Sofia’s Review – “The Mentalists”
A town full of mediums is not the place you want to be if you’re a Winchester, or anyone really. They can smell the angst on these guys from a mile away. Lily Dale, New York was a fun setting for this monster of the week episode. It’s been a while since we’ve had an episode about mediums, or ghosts for that matter. (Defending Your Life doesn’t count as a true ghost episode in my book) So to have both in one episode was a treat.
We knew from the preview that Sam and Dean were going to be working this case together but I was curious to find out how long they had been apart after their blow out last week. It turns out Sam had been gone for a week and a half. Thankfully they run into each other on the job. Actually Dean spots Sam and makes himself at home. It had to have been a lonely week for him constantly checking his phone and making jokes that no one was listening to. But it had me wondering, if they hadn’t run into each other would Sam have stayed away much longer? He still seemed pretty angry at Dean. But Dean laid down the card no Winchester can ignore the “innocent people are dying” card. Well played, sir. Well played.
I was so happy that someone recognized them from the news. I was assuming that the whole most wanted thing would just blow over and we’d pretend like it never happened. Yay for continuity! I mean, who could forget those faces anyway? Now I can pretend like it never happened. See show, it’s not that hard to fool me.
I liked all the twists and turns of this episode but I have to admit that I found it a bit hard to keep up at times. There were just so many mediums with so many names. And everyone was connected to everyone. I blame most of the confusion on the fact that I take notes while I watch but I wonder if anyone else found the story a bit muddled at times? There were also quite a few deaths so we had a lot more side characters than a typical episode. What? I’m the only one who was confused. Ok.
Once the killings were finally narrowed down to the Fox sisters I figured we were in for a bit of mirrored sibling relationships. And to some extent we were. The museum’s tour guide put it best when he said about the sisters, “Sometimes one’s true gift is taking care of others”. Did you hear that Dean? You have a gift. Of course the same could be said for Sam, he’s taken care of Dean as well but in this case it seems the message was meant for Dean. But that wasn’t the only message the tour guide had to share. He had a very surprising message from Ellen.
“If you don’t tell someone how bad it really is, she’ll kick your ass from beyond.”
Thank you, Ellen. That’s just the kick in the pants Dean needed. Sam can ask him to open up all he wants but for whatever reason Dean is always resistant to let his guard down in front of him. Maybe it’s his need to protect Sam and be the rock Dean thinks he needs. Or maybe it’s Dean’s own resistance to admit what he’s really feeling. Or maybe he’s just trying to avoid chick flick moments all together. What do you think? Why is it so hard for Dean to talk to Sam?
Dean did finally open up and explain to Sam why he lied and how much he didn’t like keeping the secret from Sam. The lie was torturing him and Sam saw the torture even if he didn’t know what was causing it. He also finally talked about his trust issues as a result of Castiel’s betrayal. He didn’t become a soppy mess; there wasn’t even any crying or tearing up. It’s the driest I’ve ever seen these two during a heart to heart. And while I’m glad they seem to have patched things up, it was all a little too easy for me. I was happy Sam realized that Amy had to die and I was glad Dean admitted there are things going on that he’s not talking about. But it would have been ok if Sam hadn’t completely forgiven Dean in that final scene. I wouldn’t have minded him saying he understands why Dean did what he did, but it will take him some time to get over the lie. And I wouldn’t have minded Dean shedding one freaking tear over Castiel. I like it when Winchesters cry, sue me. But seriously, there’s got to be more going on that Dean isn’t fully admitting to. If it was bad enough for Ellen to send him a message from beyond, I’ve got to believe it’s pretty bad. Let’s not forget Dean’s still mourning the loss of Ben and Lisa even if he won’t talk about it. There’s a lot going on in there.
I liked Melanie Golden’s character; Dean’s own Provenance girl. There were some definite similarities between those two episodes. Not that that’s a bad thing. I was really digging the vintage Supernatural vibe of the whole episode. And actually, it was nice to see Dean get the girl. He’s been in quite a dry spell recently.
Did anyone else think it was a little odd how quickly Dean told Melanie they were dealing with a ghost? It’s something she needed to know and she obviously handled it well but it’s not often that Sam and Dean come out and tell people who they are and what they do.
Wait, Sam killed a human and we’re not going to make a huge deal out of it? I’m a little confused. I know that the emporium guy (did he even have a name?) needed to die. He was doing all kinds of evil binding magic and he was killing innocent people. But I just remember when killing humans used to weigh heavily on Sam’s heart. Not that I want to see him torture himself over the decision; I think it was a good call. I just half expected him to…torture himself over the decision. It’s what Sam does. But I guess we’re still dealing with the new and improved, guiltless Sam. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Am I the only one who was surprised by this?
All in all I think this was a fun throw back episode; interesting monster of the week, a little brotherly tension, some sharing of feelings. It was not as fun as Slash Fiction but I’m still flying pretty high off that episode so I’ll forgive this one its faults.
Here are some other random observations.
* What the heck happened to Sam’s spoon? How did it get bent?
* Emporium guy: “You’re looking for something?”
Dean: “You’re good.”
Dean: “He probably should have bent those with the power of his mind.”
* If a ghost asks you to listen to her, can’t you just give her a second to speak?
*Margaret was really very creepy. I just wish she hadn’t talked. She was a whole lot less scary when she spoke.
*Dean: “I feel naked doing this in the daylight”
*Sam busting in on a Lamaze class was hilarious. He has a bad habit of breaking in to the wrong places and it’s always entertaining.
*Dean wielding a shot gun never gets old. It just doesn’t.
*Dean: “I can’t believe he was boning her”
*Melanie: “I wish we met on a better week”
Dean: “I wish I had better weeks”
*And finally, I want the Impala back! It’s just not the same with the boys cruising around in a teal car.
Wonderful article. I’m glad you brought up the point about Sam killing that store clerk. I believe his name was Jimmy Tomorrow. I was a little disturbed by that since the boys have always drawn a line on killing a human being, even if they’re evil. I don’t recall either one of them doing that until now. Sam not only shot him once, but twice in the chest. That’s so unlike him. Totally out of character and he didn’t even address it with Dean. I wonder if Dean even knows what Sam did in this case. Granted, I’m glad that he did because he saved Dean and Melanie. Also, I haven’t seen the uproar over it like there was for Amy and Amy was a monster killing humans. Does anyone else find this whole situation strange? A little bit of a double standard??? Just wondering.
As for the episode in general, I really liked it. It had a strong Season 1 and Season 2 vibe to it. They’re my all time favorites to watch.
I think people are just relieved that the Amy situation is over with. I’m not sure it’s a double standard. Amy was a mother and we never saw her kill anyone. And then Dean killed her and made a speech about “you are what you are and you will kill again” or something like that. I found the whole scene really cold. To me, Dean killed Amy in cold blood and in front of her kid. I know she was a monster and probably had to be killed, but considering how many demons Dean carved through to get to Ben and Lisa and then how Dean making sure Ben wasn’t motherless that really bothered me. Here, you have a guy killing people because he’s not rich or popular. And the audience had seen him kill and Dean and Melanie where in danger, so Sam’s decision was pretty clear cut. However, in the end of this episode, both brothers agree that killing Amy was the right thing to do.
Yeah, both of them were killing people, but Amy was the one with the emotional story of being a mother, she saved Sam, and she wasn’t a threat when she was killed. This guy had bones in his bed. Ew!
I’m not sure it exactly easy to cause an uproar over a guy who is creepy, petty, and gross when you compare Amy who was cute, kind, and a mother. Besides, that was kind of his problem, he couldn’t get people to like or care about him. Poor creepy gross bones in bed dude who I really can’t even remember your name.
Sam killed Jake (the psychic kid who had stabbed him) in the season 2 finale.
I kinda thought that Sam having to kill Jimmy to stop him was what made him truly understand why Dean had to kill Amy and to forgive him, that sometimes it’s just necessary to stop the evil or the monster.
Sam isn’t new to this life. He lost his innocence a long time ago and has killed a lot of questionable things (and a few people) before. He was ready to kill Amy until she made a convincing argument as to why she should be spared.
Thanks for the recap!!
I didn’t really have a problem with Sam killing the psychic killer. Sam reacted like a cop he had to save Dean and Melanie and stop a killer. Sam had to play a cop before. He shot Samuel when Samuel was taken over with the worm thing. Dean killed those sort of human things in “Family Remains” (I’m not sure what I would put them under, but they weren’t clear cut monsters). Sometimes, the bad guys aren’t really monsters. Most of time the show turns them into monsters so the brothers don’t look bad killing them or they just disappear and we never see from them again like Roy and Walt.
But I do have a problem with the lack of Sam point of view. This episode was a Dean-centric episode, so I understand why we didn’t see Sam’s point of view. But Sam’s dealing with hell and that’s why Dean can’t trust him with the truth, but Sam seems unaffected by it. In fact, Castiel breaking Sam’s wall has been one of the best things for Sam in years. Does this mean we can have Castiel back yet? Still, the Leviathan-Sam said he ate his brother with this many issues and yet, Sam fine. Does Sam have some sort of an emotion clip he can just turn on and off? Can we turn it back on?
I’m really curious about Sam. We get that Dean is suffering and grieving and keeping secrets. But if Dean is keeping secrets and we’re not going to an answer soon, then can we go back to Sam? I’m glad that Dean has a story and some sort of emotional arc, even if I have no idea what either is about yet, but at least we know something is there and going on. But Sam, we know that Lucifer and Sam are bonding, but nothing. We don’t know how Sam feels about it, we don’t know how Sam came to taking the high road. He just is.
Another thing I noticed about this episode is that you see how much everything has changed for the brothers and how much has stayed the same. For example, the brothers getting the ghost wrong like in “Provenance” when they thought it was the father, but it really was the little girl and father was trying to warn people. Sam being led to the wrong place. Dean getting the girl. The girl only thanking one of them, when both of them saved her. Haha! So, that’s the same. But then on the other hand, it was like knowing a couple of rookie cops, watching them go away to war, and then returning to the job. There was something harden about both brothers. Before they would have waited until the last second to tell the girl about a ghost. It could have been because of her connection to psychic stuff, but Dean being honest about the spirit and that they weren’t FBI, seemed like they have been doing this while time to skip to the next part. They just kept going and didn’t slow down. I think before Sam and Dean would have waited until 2am passed before they left town. And Sam killing the store psychic guy was really professional? I don’t know how to exactly explain it. But for me, this episode had a season one vibe, but instead of the brothers being rookies, they were war veterans and harden cops.
I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Sam’s suffering. I think he’s in a really good place right now, he’s feeling like he’s finally in control of his own life. Sadly, I don’t know how long it will last. I think the writers need Sam to be strong right now so Dean can have a bit of a breakdown. Then, I think Sam will be able to deal with his own issues.
I agree with what you said about Sam and Dean having grown a lot since Provenance. They’re still the same team but a bit more weathered. I really enjoyed the links between The Mentalists and Provenance.
Thanks for your comments!
I’m so glad you mentioned Lisa and Ben. They have been on my mind a lot lately because Dean never did deal with what he had Cas to do them, and losing them. I hope there’s some kind of real closure for him with regards to them, but I have a feeling that we won’t ever hear about them again.
Interesting parallel, comparing Melanie to Sarah from Provenance! I didn’t make that connection, but you’re right. I really, really liked Melanie and would be so happy to see that character return. The actress had great chemistry with Jensen.
I actually liked this episode more than Slash Fiction; partly because the whole Leviathon mess doesn’t interest me as much as just watching these brothers on the road, dealing with life and trying to live as best they can.
I do think Sam is still dealing with his anger from Dean’s lie, but at least now he understands why Dean lied. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more talks as the season progresses, because Dean definitely has more going on then he let on to Sam, and Sam of course still has his lovely Hell-ucinations to deal with. Oh, this season! It’s giving me so much joy!
I think we may be the only two people that still want to talk about Lisa and Ben! I know a lot of people didn’t enjoy their addition to the show, and that’s fine. I just think that they were such huge part of Dean’s life when he had no one else so we can’t pretend that they’re not a part of his suffering now. For the record, I actually liked them a lot. I knew they couldn’t stick around forever, but I enjoyed the change of pace they brought.
You’re not alone in thinking about Lisa and Ben, dear. I’m also one of those who would like to see them return… I have no idea how I would work them into the storyline at the moment, but I liked their parts in Dean’s life.
Perhaps some far day…. when our heroes will ride into the sunset one last time, one of them might direct his horse (or trusted Impala) towards a place he once called home…
With all the evil our beloved Winchesters have had to endure, I wish for a peaceful ending. I’m sure, they deserve it (but, well, knowing our writers, I doubt they’ll get that – but until the show actually airs for the last time, I will keep hoping…).
Cheers, Jas
I actually enjoyed the Lisa and Ben story arc, but sadly I think they are out of the picture for good. Dean cannot bring himself to even think about them. But, hey, demons could still snatch them up and Dean didn’t get his memory whitewashed after all. It definitely could hurt him in the future.
But I’m sorry to say Jas, I don’t think our boys have a rosy future ahead of them. I watched “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” the other day, and I think that’s where they may be headed. Like Bon Jovi says “Shot Down in a Blaze of Glory”.
I fear you might be right, Sylvie. I often said I would like a Butch/Sundance ending, but I would also love them to find peace. Sniff… Planet Winchester is a cruel, cruel world.
Hi, sofia. You know what I like about your review is that you never forced your thoughts. You always invites others to give opinion. Thanks for that because it gives me time to think through. Pls, dont ever change your review style. Now, onto the show. First comment on the muddled vibe on the episode. Could it be because it’s a confusing times for the brothers? Dean finally open up but hides more things and Sam is too forgiving nature makes me think both guys is also confuse with their feelings themselves and what to do regarding each other. Both have issues but dont have anyone else to share them and dont have anyone else to trust. Sam does not want to overburden Dean with his issues and Dean thinks Sam’s not right in the mind to be able to share wit him. I believe LeviaDean when he said Dean thinks Sam’s a nutjob. He’s double overprotective of Sam because of it and makes it his job to ‘glue him back together’ like what he said in epi 01.
So yeah, both have issues and so caught up of taking care of each other making things muddled and confusing
Thanks for the kind words, Kaj! I love hearing everyone’s opinion of the episodes. There are always things I didn’t think of.
I agree that there was some truth to what LeviaDean told Sam. I doubt Dean would ever use the word nutjob to describe Sam, but I definitely think he knows Sam is still dealing with all these hallucinations. And he’s definitely still worried about him being unstable. I’m interested to see how this all plays out.
Second comment, about Sam’s too forgiving nature. Hmm … (Frowning) could it be due to the Satan vision? He’s trying hard to handle it himself But I think what we saw here is the result of that mess and confusion inside his head. For example, he let a monster live (Amy) and kill a human. Did not kill the witches. Although yes they are too strong for the winchesters. Dean get the impression of a new Sam but how about a confuse Sam? How about Lucifer turns Sam’s moral upside down, sideways, and backwards. We may not be shown of what happen inside Sam’s head but the show reminds us last week that it’s still at large. So maybe what we see here is not the action of new Sam but the end result of that madness inside of his mind. Slash fiction hinted at it twice. So yes I believe that’s Sam’s is still not right in the head. And it will getting worse am sure. Sam tries hard to look up to Dean as example. And regarding his condition I think he needs Dean as much. We know that Dean is his number one stone. If that stone collapse what would happen to him? So yes I understand his desperate effort to fix Dean and forgiving him too easily because he cant afford to let go of Dean, his number one stone.
I thought Sam killing Jimmy Tomorrow was for the purpose of him realizing why Dean killed Amy. Sam had no emotional involvement with this human monster, just as Dean had no emotional involvement with Amy. Dean killed Amy to ‘save people,’ just as Sam had to kill Jimmy to ‘save people.’ That’s the family business, and it was because of this incident that Sam was able to let go of his rage.
I had not problem with Sam not emo’g over it. It was a good scene in an episode choked full of many things that moved the story forward for both brothers. Yes, it was a Dean-centric episode, and one of the 13 that is supposed to cover his issues. Sam’s, according to SG, will be the second half of the season, so I am presuming that we can’t get on with Sam’s story until Dean’s issues are resolved and he can help Sam deal with his.
And, quite frankly, I’m very happy to see that Dean isn’t parked on the sidelines like he was last year. The show is better when both brothers get to play in the sandbox. And, for the record, I hope to never hear the name Lisa/Ben again in my whole life.
I was surprised that Dean told Melanie the truth about their job so quickly. I guess it fit in with the story and Melanie’s role in it was the reason.
Why doesn’t Dean open up to Sam? He always does eventually, but it is not when Sam is yelling at him. It’s when he gently plays on his ‘big brother’ role, so I am assuming it’s from his years of being the father figure to Sam. Of course, given Sam’s history of how he acted with Dean’s Hell experience (you are week, boo hoo, I’m a better hunter than you, you can’t do it so I have to), I’d be a little reluctant myself. That had to be hurtful.) But in the end, it’s just who Dean is. He keeps things to himself, and especially the really important ‘feelings’ things.
I loved the episode. I loved the S1 feeling. I love that Ellen always has her way with Dean (and I’m still sad that Ellen was killed off). I loved that there was no right or wrong for either brother. And I love that this whole Amy thing is over and done with.
Now…where is Baby. Go get her, Dean. That will lift your spirits.
I definitely agree that Sam killing Jimmy Tomorrow was supposed to be him realizing why Dean had to kill Amy. And that makes sense to me. I just expected a reaction of some kind. Again, I don’t want to complain that Sam’s NOT punishing himself for every decision he makes. I actually like that change.
I agree, bring Baby back!
Good review, Sofia.
The Provenance link you made – I thought that too! Ah, I miss Sara (that was her name, right?).
The thing with Sam killing Jimmy, as others have said and I agree, was what allowed him to let go of his mad over the Amy situation and see it from Dean’s perspective. I was a little startled at how easily he shot Jimmy and moved on from it at first but honestly, Jimmy was evil and the law wouldn’t have been able to contain him, plain and simple. Sometimes the definition of “monster” is not so simply on this show (like the Benders – totally needed to put those nutballs down). Either way, I’m happy we won’t be dwelling on Sam’s guilt over that shooting. It was a clean shoot in my opinion.
I too think that Ellen’s message for Dean must indicate something more than this Amy thing weighing on him. I imagine some of these unspoken/unresolved issues will be spilled out just before the winter Hellatus and we’ll have to wait to see what comes from them in January.
One possible good thing about the Impala still on lockdown? A “She rides again!” montage!
Re: Impala montage. If Lisa got a most favorite character montage, the Show had better have one for Baby! And I want “Back in the Saddle Again” as the music.
Yes, please let there be an Impala montage! That would make me so happy!
I know doubt they will get put out in the open seeing though this is another Dean emo arc and that they decided to dedicate 13 episodes to it. It is Deans issues with Sam that have no back up because Sam is doing fine he is in fact better now than he was before Castiel broke the wall.
Dean is the one yet again being crushed under the weight of his issues wether resolved or unresolved . Sam sails through so it makes no sense . The show wants to concentrate on Deans problems using Sam seeing Lucifer isnt one of them because Sam is doing just fine.Even the pyschic didnt pick up on Sams satan vision .
Thanks for another insightful review, Sofia. 🙂
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode.It definitely had a season 1 vibe. I had forgotten about Provenance where the father ghost was trying to warn people and Sam and Dean thinking he was the culprit. This episode had reminded me of The Real Ghostbusters in Season 5 where they burned the nanny/teacher/mother (?) ghost “extra-crispy” when she was the one actually trying to save people from the boys.
I loved the connection with Dean and Melanie. Too bad he wasn’t in a good enough place to go with that. He needs some relief from the guilt and whatever else is going on with him.
Great shout out to Ellen. Can’t you just hear her saying those lines? 😀
Speaking of lines, this has some great one-liners that you highlighted.Didn’t you love that Dean was a “virile manifestation”? And that he was ready to punch out the affirmation waiter?
I am glad the boys made up and we can move beyond Amy. I think killing Jimmy was part of what made Sam see that you have to stop people who are killing others.
Did you see Dean’s face at the end when Melanie tried to thank him and he replied he didn’t save her friend? I hope he listened to what Melanie said to that; she was spot on. :sigh: Let go of some guilt there Dean; you are really not responsible for the Lindbergh baby kidnapping.
I agree that the whole Lisa/Ben thing has to be weighing on him. He was with them for a year and he had feelings for both of them even before that. They almost died because they were important to him and he had Cas wipe their minds.
I agree with you; there should have been one perfect tear in the scene by the trunk of the not-Impala. I miss Baby, too. Writers, please take her out of the corner. 🙁
I think we also need to know what is really going on in Sam’s head. It can’t be good from what clone Sam said last week.
Am I correct in noting that there has not been one son of a b**** from Dean all season? Maybe that’s what he needs; a little therapeutic swearing.
I watch for the SOB’s, too. If I remember correctly, there was one in Slash Fiction and I think in the first episode of the season.
No Impala, no classic rock, and no Dean SOB is why I give the episode a 9 and not a 10.
Marilyn, How could I forget about the “virile manifestation”? That was too good!
I’ve never thought to keep track of the SOB’s. That’s hilarious.
Let’t not forget the divine manifestation of the virile! 😆
Sorry, Sofia, couldn’t resist this wordplay…
That was a great review Sofia. I agree with all the other posters about Sam killing the psychic. He was a murderer by proxy. There is a fine line between a real monster and a human monster, so I’m glad it’s not tearing Sam up on the inside. He did have a look of regret when he shot him, but beyond that I think he knows he had no choice.
“It’s the driest I’ve ever seen these two during a heart to heart.” That line had me laughing! I too love to see a little Winchester tear.
All in all, I loved this episode.
[quote]Wait, Sam killed a human and we’re not going to make a huge deal out of it? I’m a little confused. I know that the emporium guy (did he even have a name?) needed to die. He was doing all kinds of evil binding magic and he was killing innocent people. But I just remember when killing humans used to weigh heavily on Sam’s heart. Not that I want to see him torture himself over the decision; I think it was a good call. I just half expected him to…torture himself over the decision. It’s what Sam does. But I guess we’re still dealing with the new and improved, guiltless Sam. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Am I the only one who was surprised by this?[/quote]
First, thanks for the great review, Sofia. I have a few comments.
With regard to Sam killing Jimmy, I don’t have a problem with it at all. The man had a gun on Sam, had fired at him once already. Go back and watch it again – as Sam pulled his gun, Jimmy fired at him again, and Sam shot him (and he only fired once, not twice – the first shot was Jimmy’s). So forsaking all the human v. monster arguments, the fact that it could be argued that he was complicit in the other murders, and the fact that Melanie and Dean were in danger, this particular act can simply boil down to matter of self defense.
On my second watching, I also watched closely the first meeting of the brothers in that new-age cafe and now completely agree with something I first saw mentioned at glovered’s LJ. Watch that scene again. When Dean comes over to Sam’s table, watch how wary Sam is, like he is afraid this Dean is another hallucination (and making me wonder how many hallucinations he might have had during the 10 days he was separated from Dean). When the waiter walks up and speaks with Dean, Sam looks relieved that someone else can actually see this Dean, and it isn’t until the waiter walks away that Sam actually speaks to Dean. So I agree with glovered that Sam wasn’t sure that Dean was real when he first walked up.
All in all, I enjoyed this episode. I really wish the boys would sit down and have a good, long conversation, but I can live with what we got and am still really looking forward to new episodes. Is it Friday yet?
And if you are interested, glovered’s LJ post is here: [url]http://glovered.livejournal.com/45285.html#cutid1[/url]
That is really interesting. I have to go back and watch the cafe scene again. I too wonder what Sam was up to for the week and a half he was separated from Dean. If it’s as bad as LeviaSam said he no doubt had some hallucinations. Thanks for the link, I’m going to check out that post!
Sorry if I’m repeating myself a little here, but we haven’t seen Sam torture himself over necessary kills since season 2, when he was worried that if he killed someone he would turn into a monster. As I mentioned in another post, Sam killed Jake in All Hell Breaks Loose. He killed the demon-possessed nurse in Lucifer Rising. He unknowingly killed a couple of human teenagers in Good God Y’All (he thought they were demons at the time). And he seems to have come to terms with whatever RoboSam did during that year hunting with Samuel. He’s been pretty hardened by this point.
He was ready to kill Amy until Amy made a case that she had chosen a life of surviving off of dead people, and that she only killed a few people to save her son. He spared her because she was not really a threat anymore (since her son’s illness had passed), because she had once saved his life, and because she was a mother who had a son to protect and raise in a non-killing lifestyle. Sparing Amy was partly rational decision and partly personal, but it was not a call-back to season 2 when Sam felt compelled to try to save every monster that he thought could be saved.
The fact that the Jimmy’s death could be connected to Sam’s change of heart didn’t even occur to me because it was so dissimilar to the Amy situation. Honestly, I figured that Sam was having more hallucinations and let the Amy fight go because he and Dean need each other right now (especially if Dean is the only one standing in between Sam and a descent into madness). It’s hard to stay in a fight with someone when you’re ill.
Sofia, I think they would have gotten together over any case. You are right, Dean would have been checking his phone for a message from Sam, because he would have let Sam make the first move. Even though it would have killed him not knowing where Sam was or how he was doing.
We had the married couple in ‘Dr. Phil’ and now we had siblings, mirroring the relationship between Sam and Dean.
Dean felt naked digging in daylight, he also felt naked when he handed his amulet to Castiel in ‘Good God’. Where is the amulet?????
Love this episode. More please.
Enjoyed your review. Great ep, new writers seem more on the ball than some of the senior writers. I guess it’s hard for Dean to open up to Sam because if you say what you’re feeling out loud – then you may actually have to deal with your issues head on. In Sam Interrupted, Dean told Sam something like “bury it and forget about it.” Old habits die hard.
I don’t know if Sam feels guiltless for shooting Jimmy. But Jimmy did shoot at him first and Sam had to act fast to get to the bones and burn them to save Melanie.
For some reason, I think Dean unknowingly bent the spoon. He was paying attention to spoon guy holding Sam’s spoon and talking about harnessing the power of your mind. And I think It’s significant b/c Sam mentions the bent spoon at the end of ep.
I think you’re probably right. If Dean talks to Sam, then he has to acknowledge his feelings instead of drinking them away. But you’d think after years of burying things until he explodes he’d learn how much better it feels after he talks things through with Sam. Sam always gives him the perspective he needs.
Hi Sofia. Thank you for your review. I’m glad that you got so much enjoyment from it and I genuinely wish I could relate.
I certainly concur that this episode brought to light much that was good about the early seasons. These were almost universally lauded so it’s no coincidence that they’re going back to the formula that served them so well back then. So yes, a traditional hunt, the one liners, the bitchface, the ‘Wincest’ subtext, Sam gets the coffee while Dean gets the girl. You could actually have put this in as an episode in mid season two and if you changed Sam’s hair, it would have fit in seamlessly. (Even Dean’s ‘But not your friends’ was a direct throwback to Sam’s ‘I should have saved him’ in ‘Playthings’). On an aside, I also found it strange that Sam killed the psychic, the younger brother and the older brother. Are we meant to read something into that or was it coincidence?
However, there are one or two things that have to be borne in mind. This is [i]not[/i] season one. This is season seven so while I appreciate the hankering for the more innocent days I don’t understand how the show can choose to go there when the boys and their relationship has changed dramatically in the last 6 years. The cute ‘Bitch’ ‘Jerk’ moments of old are gone because ‘Bitch’ can no longer be considered a term of endearment when in this episode, it was used as an insult, thrown at one brother by another to hurt and demean. Sam and Dean have endured things that no man should ever have to endure so while yes, this was a throwback to the days of old it, to me, seemed very out of place. In a way it’s almost as if they forgot about seasons 2-6 while they were writing it (an episode about psychics and not a single acknowledgement of the guy who had psychic visions?).
Add to that, for me, this episode also bought back memories of all that was bad about early seasons ie a singular point of view, doubts over a characters ability to judge because of who/what he is and (again the killing point for me) the overt push of one character over another. To be honest, this episode was all that I feared it would be, and more.
Sofia, I admire your empathy at Dean’s loneliness which the show went to great pains to show. I wonder why Dean didn’t ring Sam, given that (a) Sam evidently never rings and (b) Dean was the one who wronged in this situation. I’m also kind of wondering how Sam felt that week; dealing with what he had found out. I wonder how he coped with Lucifer gloatingly whispering this latest crushing development in his ear. However, I guess as the show decided to focus on Dean’s forlorn gaze at his phone, we’ll never know.
Honestly, I loathe the manner in which they got back together. Like you said, Sofia, Dean played him well, very well. I thought it was low of Dean to pull the ‘C’mon Sam, you have to work with me, people are dying’ card in order to get what he wanted. Where sincerity from Dean would have worked, he went for manipulation. I guess I’m a little disappointed that Sam is now something for Dean to ‘play’, like a common witness or a cheap girl he picks up in a bar.
Sofia, I genuinely don’t think that Sam killing Jimmy enabled him to be able to relate with Dean killing Amy. There was one stark difference between Dean killing Amy and Sam killing Jimmy (aside from the fact that in the first instance Sam asked Dean [i]not[/i] to kill her and in the second, Dean told Sam [i]to[/i] kill him). In the scene where Sam shot Jimmy, Sam had already been shot at twice, that’s a little different from sneaking into a motel room and knifing someone in the heart. Add to that, what were the potential ramifications as a result of Jimmys death? Well¸ the Emporium would need a new shopkeeper but I don’t see any new monsters being created as a result.
Also, if the show needed Sam to kill Jimmy to enable him to empathise with Dean, it just shows that Sam has the memory of a goldfish, because Sam has been killing man and monster for a while now. Jeez, how did Sam get into Stanford at all??
In relation to the now infamous scene outside the museum; all I can say is I’m damn glad I saw the preview of it during the week because had I not, there’s a good chance the laptop would have ended up out the window once it aired. (I remember watching the preview and thinking ‘Jesus, that’d better be Leviathan Dean.’ No such luck.) Strange that even after I saw the preview some naive part of me had hoped that Sam had done something, anything, to warrant such abuse but no. Sam was polite and professional but distant. He hadn’t bought up a single thing about Dean’s lies and betrayal of ten days before because he was working the case yet he still gets hit with ‘Don’t be a bitch about it’.
So in short, Dean acknowledged Sam’s [i]right[/i] to be angry but admonished him for [i]being[/i] angry. He put the responsibility for his own actions back on Sam by saying that he [i]had[/i] to kill Amy because Sam couldn’t (despite the fact that Sam has already killed friends, and on more than one occasion) and finally, he threw at him that the only reason he did what he did was because Sam’s hell memories leave him in a position where his judgment cannot be trusted. Strange that in season 4 when Sam used this as an excuse to not tell Dean about the powers etc, Dean lit him from a height.
Add to that, he calls Sam a child for holding a grudge for 10 days when in Season 4 and 5 Dean had Sam crawl over broken glass for a hell of a lot longer for doing the exact same thing. A friend said that this episode made her skin crawl; this scene had the same impact on me. The callous arrogance of Dean here sickened me and it really highlighted the drastic unevenness at the shows portrayal of the two brothers.
I’m also furious and dismayed that the show has turned Dean from a character I adored into someone I now actively dislike. He’s turned into a self righteous, hypocritical coward who forces his will on others, physically abuses them if he thinks it’ll get his point across, and verbally abuses them if it doesn’t.
What on earth happened to the guy who knows his brother so well but now evidently needs a body language reader and a psychic to point out to him that his brother is angry?
The show has turned Sam into someone I’m struggling to see the point of anymore. Since he declared himself guilt free what exactly is he contributing to the show (aside from being his brothers cross to bear)? He has no point of view and he has no storyline. Instead of being someone who called Dean out on his bullshit, in this episode Sam was nothing more than a servile nodding dog to Dean’s questionable actions, taking Dean’s crap without having the sack to stand up to him before once again capitulating and acknowledging that Dean was right. Well, colour me surprised….. (Seriously, if the show starts pissing around with Bobby in the same way they have Sam and Dean, you won’t see me for dust.)
Does Sam believe that as a ‘freak’, he doesn’t have the right to express an opinion, fear, hope or anger? As Dean said to the younger sister ‘You don’t get a vote’, sentiments he expressed to Sam throughout season 4 and 5. Perhaps Sam has started to listen.
In relation to Sam’s ‘storyline’ this year; dealing with hell, I’m not entirely confident that the show will deal with it. They’ve spent the last year and a bit pushing it down the river. When Sam came back from hell, they made him soulless so they didn’t deal with it, then they gave him his soul back but built a wall so they didn’t deal with it, then they took down the wall but made him guilt free so they didn’t deal with it. (Sam really needs to get Castiel a fruit basket because tearing down that wall has put Sam in the best mental state of his life.)
Now we’re 1/3 of the way through the season, mid Dean’s (overdue and deserved) personal storyline, with the Leviathan and Castiel storyline to deal with yet, when exactly are they going to find the time to even deal with it? I’m wondering will Sam just get a brief ten word acknowledgement from Bobby like he got in 5.21 again this year to explain him away.
It’s great that so many people enjoyed this episode but to be honest, this episode hit me like a kick to the stomach, and the lasting effects feel pretty much the same.
I’m trying not to get too negative about all of this, and I swear, I don’t mean to bash Dean here, but there is something very dark to his character that the writers have been hinting at recently.
Amy was presented as something positive for Sam – she represented acceptance of the freak part of his nature – and Dean’s reaction was to gut her.
Dean tortured in Hell, and then he picked up torturing again recently in Let It Bleed, without comment from anyone on the show.
Finally, we have the museum guide discussing the history of the sisters, and there’s obviously a correlation between the older sister and Dean (she was the one who was meant to take care of other people). Then we find out that she’s so resentful of the attention that her younger sister got that she’s turned evil. Yes, she was compelled to kill, but she’s described as seeming to enjoy it. It mirrors the comment that Dean made back in season 4 that he enjoyed torturing people in Hell. It’s interesting that the ghost in Yellow Fever decided Dean fit the “bully” profile. I’m wondering how dark the writers will take this story.
[quote]Hi Sofia. Thank you for your review. I’m glad that you got so much enjoyment from it and I genuinely wish I could relate.
I certainly concur that this episode brought to light much that was good about the early seasons. These were almost universally lauded so it’s no coincidence that they’re going back to the formula that served them so well back then. So yes, a traditional hunt, the one liners, the bitchface, the ‘Wincest’ subtext, Sam gets the coffee while Dean gets the girl. You could actually have put this in as an episode in mid season two and if you changed Sam’s hair, it would have fit in seamlessly. (Even Dean’s ‘But not your friends’ was a direct throwback to Sam’s ‘I should have saved him’ in ‘Playthings’). On an aside, I also found it strange that Sam killed the psychic, the younger brother and the older brother. Are we meant to read something into that or was it coincidence?
However, there are one or two things that have to be borne in mind. This is [i]not[/i] season one. This is season seven so while I appreciate the hankering for the more innocent days I don’t understand how the show can choose to go there when the boys and their relationship has changed dramatically in the last 6 years. The cute ‘Bitch’ ‘Jerk’ moments of old are gone because ‘Bitch’ can no longer be considered a term of endearment when in this episode, it was used as an insult, thrown at one brother by another to hurt and demean. Sam and Dean have endured things that no man should ever have to endure so while yes, this was a throwback to the days of old it, to me, seemed very out of place. In a way it’s almost as if they forgot about seasons 2-6 while they were writing it (an episode about psychics and not a single acknowledgement of the guy who had psychic visions?).
Add to that, for me, this episode also bought back memories of all that was bad about early seasons ie a singular point of view, doubts over a characters ability to judge because of who/what he is and (again the killing point for me) the overt push of one character over another. To be honest, this episode was all that I feared it would be, and more.
Sofia, I admire your empathy at Dean’s loneliness which the show went to great pains to show. I wonder why Dean didn’t ring Sam, given that (a) Sam evidently never rings and (b) Dean was the one who wronged in this situation. I’m also kind of wondering how Sam felt that week; dealing with what he had found out. I wonder how he coped with Lucifer gloatingly whispering this latest crushing development in his ear. However, I guess as the show decided to focus on Dean’s forlorn gaze at his phone, we’ll never know.
Honestly, I loathe the manner in which they got back together. Like you said, Sofia, Dean played him well, very well. I thought it was low of Dean to pull the ‘C’mon Sam, you have to work with me, people are dying’ card in order to get what he wanted. Where sincerity from Dean would have worked, he went for manipulation. I guess I’m a little disappointed that Sam is now something for Dean to ‘play’, like a common witness or a cheap girl he picks up in a bar.
Sofia, I genuinely don’t think that Sam killing Jimmy enabled him to be able to relate with Dean killing Amy. There was one stark difference between Dean killing Amy and Sam killing Jimmy (aside from the fact that in the first instance Sam asked Dean [i]not[/i] to kill her and in the second, Dean told Sam [i]to[/i] kill him). In the scene where Sam shot Jimmy, Sam had already been shot at twice, that’s a little different from sneaking into a motel room and knifing someone in the heart. Add to that, what were the potential ramifications as a result of Jimmys death? Well¸ the Emporium would need a new shopkeeper but I don’t see any new monsters being created as a result.
Also, if the show needed Sam to kill Jimmy to enable him to empathise with Dean, it just shows that Sam has the memory of a goldfish, because Sam has been killing man and monster for a while now. Jeez, how did Sam get into Stanford at all??
In relation to the now infamous scene outside the museum; all I can say is I’m damn glad I saw the preview of it during the week because had I not, there’s a good chance the laptop would have ended up out the window once it aired. (I remember watching the preview and thinking ‘Jesus, that’d better be Leviathan Dean.’ No such luck.) Strange that even after I saw the preview some naive part of me had hoped that Sam had done something, anything, to warrant such abuse but no. Sam was polite and professional but distant. He hadn’t bought up a single thing about Dean’s lies and betrayal of ten days before because he was working the case yet he still gets hit with ‘Don’t be a bitch about it’.
So in short, Dean acknowledged Sam’s [i]right[/i] to be angry but admonished him for [i]being[/i] angry. He put the responsibility for his own actions back on Sam by saying that he [i]had[/i] to kill Amy because Sam couldn’t (despite the fact that Sam has already killed friends, and on more than one occasion) and finally, he threw at him that the only reason he did what he did was because Sam’s hell memories leave him in a position where his judgment cannot be trusted. Strange that in season 4 when Sam used this as an excuse to not tell Dean about the powers etc, Dean lit him from a height.
Add to that, he calls Sam a child for holding a grudge for 10 days when in Season 4 and 5 Dean had Sam crawl over broken glass for a hell of a lot longer for doing the exact same thing. A friend said that this episode made her skin crawl; this scene had the same impact on me. The callous arrogance of Dean here sickened me and it really highlighted the drastic unevenness at the shows portrayal of the two brothers.
I’m also furious and dismayed that the show has turned Dean from a character I adored into someone I now actively dislike. He’s turned into a self righteous, hypocritical coward who forces his will on others, physically abuses them if he thinks it’ll get his point across, and verbally abuses them if it doesn’t.
What on earth happened to the guy who knows his brother so well but now evidently needs a body language reader and a psychic to point out to him that his brother is angry?
The show has turned Sam into someone I’m struggling to see the point of anymore. Since he declared himself guilt free what exactly is he contributing to the show (aside from being his brothers cross to bear)? He has no point of view and he has no storyline. Instead of being someone who called Dean out on his bullshit, in this episode Sam was nothing more than a servile nodding dog to Dean’s questionable actions, taking Dean’s crap without having the sack to stand up to him before once again capitulating and acknowledging that Dean was right. Well, colour me surprised….. (Seriously, if the show starts pissing around with Bobby in the same way they have Sam and Dean, you won’t see me for dust.)
Does Sam believe that as a ‘freak’, he doesn’t have the right to express an opinion, fear, hope or anger? As Dean said to the younger sister ‘You don’t get a vote’, sentiments he expressed to Sam throughout season 4 and 5. Perhaps Sam has started to listen.
In relation to Sam’s ‘storyline’ this year; dealing with hell, I’m not entirely confident that the show will deal with it. They’ve spent the last year and a bit pushing it down the river. When Sam came back from hell, they made him soulless so they didn’t deal with it, then they gave him his soul back but built a wall so they didn’t deal with it, then they took down the wall but made him guilt free so they didn’t deal with it. (Sam really needs to get Castiel a fruit basket because tearing down that wall has put Sam in the best mental state of his life.)
Now we’re 1/3 of the way through the season, mid Dean’s (overdue and deserved) personal storyline, with the Leviathan and Castiel storyline to deal with yet, when exactly are they going to find the time to even deal with it? I’m wondering will Sam just get a brief ten word acknowledgement from Bobby like he got in 5.21 again this year to explain him away.
It’s great that so many people enjoyed this episode but to be honest, this episode hit me like a kick to the stomach, and the lasting effects feel pretty much the same.[/quote]
Yes to all of this I thought it was me that I was missing something not seeing it. Sams wall coming down has meant nothing . But worst for me is he has no rights at all as a person to feel or think anything or be angry with his brother. Sam being treated like a human being who had gone through a terrible trauma was not to much to ask for but sadly clearly it was.
I still do want to believe that Sams hell will get attention at some point 🙂
Tim,
I couldn’t agree more with the fact that Sam needs to be given time to deal with all that’s happened to him since his time in Hell. I don’t think it’s fair that he’s just guilt free now, but I also don’t think that will last. I think eventually we’ll have to deal with it. I’m just curious to see how.
I totally respect the way you see Dean’s character now. You lay out your thoughts very well, I guess I just see a lot of these details in a different light. I don’t think Dean waited for Sam’s call because he expected an apology from him. I saw it as respect for Sam. He let him walk away at the end of last week’s episode without anything but an “I’m sorry”. And he wanted to wait for Sam to be ready to talk to him. He knows he hurt Sam deeply.
Dean was obviously angry outside the museum, and I think he said what he said to try an hurt Sam. I’m not doubting that. But I saw some of that as Dean taking his anger at himself out on Sam. It was right after Ellen’s message from the beyond. She called Dean out on his issues and if it were me, I’d be feeling pretty upset with myself. Especially knowing that even if he wanted to open up, Sam wasn’t in the mood to listen. (Not blaming Sam here.) Dean had also apologized for hurting Sam so there was nothing more he could do at that point. So I’m not saying that Dean was 100% in the right to blow up at Sam like that. But I’m saying that I think it was more about Dean being mad at Dean than anything else.
I still genuinely like both Sam and Dean and I’m sorry the show has made you cold toward Dean and indifferent toward Sam at this point. Hopefully they can turn that around for you soon!
I wanted to reply similar but honestly you brought everything up that irked me about this episode in surely better words than I ever could’ve done. Nedless to say: I agree.
I’m glad most of you enjoyed this episode and I surely don’t want to come and ruin that for you but for me most of the episode irked me to no end.
There have been some good moments. For example the museum manager telling Dean “That sometimes ones true gift is to take care of other”. I always admired that in Dean and didn’t see it as a lost storyline for Dean.
But since Season 7 Dean is changed for me and I don’t like where he’s heading. It’s mostly blamed on Cas betrayal. True he was Dean’s friend but that’s it. I think they give Cas way to much importance in Dean’s life if Dean is going of the waggon like that. Let’s not forget, Cas just popped in now and then (almost never in S6) and wasn’t there with Dean 24/7.
Secondly Sam’s wall breaking down is also a reason for Dean’s downward spiral. My question is: Why? Clearly Sam is not doing so bad. Actually since zooning out once in “the girl next door” we’ve never seen proof of Sam being influenced by hell other than some sideline mentions (which makes me suspicisious of that being brushed under the rug and forgotten about).
And here’s what irked me: Dean blames Sam’s Lucifer vision’s for his lying…where are those visions? Maybe initially Dean wanted to spare Sam but Sam asked Dean more than once what’s wrong, so Dean had a chance to come clean. He didn’t and chances are he wouldn’t have if not revealed by LeviaDean.
Dean in that warehouse told Sam to trust him. To make Dean his stone number one on build on it, but where is Dean’s trust in Sam? Shouldn’t it go both ways? (more so, Dean said that after Cas he can’t trust anyone. So Sam is now the same level as Cas?). Also Dean nearly kicked Sam’s ass for lying the first two episodes, but right in the third he went and did exactly that. How can Dean be stone number one if he himself is inconsequent?
And I may have overlooked all of this if he just went up to Sam and said something like:”I know you’re angry, I did what I thought was right. I shouldn’t have lied to you, for that I’m sorry…” Instead he barks at Sam almost commanding him that it’s time to stop being angry and twist everything around to make the whole situation Sam’s fault.
Also the ending did absolutely nothing for me. Dean comes, call’s him a bitch and all Sam does in the end is standing there saying: “You’re right?” and “You’re not fine, Dean?”. I know many called that mature behaviour. But I was unsatisfied. Not only did Dean get off the hook for not trusting Sam with some lame a** explaination about Cas but he was also confirmed right. Sam never got off this easy when he lied. What’s keeping Dean from doing exactly the same, in similar circumstances, since there have been no other consequences than Sam leaving for a week?
One more thing … sorry!!
[quote] He didn’t become a soppy mess; there wasn’t even any crying or tearing up. It’s the driest I’ve ever seen these two during a heart to heart. And while I’m glad they seem to have patched things up, it was all a little too easy for me.[/quote]
I think i know why…. because there’s no Impala and there are not talking beside her. Only she deserve the real heart wrenching chick-flick moments.
I am glad that there’s no tears this time and if the ending of this episode feels forced it’s better too because ‘Baby’ would have felt cheated, you know. Her boys should be with her when they open up their heart.
Doing that beside that stolen car, I would have felt cheated. Don’t resolve any issues without Impala, please. It would not feel right.