Saturday, 19 November 2016

Supernatural Think Tank - Anna's Thinky Thoughts on 12x06




I love my show. 😘

This was such a great episode, I totally loved it. I can't believe that it took this long to do an episode like this.  We get a group of hunters on lockdown, getting killed off one by one by a demon, what an awesome storyline this is.  What a great twist that the demon never actually got the chance to kill Asa in the first place, turns out, once again that it's a human who is portrayed as the monster.  Kudos to this new writer for not only coming up with a terrific story, but doing their homework and sticking with canon, while introducing new canon as well. I want to thank Mr. Yockey for giving me one of my all time precious Sam moments too.  I love how the boys were written and I love how the boys interacted with both Jody and their mom.  It was just such an emotionally satisfying hour and it left me with a grin from ear to ear.  I am so loving this season so far, especially the personal direction it's taking.  We've seen the boys talk before, but I can't remember them being so openly honest and willing to share more than I've been seeing this year.  I also love that show is dark and scary again.  Andrew Dabb has kept his promise about bringing our show back to its roots and I'm basking in the glory of it each and every week.

I am enamoured with the fact that we are seeing the more personal lives of our boys.  We have been getting such special moments, the stuff we rarely got to see in the past and it tickles me to no end.  It's not a big thing, but the most precious moment for me in this episode was Sam sitting on Jody's couch.  I know it might seem silly, we have seen the boys sit on couches before, but all the times the boys have sat on a couch it was while they were interrogating someone. Even in Death's Door when Sam and Dean were on Bobby's couch arguing about licorice tasting like dirt, they were sitting erect. This is the first time in 12 years, that I can recall, Sam sitting comfortably on a couch. I swear it was more like Jared on that couch than it was Sam. I totally loved the comfort level he had being in Jody's home.  I've never even seen Sam that comfortable in the bunker. The sharing that the boys did with Jody, to confide such personal information.  I laughed so hard that I nearly fell off the couch when Sam outed Dean's love of anime. Even more special was Sam telling Dean to be proud of his hobbies, it makes him who he is. Such a display of love, I squeed all over. 😍😆  The very fact that Sam and Dean stopped by Jody's uninvited, simply because they were in the neighbourhood was so damn sweet. Jody really is family to them and vice versa.

Speaking of Jody, I just have to declare my love for that woman, she is so awesome and I love that she is in the boys' lives. I thought it was really cool that she had a thing with Asa Fox, especially given that he was a hunter.  Jody kind of had a thing for Bobby too.  It's good to know that she has a life outside of Claire and Alex. I genuinely adore the relationship she shares with the boys, especially Sam. Sam and Jody have a long history together. It was Sam after all that saved her life back in Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid. Jody helped Sam when Dean went back to the 1940's. Though we didn't get to see it onscreen, Sam did contact Jody when Dean was a demon and went missing. I loved that it took Sam all of 30 seconds to realise Jody wasn't being herself.  It just illustrates how close the boys are to her. Dean is close to Jody too. Jody has always offered Dean an ear when she felt he needed to talk. She did it when he got cured from being a demon and she did it again in this episode. She knew he was having a hard time, she could sense it and she was ready and willing to be the ear he needed if he wanted it. I loved how she intervened on their behalf with Mary, letting her know that she was supportive and understood she was going through something, but also making sure Mary understood what good men her sons are.   I even enjoyed Jody getting to be a bit of a badass, when she was possessed by the demon. I find it sweet that both she and Sam are optimists by nature. Sam still has hopes that the boys might survive hunting and die another way and Jody envisioned a life with Asa. I hope neither one ever loses that optimism. Now I'm going to go all fan fic for a second...Does anyone else secretly want Jody and Sam to just spend one night together? It's not that I have to see it, but I would love for Sam to confess one day that while Dean was a demon, Sam had gone to Jody and then 🎉❤😁. Dare to fantasise.😱

Now to the speculating. I think I'd like to start with Billie. I like Billie. I'm also absolutely confused by her as well. I'm never quite sure what she's up to but I often feel like she's always there to help. First off she allowed Dean to see her. She also warned him that she was there because she reaped a fresh soul, knowing full well that this information would send Dean on full alert. She also knew that the house was on supernatural lockdown and he couldn't get in.  She knew Dean would need her to get back into the house and with that she would want a favour. It turns out that what Billie wants is Mary. It seems that Billie can sense how unhappy Mary is, how she doesn't fit in, she doesn't feel as though she belongs. She can sense her sadness and her desire for Heaven. Billie referred to taking Mary as a show of mercy. Mary very much considered the offer and didn't actually turn Billie down as much as she kind of rain checked her. I have a feeling somewhere down the line Mary will want to return to Heaven. The question that is tugging at my shoelace is, why didn't Mary go off then and there? 

I totally understand and sympathise with Mary's plight. I do get that she needs some time to try to adjust to ...well just about everything. She came back from the dead, taken from her Heaven where she had a husband and a baby and a little boy, to a place where she's a widow. She missed an entire lifetime with her children who are now grown men and are living the life she never wanted for them. I really do understand that in order to be able to fit in with her children, she's got to find a way to fit in with herself. I also imagine the tremendous weight of guilt she must be feeling given that she's the one who cursed her children. Their lives as hunters was never a life she had wanted for her sons. Their journey into hunting began because of a deal she had made to YED.  Sam has been nothing but loving and supportive of his mom. He's been understanding and comforting. I can only imagine that it makes it even harder for her. Dean is angry and shows it. It's totally understandable and probably on some level a comfort for Mary. Sam has shown no signs of anger towards his mom whatsoever which probably makes it that much harder to face him, knowing what she did to him as a child and holding on to all that guilt. But here's the thing, is there more to what's going on with Mary than her feelings of guilt and not belonging?

Mary Winchester met Asa and saved his life in 1980, as Sam pointed out that was two years after Dean was born. Sam had tried to explain to Mary that hunting was in their blood just as it was in Asa's. Mary had noted to Asa that she was still hunting due to unfinished business. The werewolf that had gone after Asa, she had history with. Was it more than just a werewolf that had Mary hunting when Dean was only a year old?  What was the unfinished business she was referring to?  Mary told the boys that she had remembered Asa was young when she met him and that he might still be alive. She then told them she came across an article where she learnt he had been killed.  Why did she specifically pick Asa?  Would there have been no one else who would still be alive that she recalled from her past? I just find it odd that Mary remembered someone who happened to have an angel blade in their possession. Not many humans have access to an angel blade. I don't recall Mary wandering the house, so how did she know about the blade and where to find it when the demon was possessing people? Does Mary still have that angel blade? Can an angel blade kill Lucifer? Mary took John's journal claiming that she's trying to catch up, but is that all she's doing? Is Mary needing time by herself only about her trying to acclimate or is she on some kind of a mission of her own? Does it have anything to do with the unfinished business she spoke of to Asa? Are the writers setting up for Mary to sacrifice herself for one of her children? Maybe Sam?  They keep bringing up the point that Sam was a vessel for Lucifer, as a matter of fact Mary pretty much found out about that from Demon Possessed Jody. Will Mary seek out Lucifer and try to kill him? I have a feeling that Mary was just postponing her date with Billie and Billie might very well have sensed that.

I have to go on record saying that everyone did an amazing job on this episode. Jared and Jensen killed it. Kim Rhodes did her best work to date. Samantha Smith and Lisa Berry were terrific. The guest crew were great as well. The whole episode felt like a movie. I love the slow boil to the season. I find it very interesting that in almost every episode we've seen it turns out that the monster isn't supernatural at all, but in fact a human one. Looks as though perhaps the big bad this season may not be Lucifer at all, though he's a problem that must be dealt with. I'm thinking the real monster the boys will have to deal with will be all too human. I think the real bad guys will be the BMOL.  It will be so interesting to see how the boys handle the human monster. 🤔

That's it for this week. I just want to wish everyone a safe, healthy, happy Turkey Day🦃.  Will see you all when show comes back in two weeks.

Til then...

-Anna

Thursday, 17 November 2016

The Light on Spoilers, Heavy on Squee Preview of Supernatural 12x06 "Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox"

- by sweetondean


It's preview time! 
Which means it's nearly supernatural time!




THEN

DEAN KILLED HITLER!





NOW

Mummy's back...and Jody............and...Billie!



Yes, Mary is back...hopefully WITH THE DAMN JOURNAL! Sorry...but seriously...I need the boys to get back dad's journal! And maybe some cookies or something... Idk. Anyhooo... I can't wait to see the brothers reunited with mum and how that plays out. Of course it'll probably play out while they're all fighting for their lives and WE WILL BE DENIED FEELS!

It's super awesome to not only have Mary back, but also Jody! Yay! And even Billie, because she's cool...though you know...deadly!





I feel like these two ladies will really get on...



Let's check out the synopsis!

Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox

THREE WINCHESTERS ARE BETTER THAN ONE – When hunters gather together to celebrate the life and tragic death of one of their own, Sam (Jared Padalecki) Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Mary (guest star Samantha Smith) must take action when a demon starts picking off hunters one by one. John Badham directed the episode written by Steven Yockey (#1206). 

Yep - this is another ep by another of the team's new writers! Steve Yockey has written for MTV's Scream and Awkward. He is also an award winning playwright, having had his plays produced all over the world. He was one of two writers selected for the first US/Australia playwright exchange in February 2013, taking his play to NIDA in Sydney, NSW and the National Australian Play Festival in Perth, Western Australia. He is also the recipient of the inaugural LA Weekly Playwriting Award in 2013 for his ghost story Very Still & Hard to See.

John Badham has directed 6 episodes of Supernatural and a bunch of blockbuster movies!





So yeah...awesome! We're going to meet some more hunters! I wonder who this Asa Fox hunter is? Did Mary know him? Or did the boys know him - or do they just go to assist the other hunters when the demon goes all demony on their hunter asses? And how about Jody, how do they meet? 
And Billie, well I guess if there's dying, there's... reaping!







Here is the promo!

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So....I totally love the episodes that are in an enclosed space, like Nightshifter, Croatoan, Jus in Bello, And Then There Were None, even Ghostfacers. Those episodes have a level of intensity due to the sense of confinement, of being trapped and the boys having to work their wits to get out. They're some of my favourite eps. Trapped and being hunted - like the shoe is on the other foot!



I love the boys with Jody, so I'm super looking forward to that, and I'm not sure their mum has seen them at their best yet, and they really are freakin' amazing, so I hope she gets the chance to see them in full flight! And yeah...more hunters - which I love the idea of! It's going to be cool to see a bunch of hunters together. And it looks creepy! In fact it all sounds really cool....the more I think about it the more excited I feel!



And.....of course....no sneak peek yet....so please enjoy this week's waiting meme. Hum Girl from Ipanema while looking at it if you like...



Sneak peek sneak peek sneak peek!



Okay! Answers! Asa is a dude. Mary knew him back in the day. Boys didn't know him, Jody-o did. Apparently they randomly run into Mary! THEY ARE IN CANADA? Dean is pissed off - not so much okay with her decision. Sam apart from one "Dean, come on" is not so much defending Mary - I think he probably feels the same way - just not as outwardly (or as angrily) as Dean

I get Dean being hurt and mad, I really do, and it's totally him. Honestly though, if this was something Mary needs to do alone - damn well articulate that to the boys. Tell them, by text if you must, "I love you, but this is something I need to do alone, please try to understand, see you soon - mum." I mean, really. I know I'm probably going to come across hard and unsympathetic - but that made me twitch and hurt like crazy for the brothers! Don't get me wrong, I get why she needs to do this, I understand...but if she was my mum, I'd be hurt and mad too.

Bet Jody does some talking to one or both of the brothers- she's great at that.

What the hell is going to happen with Mary - I figure there will be a level of emotional making up/peace, probably in this ep - but then does she ride off into the sunset again WITH JOHN'S JOURNAL???? (Go freakin' photocopy it AND GIVE IT BACK TO THE BOYS! I'm sorry, but it belongs to them). Are the boys destined to know mum is out there but not see her?  Lord, if the show kills her again I might have to punch it in the face....for reasons of, I really don't want that pain for Sam and Dean! Unless it's by Mary's choice - as in she choices to go back to Heaven. Then still painful, but I'd get that, so not as bad. I can't see her moving into the bunker permanently....so what the hell happens next with Mary and her boys (the grownup versions standing in front of her). I am intrigued!


Maybe some of my burning questions will be answered tonight! I do hope Mary and Dean - and Sam - can come to some kind of acceptance of each other and a mutual okayness. But I feel horrible for those boys - their mum's out there but she wants to be alone and not with them, that must stab them in the heart so bad.


Anyhoo! It's only 5am here....so I'm going back to sleep!

I can't wait for this ep! Enjoy!

-sweetondean



Tuesday, 15 November 2016

Leylin Vixen's Quick Draw Recap - Supernatural "The One You've Been Waiting For"

"The One You've Been Waiting For"





There's no doubt that this week has been turmoil to loads of people so I will not dance around the elephant in the room. After the episode last week and then this, you can’t help think that this was a bad timing for this episode because of its story, but on the other hand some saw it as very fitting. I guess you can toss it to having been bad luck with everything that has happened. I had mixed feelings too, but soon I caught on as to how I needed to watch the episode. and after that it was entertaining.


















Details

Title                 The One You’ve Been Waiting For
Episode            12.05
First aired         November 10, 2016
Directed by       Nina Lopez-Corrado
Written by         Meredith Glynn
Monster            Thule Society
Location(s)        Columbus, Ohio
                        Lebanon, Kansas
                        Berlin, Germany





Story

The episode begun in an antique shop where the shop keeper tried to sell an old Nazi pocket watch to a wealthy woman. The deal went bust when both of them caught on fire. A dark figure was watching them from sbove. Meanwhile Dean was not hungry and even didn't want pie! Sam tried to get him to talk but you know. Chick flick moments are not Dean's thing. He found a case where two people seemingly combusted so they head to investigate.

The Winchesters went to investigate in the shop and Dean was like a kid in a candy store/bull in a china shop! It helped him find a secret room and both of them at the same time figured out that they are up against Nazis and inparticular, the Thule. 

Next we saw the end of an awkward date night that would end even worse! The Thule hunt the girl and combust her date. She barely escaped, but left a bit of her blood for them to follow. 

Sam and Dean found out there had been a new incident and they head to her apartment.


Sam and Dean contact Aaron who had a small cameo in the episode. Meanwhile the Thule snatched Ellie from outside and the boys followed them. They caught Christoph and he revealed that Ellie was a descendant to Hitler - and the Thule need her blood to ressurect Hitler. A fight broke out and Ellie ran to only get caught again. Christoph was seen as a traitor by the Thule so his father tried to kill him. He ran to Sam and Dean and told them where the Thule were keeping Ellie. Sam and Dean arrive to find Hitler is resurrected but the tables get turned when Ellie makes a good distraction which helped them to kill all of them.

Hitler was totally bonkers. Ellie lived and Christoph too even though I waited the BMoL to come and kill either one. Dean got to kill Hitler and Sam will never stop hearing about that. In the end Dean finally wanted some pie.



















Characters

I need to give credit to Jared and Jensen. They made this story work for me. Also it is a matter of taste but bat shit crazy Adolf Hitler worked for me. How he was acting was for me even more scary because think what he could do out there? Whatever the hell he wants. Ellie Grant on the other hand was off putting for me until the very end. I'm not kidding. I almost tossed a pillow against my TV. But that is alright because I can't like every character on the show! Commandant Nauhaus was a normally arrogant Thule, But Christoph Nauhaus I liked a little bit. Maybe because I think he was forced to the life. Same can't be said about the other Thule. 





Set design

There were few interesting sets in this episode. One had even an opener that was a blast from the past. The episode started in an antique shop that was totally amazing. I mean I would spend a whole day in there or should I say I would be lost for the whole day in there. Same would happen in a historical library. Of course I was not fond of the secret Nazi memorabilia room. Some sets are so good that I always think: "Did they make this or is it a real place." 

We also got a look at cafeteria where the Winchesters stopped by twice. It reminded me a lot of old times when they tended to stop by in similar places all the time. That is why because they did! You can see it from these two gifs that a fan found. Episode 1x20 Dead Man’s Blood (at 4:44) had an identical scene as TOYBWF (at 26:27). Source is http://stele3.tumblr.com/ 






Have I mentioned how great SPN fans are? Now last but not least we had the airplane hangar. When was the last time they had that kind of set? It was a long LONG time ago. There were great airplanes as a finishing touch. If you think of it, all these sets for this episode were pretty unique. 




Costume design and props

The Nazi costumes, the new and the old from 1945, are the main difference in costume design on this episode. If the Thule has a trademark for clothing line then they are very recognisable with the gear they have. Their clothes are very similar to the bureaucratic angels and demons, but still have their own flare about it. The secret Nazi trophy room adds the props to the costumes. I don’t know about you but between Indiana Jones movies, and feeling uncomfortable made me have mixed feelings about the room. The Nazi pocket watch was the key to get me curious, and the idea of it to being a similar to a Horcrux - that is an object in which a Dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of his or her soul for the purpose of attaining immortality. And the clock even worked like a machine and buried itself inside the person complete with the soul by cutting in to the vessel, that it made a cut like swastika when doing this, creeped me out. 


The props also were remarkable like the antique shop. I would be like Dean and I would want to touch everything and examine everything in there, of course without breaking anything. For bigger props they had a limousine and the seaplane. It is a shame they didn’t fly in it in the episode or the other plane. We also got teased with the grenade launcher. One day Dean, one day you will use it!    




Music

For this episode we had three songs; Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107: IV. Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht schnell by Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra & Hartmut Haenchen, Thousand Watt Work-Out by John Moran (KPM) and Das Rheingold: Prelude by Stuttgart State Opera Orchestra. I was very surprised but I actually didn't find lyrics for John Moran's song and the parts I listened to I could not make out what the lyrics were. So this time I decided to do something else. Here is a little information about Das Rheingold from wikipedia.

"Although Das Rheingold comes first in the sequence of Ring operas, it was the last to be conceived. Wagner's plans for the cycle grew backwards from the tale of the death of the hero Siegfried, to include his youth and then the story of the events around his conception and of how the Valkyrie Brünnhilde was punished for trying to save his parents against Wotan's instructions. So in August 1851, Wagner wrote in "Eine Mittheilung an meine Freunde" ("A Communication to My Friends"), "I propose to produce my myth in three complete dramas...". However, by October, he had decided that this trilogy required a prelude and the text of "Eine Mittheilung" was duly altered to reflect the change. To the sentence quoted above he added the words, "which will be preceded by a great prelude"."

Here is the short +/- rundown for The One You've Been Waiting For

+ Great start
+ Aaron Bass
+ Great sets
+ Cool props
+ The antique watch
+ Dean killed Hitler
+ Bad-ass Sam
+ VFX
+ Domestic boys
+ Bat shit crazy Hitler 

- Bad luck with the timing 
- The pacing was weird at times
- Ellie Grant (Matter of taste)
- Aaron was wasted
- No Golem

-/+ Thule






Dean Winchester








See you next time on episode six with many familiar faces! Stay tuned.

- Leylin






Sunday, 13 November 2016

Supernatural Think Tank - Anna's Thinky Thoughts on 12x05 The One You've Been Waiting For



Hello everyone.  I hope you all enjoyed this week's romp with the boys.  I chose this word with great intention, because that was how I viewed the episode, as a light hearted, humorous, step away from issues, romp. 

I wanted to share with you firstly my routine when writing up all my thinky thoughts. The first thing I do before writing up an article is read posts from others.   Sometimes I watch an episode and my head is just flooded with all these notions and I cannot write them down fast enough.  Then there are episodes where I have no idea what I should write about.  It's not that I didn't like an episode, it's just that I'm not always sure which direction I should come from.  When I read other people's opinions and get an idea of whether or not they liked an episode and their reasons why, it often helps me to establish my own, to consider a different approach or to sometimes agree or disagree with their way of thinking.  I then try to formulate a fair and unbiased article that explains in great detail what I'm thinking and my reasons for it. 

I also wanted to let you know that when I watch an episode, I don't compare writers or show runners of the past with the present.  Every writer, every show runner has their own approach to the way the boys' story is told.  I cannot deny that there are some better writers than others, some get the boys more than others do, some have a better grasp as to how to tell a story that keeps you at the edge of your seat, or makes you laugh uncontrollably or ultimately has you reaching for the Kleenex.  There will also inevitably be episodes that might be considered, for lack of a more articulate word, klunkers.  Let's face it,  that's a given for every show.  There is undoubtedly, in a show that has gone on for 200+ episodes going to be some that don't go over well with some of the fandom.  As I was reading posts regarding this episode, there were quite a few that consider this episode one of those klunkers.  I am not one of them, but as I read their reasons for their disappointments, what it was that bothered them so much with this episode, it did enable me to gather my own thoughts as to why this episode didn't bother me at all.  I actually found myself giggling, a lot.

What  I believe to be a great disadvantage is the fact that many people compared this episode to Everybody Hates Hitler. It's understandable why they did of course, it is after all a story about the Thule and Hitler. They showed us in the" Then" scenes from EHH a reminder of who the boys are dealing with once again and how the Thule were/are this  twisted secret society hell bent on world domination and had sponsored the early days of the Nazi Party and Hitler. We are reminded once again that we are definitely dealing with a group of tyrants that were introduced to us back in S8. To be honest, I think that a reminder of who and what the Thule are  is all that these scenes from the past were meant to be seen as.  Here's the thing though, Ben Edlund wrote Everybody Hates Hitler and in this girl's humble opinion, Ben is a very unique writer.  He has an incredible talent for blending comedy with horror.  He has a sharp wit and there's an intelligence and wackiness in his scripts that scream out "this is an Edlund episode".   So comparing this episode with Everybody Hates Hitler is like comparing artichokes and chocolate.  The comparison is unfair because for the most part, chocolate wins out over artichokes.  In this scenario, EHH is most definitely the chocolate. It is my personal belief that if one watched the episode with the state of mind that it's just a lighthearted episode meant to poke fun at the tyrants of this world, it could, not saying it would, but it could change the more negative outlook one might have to a more positive one. Maybe one could possibly see the episode as it was meant to be instead of seeing it as  what it wasn't.  Again, just my humble opinion and nothing more.

All that being said, I liked this writer's first outing.  She certainly did her homework too.  I love that they brought up not only the Thule but hearkened back to Out with the Old and cursed objects that could be killing people.  I didn't for one minute feel like she was continuing where Ben E. left off.  It felt, for me,  like it's own episode with a more humorous take on the insanity that is tyranny. I didn't feel that the Thule were made out to be silly or unthreatening as compared to the Thule we first met. The way I look at it, crazy comes in all varieties.  It could be dark, scary insane like the Commandant we met in EHH, or it could be the kind of crazy where the men in the white coats need a call, which is what I thought about this Commandant. I couldn't help but be reminded of a Mel Brooks movie, when Hitler was resurrected in the Commandant.  No I didn't picture Hitler on Ice, but having Hitler be portrayed like a parody made me giggle to no end.  I love that the writer portrayed him as off his nut, because he was right? When all is said and done, no matter how light and humorous one tries to make of it, the truth of the matter is that no matter how you color it, crazy is dangerous and a tyrant is a tyrant, whether their name goes by Hitler, Thule or BMOL.  Bottom line here, what show is basically saying is the scariest monsters really are the human ones.  As goofy and even silly as this episode got, the message was clear and dark, the biggest threat facing our boys isn't a supernatural monster, it's a human one.

I am now going to sing the praises of our boys and the guest cast.  They all did a great job.  They made me laugh and I really wanted to laugh.  I love Sam as you all know.  He's just a wonderful soul.  Show has always depicted Dean as looking out for his younger brother, but sometimes I think it goes unnoticed how much Sam looks out for Dean. I love that in this episode, and the last few eps for that matter, we see a lot of Sam's concern for his brother and him reaching out to him, despite getting shot down.  It tickled me to no end that Sam offered Dean pie to cheer him up.  My heart melted when Sam noticed, by Dean's refusal of food and pie, that Dean still wasn't as alright as he claimed and Sam wanted to be there for Dean to open up to. Nobody will ever know Dean the way Sam does.  I also love how Sam is connecting with the victims as well, being that sympathetic ear and offering them comfort and understanding.  I thought it was hysterical that Sam c-blocked Dean's use of the grenade launcher because he thought stealth would work better....oh Dean, don't worry, Sammy gave you a raincheck...you will get to use that thing one day.

The fight scene between the boys and the Thule henchmen was awesome.  I really like the lighter part of Dean which we did eventually get to see in this ep, from his clumsiness in the antique shop, to his readiness to shoot the Commandant's son in the back of the head, his finally getting to say "follow that car", the excitement of using the grenade launcher to his glee of getting to kill Hitler and boast about it.  Dean has been pretty serious of late, so this was a nice change of pace.  I was really glad to hear him say that he earned that pie.  Baby steps Dean...we're getting there.

I found Ellie to be very likable and I totally felt for the poor girl, but seriously folks, when you have the opportunity to be in the same room as Sam and Dean Winchester, you never ever leave.   Family issues can be tough, just ask the Winchesters.  Though I kind of felt worse for the Commandant's son.  Poor guy, you can't choose your family and all he ever wanted was to make his dad proud.  Sound familiar?  I guess when your dad tries to off you it's time to reconsider your alliances...smart move allying with the Winchesters here.  I wonder if Ketch is still tailing the boys...and if so I wonder if perhaps Buffalo might not be far enough.  I liked the different approach that the writer took towards the Commandant/Hitler.  The Commandant was certifiable to say the least.  There was a blatant cruelty and he had no qualms about killing is own son.  The turn when Hitler was resurrected was humorous but it did have dark undertones.  Hitler was definitely portrayed as being off kilter but at the same time you can sense his underlying cruelty.  We all know that tyranny is no laughing matter when it comes to reality.  This is Supernatural folks and I really got a kick of how show poked fun at this maniacal tyrant by illustrating what a pie eyed crazy son of a bitch he truly was. He most definitely earned dying twice.

That's all I got for this week.  Next week looks amazing.  Mary, Billie, Jody....good stuff indeed. 

Til then....enjoy the week folks.

-Anna

Saturday, 12 November 2016

Review - Supernatural 12x05 "The One You've Been Waiting For"




Brothers laughing, brothers smiling, brothers poking fun at each other, brothers talking…. *sigh* Oh Supernatural, you’re spoiling me!

This week was another episode, from a new member of the writing team, Meredith Glynn and was directed by the wonderful Nina Lopez Corrado.

We started The One You’ve Been Waiting For in my absolute favourite way…with a domestic scene in the bunker. Can every episode start like that please? Or end like that? I just love seeing the boys away from hunting. Seeing their life in-between the bits of their life we get to see. Seeing how they interact when they’re not making sure that one of them isn’t going to end up dead at any second! Sam went and did the grocery shopping and god damn it, bought Dean pie! It looked good too, and I’ve been craving pie ever since! Not only that - he offered to cook eggs. Boys doing things for each other! (I once wrote this fan fic where the boys are snowed into the bunker and Sam cooks eggs! Hee!)



Dean’s not hungry - which is never a good sign! Sam reads it as Dean still struggling with what happened with their mum. He’s allowed to still be struggling with his feelings over Mary and her decision to leave her sons. He can be okay with it and not okay with it. He can understand but still feel hurt. That’s all allowed, because emotions are complex and Supernatural has never shied away from complex emotions. Sam reaches out again to see if Dean wants to talk - as I said last week, I think Sam wants to talk too, and getting his brother to discuss their mum issues would also do him the world of good - but Dean’s not interested, he’s hit on a case and he’s sublimating - oh boy…is he ever good at that! But hey, at least he’s aware of it!


It was super cool to revisit the Thule (oooo that rhymes!). I adored Everyone Hates Hitler and The Vessel. Both of those episodes rank among my favourites. And one of my favourite things our show does is revisit old stories, old enemies, and old friends - it’s the luxury of having a show 12 seasons in. A self aware show at that.

Bringing the Thule back means we get to check in with Aaron and his Golem - and though we don’t see the Golem, we do hear that him and Aaron have been actively wiping out the Thule listed in the red ledger as being reanimated dead nazis! Out there doing the Judah Initiative’s work - his grandfather would be so proud. It was lovely to see Aaron - I hope we get to see him again, next time with his man of clay.


Oh Dean Winchester - such a goof. I mean, he is the baddest badass on the planet, but also such a goof. The fact that Jensen can do physical comedy like nobody's business just adds to the charm of Dean knocking that ship over…and over…and over. And Sam reminding him not to touch anything…it was pretty adorable, Dean does tend to touch before thinking - remember the ballet slippers? 

When Dean discovers a secret room full of nazi stuff, smart Winchesters put two and two together and realise their old enemies the Thule are behind the toasted humans, and I get to hear Dean quoting Indiana Jones!


In fact I get Dean quoting Indiana Jones, a total Han Solo gun under the table moment and Sam and Harry Potter. IT’S LIKE THIS SHOW KNOWS ME!!!!

Did I mention how much I’m loving this lighter side of the brothers? This teasing, eye-rolling, totally believable sibling interaction that we’re seeing this season. BECAUSE I LOVE IT.



And did I mention how I also love badass brothers? BECAUSE I LOVE THAT TOO! The fight scene with the Nazi’s was simply amazing. Nina Lopez Corrado showed us in Red Meat what a masterful director of action she is and she proved it again here. Even though the boys weren’t on the winning end of things, they sure as hell gave it one good fight. 

And then there was Dean and the grenade launcher! Keeping with the lighter tone in the brother’s relationship - we got to see Dean ALMOST getting to use that grenade launcher that’s been languishing in the Impala’s trunk…awwww he just wanted to blow up some nazis! I love that Sam tells his disappointed brother that he’ll get and chance, it’s okay. They really are adorable.


I enjoyed all the secondary characters in this episode. Ellie, Christoph and his crazy nazi dad.

I loved how incredulous Ellie was about the whole situation - even though she saw her date literally go up in flames! I often think that the victims seem way to quick to except the crazy that the boys are telling them. Ellie fought it all the way, and even when she believed in the Hitler stuff, even when as was taking in that she was a descendent of Hitler and that his soul was trapped in a pocket-watch, it was just too much for her when Sam shared that he was born to bring back Lucifer! I thought that was great, and I also thought it was great that Sam tried to share that with her - to make her feel less alone. Sam sharing about his connection to Lucifer and about his psychic powers over two weeks has been pretty damn awesome character stuff. Though I have to say I couldn’t help but giggle through this scene after the overly caffeinated out take we were treated to the day before! They really need to hold off putting those gag clips out until after the episode!


When we finally got to get Hitler - he was so over the top I couldn’t help but laugh. I don’t know much about Hitler’s personality, outside of him being megalomaniacal, tyrannical, murderous, mad man - so I don’t know if he was really into doggies or not - or liked to hug? Or if being in a stopwatch for 71 years sent him batshit crazy - or rather, batshit crazier. I do remember from my modern history learnings, that he was into occult stuff - which could have been interesting if he hadn’t been snuffed out quite so quickly, but let’s face it, we can’t have Hitler and Lucifer running around! I will admit though that at first I was…what even is going on?!! But I ended up laughing because the actor attacked that part with such gusto. He really did. And showing the nazis as bumbling fools whose bad deeds could be crushed by the good in this world - Sam and Dean - somehow felt nourishing.

And then Dean killed Hitler and I’m not sure we’re ever going to hear the end of it!


Dean puts so much stock in who he is by what he does. Helping people, saving people, is a big part of his self esteem, and a big part of how he judges is own self worth. When that is challenged, it takes a big swipe at how Dean sees himself, his place in the scheme of things and how he relates to his life... So killing Hitler? I’m quite happy for him to live off that as long as he wants to - and he gets all the pie for being so awesome! Sure, no one will ever believe him - but Sam does, and that’s pretty much all that matters to Dean.


And then Sam and Dean drove off to find the best pie for a thousand miles - with Dean’s mood definitely improved, because hey…he just killed Hitler!

A happy ending? That’s about as close to a happy ending as we ever get!

The timing of this episode was pretty interesting in the aftermath of Tuesday’s world rocking decision. I’m not sure if they purposely timed this to go after the U.S. election or not - but there were moments that rang extra loud in my ears because of it. I think Dean’s words are something to live by always “There are times when you run, and there are times when you stand and fight”. And having one of the most hated men in history taken out by the beautiful Winchesters felt like a balm to the soul.


I was lucky enough to watch part of this episode being shot - so it put a very different spin on a couple of the scenes for me - I had to go back and watch them again because I was too busy looking across the street to the tree I had been leaning on! Seeing the scenes come together was super cool. I feel so damn blessed to have had the chance to watch them “follow that car” and burn rubber up the street! (My report with loads of pics is here)

So this week we had a little bit of an emotional break - after the heavy and heartbreaking emotional start to the season, it’s good to have a breather and a few laughs, get to smile because our boys are smiling, and celebrate a win with them! A BIG WIN! The brothers were so on point in this episode in every possible way - and I loved it!

Oh and did I mention….Dean killed Hitler?

-sweetondean