Nate Winchester’s Journal: Supernatural 9.05 – “Dog Dean Afternoon”
Eh……. It was ok.
. . .
Ok, Alice has just sent the new WFB moderator over to my house and told me that the site needs more.
Complaints? Not without getting into some pedantic zoology nerdity, but this episode was more of a send up to classic animalistic tropes than a real examination of animal traits so no biggie for me. Though I WILL complain that nobody got the mighty Rob Schneider to show up in a guest spot. (perhaps the villain?) I was also slightly disappointed that of all the animal jokes, we didn’t get one reference to the best joke from Eddie Murphy’s Dr Dolittle: the foreign language speaking animal. I might also complain that there weren’t any Border Collies (the dogs my family has always had) in this episode, but given that they are the Batman of the dog world, it would have made the runtime substantially less. So we’ll let that slide too. By far the worst complaint I have about this episode is that Dean DIDN’T SHOOT WHEN HE HAD DISTANCE AND SURPRISE ON THE TARGET! GAH!!! You should know better, boy! Ah maybe we can let it slide as a dog behavior.
Speaking of which, why didn’t they go with a title referencing Dr Dolittle?
One of the more interesting turns was the “previously on” segment. Last few seasons they had a tendency to reveal what the monster was going to be that week, this one they seemed to throw a clip from every MotW episode the show’s done just to throw us off the track. Ok, not really, by show’s end it was obvious they had picked the clips they had to remind us that the show can have a lighter, funnier side. As a comedy episode, this one generally worked.
No general problems with the lore and such. Though one does wonder if we got a hint this episode about how the first werewolf and/or wendigo were made.
Character wise I must commend the writers for letting Dean show discomfort towards both the left and right in this episode. This is how politics and “issues” should be done in these things. If at all, keep it light, vague or even handed in depiction (i.e. if you make one side look silly, make the other side look silly). Though I would pay a lot of money to see an episode where the Winchester seek out a taxidermist to stuff their latest kill. (“Hi, can you make this hellhound look like it’s begging for mercy?”) Though doesn’t anyone else remember that Sam was the brother who was depicted as having a dog once before? They should have used that to examine Sam’s character more. Maybe have him be more thrilled about having a pet around? Or more eager to share dog thoughts? It’s reasonable that Dean is less animal oriented given he’s never had pets (and the comedy episodes). I would have liked to see more back and forth between the brothers in this episode.
Of course one can’t complain too much about Jensen getting the comedy roles since he’s so good at it, but here’s hoping we’ll see Jared exercise his funny bone soon. (when was the last time Sam got to make us laugh?)
But don’t get comfortable, some promo pics I’ve seen already look to set me off on rants. Till next week… 😉
(cross posted @ http://natewinchester.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/episode-review…dean-afternoon/)
Nate Winchester is an aspiring author, blogger, and strangely the only male writer for The Winchester Family Business.
What’s wrong with the promo pics?
Huh…so you have decided that you are going to dislike an episode that hasn’t aired yet because of a few photo’s? Well at least you gave us fair warning.
Actually I should clarify. It won’t be the next episode I hate, but pics I’ve seen look set to give me even more reason to hate 9.03.
[quote]Though doesn’t anyone else remember that Sam was the brother who was depicted as having a dog once before?[/quote] This was one of the things that stood out the most for me. Much was made of Sam’s relationship with a dog last season (and in the past) so you’d expect a bit more enthusiasm from him when Colonel was around. Perhaps it’s Ezekiel that doesn’t like dogs.
However, it wasn’t just that. Sam has always been accepting of alternative lifestyles but he scoffed along with Dean when it came to the vegan, hippie, douchebag scene (instead of rolling his eyes like he usually does). He used the word ‘Eskimo’ in relation to Inuits, when at the end of last season he was the one correcting Dean on the use of the word ‘Indians’. He’s not asking questions, he’s letting Dean lead and drive, he’s wholly accepting of his life now, he’s not even eating salads any more, eating burgers (or whatever fast food comes wrapped in that plastic paper) along with Dean. I don’t know, it almost reminds me of the siren (who gave Dean the ‘little brother’ he always wanted) or a grown up version of wee Sam (not adult Sam, if that makes sense…..) that we’re seeing now.
Now that could just be the writing so far this season but Sam (subconsciously?) seems to be doing all the things that he knows that Dean wants to see and saying all the things that Dean wants to hear. Is he (Sam/Ezekiel) possibly trying to endear himself to Dean, and/or making Dean choose him and his usefulness on more than one occasion so that he’ll be ‘allowed’ (or Dean will feel compelled to let him) to stick around? I dare say that a Sam Winchester vessel would be considered a damn good one so why would Ezekiel want to go back to a lesser vessel? Ezekiel did mention to Dean that he could be useful and why would he do that if he was just planning on occupying Sam on a temporary basis?
I don’t think it’s a case that Ezekiel is getting weaker or dying or whatnot. (That would really make the Ezekiel story almost Bennyesque in its storytelling; full of promise but ultimately going nowhere. ‘Look Sam, the angel’s dead, nothing we can do about it now so just let it go, forget about it and all it entailed and just move on’. Urgh!) It really would be tremendously silly of Ezekiel to keep on fixing Sam while he himself is getting weaker. That would essentially give Sam the means to kick out Ezekiel as soon as he was strong enough, and Ezekiel would be too weak to stop him. (If Sam would even do that. Perhaps if he knew the story and whatever Ezekiel’s endgame is then he’d allow Ezekiel to stay in him until he was healed or whatever.
I found it really strange that when Sam was knocked out (after Ezekiel healed him) that he stayed down for a really, really long time. Has Sam ever stayed out that long from a single punch before? So I’m assuming that Sam stayed out because Ezekiel was knocked out. Shouldn’t Sam be able to wake up without Ezkiel if they still are two separate entities? I mean, angels don’t sleep but Sam does so it seems they can co-exist separately. This is pure speculation but what if Ezekiel is, in some way, assimilating with Sam; almost like a transfusion or transplant. They mentioned that Sam’s internal organs had suffered massive burns. Fire is the great destroyer. If someone is in a fire and they suffer bad burns then a skin graft would be needed, the burned skin won’t grow back. Castiel said he couldn’t heal the damage done to Sam in season 8 so maybe this type of ‘graft’ is the only way of healing him.
Tim…my take on the scene with Sam/Zeke was that Ezekiel had weakened himself by healing Sam so much so that he couldn’t revive either Sam or himself. I also thought that Dean’s Impala speech was a prophecy for what might happen to Sam. I don’t think that Ezekiel’s intention was to stay in Sam but he might not have a choice if he wants to survive. But I do like your ‘graft’ idea.
Nate so you are deciding to dislike an episode that hasn’t aired yet based on the pictures. Hopefully the episode will surprise you.
#4 Tim I’ve wondered the same thing myself. The two are not separating but becoming one person. I’m hoping that’s not the case since it would be very similar to Sam having demon blood in him. Something that can’t be removed.
I am wondering if in the next episode ****SPOILER ALERT*******if Dean will tell Cas, while they are alone, about Ezekiel and we will get more info on Ezekiel. I also wonder if/when Sam is healed enough Cas wouldn’t be a good host body for Ezekiel. Cas’s body is in good shape and he wouldn’t be as adverse to this since he’s used/using a host body now and Cas would have angel powers again.
I also wonder why if Sam is feeling so fit, Ezekiel isn’t as well. Shouldn’t they be healing simultaneously? It would seem at this point that Sam is physically stronger but Ezekiel is weaker.
@5 This is my point. Why would Sam [i]need[/i] Ezekiel to revive him from a punch? He’s been punched many times in the past and he’s always revived rather quickly. If Sam needs Ezekiels help to come to after being knocked out then I think Ezekiel is healing him tremendously slowly.
I don’t think it was Ezekiel’s intention to stay in Sam either; initially. Now I’m not so sure. A vessel like Sam would be a valuable asset for whatever Ezekiel is planning. Why would he want to trade down?
@6 Maybe it’s time for us to consider that the whole ‘something supernaturally’ is Sam’s default condition; ie that he’s simply not meant to be just human. If we take it that the trials were purifying Sam of the demon blood then he had the demon blood his entire life. Add to that the psychic visions, telekinesis, the ability to kill demons with his mind, his status as a vessel etc etc. The few brief moments he (possibly) spent without supernatural influence (after the trials) left Sam on the verge of death.
If Sam is left with some sort of angel mojo then, at this stage, what harm? The show, especially recently, has shown that you can be something other than wholly human and be completely accepted. Take Benny (well, Benny if you haven’t seen the deleted scenes) and Castiel (debatable, I know) as examples. They have been trusted and accepted as much, if not more, than Sam has ever been. And even if Sam is only half human, he is [i]still[/i] half human, and the human side of Sam has always been the dominant side of him. Would Dean accept this type of Sam? Probably. This might be what Dean has to learn, that a not wholly human Sam is still his brother. As we saw with Benny last year Dean now has no problem trusting, working with and considering something supernatural as part of his ‘family’. Ditto with Castiel, so if Sam is left with some angel powers (or whatever) then Dean shouldn’t have a problem with it.
Taking it a step further. We have seen in the past that Sam has powers and it has never been confirmed that they are gone so who is to say that they are not still there? The demon blood brought out certain powers in Sam, perhaps the angel possession will do the same again. I don’t recall seeing Sam’s eyes go blue when he was bring Castiel back to life so maybe Sam’s dormant powers are being awakened again. He used the powers he had to save lives before so why not now again.
Well if we take Ezekiel at his word that Sam can’t survive without him yet then maybe whenever he has to heal Sam or anyone it weakens both of them. But I do agree it would be an interesting storyline for Sam and Ezekiel to meld into one. How would Dean feel about that!!
“This might be what Dean has to learn, that a not wholly human Sam is still his brother. As we saw with Benny last year Dean now has no problem trusting, working with and considering something supernatural as part of his ‘family’. Ditto with Castiel, so if Sam is left with some angel powers (or whatever) then Dean shouldn’t have a problem with it. “
Tim @8 from your mouth to the writers ears!! This would be such a great end to the show. It comes full circle and really ends where it begins (like a buldingsroman for Sam) . It is a mature ending and also allows the show to remain essentially about the brother relationship to the end. It will mean that Dean has finally let go of his fathers voice that told him to kill Sam if he wasn’t human. It is a lovely message to the audience too in that it makes one question what it really means to be human. Love it
I don’t know. I always thought that Sam’s greatest wish for himself was to be “normal”, human. He finally shed the demon blood that cursed his life from infancy only to trade that for possession by angel? I would hate it if in the end Sam had to settle for being a supernatural being for the rest of his life.
I don’t think Dean would have a problem with it because I don’t think he had a problem with Sam’s demon blood until he started drinking the stuff and falling in with Ruby. I do wonder if Sam might have a problem with it since he didn’t want to be different. Maybe he would be more accepting of angel melding. Hard to say.
I personally would like to see Sam without any added extras for once. It’s all very intriguing.
kaz1 – for the record, John told Dean if he couldn’t save Sam he would have to kill him, no mention of human and I don’t think Dean has ever considered killing Sam because of what John said. Sam had demon blood but he was always human. IMO
[quote]Actually I should clarify. It won’t be the next episode I hate, but pics I’ve seen look set to give me even more reason to hate 9.03.[/quote]
Again I’m not seeing what’s wrong with those pics.