Alice’s Recap – “Slash Fiction”
Leviathan!Dean isn’t done monologuing. Tool. “Here’s the deal. Dean thinks you’re nutballs. He thinks you’re off your game.” Sam isn’t gonna take this taunting. “You gonna kill me or if this some kind of ‘play with your food’ bull?” Clever line! Leviathan!Dean has more ammunition though, and here’s the bombshell. The one that should have dropped about two episodes ago. “You know I guess that’s why Dean never told you he killed Amy.” Sam can’t avoid it, he’s shocked. That shock switches to outright heartbreak. He believes every word. It all makes sense, with Dean’s strange behavior and all.
Leviathan!Dean gets outright joyful. That’s what he was looking for. “There it is. The look on your face. That is priceless! That’s what I’ve been waiting for. Now I can eat you.” He moves to the back of Sam, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this shot in the mirror from John Showalter. A very happy Leviathan!Dean is leaning over the shoulder of one very glum Sam. Just wow. “Cause you see, I like my meat a little bitter.”
Suddenly, the real Dean busts in, splashes a bottle of borax on Leviathan!Dean, and he goes sizzling. Sam is ducking down, missing every bit of this awesome showdown. Dean takes off the head with one swipe. Cool, he gets to kill his own doppleganger as well! Sam is shocked, Dean is feeling really good. He’s on a head chopping high! The sheriff comes over and unlocks Sam’s cuffs.
As Dean and the sheriff discuss the plan about making them dead and covering up the truth Sam keeps looking over at Dean with, hmm how do I but it, stupendous hurt. I love how the sheriff isn’t stupid, he’s not about to let any of this become public. Dean goes to grab a mop and help cover everything up, but a devastated Sam remains at the table, lost in his own hurt. “Sammy, you okay?” Dean asks. Sam gives him an “I’m fine” and man, he’s so not fine. Poor Sammy. Can you imagine the things going through his head right now? Like maybe how his stone number one is crumbling on him, just like everything else?
Next scene is the sheriff and the medical examiner telling the FBI tools that Sam and Dean are conveniently dead, shot by him. The bodies have already been destroyed. One FBI guy is pissed about it, the other sees the case as closed and is pleased to be avoiding all the paperwork. Oh yeah, that guy must be a Leviathan. Too easy.
Bobby and Sheriff Jody watch the news about the crime spree coming to an end in Iowa. Jody is pleased that should take the heat off for now. Bobby tells her seriously and then with a smile, “Thanks Jody. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Aww, he really does like her. “Anytime you need me to spill something else you give me a call.” Bobby tells her there is one more thing and he moves in real close. Jody smiles and we’re waiting for it…waiting for it…and Bobby walks over to the other side of the room to get the box with the head in it. That’s where she cuffs him up the side of the head for being so clueless.
Nah, she’s classier than that. Bobby gives her the box. “Don’t open it. Even if it starts talking, especially if it starts talking. When you cross over Underhill Bridge, toss it in the drink.” In the meantime, Bobby has to go bury a body in cement. Oh, but not before he kisses her on the cheek! She smiles. Yeah, she likes that. She’s getting through to him. He’s not totally hopeless.
Oh no, it’s back to the sheriff and medical examiner in Iowa. Crap, they’re toast. I like them! Turns out the medical examiner is the sheriff’s daughter. That makes it worse. The bodies are actually there and she’s scooping up the black goo. “What the Hell is it because it sure isn’t blood.” And there’s FBI blond guy, Valente. Yep, called it, evil Leviathan dude. “You’re right about that sweetie, it’s much more than blood.” Suddenly we get the big mouth of sharp teeth and tongues. Sheriff and daughter become blood spatter on a wall. Thanks for at least trying guys! Should have kept some borax around.
It’s incredible what they crammed in the last five minutes here. In the whole episode actually, but even the last five minutes is impressive.
Leviathan!FBI dude is examining the blackened bodies of Leviathan!Sam and Dean, and he’s obviously had some lunch judging by the blood all over his chin and shirt. Someone really needs to teach these guys some basic table manners. They’re pigs when they eat! Anyway, he’s not happy about something and makes a call. He tells the guy on the other end their heads are missing. Oh yeah, that’s bad news no one wants to deliver to the boss man, especially when punishment involves becoming some sort of entree.
Then we finally get to meet the boss man. It’s James Patrick Stuart, whose been in a ton of stuff but I best remember him as Will Cortlandt in “All My Children.” You know, in the day when I actually had time and/or poor tastes to actually watch soaps. Interesting choice for the top bigmouth. He at least wants to hear that the Winchesters are dead. Nada, in the wind. “So all that brain power, all those resources, and those two field mice are still on my to do list?” I so love the dialogue in this ep, haven’t you noticed?
Valente offers to get more DNA and double them again, but boss man is a broader thinker than that. He’s thinking less is more right now, because the public and the media aren’t exactly gonna buy Sam and Dean coming back from the dead, again. I do agree, two massive public deaths, no three for Dean, are enough. They’re gonna have to try a subtler approach, give the situation a good think. These are some really smart villains, aren’t they? They’re kind of refreshing after years of stupid demons. Oh, but boss man isn’t gonna let Valente off the hook. His next call better be a win, or he’s dinner.
After sending a minion to get latte (yes, a more cultured savage), he gets into his sweet limo and checks out the paper. Suddenly, there’s an uninvited guest. It’s Crowley! Guess who’s scheming again? He calls the dude Mr. Roman, so Crowley is in the know somehow. Sam, Dean, and Bobby could really use this information. Crowley introduces his title and thought it was time they met. Mr. Roman definitely agrees. Crowley, because good manners aren’t dead between monsters and demons, even has a muffin basket! “100 percent organic baby uvulas, gluten free.” Mr. Roman does love a good muffin.
Okay, pleasantries out of the way, it’s time to get to nasty business. After finding out Mr. Roman’s name is Dick (oh Dean’s gonna have a field day with that one), Crowley after some verbiage declares they should be friends. Dick doesn’t know why. Crowley tries the good old fashioned political spin on things. “I brought you here Dick. I found a way to open the door to purgatory.” Dick, he’s way smarter than that. “To steal every last soul you mean. You and that angel friend of yours. Don’t roofie me and call it romance.” A straight talker. He should never run for public office.
Crowley tries for damage control, but Dick is obviously a busy monster and doesn’t have time for this. “Now it’s your turn to listen. I’d sooner swim through hot garbage than shake hands with a bottom feeding mutation like you. You demons are ugly, lazy, gold digging whores. You’re less than humans, and they’re not good for much until you dip them in garlic sauce. I’d never work with you Crowley. In fact, if I wasn’t busy with better things, I’d wipe your kind off the face of the universe. And you deserve it. Are we clear?” I guess that’s his way of saying, “no.”
Crowley clenches his jaw and tells Dick to keep the muffins. Then he disappears. So head Leviathan dude just revealed a lot. These creatures think they’re better than everyone else, don’t want to work with anyone else, and hate demons and humans. Hmm, sounds a lot like the angels when they arrived, doesn’t it? So does this mean that Crowley is going to Sam and Dean for an alliance? Will Sam and Dean be stupid enough to work with him again? I’m sure their paths will cross, but I wonder what events will unfold to get that to happen. Demons are quite old, I’m sure they have some tricks up their sleeves. I’m quite intrigued by the possibilities.
Thanks!
enjoyed it alice! it was like i relived the ep which i adored!! agree especially with the ending, it was mature of them, sam to walk away & dean to let him. i also think that dean will be hiding behind trees!
Nice recap, Alice.
‘Honeybunny’ is from Pulp Fiction in the diner scene – I seriously LOL’d
Nice job, Alice. I loved this episode and I have to admit that I used to love Air Supply when I was a teenager in the late 70’s, early 80’s. They had great slow dancing songs! So, I found myself lipsyching right along with Dean.
BTW – I liked how Dean and Sam have handled this new rip in their relationship. This is a more mature response than has been present in the past. This time, Sam left to cool off and Dean let him go. No fuss and no fists thrown. And I agree, Dean is probably watching him from the trees and bushes. I, too, saw the clips from this weeks coming episode and all I can say is about time! I hope they don’t leave it so limited. This has been a long time coming and it is something that needs to be addressed finally once and for all. Then, the show needs to move on and drop this issue and not drag it through the mud. 😀
Alice – Re whether Robbie Thompson is part of the writing team, Jim Michaels tweeted the other day “Robbie Thompson has written episode #712 being directed by Phil Sgriccia! We are currently prepping this script!”
So looks like the answer is that he is part of the team. I am pleased about that as I thought the writing on this ep was great (last scene excepted).
Thanks so much for the recap, I miss them, though I know how much work you put into them. Great episode, great writer, great director, great actors. Most definitely an A.
I loved this episode. I was on such a Supernatural high after the first two episodes of the season…and then 3-6 happened. I have since come to appreciate The Girl Next Door a liitle bit more, but do not like eps 4 and 5 at all. So I was jumping for joy after the end of this one that I flat out loved it. Can we keep Sheriff Mills as a regular? She would make a great addition to the team, and Bobby, Sam, and Dean could really benefit from her presence.
Lovely recap, Alice! The only place I have a different feel for is the end reveal. I think your take on the scene shows that the lie had a big pay off and that the three episode build up was worth it.
I think Dean not trusting Sam to be able to handle a difficult kill fits with what was happening at the time. He had just finished grounding Sam from SatanVision an ep earlier. I understood the lie, even though it was going to be hurtful for Sam in the long run.
I think the time we spent with Dean obviously suffering from lying to Sam and Sam trying to dig the secret out made Sam’s hurt really believable when he finally did get the truth. And I knew why Dean looked actually relieved it had finally come out. It wouldn’t have had near the impact if everything had come out immediately.
I’m really enjoying Sam and Dean renegotiating their relationship and I think they are showing growth. Dean will have to let go a bit with the “big brother saving Sam” and Sam will have to learn not to walk away when he’s upset. I’m loving this plot line.
No Alice. I had the best Pontiac Acadian hatchback (silver too). Lasted me for over 20 years and cost me hardly anything to run except for gas. Was still going strong when I traded it in 2 years ago for a new car. In fact, I bought it in 1988 second hand and it took me 5 years to pay it off.
Best car I ever had so far. (My third car)
Must have been my lucky day on the used car lot. 😛
My first car was a chevette (baby blue). I was the car’s third driver (it went through the family as a handed down car). That was twenty years ago and the car only recently had to be finally retired after a crash. My guess is that the cars were just so simple without any bells and whistles that there just wasn’t a whole lot to break.
Hi Alice thanks for your recap, I love them!!
The scariest scene I’ve seen in Supernatural is the leviathans killing the people like that.
I can’t believe that Sam and Dean were walking around in the city seeing the brutality the leviathans used to kill the civilians, and Sam and Dean didn’t even change their clothes or used mustache or something!! 🙂
Oh! and I loved the my little pony in the car, I was: hey is Cass !! (even it had the wings and all) 😆
I don’t know how the police didn’t know Sam and Dean were still alive cause they supposedly died in season 3, but they have been arrested again in season 4,5 and 6 and as far as I know when the police take you to jail one of the 1st things the police do is take your fingerprints…..
And about the episode ending,
I honestly don’t know if I’m on Dean’s side or Sam’s side. Sam is angry because Dean lied to him and because Dean killed his friend, Do you imagine if your brother kill your friend after you told him not to???. And on the other part Amy killed people because his son was sick what if later her son would get sick again?? she would kill again?, she said no but what if she would do it again??
And well Sam always deal with those situations like he always does, he just walks away, even soulless Sam walked away from Dean at the end of 6×10. I hope we can see how they reunite again next episode.
Hi Alice,
Thanks for the fun recap of this very entertaing episode. (Except for the massacre in the bank vault and the diner. They bother me, because they’re so real and plausible. So, yes I was chanting “puppies and rainbows” too. In fact, I think was playing with our new kitten, and saying “It’s only TV.. It’s only TV)
I loved the witty, sharp writing that propelled the episode forward. And Dean + My Little Pony + Air Supply + Sam Bitchfaces!!! Brilliant!!
I appreciated the way the show actually had a bit of brightness to it, despite the grisly, brutal killings. (Puppies and unicorns.. Puppies and unicorns). Bob still had hope in a future where love and companionship are possible. If Sam & Dean knew that he believed in that possibility, maybe they could have a little faith too.
Also, any time Robert Browning’s line [i]”Ah, but that a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”[/i] gets mentioned, it’s a win for me.
And while we’re on the subject of literature, you can find some examples of literary parallels between Supernatural and SE Hinton’s work, in my article “The Winchesters: The Outsiders Who Are Just Ordinary People”.
I have a slightly different interpretation of Levi!Dean’s speech to Sam. I think he was referring to both brothers when he says “you’re strong, uninhibited, and smart enough, believe it or not”, because he goes on to say they’re too busy taking care of each other.
I liked Crazy Government Conspiracist Frank. I think maybe he’s Ronald Resnick’s uncle? I know Sam & Dean are totally capable of making their own ID’s and using disposable cellphones (they did that in Fresh Blood, to evade Gordon), but I think he was introduced as a possible recurring character, and also as a tech genius, something the brothers are not. They’re capable, but not computer wizards. I could be wrong but I got the sense he could manipulate current technology, maybe even make certain facts about the Winchesters disappear from the internet. Just a thought.
As well, I was surprised by Dick Roman (I laughed out loud at the name)and his haughty, hateful attitude with Crowley. I’m wondering if Leviathans and demons have some bad history between them. It also makes me think of God!Cas and his comment to Crowley in the delightfully decrepit trailer in MTNB, when he talks about not wanting to let Michael out of the cage. Conspiracy theorist that I am, I got to pondering whether Michael did more than slay demons and help Daddy banish little brother Lucifer to the Pit. Maybe he was the Archangel who exiled the Leviathan to the Purgatory in the first place. Maybe he even created it? That theory provides resolution to many of the still-dangling Dean/Michael threads. (Oh, how they beg to be explained.)
Of course, resolution, leads me to the end scene… I do think the brothers were fighting in a more equal, mature way. Although it might have been a fresh take if Sam had slugged Dean, and really aired the problem, right then and there.
I agree that Sam is upset that Amy is dead, but more wounded by the fact that Dean said he trusted him and then went and killed her anyway, and then lied to him. The lie and the lack of trust are crushing for Sam right now, as he tries to rebuild his sanity. He needs to believe that Dean believes in him. Now, he’s going to question that. That can’t be good. He needs that Stone #1, so Dean has some work to do in the “foundation repair business.”
Although in fairness to Dean, I don’t think he was in a completely sane state of mind when he killed Amy. He was grieving Cas, and still dealing with the fact Sam couldn’t tell the difference between RealDean and LuciDean and was fired at by his own brother. I’m not sure Dean even totally understands why he killed Amy and that’s going to make it harder to explain or rationalize it to Sam. The show is full of minor monsters who get ganked, and bigtime baddies who walk. Amy is yet another shade of grey in this monochrome.
But, I’m sure that part of the reason Dean lied to Sam was because he was worried about what would happen when Sam found out. I agree that it’s manufactured drama, but I hope the outcome is that they actually get past it, and realize you can be right and wrong at the same time. And if it turns out that Kitsune can kill Leviathan, that will be really weak storytelling!
Tied to that, I think LeviDean only told part of the truth when he said RealDean thinks Sam is off his game. Dean is concerned about how/if Sam can really cope with his Hellucinations. He’s worried about that in terms of how it affects the safety of both brothers. I don’t think it’s as negative a sentiment as LeviDean painted it. He manipulated the truth, much like a demon. I do think JA did a great job with him. I think we need a few more EvilDean characters. They’re spicy and sassy and fun!
My one complaint, and big concern is the description of Sam and Satanvision all the time. My fear is that they’re making him so damaged it strains credulity on how he’s functioning. And if he is still functioning relatively normally, given that much psychic destruction, he’s probably superhuman. And that takes away the need for a brother and friends he can lean on, and get the much-needed support from. It takes away that Ordinary People aspect which I find so appealing.
Thanks Alice,
The very long-winded Pragmatic Dreamer
I enjoyed this very detailed preview – and Pragmatic Dreamer’s (slightly less lengthy :P) post 🙂
Oops. As Dean would say, “Awkward!”. I think I got on a roll, and forgot to stop. Either that, or I just didn’t want to make dinner!
Smiling, with some chagrin,
Pragmatic Dreamer
Thanks for the write up!
No doubt, this was a good one. So many references to the past – you caught so many more than I did – and genuine comedy. I laughed like crazy at Dean and Sam in that horrid little car, with that terrible song, and the innocent and intimidating my little pony. Poor Baby, she’s been mistreated enough already without being replaced by an Acadian.
I loved seeing Sheriff Jodie back, and while her civilian manner was different, much more relaxed and friendly, it rounds out her character, and does not to detract from her ability to kick ass in later episodes. She’s the best female character to debut on the show since Ellen. I have liked her interactions with Bobby in the past, and this was no disappointment. They just go well together.
I wonder when Sam and Dean last used a household cleaner? If ever. Go Jodie.
Jim Beaver impressed me this episode. He had a much more layered plot this time, having to deal with a bit of romance and a gruesome science project who literally got in his head. And when that happened, Bobby visibly calmed and locked down, then started talking about Browning. His excited kissing of Jodie was perfect, and the quiet, reserved but still warm parting was too.
This episode had the most Leviathans so far, and it was good to see that each had different characteristics. Leviathan!Sam and Leviathan!Dean’s restaurant conversation was a highlight. The nods to Pulp Fiction’s Pumpkin and Honey Bunny were fun and chilling.
Crowley’s appearance in the limo was well played. Crowley conducted himself with so much more diffidence than he does with Sam and Dean and Bobby. He dropped the snark, brought a gift, and tried to be serious and cordial. I was reminded that he’s “in sales”. He’s also a shameless opportunist, and he doesn’t close doors if he can avoid it. I can easily see another partnership; their last one was only six episodes ago.
I loved that Leviathan!Dean revealed the grand Amy secret, much as I disliked the way the secret has been obsessed over. I expected it, but it sold very well.
I have to admit to an eye roll when Sam walked off at the end. He’s been walking off since Scarecrow. No, since Stanford, if I’m thinking about it. But I agree, given his fragile mental state, this could lead to more pronounced recurrence of hallucinations, and I would not turn down the opportunity to see Lucifer again.
At the same time, I don’t want him to have to crawl back. Neither brother is 100% in the right on this, and I’d like them to both see that, and on some level they do. I was waiting for Sam to ask if Dean killed her son. Letting the kid go may be a level of mitigation for Sam.
Hoping for more like this!
Thanks Alice!
Love your recaps. 😀
And this was a great ep, up along with ep 1 &2. Didn’t like tGND and DYL. Liked SUdP a little more.
And I have been re-watching 6.22-7.02 about once a week. Those three ep’s are “one” if you know what I mean?
Love this show! 😛
Masja,
Sweden
Thanks, Alice!! Great recap. I could see the Pontiac emblem but couldn’t remember the Pontiac equivalent of the chevette.
This episode will definitely go in my favorites list. I loved all that we learned about the guys, including Bobby, through the perceptions of the Leviathans impersonating them. Knowing that Bobby still has hope gave me hope for the guys’ future.
I thought that Jody figured out where Bobby was, because she knew about the connections Bobby and Rufus had. Cas never met Rufus so the leviatans don´t know about them.
Great recap. Almost as good as watching.