a great term for them. The Sam/Kevin chase was damn funny too. The big guy doesn’t corner so well.

So we’re left with how to kill the Leviathan…. with the bone of a righteous mortal, washed in the three bloods of the fallen. According to the screen grab I got, the fallen are: the fallen Angel, the ruler of fallen humanity and the father of fallen beasts. Awesome, seriously awesome! Great set up for the next 2 episodes! Of course my mind immediately went to Dean when I heard the words righteous mortal, him being the righteous man from Hell and all. I don’t want him to have to hand over any part of his body, but if he did, if he had to give up a rib or some other bone he could do with out, would that assuage some of his guilt? Of course it could be another righteous mortal entirely. After all, it says mortal, not man, so it could be a woman. Yeah, I doubt it too. I have a feeling the deals the brothers are about to make to get the blood from the other two fallen, may have repercussions that ring through into season 8 (which I can say now and know it’s really happening!). I’m wondering if we finally find out that the ruler of fallen humanity…as seen in the promo…is not what we think…which has been teased and implied and analysed here and there for a ages. Probably not, but it’s still fun to consider! Sorry…being purposefully obtuse, just like Cass, in case my readers haven’t seen the promo for next week’s episode.

“Reading Is Fundamental” packed a complex and emotional wallop, while delivering an intricate story woven around deep character analysis and setting up an exciting premise for the season finale. As with last season’s “The Man Who Would Be King”, it filled in the mythology gaps and laid groundwork for the coming weeks. I hope the momentum created in this episode continues in “There Will Be Blood”. That all the pieces lain out here by Edlund are built upon. Only 2 episodes to go and I have lots of bad feelings about where we’re going! We know it’s going to be a cliffhanger…  but what kind of cliff are we going to be hanging off? Ugh. Supernatural finales always kill me. I don’t want the season to end. I really hate the hellatus.

What did you think of the episode? What was your take on Castiel?

Thanks for reading. See you next week!

All Supernatural caps produced by me, no copyright infringement intended.

Supernatural - Review 7.20 "The Girl With The Dungeons And Dragons Tattoo"

Warning: Contain episode spoilers

“She’s kinda like the little sister I never wanted” 

Well that was fun! Kinda Supernatural meets Ocean’s 11 or Leverage even. A caper comedy! Complete with gadgetry and split screens! I don’t think we’ve seen them do a caper style episode before. After so much angst it’s always good to get a bit of lighter fare. Though we can’t be completely angst free now can we? We still have the “Bobby issue” to contend with, just so we don’t get too happy. This is Supernatural after all. 

I thoroughly enjoyed “The Girl With The Dungeons And Dragons Tattoo”. It was a geek-gasam the like of which I haven’t had since I went to see Joss Whedon talk at the Opera House. It was geeky reference after geeky reference. Star Wars, The Lord Of The Rings, Harry Potter, Wargames, Star Trek, Dungeons And Dragons, Comic Con, Batman and Wonder Woman mugs and the pièce de résistance…Veronica Mars. Veronica Mars! I screamed.

Let’s start at the beginning. Exposition anyone? That was like, the biggest explainer ever….and…. a little on the late side, because the regular viewer was already a few episodes ahead on the ‘what’s the Leviathan up to’ question. Yep, eating the world. Yummy. But still, it was good to get the whole evil master plan lain out on the table like that, moving things forward, at a great rate of knots. Man, this was a fast paced episode. Bobby’s the one who finally filled in the gaps for the boys. Seems he remembers what was on the blueprints he saw in Dick’s office before he got ‘Lincolned’ and that the plant being built, in the field where the numbers led, is for the purpose of farming humans. Oh those crazy Leviathan and their people eating ways. They’ve also bought out a whole bunch of fast food outlets (might explain why I always feel sleepy after MacDonalds) and now they’re going to feed the world….but not in that great 80’s song way. I’m not seeing Bono and Sting singing about this plan. As all this is unfolding up pops an email from the missing Frank Devereaux and it ain’t good news. 1. He’s most likely dead and 2. His stolen hard-drive is about to get hacked and on that hard drive is the most precious of information….where Baby is stashed! Someone go rescue her quick! Then for God’s sake drive her already. Geesh. Sorry…digressed…. Of course the hard-drive in question is being held captive at Richard Roman Enterprises…or as Dean so perfectly puts it, at the heart of the Death Star. My geek-girl cup runneth over…I had visions of Sam and Dean whizzing through those canals on the Death Star, shooting rounds into a 2 by 2 metre hole…just like when they used to shoot womp rats in their T-16 back..……. Wait. Anyhoo, so our heroes zoom away to rescue the hard-drive with a rather unhappy ghost in tow. I will get to that unhappy ghost later.

Cue Charlie Bradbury dancing to Walking On The Sunshine.

Ok I think I might have a girl-crush on Charlie. Which she’d probably be cool with, seeing as she’s a lesbian. I thought Charlie was pretty awesome. She was smart and funny, super geeky and tough enough to realise she could do her bit to help stop world annihilation. Also, her desk kind of looked like mine, except mines covered in movie character Mr Potato Heads. She thought Hermione should have ended up with Harry….I love Ron and all but.… (or was she going to say the wrong Weasley?)....and drank coffee from a Wonder Woman mug, mine says Bitch/Jerk. One thing that always astonishes me is how blazé everyone seems when the boys start talking monsters! No one blinks an eye. I mean, if the Winchesters came to me and said “Hey guess what, there’s monsters and we need your help” I’d….well actually this whole scenario is flawed because I’m not sure I’d hear anything they said, as there would be a wall of the words OMG THEY’RE SO HOT screaming in my head…then I’d probably just mindlessly follow them because I’m shallow that way. Of course Charlie wouldn’t be affected by their manly wiles, which I thought was kinda of cool. Writing her as gay removed that whole ‘there’s a chick working with the Winchesters where’s this going’ thing. Even Sheriff Mills fell foul to fan-talk about her having on-screen chemistry with Sam. But that’s not going to happen with Charlie. Yay.

I totally dug the boy’s engagement with Charlie’s character. I loved how when she said she’d never broken in to anywhere, Dean asked if she had Bluetooth and then they launched into their speciality, how to break into anywhere. Sam talking her through her sudden fear with Hermione inspiration was, well, inspired, as was Dean’s “Dumbledork”. Then Dean having his Cyrano moment and talking Charlie through flirting with the security guard was sheer brilliance. I always knew Dean could flirt his way out of or into any situation. Sam giggling next to him just made the whole thing even more perfect. That had to be one of my favourite moments in a while. Very nice interaction between the boys. Their dialogue was spot on. Seriously though….can I come back to Dean and the flirting? His voice was like velvety sex! Distracting! I adored Charlie’s Vulcan sign, “Peace out bitches” too! I really hope they renege on their hand-shake deal and contact her again!

The other highlight of this episode was that we got lots of Dick. We finally got a good helping of Dick Roman and I really liked it. Dick’s kinda awesome in that, he’s completely evil and he’s going to kill everyone, way. His snarky dialogue and smarmy presence is exactly how this style of über villain should be. He’s a villain of this century, even though he’s the most ancient one we’ve faced. His “Good talk”, W1nn1ng computer password and shifty asides about making a meal of things were all a treat as was his frustration with not only humanity and the fact that he can’t really clone us all as he thought he could, but with the stupidity and failings of his underlings. Why waste a good meal indeed! I love that they went this direction with the big bad this season, what with all the paranoia about monopolies and global industrial dominance. He’s a true corporate monster. He’s someone we’ve all either seen in operation or have read about. I know this is wrong, but I enjoyed him so much in “The Girl With The Dungeons And Dragons Tattoo” that I don’t really want them to off him just yet! I was the same with Lucifer. I loved him too. I know Dick’s got to go…but damn, he’s so much fun!

Which I guess brings me to Bobby who’s having no fun at all. Look, I think the boys were a little harsh on Bobby in this episode. But I totally understand it. They thought he was gone for good, now he suddenly there. They know what happens to spirits who hang around. They’ve seen it and Dean’s been told about it by Tessa the Reaper. They’re scared for him and I’d say a little scared of him. He’s a ghost, something they’ve been raised to not trust and to kill. What a place to be in. They’re trying to get their heads around Bobby still being with them, trying to get their heads around what he’s done and terrified as to what that means for him and most likely, full of dread as to what they’re going to end up having to do about it. So I forgive them for not noticing that without Bobby, they may not have been able to get in to the building to rescue Charlie, at least not so epically….commando dive roll through the glass FTW….and they may not have been able to escape quite so unscathed had Bobby not kept Dick at bay. But I understand that from where they stood, Bobby must have looked downright frightening and you’ve got to wonder, if it were someone other than Dick he was up against, would Bobby have acted quite so violently, probably not. I’m worried for Bobby. But here’s the thing, telling him that he can’t help and making him feel alone and isolated in his ghostly state is not going to help that vengeful spirit vibe one iota. Like I said, I totally get it, the whole thing must be wigging them out and it’s going to take time for them to not be constantly giving each other sideways glances every time Bobby says something they don’t like, but I don’t think any of this is helping the situation. I was really pleased to see Dean jump to his defence in relation to Charlie’s broken arm being an accident and it seems that he’s not in a hurry to figure out what to do, going with the let’s just do our job first and work out the Bobby thing later, strategy but boy-howdy, do I feel for the boys being faced with this and do I feel for Bobby who thought he was doing the right thing and now feels like it’s not been appreciated. Boooo all around. I have absolutely zero clue how this is going to turn out but 2 things I don’t want…the brothers to have to take action against Bobby in anyway and Bobby to go vengeful or actually, 3 things…I don’t want Bobby to be a ghost at all…wait make that 4 things….I don’t want the boys to have to say goodbye to him again. Oh yeah, me no likey. Everything about this situation stinks up the joint.

The main reason “The Girl With The Dungeons And Dragons Tattoo” was so sharp and wonderful was the script. Robbie Thompson, you sure as hell better be signed on for season 8! His 3 episodes this season have been absolute standouts. He writes insightful witty dialogue and he nails the brothers. He really seems to get them as individuals and as a partnership. I love that he makes them smart. Think Sam’s note in “Time After Time” or the brilliant suitcase switcheroo in this episode…complete with awesome Sam and Dean disguises. I really loved the disguises! And the Borax bomb! He also balanced the comedy and the pathos, created a lovely new character and propelled the mythology. Robbie is a keeper…I sure hope they kept him. I’ll also mention director Johnny MacCarthy and his neat use of split screens to set the tone for this episode. They worked well for me and he managed to get the pacing pitch perfect.

“The Girl With The Dungeons And Dragons Tattoo” was definitely one of the more fun outings for a while, but still managed to bring into play the serious issues that the Winchesters have been dealing with in season 7, the Leviathan and loss and grieving. Their renewed ability to rely on each other and operate as a unit is something that was once again on show and is something I’m enjoying immensely. I have no clue what that chunk of clay is or what it’s going to do. Is something in it, on it? What on earth? No pun intended. The rip-roaring pace of “The Girl With The Dungeons And Dragons Tattoo” is exactly where we should be at this point in the season, so I really hope they keep that energy up. Next week is a Ben Edlund special, so I have high hopes for more awesomeness….plus the promo looked amazing! 3 episodes left…. Boooo. That makes me sad!

What did you think of the episode? 

Thanks for reading! See you next week for Edlund-palooza! Here's the promo!

-Amy

All Supernatural caps produced by me, no copyright infringement intended.

The Aftermath - A Supernatural Fan Fiction

Now that Sam and Dean know that Bobby decided to stick around and not go with his Reaper, they face a tough decision. Keep Bobby with them? Or help him move on for good? 

Post episode scene for 7.19.

"Do you think this is far enough?" Dean indicated a sign ahead that said 'Bar'.

Sam nodded, "Yeah, I'd say we're out of range."

Dean swung the car into a parking space and got out.

"This ain't right Sam. I feel bad."

"I know. Me too. But we've gotta talk and we can't do it with him around."

"Yeah but leaving him behind like that…."

They'd entered the bar and were making their way to a booth in the back.

"We told him we were going out. We'll explain later. He'll understand."

"Hmm maybe…" Dean mumbled as he slid across the seat. "Don't make me feel any better though."

Sam simply shrugged.

A waitress came to take their order. "What can I get you two?"

"Just a couple of beers sweetheart." Dean said, flashing her a weary smile.

"You got it," she said and Dean absentmindedly watched her sashay away.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Sam asked.

Dean turned to his brother and sighed. "I don't know Sammy, I don't know. What can we do? I mean, short of burn the flask, which obviously we are not going to do."    Read more

Review – Supernatural 7.19 “Of Grave Importance”

Warning: Contains episode spoilers

I needed to help 

Not if it means you have to… be this 

At the risk of sounding repetitive, I’m really enjoying the old school vibe of season 7. I’m enjoying the stories, the style of hunting, the emotional connections, the boy’s banter and relationship, the way they’re talking to each other and leaning on each other. The only other thing I really need is the Impala back…..though I have a sneaking suspicion I’m going to have to wait for the season finale for that character to return. Boo. 

And you all thought I was gonna lead with the shower scene didn’t you? You think I’m that shallow? Oh you know me so well. I probably shouldn’t tell you how I spent way too long last night, discussing the attributes of said scene, I mean what else is a Dean-girl supposed to do with her Saturday night………… Anyhoo I’ll get to it later, I promise, because I think it speaks to where the boy’s relationship is at, so I’ll wax lyrical about wet Dean, errr that scene, in a bit. 

You know what? I liked “Of Grave Importance” I know quite of lot of people didn’t, but I did. I liked it more than “Party On, Garth” for example, which I enjoyed but to me would have fallen on it’s ass, had it not been for the brother dialogue and Bobby reveal. But then, that’s me all over. I’m always going to go for something with emotional resonance over laughs. I’m much more likely to throw in a heavy myth-arc or emotionally fraught episode to re-watch than a comedic one. As much as I thought “The French Mistake” was genius, I’m much more likely to watch “Appointment in Samarra”….you know what I mean? So “Of Grave Importance” hit some really solid emotional notes for me and I’ll tell you why.

First off, let’s start with the story, which of course was just wrapping for the story. I like a good ghost hunt, give me a salt and burn and I’m a happy camper, so straight off the bat I liked the setting for this episode. The fact that a couple of horny teenagers got ganked in the opening scene was just icing. I mean, that’s every single horror movie I grew up with, except her boobs weren’t on display. Of course, unless you’d been under a rock, we all knew that this was going to be an episode about ghost Bobby, something I sit solidly with Dean on, I ain’t feeling good about it. I thought giving Bobby’s reintroduction a haunted house setting was a good (you can say convenient if you like) way to allow Bobby to explore his ghostly traits. The rest of the story about the psycho-killer ghost and Dexter, his not psycho offsider, nice slight of hand with the name there, just didn’t matter. So I’m not going to worry about it, it was simply a tool to let us see what Bobby’s in for if he sticks around in his current state. He’s going to become a shadow of his former self and quite possibly, a screaming Banshee. Bugger. I’m glad he got to see that. He needs to seriously consider the outcome of his decision before it’s too late. He also got to have his Swayze moment and learn the ghostly tricks of the trade, as with Dean in “In My Time Of Dying” and both Sam and Dean in “Death Takes A Holiday”. We’ve always known that it’s not easy moving things around when you first become spectral, that’s pretty much lore, so it was good to see Bobby struggling with that, being knocked out for 2 weeks because he tried to move a book, tumbling through a coffee table. The fact that he got a handle on it all so quickly was…okay I guess, given that Bobby is one smart cookie and has always been a quick study. To say he had to get his Zen seemed right, I’ve always seen Bobby as very Zen. 

I’m also pretty happy that they gave Bobby a friend in this unfriendly environment. Poor Annie, but let’s face it, she slept with Sam and we all know that means curtains! I liked Annie and not just because she banged both of the Winchesters, though seriously, I think that might make her my hero or something! Annie seemed like she had guts when she was alive, not much sense going into that house alone, but then I guess that’s probably how she’s been hunting her entire life. Having Annie present not only gave us a ghosts-eye-view of the afterlife, but it also allowed Bobby to work through some stuff without breaking out in a soliloquy or something. It also gave her the chance to speak some sense to him, about the ‘life’ of a ghost being somewhere between existing and not. The more I write about this, the more it hurts my heart. You know…how can Bobby stay like this, as a ghost, in amongst other ghosts, when they’re the thing he’s fought most of his life? Existing but not existing. While the boys have their lives and can go anywhere and do anything. Bobby might be able to be with them, but he’s not WITH them and if they leave that flask…. I’m sorry, I digressed a little there but it just popped into my head. How do you make that concept work? How do you get right with that? If I can’t wrap my noodle around it, how can Bobby? How can the boys? Gah.

I enjoyed seeing Bobby’s growing frustration manifest itself in snarky comments, but it also made me go…hmmmm. Because a frustrated ghost is going to be a cranky ghost and a cranky ghost is only a boo away from being an angry spirit. It must have been a hell of a few months, dealing with not being heard, screaming at the boys, trying to move stuff. Poor Bobby. I do wish he’d stop bagging them out though. I mean, Sam and Dean CAN solve a case without Bobby and the whole, they can’t do this without me attitude really got on my wick. This is one of the things I’ve been harping on about. Stripping the boys of all their support, as much as many seem to think that was an error on behalf of TPTB, allowed Sam and Dean to reclaim their true roles as hunters, to show that they’re smart, self reliant men who don’t need to run to an Angel or a father-figure for answers at every turn. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for those people being in their lives, but I was really over how Sam and Dean no longer seemed to solve a case without outside help, when once, they were running rings around evil things. I think it made them appear impotent, in a hunting sense only of course, and I’ve enjoyed the return to clever Dean and looking for answers Sam. (I’ll excuse him not putting two and two together with the flask because his melon has been a tad jumbled). I’ve enjoyed a return to the guts of who the Winchesters are with their skills nicely on show. So please Bobby, I know you’re saying all of this because you want to feel needed, but…. I don’t know what I’m trying to say here, I just really hated his little asides about them having got slow without him being around. I know it’s his way and I love him to pieces and of course he’s a great help to them, but they can do the job without him, they’d just prefer to do it with him.

And then there was the big reveal. The CW, once again in all their wisdom, popped this in the promo….really, I want to get my hands on that promo department and teach them how to do their job so bad….so I wasn’t surprised that all of a sudden Sam and Dean could see Bobby. The mechanics of that, really, I don’t care. I just can’t get bogged down in the minutiae that way, it saps all the enjoyment out of what is essentially entertainment, I say essentially because let’s face it here, Supernatural is way more than entertainment to me. I will always have a wee ponder on the how, but usually just look to the why. They had to see Bobby at some stage and as we only have 4 more episodes until the season end, there was no reason or time to drag it out any further. We had to get this big emotional arc out on the table. If you’re looking for the how, maybe it was the evil ghost’s mojo, or maybe it was because Bobby had just come to and wasn’t thinking, or angsting as the bar ghost said, but I don’t care. There he was and the boy’s faces said it all.

So about that. Man, have I been reading some things about Dean…. Straight up…a show of hands from anyone who would actually want their loved one to be roaming the afterlife for eternity, getting more bent up as time goes on and turning into some screaming, evil creature. Hands? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Yeah, no-one right? So why the big surprise that now that Bobby has been revealed to Sam and Dean they ain’t jumping for joy? Dean said it all, Bobby was supposed to be drinking beer at the big Harvelle’s in the sky and the boys know it’s there, because they’ve visited it. I’m sure that’s how they’ve been picturing him. Instead here he is, stuck in his not so great afterlife. I felt every ounce of Dean’s pain over this. I don’t want that for Bobby either. Sure Sam and Dean had been wishing they could see Bobby again, but wishing for something that you don’t believe will ever happen and having it stand up in front of you are two totally different things. To play this scene out with anything other than deep emotional conflict would have been total bull. Thank God they didn’t all try to hug or something awkward.

The other aspect of this of course is that both these guys have been grieving terribly for this man. Slowly but surely trying to move on. Sam said it when he asked Dean to put the flask away because it was just reminding them of Bobby and Dean said he’d thought about it, but he wasn’t ready yet. Sure they knew it was Bobby for reals once he wrote on the shower mirror, but still. Imagine the shock of actually seeing him. Just imagine that. Are they going to have to go through saying goodbye to Bobby all over again? Damn. It’s not right. Dean knows only too well about the natural order of things. After all, he was Death for a day and he learnt the consequences of not following the plan. He’s also learnt that bringing people back from the dead never works out well (Sam excluded). He lives, his dad dies, Sam lives, he dies….yadda yadda yadda. I was happy when they didn’t try and find a way to bring Bobby back to life. I thought, finally, they’ve learnt something. These two have matured a lot and I think we’re seeing that growth very nicely throughout season 7. So how were they supposed to react? Was Dean too harsh in the way he spoke? There’s no doubt Bobby’s feelings got hurt, but Dean spoke from his heart, openly and honestly and that’s how he’s always spoken to Bobby. That’s who he is. He spoke through grief and through shock and through deep sadness that this man he loves so much is now stuck in this non-existence and by his own doing. I didn’t hear anything but pain and concern and shock and as Sam didn’t jump in and try and sugar coat it, I’d say he’s feeling exactly the same way. I think this is exactly how they should have reacted. Anything else would have been a jip. I’m sure I’ll cop loads of commentary on this, so, shoot.

The whole thing is tragic and as Dean said, what are the odds this ends well? What are the odds? When have they ever had any kind of real luck in areas like this? I’m going to go out on limb however and say, this might be one of those rare occasions because surely this can only go one of two ways, they have to put Bobby to rest again and this time for good, or he becomes corporeal. Ghost Bobby just doesn’t work, not for me anyway. It’s all too, The Ghost And Mrs Muir or something. Of course, I can always be swayed, if the writers can make it work well within the story, but…yeah…nup….real Bobby or no Bobby, those are the two scenarios currently working for me and I guess I’m rooting for the former (kinda like Annie did….that’s a gag for my Aussie readers!). Though my one fear is that resurrecting Bobby diminishes the significant emotional impact his death has caused. I do love that Sam is trying to find the silver lining though, maybe they can make it work…. That’s the other thing here; this goes against everything they do for a ‘living.’ Ouch. My heart. It’s very sad for all three of them. My heart was breaking all around and Bobby riding there in the backseat….listening…. Man. Buckets for my tears.

Ok on to my favouritist thing, the Winchesters. So my three favourite scenes were the one on the non-Impala at the beginning. I just liked that they’d pulled over for some tacos and sat on the bonnet of the car. I was picturing them looking at the stars again. Then in the restaurant, when they figured out that they’d both foxholed with Annie! Sam’s look and no soul excuse, Dean just kind of rolled with it. I thought that was gold. A beautiful moment and really grow’d up of them I might add! Then Dean “Are we being stood up” Haha! What’s the one reason you’d miss a date with both the Winchester boys? Yep, you’d have to be dead! Then, of course….there….was….the….shower….scene.

I didn’t know quite what to do with myself when I heard the shower running in the background. I was like, nooooo, really? Really? Yes yes yes! Ok…we only got a glimpse of a perfectly toned left arm…always the left arm…go look, every time Dean’s shot and reveals an arm for bandaging, it’s Jensen’s left arm. Even Cass grabbed the left one! Even in MBV it was the left one! It was pointed out to me that we do get to see the right one in the back seat of the Impala action scene and thankfully it matches, but when an arm is specifically featured, it’s always the left. Ummm, I’ve over thought this haven’t I…..

ANYWAY… what I really loved about the shower scene was not the arm reach, wet hair tussle, glimpse of towel in the steaming mirror, it was the fact that Dean showered with the door open and that Sam and him continued to yell at each other room to room. Why did I love that? Because it showed a renewed level of ease, comfort and intimacy between the brothers. All of these things, the car dinner, the funny convo in the diner, the yelling at each other through an open bathroom door, is all stuff that smacks of being comfortable with someone and it smacks of trust and these tiny things are what I’ve been noticing more and more as the season has progressed and I really like it. It makes me happy. It’s the little things…and the shower scenes. 

Of course, we’re still dancing around the Leviathan issue. We’ve not seen much of them of late…but I’ve been thinking about this. If you cast your mind back to all the big bads, we rarely saw any of them and more often than not, they’re mentioned only in passing as Sam and Dean go about their day job of saving people and hunting things, while trying to figure out how to save the world and defeat the latest evil. The big bad generally takes a back seat to their every day. It was the same with Azazel, Lilith, Lucifer. They were all present, but not present and the boys did a lot of other work in between figuring out what to do about the big picture problem. So, at the moment, I’m ok with how the Leviathan thing is timing out. But I do want to know what they’re digging up all over the place. But that’s the point right? I want to know. 

“Of Grave Importance” may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I liked the tone. The creepy house story and emotional thread gelled for me. I was happy with how they positioned Bobby in the story and I was happy with, if desperately saddened by the honest and realistic response to his appearance to the boys. I don’t like him being a ghost and I can’t imagine ever being in a place where I’m cool with it, but I’m damn well intrigued with where we’re going with his story, with Cass’ story and whether or not the Leviathan are toast this season or get carried through? I mean, technically, this is a storyline carried over from season 6, so who’s not to say this isn’t part of a larger arc. Only time will tell. I also have a sneaking suspicion now that the boys have Bobby back, they ain’t gonna want to let him go, but I also have a sneaking suspicion the worst is yet to come for ghost Bobby Singer. So much to look forward to and only 4 damn episodes left. Can you believe that? Even with all the horrible breaks, this season has flown by. I like season 7 a lot, especially this second half. I can’t wait for 8… ANNOUNCE ALREADY!

Thank you for reading. Feel free to let fly with your comments.

See you next time…

Please enjoy this gratuitous towel in the mirror shot (It’s a gap right? In the towel? I told you I studied this scene for hours…..) 

And here's the promo for next week's episode 7.20 "The Girl With The Dungeons and Dragon Tattoo"

Riding The Wave - A Supernatural Fan Fiction

Bobby's gone...but is he? Dean's been doing this job long enough to trust a feeling...and his feelings tell him, there's something there. Is it Bobby? Or just Dean's grief playing tricks on him.

Dean stopped in the doorway and turned his head, listening, reaching out with his hunter's instincts. What was that? What was that feeling? Like something was there, just beyond his grasp….

He shook his head and pulled the motel door closed as he walked back to the car.

Sam watched as his brother slid into the driver's seat. "You get what you need?" he asked.

"Yep." Dean held up the flask.

Sam nodded. "Ahh." He leaned back, looking at Dean out of the corner of his eye. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Why?"

"Dunno, you look..." Sam shrugged.

Dean thought for a moment. "It's just...I thought…." He looked at Sam, his brother's brows knitted in concern. "It's nothing Sammy. Don't worry about it. You're right, it's just grief or whatever." He reached down and turned the key in the ignition....

Read more...

Supernatural. Love. Loss. Family.

I love this video...it really speaks to me about the heart of the show. The love. The loss. The family

by sparksfly221 on YouTube

Review – Supernatural 7.18 “Party On, Garth”

Warning – contains HUGE episode spoilers

“I’m right here you idjit! Balls!”

If I wasn’t in love with Jim Beaver before, I sure as hell am now! Abominable Snowman movie my ass! Here I was, looking at all the pictures he was tweeting thinking…crikey, that looks cold! Here I was watching him at Burcon thinking...why haven’t the “Supernatural” Powers-That-Be rung Jim yet, booo on them. Yeah, like he’d tell us anyway. Then last night’s episode, “Party On, Garth” happens. An innocuous little amuser I will get to later…and I’m sitting on the couch, watching Sam and Dean leave the hotel room after a chat that left me feeling a tad sad…camera pulls back…pans left….OH. MY. GOD! The noise heard across Australia was Amy screaming! I screamed “Oh my God!” Then I screamed “Bobbbbbbby!” Then I cried. Then Dean remembered his flask. Then I gasped. Then I held my breath. Then Dean didn’t see Bobby. Oh no. Idjits. Balls. Then it kind of went something like this… Bobby, sob, sob, oh my God, oh my God, sob, sob, sob, Bobby, sob, huh, giggle, Bobby, gasping in air, ha ha ha, sniffle, oh I can’t…..tweet, tweet, tweet, laugh, sniffle, laugh, grin like an idiot. Grin for about 3 hours. Wake up grinning. Weeeeeeeee another “Supernatural” rollercoaster ride! Everyone please check your safety bar! Bobby. Yay! Mr Beaver, your pants were so on fire I’m surprised a national disaster was not declared! Abominable Snow man movie my ASS! I’m still laughing. Bad Jim, bad! He looks so trustworthy too! Bloody brilliant hoax. Really great acting by everyone at Burcon, like I’d expect less. My love for this show has grown even more, if that’s at all possible, because the cast and crew are such sneaky S.O.B.s! Because they worked so hard to keep us from being spoiled. Thank you. AbSno. Oh the laughter.

“Party, On Garth” was one of those onion episodes. There were layers. Sure the guts of it was an amusing MOTW story that required booze to be drunk for a purpose other than dulling pain, but under it all was another glimpse at how Sam and Dean are dealing with grief. The most surprising part of this is that they’re talking about it. Like, talking. Actually, talking. In a Sam and Dean way of course.

I was happy to see that we opened the episode with Dean on the phone to Meg, checking on Cas’ status. I was worried the Angel in question wouldn’t get a mention. It’s happened before. The big event of the previous episode sometimes fails to get a look-in, which usually irritates the hell out of me. But they’re checking in with Meg to see if there’s any change in Cas, which unfortunately, there isn’t….if Meg is to be believed of course. Let’s not forget, Lucifer is her boss after all. In this scene we also saw how guilty Sam is feeling about passing the crazy onto Cas. Like the tape in “The Ring.” This isn’t any surprise. Sam’s going to be feeling damn guilty. Also, I expect he’s still getting his custard sorted. Poor guy. Dean goes to talk to him about it, Sam says he doesn’t want to, Dean’s phone rings! Why does that always happen when we’re about to get a bit of bro chat? Saved by the damn bell. The fans get Garthed…again!

I like Garth. I didn’t really care for the wedding episode where he made his first appearance. Not because of Becky so much, though she was grating and not because as a fan I found her offensive, but because it just wasn’t funny and it just wasn’t that good. But Garth I liked. Dean’s right. He grows on you. How he’s alive I do not know, but he seems to get through it all somehow. He was savvy enough to put two and two together with the Japanese Booze Monster (with some help from Dean) and then to twig to the love child of the brewery owner, so I guess he’s got a hunter’s mind…just not a hunter’s body! Which is part of what makes him awesome. And of course, he figured the whole Bobby thing out pretty easily. I liked how he gently tried to raise the subject with Dean. He seems to get knocked out an awful lot though. Actually, they all do! I hope he doesn’t get killed off because I’ve always liked the idea of other hunters being out there that the brothers work with or run into from time to time. It fills out their claustrophobic Universe a little. Also, to kill Garth would seem extra cruel for some reason. He seems kinda defenceless somehow! You kinda want to protect him! Drunk on one beer? Like I said…how’d he ever survive? D.J. Qualls does a great job with this character and he’s one I hope we continue to see, every once in a while.

Speaking of drunk, drunk Dean is priceless. I wish we’d seen more of Sam and Dean drunk. That scene in the office was just getting good when Randy burst in. I literally laughed out loud when Dean spat his drink back into his glass. I replayed that little bit about 5 times. Just precious! And what was he drinking? Did you notice how Jensen stood when he was downing a glass of whatever that was supposed to be? Bend at the knees please! And Sam and his “So, he – he let that thing out of the box, and it must have just followed him to the place with all the thingies.” Ha! All the thingies! Then seeing drunk Sam commandeering that cab! “Brewery. Step on it!” The tiny little old cab driver who likes to “…drive safe you know.” I must admit I giggled an awful lot through “Party On, Garth”. I find Adam Glass, who wrote this one, fairly hit and miss, but he penned some pretty funny lines and scenes in this episode. I thought Sam’s side-swipe at Dean’s drinking was a bit mean though…he’s been doing so well lately! Maybe Sam didn’t notice like we did…bein that he was all crazy at the time. 

And then there was the Bobby talk. I loved that Garth was perceptive about the whole Ghost!Bobby situation. The EMF monitor going off around the flask, the idea that Bobby might be riding Dean’s wave (I love that idea so much). It’s something Dean doesn’t want to discuss, either because he doesn’t want to believe it or he really does and he doesn’t want that bubble burst. It’s the later right? He was pretty surprised that Sam had tried to contact Bobby without him. I love how these boys are sort of the opposite of what you think they’d be. Sam is so emotional. He’s the one who likes to talk, get it out, empathise. But then he’s the one who wants clear-cut answers. He’s the one to hit the books to try and find the truth. Dean is also emotional, but in a very different way. He’s explosive. He’s got walls in front of walls. He doesn’t like to feel his feelings. But when it comes to everything else, he goes by his gut. His gut has a pretty good accuracy rate I might add. He hadn’t tried to reach Bobby through traditional methods, he was just going with what he felt and he felt that Bobby was around. I think this was both his hunter instincts and wishful thinking. I think part of the reason he didn’t go for the truth and get out a talking board himself was because the disappointment might have been too much for him to bear. Which is also why I think Sam didn’t tell him. I love how different the brothers are in this sense and yet how they compliment each other. They are two halves of the one thought. Dean seemed to buy Sam’s version of what was going on, that it was just the way they saw things through their grief and their job. I also think Sam’s too scared to think it’s Bobby for the same reason Dean’s too scared find out it’s not. Disappointment. Like he said in “The Slice Girl’s” because they want it to be. Why would their luck change now? But it has! Yay! This whole talking to each other thing is just too awesome for words. Dean said it when he was drunk “I miss these talks.” Me too Dean, me too.

Some other bits I enjoyed in “Party On, Garth” were....the exasperated looks between Sam and Dean when they were with Garth. The grin Sam gave Dean when he teamed Dean up with Garth. Such a brother thing to do. Dean’s “We’ll talk about this later” to Sam when they were discussing Ghost!Bobby. I think he was channelling John there! Even I felt chastised! Mr Fizzles. At first I was with Dean, shut-up Mr Fizzles. But my whole attitude changed when Dean said he’d stick that sock puppet where the sun don’t shine and Mr Fizzles looked around shocked! That was pretty funny. I was onboard with the sock puppet after that. Did you notice…it got a credit! Dean creating a ‘spring’ over the sword as it was being blessed. Clever Dean makes me happy (every Dean makes me happy). The MOTW was creepy and nice and gory. Very Japanese horror movie in appearance, which I thought was nice synergy for the story concept and also the early reference to “The Ring.” “Come with me if you want to live.” This show quotes all my favourite movies! Garth’s insistence on hugging. Bless him! Bobby. Bobby. BOBBY!

So why can’t the boys see Bobby if he’s trying to be seen? He can affect an object, that’s obvious. He didn’t or couldn’t speak to Sam when Sam tried to contact him. He doesn’t seem to be able to show his presence when asked, like when Dean asked him to do something in the brewery…which was so damn heartbreaking. I want Dean to see Bobby so bad. So what’s the deal? Is he still learning the ghostly tricks as per “Death Takes A Holiday”? Or is there some other reason? Is something preventing him? I’m assuming that he knows a lot more about the Big Mouths than he was able to convey before he died, so I’m guessing he’ll be an integral part of their downfall, once he’s able to contact the boys that is. I want him corporeal again though. I don’t want Ghost!Bobby I want real, honest to goodness, grumpy old fully fleshed out Bobby. I’m so happy he’s back. So very, very happy.

To be perfectly honest, if Bobby hadn’t have popped up at the end there, “Party On, Garth” would have been enjoyable, but nothing out of the box. Certainly plenty of fun and laughs, but not an instant classic like some of the other comedic episodes we’ve had. But by adding in the Sam and Dean deep and meaningfuls and then the pulling the wool over our eyes with the whole Bobby suddenly appearing twist, it was elevated to something a bit special. I can’t remember the last time I was that surprised. This was another one of those episodes that seemed to be about something else, when on closer inspection, it was really about the season long emotional arc. That’s happened a lot in season seven and as drunk Dean would say…me likey.

So we have Cas and Bobby back…but not quite whole…now where’s the bloody Impala? For goodness sake give us back that damn car. Seriously, Sam and Dean don’t need the car to look conspicuous…I mean LOOK AT THEM. Please. They do tend to stand out somewhat on their own, errr, charms…. Bring back baby!

Now we have to wait 2 weeks to find out what happens next! Cruel, cruel and capricious CW. 

So were you happy to see Bobby back? What did you think of the episode? Thanks for reading! See you next time. Enjoy the promo for the new ep!

- Amy