Let’s Speculate: “The Girl With the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo”
Holy fast-paced episode, Batman! That was super fun. Kudos to the writer, Robbie Thompson, and to director John MacCarthy for a brilliant directorial debut. With the pleasantries aside, let’s just jump right in, shall we?
The Big Leviathan Plan
So, the plan is to make people into a sustainable, healthy, fat, happy food source for the Leviathans. A lot of you thought that might be the case way back in “Out With The Old” when we found out they were trying to cure cancer. So high five to everyone who had it right! The question now is what to do about it. I bet that company in the fake TV ad, SucroCorp, will play a part yet. I’m thinking it’s the distribution company for the turducken goo, like the main corporation all the other food companies are under. Now we just need to find Bradey and kill him before he can spread the virus. Oh, oops, wrong plotline! Seriously, though, Brady can come back so Sam can kill him again because he was the worst. But I kind of don’t want them to actually kill Dick Roman because he is fabulous. Yeah, I know he’s a horrible monster, but he’s just so damn amusing! I think the auditions for that part were just, “who can act the smuggiest? Go!” I love that he recognized there’s something inherent in humans that you just can’t clone, and it drives him absolutely bonkers. He wants all people to suck, but some of them are just too charming or special or amazing to duplicate, and he begrudgingly admires and likes them.
Vengeful Bobby
I’m worried about Bobby! The more he’s around Dick Roman, the more he’s going to go vengeful. Sam’s totally right to be worried about the consequences of Bobby’s actions right now. I know Dean wants to believe that Bobby can control himself, and I want to believe, too, but they have to have a contingency plan. If Cass’ actions taught them nothing, it’s hope for the best, plan for the worst. At least, I HOPE they learned that lesson.
What’s In the Clay?
Okay, here’s my crazy theory for the week: in that clay is a tablet on how to summon Mithra. Who is Mithra, you might ask? Well, he’s a super important figure in the Persian religion Zoroastrianism. He even had his own religion before Zoroastrianism adopted him. And since they specifically stated that the clay was from Iran, which is modern-day Persia, I hope they branch out the mythology and use something from the Ancient Near East. Anyway, as Wikipedia says, Mithra is the divinity of covenant and oath, and is undeceivable, infallible, eternally watchful, and never-resting. He’s also the protector of cattle (aka humans in Leviathan terms) and is the guardian of the waters. So I’m thinking they can use the tablet to summon Mithra, make a contract with him, and then he won’t rest until he’s killed off all the Leviathans.
Bits and Pieces
How flipping awesome was Felicia Day? She was great. I really want her to come back again because her character was just so much fun.
Loved all the geek references in the episode tonight.
Slave Leia riding a 20-sided die? Best tattoo ever. That’s so ridiculous.
Charlie needs to get a better replica Sting. I have one, and it’s really solid. No way it’s breaking! I also have a replica Anduril and Aragorn’s elven knife, and let me tell you, the Anduril is one badass sword.
Re: the preview, when Cass says, “I’m sorry, Dean,” you just know shit’s going down.
Okay, that’s all I have for now because I think I need a rewatch to process properly. That was a fast episode! What did you all think?
Oh goodness, I loved every damn minute. It was constant action/info/laughs/etc from moment one! I also loved that we got two really long acts until about the 40 min in mark. Almost 20 minutes before the first commercial! That was amazing.
Loved Felicia Day. Loved Charlie. She was so completely normal and unimpressed with the guys and it was AMAZING to watch them in scenes together. Loved Dean’s line “she’s like the little sister I never wanted” (or whatever it was, ha!).
I’m glad Charlie was able to erase the hard drive because I got seriously concerned for Baby (but BABY! She got a mention! Oh, my heart!). But I’m also disappointed that this means Frank is dead. I kind of liked his crusty attitude and the way he and Dean interacted. 🙁
I’m very worried for Bobby, and I really don’t know what to think about what could happen with him. I love seeing the character on my screen but…
James Patrick Stuart is EPIC as Dick. And his scenes were so hilarious. That guy just CHEWS all the scenes he’s in. LOVE IT.
I’m being too gushy, I know, but I really don’t think there was anything I didn’t like! We got some good Sam/Dean moments in the van (Dean whispering “it never happened” to Sam’s giggles), good action, a TON of plot information and forward movement of the story…I don’t want it to be over in three weeks! 🙁
Lastly, I like your theory on the thing in the case, Ardeospina. I have absolutely nothing better to hypothesize on that front, so I’m just gonna wait and see what happens next.
Man, this show has not disappointed me since ep9 (How to Win Friends…); I have thoroughly enjoyed every episode and am excited and hopeful for the rest, and for a season 8!
Dick Roman is such an awesome villain. He certainly is the smuggiest. 😆 I love that they have cast a corporate fat cat in that role, and that there was even a reference to the Leviathans living as the “one percent” feeding off the rest of us.
And they’re such a new and different villain. So old and gone from the earth for so long no hunter has ever fought them, or knows how to fight them. And their M.O. is completely different, taking over our society from within. They have a hierarchy and a culture and they’re not just going to wander alone picking off random victims here and there. They’re working together for world domination.
This red clay is a very interesting new development in their scheme. I have no idea what might be in it, or what they wanted it for. I like your theory on Mithra. I’m very curious to see. Maybe there is nothing in there but red clay. Taken from sacred ground maybe?
Charlie was an awesome character, the episode was a total geekgasm.
I LOVED IT! Sorry, but the episodes of late have really been dragging me down a bit, so to see something so amazing like this one makes me very happy. I remember after “Slash Fiction” comparing Robbie Thompson with Jeremy Carver, and I say that again. He’s wonderful. I really really hope he sticks around for S8 so he and Mr. Carver can pow wow in the writer’s room. Man would I love to be a fly on that wall!
Anyway, the references were plentiful. I might have to do a full recap on this episode to catch them all. All so brilliant! Geekdom rules. Sam talking Harry Potter to help Charlie? So great! She even had commentary about Hermonie saving Harry all the time and then stopped herself. That’s so fandom. Hilarious. Should it worry us that Dean knows how to tell a girl how to flirt with a guy? So funny as well. Plus the boys were in disguise! I died. The ONLY missing thing was Sam and Dean going to fetch the Impala.
Also, was it that hard show to reveal the Leviathan plan? Gee, it only took two minutes and that scene worked for me. It’s about freaking time. I’m glad we called the plan about four episodes ago but man, that was too long a wait just to hear it that quickly. That is not a criticism on this episode at all. My criticism lies in the rest of the season. It’s kind of anticlimactic now.
LOVED Dick Roman. My favorite ep with him yet. He was so snarky. His conversation about being pissed off that Charlie couldn’t be cloned was great. He’s learning humans can be useful. Must be hard for him. Even his password was lame. W1nn1ng. As a IT person I was rolling my eyes along with Charlie. Yes, people still do that!
So much happiness. I’m really looking forward to next week’s too. Ben Edlund writes and directs. I’m hoping it’s something extraordinary.
Also, the car of the week is a Chevy Vega? How did they even find one that runs anymore? So they’ve had to drive this season the AMC Pacer, a chevette, and now a vega? Those are some of the most shameful cars in history. All they need now is a Yugo to complete the cycle.
The Impala so needs to come back.
OMG. We had a Chevette growing up. And my first 3 cars were a Pacer, a Pinto and a Vega( which held up for all of a month). You’re right. You’d need to be a mechanic to keep those on the road.
Actually, upon further examination, it looks like the equally as crappy and shameful AMC Matador. Same era, same bad construction. Those poor boys. Good thing Dean is a mechanic, huh?
Bummer. One less crappy car to bond with the boys over. I know nothing about cars, for instance I didn’t recognize any of those cars on the show. My dad, whose a ok mechanic, but they were often beyond his powers. The Vega needed an exorcist I think.
Loved the episode! I know some people will be annoyed with not enough Sam and Dean saving the day. But I really liked how they worked with Charlie both in their own way. Both had hilarious motivating moments with her. Sam was revealed as a Harry Potter fan (I knew I loved him. Sidenote- It took me WAY longer than it should to figure out who H was. I’m a total Harry Potter geek- that’s embarrassing). And Dean teaching her how to flirt with Sam giggling in the back was fabulous. I would LOVED to see Charlie again-she’s terrific. I read some people saying her character looked too cliched, but there cliche for a reason. Heck if I was an cooler, cuter and a whole lot smarter -I could be Charlie (Well if you substitute X-Files and Supernatural for Lord of the Rings-was never a big fan of the books or movies). She was her own person and I really like her. Sam carrying Charlie was squee worthy. Loved the tattoo and her line “the big ones always need a special sword.”
I really liked Bobby kicking Dick Roman’s ass, even if it doesn’t bode well for his future. I’m worried about him as well.
I like Dick Roman too-he is the smuggest of the smug and when he was staring at borax bomb and irritably said, “Now who could have done that.” I laughed out loud. I liked his irritation that some people can’t really be replicated.
My only gripes are that the Leviathan plan wasn’t really a surprise and so would have been better as a reveal earlier, especially since Bobby just kind of confirmed what had speculated on back in How to influence … And was set up as kind of a Bobby big reveal it felt a little anti-climatic. But sense it was just the very first part of the episode I don’t have too much of an issue.
What do you want to bet that “taco place” is one of the restaurants? (ha I speculated on that last week) So maybe part of Dean’s apathy has been linked to all the meat he eats, maybe they just lowered the dosage so you don’t have stoned Dean -just dispassionate Dean. And Sam is not as effected because he doesn’t eat as much meat and its hard to be apathetic when Lucifer’s screaming at you. That would also explain that the guys are not picking up on a few things. Like Sam and Bobby’s flask.
I’m still not sure Frank’s dead but the meat could explain there lack of upset over him being missing as well.
Have no clue about the clay.
[quote]
What do you want to bet that “taco place” is one of the restaurants? (ha I speculated on that last week) So maybe part of Dean’s apathy has been linked to all the meat he eats, maybe they just lowered the dosage so you don’t have stoned Dean -just dispassionate Dean. And Sam is not as effected because he doesn’t eat as much meat and its hard to be apathetic when Lucifer’s screaming at you. That would also explain that the guys are not picking up on a few things. Like Sam and Bobby’s flask.
[/quote]
Good observation about the “taco place” along with Dean’s saying he can count on all the tacos from this chain tasting the same. I bet you’re right and the levis did tweak the passivity formula to be a little slower acting. You right about Sam’s eating vs Dean’s eating habits though Sam does eat some meat.
Eating a steady diet of “take out” and diner food as the Winchesters do could also sort of explain “Bobby” telling “Annie” in 7.19 that the boys are “a little slower (less intelligent and/or ‘lively’) than they used to be when he was alive. At the time I thought it was just Bobby’s way of combining mild insult with love but now it could mean something more sinister.
[quote]
Eating a steady diet of “take out” and diner food as the Winchesters do could also sort of explain “Bobby” telling “Annie” in 7.19 that the boys are “a little slower (less intelligent and/or ‘lively’) than they used to be when he was alive. At the time I thought it was just Bobby’s way of combining mild insult with love but now it could mean something more sinister.[/quote]
Yeah I thought about that too. Although I haven’t found them particularly slow, but they have missed a few things. I did think Dean should have picked up on the daughter thing quicker in Slice Girls.
I have not seen the episode but i had to come and see what the episode was about because i am going home for three days and we don’t having internet there so i just had to see .Mitra is also there in hinduism. Mitra can be used as a synonym for sun and also mitra means friend in Samskrit (sanskrit).In wikipedia they have spelled Indian as mitra so i think pronunciation is different than Mithra.I will watch the episode may be on wednesday or thursday and if the discussions are still going on i will participate.
Dick Roman may respect some humans for the spark of intuition/genius but I don’t think he likes humans-he’s just mad because he can’t control/replicate that spark.
Felicia Day was great. Very funny, very good actress, loved all the references to other great movies/shows and characters.
I wonder if the writer put in that Charlie never wants to be found by Sam and Dean again because she isn’t going to be in the show again this season or because she is.
Again this week I really liked Sam and Dean being together and talking about the situations and what to do.
Showed a supportive, respected mutual bond between them.
I guess Frank is dead. Will miss his character-grumpiness, paranoia and all.
I liked Bobby helping to save Charlie-because of him the guys were able to break through the window and get Charlie out of RRE. He kept Dick back while Charlie was saved and yes, he got enraged at Dick and, I guess, that is why he had such power to push Dick back. But, I think, he was more helpful than not. I know Charlie got hurt, but at least she’s alive.
I’m a little at a loss why Sam and Dean are both down on Bobby-he has to prove to them he can control his rage-but his rage saved Charlie and, possibly, them from Dick. What an accurate name Dick has.
The Dick Roman character is a great villain-really well played.
A very good episode-funny, fast, interesting. Pretty much loved it all the way through.
I’m not certain Frank IS dead. After all we know that cloning people places all their memories in the Leviathan’s mind. If they had that knowledge, they wouldn’t need Charlie to crack the hard drive. They would have known the passwords and how to get in. OTOH, they may wave that off as a continuity error, but Dick Roman did make the point about transferring memories but not the “spark” in Charlie.
Oh crap… Ah, hello, cue the dissenting voice here.
I wasn’t overly keen on it. Sure, it was very fast paced and there was a lot revealed about the Leviathans etc but there was a lot about the episode that just ticked me the hell off.
I don’t like how Sam and Dean have gotten so judgmental all of a sudden. Bobby probably saved Charlie’s life. She was lucky that all she got out of her first meeting with the Leviathans was a broken elbow. Oh, and who was it put her in that situation in the first place? Sam and Dean, not Bobby. Plus, numerous people have gotten injured or worse as a result of Sam and Deans actions (hello dead Frank,) so a small bit less self righteousness from those two would be nice.
Bobby hasn’t been a ghost all that long. I dare say he’s scared, confused and still trying to find his feet with it. Plus, Sam and Dean seem to be doing their best to make him feel isolated. Yet, despite all that, he managed to save both their asses while they were busy standing there looking pretty and then running. Why on earth didn’t Sam and Dean bring a bloody sword with them? They knew they were going to be dealing with Leviathans.
Sure, Dick Roman is quite menacing but what on earth happened to his voice? It dropped about 2 octaves and slowed down about 50% from the last time we saw him. His drawl just sounds silly now. Plus, he speaks in a complete monotone. Are Leviathans incapable of intonation or something?
I thought Mithra was some sort of comic book hero figure until I googled. Sorry….
Save for the scene where the boys played dress up they were remarkably AWOL for the most of the episode. (Was this the baby Padalecki arrival episode?)
Speaking of, Sam, either wash your hair or start wearing a hat.
I don’t actually know who Felicia Day is (apart from what I’ve read here) but I thought her character was so written by the book geeky computer genius (very Garcia in [i]Criminal Minds[/i]). Every cliché was used with her; Princess Leia tattoo, dancing in the elevator, hacking to donate to animal rights charities, talking to herself etc etc etc. Even the Dean flirting scene was completely by the book. Sorry, but she was too much for me and went from being cutely endearing to cutely annoying pretty quickly. I thought there was just too much of her OTT personality in it, and it bled into the other characters.
Dead Bobby is almost a mirror of Sam in season 4 in how he’s considered and treated by the others. Bobby is a ghost, so it’s been decided by the boys that he’s going to go vengeful. Are they going to try to understand where Bobby’s coming from and then trust that he’s going to do the right thing (ala Sam with Dean in [i]Point of No Return[/i]) or are they going to label him and condemn him without even giving him a chance. Given the way Sam and Dean are going straight to the judging and condemning without even giving him the benefit of doubt I won’t be at all surprised if he decides to go vengeful. He’s been criticised for coming back to try and help them, he’s clearly not trusted and now the boys are deliberately keeping him in the dark about certain things. Way to alienate him, boys. And I guess his flask in their way of keeping him on a leash, sort of like the Panic Room for Sam. Sorry, that whole thing is just really ticking me off.
I think it’s shameful that Bobby was the one guy who pretty much always trusted that Sam and Dean would do the right thing, even when they had doubts about themselves and each other yet when he is the one who needs a bit of understanding, he doesn’t get it. Okay, it’s pretty much been Deans MO from day one so I’m not too pushed about that but Sam I’m surprised, and disappointed, with. Does he not remember how he felt and reacted when [i]he[/i] was kept in the dark, made to feel isolated and told he was going to go evil back in season 4? Sam used to be all about the empathy. What happened to that guy? He empathised with Castiel, the angel who sold him out more than once and who broke his mind, but not with Bobby, his father figure?
Frank is a moron. ‘Oh, let me give you lessons on how to live off the grid so no one can find you and then I’ll save all that information on my computer including your aliases, where you hang out and where you stored your car.’ What the fuck?? Frank, you know what would have kept the brothers safe? NOT PUTTING THE GODDAMN INFORMATION ON THE COMPUTER IN THE FIRST PLACE!! That just reached stupidity of epic proportions.
I’m going to stop being such a Moaning Michael now. It wasn’t a bad episode but it just didn’t do it for me. There were just too many parts that left me raising my eyebrows and going ‘Are you serious with that??’
Thanks Ardeospina.
I agree that Sam and Dean are being too judgmental of Bobby right now. If Bobby wasn’t a ghost and he had with Charlie, he would have broken the window, if he could, and would have stopped Dick Roman from getting her, if he could. In this case his extra ghost strength allowed him to break glass he otherwise wouldn’t have been able to and to actually subdue Dick Roman. I don’t think an alive Bobby’s actions would have been any different, although they might have been less effective.
I’m not even gong to be subtle. The cutesy little spy spoof did not work for me or for SPN, IMO. I don’t know who Felicia Day is, don’t want to know who she is, and hope that I never see her again on my TV screen. The only thing I can’t figure out is why she is so special that she got her own episode of SPN this close to the finale. It felt like I watched her for 45 minutes in a 41 minute episode.
Robbie Thompson lost all his bling for me. I’d take an Adam Glass script over this one.
I try to find something positive to say about every episode….uhmmm? Sorry, total blank on that point.
I really enjoyed this episode.
I’m really intrigued by this Clay and what it is for and how the Leviathans are going to be stopped.
I liked the ‘Ocean’s 11’ feel to it and the splitting of the scenes technique, to show what everyone was doing at one time.
I loved the scene with the brothers as baggage handlers and doing the old switch-a-roo with Roman’s package.
The Borax bomb was brilliant!
I do like the Roman character, he’s definitely a smug and slimy villian.
I liked Charlie, I found her likable and entertaining.
It does look like Frank met his end. I do have to wonder why he would have kept a detailed file of the brothers. That doesn’t make sense.
My only grievance is with Bobby.
I have to admit I’m confused by the boy’s treatment of him.
I realise they are worried about him going vengeful but it’s like they’ve already decided that he’s bad news and can’t be trusted and needs to be isolated.
They haven’t even given him a chance to prove himself, they act like he’s already turned or is the enemy.
This is supposed to be their father figure, who they loved and admired. I really don’t understand this complete change over. I’m finding this very sad.
Holy crap Batman, that was super good! I absolutely loved this episode. Loved Charlie Bradbury, of course that would be her fake last name, ha! Loved Dick Roman, the smarmy dick! Loved vengeful Bobby, even though that doesn’t bode well for him, it was worth it just to see him kick a little Dick! Sam & Dean wearing disguises, be still my beating heart! Sorry for the all the exclamation points but here is my last one, promise. Love Robbie Thompson!!! Okay, three, I lied.
I thought it was really cool the way the episode was presented as a spy film, Ã la Jason Bourne. Man, there was alot of information in only 42 minutes, but I felt very satiated. I had a feeling the Leviathans wanted to cure us of disease just to make a better meat, call it organically grown, FDA approved.
I like your speculation about that red earth. I too thought that it might be the key to defeating the Leviathans. I’ll have to dig into Mithra now, you’ve piked my interest.
One last thing in closing. I could so understand Charlie’s geekiness towards LOTR, Harry Potter, and every other Scify book and or movie. I have a collection of everything King Arthur, I actually stopped myself from purchasing a replica of Excalibur years ago, I thought it was a little too geeky, but now I’m sorry I didn’t. Obviously, I’m not alone out there. Sorry for rambling, it’s Saturday morning and I’m just waiting for a cake to come out of the oven. Looking forward to all other reviews to come.
The really evil ones require a special sword. Did Charlie tell the boys how to kill the Leviathans? It would be interesting if the Clay refers to a sword.
I did enjoy the episode but felt that Sam and Dean were largely missing from it. I did enjoy their airport scene. It was really nice to see them undercover again as something other than Feds.
I do not like the way Bobby is being treated either. Charlie would have died if Bobby hadn’t been with her. Bobby’s sacrifice is not being appreciated and i fear for the results.
As for Charlie, I am a Buffy fan too and it was nice to see her again. I liked her as Charlie much better than her previous character on Buffy.
Like Buffy, I’ll stick with SPN through the good and the bad. Here’s to Season 8 getting back on track. When a show focuses on having to out-do the previous season’s evil, eventually there is nothing left to sustain the show and it can get really bad. Need Proof? Check out Angel season 4.
I enjoyed this episode very much. It moved the Leviathan story along (which has been a HUGE complaint for many) and it moved the Bobby/ghost story along. I have made it a point to not watch or read anything spoilery for the last two episodes. It is so nice to not know what is coming or what to expect. It has made the first watch so much more enjoyable. I can’t help but notice that the commenters who state they probably won’t like an episode, based upon what they read and see prior to the show airing, almost always dislike the episode after actually watching it. May I suggest staying away from the spoilers for a while? Try watching an episode without any pre-formed opinions? It may make a difference. Of course that may not help, I really liked the ones that had me spoiler soaked beforehand, it’s just more enjoyable to watch without them. I think that Bugs is the last episode that I really didn’t like so I am obviously easy to please. I loved season 6 and I am loving season 7, I know that puts me in the minority with those who choose to comment. It’s just really sad to see people so disillusioned with the show. I think it may have something to do with not getting what is wanted or expected rather than being open minded to what is received. For example, the complaints about the Impala not being back, we know the Impala is coming back, just requires some patience. Just my opinion, don’t want anyone upset with me. Like I’ve said before, I have virtually no one to discuss the show with and I’m feeling rather protective at the moment so I’m letting loose here.
This was a great episode, don’t know how they will beat the Leviathans in the end. They may just be the cliffhanger that takes them into season 8. Don’t know how the Bobby story will end. I understand Sam and Dean’s worries. It was stated in one comment that their treatment of Bobby is comparable to Dean and Bobby’s treatment of Sam in season 4 and that is wasn’t fair. One big difference between the two. Even though Sam was being influenced by Ruby and the demon blood, he was still in a position to make his own decisions and determine his own fate. Bobby is literally in a different world, and even with all his knowledge he can’t beat the inevitable. Maybe he can stall it but based on what we know his story has a sad ending.
I’m looking forward to the remaining episodes. I hope my curiosity won’t defeat my desire to stay spoiler free.
I don’t think you’re in the minority liking season 6 & 7, I happen to agree with you. I think you’re right about staying away from spoilers to have a clear head before passing judgment on the episodes before they even air though. This season brought us some really great entertainment and I think that season 8 will be as good if not better.
[quote]One big difference between the two. Even though Sam was being influenced by Ruby and the demon blood, he was still in a position to make his own decisions and determine his own fate. Bobby is literally in a different world, and even with all his knowledge he can’t beat the inevitable.[/quote] Bobby is still the master of his own decisions and can determine his own fate. We saw this when he chose to not go with the reaper. He has also made plenty of decisions, or tried to, and he also still has a choice in his own future. He could ask Sam and Dean to burn the flask, he could choose to pass on and he can chose between the Zen route and the vengeful route if he wants to hang around. Bobby chose to stay and he chose to fight. Even after death, Bobby has, and still can, make decisions.
In relation to beating the inevitable, what is inevitable, that Bobby will turn? Yes, we tend to only see the ghosts that are evil and need to be killed but the show has established that all ghosts are not necessarily evil. [i]Of Grave Importance[/i] bought us Dexter O’Connoll who not alone wasn’t evil but was actively trying to help save lives. Mary managed to stay around for years and she didn’t turn vengeful, neither did Molly in [i]Roadkill[/i].
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I hope Robbie Thompson returns for S8, I’ve loved all his episodes this year.
I loved seeing the boys working together again this week. That’s what I like to see!
Loved that Sam is a Harry Potter fan. Dean calling him ‘Dumbledork’ was priceless.
Sam in fits of giggles while Dean teaches Charlie how to flirt with a guy was fabulous. It was so good to hear Sam laugh. Loved Dean’s coaching of Charlie too. Such a fun scene. 😆 Plus we got a ‘Sammy’ there from Dean.
I liked the continuation of Bobby’s story. The boys are just so worried about him, so scared about what might happen to him. In the last scene Sam seemed almost near frantic, worried about Bobby one day maybe not being Bobby anymore, ‘and then what are we supposed to do?’, looking to Dean for answers. Then we got Dean telling Sam what they were going to do right then, getting Sam’s mind back on track. I got a nice big brother/little brother vibe from that scene which I loved.
I’d never heard of Felicia Day before this episode but I liked her and Charlie immensely. Charlie reminded me of my teenage daughters with her LOTR stuff, bobbleheads, geeky posters, Star Wars t-shirt, glasses etc. 😆 I’d like to see Charlie back, with her being a geek goddess who loves her computers and with Sam being a ‘walking encyclopaedia of weirdness’ (or whatever it was Dean called him once 😀 ) who loves his computer I think her and Sam could become great friends. 😆
Loved the airport handlers scene, so happy they weren’t Feds. Loved the borax bomb.
I like the Leviathans so I was very pleased to finally see that story moving along with some speed.
I’m still hoping (probably futilely so) that Frank is not dead. I really liked Frank.
I’m going to have to jump on Tim and Ginger’s wagon and say this one didn’t work for me. There were some fun moments, but the constant stream of cultural references tended to pull me out of the episode; they felt like a crutch.
Also, it is hard to buy that the Levis need a human hacker for this one special job when they had Chet do a thoroughly capable job of tracking a highly complex set of variables to find Sam and Dean earlier in the season. If Charlie’s talent had been something farther from Chet’s abilities, it would have been easier to take.
One last comment: this does not seem like a good place in the season to give a previously unknown character the full episode as a spotlight. Charlie is an okay character, a more competent and likable version of Becky, and certainly one of my geeky people, but it felt odd.
I loved the episode. It was filled with so much fun and awesomeness. Loved Charlie and her interaction with Dean and Sam. Dick Roman (the dick hehe) is just so smarmy he’s great. I’m not real happy with boys and the way they are treating Bobby. He saved their asses to many times for this crap. Great examples of the worst cars Dean and Sam can drive BUT I WANT BABY BACK SHE’S BEEN GONE TOOOO LONG now it is just ridiculous. I am also in the group that liked S6 and I’ve loved S7.
As I have done for last 6 seasons at episode 19 of the season I stay away from spoilers and even the promos. I like it better not having any idea of what is coming.
I know I posted earlier in relation to why I wasn’t overly keen on the episode but after reading all the positive reviews and comments about it I said I’d better rewatch and see if I could reassess but to be honest, it doesn’t sit any better with me now (it sits worse…..). There were quite a few things in this episode that did not work for me.
1. The boys were made to look silly, and unprofessional. Regardless of how much circumstances dictated, sending a 90lb (she surely weighed more than that??) woman who has no training, no weapons, no borax, no real knowledge of Leviathans and no real back up into the ‘Death Star’ was a foolish, potentially fatal idea yet Sam and Dean were much more receptive of it than they were of Bobby’s idea which, even if they thought Bobby might turn vengeful when he saw Dick (and do Sam and Dean not want Dick dead?), had merit.
Could Sam and Dean have broken into the headquarters? Yes. It would have been very dangerous for them to do so but it could have been done. It [i]has[/i] been done; Sam and Dean have been breaking into and out of secure facilities for years, even when they were wanted men. Could they have gone through the front door? No, but as Sam and Dean have shown numerous times in the past, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
It potentially would have been a lot safer to send in either Sam, Dean, or both and have Charlie guide them through the hacking process from the safety of the van. Hell, send Charlie to her own work area and have the flask in her backpack and guide Bobby through the hacking.
When Sam and Dean entered the Leviathan Headquarters, Bobby soon had Dick Roman incapacitated but for some reason unknown to God and man, neither Sam nor Dean brought a sword or long knife with them to decapitate Roman. At what stage did Sam and Dean stop bringing the necessary weapons to a fight? They enter Leviathan HQ with a small bottle of borax and nothing else. Dick Roman could be dead right now had those two been some bit prepared.
2. Dick Roman, extremely strong and seemingly unstoppable Leviathan supreme was brought to ground remarkably quickly by a ghost yet Sam and Dean can only see the negatives in this. Did they consider that maybe, after killing Roman, Bobby may no longer have unfinished business? Maybe Bobby would be better off rounding up the ghosts of a few dead hunters and they could take out the Leviathans while Sam and Dean sit around wondering what to do.
3. I said earlier that I found the character of Charlie quite clichéd and I do. I don’t know Felicia Day or her work so maybe this is the reason I didn’t enjoy her character because as much as I appreciate a good geek out (and I changed travel plans to be in Wellington for the [i]Return of the King[/i] premiere and then watched all three films in one go while sitting in the same seat Faramir sat in) I felt that, with Charlie, it was overkill because there were just so many pop culture references used.
However, in relation to clichéd characters, you could also add the security guard to that. He was there to guard Dick Romans office yet he let a computer genius past him with little or no hesitation. He then found her in Roman’s private office (and even were Charlie blind surely the security guard would have found it suss that she did not realise that a room with a big desk, a computer, files etc was not a public bathroom) with the outer door locked and her bag on his desk. All this, and the security guard just let her walk away….
Add to that, Dick Roman is paranoid enough to keep his own computer on a separate server, but he doesn’t lock the door to his office and has such a piss easy password that it took all of about four seconds to break. It’s easy, easy writing.
4. Sam and Dean lacking in screen time doesn’t bother me as quite often it is necessary to drive the story along ie [i]The End[/i] and [i]In the Beginning[/i]. It’s great that JP was able to get time off to be with his newly expanded family but is there any reason why Dean could not have run things for this episode? I get that the show needs to get value for money out of its guest stars but why not send Dean into HQ with Charlie talking him through it? It would be the same amount of screen time for her and it would be good to see Dean back in proactive and not reactive mode. It could also go a great deal towards helping Dean refind the enthusiasm for hunting that has been dampened so much recently. It’s no wonder Dean no longer likes hunting, he’s not being allowed to [i]do[/i] any hunting.
5. I feel they are shoving the whole ‘Bobby is going bad’ mentality down our throats in pretty much the same was as they did with Sam back in season 4. ‘Bad’ character does something while the ‘good’ characters stand there, paralysed with shock and with their mouths agape to indicate their horror and the wrongness of the situation. ‘Good’ characters then don’t discuss this with the ‘bad’ character but later talk about him ‘in private’ before agreeing to ‘figure out what to do with’ said character later. (Seems free choice is a thing of the past.) That’s just ‘Save him or kill him’ dressed up in 2012 language.
And for all that Bobby hasn’t learnt from the past, this shows that Sam and Dean haven’t learnt jack squat either. Could they not have said to Bobby ‘Look, we don’t want you going in there because we’re worried if Roman finds out about the flask etc we won’t get you back’ and not ‘What happens if you run into Dick and just go vengeful. You know that’s not something you can just shake off’ aka ‘We don’t trust you to do what’s right so we’re making the decision for you’. What they did simply pushed Bobby into taking matters into his own hands, and thank God he did because if he didn’t then an innocent civilian would be dead.
I found this attitude especially noticeable with Sam’s dismissive ‘Sorry’. It seems the boys had discussed Bobby in his absence and decided that he was going to go vengeful. However, at this stage, Sam and Dean had had very little contact with Bobby. They only got to ‘see’ him late into the previous episode and he keeps disappearing so there can’t have been too many opportunities to speak to him. Therefore they know very little about ghost Bobby so I wonder under what criteria they have decided he’s going to go vengeful. Are we back to the old ‘Hey, he’s a supernatural, he must be evil’ ethos again?
6. I’m hugely, hugely disappointed in Sam in this one, and I am rarely disappointed in Sam. Last week he was being quite optimistic about making it work but this week he is actually much more adamant about the ‘Vengeful spirit Bobby’ idea than Dean is. ‘If he really goes there then he won’t be (Bobby) anymore and we won’t be able to pull him back’. Dean said much the same thing about you, Sam and you got pulled back, more than once.
So far it seems Bobby’s only crime was dying and loving the Winchesters enough that he gave up his peace for them. What does he get in return? Scepticism and subterfuge. That’s one hell of a reward for his sacrifice. If Bobby does go full on evil spirit then Sam and Dean will have to think long and hard as to why.
I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s happy parade here and I’m not saying 7.20 was a bad episode, it wasn’t. There’s almost a consensus that it was great and yes, it was entertaining, moved along really quickly, confirmed the Leviathans plan and Bobby’s ‘That jackass, always stealing my thunder’ line was funny but overall the episode didn’t work for me. I’m well aware that a lot of what I’m picking on is just me but I found some issues, especially in relation to the characters, to be worrying.
Sam’s 180 from last week is perplexing and, unless this fickleness is a remnant of Lucifer, it’s alarming. How did he go from thinking about making the situation work to agreeing completely with Dean that it couldn’t? Where is the trust, empathy and kindness that previously defined his character? Dean, who in earlier seasons wouldn’t even entertain the [i]idea[/i] of putting a civilian in the line of fire, will now put one into the middle of immense danger. I’m sorry but I don’t recognise these characters.
In relation to the Leviathan storyline, if the worst comes to the very worst and the Leviathans plan gets into full swing then Charlie now has the power to bring Dick Romans empire to its knees in all of about five minutes. Let’s face it, once the Leviathans start eating people there won’t be a need to keep their existence a secret any more but one quick email with attachments to a couple of dozen news outlets and not only will people know what foods to not eat but they’ll also know how to stop the Leviathans. Sales of borax and swords will go through the roof. Some innocent people might suffer splash injuries but overall the Leviathans will become nothing more than a mild annoyance.
Bobby, once he’s mastered the ability to wield a sword could take care of Dick Roman before deciding himself to pass on (because it seems his presence is just bringing the boys grief).
This grand scale storyline and the importance put on other characters has led to the intimacy of seasons past slowly dwindling and it has come to a stage where the boys are so far removed from this story that they don’t really need to be there anymore.
Sorry about all that. The what lies behind the chunk of red clay story does look promising though.
Tim, I agree with you about Sam and his treatment of Bobby. If anyone should know how having people believe you will go evil can lead to living down to their expectations. I am, however, fairly certain Bobby will stay good. After all, only Sam is so weak and stupid as to give into Supernatural manipulation and pressure. Oh, Dean can have ONE moment of weakness and sell his soul, but once he is released from Hell he trusts Ruby when he needs to and immediately susses out when she isn’t trustworthy. He stands up to the angels refusing to become Michael’s vessel.
Castiel isn’t human, so he can’t be judged by human standards. When he did wrong it was because he was following orders, or just trying to save the world.
Sam alone falls to his dark side, releasing Lucifer and suffering for that far, far away from our screens. Then he gets insta-cured and we don’t ever have to worry about that again.
So I expect Bobby will rise to the occasion, throw off that pesky ghost vengeance stuff and be loyal and true, proving again that Sam truly is the least of them and can’t be trusted to tie his own shoes.
On a more pleasant note, I truly believe this episode and the previous one were written having the J’s presence be light because they were trying to cover Gen’s due date so that they could shoot around Jared being gone for a few days. They could have left Dean in for more of the episodes, but this way Jensen gets some time off as well. Since I want the boys on the same page emotionally, it works for me better than Sam announcing for 2 episode that he has to deal with rest of his Hell time by going somewhere and meditating while Dean is front and center, which is the other option. We have already had In the Beginning and The End with no Sam. I prefer that both boys get a little break over that format.
For me this was a fun enjoyable episode that would have been better if it had been done at another time, perhaps with Sheriff Mills or earlier in the timeline when Rufus or Ellen or Jo were alive. I like a good caper episode, but you are right about the ways this totally negates the threat of the Leviathan.
I hope next season we find a more personal adversary that will increase the emotional part of this show.
I’m guessing this is sarcastic frustration at showing Sam’s lack of judgment. But I think that Sam has been shown on multiple occasions to have good instincts both before and after Ruby. Ruby is the glaring exception. But sometimes he’s right and sometimes Dean’s right (ok-usually) . But DEAN always thinks he’s right, but that is kind of an older sibling thing and Sam use to fight against him more, but he hasn’t as much this season I think because he didn’t trust his own judgment. But he has been arguing with him again now that he’s doing better.
I think with Bobby they’re both reacting out of fear. That they are absolutely terrified that they will have to take him out and neither is reacting completely rationally. The were overly harsh with about him I think but they just don’t see it ending well because past experience has shown that for them things rarely do.
THINGS I FORGOT TO SAY EAIRLIER ON ANOTHER ARTICLE.
I LOVE DICK ROMAN. PERFECT PERFECT CASTING & ACTING. SOME WHERE, SOME HOW, HE HAS GOT TO HANG AROUND WITHOUT BEING DANGEROUS.
I STILL SAY FRANK FAKED HIS DEATH.
SPN HAS A THING FOR PETIT, PALE, RAVEN HAIRED WOMEN. INTERESTING. LIKE DAY FROM EUREKA. HOPE SHE IS A FEMALE CHUCK LIKE FORCE. DICK SAID SHE HAD A CERTAIN SPARK THAT CANNOT BE CLONED.
TIME TO GET DEAN & SAM HEAVY. ONLY 3 MORE EPISODES, AND I CANT SEE A BIG BANG. WE ALREADY KNEW THE SOLENT GREEN, TO SERVE MAN WAS THE POINT SO I HOPE THE CLIFFHANGER IS A GOOD ONE.
THANKS, I HAVE BEEN GONE TO LONG.
I agree Frank faked his death and just couldn’t get the hard drive out in time. If that had been his blood all over the camper, the Leviathans would have had tons of DNA to work with. Since cloning people gets their memories the Leviathans would have cloned Frank and had the memories of how he encrypted his hard drive. Then Dick Roman would not have needed Charlie to crack the drive.
After reading the comments I wondered if possibly Frank is alive. One-if he was eaten his memories would be ingested and Dick would know the info on Franks hard drive. Two-he may have faked his death because he knew the Leviathans were closing on him. He left his hard drive because he knew few people could get into it and if someone tried the warning would go out to Sam and Dean to let them know. Three-he was captured but not eaten because of his “spark” that is impossible to replicate by the Leviathans, so they have him imprisoned somewhere.
I liked the episode. It wasn’t perfect, as others have pointed out, but I’m finding that how Sam and Dean are written plays a huge role in my impression of an episode, and unlike last week, this week I approved. Lowered expectations. Overall, I found it to be a fun, enjoyable hour. It’s probably not one I’ll go back and rewatch often, but it was better than most this season.