sweetondean’s Wrap-Up of “Supernatural” 9.05 – “Dog Dean Afternoon”
From the first bark Teddy sat up in front of the TV and pretty much didn’t move. He barked back at the dogs on screen, he growled, he cocked his head to the side; he looked into the TV cabinet where my Blu-ray player sits, to try and figure out where the damn dogs were!
On my second watch, it wasn’t even the barking that got to him, it was the Colonel! When the camera zoomed in on the Colonel, Teddy barked at the TV and dived towards it, furiously wagging his tail! I was laughing so hard! Both at Dean and at my dumbass dog!
Anyway, I just had to share that with you, because it was awesome! Back to the episode.
Like I said, I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would and if I think about it (which you know I did), I liked it better than last week’s Oz episode. I think I smiled nearly all the way through “Dog Dean Afternoon”. How often does that happen with this show?
I know exactly why too. “Dog Dean Afternoon” felt old school Supernatural to me. It was just the brothers, on the road, running a case, sitting opposite each other at a Formica table in a crappy motel room while Sam researched. It was rock aliases (Poison) classic rock, light banter, plenty of shiny Impala, playing fetch. Wait. What? Heh. It even had the traditional ending of the brothers having a d&m over the car. *happy sigh*
Don’t get me wrong, I love the big myth-arc episodes and I’m totally digging this season’s Sam/Ezekiel arc and the sick to the stomach anticipation of it all going pear-shaped, but this episode felt comfortable and cosy, like a favourite pair of Supernatural socks. It was all Winchester, all the time and sometimes I miss that. It was the brothers being brothers and saving people and hunting things and stuffs and while I don’t need that each week, while I love the brothers having other characters to bounce off, harking back to what drew me into this show in the first place is never, ever going to go astray. In fact it’s going to be damn appreciated and properly celebrated. This show can be heavy with emotion, both theirs and mine. It’s nice to get an episode that makes you feel good all over, once in a while.
Of course, there was still the stonker of a lie going down and Zeke lurking inside Sam and we were reminded of the impending repercussions of Dean’s choice and secret and I think the penny well and truly finally dropped for Dean, but I’ll get to that in a bit…
I want to talk about doggy Dean first!
One thing I’ve always loved about Dean is how he rolls with the punches. Whack him into prison, throw him into the future, or back in time, or into an alternative Universe, or make him a dog…it doesn’t matter, he fits right in there. For a man who can be wracked with self-doubt and loathing, he can also be very comfortable in his own skin.
The fetch scene was perfection I laughed out loud. Great big belly laugh. It was so subtly played. Deadpan straight. I didn’t even notice it until Sam pointed it out! I think that’s why this hair-brained, concept episode worked; because the comedy was artfully played. JAckles shone. Is there nothing this (gorgeous) man can’t do? He managed, with a lovely, balanced, light comedic touch, to keep this pie in the sky episode, grounded. Bravo Mr Ackles. A lesser actor would have mugged his way through this, but not Jensen. His comic timing was impeccable. What a gifted guy.
The hunting case was fine, enough to keep me interested. The villain was villainous. I loved his line, “I’ve never had human heart before, heard it’s a bit chewy, good job I’m not a fussy eater.” The actor’s London accent set this line off a peach. English villains are the best!
The episode pacing was great! Seriously, it was a super quick 43 minutes. I liked the little nods to the tragedy of shelter animals, like the poor Miniature Collie with cataracts, who at 14 knew no one was going to come for her. Poor baby… And while I didn’t much care for the cartoonish voices of the various animals (the pigeon and mice were the exceptions), I loved their dialogue. Like the dog going, “I’m shaking the fence, boss. Still shaking the fence!” I literally yelped myself! Cool Hand Luke is one of my favourite movies. I also loved the old Golden Retriever who, when Dean let him out, ran off saying “Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!” I’m pretty sure if my dog could talk, bacon would be his first word!
The pigeon scene was hilarious. “Hey, dick move pigeon” “Screw you asshat”. Dean pulling the gun on the pigeon. Sam frantically trying to get Dean in the car. Only Dean. Only. Dean. Oh man, it was all pretty good stuff.
But what I totally loved was that while we were happily enjoying Sam’s face as he rubbed the belly of a dog who was openly hot for him, or Dean barking at the mailman, or scratching behind his ear, or worrying about insulting mice, or gleefully hanging his head out of the Impala’s window – nice to see Sammy driving the car by the way – the big elephant in the brother’s room was still there, festering under the surface of every conversation, with Dean constantly alluding to Sam healing, because he knows what’s going on inside his brother, even though his brother doesn’t. “Sooner you heal….” “I’ll do it, you’ve got enough on your plate…” Sam looks confused, more and more so. What the hell is Dean talking about?
There’s something in Dean’s actions that screams to me that he wants to be caught. I’m not saying that he consciously wants to be caught, but subconsciously. He’s lying terribly. He’s constantly about to put his foot in his mouth. And it makes sense for him to want to be caught, because in some ways having Sam call him out on the situation would be easier. It’s easier to go on the defensive when you’re under attack. If he goes in (as he should have done by now) with honesty and the whole story and lays it all out for Sam, sharing how he felt, it’s almost like he’d automatically be put on the back foot. He’d be vulnerable. But if he get’s caught out, he never has to face coming clean, he never has to start that conversation, start that confrontation, risk making that move with his brother, because Sam will start it and then Dean can stand his ground and respond. Of course, he’s probably still hoping against hope that Sam will never need to know… Yeah, right. Dean-ial.
Sam’s a smart guy and you can see everything’s starting to ring warning bells inside his head. Dean’s hanging sentences, his over concern where Sam is obviously looking and feeling great. The fact that Sam keeps forgetting how he ended up on his ass, or Dean calling out random names, or Sam being slashed across the throat, then miraculously healed and being asked “How the hell did you do that…I want to know what you are.” Sam’s thinking. How could he not be?
It’s not long now, people. Are we ready? (Noooo! Yes, yes, yes! Noooo! Meep!)
The other underlying thread of “Dog Dean Afternoon” reinforced this season’s theme of consequence. What are the consequences of the actions of our heroes? The consequences of stopping the trials, of trusting the wrong people, of bringing Sam back, of making life and death decisions that they have no place making. How is this going to play out and what price will they pay.
All this was thrown into Dean’s face in the shape of the Chef, who in trying to save his own life, took extreme measures and ended up losing himself and losing control of the thing that now, essentially possessed him and ruled his every move. In searching for a cure, he became less than human.
“He was all jacked up on juice, he was possessed by something he couldn’t control, it was *penny drop*…it was, ah, a matter of time before it completely took over *suspicious/warning look to Sam/Zeke*.”
Maybe living at all costs isn’t worth the price. Doc Benton taught us that lesson way back in season 3.
Plus, with Zeke constantly being put into a position where he must use his powers, what is that doing to the angel within? As Sam get’s stronger, Zeke seems to get weaker. Sam conked out for an awful long time this week. It took Dean a lot – and the threat of a lick on the face – to wake him. What if Zeke isn’t strong enough to leave Sam and survive? Let alone strong enough to leave Sam and find a new vessel! What will the “one of the good guys” angel do then?
Dean is on one hell of a rollercoaster and he’s taking us with him. He’s lying to his brother and obviously feeling horrible about it, doubting at every turn that he made the right move, doubting the being he has put his trust in. What happens if the line between Zeke and his brother becomes blurry. If Dean starts to question who he’s actually to… I should say “when” because it already seems to be happening.
On top of all this, Dean’s people keep dying or almost dying right in front of him and week on week he’s faced with looking down at them, begging for them to come back.
And he can’t tell a soul…
The whole thing, from beginning to end is heart breaking.
Dean’s predicament was treated with affection so that no matter what, he never looked out of his depth or like a buffoon. A lot of writers have struggled with that in the past. EC & NS showed Dean can be smart and kickass, even when he’s transformed into a dog (more or less). I may love them a little for that. I’m not saying I’ve forgiven them for the Mannequin fiasco, but I am saying, next time they pen an episode, I’ll go in a lot more optimistic.
Yep. I liked “Dog Dean Afternoon” a hell of a lot. Whoda thunk it!
-sweetondean
awesome review. i loved this episode. i rewound it and watched it a second time as soon as it ended. i did enjoy it more than slumber party. but i really had no qualms going in. i liked you can’t handle the truth. and in all honesty, even though the mannequin eppy wasn’t the best, it wasn’t the worst. the first couple of minutes of that eppy was awesome. it just fell flat with the story that followed. but as with all supernatural eps, even the klonkers have a scene that’s memorable and makes me smile or creates that angst. i’ll flat out tell ya, a bad eppy of sn is like a bad slice of pizza, it’s still good. 😉
loved the recap. it touched on almost every ep that was light and funny. i especially loved the call backs to yellow fever and mannequin 3. there were scenes in this eppy that were in those eppies. like the yorkie, sam unconsious, the owl looking at dean comment and dean’s fear at the end which reminded me of his fear in yf. in yellow fever, it was revealed that dean feared the db would take over sam, hence him seeing sam’s eyes flash yellow. in this eppy he feared the angel taking over sam. i’m not saying this will happen. i don’t believe it will. it didn’t happen in either case, but none the less that underlying fear was in dean. so nice touch there.
i also loved that there was no cas, crowley or kevin. i loved that it was just the boys. i didn’t realize how much i missed that. just them. it’s been so long and i enjoyed every solitary moment that these two had together. also loved the mow story. it was creepy yet relevant to the current story line.
almost peed my pants when the gay yorkie extorted a belly rub from sam winchester. i sat on my couch completely and utterly jealous of a dog. 😀
i had no problems with the voices..i hardly even took notice of them. the only voice i actually recognized was the yorkie”s and that made me laugh all the more cuz i could picture the actual actor begging sam for a belly rub.
i thought the actual storyline was quite thought provoking and hit dean right where it smarts. his line to chef leo about having power over others to replace what’s lacking in his own life. like it or not, that’s dean. i know through the years the focus has seemingly been on sam and his need to have some sort of control in his life because ever since he was a kid, he never really had much choice. the db drove that story home. but if you really think about it, it’s dean who’s always had the issue of control and it’s dean who’s always used a higher power to keep it. dean is the one who went against the natural order by making a deal with a demon, dean had an angel at his beck and call in the form of cas. now dean has another angel at his beck and call in zeke. dean has always yielded some form of a higher power to keep control in his life. he’s gone through questionable measures to keep that control at times. i found chef leo and dean had that thread in common. sam and chef leo had similar issues, both being sick and having something in them to cure them that isn’t your typical type cure, but it’s dean and chef leo that have more in common in what they are willing to do to control what they can’t control themselves. i thought it made for a real thought provoking parallel.
i must admit sweetondean that i never really thought about zeke getting weaker while sam got stronger. the way i looked at it was every time sam gets knocked out, it just proves what a number those trials did on sam. that he is really hurt and weak and the reason he’s walking around is because of zeke. so when zeke weakens due to helping someone, sam gets knocked out because the angel is out too. in essence zeke is the reason sam is awake right now. so zeke out, illustrates how sick sam still is. you know what i mean? i never considered that sam is actually getting stronger and he’s the one waking up, though quite slowly on his own and it’s zeke who’s losing his mojo. ..i guess it could go either way. 🙂
still feel like we’re going to see tahmoh again as zeke. not going to speculate anything on that. what i do know is that the dogs had no problem with sam. as a matter of fact one particular do was quite fond of him. so as of now, i’m going with zeke being on the up and up til show gives us a reason not to believe in him.
i think zeke did a mind swipe on sam which is why he didn’t remember why blood was on him or why leo asked him what he was. but sam won’t forget that remark. it’ll eat at him. the ball of twine has just started to unravel. 😮
Great review SweetonDean, you had me in stitches with those pictures of your dog! 😆 He’s really cute. Is he a labradoodle? That was a really funny episode, I was so nervous going into it, but hey, it was good! 😮 Who knew these two writers were actually capable of penning something clever? Too harsh? But, after the hilarity, I’m dreading the moment Sam finds out about Zeke. Please, please, please, let him be okay with it. But this being SPN, it’s probably going to be filled with major angst. Yeah, I like angst, but the bros are in such a good place right now, I’d hate to see that disappear.
Well I am one of those that had fewer doubts then most that this was going to be one hilarious episode and it did not disappoint. Thank you Amy for a lovely review as always. Your dog is just a hoot also but then how can he not love Supernatural with you as his owner. 🙂
I loved this one from start to finish but some of the MOTW scenes were ewwww but that is what this show is about. So glad they got the boys back on the road like you said, in the crummy motel room and all the little broments.
JA did a remarkable job with this but then we all knew he would. Such talent that man has. I never get tired of watching him in whatever situation the PTB put him into. And then there is JP. Well I have to say that he is just getting better and better each week. I find myself in awe each and every time he does the Sam to Zeke and then Zeke to Sam spots. He just does that so seamlessly but in the same sense we know he works very hard to get that right and we do so appreciate all his efforts.
I find myself confused as to why some folks seem to think the Yorkie is gay. All dogs love their bellies rubbed and as far as I know, they aren’t too particular as to what gender one is just as long as they get their belly rubbed. Hell I have a female dog and she loves her belly rubbed also and in all the times I have done so, not once have I even remotely thought that way about her. Guess it is all about perception.
Back to the show, I am extremely worried about how the truth is going to come out and can see that Dean is getting very close to just coming clean. He did tell Sam at one time (The Mentalists S7) he didn’t like lying to him and it is eating at him big time. I really hope he finds a way to just come clean because I think Sam will take it a whole lot better if he does explain why he chose that route. 🙁
Now Zeke also has me concerned. What if he doesn’t want to leave Sam? If he gets strong enough he could take complete control before Sam has a chance to reject him and then what? Then there is the other way some have hinted at in which what if Zeke is getting weaker and weaker. What happens if he dies while still in Sam? So many questions and so few answers but still plenty of eps to flush it out. I’m thinking the sh** will hit the fan right before the winter hiatus and leave us hanging for over a month to see what becomes of it. That is the Supernatural way also though isn’t it?
Loved the episode all around. Yep, cheers for an old school Winchester ep9isode.
I particularly thank EC and NS for keeping Dean in character throughout the entire episode. Of course, JA contributed a lot to that, but he was able to work with a script that allowed it.
I also liked that the writers didn’t go for the political correctness to not offend various segments of the viewers (i.e., the cat eating, the vegan stuff, and Dean as alpha, siccing his dog pack on the evil guy. I found that refreshing.
I laughed from the recap to the credits. It was both gruesome and funny at the same time. Mr. Ackle’s performance was not over the top so it worked as a great episode. Yep, the main arc is just under the surface and there is enough woven in that we are reminded of the Zeke situation. Even Mr. Padalecki’s reactions to the stuffed mouse, the belly rub were subtle. And I needed Sam to point out that Dean was playing fetch with the paper. And yes, it was back to basics and for that the new writers should get a nod. There was no mention of Dean’s allergies- you might think that in an animal shelter the cat fur…well that;s being picky. I think the writers would rather forget about that detail from season 8 as I would. So what could have been so silly was handled so well by the writers, actors and the direction of long scenes. Yes that secret weighs heavy on Dean and the theme of consequences is leading up to the big reveal. Not sure the best voice over for the dog was used- it sorta sounded like Frank. Again SPN being socially active about rescue dogs and other animals. Heard the ratings were very good. I agree with the review and will re-watch and re-watch. Up there with Yellow Fever, Changing Channels- tough case with much humor. Is there any role JA can’t perform?
And in this episode Dean was not made to look to be stupid. He is so comfortable going with the spell. He deserves some chocolate now that it is safe.
I wonder if Zeke could actually be taking over Sam little by little so that Dean doesn’t even notice. Other than the blue eye thing, which Zeke could probably do at will, what’s to stop him from tricking Dean AND us in the processes? Maybe we are seeing less and less of Sam and don’t even know it?… it would explain the lack of Sam’s questioning of things. Maybe what we will see won’t be Sam finding out at all, but Dean slowly realizing that he has to save his brother whose basically being held hostage by an angel. Spooky.
Great review. Great episode. I agree – it was old school Supernatural, and those are my favorite episodes – the brothers on the road, in a motel room, rock aliases. Talking, joking, working together. Nothing against the supporting characters of Cas, Kevin, etc., but I think having a third the episodes be old school would be sublime!
I confess I never had a problem with the other episodes by these writers, but was worried about this premise being cheesy. I should have known that the two best actors working today would pull it off! How is it they do not both have Emmy awards?
OK, before I start ranting about that, let me just say that I am totally loving this season so far. I liked the start of season 8, but was frustrated by the whole Sam not looking/Amelia story, which took away some of my joy. This year – all joy.
Although I agree that would be creepy e, I just dont think that’s the case. I think Sam has asked questions. He’s questioned dean every time he ended up on the floor. Sam has just accepted dean’s answers & I can understand his acceptance…why would he have to assume dean is lying?. I do think Sam is starting to suspect though,I don’t think he bought dean’s excuse last week in slumber party. I started to wonder if Sam was questioning his own sanity, not dean. This week, Sam seemed quite troubled over chef leo’s remark and he did not look at all consoled by dean’s words. It ended with sam’s brooding/troubled face….that alone tells me it’s all Sam…otherwise why ask the question at all….but that’s jmo of course. I think next week Sam will grow more suspicious when dean comes up with some excuse for why Sam can’t go with him to see cas…the ball of twine is now unraveling..rut roh
Woof.
[quote]Although I agree that would be creepy e, I just dont think that’s the case. I think Sam has asked questions. He’s questioned dean every time he ended up on the floor. Sam has just accepted dean’s answers & I can understand his acceptance…why would he have to assume dean is lying?. I do think Sam is starting to suspect though,I don’t think he bought dean’s excuse last week in slumber party. I started to wonder if Sam was questioning his own sanity, not dean. This week, Sam seemed quite troubled over chef leo’s remark and he did not look at all consoled by dean’s words. It ended with sam’s brooding/troubled face….that alone tells me it’s all Sam…otherwise why ask the question at all….but that’s jmo of course. I think next week Sam will grow more suspicious when dean comes up with some excuse for why Sam can’t go with him to see cas…the ball of twine is now unraveling..rut roh[/quote]
Liked this one a lot more on second viewing; had an earlier season vibe to it.
Sam knows something is up, especially after the cat-eating Chef Leo’s remarks. But he could be thinking it’s him, maybe some residual effect of the trials. I do think he’s getting suspicious of what Dean is telling him but doesn’t have reason to believe Dean is lying to him, at least yet. But you’re right, it’s all starting to unravel for Dean and ain’t gonna be pretty when it all blows up in his face. As far as Zeke goes, I still think he’s one of the (rare) good angels but maybe he is tapping in to something in Sam, something that’s left over from the trials. There are a lot of ways they can go with this possession thing; Sam ejecting Zeke, Sam can’t eject Zeke, Zeke taking over Sam, Sam taking over Zeke, Sam turning in to Sybil…. Looking forward to see how it plays out.
I thought Jared was the perfect straight man to Jensen’s comedic performance. Those two play off of each other beautifully.
I also think that Sam doesn’t think that Dean is hiding anything from him yet. I agree that he might think it is an after affect from the trials.
Nice review as always!! the episode was also very nice, specially watching great acting. The fetching scene was hilarious, I was trying to understand what he is picking that napkin for? and then bam! I started to laugh so hard that the tears were coming down. The belly rub scene too was funny, I’m pretty sure it’s the same actor from Will & Grace (the archrival from Karen), maybe if the Yorkie had a bow tie on…
About the last scene, I’m with you it caught my attention, it has to be a clue of what is coming!!! I guess after Benny, being good and all, we have to expect something not so good.
It’s sad that not many people tune in on this episode, but I guess a lesson will be learn, had a couple of friends who did not watch it live ’cause of the writers, but I’m here for the brother’s stories and for Mr. Ackles acting skills.
Buy the way, did anybody recognize Lily from AHBL 1? (I’m on lunch no time to research for names)
Esperanto, I remember I wanted to study that instead of English. Good thing I missed the registration time LOL
P.S. the bacon, bacon, bacon! was the line on a TV commercial for bacon strips for dogs.
I loved this episode as well. It did seem old school and that felt good. This whole season has had more of that feel and that could be because Sam and Dean are getting along and working together. Probably not for long, but oh well. Anyway I laughed through the whole thing. It was funny without making Dean seem stupid.
JA has excellent comedic talent and he and JP play off each other really well.
I really thought Dean was going to come clean with Sam about Zeke at the end. It felt like he started to. I would like to get this over with. I don’t know how Dean is able to keep the secret.
Loved your review as always, SweetonDean! Thank you. I really liked this episode. Dean was hilarious and Sam made me want to take him home with me and keep him safe.
Living with Golden Retrievers, I immediately knew Dean was playing fetch and laughed out loud as he bent toward the trash can. That was very funny because they played it so straight. Jensen is SO funny. I was worried about the 14-year-old Sheltie in the shelter, though, and LOVED it when Dean called her “Ma’am.” Yes, I know she’s not really homeless.
I love cats as well as dogs and the bad guy was made extra creepy by the cat scene. Made me really want him ganked bad. He was really creepy. I liked that we had a really scary and icky bad guy.
I loved the brothers being fun and easy with each other. I’m rewatching Season One right now – again – and I enjoyed the similarities. I enjoyed this episode. I’m not going to worry about what lies ahead. I’m going to take it as it comes. I will agonize when agonizing things happen. I am going with a “no-pre-agonizing policy” right now. I am happy with my Supernatural world. 8)
Like some I wasn’t to keen on this episode before hand but was glad to fine it pretty funny in a good way. I smiled/laughed thru almost all of it. I do think it good a little cheesy at times (i.e talking pigeon/all the animal voices in the pound). Villain was okay, actor played a good guy on Crossing Jordan, was hard to see him as a bad guy.
Hey, enjoyed the post, thanks. Can I ask a dumb question? What is “d&m”?
[quote]Hey, enjoyed the post, thanks. Can I ask a dumb question? What is “d&m”?[/quote]
Deep and meaningful 🙂
“It was all Winchester, all the time and sometimes I miss that.” right?! right!
sweet on dean you cracked me up with your:
“Yeah, right. Dean-ial.” and your own dog intro!
i loved, loved, LOVED having an episode where the two brothers interacted so much and were in almost every scene. forgot how much i missed this … (no disrespect meant to secondary characters like cass, charlie, garth, crowley, etc who are GREAT.
btw loving the zeke-sam story arc. can’t wait to see how it plays out …
warm wishes everyone. 🙂
ps. amy, love your devotion to dean. are there any “sweetonsam” reviewers out there ?
Tuesday morning, I lost a beloved family pet – one who had been a member of my family for almost 17 years. There were a lot of tears shed throughout the day. That night, I sat down to watch SPN hoping for a pleasant distraction – and I laughed, many times out loud, for the full hour. I’ve never been so grateful for the timing of a comedic SPN episode. As you so eloquently stated in your review, it was great. For me, it was also great therapy.
I especially loved the game of fetch – subtly done to perfection – the confrontation with the pigeon (hilariously over-the-top) and the brothers’ simultaneous recoil when the vegan bakery owners take off their sunglasses. Hee. And while JA shone in a host of comedic moments, I loved how JP handled the transition from Sam-to-Zeke-to-Sam after Sam was attacked by Chef Leo. The fact it was all handled wordlessly, with only the flash of blue eyes to signal the change, made it all the more effective.
I also love that, nine years in, SPN is still taking chances and that as actors, JA and JP are still fearless in their approach to their craft. When crazy works, it’s usually thanks to those two elements.
P.S. Loved the pix of your dog. watching SPN. Thanks for the smiles those generated! 🙂
Scullspeare, so sorry to hear about your pet. 17 is a very good age for most animals! I am glad to hear the episode helped you out though.
[quote]Scullspeare, so sorry to hear about your pet. 17 is a very good age for most animals! I am glad to hear the episode helped you out though.[/quote]
Thank you. The head knows he had a great life and we were blessed to have him as long as we did; the heart hasn’t quite caught up yet.
Did anyone notice when Dean and Sam walked into the vegan restaurant how tiny Jensen looked next to Jared? Camera angle?
Yes! I love your review. I agree with basically everything you said. I loved this episode. It felt like a MOTW episode from the early-to-mid-seasons era. Sam and Dean on the road in the Impala, crummy hotel room…made me nostalgic. One of my favorites!
As usuall you put my thoughts in writting sweetondean. JA did an awesome job here once more and i am totally in love with his comidic timing.
There is just one thing you didnt mention. The title for this ep could have been Dr. Dean Dolittle. The pigeon scene and the mice especially reminded me of the movie. Ok I know it was rats in the movie but mice are close enough.
And i love how you have the foto right next to your tv.
Hi Sweetondean,
Woof..woof.. pant.. pant.. Drool!.. Tail wag..
That’s me expressing my pleasure over this episode. The whole thing felt like a good belly rub, or game of fetch (adore that laugh-out-loud scene!!) or a nice roll in dead fish!!!
I’ll echo the chorus and say I had reservations going into this one too. Sad but true how seeing certain writers credits make me anxious. Although, perhaps it’s not that surprising – I cringe when I see certain TV or newspaper columnists too. Based on previous work, I can predict what they’ll be like this time.
But, like so often in life, it pays to keep an open mind. This episode was so fun! The brothers were on the road, in sync and looking out for each other. Both were smart. Both were affectionate. They were so easy and comfortable with each other. In fact, it reminded me of recent quote from Jeremy Carver in a TVGuide Interview “They’re brothers and at least in my mind that’s something unshakeable … I feel like no matter what transpires in the present, there’s always this common bond of the past,” Carver says. “I feel like the moments of joking or joy or togetherness are as ever-present as the moments of secrecy and disdain and distrust. To me it goes hand in hand. Its not quite either or.”
I feel like there’s going to be several episodes where we see that strong, loving bond.. and then…. I could go with the dog analogy and just say Sam is going to come home one day and find poop on the carpet and we’ll all be in big trouble!!!
But that’s crass so I’ll be more refined.. Sam is going to find out and there’s going to be words and tears many bad things happening. And I agree with so many who say it won’t be the possession, it will be the lies.
Twice in this episode Dean looked like he could barely stand being around himself. With his canine nasal skills, he could smell the hypocrisy wafting off himself. The firs moment of self-awareness was when he told the Chef that the power he held over other people could not replace the lack in he had in his own life.
I don’t think it’s coincidental that since the beginning of the season, he has watched Sam, Cas and Charlie die. He is powerless to save those he loves most. I’m sure he’s still haunted by Bobby’s death (aren’t we all?) So when he’s feeling powerless he turns to the other powers around him. Once upon a time it was the Colt, or a demon deal, or Bobby’s knowledge, or Castiels’ angelic box of tools. Now the only power available to him is Ezekiel.
Dean desperately needs to be in control. Which leads to the deep and meaningful conversation over the Impala’s hood when Dean is talking about the Chef’s obsession/possession and how it was taking over. Bingo was his name-oh! Dean had a flash of insight about Sam/Ezekiel and how the whole scenario is spinning out of control.
I was intrigued by Alice’s theory that maybe Zeke is getting weaker and won’t be able to leave Sam. I am wondering if the writers are preparing for a misdirect. We can expect the fur to fly in Episode 9 because that’s the Christmas break so they need a cliffhanger. At recent cons Jensen has said Episodes 9 & 10 were really difficult for him. I bet that means a lot of emotional scenes. So I have two theories:
1. Sam finds out. Zeke may or may not get out. Sam throws Dean out. Sam would be justifiably furious at the lying, the violation. Dean would have gambled and lost everything. That could make him do something desperate…. again.
2. Abaddon called Dean the perfect vessel. We`ve got an emotionally vulnerable Dean. We have a resurrected angel storyline. We have unresolved Michael issues. Maybe Dean will play host to a weakened Zeke or a nasty Bartholomew, or perhaps a new Knight of Hell….
My gut tells me there is more than one bone buried in this storyline.
Now, to my one quibble with this episode. The spell Dean chanted was NOT Inuktitut. I spent several years living in the Canadian Arctic. I could speak some Inuktitut, understand a lot of it and I`m pretty sure what Dean said was not the language. It has a totally different vowel structure, and guttural quality to certain sounds. (I know this because a friend taught me how to make some of those sounds by spitting in a garbage can!) Inuktitut is a beautiful language that flows and swirls, and the little chant just sounded too harsh (even with a Texan twang).
Sorry. I did an epic again. But I just had to howl at the moon with someone!
Pragmatic Dreamer