WFB Deja Vu Review – Supernatural 9.23, “Do You Believe in Miracles?”
Supernatural season finales are always intense. Emotionally gripping, they conclude many of the myth arcs of the season, and leave us gasping at some final scene that hopefully ensures the entire audience returns next season. āDo You Believe in Miraclesā, the season 9 cliff-hanger, delivered possibly the most shocking final two seconds of the series (challenged only by the season 1 finale when the Impala got t-boned!). Sure, we had all speculated about Dean becoming a demon because of the Mark of Cain, but the impact of an extremely tight close up of his bloody, beat-up face interrupted by his eyes springing open to reveal jet black instead of emerald green eyes was a spectacular moment of TV viewing.
To be honest, āDo You Believe in Miraclesā was not my favorite finale, which was a surprise since Iām a steadfast, enthusastic fan of Jeremy Carverās writing. There were several diversions in the story that seemed unnecessary, forced or awkward. The mob killing of that anonymous angel who inexplicably was inhabiting a homeless man was one such scene. I imagine it was supposed to frame Metatronās cruelty, or foreshadow what would happen to humanity under Metatronās rule, but the long diatribe from the ill-fated angel who we had never seen before, then the unexpected ferocity of the attack when he challenged the peopleās āsaviorā felt like the plot was idling when it should have been racing forward. Ā A great deal of time had to be expended in this episode to clarify Metatronās ultimate plan to rule humanity, so the episode had to explain motivations and implications only moments before it concluded the angels expelled from Heaven, the Gadreel redemption and the Metatron take-over plot lines.
I donāt want to focus on the flaws of the episode, though, because it also delivered some exceptionally goodĀ moments. The following are the things that I believe elevated this episode:
Dean: Just as Jaredās portrayal of Sam reached new heights in Sacrifice, Jensenās depiction of Dean in the season 9 finale showcased Jensenās outstanding acting talent. His bloodshot eyes and weary face reflected both the toll that season 9 took on Jensen and the end-of-the-road plight faced by Dean. Jensen conveyed the animalistic rage of a mangled soul when attacking Gadreel;
the tongue-tied brother awkwardly apologizing to Sam;
the determined and calculated strategist when stalling Metatron;
and the loving, heart-wrenching dying words of a defeated warrior.
An incredible range of emotions all channeled through one person in one episode.
Monologues: This episode was sustained by the strength of some brilliantly delivered dialogue, including Samās revealing speech to his brother;
Metatronās endless, annoying yammering to Dean, Cas and various attending angels;
and Crowleyās explanation to Dean in the bunker dungeon about the effects of the blade. While all were dramatic, a few of the scenes will become signatures of this episode.Ā Mark Sheppardās emphasis in āthe least-best betterā and his inflection in āYou want to get rid of it?ā packed so much meaning into Crowley and Deanās question and answer volley. Tahmohās declaration of Gadreelās enlightenment and sacrifice convinced the audience of Gadreelās sincere and ultimate redemption.
His words cut straight into the hearts of the viewers, amid the confusion and noise of the scene in the cell. Ā
Of course, building to the climax of the episode was Mark Sheppardās epilogue.
Mesmerizing and revealing, the audience hung onto every syllable, every breath, uttered by the genius of Mark Sheppardās oration.
Parallels and Double Meanings: Dean fell to the ground, or ābrokeā at the exact same moment the Angel Tablet crashed to the ground and shattered. Metatron later told Castiel that he had broken āArguably, the most powerful instrument in the history of the universe.ā Just as he said those words, I was struck by the visual relationship that had just been drawn between Dean and the tablet. Dean and Sam have saved the world countless times. Ā Dean, or maybe Dean and Sam together representing the bonds of a family, could easily be called the most powerful instrument in the history of the universe. In ābreakingā Dean and taking Dean away from Sam, both forces for good had been broken.
During the rewatch I was also struck by the dichotomy of Deanās adversaries. When Abaddon threw Dean against a wall, he was able to fight through the power and prevail. Metatron, on the other hand, threw Dean around like a puppet. This was a nice contrast to highlight Dean being outmatched when fighting against āGodā.Ā
Classic Supernatural Music: āCarry on My Wayward Sonā playing during the retrospective of the season; the āfamilyā theme playing as Dean lay dying in Sammyās arms; the soft rock music āCanāt Find My Way Homeā as Sam laid out and mourned his brotherā¦what would Supernatural be without its music?
So while āDo You Believe in Miraclesā will never be my favorite finale, I choose to remember its many epic moments, and wait impatiently for the beginning of season 10.
Alice Jester
I sat down and watched āDo You Believe in Miraclesā on iTunes last night after enjoying some rather stellar season premieres on other networks (Agents of SHIELD and Person of Interest were freaking awesome BTW).Ā Iām not sure what compelled me to watch the episode other than I know āSupernaturalāsā premiere will be here soon enough and hopefully Iāll be as excited about that as Iāve been about the premieres Iāve seen so far.Ā I wanted that refresher, that chance to regroup and get in new episode mode again.
Honestly, I loved āDo You Believe in Miracles.āĀ Every bit of it.Ā I thought it was the best episode of the season back in May, and I still believe that now.Ā Still, I know of many that didnāt like it.Ā Iāve spent all summer reading and hearing people burn Jeremy Carverās name in effigy.Ā With that in mind, I went into last nightās re-watch hoping to see the gaping holes, contrived plotting, and just plain reckless nature of the script that other people saw.Ā Nope, I still donāt get it.
Iāll admit, Iām a blind, unabashed lover of Carverās work.Ā No one writes Sam better.Ā No one writes Dean better.Ā No one writes brotherly moments, other characters, and plot twists better.Ā Heās far and away the best writer on the team.Ā The season finale is meant to tie everything we got in the season so far together, and then set the direction for the season to come.Ā āDo You Believe in Miraclesā accomplished that mission.Ā Carver can only work with what he was given, and season nine was not a well written season by any means.Ā Remember though, when evaluating the episode, Ā Iām addressing Jeremy Carver the writer.Ā Since Carver is also the showrunner, many lay the faults of the season on him and that can skew the view of the episode. Ā I made sure to separate the two.Ā Ā Ā
Look, I know as much as all of you that āSupernaturalā isnāt the way it used to be.Ā Itās not as exciting, not as ground shaking, a lot of the original heart is missing, the conflicts arenāt as vital, the dialogue isnāt as sharp and fun, and the plotting is often all over the map.Ā I remember someone once throwing a criticism like that to Al Jean, the executive producer of The Simpsons (you know, that little show thatās been around for 25 years).Ā His response, āYeah, well you arenāt the same as you were ten years ago either.āĀ I guess what Iām trying to say is, comparing seasons two or four to season nine is kind of like comparing apples to oranges.Ā Itās not the same.Ā Sure there are parallels, but they arenāt the same.
Carver is not the hands on showrunner that Eric Kripke was.Ā Not by a long shot.Ā Carver doesnāt engage with fans the way Kripke did either (although both arenāt on social media for a reason given this vocal fandom).Ā Carver is more of a traditional Hollywood writer.Ā He writes based on the way the story goes and tries to enhance that creative energy.Ā He does so without the pressure of fans or other vocal critics.Ā He goes with his instincts.Ā He does control plots, he does pull in scripts that stray too far, he does offer dialogue feedback that could be more interesting, but he doesnāt micro manage.Ā Heās not overbearing and doesnāt control.Ā He gives his writers latitude and the freedom to run with ideas.Ā
Carver also shares his duties with Robert Singer, the guy who pulled in Eric Kripkeās wayward tendencies with ideas.Ā Singer is more of a traditional TV guy as well.Ā Heās a fan, but not a fan boy.Ā He believes in telling a good story, but he knows he wonāt please everyone.Ā Together Carver and Singer set the season vision and overall plot, and then the writers are expected to navigate their story ideas in between those beacons.Ā They arenāt expected to create mind blowing epics every week, even though we as fans think thatās exactly what they should be doing.Ā Expectations are lofty and cannot be met.Ā Carver and Singer work the show the way they know best and still keep their sanity in the end.Ā
It all boils down to what did you think of āDo You Believe in Miracles?āĀ Any criticisms to how Carver handled plotting in season nine or what his record has been as a showrunner is irrelevant.Ā I heard a ton of complaints that fans didnāt like the angel storyline or Metatron as a villain.Ā Fair enough, there were faults in that area.Ā Still, were they addressed and wrapped up properly in the season finale?Ā After all, itās not like Carver could just write the angels out without reason and not show them anymore.Ā He had to run with what he was given.Ā In this episode, that story had flow.Ā It followed through a logical progression and there was some thought provoking dialogue.Ā Metatron actually thought he was a hero.Ā If you didnāt like it, thatās okay.Ā Thatās your right as a fan.Ā But to say āI hate the angel storylineā isnāt going to get rid of it.Ā
Angels are there, they’ve been there since season four, so they’re a major part of this series like it or not.Ā Their story has to be addressed.Ā
Iāve heard a ton of criticisms about Samās character.Ā Through the season, Iām pretty certain I was throwing out several of those (as many of you know, I personally thought Samās character development in season nine was awful).Ā However, āDo You Believe in Miracles?ā actually gave Sam a POV!Ā We finally got to know what heās been feeling and thinking.Ā We saw through his eyes the devastation of watching Dean die.
It was emotionally pitch perfect.Ā A characterās direction or lack of development cannot change full course in 42 minutes.Ā Iām still trying to figure out the expectations.Ā Most are actually happy with Deanās character and the MOC storyline, and this episode ran with that perfectly.Ā
Iāve also heard from others in the less vocal part of the fandom total praise for what Carver has brought to the table in two seasons.Ā There are people out there that love his work.Ā There are people out there that think heās brought a new creative energy to the show since returning in season eight.Ā There are people out there happy with āSupernaturalāsā direction in general.Ā Itās with those people that I turn to when I need to restore a semblance of sanity.Ā Itās with those people that when I say I like Carverās work, I donāt get shouted out of the room so to speak.Ā Itās honestly a better fan experience.Ā That doesnāt mean Carver is perfect, or is creating the greatest thing since sliced bread, itās just that as a fan Iām willing to give him creative license.Ā It definitely doesnāt mean I loved season nine (I think itās the worst one of the series).Ā
Jeremy Carver made me very happy with his āDo You Believe in Miracles?ā script.Ā Thatās what Iām left with for season nine, and thatās what Iām running with in my hopes for season ten.Ā Thatās not a half bad way to start, donāt you think? Ā
*****
One last chance to comment on season 9! What did you think of its finale? Were you blown away, as so many people were, or were you left wanting for more?
All of our original reviews of “Do You Believe In Miracles” can be found in the Season 9 Episode Guide.
Numerous pictures of the episode can be found in the Season 9 Photo Gallery.
Transcript quotes confirmed with www.supernaturalwiki.com.
- Iām the Co-Editor-in-Chief, Social Media Manager (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), Live Tweet Moderator, reviewer and feature writer for The Winchester Family Business.Ā Before joining theĀ Supernatural Family, I worked for 22 years at a global consulting firm, but after years of long hours, high pressure and rigorous demands, I quit corporate life to raise my children. After my first SupernaturalĀ convention, I was driven to share my shock and awe in a two-part essay thatĀ The WFBĀ was brave enough to post, and my second life calling, that of being a writer, began. My first published book,Ā Fan Phenomena: The Twilight SagaĀ was released in late 2016. Please share in my cross-fandom excitement by following its Facebook page @FanPhenomenaTwilight and my personal Twitter account @LSAngel2. Ā You can read about this whole miraculous transition in my chapter inĀ Family Donāt End With Blood,Ā published in May 2017.
You know actually, this is the only SPN site I visit because of the overwhelming negativity. And still, even here there is a lot. And it’s a little sad to me because I love reading other people’s reactions to something they care about as much as me, but everywhere you just see hate, hate, hate. It’s normal everyone won’t be pleased by an episode/season (hell, I hated Hannibal’s second half of season 2’s writing, and everybody thought it was genius). It’s normal, but then, it kind of makes me feel like I’m either an idiot for enjoying, or just surrounded by people who are now hate-watching the show. I mean, season 9 was far from being perfect, but it brought really interesting set ups for season 9. I actually like Metatron. What puzzled me though is the way people hated on Sera Gamble for season 6-7 (I actually like season 7, so sue me), and now people are saying they’re having issue with the last 2 years. I wasn’t watching during the Kripke years, but were people like that? This fandom can be both so amazing and entitled, it’s schizophrenic.
Sorry for the rambling, and I hope I didn’t offend anyone, but this is just coming from a sad Supernatural fan.
On a happier note, can’t wait for season 10.
You aren’t rambling at all! This is perfect and reflects a lot of frustrations I feel. I was probably rambling myself in this review with a simple point, which is there’s no pleasing this fandom. Considering I’ve had to do critical reviews since season three I tend to examine the episodes through a more intense microscope, but I just wonder what Jeremy Carver, or Sera Gamble, or even Eric Kripke who faced his own scathing critiques (which is why he left after season five), have to do to get a break. Criticism is one thing, pure fan hate is another. It’s really sad.
I join you in the can’t wait for season 10 club! Thanks for the comment.
Thank you for replying. I had no idea Kripke left (even if it’s only partly) because of the critiques. I mean, I’ve seen people who absolutely hated season 5 and said it completely undid season 4. With hope, season 10 will make the majority of people happy.
Kripke may not have liked all the critique he was getting from fans, but I seriously doubt he left a successful show for that reason alone, I mean, he’s an experienced, creator, director, producer and show runner, he knows the score and has a suitably thick skin. More likely he left Supernatural because he was offered a chance to be show runner for Revolution, a show that he developed, off of an original idea of his own for a major television network (NBC). There was a LOT more money at stake and the perks in the industry that come with being a producer and show runner on one of the big three. He got just as much flack from the fans of that show; it comes with the territory.
If Kripke thought he would escape criticism by doing Revolution, he was wrong. People griped about that all over the place. I do think that he had greater ambitions and he had told the story he wanted to tell. I’m sure the complaints of fans were hard to deal with and Supernatural fans are really involved with the show. But the Internet brings out the critics for every show, especially those that people are really devoted to.
E, not to refute your observations, but I was there in that press room two months after Swan Song aired. I have transcripts and audio recordings and wrote articles about it. Kripke was so damned fed up at that point defending his choices for Swan Song and the whole arc. He spent five years stressing himself out silly over making his creation absolutely perfect and the fandom wouldn’t stop wearing him down. He hit his breaking point. He didn’t get involved with Revolution until one year after he left being the show runner for Supernatural. He spent that year with his family (he had a second kid around the time Season Five ended) and basically regrouping.
Trust me, he found out through Revolution how good he had it with Supernatural. NBC is an impossible network for creative meddling. Revolution went 2 seasons, Supernatural, his creation (no sharing with Abrams) in which he claims royalties today thank his production company, has gone 10. He’s making tons more money with Supernatural’s residuals. Revolution was a passion project. I know, I was in those press rooms too.
I understand “it comes with the territory”, but Kripke wore his heart on his sleeve. I’ve interviewed him and met him many times. The fandom backlash hurt. He’s learned his lesson from that, but it was really painful for me personally to see that frustration and hurt in that press room after season five. It wasn’t fair.
Though Kripke did stick around for season 6, albeit in a reduced role. He was still around to help with breaking stories for the season and writing the finale.
Technically, Kripke has never left the show. He’s still maintaining the title of Executive Consulting Producer or something like that. He sits in on pitch meetings once in a while and sometimes he’s asked for his blessing on certain things. He sat in on the initial season six pitch meetings, but any decision making authority fell on Sera and Bob. He did write the season six finale though, which I find extraordinary. Maybe he was still contracted for a script or something because he hasn’t written one since. It’s really sad. Anyway, I always cling onto hope he’ll come back in more of an active consulting role now that Revolution is done. However, producers from finished shows usually spend a couple of years in development Hell in between projects, so we’ll see.
I find it interesting that Kripke was credited as Executive Producer and not Executive Consultant for the failed Bloodlines pilot episode. Which suggests to me that he would’ve had a more hands-on involvement in Bloodlines had it made it to series. :):(
You know, that’s really sad to hear. I wonder if he would be able to cope with the criticisms better now if he went back to Supernatural. He would never have had to justify Swan Song to me; I totally got it and thought it was absolutely brilliant and a fitting conclusion to his original story idea. Maybe it would have been a stronger show historically to have ended Supernatural there at that beautifully concluded moment. But even in it’s current watered down state I’ll take this show over any other, so I am glad that it’s still onā¦ flaws and all.
I agree with E, that is sad. I saw an interview once where Kripke said (I am paraphrasing because I don’t remember it exactly) something to the effect that he was proud of Swan Song and offered it up to the fans like a little pearl and then he read the comments and saw things like ‘you suck Kripke’. He was sort of smiling while he was saying it but you could tell it stung! And on one of the commentaries he talked about reading some of the online comments and sometimes they hurt a little. I don’t care who you are or how long you’ve been in the business you want people to like your work and I imagine, if you are in any way sensitive, it could drag you down. I miss him tremendously and would love to see him more involved again. I don’t dislike any of the showrunners despite having some issues with some of the seasons post S5 but EK was my favorite and always will be for many reasons.
I really liked DYBIM. I wanted to love it but in re-watching last night I finally put my finger on what bothered me. Carver had to much to do. The previous 2 or 3 episodes should have covered a lot of the ground that he had to cover in one episode. Metatrons endless monologs trying to wrap up the angel’s on earth story line, took me took away from what the real story is, always has been and always will be. The brothers. There just wasn’t enough of Sam and Dean either together or apart. There was slightly more Dean (as there needed to be) but not enough of the guys together. Those final moments were electric, it had me holding my breath and then reduced to a puddle. The most valuable asset that this show has is Jared and Jensen (for me anyway). I appreciate the talents of Curtis and Tamoh (and honestly Gadreel’s story was the most satisfying) but they are not why I watch this show. That being said Crowley’s role was perfect from beginning to end. Castiel’s horrified expression when he learned of Dean’s death heart wrenching. But nothing compared to Jared and Jensen in the very brief moments they had on screen. I am hoping in S10 we get the brothers united again. I am one that really liked S9 up until ep 20 (we all know why) it was entertaining and had a flow that was easy to follow. The last few episodes just kind of fell apart. But I do applaud Carver for pulling it all together. I just don’t think he should have had to.
I am very excited for S10 can’t hardly wait.
cheryl42 – I agree with you 100% and have the same feeling for the final episode. If only ‘Bloodlines’ hadn’t interrupted the final few episodes perhaps there would have been more of the brothers’ story. Sam and Dean are and always were the point of interest in this series. Jensen and Jared have so very much chemistry and bring those brothers to almost real life for me. When that is a little lacking, the episodes suffer a bit.
The last few minutes were gut-wrenching and emotionally devastating to me! I know Carver can write the brothers beautifully as he has in the past and I still have faith in him. Supernatural Christmas and Mystery Spot for example. Wonderful examples of his feeling for the brotherly relationship.
I would love for Kripke to write some more episodes for his wonderful creation and feel so very badly for the hurt he received from all the so-called hateful and hate-loving fans. So very very sorry that happened to him. He created an actual wonder that I will be forever grateful to him for!
Maybe a little girl power is needed in the writers’ room? Cathryn Humphries, Raelle Tucker and Sera Gamble back perhaps? Though I will never never forgive Sera for killing Bobby! They were great with the ‘relationship’!
Honestly I think Robert Berens has some potential to write for the brothers and Jenny Klein showed a tiny spark in the precious Batman and Superman scene. More please!
Oh Bevie! From your lips to God’s ears!
[i]”Maybe a little girl power is needed in the writers’ room? Cathryn Humphris, Raelle Tucker and Sera Gamble back perhaps?”[/i] OMG you hit the nail right on the head. I could not believe when I read your words as I honestly thought I was the only one who relished the fabulous writing skills of Humphris, Tucker and Gamble. Of course the absolute master and most missed has to be Ben Edlund, but I also wish John Shiban was still writing episodes.
For my money, all of the discussion regarding how effective/ineffective Jeremy Carver has been as showrunner completely misses the mark. To all of the fans who are so vocal about their disappointments I say: “Consider that what actually fuels Supernatural to be fascinating and satisfying are the scripts produced by outstanding writers, not the direction that the showrunner provides.” The real problem Supernatural faces has been the continual loss of its outstanding writers. You can trace the deterioration of excitement about seasons with the loss of great writers like Humphris, Tucker, Shiban, Kripke, Gamble and Edlund. The true brilliance of any show rests squarely on the talent of its writers.
I agree that the writing has taking a slide as of late especially. Several of the writers on staff right now leave quite a bit to be desired. Still though, I think much of the changes that we’ve seen since the end of season 5 can be traced to the loss of Kim Manners. That man had something special about him. He could find the most delicate character nuances in any scene he directed. It was a terrible creative blow to the show when he passed and I think in that moment something irrevocably was lost, something intangible and incredibly special. RIP Kim Manners you are missed.
I agree with you too, E! Kim Manners played an integral role in creating a lot of the SPN magic. Yet in some ways, his influence lives on to this day. When Jensen was asked about how he was going to portray Demondean in Season 10, he said he remembered “the late Kim Manners whoās advice was to ‘give them what they expect, in a way they never expected’.” I think Jensen tried to soak up as much knowledge from Kim as he possibly could, as both an actor and a director.
Hey E : Do you see the little scar about two inches below Jensen’s watch on his inner forearm in the pic below? Do you know the story behind how he got that scar? It happened while Kim Manners was directing “Lazarus Rising”. Kim absolutely insisted that they had to use real glass in the windows of the gas station Dean breaks in to. He said the “fake glass” that is routinely used for safety sake would not look realistic when it shattered. So they used real glass and when it shattered and Jensen threw himself down to the floor, a small piece of the real glass imbedded itself in Jensen’s arm. I can still hear Jensen relating that story and then imitating Kim Manners as he used to bellow: “Suck it up, Ackles”!!!
[img]http://38.media.tumblr.com/b7952d2eef41f3868a9aa78c67893e12/tumblr_nbpzf1ioNo1r8ceyuo2_500.jpg[/img]
I do remember Jensen telling that story Suzee51. It’s like listening to either of the boys relate the story about filming with the bees in Bugs, season 1. They both have recounted that while they were exposed to the bees that Kim sat in that attic without any protective clothing as well, saying, “if my guys have to do this, then so do I” or something to that effect. His touch was evident in the best of the character driven episodes on this show and on the X-Files. He had a golden touch. I think he was the “heart” of the show in it’s first 5 seasons. Some of that heart has gone, but not all.
All time favorite Kim Manners quote = [i] “Let’s face it, if they were dogs? Jensen would be Rin Tin Tin and Jared would be Pluto.”[/i] OMG, how great is that?!!!
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The site will still be around. We have a long term plan now.
Yay…:)
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I guess i’m one of those tiresome people alice, who loved season 9 and totally understood where carver was coming from and understood the story he is telling. I won’t go on and on as I’ve so often done…yes you’re welcome:p:D…..but I will say that I loved this ep and I loved s9. the only eppy I didn’t like was bloodlines and that’s because I felt it had absolutely nothing to do with supernatural and more to do with the originals…not into soapy monster shows…
I am among those very few who have often and quite verbosely gone out of my way to defend both carver’s story and sam’s character. I have posted endless and very long posts regarding what I believe to be carver’s plan and what sam’s pov has been…..and I have to say that after watching the s9 special features and listening to carver’s interview….well let’s just say I haven’t wasted a single moment in my defense of both carver and sam….and he pretty much validated almost every one of my posts…:D
that being said….
dybim…..loved sam….loved dean…..loved gad….loved Crowley….and monologue aside….I love freakin metatron, that ego maniac smarmy bastard…..did I forget anyone….ah yes….my favorite winged angel….yes cas…love you too…..
thank you carver and co…..most especially jared and Jensen for an amazing s9…..so looking forward to s10;):D
I think you misunderstood the post Nappi. I wasn’t criticizing people who loved season nine. I was speaking out against those that are taking their frustrations about Supernatural out on Jeremy Carver and solely Carver, going so far as to cruelly insult him. I had my problems with the season, but I still adore Jeremy Carver. I was also embracing the side of the fandom that did love it. Your posts have always been eloquent Nappi and I know you’ve been a huge defender. That commentary clearly puts you in the praise category. That’s not a bad thing. Thanks for saying so (the length comment was just on the one post).
alice,
I didn’t think you were criticizing anyone. I was just admitting that I was actually one of the people who loved s9 and saw it in a way that most didn’t. I’ve often tried to explain what I thought the story was truly about and after all has been said and done, I still hold true to that belief. Carver came off a show called “being human”…..if s8 and s9 has focused on anything these last two seasons…it was regarding being human:…flaws and all….sometimes I think it gets forgotten, because they are so loved, that sam and dean are actually human characters with human emotions, different human povs and they make human mistakes….but it’s their humanity and love for ea. other that is truly their strength. I believe both kripke and carver have shown us that. and carver is continuing on with that.;):D
i actually have never compared the show runners previous seasons…..i loved every season…yes even season 7……loved them all. i can honestly say that out of ten seasons, there are only a couple of eps that i truly don’t like and when i watch, i just watch sam and dean parts or just sam parts….but i can count those eps on one hand. there’s only been one character that i didn’t like…..and though the first half of s8 is frustrating to watch and that’s mostly because sam keeps the truth inside and just takes the constant digs from dean ……i came to see and understand that this was the beginning of the end of the dysfunctional relationship between the boys and the coming of a new and more mature one….and as Cheryl so eloquently put it above in regards to this site being around….to which i also concur…..”Yay”. š
so bring on s10….i’m ready for it. although what i do kind of hope, i kind of hope they can get at least one more female writer…..personally, i think a significant difference between kripke’s years and carver’s….kripke had more women writing….they were also very capable and awesome writers…..but they offered an insight from a female perspective i feel…they didn’t throw around chick flick moments, but i found that the boys were more open…talked more…maybe more than guys normally would, i don’t know….and it was nice…at least for me…
carver has mostly men writing and they write from the male perspective….maybe too much…i think if they can’t find another female writer, they need to channel their feminine side a wee bit more…not to get chick flick moments….but just to talk more often….i know it’s possible…..it’s been done by kripke, carver, edlund, shiban and more…..maybe it was because the story was going in a certain direction..i just hope this season….we get a little more honesty…honesty isn’t a feminine trait alone. :D…on the bright side….in my opinion…i think we will be getting that…..
very psyched for s10…
See I thought the main idea about the season was Sam and Dean’s relationship, people may not like the angst/tension/deconstruction of it, but I do believe that was the main plot point of the season, so to me it really wasn’t as all over the place as people were saying. There were the storylines that involved angels and demon, which were on the periphery really, Sam and Dean’s connections to those stories were intimate rather than them running around the country killing angels and demons (which honestly would have gotten boring pretty quick), and of course Cas had his own human/angel story arc.
Also, it’s not even comparing season 4 to season 9 that shows the show is different. I mean if compared season 1 to season 4 it would feel like a different show too.
“I’m proud of us”The sentence that ruined the episode…It was the fact that Dean said that made it useless.
Metatron showed menace.Good point.
Gadreel died.Bad point.
Castiel, I felt was not of much relevance after season 5 but at the end of this season looks like he can be of relevance.Hope the writers build on it in the coming seasons.
Sam,Scene was cut (throughout the season) .
Dean’s death was underwhelming.
Curious to see how they deal with demon Dean.
Binge watched all nine seasons twice in a row (plus several favorites several times) plus most of the interviews & cons over the last 2 months. I don’t want to get far enough into the show to experience the hate (I haven’t come across any thus far) and I realize I have a degree of separation because binging does not allow for time to either marinate or stew in episodes. I suspect the issue I have is very likely binge-related: Dean summarizes his entire approach to life in S05ep14 āTrialAndErrorā where he tells Sam that Sam being safe and living to a ripe old age is the only happy ending he ever hopes to have. That really shouldnāt be news to Sam. He has to know that Dean is physiologically incapable of letting Sammy die before he himself dies. So Sam āunbrotherās Dean halfway through S09 ātelling him (for the second time) that heād never save Dean from death under whatever circumstances. Then Deanās dead and he wants to revive him? Why? He doesnāt need Dean like Dean needs him-he got on perfectly fine with Dean in purgatory. He made Dean miserable for the last 2 months-even near the end Sam refuses to forgive Dean by blowing off his last-ditch effort to talk about it and just goes with the āletās just go before we argue about something elseā. Dean says heās good with dying (so far as he knows) so thatās there. So why does Sam want Dean alive? Heās said & shown that he doesnāt need or want him, Dean has said he’s tired of living and pretty much told Sam-“no Iām good dying like this”-so donāt get me wrong I get the ābrotherā thing and I like both the guys, but what is Samās motivation supposed to be here? What are the audience meant to think? Everything turned around just like that?[/b]
I think if you go back and watch those scenes again (or go to superwiki and read the transcripts) Sam is telling Dean basically in Sharp Teeth that because they are brothers they make decisions in trying to save each other that sometimes cost innocents to lose their lives i.e. Kevin. In the Purge Sam tells Dean that he wouldn’t save him if it went against everything that Dean stood for and would cause an innocent to lose their life (Kevin). Sam knows Dean well enough that Dean would never forgive him, in other words same circumstances. Sam was ready to die. Dean saw what Sam wanted and why. He couldn’t let Sam die and the result was the death of Kevin, Abner and a whole host of angels possessing innocent people. All of which is burned into Sam’s mind forever. But no matter how angry Sam was with Dean he never left Deans side. He always came running whenever Dean needed him, he was the only one who could reach Dean through the haze of the Mark and the Blade and he was determined to go down with him in the final showdown with Metatron. Dean knew that he had screwed up with the angel possession but Sam didn’t want to fight anymore. He wanted to be by Dean’s side like he had been all season. Dean knew that. Above all else Sam and Dean love each other. That was why his final words were how proud he was of himself and Sam for all the good they had done. And now it looks like Sam is going to beat Crowley to death until he reverses whatever he has done to Dean. That is my take anyway. You either buy into the love that these two have for each other no matter how angry the get or you don’t. I do.
Binge watched all nine seasons twice in a row (plus several favorites several times) plus most of the interviews & cons over the last 2 months. I don’t want to get far enough into the show to experience the hate (I haven’t come across any thus far) and I realize I have a degree of separation because binging does not allow for time to either marinate or stew in episodes. I suspect the issue I have is very likely binge-related: Dean summarizes his entire approach to life in S05ep14 āTrialAndErrorā where he tells Sam that Sam being safe and living to a ripe old age is the only happy ending he ever hopes to have. That really shouldnāt be news to Sam. He has to know that Dean is physiologically incapable of letting Sammy die before he himself dies. So Sam āunbrotherās Dean halfway through S09 ātelling him (for the second time) that heād never save Dean from death under whatever circumstances. Then Deanās dead and he wants to revive him? Why? He doesnāt need Dean like Dean needs him-he got on perfectly fine with Dean in purgatory. He made Dean miserable for the last 2 months-even near the end Sam refuses to forgive Dean by blowing off his last-ditch effort to talk about it and just goes with the āletās just go before we argue about something elseā. Dean says heās good with dying (so far as he knows) so thatās there. So why does Sam want Dean alive? Heās said & shown that he doesnāt need or want him, Dean has said he’s tired of living and assured Sam-“no Iām good dying like this”-so donāt get me wrong I get the ābrotherā thing and I like both the guys, but what is Samās motivation supposed to be here? What are the audience meant to think?
oops. sorry.