Elle2’s Review – All Dogs Go to Heaven
So, if you’re not a dog lover, don’t know anyone who is a dog lover and/or never suffered being in the presence of someone who is a dog lover, then this opening dialogue was sickening to you. However, if you are any of the above or know anybody of the above, well then this was right on the mark.
“Did he eat? You gave him a bath, right? Well, did you take him to the park? Did he make pee pee and poop poop? Good. Tell him daddy loves him.” I was rolling. Admittedly, I’ve been known to say such things as pee pee and poop poop. Granted, it’s one thing when your four-legged darling looks like this:
But, when he’s a whole year plus later, it’s not necessarily so cute (but I still do it): 
Thankfully I discovered what I’d always hoped was true to be actually true, today while walking through the parking lot at the grocery store I overheard a woman speaking and saying things like: “You’re my best boy. You’re mommy’s good boy.” Curious (and hopeful) I snuck a peek and sure enough, there was a dog in her car wagging his tail, clearly happy to see his momma. Whew. I am not alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Adam Glass is two for two for me with his scripts and I’ll be looking forward to his next outing, hopeful that he makes it three for three. Don’t get me wrong, there were some flaws, some likely done to keep the story moving along and some frankly flaws but I’ll make the case that this episode did its job completely; it allowed us to breathe a bit this season. There were still some elements that moved the story along and set up things for the future but after the reveals of Bobby regaining his soul, Sam’s having lost his, Castiel’s civil war with loose nukes afoot, Samuel’s arrival, alphas being captured, Christian’s possession and death, Mark’s death, Lisa’s and Ben’s exit and shapeshifters, vampires and djinn running loose (oh my), we need a moment to breathe.
Granted, Vampire Diaries has been shooting rockets in each and every episode this season and shows no signs of slowing down but they can do that while Supernatural cannot. TVD has not only the brothers Salvatore, but Elena who has a doppelganger, werewolves, one who was killed and one who was created; a newly minted vampire, the arrival of 500 year old vampires, one of which created Kathryn and the list goes on and on and on. There are five or six principal characters seen each week with another four or so background characters that weave in and out
Supernatural on the other hand has two main characters with four others that weave in and out throughout the season. As I listed above we’ve had a pretty big season thus far and while there have been some ‘wow’ moments there has been a lot of set up for things to come, things that may start to pay off in bits and pieces now that the first third of the season has passed. As always, time will tell. This episode allowed us to catch our breath a bit, see exactly where the brothers are emotionally (or not) and finally get them on the same page for the emotional storyline this season. That’s a job well done in my book.
Parallels to past episodes:
Supernatural is best when it ties the brothers in emotionally with the monster of the week and All Dogs Go to Heaven does this quite well; as I was watching this episode I was reminded of Metamorphosis.
Dean identified with ‘Lucky’s’ plight immediately and we saw his continuing struggle played out through Lucky’s story. I’m betting Dean’s won’t be quite as lonely as Lucky’s though for while I do believe Lisa and Ben are beyond his existence (and for their safety that is the best) I do not believe that Dean will ultimately face the loneliness that we saw Lucky facing at the end. For all their separation at this point Dean still has his brother. From what I saw the two of them are more and more on the same page.
This episode also played with elements from Dream a Little Dream of Me. There Dean had to come face to face with his inner self before agreeing to be on the same page that Sam had been on since the end of Season 2, save Dean. Season 3 kept the battle of Sam wanting to save Dean and Dean putting up the brave front all the way to the tenth episode before finally getting the brothers on the same page…whew, we only had to wait until the eighth episode. What a relief.
I don’t think it will all be smooth sailing, nothing in Supernatural ever is, but at least Sam and Dean are finally on the same page, get Sam his soul back. Sam, like Dean of Season 3, needed to want to get his soul back, not just agree with Dean because that’s what will keep Dean in the same car, room, diner, area code, zip code or geographic coordinates with him.
No rockets, still good stuff though:
Sure we didn’t get anything that blew us out of the water in this episode. Crowley is bad, Sam has no emotions, Dean identifies with the monster and the innocents, the family dog is the monster and there’s a signal coming that will cause yet another recruitment phase to speed up. Okay. It’s easy to see where some would (and have) called this a filler episode. But again, there were elements that moved the storyline ahead, added to the buildup of monster tension and moved the brothers a bit closer together. This is solid, meat and potatoes Supernatural; they can’t all be Dark Side of the Moon or Mystery Spot but thankfully this is no Fallen Idols or I Believe the Children Are Our Future either. And hey, we got the brothers have some banter and some connection on the job, in the car, during a meal (well, sort of a meal – hey, soulless Sam eats!).
The Good, Not so Good and All The Rest:
GOOD:
“Dogs and cats living together; mass hysteria!” Ghostbusters reference!!
Dean as sniper – just what else is hidden in the depths of the Impala’s trunk that we have yet to see?
Excellent dog portrayal by the actor, he was panting, he was alert, smelling the air…all very doglike.
Sam is quite the snark when he has no soul. Like that he’s the one taunting the monster, in the past that’s always been Dean’s forte, it’s a fun exploration of the character.
“We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way.” (As Dean offers Lucky the choice between either clothing or a prong collar.) After Sam laughs and Dean looks at him we get another choice one by Sam, “What, soul or not that’s funny.” Hah, soulless Sam is a bit lighter, hope he can keep that like Bobby kept his legs.
Sam doesn’t lie about not sleeping, what’s the point. In You Can’t Handle the Truth both beds were unmade which showed that Sam was hiding his sleeplessness from Dean. Now he doesn’t bother; good for him. Sam’s ending ‘confession’ to Dean was excellent, painful no doubt but hey, the best way to take off a Band-Aid still remains just ripping it right off. Also, at the end of Sam’s brutal honesty he got what he’s always gotten from Dean whether it’s been psychic powers or Muppet suit for Lucifer, acceptance.
NOT SO GOOD:
No way that Lucky didn’t bark and head to the door to check out the Winchester brothers. For all that he was protective of his family he allowed Sam and Dean to enter and sit down without once making a sound or moving off his bed? Nope. Not believable. Sure it kept the scene moving, no need to have the dog barking, the woman quieting him, the whole moment of the dog sniffing the brothers and on and on, still, not believable. Better to have him outside and have the woman let him in and he could greet the brothers and then go lie down. Sure it kept him under the radar but since the CW’s press release already let the cat – erh, dog out of the bag, really?
Also, while we already knew the family dog was the killer from the press release I would have preferred the reveal of Lucky as the skin walker to have been handled differently in the show. Better to have Cal killed by Lucky and not reveal that there is a human there. Sure we would have lost the excellent portrayal of the actor panting like the dog but having that reveal happen early took a lot out of the big moment for Sam when he’s staking out the house and sees the skin walker revealed (and made the SPN ‘gotcha music’ sort of unnecessary). Like I said, we already knew this was who and what the monster was from the press release so it wasn’t a disappointment for me but for the storytelling the reveal should have come later.
Also, no way Mandy wouldn’t know that Lucky and Cal weren’t in the house, since her alibi was that she was up with a sick kid all night but for about 30 minutes, I find that hard to reconcile.
AND THE REST:
Keeping the little boy clutched in his mother’s arms and clothed in a loose jacket and a baseball cap during much of that final scene likely eased the shooting restrictions that children come with.
Liked the backwards words, “Jewelry for Cash” in red on the dark car door in the teaser. Just a nice effect.
Great shots of the Impala, even after six seasons it’s nice to see sleek, long shots of her, she’s a beauty.
Great choice that when the dogs get shot they appear as dead humans. Um, yeah, I’m disturbed to be sure but the sight of dead dogs would be a bummer, dead humans….
Final Thoughts:
While there are plenty of questions in this season I’m really glad that one of them isn’t is Crowley on the boys’ side. No. He absolutely is not. Crowley is bad. He does know how to get things done though, he’s effective. Sam can feel pain. Dean will want to protect and there is that little stringing along of “I’ll give Sammy his soul back.” I doubt it will be that easy, for as Sam said: “What, the vampire alpha wasn’t good enough?” Hmm, there’s more going on than meets the eye.
I do hope that skin walkers and their sleeper cell project appear later on in the season or, if there is a seventh season, that it carries into that. There is an ominous sense that is building to this season; there are skin walkers and vampires out recruiting and waiting for a signal, a sign. We do not know what that sign is or what they are recruiting for but there is a slow build that has been occurring and that can continue to occur as the brothers seek out (and hopefully quickly resolve) Sam’s soul.
Crowley won’t give it up easily for he obviously needs the brothers but I like the clip we’ve already gotten for next week’s episode. It will be enjoyable watching Sam struggle with his soullessness but since we won’t actually get Sam back (the real Sam) until he has his soul, I remain hopeful that this will not be a season long (or worse) hunt. Get Sam his soul back and then tie in Castiel’s civil war and Samuel’s hidden secrets to keep us going. I’m fairly certain we’re going to need all of Sam and Dean, mind, body and soul, to win this latest fight.
We’ve got one more episode this coming Friday before we hit our first break this season. Gasp!!! I know. Still, nine straight episodes is pretty darn good. We’ll get a one-week break on Friday November 26th (the day after Thanksgiving here in the States) and then Supernatural will return with two more episodes that will bring us up to December 10th before we get the midseason hellatus. That will be harder. So hang in there after this week’s episode, save your energy for after December 10th (or if in Canada, December 15th.)
Thanks for reading, Elle2
thanku….maybe u guys could forego thanksgiving???(OZ person)..
Luved your review….::-)))
I too was glad that they appeared as dead humans. I’ve become kind of desensitized to that, but I probably would have started crying if they were dead dogs. I just don’t like the thought of it. I reached over and petted my puppy while that was happening.
Also, during that scene where Lucky brings the toy to the sick kid, my puppy freaked out both times I watched it and started barking at the screen. He always barks when dogs bark or whine, doorbells ring, and cops go by (on tv) but I couldn’t figure out why he was doing it there, haha. Probably the squeaky toy.
I liked your review a lot. I actually liked that we found out earlier that the dog was a skinwalker, it made the humor of Sam finding out more enjoyable because we knew what was going to happen and could anticipate his reaction. But that’s just what I thought.
I’m also looking forward to Dean giving him advice as to what a person with a soul would do! Sam seems genuinely curious. I hope he doesn’t spend the whole season without it though, the novelty will wear off eventually and I won’t be so amused by everything he does. Like when he whistled and threw the ball while they were interrogating Lucky, I started laughing hysterically, but they can’t pull that off forever.
And yes, God, Dean with a sniper rifle. My mother didn’t understand why I found that so hot. She obviously doesn’t have eyes.
Elle2, this wasn’t an episode to blow us out of the water, true. And I am not so sure whethere I liked it, actually, perhaps need a re-watch.
Strangely enough, it left me with a lonely feeling. I felt sorry for the skinwalker, poor, lonely freak of nature and those others around the planet (so, I guess I was in Dean mode, here). I still miss Sam’s compassion so much that it hurts and I do hope they will not drag this out till the end of this season. Hellatus would be quite enough for my taste.
They might have an understanding, but I still don’t trust the storyline, meaning: the writers. As Sam was making conversation up on that roof he said he would doublecross Dean – is he telling the truth now by giving him his mind ‘straight’ or is he pretending to calm Dean’s nerves to keep him focused on their alpha hunt?
To me, at the moment, it’s like I’m watching a completely different show. The vibes I used to love so much have changed and I have not yet adjusted properly which should have me worried, perhaps, as this has been the 8th episode already and I am not there, yet… Don’t get me wrong – this is still my favourite show out there, but I keep longing for the heart it used to have. The heart, the warmth, the love that came across despite the heavy contents and bloodshed. It’s still there, somewhere down beneath all the stuff the brothers have to fight now, and I do hope it won’t take too long for them to dig that up again.
Does that make sense at all?
Thank you for this ever interesting article, dear. Cheers! Jas
P.S.: I love the pics of your dog!!! I wish I had one but with my working hours the poor fella would not have a happy life… sniff…
I loved this Elle.
I consider myself a dog person (I hate cats :D). But it annoys me when people talk about their little dog as if it were a human baby. I prefer the big dogs: German shephard, great dane, golden retriever.
I cannot believe that this is only the eighth episode. We have learned so much, and still have so many more questions.
VAMPIRE DIARIES gives me a headache at times, because there are so many major characters that you need to keep track of. Then there are the flashbacks and the visions. In SUPERNATURAL, there is only Sam and Dean, and regardless of what Bobby says, the world does revolve around them. 😀 😀
When Dean was talking to Lucky, he definitely was talking about himself it regards to Lisa and Ben.
I agree with you, this is a good episode, it wasn’t great, but no way did it suck. I read in some blogs, where they are talking that this episode did nothing to advance the season. I don’t know if they were watching the episode with the sound off or what, but this episode made me smile and see a light at the end of the tunnel. 🙂
Sniper!Dean 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
John taught his boys everything.
Now that Sam has come clean to Dean, he no longer has to lie about his lack of sleep. Dean will appreciate that Sam no longer needs to hide his lack of feelings, and can be more truthful. That is something they really need to be more of with each other.
I agree, Elle, after five plus years we have gotten used to the dead human bodies, but seeing dead dogs would have been wrong. Kudos to Sera & Co. for that. 🙂
Finally, Sam laughs at Dean’s jokes. 😆
I agree, if Lucky was so protective of the family, then seeing two alpha males like Sam and Dean walk into his home would have at least gotten a bark or two. 😀
In SUPERNATURAL, the name Cal equals bad guy. The guy that shots Dean in ‘Mystery Spot’ => Cal.
Crowley no longer is the ‘helpful’ demon he was last season, he is definitely one of this season’s baddies.
Hi, peepingdru, joelsteinlover, Leslie, yume, Jas, nancyL,
Thanks for the great comments and thoughts. I have hope, although it is difficult. I think perhaps one of the reasons I enjoyed this so much is that there was levity amidst the distrust and I do like the exploration Sam is having of what it means to not have a soul. (And next week’s clip shows that Dean sort of gets to be teacher (yikes!) to Sam’s student.) At this point I’ll take anything that has the brothers talking with their voices and not their fists.
I am firmly (as you can tell by my articles) hopeful that Sam’s soul returns sooner rather than later but I must remember that I have always taken my SPN as it comes and that I best not set my expectations too high in what I want, take what they give and decide from there.
peepingdru, can’t do much with Thanksgiving…actually it is a beautiful holiday when we remember the abundance of God’s blessing but these days it’s become little more than a feast (or a day of gorging oneself) and then lots of football followed by the next day the craziness of ‘the start of the holiday shopping season’. Too bad. I like it more when we remember God’s blessings…like the fact that there will be two more SPN episodes to follow. 🙂
joelsteinlover, Jobe (my dog) did the same thing during that scene. He is very dog-oriented and he watches them when he sees them on TV so he was sort of watching the episode (every time Lucky barked) and he was quite interested in that squeaky toy.
Leslie, Sam did have some fun lines and I am enjoying that part of his character…as I’ve said, I’ll take my laughs where I can get them these days. Still, I do believe Jared is enjoying (as well as doing a great job) this exploration of Sam’s character.
yume, I agree with your assessment that there is a connection of sorts, not what we’re used to but there is something. As strange as it is I do believe Dean likes at least getting the truth from Sam (as long as we are getting the truth and I’m going to say that we are — at least until I have more of a reason not to believe). And yes, while Sam doesn’t ‘care’ in the emotional sense to be with Dean (or about him) it is clear that he does not want to loose Dean’s presence. There has to be a reason for that, so perhaps like his dreams in It’s a Terrible Life, there is a strong connection to the past that he ‘sees’ in his memories.
Jas, not sure Sam was trying to calm Dean’s nerves as much as simply he has no filter, so he simply says what he thinks (he doesn’t feel so it’s only what he thinks) This is a risky story/plot point so I hope the writers take care and use it sparingly (as in get Sam his soul back quick) because if carelessly used or overused it will quickly collapse under its own weight.
nancyL, great points you raise, Dean was completely talking about himself when talking to Lucky, which is what made Lucky even more sympathetic to me (that and the excellent ending shot of having him be a dog wandering aimlessly and dejectedly into the ‘sunset’; way to tug on the heart strings there.
I don’t hold to the theory that every episode needs to ‘move the storyline’ sometimes it’s satisfying to have an episode simply deepen the storyline and allow the storyline to ‘be’ and this one did that. Part of what made Season 5 so rocky to me is that Dean agrees to work again with Sam at the end of episode 4, episode 5 shows him clearly not happy to be working with Sam and he’s fairly nasty all the way until the end of the episode and then poof, they’re fine and working pretty well together until episode … something after the mid-winter break when Sam has anger issues and Dean doesn’t trust him again.
Painful as this process is thus far it is far more organic and while I do hope for a quick return to Sam’s soul, I do understand the process. (I guess I’d handle this better if there was a massive spoiler out there saying…hey, episode 10 (or close thereabouts) Sam gets his soul back. Yeah, that would help.)
Until then I’ll take them as they come and look for the good. Snarky, snappy lines, lots of brotherly moments where no one was beating the other and/or there was no standing by watching a vampire turn the other because it helped the case…yeah, this one is pretty darn lovey-dovey.
Enjoy the articles that keep coming…Friday is fast approaching.
Exactly, season 5 was very choppy when it came to Sam and Dean’s relationship. One episode they were buds and in the next, they were almost at blows.
I also agree, I hope they don’t make us wait episode 21, for Sam to get his soul back. It would be better for him to get it back mid season, and then for the rest of the season, deal with the guilt of what he has done.
Agreed, Sam no longer is able to give answers that would make Dean feel better, because he doesn’t care about hurting Dean’s feelings. He will give straight answers regardless of how they would affect Dean.
He no longer cares about Dean, but he does remember what Dean means to him. He has to have memories of Season 3, when Dean’s deal was all he thought about.
He saw how Dean reacted to Crowley burning his hand. So, he knows that Dean still cares for him, regardless of what his soul status is. 🙂 That probably is what made him decide to come clean to Dean about how he doesn’t feel.
forgot somthing, I wanted a happy ending for Lucky. 🙁
Call me crazy, but I thought that she would at least have just let him in and listen to his side of the story. I didn’t think that she was going to slam the door in his face. 🙁
I also thought that the car that passed him by would have backed up and let him jump in. 🙁
Poor Lucky, maybe someone down the road (off camera) took him in. Fingers and toes crossed. 🙂
Beautiful shepherds, both your “baby” & Lucky! I bet Jared had a blast with all the dogs on the set for this episode!
I agree about Lucky not reacting to the guys walking in the house. It also looked as if Mandy put the choke chain on him incorrectly (just a pet peeve of mine) when she took him out, which meant she also left her sick kid alone in the house. I was worried at the end that Lucky was going to get hit by another car as he trotted across that road. Hopefully he’ll find another home (but needs to stop being a perv & watching people undress!)
I totally agree that Sam needs to get his soul back soon. I think he finally told the truth at that picnic table, however harsh it may have sounded to Dean, but it is a step in the right direction. Dean listened, & accepted what Sam had to say. He wants his brother back; he’s not given up on Sam. I’m not either.
This episode, to me, illustrates the title card perfectly. It presents itself as a symmetry – Dean and Lucky, Sam and Crowley, Animals and Humans. But of course, it’s all a false symmetry, a broken equation, if you will. Elle2, you note that there is an “ominous feeling” that appears on the horizon and I know that the idea of Dean being forced to kill Sam has already been mentioned around the site, and I’m now more sure than ever that there is something else going on here. I have this feeling that we are being inundated with red herrings, with paths we might follow, but then may be abruptly cut off. Lisa and Ben come to mind..I was sure it would go on longer (and they may return, but I don’t think as anything other than plot device).
My read on this episode is that it undermines something that many of us have probably noted but have seldom been willing to announce publicly: Dean’s resentment of Sam. I think this has built from the end of Season 2, since the deal with the demon, perhaps even before that, perhaps since Faith, since the beginning of Season 2, when it was Sam making sure that Dean didn’t die. Imagine the double bind of the Dean character, knowing that there was a moment when he was supposed to die, and having that taken from him. And it was not John’s decision really; it was always about Sam.
Now that is not to say I blame Sam. I think Sam is us…which is why many of us are having a hard time with the show because Sam has been evacuated. He is simply animal now. He’s like an id and a superego, and no ego. He feeds his desires (food, sex) and he analyzes his options, but none of this balanced by affect or emotion. He feels no regret, but I doubt he feels anticipation, except in the cases of abstract curiosity, which is a dangerous, genocidal impulse.
I, too, have an ominous feeling but it’s not about Sam’s death. I have this feeling that Dean will eventually let all of his resentment come through, but at the wrong time, with a returned Sam rather than a soulless Sam. I imagine an emotional equivalent to the Born Under a Bad Sign punch. The ensouled Sam suffers the emotional trauma brought on by the soulless one.
Elle2, First, your dog is beautiful.
Next, you are not alone in talking to your dog, certainly. And if you think dog people are bad for it, you should hear some of us horse folks (or worse, I have 2 dogs and a horse!).
I really enjoyed this episode, especially Sam taunting Lucky. I think the looks on Jared’s face made those scenes for me.
I also really loved watching the dogs work. They were fantastic and each dog had such great facial expressions.
I know there are so many who didn’t like this episode and are not happy with where the season is but I’m holding on to the wait and see and truthfully, the only episode that still doesn’t make my ‘can’t wait to watch again’ is Live Free or Twi-Hard. All the rest I’ve really enjoyed.
Having said that, I’m gearing up my DVD player for a season 1 and season 2 marathon to get me through the upcoming hellatus (no, not the one week one, although there will be some SPN rewinding going on) but I’m planning to get through both those seasons whenever we break in December until our return in January.
It is painful but I continue to hold to the thought that this is so much more consistent this season with the rebuild (which really won’t get going strong until the real Sam Winchester returns, soul firmly in place.) Still, there is some snark and I like seeing it come from Sam, adds to the character. As for the lighter feel of this last episode, I’m all for that. Bring on Mr. Edlund and his crazy fairies (and whatever else he’s got in there, I loved the six-foot tall teddy bear, I’m not afraid of the fairies!
Is it Friday yet?
Hi Elle2
I too thought of Metamorphosis. When Sam asked Dean if he would be able to put Mandy in the trunk and take her to Crowley reminded me of when Dean asked Sam if he would be able to kill Jack when and if the time came. It really shows how much the tables have turned.
I had to laugh at the last scene with Lucky with his backend to the camera and him trotting away along the roadway. There was a Canadian TV show back the early 80’s called ‘The Littlest Hobo’ about a stray German Shepard that ended each episode the same way.
I’m really enjoying Crowley, he really has become quite the villain. I don’t believe he has any intentions of giving Sam’s soul back. And I still don’t believe he’s working alone either and that he was the one to bring both Sam’s back to the living.
As for my thoughts on this episode, it’s funny my first reaction was pure depression. I found Sam’s behaviour very disturbing especially his little “tell it as it isâ€. It was one thing to say that he didn’t care about Lisa and Ben, because he barely knew them. But to say that about Dean?
And to admit he has killed innocent people in the line of duty sent chills down my spine. Collateral damage was never an option for the Winchesters. When they took on a job, there intent was to save everyone.
It felt like they (the writers) had totally annihilated Sam’s Character.
But after a couple of days to think it through and finally being able to re-watch it. I was able to get another prospective for it.
With Dean now knowing exactly where Sam’s mind is at and what he is dealing with, I think they can find a common ground to which they can work together.
Watching Sam it kind of struck me that Sam is in some ways a child again, needing to be re-taught the differences between right and wrong. Having to be told when his actions or decision are wrong or unacceptable.
Awww. Puppy. Bless.
Can’t help thinking that poor old love-lorn shape-shifting dog-bloke Lucky was a straight steal from True Blood’s poor old love-lorn shape-shifting dog-bloke Sam ( although Sam is cuter and owns a bar which makes him a bit more likely to score … Personally I’d ditch Vampire Bill for him in a instant if I was Twit-face Sookie … Did I mention he owned a bar? )
I’m starting to think that Alice might be right about the Not-Sam-At-All thesis. What is Mr. No-Feelings doing hunting for a living in the first place? He chased the bad guys on his own for a year before hooking up with Dean … Why bother? What’s in it for him? Surely the ONLY reason to hunt is either vengance or empathy for the potential victims and he by his own admission can’t feel either so what is he actually after? Hmmm …
Cats rock, nancyL. Try taking over the world with a bunch of cats, no chance … You send out Order 66 and they just give you a funny look and all mooch off in different directions. Brilliant things. 😀
Thanks for this review. 🙂 My absolute favorite part of “All Dogs Go To Heaven” is the scene where Lucky leaves his family (or rather, is rejected by his family). Somehow that scene was extremely poignant for me – Lucky walking briskly away, a car drives past, and then Lucky slowing to a stop.
It’s been a while since I had access to Supernatural, but I finally managed to catch the last 3 episodes all at one go – “You Can’t Handle the Truth”, “Family Matters” and “All Dogs Go To Heaven”.
I remember reading somewhere that it was sometimes painful to watch Sam and Dean in Season 6 so far – almost every conversation between them has been marked by a suspicion as to whether Sam was telling the truth and/or Dean being extra guarded. I’m afraid I share much of that sentiment.
Alice brought up the “evil Clark Kent for a whole season” and I think there are many parallels with my personal view of Supernatural Season 6. While almost everyone expected Sam to be different at the start of Season 6, I’m not sure many signed up (or want to continue to sign up) for soul-less Sam aka “I couldn’t care less about Lisa/Ben/Dean” Sam.
It’s not that Season 6 is bad – there are many many stand out moments from every episode so far.
But … after watching the last 3 episodes back to back … isn’t it time to get the Winchester Brothers’ relationship back on track as a brotherly relationship ?
I wrote a very long post yesterday and it never showed up for some strange reason. I’ll do my best to recreate it.
Elle2,
It was a great review as always. I found that between your review and the actual episode I walked with more questions than ever. So here goes.
1. I get Crowley pulling Sam from the cage and I even get that he probably controls Sam’s soul. But how can a demon, even the King of Hell pull someone from Heaven especially when an Angel (Castiel a la Dark Side of the Moon)couldn’t even get in? It makes me agree with Karen that he had to have help. But who? Balthazar? Why?
2. All the Alphas are creating armies. Why? Is someone cooridinating it? Is there an Alpha for Alphas If so, it’s not Crowley. Could it be the”Mother” that the Alpha Vamp spoke of?
3. There were plenty of experienced hunters for Crowley to use. I mean he already had Bobby on the payroll so to speak. So why did he need Samuel in particular? If for no other reason than the show is about the Winchester brothers I have to believe it’s because that was the way to control them. But again, why?
4. And finally not so much of a question as my own pet theory on Soulless Sam. I agree with you. I think that Sam was telling the truth at the end of the episode. I believe that although he might not care about Dean in a conventional sense he wants and/or needs him around and he definitely trusts him. And even without a soul which in the Supernatural world seems to equal a conscience he tries to do the right thing he just doesn’t always get what that is.
Hunting is a good thing so he does that. Being with family is good so he does that too. Family loyalty is not to be questioned so he doesn’t. He doesn’t bother Dean for a whole year because that’s what the old Sam wanted. But he comes back to protect him when Dean’s threatened because that’s what the old Sam would do. He want’s Dean around and has lied and or told the truth every time he had to make sure that Dean stays. He said in ep 6.1 that he wanted him around. I don’t think that was a lie. But one more time I come back to why? Although he knew something was wrong it doesn’t seem like he knew he was without a soul so what did he want Dean for?
I have to admit that I’m enjoying the ride. I find the dynamic between the brothers fascinating. I love Sam’s implicit trust in Dean and the fact that Dean trusts Sam’s abilities and next to nothing else. Most of all I love the fact that although I have no doubt that Sera and the PTB will get Sam’s soul back eventually but I have no idea what’s going to happen next.
That’s just about the highest compliment I can pay.
One last thought.
Wouldn’t Samuel have to made the choice to willingly leave Heaven? There’s been a lot of talk about Crowley using Mary as leverage. That would make sense. She was a spirit that destroyed another spirit. That would mean she’d be in purgatory. Maybe Crowley said he’d free her?
Just pure speculation on my part.
Thanks again.
Alice, Karen, Suze, CitizenKane and Ashke,
I never knew about the Littlest Hobo…makes me sad. :cry:: but definitely could have been an inspiration for the ending.
As for the Not/Sam all season…yeah, that definitely troubles me. I’m finding comfort in the brief snatches of familiarity (even as it is mostly if not completely fabricated by Not/Sam) which is why I disliked Live Free or Twi-Hard since there was none to be found there (and since the whole vampire-spoofing held no appeal for me I didn’t even enjoy that) ah, well.
Since I read an article yesterday (actually it was a video clip) about a tragic doggie story I’ve been hugging my Jobe even more and thinking back to last summer when I had to put my beloved RJ down…puppies are blessings (and in all sizes too) and yes, my kitty is a blessing as well (even as he did scratch my arm pretty well the other day…ouch, blood, ouch).
On a happier animal story note than the tragic ‘wrong dog got euthanized at the animal control office’ was a video of a cat going whiskers to jaws with an alligator…the ‘gator went back for a buddy but even still was bested by the brave kitty who, having dispatched the evil ‘gators (no, Suze, they were not zombie ‘gators) went over and rubbed up against a young child and played with another kitty…wow and cool and WOW.
Ashke, you have wonderful questions that I’m pondering as well, as well as some I hadn’t pondered.
I have no idea where we’re going this season but I read an interview of Jensen and Jared (I think it was on Supernatural wiki) after this last episode and they alluded to things getting better…that gives me hope.
Also, there’s supposed to be a twist regarding something missing coming up soon (many leaped for the amulet but I’m going with Sam’s soul) so perhaps some of what everyone is wondering and surmising will be borne out sooner rather than later.
Two days until the next new episode (and last new episode until Dec 3rd …. just keeping you guys prepared) Hopefully we’ll see some more progress coming.