Let’s Speculate: “Meet The New Boss”
WARNING!!!!!! If you haven’t seen tonight’s episode of “Supernatural,” read no further! There will be plot discussion and spoilers and other things you won’t want to read unless you have seen the episode. Consider yourself warned! If you’re still here, let’s do this!
Well, that was a much better beginning to the season than last year, I think. I was dubious that all the Cass developments would play out in the first two episodes like the powers that be have said, but I’m not so dubious about that anymore. If last season was one of noir-ish twists and turns and never really knowing who the enemy is, this season is the complete opposite. It looks like we’ve established our big bad right off the bat! But I’m getting ahead of myself. First off, Cass!
The Three Castiel-teers
Before I say anything about Cass in this episode, Misha Collins killed it tonight, didn’t he? He had three different versions of Castiel to play, and he nailed each of them. That was amazing to watch. Bravo, Misha. Also, please don’t go. *sniffles* Engage tissue.
God!Castiel
I really thought God!Cass was going to make the Winchesters bend to his will, but nope, he let them off the hook. Bobby was funny about it, though, because really, if God tells you to knee, you kneel. And if someone asks you if you’re a god, Ray, you say yes! Instead, God!Cass went around righting what he thought were egregious wrongs. The fake Westboro Baptist Church bit was inspired. See, God really doesn’t care about sexual preference. Appplause all around. I loved that part. And the stained glass Cass was pretty excellent, too, as was the witness who caught the vapors over sexy god. Ha. Of course, all that smiting ended up creating a big body count, as Sam pointed out. And when the souls, especially the Leviathan, proved to be too much to control, the smiting wasn’t so righteous. But Cass remembered himself and asked for help before it was too late to try and fix things. I wish he would have given back the souls earlier before Leviathan gained control, but it was good to see Cass come to his senses and realize what he had done.
Castiel
Regular old Cass wasn’t around for long, but man, it was nice to see our regular old nerd angel, if only for a little while. I had to laugh at the gross understatement “I really overreached” because yeah, he really did. But he was so earnest when he said he was going to find a way to redeem himself to Dean. And I believe him. I don’t think it was just trying to warn him and Bobby about what was happening with Leviathan, either. I think that line right there is going to open the door for Cass to come back and really, fully redeem himself somehow. I’m guessing the mid-season finale is when he’ll show up again, and Cass will have his redemption arc in the second half of the season. At least, I’m crossing my fingers that this happens because I’m extremely fond of Castiel and I really don’t want to see him go.
Leviathan!Cass
This version was straight-out creepy. Did anyone else get a Trickster-steroids-vibe from the Leviathan? You really get the sense that this creature is straight-up chaotic neutral and has no rules whatsoever. Even Lucifer had standards and a moral code, of sorts, that dictated his behavior. I really don’t get that sense with Leviathan. No matter how evil, if your enemy has some set of rules they play by, you can at least predict how they will react to a situation. This isn’t going to be the case this year with this bad guy. I thinnk Leviathan is going to be the most capricious bad guy yet, and that’s why it (they?) will be so dangerous. You just never know what they’re going to do.
The Wall Situation
I am really interested to see where Sam’s situation is going from here. He’s hallucinating Lucifer telling him that the rest of the world is a hallucination. I think?! Fascinating setup, and I know it will get fleshed out more in the coming weeks, but I really did not see that one coming. I like it! Wow, is that going to mess with Sam’s head. I’m guessing he’s going to start seeing Lucifer more and more, and it’s really going to start driving him a bit insane. Dangerous on a hunt, too, not knowing what’s real and what’s not real. Seriously, I like this setup. I was a little leery at first about how Sam’s wall was going to be handled, but I’m totally on board with this. And I get that Sam wanted to let Dean have a breather and not tell him about the hallucinations, but really, hasn’t he learned his lesson by now? No matter how many times Dean says he just wants things to be normal and okay for once, he ALWAYS would rather be told when they stop being okay. He hates finding out that someone was keeping information from him. Hates it! Sam, do you know your brother at all? I know you’re trying to protect him, but you’re only making it worse.
Dean’s Dilemma
Poor Dean. He watches his best friend turn into an righteous god, his brother is a mess, Death is mad at him, his car’s wrecked, and the only thing he can actually fix is the car. How many times can he lose the people he cares about and not just break? I know Dean considers Cass to be part of the family and a brother and all that, but I actually think it’s even more important that Cass was Dean’s friend. I mean, Dean doesn’t have friends. He has his brother, his father figure, and right now that’s it. How many friends has Dean actually had in his lifetime that he could count on? Not many. How many of them are still alive right now? None. That’s just brutal. When you live a life where you don’t have many friends, and you suddenly have a best friend for three years who’s had your back, to suddenly lose that person is a crushing blow. Of course Dean is going to try and brush it off and act like he’s fine, but of course he’s not going to be fine. At all. And on top of that, now he’s got Sam’s hallucinations to deal with, he feels betrayed that Sam didn’t tell him about them to begin with, oh, and by the way, Leviathan!
Dean and Cass
I’m just gonna say that after everything those two went through at the end of last season and throughout this episode, that even though they were mad at each other and Dean felt incredibly betrayed, in the end, they were there for each other. Cass was sorry, Dean finally actually heard it, and I choked up a bit when Dean said the line about angels not needing to breathe, like maybe, just maybe Cass would be okay.
Odds and Ends
I’m not sure I 100% bought Dean’s complete lack of the will to try again with Cass. I know he’d been dealt a lot of harsh blows, and I can see him having a couple “I’m done” moments because he has done that in the past, but he always comes around in the end and tries again. I just think maybe, since he told Cass he was family, Dean would have been the one to last-resort pray because he always ends up being there for family. They could have had Sam talk him into it because Sam’s good at talking Dean into things.
How hard was it watching Cass call Sam and Dean pets and ants and saying he had no nostalgia for Dean anymore? That was rough. And equally hard was hearing Dean tell Death to kill Cass. I think even Cass was surprised by that one. Maybe that’s when it started sinking in just how far over the edge he’d gone, seeing how far he pushed Dean.
Death, once again, is awesome. What a character he is. And for the record, fried pickles in any form are delicious. Good choice, Dean.
Bobby got some great one-liners tonight, didn’t he? As usual, excellent work by Jim Beaver. I loved him calling Death “your honor.” Classic! And if anyone had a God gun, it would be Bobby.
Welcome back, Crowley! The trailer hw lived in was pretty funny, but I have to say that I love “These Boots Were Made For Walkin'” as a song for Crowley. He’s always trying to walk his way out of stuff.
Whew, a lot happened in this episode! The pacing was intense! But that’s all I’ve got for now. Who else is with me that Cass is coming back in the mid-season finale? He better! I refuse to believe that they’re just going to kill him off like that and have that be the end of it. What do you think Leviathan will do now that it’s got control over Cass’ body?
I think that Cas will be back mid-season as well. I also think that it was an intense introduction to the season and the Dean/Cas dynamic was spot-on at the end. I felt for Dean, like he was a little boy, when he wondered about angels not breathing.
I have a theory about Sam being the one to call upon Cas. I think it has to do with the fact that he knows how Dean performs his betrayals – Dean hides in a bottle or uses something else (porn, Dean, really?) to dull the pain. And Cas’s ultimate betrayal was not so much his lies but that he broke Sam’s wall. He hurt Sam and Dean, although he loves Cas, wouldn’t be able to make the first move if just because of that. In general, Dean has a hard time bending – he has to be pushed to confront emotional moments. Sam didn’t want to push (like when he held back from telling Dean about the hallucinations) so he took the situation in hand and called on Cas. This would make it easier for Cas to come as well. It’s Sam’s moment of forgiveness that allows Dean to forgive, in part.
As far as the Leviathan – I think that it will be the ultimate trickster figure – a figure of mischievous destruction, which makes Misha Collins the perfect actor to play it.
I loved this episode, if you couldn’t tell already. 😆
I’ve already done the rewatch! Probably because there were a lot of interruptions during the first showing and then my daughter showed up at 10:00 not realizing the show was at 9:00.
This was soooo much better than “Exile on Main Street.” Granted, not even close to a “Lazarus Rising,” not by a mile, but better than last year. It was a perfect continuation of the events from the season finale.
What did I love?
– Dean listening to the progress of the new vengeful God while fixing the Impala. Great montage!
– Dean’s overall despondence over everything. For once, that seems like a perfectly natural reaction to me. He was watching cartoon Asian porn? I love it! Sam would only drink with him if he turned that off. I did laugh.
– Death. Once again, AWESOME!! At least we know that guy isn’t dying. He loved the pickle chips. A horseman with taste.
– When Dean thought he lost Castiel near the end. He does care!
– I also loved Sam’s hallucinations, but those were just a mere taste of what’s coming next week. I knew there wasn’t much room in the story for more than that. Not enough, but I know I’ve got to be patient.
– Crowley hanging out in a motor home? Presumably somewhere in Tennessee? Too funny.
I was okay with the targets Castiel smited, but some of that fell flat for me. Going after motivational speakers was hilarious though.
Oh, and Mark Pellegrino! He made a spooning remark to Sam. Oh man, with him in his head, Sammy’s definitely got it rough.
I think it was a good setup for what’s to come. It didn’t blow me away, but this episode made me very happy. I’m definitely interested in seeing what happens next.
I really didn’t like 701. I thought Cas may die?may come back as that lovely angel again or may he
continue being new GOD.But I didn’t think he’d become another person completely!
I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t expect this…
I was left drained on so many levels. I was sighing in my mind a constant mantra of “oh, Casâ€-“Oh, Samâ€-“Oh, Deanâ€â€¦ This is not happening. I loved the episode, and it is a fabulous season opener. So many topics already introduced, leaving me hungry for more.
I feel intensely with Sam, since I’ve been battling flashbacks of my own for a while now and get physically sick and feel weakened just thinking about them, and watching Sam in those moments seared through my soul like a hot poker. I kinda relate very much to this lovely man at present. And Dean with his utterly depressed mood, trying to hold himself up by irony and sarcasm, and in between them ever trusty Bobby who’s just as confused as the rest.
I’m very curious how they will deal with the leviathans and their mythological importance. I’m also very interested to see how they’ll tackle Sam’s psycho-physiological state. This first episode, to me, is a promise of a great season to come. I am looking forward to the Edlund episodes. And, well, all the other ones as well…
I can imagine that Misha will have such fun playing that leviathan part! The baddies often are more fun. You have much more freedom to run amok in many ways. So glad for Misha to be able to stretch his acting muscles there.
Best, Jas
I had no idea where any of the episode was going but I was thrilled by the ride and excited by the ending.
I had two thoughts: 1) relief, 2) that THIS should have been the Season 6 finale. That was a cliffhanger I could appreciate, and it tied so much more of last season together, including bringing Death back.
There are places to nitpick, like Dean’s apathy, but nothing I thought was unforgiveable. The sheer mass of favorite guest stars in the episode – when not one of them felt like a stunt – made it that much better.
Great summary Alice. Now I’m optimistic.
I really liked Exile on Main Street, it was after that the season fell apart; as for Meet the New Boss, it was boring, flat, offensive and plain uninteresting (except when Crowley appeared)…here’s hoping the rest of the season improves.
Next week, please kill off Cas and let’s move on…and after Swan Song I never thought I’d say that but TPTB have ruined the character so completely for me I’m fine with him disappearing forever; I’ll always love him in Season 4 and Season 5.
I’m very sorry you feel this way.
Jasminka, I agree. Elle2, it seems like you’ve almost given up on Supernatural which I think is a shame. Personally, I thought it was a well-paced episode with some interesting tidbits of information. I liked last season, too. While it wasn’t my favorite of all times, I think it had some redeeming qualities. I’m along on this Supernatural ride to the end. No matter what.
I would really like to know what you found offensive. Is it because GodCas went after self-righteous preachers and others who speak in the name of God? I was born in the Catholic faith, I believe in God, the afterlife, angels and yes even the Devil. It’s a television show, it’s bound to cross some boundaries as most television shows do. I think that is what makes it interesting to discuss, it brings up so many things. SPN has been on long enough for people to know that it’s anchored in some sort of religious mythology. I may be wrong, so please elaborate. I’d really like to know.
Well, I’m doing a little “happy” dance this morning. I really liked the episode. All the characters acted like I hoped and thought they would. I’m glad that Cas didn’t get killed off. That would have been sad and so unnecessary. Now we have a chance to see him get redeemed. I really don’t think the Leviathan killed Cass off when he took over his body. Cas is getting a taste of what it feels like to be possessed by something more powerful than himself. Also, I believe that God!Chuck is being set up for a return. Seems like Death and God!Chuck will be the only ones with the juice to help Dean, Sam and Bobby return the Leviathan to Purgatory.
It was great seeing Lucifer and Crowley. Both are so devilish! Both Mark’s are such great actors. 😆
Death has to be one of my favorites, too. I just love his dry sense of humor. I got the impression that he has something in store for our Dean.
Finally, the Impala. I was glad to see it return to it’s former self. Dean’s right. He’s really good at putting her back together. A real love fest there… Guys and their cars!
This was so much better than last year’s season premiere! More cohesive and didn’t skip a beat with last season’s finale. Way to go! I hope they keep it up. As for performances, they were excellent as usual. Top notch job! 😀
That was a great season opener! I loved every minute of it. I was chilled to the bone when Cas smiles up to the camera before killing all those people. It reminded me of the part in “Paranormal Activity” when the girl is possessed by the demon and flings her dead boyfriend at the camera and then just looks into it. Brrrr, just thinking about it gives me chills, I had nightmares about that scene for weeks.
I must commend Misha Collins for his portrayal of Cas three ways. Wrathful God (although I loved him smiting that preacher, God does not give a hoot about sexual preference), Leviathan Cas, and our lovable Cas. Please let him come back. I’m with you Ardeo, here’s hoping that it will all pan out mid-season.
Now for our dear brothers and lovable Bobby. Dean drinking and watching cartoon porn, funny and yet a little pathetic! Sam hallucinating, or is he? The return of Mark Pellegrino, I was so happy to see him back as a bad ass Lucifer. And Bobby, our oh so smart father figure, just being able to see what is happening with both Sam & Dean.
Like Bette Davis said “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night”.
Another one who loves All About Eve, eh? To me it’s one of the best films out there, with fabulous performances. A film any actor can learn from, I’d say. And, furthermore, a brilliant satire, too.
Absolutely, Bette Davis was such a great actress, she brought that role to life. I love all the old American classics. B&W cinema is the best.
One of my all-time favourite movies!
OMG OMG…i cant believe it has happened already…i am so unfortunate to be not able to see it (how can i see online please…) I could not control myself reading your great writup…Like you all i also wish Cass to be redeemed lateron..his helplessness and realization occured in first episode only?? Sam lies again?? Dean asked Death to kill Cass even after Cassy told him he wants to come back?? oh i have so many questions..i dont know the answer till i get to see it…I am dying to see it 😥
alos i could not understand your line here “Dean said the line about angels not needing to breathe, like maybe, just maybe Cass would be okay.”
can you please elaborate a little on this.
Thanks for the wonderful review…like to read more on it since this site is teh only source i can get wonderful articles dissecting the episodes…
You read it without seeing the episode? Aah, I hope it doesn’t ruin things for you!
And I think when you see the episode, you’ll get that line. And since it was one of my favorite moments, I don’t want to expand and ruin it for you, so if you still want clarification after you see the episode, I can do that. But watch it first and see if you don’t get what I mean!
Ritu here is a link for you:
http://www.sidereel.com/supernatural
klick on the “search links” and then pick on of those links.
Happy watching
Thnaks Yirabh…i saw this link from you from different post 🙄 ..but sorry i am not able to view from it… i registered on the site but not able being to view it 🙁 …anyways thanks for sharing..
I got another link from the same post.. http://www.supernaturalislife.com/2011/09/download-season-premiere-7×01-meet-new.html
Ritu
Here’s a link that works for me in Europe:
http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/internet/supernatural/index.html
I did find S7ep01 there at 0900 CEST. That’s how I watched!
Loved the show!
I loved that season opener. To me it is like a “Who’s who in Supernatural” episode.
About the speculations. When Death said that there were creature a lot older than men locked down in purgetory I immediatly thought of dinosaures. I’d love to see them fight Gozilla.
My first thought was ‘Thank God. Normal service has been restored’.
Re: Castiel. Am I sad to see him gone? Too soon to tell. If this is the last we’ve seen of (the real) Castiel I think he got off fierce easy. Sam had to crawl over broken glass for more than a year [i]and[/i] go to hell to get the same level of absolution. Castiel only seemed to get a bit antsy about what he was doing when that whole Aliens thing happened. I’m not sure if he realised [i]what[/i] he was doing was wrong, or the [i]way[/i] he was doing it was wrong because of how it physically affected him. Castiels ‘regret’ came out of nowhere. Did we actually see him come to the realisation that you don’t impose your will on others; you don’t kill all around you to get what you want? Either way his turnabout came remarkably quickly.
I know there are many similarities between Sam and Castiel and everyone deserves a second chance yadda yadda but looking at what Castiel did I’m finding it harder and harder to forgive him. Given what he did to his friends, to his family and to random strangers and keeping in mind what his intentions were, I’m going to be pretty ticked if his acts managed to be absolved so easily. There are some cases where a mere ‘sorry’ won’t cut it.
I’m also a bit ‘Huh’ in relation to the ease at which the souls were sent back to purgatory but the way it played out it does leave the door open for MC to return again and again. I imagine Leviathan souls need a body too. I’m feeling nothing but sympathy for poor old Jimmy Novak now though. Boy, did he get gyped.
Re: Sam not telling Dean about the hallucinations. Sam was caught between a rock and a hard place. He tells Dean, Dean worries and possibly puts him on lockdown in order to keep him safe. Sam has then taken away the last semblance of peace Dean has and with Dean already teetering on a knife edge I can’t see Sam wanting to do that. Wanting to protect family isn’t just a one way street. On the other hand if he doesn’t tell Dean, Dean feels betrayed, Sam is a liar and the mistrust is back. Guy can’t win. I don’t blame Sam for not telling him. (I like that he choose to be considered a liar rather than bring additional pain to Dean). This battle is taking place in Sams head. Plus, they did have more pressing matters at that stage. Sam too can suppress for the bigger picture.
I think it’s going to be difficult, this living on tenterhooks, not knowing when you’re going to get caught. (I’m wondering if I’d prefer the rack to that.) Logic has always been Sam’s forte, one of the few things he had faith in, even back in season 4 & 5. I think it’s going to be difficult for Sam to use his logic to fix things when all laws of logic have now changed. As Lucifer said ‘Escaping was impossible.’ I think Sam has always feared this, even when he got his soul back because while the boys have done the impossible before, they’re rarely gotten lucky with the results. We saw him trying to debate Lucifers presence near the end of the episode, step by step, logical conclusion before the rug is swept from under him. Watching this play out is going to be awesome! (I actually love that scene where Sam is trying to talk himself back to reality. He’d have made a great lawyer.)
Strangely enough, while hell is obviously going to be brutal for Sam I’m not overly worried about him. If there’s one thing he (and Dean) has in abundance its remarkable coping abilities. Given what he’d gone through even before hell, Sam should already be a jibbering loon. However, soon after the merging he was able to steal/hotwire/borrow a car, GPS where Dean was, get there, make his way past a number of demons and then skewer Castiel. Not bad for a guy with 180 years of hell memories, 28 odd years of normal life, and a buttload of bricks and mortar floating around in his cranium. How was Sam able to do this? How was he able to drag himself out of the Panic Room to get to Dean and (try to) help him? Easy; because he was needed. He knew that Dean, Bobby and even Castiel needed him so he made himself carry on; very similar to Dean after he came back from hell. Dean didn’t get the chance to wallow in hell memories. He had to fecking suck it up and get on with the unsavoury job of living because people needed him. (On an aside, Sam’s prayer was lovely. I guess he ain’t letting go of his faith that easily.)
That’s why I’m more worried about Dean this season than Sam. Sam has found his purpose and (I feel) has found some element of peace, Dean hasn’t. His world has exploded more than once these past few seasons. He thinks he can’t help Sam with the hallucinations; he can’t help Castiel so he steps back. Dean is leaning over the side of a chasm at the minute. His self worth is at rock bottom. The roles he has given himself (protector of Sam), he has created for himself (family man) haven’t panned out. There’s little for him to do, there’s little he can do about other things so he’s wallowing and this is putting him in a very, very precarious position. His actions and moods are all over the place and unfortunately, it’s always 6pm somewhere.
This isn’t episode related but by Sam not asking about Adam, I now feel that Adam wasn’t in the Cage. If he was then Sam and Adam would have been in close confines for the bones of two centuries. Sam has only known Dean for 28 years in comparison. Which brother is he going to remember the most?
Random thoughts. With all the head honchos in heaven caged or dead, what will happen there now? Will it be chaos? Will this filter down to earth? Evidently the angels DO need to be led by someone so is there a chance we could see an angel on earth looking for help again?
How did the jar of blood get into the hall? Did Sam leave it there and then go back into the storeroom? That would surely suggest he was in control of his senses. If he was in control why didn’t he get back out to Dean?
Safe to assume that Dr. And Mrs Waise will be spending the rest of their days in the relative comfort of their own padded cells. Hmmm, a break-in, being tied up, black magic, spells, Death, God and fried pickles in their house in the one night. Something to write home about.
I love the way Death pronounces his R’s….
It’s good to know that thanks to Supernatural I now know about the existence of Asian cartoon porn.
I didn’t need to be seeing that scene with all the hands punching through Castiel before I even had my breakfast (especially as my tummy was rumbling at the time)
Hmm, who’d be the better adversary, God Castiel or Leviathan Castiel? One causes havoc on earth, the other heaven…..
Sam, sweetheart, if you spend most of the episode brushing your hair out of your eyes that could be a sign it’s time to get it cut. Time to bite the bullet and let Dean at your head with a scissors.
Oh, and the opening title? Nice…..
All in all, a very good opening chapter in a 23 chapter book. Bodes well for the rest of the season.
How awesome was this episode!
It was heart breaking seeing Dean think he had lost his best friend. I also didn’t buy for a second that Dean had given up on Cass
I had thought the would take “God Cass” arch over to episode 2.
I loved seeing our Cass back even for a little while, and him saying sorry to Dean. I really believed Cass when he said it.
I also got chocked up when he said “Maybe angels don’t need to breath” you could see how devastated he was when he said “Dammit”
I was happy to see Crowley back, was it me or did he look hot-ish in this episode?
Poor Sam, poor poor Sammy, I am worried about him.
Death! Death is awesome, I can’t help loving him. and I 100% agree with him, Cass is no god!
As soon as Death mentioned older things in Purgatory, I knew it was Leviathans.
Bobby calling Death ‘Your honor’ 😆 😆
Funny thing is Im more worried about Sam then Dean. Dean has his friends: bobby, castiel, Jo, ellen, rufas…hell he even has super powered friends: Death … Castiel…Tessa. All he has to do is let them carry some of the burdon.
Who does Sam have? Bobby looked absolutely terrified of Sam in the basement and then glued himself to Dean…and Castiel. Sam doesn’t have a single friend. There’s Dean but he whispers and conspires behind his back with Bobby and in previous seasons, Castiel.
I just can’t see Dean thinking Sam is anything other then something he has to fix. Sam isn’t a car….but maybe if he was the Impala he’d be treated better.
Amy, what kind of episode did you watch?? WHO exactly would Dean “have”?? Ellen?? Jo??? Rufus?!? Death????? CASTIEL?????
In case you never noticed, Ellen and Jo are DEAD. Rufus too, and he was BOBBY’s friend, anyway. Death maybe finds him a little interesting, but he can’t surely be called “his friend”, beside, presently he’s JUST A LITTLE pissed at him. Tessa was a REAPER, she wasn’t his friend anymore than Death himself. And CASTIEL, again in case you didn’t notice, is THE problem, right now! Right now he has really NO ONE to “carry some of the burden” (except for Bobby).
(Edited by Alice. No Sam girl vs. Dean girl nonsense please. It’s a really big rule here. Amy was just expressing a POV.)
[quote]
(Edited by Alice. No Sam girl vs. Dean girl nonsense please. It’s a really big rule here. Amy was just expressing a POV.)[/quote]
C’mon, Alice. That wasn’t a POV, it was a blatant “Sam vs. Dean” nonsense, exactly what you have edited my post for. It’s curious you edited my post and not hers, since I HATE every “Sam vs Dean nonsense” myself, and that was just the reason behind my answer to Amy.
Anyway, you edited it, it’s you right to do so, but please, the next time can you check out WHO really started the “nonsense”? Thank you.
I’m not about to get into a public debate of “Sam vs. Dean” with you, but I’m more than willing to do it privately. The contact us page gives instructions on how to contact me about such things.
It’s Amy’s POV. She isn’t calling Dean stupid or knocking his character down to make Sam look good. It’s the way she sees the brotherly dynamic. I think your answer to Amy was fine, EXCEPT that last sentence.
@Brynhild: I think you’ve overreacted. Speaking as someone who really does like both Sam and Dean equally, I’ll never get this Dean vs Sam nonsense. Whenever I see hysterical posts like the one above (LIKE, CAN WE JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT USING ALL CAPS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF YELLING? not yelling … just exemplifying the point) …
Can’t we all just get along? Seems to me that Amy was expressing an opinion. Her comment didn’t seem overly partisan to me.
Hi Amy, I can’t agree with you in terms of Dean seeing Sam as “something he has to fix.” And even if he did – what’s wrong with that? I think that Dean begins to realize what kind of damage was done to Sam’s soul and, of course – loving brother that he is, would grab the first chance to fix that.
Unfortunately, as for now we don’t see how the damage can be repaired. Personally, I need to hope that it can, they only have to find a way to do so.
But – to me both Winchesters are unspeakably lonely men. They used to have deep relationships in the past (with Cassie, Jess, Ruby, Lisa, Ellen, Jo, their dad…) but those were taken from them or proved to be untrustworthy.
I believe both of them have begun to shut themselves off a while ago. And their latest actions seem to show that they are not exactly opening up.
In particular not to one another. Sam tries to hide his agony and pretend that he’s fine, while Dean gets behind his wall of whiskey, porn and sarcastic/sardonic remarks.
I know they both love eath other dearly, but at the same time couldn’t be further apart.
It saddens me so much to see these men in such a state. Well, just how much can a soul take? There is a line for every one in terms of how much one is capable of enduring. Perhaps they have reached theirs and have to find a way of living as deeply damaged men.
People can exist like that. It’s possible. It’s not the blissful state some think they need, but it’s a way of going on.
I’m terrified of the possibilities of flashbacks Sam might be going through. And I have no doubt that Dean’s own flashbacks from hell have been just as horrific. Who knows, perhaps he still has them.
With me, personally, a terrible experience which I believed buried came up recently and keeps eating away at me like a predator, manifesting itself in various forms like last night when I didn’t know whether I was hallucinating or experiencing reality. I know what to do, luckily, to keep it at bay, but these guys still haven’t found their way of coping.
I would love to see them – in a future episode – sit down at a table and talk about their mutual experiences in hell. I’m sure that could allow them to be a tad closer again.
They have always been close, don’t get me wrong, but in terms of their own pains… well, they couldn’t have been further apart. An agony of that extent unfortunately has the might to alienate one brother from the other.
So, though I worry about Sam, like you do, I don’t for the same reasons. I also worry deeply about Dean and am scared of what will happen to them in the course of this season.
This first splendid episode felt like a bad omen in many ways… and I can’t help it – I’m sure there will be more loss in store for the brothers.
You see, it might appear that the ones you mention were allies to Dean, but I can’t agree here. Each one – Death, Tessa, even Castiel – have their own agenda. I doubt that they would help because of the goodness of their hearts. Well, Castiel will surely, once he’s back to his ‘normal self’. And that Death helped Dean to get Sam’s soul back had egoistic reasons.
And I believe you can rest assured, Amy, that Bobby will be there for Sam just as he has been for Dean. He stated several times that he loves both like sons. Perhaps one more than the other (but I think that’s only semantics), but when he will be truly needed, he’ll be there. For both.
As you say Jas, what’s wrong with trying to fix Sam? Dean has stated again and again about how many loved ones they’ve lost. Both Sam & Dean have lost each other a few times too. So I’m looking forward to Dean giving his all trying to fix his brother’s psyche. I’ve never experienced hallucinations in my life, and hope I never have to. But I have a nephew that was diagnosed as being bipolar at the age of fourteen, and he experienced his share of hallucinations. He is 22-years-old now and very heavely medicated, he will never be able to have a job or live on his own. But his parents will never let him be put away no matter what happens, and that is what family is there for.
Through thick and thin, they always have your back.
I hope that you have family that can support you in your time of need Jas. I know you’ve mentioned before how close you were to your dad before he passed, I hope you have siblings, because family is the most important thing. Even more so than friends, your family will always be there. And I think that is what we see week after week on SPN with Sam & Dean.
Unfortunately, Sylvie, sometimes hallucinations can occur, but luckily that’s not a rule of life. I am very sorry to hear about your nephew. I have had many bipolar patients, and I’ve witnessed this disorder in very heavy variations and lighter ones. The saddest thing, perhaps, is that they will need life-long medication. And, of course, close ones to back them up.
As it happens, I am the last of my gene pool. My family is gone, I have lost them over the years. But, as I have found, friends do serve as a family, too. Bobby was right, you know. Family don’t end with blood.
I am glad, though, that I don’t have nightmares often.
Thank you, indeed, for your kind words! Jas
If you see the PAST, I can get your point, too. But to me it seemed that she was referring to the present episode ([quote]Im more worried about Sam then Dean. Dean [b]has [/b]his friends: bobby, castiel, Jo, ellen, rufas…hell he even [b]has [/b]super powered friends: Death … Castiel…Tessa. All he [b]has [/b]to do is let them carry some of the burdon[/quote]), and really, how can you say that [u]presently [/u]Dean have such a big bunch of friends to help him carrying the burden?
If she was referring to past episodes, well, I’m sorry if I overreact but maybe it would be better using the right verbs tenses, then..
I love the fact that the WFB is a site used by people from all over the world. Not all of us call their mothertongue English. So please don’t put anybody down because their grammar is not 100% correct.
Finished watching about an hour ago and am not great at literary analysis, but let me just say this …
This episode ROCKED!!!
So excited to see Season 7 off to a strong start. Excited to see them wrap up some dangling loose ends from last year while leaving both Dean and Sam with some major pathos to explore the rest of the season. And really glad they’ve (kind of) simplified the meta … OK … so we have a big baddie, we have a mission and we have our noble warriors.
Great job and looking forward to the rest.
[quote]I totally agree that PRESENT Dean has no one to rely on. So I disagree with Amy here. Even the always resourceful and supportive Bobby seems to be lost himself. It seems the boys will have to resolve their issues and rely on each other.
Speaking of Bobby, I actually warmed to him in this episode. I always resented him a little for what I took as coldness towards Sam. But I liked that he sensed something was wrong with Sam even when Dean didn’t and showed concern. I wish this could be the beginning of a deper relationship between those two.[/quote]
I haven’t seen 7.01 yet, but I hope you’re right. I agree with your assessment that Bobby,while stating that he loves Sam like a son, has always been standoffish with him in a way that he isn’t with Dean and that it annoyed me too.
Let’s hope the boys can rely on each other. They do have a tendency to supress and and try and soldier on. Totally understandable with what they have to deal with, but not particularly helpful.
Bobby and Dean have always been the senior partners in this hunting trio. Sam has never completely earned their respect as a working partner (partly because of Dean’s over-protectiveness and partly because Sam has always found a way to make the biggest mistakes when Dean usually only made the small ones).
I think it is part of the dynamic between these two brothers … as we saw in last night’s episode. Sam withheld crucial information because he wanted to spare Dean a bit of pain … only to see Dean take it the wrong way and accuse him of keeping secrets again (as if Dean never has).
I don’t think it is an issue of Bobby not caring for Sam. He’s always been distant like some fathers are from their sons … not because he doesn’t care for Sam but because he does.
After reading all the comments, what can I say? It’s all been said.
Loved it! It rocked (as ChristopherH has said)!! 😛
Everybody was in great form. Love that horseman Death! Misha was awesome! The two Marks ditto!! Everyone gets an A+ from me. On to next week! 😉
What I don’t get about the so-called “Sam problem” is that Dean never had this problem that I can recall. Is it a commentary on Dean’s inner strength relative to his younger brother’s that Dean never had a wall built, never talked (much) about his hell experience, etc. etc. Or is it that he didn’t spend as much time there as Sam did because Cas pulled him out relatively quickly?
I wasn’t assessing “fault”, and I’m not going to get into a Sam vs Dean ping-pong match. The whole Sam vs Dean thing is so tired and totally detracts from my enjoyment of the show. Why is it that people’s enjoyment of one character should mean they’ve joined a gang dedicated to detracting the other character? I just don’t get it … but I bet some sociology or psychology student will find a dissertation in this somewhere.
I love both characters equally … although I am a bit partial to J.P.’s hotness over J.A.’s. ;P
I don’t see Bobby’s “coldness” toward Sam and I don’t recall him ever directly stating that Dean wasn’t his favorite … and that doesn’t mean he hasn’t at some point in the last six seasons. But he has also told them [u]both[/u] directly that he loves them [u]both[/u] like they are his own sons.
The main point I was trying to make is that people can love each other (and display their affection) in different ways. The fact that a father might be remote toward one son and more open toward another doesn’t mean that father loves that son any less. In fact, you could argue that Bobby’s love for Sam is greater because he has put so much of the past behind him (after all, soulless Sam did try to slit his throat last season).
Sam and Dean have their issues, like all families. If everything was all hunky dory between the two we wouldn’t have a show to watch would we? 😉
What “Sam problem”, AndreaW?
Sorry, I see. I think the effect of that will surely be addressed in very complex ways.
If the writers stick to psychological research, then we can expect Sam never to be fixed entirely.
A trauma of that extent can be learned to deal with, but it never leaves the victim completely. But, well, this is fiction. And what both brothers experienced can serve as a constant well of thrilling moments.
Personally, I think it’s too early to say anything how this subject will be dealt with over the upcoming episodes.
I don’t disagree with anything you’ve written here, although I just wouldn’t read so much into a single scene … I guess I just read the show differently. These nuances and complexities are part of what makes the show interesting and enjoyable. I just don’t keep score with these characters. There have been times when both Sam and Dean have screwed up and there have been times when they’ve both had personal triumphs. The fun part (for me) with the show is that they always both come through to the other side.
after much ado i finally mangaged to catch up teh episode and boy what a brilliant episode it was…I dont have words to begin with.
I cant really compare it withany season opener sice with every season there is some new expectations and thsi time around when i finsihed watching all seasons at one go i was left in despair to wait for 4 months for this..and i got it…everything was perrrfect..more than that..and Sassy/Misha nailed it all.
I felt Sam n Dean are looking tired (they are infact tired from betrayal and all the fights), Booby looked more in charge which was nice…Crowly playng double agent (as if expected anything else from him) was awesome..And Death appearance was once again blown me away..his demeanour is beyond words..
Now the nail biting moments for me: i so wants to know whr is Sam, wht happened to him???
and I cant believe Cass is gone ?Dead?. i refuse to believe it that Leviathians killed him inside..Common he heard Sam calls even with million of souls plus Leviathans then why shud he die..I dont want him to die, want him to see redeeming himslef for his frds as he claimed to Dean..Ohh dean some words of forgiveness was required here to support fragile Cass..anyways i wish Dean forgives him like he do with Sam…I so much love these three that i cant see them suffer much..they have each other only to rely :sigh:
On final note, i dont know who is better actor or charcater in SPN…is it Jared or Jenson or is it Sam or Dean coz i equally love these 4 S&D and J2.
But the other thing that has grown on me during my short span of experiance with SPN is Castiel..Cass is very loayl charcater so far..Loyal of his father, loyal to his frds and till this end also he remained loayl…with few wrongs that he made.. but he mend his actions in past and i hope he does it in future too..for that please dont kill his character plus Misha is an asset to SPN. I wont say his importance in SPN is as much as Sam or dean but his charcater is like Booby who if killed will left me (or any other Sam dean fan) in devasted state…
Added to that i am just in awe of the last 1 minute of Mishas acting..his chnage from Castiel to Leviathan possesed is marvelous..i cant take my eyes off from his laughing face…Ohh this is gonna be so much of fun..
Ques: Leviathans are many soul or one single bad soul. I cud not get a video witrh subtitles so had some problems understanding all the dialogues…Specially in the end after Booby said they are pretty much saving the world..and then cass says something??? Would appreciate if anyone can just quote the end dialogues for me…thanku
[quote]If Sam never earned their respect as a working partner it was not his fault. There were occasions when he even saved the day, including the two Bobby episodes in season 5, whose names I don’t remember now. And if he makes more and bigger mistakes, it’s because he’s always trying. Last episode showed it. He was the one that reached out to Castiel and attempted to do something about the messy situation, despite Dean’s apathy.
As for Bobby, he directly stated that Dean is his favorite. I didn’t say that he doesn’t care about Sam, but his caring doens’t come across as much as it does with Dean.[/quote]
I think you’re right in this. It really irked me in “Two minutes to Midnight” when Bobby looked at Sam like he’d never seen him fighting and saving people before and then he and Dean discussed it like it was some big surprise. I think the saddest thing I’ve ever heard on this show was when Sam said that he’s knows he’s the least of them. I think that pretty much says it all right there. How the boy can keep picking himself up and dusting himself off is beyond me, but I’m glad he does week after week. I’m glad they both do.
I just finished watching the season 7 opener a short time ago. Then I jumped onto this site to get caught up. Let me say that I loved the show and I can’t wait for Friday to get here. So many more questions and ways for this to go.
It does sadden me to see the Sam vs Dean stuff starting up already. These two are in it together and for each other. I do not see them as far apart as someone stated previously. I believe that Sam went straight to Dean with the intention of telling him about the hallucinations. When he heard Dean talking to Bobby about wanting to think they could finally get a break (even though he actually said he knew they weren’t getting one)that was what made him change his mind. He didn’t want to take that moment of not worrying about Sam away from Dean. As for Sam being the one to pray to Castiel: he gets it. Many have said it before, the good intentions led to the disaster they were facing and Sam understands that. Both brothers have their faults, fortunately the goodness in both of them outweighs that.
Once again I will say, I am in this for the ride. So everyone, sit back and relax (if that’s at all possible while watching this show)and try not to analyze it to death. My last bit of advice, learn from the past. It takes all season long to see the whole picture and appreciate the entire story. Like a good book we just get it one chapter at a time. I am just happy they keep on writing!
Wish there was a thumbs up button on this site … 😉
Tired of all the Dean vs Sam nonsense too. I often find myself in awe of the insights I read here, just wish folks could put the partisanship to bed.
Enjoyed reading your comments. Thanks!
Loved this episode! I am so glad Supernatural is back on and in good form. Excellent writing, acting , photography, sets – everything that makes this the best show on television. I am glad Misha really got to show his acting skills in this one; love Death, Crowley, and Lucifer. How about the trailer for Crowley? This show really attracts great actors.
Enjoyed the story line greatly. The hunters are back to hunting, there is a new Big Bad, the Impala has been repaired and Death has eaten fried pickles. What more could you ask?
I also dislike Dean vs Sam debates. Both have been to heaven and hell, both have kept secrets and both have fought and still fight their own personal demons. That is what makes the characters so real and suck us into the show.That and the undying brotherly love they have for each other. Oh, and the fact that they are friggin’ heroes.
I adore the character of Bobby( and my being in the same age range is not the only reason). He has added so much saltiness to the story and has treated both Winchester boys in a fatherly fashion.The way he treated Sam after the Virgin episode show how he has forgiven Sam and they are back to their old relationship.
I can hardly wait for next week. 🙂
Andrea, Your comments have seemed rather moderate and balanced, and you’ve gone out of your way to contextualize and provide substance to your insights. Some others I’ve seen–written with ALL CAPS and bordering on hysterical–have felt more polarizing.
For me, it is perturbing but also perplexing, because I don’t understand the worldview that gives rise to that sort of animus and intensity. I can sort of relate my political views to it, because I feel those biases quite strongly. But where the enjoyment of a television show is concerned, I just can’t quite wrap my brain around the phenomenon.
I agree with you both on this. Personally I steer clear of the Sam vs Dean debate, although I must say Alice is pretty good at keeping those out of the site. I just don’t get those debates anyway. I find both characters are very well fleshed out. Some episodes are more focused on Dean and some others are on Sam, I think that’s just fair.
i feel like whether it’s mid season or the end of the season we will see cas redeem himself. My thought is he will be the only one able to stop leviathan. Kind of like Sam in swan song I see cas regaining control long enough to sacrifice himself in order to take out the leviathans
Agree 200% … that’s what I was thinking … He’s fallen in a really profound way and he’ll end up being the one who defeats the Leviathan.